The college basketball season has finished its Thanksgiving tournaments. Now it moves to the Big Ten-ACC Challenge and, at the end of the week, the start of Big Ten Conference games. It’s a full menu of action in college hoops with a lot of high-visibility showcases.
Syracuse Orange at Ohio State Buckeyes
Wednesday, November 28
The Orange lost to Connecticut earlier this month and need a spark in their young season. They will try to find that spark at Ohio State, where Chris Holtmann is trying to take a good team from last season and make it even better this time around. Syracuse-Ohio State was an Elite Eight game six years ago in 2012. These programs are not at the level of Elite Eight schools, but this game might help them understand what they need to do in order to get there.
Purdue Boilermakers at Florida State Seminoles
Wednesday, November 28
These teams are both in the Top 25 and should be very high seeds in the NCAA Tournament in March. Both teams have racked up wins in November, with Florida State getting the especially strong results in a comparison of the two teams. The Seminoles have already beaten SEC teams Florida and LSU.
These teams have lost games, but to very good teams. Purdue lost to Virginia Tech in the final of the Charleston Classic over a week ago, while Florida State lost to Villanova in the championship game of the Orlando-based AdvoCare Invitational. Those tests – and those high-profile losses – should give these teams a lot of teaching tools before this game, which should boost the winner by at least one seed line in March. This is the second-best game of the five being mentioned here, but the next one is tops on the list.
North Carolina Tar Heels at Michigan Wolverines
Wednesday, November 28
This is the game which almost happened in the 2018 NCAA Tournament, but North Carolina was upset by Texas A&M in the round of 32. Michigan then beat Texas A&M in the Sweet 16 and moved on to the national championship game. North Carolina is No. 11 in this game and Michigan is No. 7. Michigan made a huge national statement earlier this season by crushing Villanova in a championship game rematch from April in San Antonio. North Carolina struggled this past week on defense in a pair of games against Texas and UCLA. It lost to Texas and defeated UCLA, but coach Roy Williams is wrestling with decisions of how to play his main rotation. Nassir Little is one of North Carolina’s more talented recruits, but Williams has not given him extended minutes. Solving that puzzle is something UNC has to be able to do if it wants to win this game on the road.
Virginia Cavaliers at Maryland Terrapins
Wednesday, November 28
These teams used to be ACC co-members, but now Maryland is in the Big Ten. Virginia is a top-three team, having just won the Battle 4 Atlantis by winning games against Middle Tennessee, Dayton and Wisconsin. Maryland is not in the top 25 and is trying to find a signature win early in the season. This would certainly qualify as one.
Wisconsin Badgers at Iowa Hawkeyes
Friday, November 30
This is the Big Ten Conference opener for both teams. Iowa looked great in Madison Square Garden earlier this month, winning games against Oregon and Connecticut. Wisconsin has looked good as well, beating Stanford and Oklahoma in the Battle 4 Atlantis before testing Virginia in a close championship game. If Wisconsin can win this game on the road, it should already be considered a leading contender to win the Big Ten this season.
