The ACC has won the ACC-Big Ten Challenge outright for the first time since 2008. After entering Wednesday night tied at 4-4, the ACC took control on the last day of the event by winning five of the final six games.
ACC-Big Ten Challenge 2016: Schedule, live scores, results, and more
The ACC wins 9-5 after a dominant closing night on Wednesday.
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Ricky O'Donnell has covered basketball at all levels for more than a decade at SB Nation. He’s currently the Associate Director of Programming.
The ACC was already considered the best conference in college basketball long before its 9-5 victory in the challenge. Last year, the ACC sent six teams to the Elite Eight and two to the Final Four. The old Big East holds the record of 11 NCAA tournament teams in one year, and the ACC could potentially vie for that mark if its performance against the Big Ten is any indication.
Louisville, Virginia Tech, Virginia and Clemson were all victorious on Wednesday. The Big Ten’s lone victory came in the night’s marquee matchup, as Indiana outlasted North Carolina at Assembly Hall. The ACC won Tuesday night’s headline game when Duke defended its home floor in a win against Michigan State.
Notre Dame and Virginia are now the lone undefeated teams in the ACC. No team is unbeaten in the Big Ten, but Maryland, Ohio State, Minnesota, Rutgers and Indiana all only have one loss. Save for the Hoosiers, the rest of those teams lost their matchup in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.
The ACC won the challenge for the first 10 years of its existence, but the Big Ten had taken control in recent years. The overall tally during the 18-year event is now 11 wins for the ACC, five wins for the Big Ten and two ties.
Below you’re find the results to every game:
Scoreboard
ACC: 9
Big Ten: 5
The schedule
Monday, Nov. 28
Florida State 75, Minnesota 67
Northwestern 65, Wake Forest 58
Tuesday, Nov. 29
Pittsburgh 73, Maryland 59
Penn State 67, Georgia Tech 60
Wisconsin 77, Syracuse 60
Notre Dame 92, Iowa 78
Illinois 88, NC State 74
Duke 78, Michigan State 69
Wednesday, Nov. 30
Louisville 71, Purdue 64
Virginia Tech 73, Michigan, 70
Miami 73, Rutgers 61
Indiana 76, North Carolina 67
Virginia 63, Ohio State 61
Clemson 60, Nebraska 58
Three stars who need big games for their teams to win
Caleb Swanigan, Purdue
The sophomore big man is a double-double machine, averaging 18.8 points and 12 rebounds per game during Purdue’s 5-1 start. The Boilermakers need to get him going early and often.
Update: Swanigan had 14 points and 11 rebounds, but he also had six turnovers as Louisville led the entire way against the Boilermakers.
Joel Berry II, North Carolina
Is Berry the best point guard in college basketball? He’s made the case during UNC’s hot start. Berry was outstanding in the Maui Invitational on his way to MVP honors, going off for 24 points against Oklahoma State and 22 points against Wisconsin.
Update: Berry shot just 3-for-13 from the field as Indiana ran UNC off the floor.
Melo Trimble, Maryland
Maryland lost Robert Carter, Diamond Stone and Jake Layman from last season, but they returned one of the most important players in the country in Trimble. The junior point guard is off to a blazing start this year, averaging 21.1 points per game.
Update: Trimble had 13 points, six rebounds and five assists but Maryland’s big second half comeback fell short against Pitt.
Three freshmen to watch
Dennis Smith Jr., NC State
The 6’3 point guard has looked more comfortable with each game in his return from a torn ACL that cost him his entire senior season of high school ball. Smith has scored 20 points or more in in his last four games, including a 30-point, seven-assist, six-rebound effort in a close win against Loyola on Saturday.
Update: Smith had 12 points but Illinois scored 56 second half points to pick up a big win over NC State.
Jonathan Isaac, Florida State
The 6’10 forward has shown off great scoring instincts in his first six games, averaging 15.3 points on 60.3 percent shooting from the field. He’s also made half of his 24 attempts from three.
Update: Isaac continues to quietly have a nice freshman season. He posted 14 points and 13 rebounds in the win over Minnesota.
Miles Bridges, Michigan State
Bridges might remind Michigan State fans more of T.J. Duckett than Denzel Valentine. He’s a freight train rolling to the hoop and has produced several jaw-dropping highlights in every game he’s played. While Bridges is putting up big numbers, the Spartans look uncharacteristically shaky for a Tom Izzo team.
Update: Bridges had 11 points and nine rebounds but Duke’s big second half lifted them over MSU.
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