November 27, 2006
I always love it when the ACC and Big Ten hook up every year. It is one of my favorite pre-conference events and there is a lot of pride at stake. The players know they are representing the jersey and they want to bring honor to their respective conferences.
There is the desire for respectability and this year's event features a number of big-time matchups.
I am looking forward to sitting courtside with Dan Shulman and Doris Burke as we have two super games within 24 hours -- Indiana at Duke on Tuesday and Ohio State at North Carolina on Wednesday. The event starts on Monday night with Michigan visiting NC State.
Cameron Indoor Stadium will be rocking and rolling. Indiana needs a big game from DJ White; he must stay out of foul trouble. The Hoosiers will have a tough time defending the interior of Duke if Mr. White is on the pine.
The Blue Devils need big minutes out of Greg Paulus, who has played despite a foot injury. His leadership on the floor is a major factor, especially with a young nucleus on the court.
Duke is the only team with a perfect record in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, sitting at 7-0. Last year, Mike Krzyzewski's team beat Indiana in the Challenge, 75-67.
I am looking forward to seeing the Tar Heels in person. The Buckeyes will be minus Greg Oden, and that is a big loss inside. I really feel Oden will be the next coming of Patrick Ewing. Thad Matta's kids will play their heart out, with a sense of pride. There will be intensity going against North Carolina.
Roy Williams' squad will be fired up playing in the museum, the Dean Smith Center, where so many jerseys are hanging. They are a reminder of the tradition of the Tar Heels.
The edge goes to North Carolina playing at home, plus the presence of Tyler Hansbrough up front. When you look at Ohio State, everyone sings the praises of the recruiting class Matta has assembled, I am not talking about the pigskin when referring to these Buckeyes, baby!
Daequan Cook and Mike Conley have impressed. Ron Lewis and Jamar Butler are veterans capable of giving the Tar Heels a long evening. Lewis and Butler are the heart and soul of the Ohio State squad.
Ohio State has embraced football for years, and the basketball program now uses it as a positive in recruiting. It is similar to the edge used at Florida.
Another marquee match-up features Maryland at Illinois on Tuesday night. Gary Williams' club already has a "W" against another Big Ten foe, Michigan State in the finals of the 2K Classic at Madison Square Garden. The Illini will be better than many have projected this season, and this figures to be a real battle.
The ACC won last year's series, 6-5. This season's showdown should feature great intensity as the league's have pride at stake.
Dick Vitale coached the Pistons and the University of Detroit before broadcasting ESPN's first college basketball game in 1979. Send a question for Vitale for possible use on ESPNEWS.
