Ranking the ACC/Big Ten Challenge: Michigan State, Duke freshmen make for devilishly good matchup

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The ACC might have placed six teams in the Sweet 16 and owned half of the Elite Eight and Final Four last season, but any bragging would be lost on the Big Ten’s members. After winning the first 10 ACC/Big Ten Challenges from 1999 to 2008, the ACC hasn’t seen any parts of the Commissioner’s Cup. The Big Ten has won five and tied twice since 2009.

Michigan State at Duke and North Carolina at Indiana are the top games that could eventually have national implications when it’s time for the NCAA tournament committee to dole out seeding in March. But Nov. 28-30, well before it gets to that point, college basketball fans will get some quality nonconference matchups.

Here’s a ranking of each game in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge:

1. Michigan State at Duke: Both Tom Izzo and Mike Krzyzewski hauled in two of the nation’s best recruiting classes. Of particular interest among the highly-touted freshmen could be the battle at small forward between State’s Miles Bridges and Duke’s Jayson Tatum, rated No. 8 and No. 2, respectively, in the ESPN 100 top 10. Duke is 15-2 in the Challenge with both of its losses coming on the road. The Spartans have lost the last five meetings against the Blue Devils including in the 2015 Final Four.

Some of the country’s top young players will square off when Michigan State takes on Duke during the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Lance King/Getty Images

2. North Carolina at Indiana: This rematch of last year’s Sweet 16 game won by the Tar Heels could either be the best game or the biggest dud. Carolina avoided losing any players to early departures. Indiana is still hoping to hear Troy Williams and James Blackmon Jr., will end up back in Bloomington. If both stay, as center Thomas Bryant already did, the Hoosiers will have a formidable trio. If one or both end up turning pro, the game will have a very different …

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