Final Projected ACC Challenge Pairings: Louisville or Notre Dame Gophers' Best Bet

[SelectionSunday]

With Pitino indicating ACC Challenge pairings may come out this week, here's a final projection. I switched a couple things around, having Indiana play at home for the second straight year and Ohio State going on the road for a second straight season. I don't think any B1G team will play both ACC and Gavitt games at home or on the road, hence why I have the Hoosiers -- playing at Seton Hall in the Gavitt Games -- again getting a ACC game in Bloomington.

ACC Home Games
Michigan @ North Carolina
Maryland @ Virginia Tech
Northwestern @ Syracuse
Wisconsin @ Wake Forest
Ohio State @ Georgia Tech
Penn State @ NC State
Illinois @ Boston College

B1G Home Games
Duke @ Purdue
Notre Dame @ Michigan State
Louisville @ Minnesota
Miami @ Iowa
Virginia @ Indiana
Florida State @ Nebraska
Clemson @ Rutgers

Not Participating? Pitt (if not Panthers, then NC State)

 

[jamalo]

nm

 

[WanderingGopher]

With Swanigan gone, we better get Duke over Purdue. If we end up with somebody like Miami or Notre Dame, I'm gonna be pissed.

 

[Biggsohnasty]

With Swanigan gone, we better get Duke over Purdue. If we end up with somebody like Miami or Notre Dame, I'm gonna be pissed.

You are going to be pissed about playing a top-15 team in either Notre Dame or Miami?

Both of those teams might be better than Duke next season.

And if the Gophers played Duke, all you'd hear throughout the broadcast would be them going on and on about the Dukies.

No thanks

 

[WanderingGopher]

You are going to be pissed about playing a top-15 team in either Notre Dame or Miami?

Both of those teams might be better than Duke next season.

And if the Gophers played Duke, all you'd hear throughout the broadcast would be them going on and on about the Dukies.

No thanks

I'm well aware of who's likely to be good next year, but Notre Dame and Miami basketball do not move the needle for the average fan. Duke would. It would be a huge event here and raise the profile of the program. Plus I think we'd beat them at home, which again would be a really big boost for the program.

 

[die hard gopher]

I'm well aware of who's likely to be good next year, but Notre Dame and Miami basketball do not move the needle for the average fan. Duke would. It would be a huge event here and raise the profile of the program. Plus I think we'd beat them at home, which again would be a really big boost for the program.

I think right now we'd have the advantage over Louisville on paper with who they are bringing back and have coming in. We could definitely have a chance to beat Duke early in the year as well with their 3 freshman likely starting and 1 very inexperienced sophomore. Grayson is their only returning guy with any sizable experience at all. Really the gophers will have a at least a decent shot to beat any ACC team they face, especially early in the year.

 

[builtbadgers]

Agreed. ND is a program that is thriving and far ahead of where the Gophers are at. That would be a gift. How often does Duke play a non established power on the road. Seems like they rarely go road and always play a team that was 1st or second unless it is Indiana or Michigan. you usually have to win the ACC or the Big 10 to get those top games. They are earned. Miami is tremendous as well.

 

[tmvander]

Accidently posted this in the wrong thread but I think Duke should be everyone's top pick just because they will draw the most attention. However, most pre season rankings have Louisville around a top 5 team, Notre Dame around a 15-20 team, and Miami around a 15-20 team. Either way we're going to have a nicely ranked opponent in the barn which is awesome!

 

[SelectionSunday]

Accidently posted this in the wrong thread but I think Duke should be everyone's top pick just because they will draw the most attention. However, most pre season rankings have Louisville around a top 5 team, Notre Dame around a 15-20 team, and Miami around a 15-20 team. Either way we're going to have a nicely ranked opponent in the barn which is awesome!

Yep, I'd put it this way:

1 Duke a clear 1st choice and The Barn would be in all its glory & at its rollicking best.

2 Louisville or Notre Dame would be more than acceptable. Have no problem if we get either one.

3 Miami a quality opponent but nowhere near the same "uumph". Folks won't get overly excited for that one.

4 Which means we'll probably get Virginia, a quality program, but we've played them 4 times in the Challenge, and with their playing style, no thank you.

 

[die hard gopher]

Still rather have Louisville. I think the father son angle would get us more national attention than Duke would and I really think we'd have a good chance to beat them. The media would go crazy if Richard were to beat his dad.

1. Louisville
2. Duke
3. UNC
4. ND
5. Miami
6. Syracuse

 

[SelectionSunday]

Most Likely To Least Likely Gophers ACC Challenge Opponent

1 Louisville (0)
2 Notre Dame (0)
3 Duke (0)
4 Miami (1)
5 Virginia (4)
6 Clemson (2)
7 Florida State (6)
8 Virginia Tech (1)
9 North Carolina (0)
10 Syracuse (0)
11 Wake Forest (2)
12 Georgia Tech (1)
13 Boston College (0)
14 NC State (0)
15 Pitt (0)

Number of times Gophers have played in ACC Challenge in parentheses.

 

[Gophers7633]

Still rather have Louisville. I think the father son angle would get us more national attention than Duke would and I really think we'd have a good chance to beat them. The media would go crazy if Richard were to beat his dad.

1. Louisville
2. Duke
3. UNC
4. ND
5. Miami
6. Syracuse

It's Duke though. We've already done the father/son angle once before. Had that game not happened, and this match up is between two top 15 teams, it'd be hyped pretty good, but the fact that we've already seen it before, takes away some of the hype for it in my opinion.

 

[SelectionSunday]

If I Had the Choice, Most Desirable Visit to The Barn to Least Desirable

1 Louisville (0)
2 Notre Dame (0)
3 Duke (0)
4 Miami (1)
5 Virginia (4)
6 Clemson (2)
7 Florida State (6)
8 Virginia Tech (1)
9 North Carolina (0)
10 Syracuse (0)
11 Wake Forest (2)
12 Georgia Tech (1)
13 Boston College (0)
14 NC State (0)
15 Pitt (0)

Number of times Gophers have played in ACC Challenge in parentheses.

1A Duke
1B North Carolina
3 Louisville
4 Syracuse
5 Notre Dame
6 Miami
7 Virginia Tech
8 Wake Forest
9 NC State
10 Virginia
11 Clemson
12 Georgia Tech
13 Pitt
14 Boston College
15 Florida State

 

[die hard gopher]

It's Duke though. We've already done the father/son angle once before. Had that game not happened, and this match up is between two top 15 teams, it'd be hyped pretty good, but the fact that we've already seen it before, takes away some of the hype for it in my opinion.

Yes but the last time we played, Louisville had the superior roster and nobody expected us to win. I think the narrative and media attention would be completely different this year as Richard would have a really good shot to win, especially at home and both rosters are somewhat equal in talent.

 

[JimmyJamesMD]

Little impatient here. Big 12 Sec pairings were just announced.

 

[WanderingGopher]

Agreed. ND is a program that is thriving and far ahead of where the Gophers are at. That would be a gift. How often does Duke play a non established power on the road. Seems like they rarely go road and always play a team that was 1st or second unless it is Indiana or Michigan. you usually have to win the ACC or the Big 10 to get those top games. They are earned. Miami is tremendous as well.

Duke has and should have to play road games in the challenge just like everybody else ... the whole point of the challenge is to roughly match each team's standing in their respective conference to see which conference is "better." That's why they keep "score." MN and Duke are a perfect match in that respect, and they have never played each other in the challenge, and MN is due for a home game and Duke is due for a road game. It makes perfect sense.

MN was 23-8/11-7 last year in reg season, fourth in conf; Duke was 23-8/11-7 fifth in conf
MN is projected #2 in B1G this year; Duke is projected #1 or #2 in ACC this year (and cannot play #1 B1G MSU in the challenge).

To the extent the Pitino's have any say, I'll bet both have very clearly told their ADs and/or conference commissioners that they do NOT want any part of a matchup against each other. I know both of them have publicly said that in the past, after they played the first time mostly as a favor to Richard as a new P5 coach.

 

[Otis]

Yes but the last time we played, Louisville had the superior roster and nobody expected us to win. I think the narrative and media attention would be completely different this year as Richard would have a really good shot to win, especially at home and both rosters are somewhat equal in talent.

I agree. this would be program vs program not dad's machine vs son coaching Tubby's players.

 

[howeda7]

I assume if we don't hear something by the end of today it'll be next week. It would be dumb to bury it on a holiday week-end.