Top Matchups to Watch in the SEC/ACC Challenge
The SEC/ACC Challenge begins this week, giving college basketball fans premier matchups to feast on after Thanksgiving. This is only the second year of this challenge between the two powerhouse conferences. Last year’s challenge ended in a 7-7 tie, but this year, both conferences added new teams that will join in on the fun this year. From Dec. 3rd-4th, the men’s teams will duke it out, while the women’s teams will square off on Dec. 4th-5th. Both conferences are filled with superstars and personalities alike, and who knows, we might just see rematches of some of these games in March.
Alabama vs. North Carolina
This will be a rematch of last year’s matchup in the Sweet 16. Alabama won the game 89-87, but the Tar Heels will be looking for revenge on their homecourt. The matchup to watch in this game will be a battle between Alabama’s Mark Sears and UNC’s RJ Davis. Both are fifth-year guards and Wooden Award candidates to watch. Both are near the top of the country in three-point percentage, so expect a lot of threes to be made from these two. Alabama has picked up three big wins against Illinois, Houston, and Rutgers this season and looks to secure another one Thursday night. UNC is searching for its first big win of the season after placing in fourth at the Maui Invitational over Thanksgiving break and losing games against Auburn and Michigan State. Other players to watch for Alabama are Cliff Omoruyi and Jarin Stevenson, who were two coveted transfers who chose Alabama over UNC when they entered the transfer portal. Both players add depth to the Crimson Tide’s frontcourt, which could cause a problem for the Tar Heels, who are incredibly small and don’t have a dominant presence at the Center position this year.
Auburn vs. Duke
If there is any team in the country that had a great Thanksgiving weekend, it would be the Auburn Tigers. They dominantly won the Maui Invitational and got big wins over Iowa State, North Carolina, and Memphis. Also, coupled with losses by UConn and Gonzaga, the Tigers are going to enter this game as the number two team in the country. However, this is going to be their first real road test of the season. How can they handle going to Durham and dealing with the Cameron Crazies? Well, lucky for Auburn, they have Johni Broome on their team. The six-foot-10, fifth-year senior center is an early candidate for Player of the Year and is averaging 20 points and 12 rebounds while shooting 59 percent from the field. The Tigers might have the best senior player in the country, but the Blue Devils have the best freshman in the country in Cooper Flagg. Flagg is Duke’s next great superstar. A six-foot-nine forward with the skills of a guard is a definite matchup problem for the Tigers' perimeter defense. After a loss to top-ranked Kansas in Vegas, the Blue Devils need to rebound with a big win in the non-conference portion of their schedule.
Texas vs. Notre Dame
A top 15 matchup in South Bend between the top two backcourts in women’s basketball. Sign me up! Texas returns Rori Harmon from a torn ACL she suffered last season and pair her up with reigning Big 12 Freshman of the Year Madison Booker. The Longhorns are coming off a 78-73 win over West Virginia and look to stay undefeated when they head to South Bend. Notre Dame is coming off a loss to TCU, a shocking loss where they held a double-digit lead and controlled much of the game, but still the Irish are led by Olivia Miles and reigning ACC Freshman of the Year Hannah Hidalgo. These teams are similar in most ways because both Miles and Harmon lead their teams in assists and Hidalgo and Booker are the scorers on the team. This game could come down to who has the ball last.
Duke vs. South Carolina
A top 10 matchup in Columbia between the reigning National Champions and a Duke team that made a surprise run to the Sweet 16 last season. South Carolina entered the season as the number-one team in the country, but they suffered their first loss in nearly a year and a half to UCLA in Los Angeles. They bounced back by trouncing Iowa State, and now Dawn Staley’s squad has to deal with a Duke defense that is feisty and loves to force turnovers. One of the problems for the Gamecocks is that they do not have a dominant center this year to grab rebounds and score in the paint, leaving guards such as Raven Johnson, Te-Hina Paopao, and MiLaysia Fulwiley to do most of the scoring. Duke is led by Reigan Richardson, who is averaging 14 points on 46 percent shooting. This will be a rematch of last season’s matchup, with South Carolina winning at Duke 65-58.
Who will win the challenge this year? Will it end in a tie again? With so many talented contenders, the outcome remains uncertain. One thing is for sure: it will be fun to watch.
