Who will become our biggest Big East rival?

[Muskeagle]

I've assumed that Butler would become our new "Dayton", but as the we wind down our second year in the BE, I'm not sure it has happened. Our games with Seton Hall have been particularly feisty. So, just wondering what everyone thinks.

[BMoreX]

Butler or Georgetown

[Masterofreality]

Gotta think Butler....

Because their fans are tools.

[JTG]

Probably Butler, but I would not put them in the same boat as Dayton. Butler, now that they have rid themselves of Brandon Miller as a coach, is very disciplined, very smart and very well coached. They are doing more with less, unlike Dayton who usually did less with more. Talent wise Butler has no business in 2nd place, but that just goes to show what coaching and bball smarts and discipline can do for a team.
As Pete Gillen used to say we will be in for a War on Saturday.

[xu82]

Butler or Georgetown

Yep, I voted Butler but couldn't argue with GTown. Proximity has something to do with that for me. Dayton and UC are easy to hate because they're so close. Not that we need any more reasons....

[D-West & PO-Z]

Butler or Georgetown

I was thinking these two as well but voted Butler.

[xudash]

Nova long-term.

No to Butler.

[xubrew]

Butler is clearly the team that most are fixated on. That was occurring back when they were still in the Horizon League. It's Butler all day long.

[Chalmers0]

Honestly not sure how you could answer something other than Butler.

We've played some insanely tight games with them over the last few years, both conference and non-conference and have gone head to head on a bunch of key midwest recruits. Neither of which I really see changing. Also there fans absolute hate Xavier, which makes it much easier to hate them back.

[Milhouse]

Rivalrys have to be mutual. I don't ever see Anyone besides Butler considering us their biggest rival on that list.

I legitimately believe Butler fans think we are their biggest rival. IU won't play them home and home so while they hate IU more X is the more formidable rival. They will never be our #1 rival but they will be a solid #2.

I respect their program a lot and really really enjoy beating them.

[xubrew]

Rivalrys have to be mutual. I don't ever see Anyone besides Butler considering us their biggest rival on that list.

I legitimately believe Butler fans think we are their biggest rival. IU won't play them home and home so while they hate IU more X is the more formidable rival. They will never be our #1 rival but they will be a solid #2.

I respect their program a lot and really really enjoy beating them.

Indiana does play Butler on equal terms. In fact, if anything, it favors Butler. When they play every two years it's always in Indianapolis.

Most of the IU fans I know dislike Butler. I don't know if the entire fanbase feels that way, but the ones I know do not like them.

[Milhouse]

Indiana does play Butler on equal terms. In fact, if anything, it favors Butler. When they play every two years it's always in Indianapolis.

Most of the IU fans I know dislike Butler. I don't know if the entire fanbase feels that way, but the ones I know do not like them.

It most certainly doesn't favor Butler. IU brings 50%+ of the fans to Bankers life every year. the remaining 3 teams make up the rest of the attendance. They play in Indianapolis but in Bankers Life. I go to the game every year as one of my good friends is an IU season ticket holder. Most IU people i know (wrongly) look at Butler as little brother. Part of the reason that Butler has such awful attendance is Indianapolis is a town almost entirely dominated by Notre Dame & IU fans. Butler doesn't move the needle there much at all unless they're on a big tourney run or ranked. Even then IU will always be top dog.

[kyxu]

I hate Butler, but unlike Dayton, I respect the hell out of them. Clearly, they are our Big East rivals. For Georgetown, I feel like Xavier is out of sight, out of mind.

[GoMuskies]

Long-term, I expect us to be good. Very good. And I think that will rankle the folks at Georgetown who are going to want to look down on us.

[xu82]

Long-term, I expect us to be good. Very good. And I think that will rankle the folks at Georgetown who are going to want to look down on us.

That's a VERY good point and I couldn't agree more. Makes the sweep all the more satisfying. As for a rival, it's important that it's a two way street in terms of hate and both teams need to be capable of winning. 'Nova may have to wait for us to catch up and them to fall back. Butler fits the bill.

[bourbonman]

I voted Villanova. It's my belief they we be the most consistently fighting for the conference and championship and I hope we're right there with them. Butler makes sense b/c of proximity, but I believe as Indiana program improves, ND doing as well as they are and if Purdue ever gets their act back together, Butler will suffer. I personally want it to be Georgetown, but for some reason I'm not seeing it. Therefore, Villanova.

[Muskie in NY]

I went way out on a limb and said Marquette. Realistically I see a lot of similarities between the schools from an academic and basketball level, excluding this season obviously. Long term I believe these two schools will want to be differentiated from each other which will ultimately lead to the two teams disliking each other. But as of right now I can't say that the two teams have expressed any animosity towards each other.

[Masterofreality]

Long-term, I expect us to be good. Very good. And I think that will rankle the folks at Georgetown who are going to want to look down on us.

This is very true. Georgetown does have a rather inflated opinion of themselves.

[BandAid]

1. Butler
2. Marquette

I think the Midwest teams are going to end up hating each other. Creighton is also Midwest, but Nebraska is the westernmost extreme of the Midwest. So they're kind of an outlier. Creighton will probably end up being a thorn in our side, but I don't know if they'll ever get to be a true rival. And DePaul sucks too much to be a rival. So Butler and Marquette (especially when they're good again) will be public enemies 2 and 3. (UC still reserves number one rival status.)

[DC Muskie]

When we play at Georgetown, the fans that do show up think it's a non conference game against a team from Louisiana.

It's Butler. We have a better chance of becoming rivals with DePaul, than Nova, because what Millhouse says...it has to be mutual.

[xu82]

When we play at Georgetown, the fans that do show up think it's a non conference game against a team from Louisiana.

It's Butler. We have a better chance of becoming rivals with DePaul, than Nova, because what Millhouse says...it has to be mutual.

Oh Lord, I remember when I used to have to check scores in USA Today and didn't always know which school was mine!

[DC Muskie]

Oh Lord, I remember when I used to have to check scores in USA Today and didn't always know which school was mine!

I still yell at the Washington Post reporter who insists on calling our school, Xavier (OH).

[paulxu]

I voted Georgetown for a variety of good reasons.

1- had 2 brothers who went there...inbred rivalry

2 - My best friend from law school went there

3 - DC Muskie and PMI...just because they're there and can keep us in touch with it.

4 - The rest of you idiots voted for Butler. Buck 'em. They don't deserve to be our rival.

[novachap]

Will take some time on the Nova front. Im an 81 grad.... history of us with Georgetown. We DO NOT LIKE each other! The new big east will spawn great rivalries because we play 2x a year. Just takes a little time. I think Butler is a natural and you guys genuinely seem to not like each other! Looking forward to watching you guys fight it out saturday.
That's a VERY good point and I couldn't agree more. Makes the sweep all the more satisfying. As for a rival, it's important that it's a two way street in terms of hate and both teams need to be capable of winning. 'Nova may have to wait for us to catch up and them to fall back. Butler fits the bill.

[xu82]

Will take some time on the Nova front. Im an 81 grad.... history of us with Georgetown. We DO NOT LIKE each other! The new big east will spawn great rivalries because we play 2x a year. Just takes a little time. I think Butler is a natural and you guys genuinely seem to not like each other! Looking forward to watching you guys fight it out saturday.

These things take time. Butler is a natural, Marquette seems like a fit, GTown is easy to dislike, but 'Nova currently represents where you want to be. That's big picture. For now - GO XAVIER! Time for a run.

[muskiefan82]

Maybe it's just me, but it will always be Marquette to me. Ever since their brief residence in Xavier's conference and then immediate split I have harbored some resentment towards that University. It also didn't help when they beat the crap out of X in the NCAA Tourney in Cleveland a few years ago.

Butler is annoying, but I can't stand Marquette.

[XUMIOH12]

Butler is going to be Xavier's biggest rival in the Big East. the proximity, the size of the schools, almost always evenly matched. Xavier may be the more powerful program overall the last decade, but Butler has the two final fours; and that is what makes me (and probably a lot of Xavier fans) dislike Butler....and that stupid clock game in 2009. Gotta show them who is better.

After Butler, Marquette would be the most likely rival candidate. I have a hard time seeing us develop a true rivalry with any of the east coast teams.

But all it takes is 2 teams competing for conference championships a few years in a row and a rivalry is born.

[Masterofreality]

Rivalries are also built and enhanced by having Coaches and Players that are hateful on the other side. SucKS has those in spades. The du,p has had them too. Butler has had them, and will have them again. I especially hate guys like Dunham who portray this choir boy image on the court, all the while pulling little dirty tricks. Hayward was a master of that as well. It's in Butler's DNA "Way".

I cannot hate on Jay Wright, Ed Cooley, Greg McDermott, Wojo (so far) although Buzz Williams was an object of scorn. Can't really hate on Willard, JTIII, or Lavin. Purnell, I pity. Time will tell on Holtmann, The "Butler Way" is easy to latch onto as an object of hate...as well as their pitiful fan base.

[NY44]

XU 87 is a great rival.

[D-West & PO-Z]

This depends on a lot as stated above but my guess in order would be:

-Butler
-Georgetown
-Marquette
-Providence
-Creighton
-Villanova
-Seton Hall
-St. Johns
-Depaul

With 4,5, and 6 being fluid and interchangeable. I think we have had some good battles with Providence. Nova we need to start beating to become a big rival, and Creighton because of region and also have had some good battles.

[LadyMuskie]

Butler fans are obnoxious and horrible, and are clearly related to the inbred mouth-breathers up north. I refuse to acknowledge them as rivals as a result.

Therefore, I'll go with Georgetown. We've been picking on them since 1990. It has to be getting old by now for them, even though it is immensely enjoyable for us. I hope they never fire JTIII.

[MADXSTER]

-Butler
-Georgetown
-Marquette
-Providence
-Creighton
-Villanova
-Seton Hall
-St. Johns
-Depaul



I would go with...

-Butler
-Georgetown
-Marquette
-Creighton
-St. Johns
-Providence
-Villanova
-Seton Hall
-Depaul

I just moved St John's up because they do so well in recruiting and cannot do anything with it. It pisses me off because they get sooo much attention do to recruiting and they still are middle of the pack at best. Most year's below.

[mid major]

Don't know what to say. I'm glad the Cryers are not in the BE as their "knowledgeable" fans are arrogant, tasteless and obnoxious. Butler seems to be the likely foe although I find it hard to "hate" them. I consider them the enemy of my enemy(Dayton) and I still remember the MCC tournament at the Nutter Center in 1995. Somehow the home team(Wright State) was given a path to the finals at our expense. No one here is going to tell me the MCC was not trying to get at us for leaving for the A10. Anyway, I remember Barry Collier coming to a press conference and saying "I didn't know we were at the Wright State Invitational". Something the MCC didn't find funny. He was reprimanded. So time will tell I reckon but I love this league with the home and away format.

[XUFan09]

Don't know what to say. I'm glad the Cryers are not in the BE as their "knowledgeable" fans are arrogant, tasteless and obnoxious. Butler seems to be the likely foe although I find it hard to "hate" them. I consider them the enemy of my enemy(Dayton) and I still remember the MCC tournament at the Nutter Center in 1995. Somehow the home team(Wright State) was given a path to the finals at our expense. No one here is going to tell me the MCC was not trying to get at us for leaving for the A10. Anyway, I remember Barry Collier coming to a press conference and saying "I didn't know we were at the Wright State Invitational". Something the MCC didn't find funny. He was reprimanded. So time will tell I reckon but I love this league with the home and away format.
That's before my time so I don't know the full story. How did they structure the tournament so that happened?

[nuts4xu]

Escalate the HATE!

With Everybody!

[MuskieFN]

That's before my time so I don't know the full story. How did they structure the tournament so that happened?

It just happened to fall that way. But X had gone undefeated in the league and played the winner of Wright St. vs someone I can't remember. WSU won and then beat X the next day on a Christian Laettner-type shot. It was a total road game in the conference tournament.

[MuskieFN]

I voted for Villanova. They are right now the Big East Flagship. We all know it will soon be the X-men, because past is prologue. Nova won't be happy about that.

[Strange Brew]

I still yell at the Washington Post reporter who insists on calling our school, Xavier (OH).

I was wondering who still actually reads WAPO and even worse takes it seriously.

For me it's GU, then Butler. I love beating the pompous on the Potomac every single damn time we do it. Lucky for me, it happens more often than not.

[toledodan]

It just happened to fall that way. But X had gone undefeated in the league and played the winner of Wright St. vs someone I can't remember. WSU won and then beat X the next day on a Christian Laettner-type shot. It was a total road game in the conference tournament.

yeah i remember this ugh. went to the last regular season game at butler than bought tickets for the entire mcc tourny at the nut house. never though in a million years i would be eating those tickets after wright state upset us. then rose and sears decides to get in trouble leading to a 3 point lost to allen iverson and georgetown.

[toledodan]

butler has to be imo just for the distance between schools. nova will become that team once we challenge them at the top. imo that will happen sooner than later.

[xubrew]

I still want to play Wright State in a home and home simply because it would be hilarious.

[Titanxman04]

I still want to play Wright State in a home and home simply because it would be hilarious.

Dayton fans would flip their shit.

Someone get on the horn with Mario about this.

[Titanxman04]

The great part about this league is I can see about half the teams becoming major rivals for us.

Butler is an obvious choice due to distance and how easily they compare to Dayton.

However, Nova would be great once we start regularly challenging them. Providence has had some great games against us and I think we are pretty even with them. Seton Hall has challenged us and while I would wait to see what the fallout is from this season, I could see them having interesting games with us (especially with Myles coming from the area). Creighton seems like they are always a thorn for us and I could see that becoming more of a "friendly" rivalry (Nice to beat, cordial trash talking, but mutual respect). Georgetown and Marquette even has a great possibility of turning into a fantastic rival.

This is why I love this conference. So many big games against teams that you just love to beat. It helps when the majority of the schools have passionate fans that know basketball and can contribute to good conversation and discussion (with the exception of Butler, as their fans are idiots).

[xuwin]

The only team in the Big East that would consider Xavier a rival is Butler. We share the same recruiting territory.

[Titanxman04]

The only team in the Big East that would consider Xavier a rival is Butler. We share the same recruiting territory.

We were recruiting in DC for a while there.

[Masterofreality]

The only team in the Big East that would consider Xavier a rival is Butler. We share the same recruiting territory.


We were recruiting in DC for a while there.

Well, we are sharing recruiting territories. It's not as cut and dry as before. We are in a National Program League now and we are more visible in other geographic areas than ever before. We are actively recruiting in the south now, more than ever. (Makinde London, Kaiser Gates) Georgetown and Villanova do too.

[nuts4xu]

I predict in a few years, we will have no rivals. We will do what we do, win championships, make some deep runs in the NCAA tournaments, and replace Villanova as the flagship of this conference.

Tonight....we ride!!

[X-Fan]

yeah i remember this ugh. went to the last regular season game at butler than bought tickets for the entire mcc tourny at the nut house. never though in a million years i would be eating those tickets after wright state upset us. then rose and sears decides to get in trouble leading to a 3 point lost to allen iverson and georgetown.
Ditto on all accounts there. My Dad and I traveled to Indy to watch X win and go 14-0 in the MCC. Then Dad and I also went up to Dayton for that ridiculous loss to WSU. Was SO pissed after that loss. I know I'm biased, but it was a bit of a screw job for X. I recall Vitally Potopenko (don't even care if I spelled it right) getting away with whatever he wanted.

Ugh, for some dumbazz reason I decided to search for the game and found the footage. I TOTALLY forgot that X basically gave the game away. What the heck were they thinking. Just hold the darn ball!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ie1CIE8XEU

What a cluster. If it helps at all, they refer to that game as "The Shot". No, didn't help me either.

And yes, then freaking Rose and Sears get suspended and allow an inferior GTown team to beat X...who of course easily got to the Sweet 16 by beating Weber St. who had upset Michigan State. My God, this was a difficult pill to swallow. Go from X having a chance at a great seed, to getting your season ruined when a trip to the Sweet 16 could have been your fate.

In any case, it made the accomplishment in 2004 THAT MUCH SWEETER. I think it had to happen that way. It was important for this program to kick down the door to NCAA success instead of "falling into it". Now I'll take any break X can get (see 2012 tourney), but darn do those 2004 and 2008 runs FEEL way better! :-)

Now, I'm gonna go gargle some mouth wash to get the bad taste of the WSU loss/end of '95 season out of my mouth/mind!

Go X!!!!

[GoMuskies]

Good god I didn't need to see that.

It wasn't really a screw job. It was just bad luck that we ended up playing a road game in the first game of the conference tournament. These conference tournaments have to be played somewhere, and it just so happened we got the hosts in the first round. Obviously should not have mattered. Hell, if Sykes had just taken a shot the clock would have expired.

[xubrew]

I remember this game distinctly. I was a freshman in high school and was watching on television. Little did I know at the time that both schools would one day play a huge role in my life.

In reality, the shot was pretty much inconsequential. Xavier was already in the field and probably wouldn't have been seeded a whole lot better since all winning the tournament would have meant was that they were beating teams for a third time that they'd already beaten twice. Wright State still missed the tournament, so what did it really do for them?? They won the day, but two days later it didn't matter anymore.

[GoMuskies]

Oh, I completely disagree. Losing to Wright State hurt the seeding immensely. Sure, we wouldn't have GAINED much by winning, but we certainly LOST a lot by losing the game. I think we 'd have been in an 8/9 game at worst if we'd have won the conference tournament (would have been 26-3 instead of 23-4). Probably better.

[Xavier]

I think the only rival right now is Butler. Georgetown would be next on the list. Other than that, I don't see anyone that will be. Xavier and Villanova would each have to really separate themselves from everyone else to be a rival, IMO.

[xubrew]

Oh, I completely disagree. Losing to Wright State hurt the seeding immensely. Sure, we wouldn't have GAINED much by winning, but we certainly LOST a lot by losing the game. I think we 'd have been in an 8/9 game at worst if we'd have won the conference tournament (would have been 26-3 instead of 23-4). Probably better.

I'll concede your point. I was too young and knew too little about how any of that stuff worked at the time. The fact that X was a #11 also indicates that they probably weren't in until close to the end, so you're probably right.

I just wasn't thinking of one loss to a team you've already beaten twice to be that damaging, but if it's a weak team then maybe it is.

[mid major]

It just happened to fall that way. But X had gone undefeated in the league and played the winner of Wright St. vs someone I can't remember. WSU won and then beat X the next day on a Christian Laettner-type shot. It was a total road game in the conference tournament.

I can't remember who WSU played but had they lost the team who defeated them would play X at an earlier time and if WSU won, which they did, they would play X in the evening hence Collier's comment. Skip got hit with a bullshit technical right before halftime and the zebras waited until after halftime to let WSU shoot the free throws. We were up 2 with seconds left and Larry Sykes tried to sugarcoat a dunk and dribbled the ball off his foot. They got the ball back and score on that crazy 3. This was our going away party from the MCC (later to be known as the Horizon). It didn't matter as we still made the tourney as a 10th seed. Two of our top players decided to get into a fight at a Clifton bar that night and Skip would keep them out of the game against Georgetown.

[X-Fan]

Oh, I completely disagree. Losing to Wright State hurt the seeding immensely. Sure, we wouldn't have GAINED much by winning, but we certainly LOST a lot by losing the game. I think we 'd have been in an 8/9 game at worst if we'd have won the conference tournament (would have been 26-3 instead of 23-4). Probably better.

That is exactly right. I remember the next day the headline in the Enquirer or Post said "BOOM! Back on the Bubble!" Effing Cincy media hacks. Loved to needle X fans, especially back in the '90s. "Seemed" to get better when Xavier fed them from the teet with multiple deep NCAA runs in the '00s while UC perfected losing in the round of 32 (or not making it at all).

[chico]

I was at that damn Wright St. game. Under no circumstances will I enter that gym again.

Go is right. That loss killed our seeding. Then Sears and Rose had to be idiots. Would've loved to have beaten Thompson again, and especially Iverson.