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This week we deviate from our typical Rival Rundown in two ways. First, we’ll be covering a (women’s!) basketball rivalry, as the athletic calendar moves into a new season. Second, this rivalry–between the University of Connecticut and the University of Tennessee–has been canceled! Though lauded by Sports Illustrated as one of the most intense rivalries in any sport this decade, in 2007, officials at Tennessee mysteriously elected not to renew their contract to schedule any further seasonal games against UConn.  What makes this rivalry, apart from its shocking termination, unique? Read on to find out!

Quick Facts

UConn: Public land-grant research institution in Storrs, CT with 17,000 undergraduates. Founded in 1881.
Tennessee: Public research institution in Knoxville, TN with 21,000 undergraduates. Founded in 1794.

1. Women’s Basketball Record

UConn: 13-9
Tennessee: 9-13

Three credits to: UConn

2. Coaching Caché

UConn: In Geno Auriemma’s 24-year tenure as head coach of the Lady Huskies, he has transformed the team, which formerly had but one winning season, to 6-time national champions with three perfect seasons and 32 Big East conference titles.
Tennessee: Pat Summitt has been honored for many achievements in her 30-year career, most notably as the all-time winningest basketball coach–of either men or women–in NCAA history.

Three credits to: Tennessee. All-time winningest > three perfect seasons.

3. Fun Facts

UConn: In 2004, UConn became the first and only college to win NCAA titles in both men’s and women’s basketball in the same year.
Tennessee: Nicknamed the Volunteers (or Vols for short), the UT mascot references the state namesake and its historical tradition for residents’ volunteering for service in major American wars.

Three credits to:  UConn. Can your school top that?

4. Ass-Kicking Alumni

UConn: Meg Ryan (attended), Moby (attended),  Rebecca Lobo
Tennessee: Al Gore, Peyton Manning,  Pat Summitt

Three credits to:   Tennessee. Can’t argue with this one!

5. Acceptance Rate Agony

UConn: 54.5%
Tennessee: 64.8%

Three credits to:  UConn

And the diploma goes to: UConn squeaks by to win this rundown. Stay tuned through this season to see if these heated rivals will face one another in March Madness!

We’re talking hardcore, fast and furious, make it or break it time.

Only 16 teams left. And only 8 spots remain to be filled in the Elite Eight. Who will make it? I give you my predictions below, after watching the action-packed first two rounds of the tourney.

First of all, we can finally settle the debate on which conference is the best this year, and possibly even in history. For the first time in the history of the NCAA tournament, five teams from one league advanced to the Sweet 16. The Big East is home to Connecticut, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Villanova, all of which made the cut and will play in the regional semifinals on Thursday and Friday.

The ACC, which was the other conference in the debate, only has two of its members left, although they are reputably two of the best college teams and have one of the biggest rivalries in sports history: UNC and Duke. (Sidenote: dark blue is wayyy better than that gross baby blue color. Eww.)

Anyway, do you remember last year when, surprisingly, all four #1′s made it to the Final Four? Well, this year marks the first time all the 1-, 2-, and 3-seeds are in the Sweet Sixteen. Looks like Cinderella is going to be hard to find this year.

But what a great first two rounds it’s been.

Does anyone remember Demetri Goodson’s last-second game-winner in that 83-81 second round Gonzaga victory over Western Kentucky? Or how Ty Lawson came back from a toe injury and permanently quelled rumors with his 23 points, 6 assists and 0 turnovers against LSU? And when Clemson’s Terrence Oglesby was ejected from the Michigan game for elbowing off the screen and cried about it like the little girl he is in the locker room afterwards? Ok, maybe I’m being a little harsh on him. It’s just because no one looks man enough next to the almighty Gerald Henderson.

Now for my picks:

East- Pitt over Xavier, Duke over Villanova (gotta go with the Dukies).
Midwest- Louisville over Arizona, Michigan State over Kansas (it’s over for the defending champs).
South- Syracuse over Oklahoma, UNC over Gonzaga (the Orange winning in 6 overtimes?Mad props).
West- UConn over Purdue, Memphis over Missouri (the Mizzous will give Memphis a run for their money, but the higher seed will prevail in the end).

No Cinderella this year, it looks like. But it’s ok; the chalk bracket will be a heck-of-an event to watch. I guarantee it.

Once you get past the fact that the NCAA Selection Committee made the mistake of not including some of the best teams that could have been this year’s Cinderella (Arizona State instead of St. Mary’s? come on), the board actually came up with a pretty good draw. And for the next 2 weeks, I will be fully immersing myself in the insanity and awesomeness that is the most exciting sporting event of the year: March Madness.

The best conference in the country (and maybe in history) is hands-down the Big East. 3 out of the 4 number 1 seeds are from the Big East: UConn, Louisville, and Pitt. Even Barack Obama believes in the dominance of this conference, since his bracket that he filled out on Wednesday (live on ESPN! what a cool prez) shows it filling half of his Elite Eight. Although Obama didn’t have our lovely school in his Final Four, Coach K isn’t worried.

And he shouldn’t be worried either. Thursday was the big first day of the NCAA tournament, and the big seeds shined just like they were predicted to. During lunch I heard the big news of #1-seeded UNC ripping Radford to shreds in the South, winning 101-58 (42 points too many, in my opinion). The other #1-seeded UConn also came out with a deafening roar, with the Huskies winning 103-47 against Chattanooga. #2 Memphis (who I have going to the Final Four) won as well, and of course the almighty Blue Devils beat Binghamton (ha, no chance at all).

The upsets were few, but pretty significant. Both the #10′s beat both the #7′s: Maryland showed they earned their spot in the draw by crushing California, while Michigan just got by Clemson (serves them right for beating Duke once in a fluke). Editor’s Note: GO BLUE!

#12 Western Kentucky beat #5 Illinois in a shocker, which definitely messed some of my friend’s brackets up and led to some name-calling on FB statuses (but with a “hilltopper” as mascot, they’re kinda asking for it). #9 Texas A&M beat #8 Brigham Young, which was expected, but the one non-upset that got me most upset (because it ruined my otherwise perfect bracket) was #6 UCLA squeezing by #11 VA Commonwealth! The score was 65-64, in a real nail-biter of a game (seriously, you should see my nails).

Oh well, 15 out of 16 – that ain’t bad. Watching the madness ensue on our flat-screen tv in the common room – that ain’t bad. Having Super G on our team – that’s the total opposite of bad. Now, if only Ty Lawson from UNC never comes back from sitting-out due to his injury…well, that’ll just be the icing on the cake.