2009 ACC/Big Ten Challenge pairings

See newest update 11/24: ACC/Big 10 Challenge: Who wins?

This year’s national title game will be replayed in Chapel Hill on December 1 as part of the 2009 ACC/BigTen Challenge – sort of. The 2009 National Champion Tar Heels will be hit harder by graduation and NBA defection – giving MSU favored status as we look “way ahead” to the early part of the 2009-2010 season.

Other interesting matchups at the 11th annual event include: Wake Forest at Purdue (who’ll be playing for Wake?) … Boston College at Michigan (the Wolverines should be improved if Manny Harris stays as expected) … Florida State at Ohio State … Illinois at Clemson … and Minnesota and Miami-FL. Second-tier battles feature Penn State at Virginia, Maryland and Indiana, Northwestern at NC State, Virginia Tech at Iowa, and Duke at Wisconsin.

The Big Ten conference has never won the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Early returns indicate the Big Ten will continue to rise. Michigan State and Purdue will be favored – again. Michigan figures to be more consistent and Illinois, Ohio State, and Minnesota in particular have solid building blocks and strong recruiting classes arriving.

More updates to come soon including our first 2010 NCAA Tournament Projection. Updates will be made after the NBA Draft when we know for sure who’s back and who’s not. Full coverage of the 2009-2010 season will return with Midnight Madness in October. I’ll be working on several other site upgrades and information during the summer – and provide NCAA Tournament related comments as relevant.

Around the Hoop: Illini, Hoyas make some noise

What a way to open the Big 10 and Big East - the RPI’s No. 2 and No. 3 conferences (the ACC is currently No. 1). 

Monday, Georgetown goes to Connecticut and posts a convincing 74-63 victory.  Tuesday, a rebuilding Illinois team see five players reach double figures en route to an overtime upset of preseason league favorite Purdue, 71-67.  When you talk about “road wins,” these will resonate throughout the year.  Still, we won’t know the true value for another month.  Why?  Well, the Hoyas host Pittsburgh on Saturday and then travel to Notre Dame.  The Hoyas could be a very impressive 3-0 by this time next week, or be 1-2 in the Big East and have nothing bad of note.  For the Illini, they visit Ann Arbor Sunday to battle Michigan – which has beaten UCLA and Duke.

Is the Big 10 making a comeback?

Well, it’s still too early to tell.  What we do know heading into the season’s second weekend is this … no Big 10 team has lost – yet (Michigan plays Duke tonight, 11/21).  Of course, no one thought the Wolverines would upend UCLA in the 2K Sports Classic semifinals.  In another early-season matchup of power conferences, Illinois ended Vanderbilt’s 20-game home winning streak on Thursday.  We know that Purdue,

Conference champions …

Here is a look at which teams are Bracketville’s favorites to win each of the 31 conferences represented in the NCAA Tournament.  As the season progresses, I’ll have more information about conference play, how the races are developing and what teams are in the mix for an NCAA bid come March.