ACC/Big10(11) Challenge Thread - 2010 edition

[loran16]

Note to team, defend the 3 against UVA. Seriously.

Great start to the challenge, stealing one of the games that the ACC was unlikely to win.

And lets not forget Ken Pomeroy's comment:

Tonight’s game between Virginia and Minnesota may be the least compelling of the series, but as it’s the Big Ten’s best chance for victory, a win by the Cavaliers would flip the balance of power. The ACC would have a 59.8% of winning the series if Tony Bennett’s team pulls off the upset. More generally, if the ACC somehow gets through the Monday and Tuesday minefield with a draw or better, it’s bad news for the Big Ten, since the ACC has a 59.5% chance of winning at least three games on Wednesday.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the tide has turned. Guess who're the favorites now!

[striker219]

It's fun, after games like this, to go back and see how accurate "experts" were in their predictions. The short version, not very accurate.

[RoyalBlue08]

Great win for UVA. They certainly shot the lights out. I'm not sure how often they will be able to replicate a performance like that, but certainly a big win for them and the conference. Hopefully the Sherrill kid is ok. Didn't look good on TV.

[wilson]

I will not root for unc in any sport under any circumstances.
And I'm kind of rooting for the Big Televen this year. Every time they've won the Challenge, Duke has won the national championship.

[Duke: A Dynasty]

I will not root for unc in any sport under any circumstances.
And I'm kind of rooting for the Big Televen this year. Every time they've won the Challenge, Duke has won the national championship.

Once?

[wilson]

Once?

Perhaps you failed to glimpse the tongue that was planted firmly in my cheek.

[Ima Facultiwyfe]

I am going to Champaign for the UNC-Illinois game. There is not a chance in hell I will be cheering for Carolina. Go Illini! Go ACC!

OSKEEWOWOW TO THAT!
Love, Ima

[gw67]

A nice win on the road for Virginia. The announcers mentioned several times that Minnesota was short their point guard. Well, Virginia's point guard, Sammy Zeglinski, is injured as well (I believe that he is expected to return in December). IMO, Bennett has the Hoos moving in the right direction and it appears that he has brought in three nice perimeter players (Harris, Harrell and Baron) this year. Their top rated freshman, Johnson, is being red shirted. Most see Virginia toward the bottom of the ACC this year; however, this win shows that they are capable of being competitive against most ACC teams.

gw67

[elvis14]

So Minn beats UNC and goes from unranked to to 13 or 15th ranked depending on the poll. Minn then turns around and loses at home to UVa. I love that! The pollsters love love love UNC so when Minn beat might #8 (cough cough) UNC they shot up the polls. I mean it was UNC they beat, they must be good, right?

As for the side discussion on here about rooting for UNC if it means the ACC wins the challenge...no way in he11 I'd ever root for UNC. I live in NC surrounded by UNC fans, outnumbered 1000 to 1. 9F all the way!

Besides, as someone has already pointed out, history shows us that when the ACC loses the challenge Duke wins the National Championship

[jv001]

Note to team, defend the 3 against UVA. Seriously.

Great start to the challenge, stealing one of the games that the ACC was unlikely to win.

And lets not forget Ken Pomeroy's comment:


Ladies and Gentlemen, the tide has turned. Guess who're the favorites now!

I guess it's ok for unc to lose now that the tide has turned. Go Duke!

[Mal]

So Minn beats UNC and goes from unranked to to 13 or 15th ranked depending on the poll. Minn then turns around and loses at home to UVa. I love that! The pollsters love love love UNC so when Minn beat might #8 (cough cough) UNC they shot up the polls. I mean it was UNC they beat, they must be good, right?

They were certainly overranked, but there's a touch more to it than that. Minnesota beat UNC and then West Virginia, who's no slouch, to win the tournament in Puerto Rico. And they looked pretty good doing it, so it was not surprising that they were ranked and everyone had them pegged to beat Virginia. Losing to a well-coached team that shoots 10-13 from three, while short your senior leader and most critical defensive piece and getting just seven minutes from your most athletic defender, while a bad loss since it came at home, is not completely shocking.

I liked Tubby Smith's post-game comments: "I don't pay attention to the polls. Maybe the players do" and "That was the most pathetic defensive effort I've seen since I got here."

Good for the ACC - Minnesota can and should drop in the polls, but this will probably be seen as a fairly quality win down the road. We need to bolster the conference's collective resume. Probably won't affect Duke much, but we need to get the ACC's second tier some decent seeding to get someone other than Duke or UNC to the Sweet 16.

[striker219]

Besides, as someone has already pointed out, history shows us that when the ACC loses the challenge Duke wins the National Championship

Sorry folks, but Duke has also won the National Championship following an ACC victory in the Challenge. However, every single time that Duke has won the National Championship three things have happened the following year.

(1) Duke has always won their Challenge game the year following a national title
(2) Carolina has always lost their Challenge game the year following a Duke national title
(3) The ACC has always won the Challenge the year following a Duke national title

Keep the streak alive!

[Olympic Fan]

Sorry folks, but Duke has also won the National Championship following an ACC victory in the Challenge. However, every single time that Duke has won the National Championship three things have happened the following year.

(1) Duke has always won their Challenge game the year following a national title
(2) Carolina has always lost their Challenge game the year following a Duke national title
(3) The ACC has always won the Challenge the year following a Duke national title

Keep the streak alive!

Actually, this is not quite accurate ...

In 1991-92, after winning Duke's first national title in 1991, Duke did beat St. John's (91-81) in the ACC-BIG EAST Challenge. But UNC also won in the Challenge, beating Seton Hall in the Meadowlands (83-54). The ACC did win overall.

And in 1992-93 -- after Duke's second title -- there was no challenge of any kind -- not ACC-Big East nor ACC-Big Ten.

In 2001-02 -- after Duke's third title -- Duke did beat Iowa (80-62) in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge and UNC did lose to Indiana (79-66). The ACC did win overall.

So the trifecta -- Duke wins, UNC loses and the ACC wins overall has only happened once (2001-02) out of three possible times.

Duke is 2-2 in Challenges in the season in which it goes on to win the NCAA title -- losing to Georgetown in 1990-91; beating St. John's in 1991-92; beating Illinois in 2000-01; losing to Wisconsin in 2009-10.

As for the ACC, Duke is also 2-2 when the ACC wins/loses the challenge -- the ACC lost to the Big East in 1990-91; beat the Big East in 1991-92; beat the Big Ten in 2000-01; lost to the Big Ten in 2009-10).

I have to say that it's hard to find any omens in that record.

[striker219]

Actually, this is not quite accurate ...

In 1991-92, after winning Duke's first national title in 1991, Duke did beat St. John's (91-81) in the ACC-BIG EAST Challenge. But UNC also won in the Challenge, beating Seton Hall in the Meadowlands (83-54). The ACC did win overall.

And in 1992-93 -- after Duke's second title -- there was no challenge of any kind -- not ACC-Big East nor ACC-Big Ten.

In 2001-02 -- after Duke's third title -- Duke did beat Iowa (80-62) in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge and UNC did lose to Indiana (79-66). The ACC did win overall.

So the trifecta -- Duke wins, UNC loses and the ACC wins overall has only happened once (2001-02) out of three possible times.

Duke is 2-2 in Challenges in the season in which it goes on to win the NCAA title -- losing to Georgetown in 1990-91; beating St. John's in 1991-92; beating Illinois in 2000-01; losing to Wisconsin in 2009-10.

As for the ACC, Duke is also 2-2 when the ACC wins/loses the challenge -- the ACC lost to the Big East in 1990-91; beat the Big East in 1991-92; beat the Big Ten in 2000-01; lost to the Big Ten in 2009-10).

I have to say that it's hard to find any omens in that record.

This is why I love the DBR.

For the record though, although I didn't make it very clear in my first post, I was referring only to the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, 1999-present. So with that added detail my original point stands.

[Duke: A Dynasty]

GA Tech is doing good but man N'Western is shooting lights out at over 75% right now!! 27 to 38 with lots of 3's going in.

[DukieInBrasil]

it's been really sloppy, especially FSU's control of the ball. I was gonna say that FSU was impressing me with their D but they just let OSU put up 8 strait. At least FSU isn't rolling over, yet.

[Duke: A Dynasty]

39-27 Wake is losing

and

55-37 GA Tech is down

and

20-13 FSU is down

[DukieInBrasil]

it's amazing how inept FSU's offense is, it's like there is no plan as to what to do when they get the ball. The D looks pretty stifling but they are poorly coached on the offensive side of the ball

[loran16]

it's amazing how inept FSU's offense is, it's like there is no plan as to what to do when they get the ball. The D looks pretty stifling but they are poorly coached on the offensive side of the ball

FSU's D is still amazing. But without Alabi, they don't have any consistent scorer. Like at all. Singleton just ISNT a good scorer. He's Toney Douglas without the scoring ability

[theAlaskanBear]

If there was ever any question -- this year is Paul Hewitt's swan-song. Down by 23 points to Northwestern with 13 minutes to go.