Starting Five: ACC/Big Ten Challenge Edition

1. Have to admit that I am surprised that the ACC/Big Ten Challenge ended in a 6-6 tie.  The bottom four Big Ten schools (Purdue, Iowa, Penn State, and Nebraska) are all pretty weak, but two of those (Purdue and Nebraska) actually picked up victories.  Miami's upset of Michigan State and Virginia knocking off Wisconsin in Madison on the Challenge's second night really helped the ACC against the conference I believed to be the best heading into the season.

2. Illinois is not a Top 25 team.  Yes, the Illini are an undefeated 8-0 after beating Georgia Tech tonight and are ranked 22nd in both polls.  And I will admit that new head coach John Groce's perimeter trio of Brandon Paul (who is performing at a first team all-conference level), D.J. Richardson, and Tracy Abrams probably give Chief Illiniwek enough firepower to earn an invite to the NCAA Tourney.  I will even go so far as to say that this team has the potential to finish in the top six of a very competitive Big Ten - ahead of Wisconsin (more on the Badgers later) and Northwestern.  However, this is not a Top 25 team.  Illinois' best win thus far is a 17-point win over Butler in Maui.  While Butler soundly defeated North Carolina and knocked off Marquette on a buzzer beater, I'm not sold on the Bulldogs.  Illinois also has one-point wins over Hawaii (overtime) and Gardner-Webb.  A December 8 trip to Spokane to play Gonzaga should give us a better idea of where the Illini stand.

3. With victories over Kentucky, Louisville, and now Ohio State, Duke has the most impressive resume in the country.  Still, I'm not ready to label Coach K's squad a contender.  The Blue Devils are ranked third in RBP's most recent Top 25, so it is not as if we are ignoring the extremely impressive early season accomplishments of Mason Plumlee and Company.  In fact, there are a number of reasons to be bullish on the Blue Devils.  Mason Plumlee, who just put up 21 and 17 against the Buckeyes, has turned into a very good college basketball player.  Similarly, Ryan Kelly appears to have stepped up his level of play in his senior season.  And Quinn Cook, who tallied 8 assists compared to 3 turnovers with Aaron Craft hounding him tonight, looks like the point guard Coach K was missing last season.  That being said, it is Ohio State, and not Duke, that I see as having the most room for growth and being the more likely of the two to contend for a National Championship.

4. Wisconsin is struggling.  RBP ranked the Badgers 16th in its preseason Top 25, and that looks like it may have been a mistake.  The torn ACL suffered by Josh Gasser in a late October practice has robbed Bo Ryan of the one player on the Badgers' roster who could have stepped into Jordan Taylor's shoes at point guard.  The Badgers were going to feel the effect of Taylor's departure regardless of Gasser's availability, but Gasser's absence has taken its toll, as no Badger is averaging more than 2.2 assists per contest.  Despite tonight's loss to an underwhelming Virginia squad, I expect Wisconsin to ultimately right the ship and avoid missing out on March Madness for the first time in Bo Ryan's tenure.

5. Did you watch Indiana beat up North Carolina?  The Hoosiers are the best team in the country.  I can't help but notice the ease with which they score and their marked improvement on the defensive end.  Freshman Hanner Mosquera-Perea (suspension) and senior Derek Elston (injury) will be on the floor soon for Tom Crean, adding to what is already a ridiculously deep roster.  Also, I have no idea what is going on in Chapel Hill.  There can be no doubt that the Tar Heels missed P.J. Hairston's services against the Hoosiers, but that was just ugly.  It's not even December yet, but I wouldn't criticize anyone for wondering if maybe this Carolina team just isn't very good.