The ACC needs to get back on the winning track. If the Big Ten wins it will be their third in a row. So far this season the ACC is 7-1 against the Big Ten, including 1-1 in the challenge. Tech helped add to that total with their most recent win over Nebraska. Another blessing for the ACC is that Boston College is sitting this one out, so the Big Ten doesn't get another gimme game there.
This season this is how the Challenge breaks down:
Games already played:
Florida State (6-1) beat Minnesota (6-1) 75 - 67. Freshmen Forward 6'10 Jonathan Isaac continues to tear up opponents, going for a double double with 14 points and 13 boards to lead FSU over Minnesota. Isaac has scored in double figures in all seven games for the Seminoles.
Northwestern (5-2) beat Wake Forest (5-2) 65-58 behind 23 points from Junior Guard Bryant McIntosh, with three other Wildcats also in double digits.
Games tonight:
All betting lines taken from ESPN Scoreboard, Favorite in Bold, My selection Pictured
On the road for the ACC/Big Ten Challenge!: College Park: ESPN2 / https://t.co/V8abJP2drC: https://t.co/lnfeWDMspL#H2P pic.twitter.com/wn8gtb9jpb— Pitt Basketball (@Pitt_MBB) November 29, 2016
Pittsburgh (5-1) at Maryland (7-0), 7 p.m., ESPN2 (-4.5)
This one has me leaning primarily because its a Maryland home game. The Terps have done well at home, even when needing to come back. They also stormed back late against Georgetown at the Verizon Center to win that rivalry game.
Georgia Tech (4-1) at Penn State(4-3), 7 p.m., ESPNU (-7)
I think Georgia Tech gets the upset here, as Penn State is relying on three freshmen starters but the key freshman in the game will likely be a Jacket, Guard Josh Okogie, who comes into this contest averaging 19 PPG, 5.6 RPG. Okogie put up a Tech freshman record 38 points against Tulane in Tech's last game out.
#22 Syracuse (4-1) at #17 Wisconsin (5-2), 7:30 p.m., ESPN (-6.5)
The Wisconsin monster lineup down low of Happ and Hayes combining for 24 points and 16 rebounds a game I think will be too much for the young Syracuse roster to handle.
Iowa (3-3) at Notre Dame (6-0), 9 p.m., ESPN2 (-11)
Fighting Irish shoot the three ball really well. Iowa is terrible at defending the perimeter. Game goes to the Irish unless the build a brick house.
NC State (5-1) at Illinois (4-3), 9 p.m., ESPNU (-1)
The Wolfpack pull one out on the road, putting on a show with their talented freshman point guard Dennis Smith putting up 19.9 PPG, one of five Wolfpack players averaging in double figures.
The Spartans take on Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium Tuesday night in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. pic.twitter.com/UqDRfSp6FA— Spartan Basketball (@MSU_Basketball) November 28, 2016
Michigan State (4-3) at #5 Duke (6-1), 9:30 p.m., ESPN (-12)
Just a bad year for Sparty so far with how both football and basketball are a bit off track. Not a good thing when you have to go into Cameron to take on Coach K and his Dukies. Could be a house of horrors game for Izzo and crew.
Games tomorrow:
No betting lines were available on ESPN for these games, My selection Pictured
MBB: Cardinals Host Purdue in ACC-Big Ten Challenge on Wednesday Night https://t.co/aGFX0fceqQ pic.twitter.com/FgDyOTwHGw— Louisville Athletics (@GoCards) November 29, 2016
#15 Purdue (5-1) at #14 Louisville (5-1), 7 p.m., ESPN
Toss up goes to the team that controls the ball better. Right now Purdue is 255th in turnovers, so Louisville pressures their way to a win in this one.
Virginia Tech (5-1) at Michigan (5-1), 7 p.m., ESPN2
This game comes down to who shoots better from behind the arc. Both teams live by it. Tech needs to press its ability to get to the line as Michigan has a weakness there. Essentially a toss up game though.
The ACC/Big Ten Challenge returns to Coral Gables as the Hurricanes host Rutgers tomorrow night. pic.twitter.com/skWpYbEVqP— Canes Hoops (@CanesHoops) November 29, 2016
Rutgers (6-0) at Miami (4-2), 7 p.m., ESPNU
Miami this season has played tough games against top opponents while Rutgers has taken the powder puff trip through Candyland. The Hurricanes come in looking to bounce back from two tough losses to Iowa State and Florida at the Advocare Invitational. This game could get ugly with a hungry Hurricane team looking for some good memories.
Carolina visits Indiana tomorrow in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Preview: https://t.co/l7a5DlRIaM #UNCBBall pic.twitter.com/9wjM32JQAG— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) November 29, 2016
#3 North Carolina (7-0) at #13 Indiana (4-1), 9 p.m., ESPN
At the beginning of the season this looked like the premier matchup of this Challenge, but then Indiana went and laid an egg against Fort Wayne. It still will be a close game with Indiana shooting from outside while North Carolina plays with a four guard lineup. Carolina comes in having run the doors off of Wisconsin in the championship game of the Maui Invitational 71-56. The tipping point is whether James Blackmon plays for Indiana. With him its a game, without it could be a mere snoozer late.
Ohio State (6-0) at #6 Virginia (6-0), 9 p.m., ESPN2
As much as it pains me to favor the Wahoos, LOLUVA comes in having held its opponents to a lowly 41.3 PPG, lowest in college basketball. Even against tougher opponents like Iowa and Providence on their way to winning the Emerald Coast Classic, they held those two opponents to a combined 93 points. Ohio State is a tougher matchup with much taller interior players and six players averaging in double figures but I think the Wahoos pressure defense wins out. Trevor Thompson averaging 10 points a game so far this season for OSU.
Nebraska (4-2) at Clemson (3-2), 9 p.m., ESPNU
This is another home team gets the edge in very similar opponents. This one could go either way. Some Hokies fans got to see what Nebraska has to offer as Tech beat them for third place in the Wooden Legacy. Clemson has one thing in its favor going into this game. Much more balanced scoring. The Tigers come in with six players averaging in double figures. The double edge to this though is that beyond that sixth man, there is only one other player averaging more than 1 point per game. Foul trouble could be extremely damaging to the Tigers hopes in this one. Clemson though should come in rested, having gone to a pre-Thanksgiving tournament, and has been at home since the 21st. Nebraska had to travel back from Anaheim, and then on to South Carolina in this one.
Looking at my picks they have come out very ACC homerish but I tried to take each game on its merits so I am predicting an ACC win in this Challenge with a record of 11-3. There are essentially four pick'em games so likely it falls more to the medium with some unexpected results here or there. Hopefully the ACC can do just enough to pull this one off and get back in the win column.
Comments
I remember that first year the B1G beat the ACC in the challenge, people were pissed. Now they've really dominated the last few years. 11-3 would make a big statement.
Pittsburgh punching Maryland in the mouth. Up 49-26 early in second half. GT-Penn State trading leads and Wisconsin pounding on the Orange.
Pitt trying to give it all back, other two games within a couple possessions
Nice work. Thanks for the summary
NC State going to lose on turnovers. Shooting better than 50% but 19 turnovers so far. Notre Dame running away from Iowa. Duke also starting to separate from Sparty in the second half
I hate watching Duke.
And the refs that call Duke games.
Fuck Duke and their team.
That is all.
So far Pitt is only team to win on the road.
4 wins each with six games tomorrow. Going to take winning four of six for the ACC to win, which mean Tech really needs to find a way to get it done
Hokies flat and turnover prone. Down nine at the half.
Miami blows a huge first half lead to only be up 6 at the half.
Louisville up big on Purdue at the half.
If these results hold than the ACC picks up two of the four wins they need.
Clean sweep of early games means ACC needs one more win tonight to claim the challenge. Hell of a comeback by the Hokies.
most fun ive had watching a game since beating uva last year
Ok so now that we can afford a UVA loss, wouldn't it be great for both Tech and loluva to be 6-1?
Sadly not at the expense our our ACC rep. I want to obliterate the B!G. We were up 7-0 against them before the official games started.
All three second round teams laying eggs. Clemson home crowd is terrible, especially student section.
UNC looking terrible after getting all the previous challenge hype. People touting them as better than Duke, haha. They are down 17 halfway through first half. Indiana doing whatever they want offensively.
Wow bad officiating running rampant all over this Challenge. Really tough to watch with all the whistles.
Great win at the back end of a rough road trip for the kids this evening!
Dabo Swinney about to be interviewed on ESPNU during Clemson game
Barf
lolUVA doubled up by Ohio State right now.
I love it.
UVA down 32-16. Know it's early but they look like they finally miss Austin Nichols, could really use his scoring in a game like this against a very solid OSU team.
Bad for the ACC to have these teams blow our best chance in years to win back the Challenge.
Clemson clawed their way back at the end of the first half, down 4.
UVA looks lost down low and making a lot of unforced errors, down 12 at half.
Indiana starting to look human but still up big on UNC
How does UVA manage to compile a team of odd looking players who look like they were found in a "ragtag team" assembling 80's montage, every year.
You mean the man bun and the beard that starts at the back of the head?
Who is that kid, caught a few glimpses of his ugly mug when watching the bro-down between Thad and Tony B??
I got 2 solid reasons to dislike him already:
Any other good reasons?
just don't call him Guy, Friend
He's not your friend, buddy!
A litany of new material for you to select from
UVA Bio
That may be the most generic name I have ever seen in my life.
Gawd, #3 reason has to be his 3 first names, the last of which is just an informal way to refer to familiar men.
Kyle Joseph Guy
Good to see the good Guys didn't even offer him.
Not even sure what to call this look
Takes me back to Bell Biv Devoe, but dirtier like he did a BBD/Joe Dirt mashup
Great, gutsy win for our boys tonight!!! Should look great on a Big Dance resume in a couple months.
UNC would be right in this game if they hadn't been terrible at the charity stripe. Shot 5-11 in first half
I almost asked if UVA basketball game attire was business casual, but I can see the answer clearly.
Clemson gonna be our best shot I think.
Sad but true
I'm used to VT having to carry this conference smh.
Clemson making it hard on themselves.
LOLUVA in a position to win as well
Clemson finishes and the ACC has won the challenge. Two games to go.
Trevor Thompson just fouled out against LOLUVA
Wahoos survive a three point attempt at the buzzer. Challenge is going to finish 9-5 in favor of ACC with UNC taking it on the chin from Indiana. Hoosiers have managed to maintain a double digit lead for most of the game.
ACC now 15-5 against the BIG 10 after conclusion of the Challenge. Pretty outstanding work this early in the season.
That is great! I'd rather do that at the end of the year, though. I like games like VT FB vs ND more than VT FB vs Tenn
Which, normally you'd think would mean the ACC invite list to the NCAA tourney should dwarf that of the B1G... buuuuuut...
Right now there is talk of 10 ACC teams receiving bids. Right now I only see five or six B1G teams getting bids, Ohio State, Indiana, Purdue, Wisconsin, Maryland and whomever comes out on top of Michigan and Northwestern. Michigan State seems to be a bit of a dumpster fire at 4-4. Right now only Indiana, Purdue and Wisconsin are ranked.
Purdue lost in the Challenge so they may drop and Maryland was the next highest vote getter at #26 but they lost to Pitt in the Challenge.
Michigan State , Ohio State, Michigan were #29-#31 in the last AP vote but all three lost in the challenge and Sparty lost an additional game as well since the last rankings came out.
Rankings wise, its pretty irritating to see a two loss Wisconsin team as well as a two loss Oregon team still in the rankings. Wisconsin at least lost to two ranked teams but Oregon lost to Georgetown and a ranked Baylor team. This early there are two many undefeated or one loss teams for those with two to still be that high.
I especially love the fact that Virginia Tech is 2-0 against the B1G.