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

5. Indiana vs. Purdue

The biggest rivalry in the state of Indiana often gets overlooked but other Big Ten or national rivalries. Remember when Bob Knight had his on the court meltdown when he threw the chair onto the court? That priceless moment in sports history wouldn’t have happened without a good Purdue team on the other side of the court. Indiana is a basketball hot bed, so it’s no surprise that there are multiple big time basketball schools in the state. Butler is third but has also become highly relevant since joining the Big East. However, Indiana and Purdue have been very good for a long time, and they’re not only battling for the best in-state recruits, but they’re also battling for the Big Ten titles and national championships.

Arguably the best player to ever come out of the state of Indiana not named Larry Bird was a guard named Steve Alford. Millennial’s probably know him as UCLA’s last head coach who just got canned. Alford decision between Indiana and Purdue was one of the original “Decision’s” made by a high school athlete. Indiana natives are crazy about their basketball, and Steve Alford represented that.

Purdue leads the all-time series 119-89. However, Indiana has won five national titles, while Purdue has not won a single one. Purdue has been to the NCAA tournament 29 times, while Indiana has been 39 times. Purdue has had 46 All-Americans, while Indiana has had 42. The numbers are marginally better for Indiana (other than the obvious championships number), but oddly enough Purdue has a stronghold on the all-time series. That goes to show you just how intense of a rivalry this one is and always will be.