The NCAA basketball games online for the 2017 Big Ten versus ACC challenge have been announced and it features marquee matchups like Duke vs. Indiana, Michigan State vs. Notre Dame, and Michigan vs. North Carolina, among others. The dates and times have yet to be set, but like always, the public betting NCAA basketball can expect the series to occur early in the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men’s basketball season. The ACC currently leads the series 11-5-2, winning the first 10 challenges consecutively as well the last. Meanwhile, the Big Ten Inch Record Conference won five between 2009 and 2015. The 2012 and 2013 editions ended in ties. Boo!
Top 19th Big Ten vs. ACC challenge matchups
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Michigan State Spartans. A rematch from the 2014 challenge when Notre Dame defeated MSU 79-78 in overtime. Of course, the Spartans didn’t have Mile Bridges – pegged as the next big thing in college basketball – back then, nor did the Irish have Bonzi Colson, for that matter.
- Duke Blue Devils at Indiana Hoosiers. Duke has defeated seven teams in 16 team games – including Indiana three times – to be the most winning team in the challenge, having lost only two games. The Archie Miller era in Indiana is a big question mark at this moment. This is one of those NCAA basketball games online that has “national TV coverage” written all over it.
- Michigan Wolverines at North Carolina Tar Heels. This will be a first for the challenge but it won’t be by any stretch of the imagination the first time these two schools meet. The public betting NCAA basketball surely has not forgotten the 1993 NCAA championship game – nor has Chris Webber for that matter.
- Penn State Nittany Lions vs. NC State Wolfpack. The last time these two colleges met under the auspices of the challenge was in 2000. Back then, NC State beat Penn State 84-64 in East Lansing, Michigan.
- Other matchups include Miami at Minnesota, Louisville at Purdue, Wisconsin at Virginia, Northwestern at Georgia Tech, Maryland at Syracuse, Iowa at Virginia Tech, Illinois at Wake Forest, Clemson at Ohio State, Boston College at Nebraska, and Florida State at Rutgers.
Stats to Consider
Five-and-ten of the 28 eight participating teams reached the 017 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship; current title-holders UNC; Sweet Sixteeners Michigan, Purdue, and Wisconsin; and early-exits Duke, Florida State, Louisville, Maryland, Miami, Minnesota, Notre Dame, Northwestern, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.
Individually speaking, eight players ranked in the top 25 of 2017 ESPN Recruiting Nation 100 are expected to play in the challenge; No. 4 Wendell Carter, No. 5 Trevon Duval, and No. 7 Gary Trent of Duke, No. 8 Jaren Jackson (Michigan State), No. 12 Lonnie Walker (Miami-Florida.), No. 13 Brian Bowen (Louisville), No. 20 Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Virginia Tech), and No. 25 M.J. Walker (Florida State).
In addition to UNC vs. Michigan, there will be three other first-time NCAA basketball games online, as far as the challenge goes; Maryland-Syracuse, Florida State-Rutgers, and Boston College-Nebraska.