Well first off, it was stated in the manga that the uchiha clan was the strongest clan in the village before the massacre.
However, uchiha's were not only known for their sharingan, but being natural adept at battle and having naturally powerful chakra. The only thing that I see going for the hyuga's over the uchiha is that its shown that every hyuga awakens a byakugan no matter what the age or circumstance, whereas its not guaranteed for an uchiha to awaken a sharingan, and even after they awaken it, the sharingan must mature in order to reach the three tomoe stage.