It’s come time to look at the second half of the December 8th slate of the ACC/B1G Challenge. We now dive into the unranked matchups that come with this challenge.
Syracuse vs. #24 Rutgers: Length vs. Length
Both of these teams have something that many coaches wish they had length on length on length. Jim Boeheim’ shortest player is listed at 6’1″, while Steve Pikiell’s shortest player is listed at 6’2″.
These coaches have gotten the types of players that fit their systems. For ‘Cuse they are going to play their always unique matchup 2-3 Zone. They will have their work cut out for them however.
There will be a unique matchup here as Geo Baker and Ron Harper Jr. bring back experience, but none against an opponent like the Orange. This matchup is probably one of my favorites from this slate of games. Without the RAC at full capacity though, I see an uphill climb for the Scarlet Knights.
Purdue at Miami (FL): Replacements vs. Returners
This might be Matt Painter’s most difficult season going forward, not only without fans in the fortress of Mackey Arena. Also though, the fact that he has to replace so much within his team. With the likes of Nojel Eastern and Matt Haarms departed and gone, as well as projected starting point guard Eric Hunter Jr. being out 6-8 weeks with a knee injury. To say that Jaden Ivey is expected to pickup a huge load, not only handling the ball, but scoring as well.
For Jim Larranaga, this is expected to be his best team since the Shane Larkin era. The feeling around Coral Gables is that this is a team that has the talent to be able to reach the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Frankly, I would be surprised if they didn’t.
Penn State at Va Tech: Transfer vs. Transfer(s)
The big story for this game would obviously be the resignation of Pat Chambers at Penn State, or the transfer of Landers Nolley along with two others for the Hokies. However, I don’t like the obvious, so for this section we’re going to focus on the impact transfers that these teams have coming into their programs.
For Mike Young, Cartier Diarra (K-State) and Justyn Mutts (Delaware) bring Division 1 scoring capabilities. They each averaged double digit scoring at their respective schools. It will be interesting to see how they are used within this offense.
Jim Ferry will have his work cut out for him as he takes on the interim role at Penn State. Sam Sessoms will help carry that load though, receiving a waiver from the NCAA, transferring from Binghamton might cause some problems transferring all of his success, over. However, averaging 19.4 points a game at the collegiate level is extremely hard to do.
Boston College at Minnesota: Seniority vs. Seniority
Both these teams have a ton of upperclassmen listed for their rosters. Of the 26 players listed on their rosters, 14 of them are upperclassmen. Though for Boston College, many of them don’t know how grueling the ACC can be as five of them are transfers. The Golden Eagles won’t win this game. However, they will have one major upset in conference play this season.
For the Golden Gophers this year, it will be the Marcus Carr show. Seeing if Richard Pitino can get his main guy shots will be the key too if the Gophers will have a successful season. It won’t just be Marcus Carr though, Minnesota has all five projected starters averaging more than 10 points a game at their respective schools last year.
Outlook: 5-2 Big Ten
The ACC makes up some ground picking off a couple of mismatches. However, the Big Ten is just the better all around conference this year. The Big Ten looks prime to win the event in back-to-back years for the first time since 2014-15/2015-2016.
