Jonathon Crighton
Staff Writer
Don't take the ACC-Big Ten
Challenge for granted. In a few years, the annual ACC-Big Ten Challenge isn't
going to look like the ACC-Big Ten Challenge college hoops fans are used to
thanks to conference realignment altering the landscape.
In any case, the 2012 edition of
the made-for-TV miniseries didn't disappoint. How could it with nine teams in
the AP Top 25 facing off, including each of the top four?
Based on the performances, there
might even be some new teams from these conferences to crack the Top 25 in the
near future. Maryland went into Welsh-Ryan Arena and crushed a Northwestern
team that hadn't lost and hadn't given up more than 69 points. After taking a
two-point lead into halftime, the Terps blew the game open in the second half
and won, 77-57.
Coach Mark Turgeon's squad hasn't
been defeated since its narrow three-point loss to Kentucky (ranked No. 3 at
the time). And with the emergence of Dez Wells and Ukrainian sophomore center
Alex Len, already
projected to be a lottery pick in 2013, Maryland just might be a
contender to challenge Duke and UNC for the ACC.
As for the Big Ten, it's early but
it might be another year with at least five teams earning spots in the Big
Dance. There were six teams in the Big Ten ranked in the Top 25 at the start of
the week. Four of them won. Most impressively, Indiana, the No. 1 team in the
nation, trounced No. 14 North Carolina by 24.
Of course, it's only December. A
lot can change before the March Madness dance cards are filled out. As N.C.
State can attest, a lot can change in two weeks. But that doesn't mean there
wasn't plenty to learn from watching these games.
