Scouting: Big Ten basketball

Posted November 30, 2008 10:00 pm

By Lindsey Willhite

Is this the Big Ten's year?

Every season, the Big Ten's coaches complain that ESPN's announcers and analysts spend too much time complimenting the ACC and too much time denigrating their league. And every year right about this time, the ACC/Big Ten Challenge goes the ACC's way - and the cycle starts anew. This is the 10th edition of the Challenge, and the Big Ten still seeks its first series win. Could this be the year?

"I'd like to shut up the talking heads for once," Illinois coach Bruce Weber blurted on his radio show shortly after the Illini edged Tulsa on Saturday night for the South Padre Island Invitational. Early surprises like the Illini, who received 12 points in the AP poll released Monday, have the best chance to swing this year's Challenge the Big Ten's way. Here's the schedule:

Monday's game

Wisconsin at Virginia Tech

Tuesday's games

• Ohio State (3-0) at No. 21 Miami (4-1), 6 p.m. on ESPN

• Iowa (6-1) at Boston College (4-2), 6 p.m. on ESPNU

• Clemson (7-0) at Illinois (6-0), 6:30 p.m. on ESPN2

• No. 4 Duke (7-0) at No. 9 Purdue (5-1), 8 p.m. on ESPN

• Virginia (3-2) at Minnesota (6-0), 8:30 p.m. on ESPN2

Wednesday's games

• Indiana (4-2) at No. 15 Wake Forest (6-0), 6:15 p.m. on ESPN

• Penn State (6-1) at Georgia Tech (4-0), 6:30 p.m. on ESPN2

• Michigan (5-1) at Maryland (4-2), 6:30 p.m. on ESPNU

• No. 1 North Carolina (7-0) vs. No. 13 Michigan State (4-1) at Detroit's Ford Field, 8:15 p.m. on ESPN

• Florida State (7-0) at Northwestern (3-1 pending Monday night's game), 8:30 p.m. on ESPN2

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