ACC/Big 11 "Challenge"? ACC 8 Big 11 3

Well another ACC/Big 11 "Challenge" has concluded and the results are strangely familiar. The ACC beat, no crushed the Big 11 in this years version. That is the 3rd time in the series that the ACC has demolished the Big 11, proving which conference is the stronger not only this year, but overall. This was the 8th installment of the "Challenge", and the ACC is an astonishing 8 - 0. This years "Challenge" brings the overall record to 48 - 27. Wikipedia has everything you could possibly want to know about the "Challenge".

I for one love this thing. What college basketball fan did not enjoy watching Virginia/Purdue last night? The game had a March feeling to it, and the ending did not disappoint either, unless of course you pull for UVA. The OSU/UNC game was even better. I truly believe we were watching the two best teams in the country go at it, and there were portions of the game that were absolutely ridiculous. I can only hope that we get to see a rematch in the Final Four, and that both teams are healthy. Hansbrough going against Oden would be a thing of beauty. Speaking of Oden, can Dickie V get off his jock already? The only downside to that game was the fact that Dickie V was working it. Enough already!

Scary thought for the day, how good would UNC be if they had not given Jameson Curry the cold shoulder over his weed arrest? I absolutely love to watch this kid play. Who cares if the kid sold a little bit of weed? Apparently Roy Williams did. Kudos to Roy for not taking such a talented kid due to his mistakes. I am glad he is getting a 2nd chance, and that it is with a program that actually gets on TV. The Washington Post seems to have as much love for him as I do:

Cowboy's Curry Makes Most of 2nd Chance
Feeling the Burn of a Sting

ACC/Big 11 Challenge - ACC 6 Big 11 3

It's only 9:20 and the "Challenge" is officially over. The ACC has once again won the "Challenge" for the 8th consecutive year. I for one love the "Challenge" even if the ACC does crush every single year. I am the kind of guy that takes pride in the ACC and it's history. While the perception may be that the ACC is down this year, every day that goes by it looks like it's back on the rise.

Oh, and UVA is giving Purdue the fight of it's life right now. 23.9 ticks left and it's all tied up and Purdue has the rock. Who doesn't love this stuff?

UVA just lost on a great shot with 1.2 seconds to go.

ACC/Big 11 Challenge - ACC 4 Big 11 2

After one full night of games, and Monday's opening game, we sit in a very familiar position in regards to the "Challenge". While I for one love the "Challenge" and want to see more of these, I can certainly understand why a lot of people do not get into it. The ACC is 7 - 0 in these things. After tonight, I expect that to read 8 - 0. There is nothing to indicate that it will not work out that way, as the Big 11 just does not have the horses to run with the ACC. The following picture sums it up nicely, except that this came from a game that the ACC lost:

One of the problems with the "Challenge" is that it just is not that challenging for some of the teams. I am not sure how they pick who plays who in this thing, but I do have some suggestions. They should take the previous years final RPI rankings of each team, and match them up with the closest ranked team according to the RPI computers. Do we really need to see Penn State battle it out with Georgia Tech? Granted, some of the games have been closer than expected, but come on. They can do better than this.

Another twist I would like to see is the rebirth of the old ACC/Big East Challenge, and perhaps even a Big 11/Big East Challenge as well. Throw in the SEC and we could have two weeks of nonstop hoops that matter in late November/early December. Of course, then the mid-majors would have a fit...

ACC/Big 11 Challenge - NC State 74 Michigan 67

The 8th annual ACC/Big 11 Challenge kicked off on Monday night with Sidney Lowe's first nationally televised game as coach of the Wolfpack. Things looked bad in the beginning, and then about 6 minutes into the game Engin Atsur went down with an apparent hamstring injury. At that point State was down 14 - 4. Fast forward to the end of the half, and we would see a 35 - 28 Wolfpack lead. Kudos to Gavin Grant for doing an excellent job running the point for the middle section of the game. State would push the lead as high as 21 points in the second half, but in the final 10 minutes (or the fourth quarter as Sid says) Michigan's pressure on the ball, and fatigue set in for the Pack. The Wolverines were able to scratch to within 4 at one point, but that would be as close as they would get. With a final score of 74 - 67, the Pack handed Michigan it's first loss of the season. The Wolfpack improved to 5 - 0.

My game ball goes to Ben McCauley and his 19 points and 8 boards to go with his 0 turnovers and only 2 personal fouls. At times he looked like an emerging star for the Pack. Another bright sign was Brandon Costner. He poured in 17 points and grabbed a game high 11 rebounds. It is beginning to look like the top 6 players for the Pack will be able to compete. The problem is that we can not expect them to compete for 40 minutes a game, especially when they start playing on short rest.