Nov. 30, 2008

ACC-BIG TEN CHALLENGE NOTES

• Complete Challenge Notes in pdf
  
• The ACC has won each of the nine ACC-Big Ten Challenges played to date ... ACC teams have won 56 of the 86 games played in the Challenge ... Duke (9-0) and Boston College are the only undefeated teams in Challenge play.
  
• Home teams are 56-21 in ACC-Big Ten Challenge play ... the ACC is 33-4 on its home court while the Big Ten is 23-17 ... there have been nine “neutral site” games, with the ACC holding a 6-3 advantage.
  
• The ACC (.667) and the Big Ten (.619) rank first and third, respectively, among conferences in NCAA Tournament winning percentage.
  
• Since 1988, the ACC (21) and the Big Ten (15) have had 36 of the 84 teams in the Final Four and have captured eight national titles.
  
• Teams from the ACC (329) and the Big Ten (296) have combined for 625 NCAA Tournament victories.
  
• The ACC (27) and the Big Ten (18) have combined to produce 39 percent of the No. 1 seeds since the NCAA started assigning seeds in 1979.
  
• Teams that lead at halftime are 65-19 (.774) in Challenge play ... there have been two ties at halftime ... the largest halftime deficit overcome was 12 points (39-27) by Georgia Tech in a 62-61 win over Wisconsin in 2001 ... the ACC has won 15 games after trailing at halftime, the Big Ten four ... a year ago, both Clemson and North Carolina posted Challenge wins after trailing at the intermission.
  
• Teams that shoot 50 percent or better in Challenge play are 26-5 (.839) ... the lowest field goal percentage by a winning team was 29.8 percent by Iowa in a 45-42 win over NC State in 2005.
  
• 47 of the 86 Challenge games played to date have had at least one ranked team playing ... 22 games have had both teams ranked ... in the 2001 game between Michigan State and Virginia that was cancelled because of a slippery floor, both teams were ranked.