According to a string of tweets from college basketball inside Jon Rothstein, we have the matchups for the 2021 ACC-Big Ten Challenge.
ACC Home Games
Syracuse vs. Indiana
NC State vs. Nebraska
Pitt vs. Minnesota
Wake Forest vs. Northwestern
North Carolina vs. Michigan
Georgia Tech vs. Wisconsin
Virginia vs. Iowa
ACC Away Games
Michigan State vs. Louisville
Penn State vs. Miami
Maryland vs. Virginia Tech
Rutgers vs. Clemson
Illinois vs. Notre Dame
Ohio State vs. Duke
Purdue vs. Florida State
NEWS: Matchups are set for the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, per sources.
Duke at OSU
Louisville at MSU
FSU at Purdue
IU at Cuse
Michigan at UNC
Nebraska at NC St
UW at GT
Iowa at UVA
ND at Illinois
Clemson at RU
Miami at PSU
Minn. at Pitt
NW at Wake
VT at MDhttps://t.co/3S0mVBDABg— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) June 28, 2021
Designated Survivor
As is customary, with 14 Big Ten teams, one ACC program must sit out of the event. For the 2021 challenge, that will again be Boston College.
Key Matchups
While all 14 matchups present plenty of intrigue, several high-profile affairs will be at the top of the marquee.
With incoming 5-star forward Caleb Houstan, Michigan projects as a top-five team nationally; this will be an early test for Hubert Davis and North Carolina.
Purdue also projects as one of the top teams in the country, too, which should make for a spicy contest with rebuilding-but-talented Florida State. The Boilermakers get back both big man Trevion Williams and star wing Jaden Ivey, one of the top NBA prospects in the country. Purdue will also play NC State later in the season, up in Brooklyn.
In the final ACC/Big Ten Challenge of Mike Krzyzewski’s career, Duke will play at Ohio State — much to the chagrin of Maryland fans. (With that said, Virginia Tech and Maryland should be a really good and fun game.)
The Buckeye also project as a top-five team, although that calculus could change if Duane Washington Jr. stays in the 2021 NBA Draft.
Ohio State's Duane Washington going up strong in transition at the NBA Combine yesterday with Isaiah Todd trailing. pic.twitter.com/KIfLekeh2A
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 24, 2021
After a tough 2020-21 season, Louisville went out and added a plethora of perimeter shooting in the transfer portal: Matt Cross, Noah Locke and Jarrod West. The matchup with Michigan State, which lost junior wing Aaron Henry, a stud defender, to the NBA Draft, will serve as an early indicator of things to come.
MSU also brings in freshman wing Max Christie, a promising pro prospect, too.
Notre Dame returns a lot of offensive firepower: Prentiss Hubb, Dane Goodwin, Cormac Ryan, Trey Wertz and Nate Lazewski. That’s a surplus of shooting. Illinois was one of the best teams in the country this year, but Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn are headed to the NBA; lefty sniper Adam Miller transferred to LSU. However, sophomore point guard Andre Curbelo — an absolute wizard with the ball — returns.
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