NCAA Basketball: Top 10 historical rivalries up through 2018-19

By Zac Voynow | Jan 23, 2019

DURHAM, NC - MARCH 03: (L-R) Head coach Mike Krzyzewski of the Duke Blue Devils talks to head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels before their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on March 3, 2018 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

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LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 07: Head coach Randy Bennett (L) of the Saint Mary’s Gaels and head coach Mark Few of the Gonzaga Bulldogs greet each other before the championship game of the West Coast Conference Basketball Tournament at the Orleans Arena on March 7, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Gonzaga won 74-56. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

9. Gonzaga vs. St. Mary’s

Gonzaga has owned the West Coast Conference since Bill Russell played at University of San Fransisco. St. Mary’s has been their toughest competitor in the WCC for decades. St. Mary’s received so much respect that they have a history of making the NCAA with at-large bids despite their weak schedules, and their seeding is almost completely determined on if they can beat Gonzaga. The Bulldogs are the standard for mid-major schools, and St. Mary’s will forever be the team trying to catch up.

There’s only been one team other than Gonzaga to win the WCC since 2000, and that lone team is St. Mary’s. They pretty consistently finished 2nd in the league in the last two decades. Clearly Gonzaga has put out some great talent in recent years as this rivalry has really amped up. Adam Morrison, Kelly Olynyk, Domantas Sabonis, Zach Collins, Kevin Pangos, and Jeremy Pargo are just a few guys who played huge roles in enhancing this rivarly, and the first four I mentioned went on to the NBA with high expectations.

For St. Mary’s it’s a bit of a different story. They don’t get the same talent, thus they don’t put out the same prospects. St. Mary’s does their best with what they have. Their most popular players in the NBA in recent memory is without a doubt Matthew Dellevadova and Patty Mills. These two, specifically Delly, gave Gonzaga fits. St. Mary’s only has 8 players in school history make it to the NBA, and Delly and Mills are the only guys since 1988 to get drafted. Despite all this, St. Mary’s keeps finding ways to spice up the WCC. USF is helping out this season, but the big rivalry out west will forever be Gonzaga and St. Mary’s.

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