The ACC/Big Ten Challenge continues on Wednesday night as the No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes travel to take on the No. 2 Duke Blue Devils. The game is scheduled for a 9:30 p.m. start time and it will be televised nationally on ESPN. Currently the odds have Duke favored by 6 points.
Tonight's matchup between Top 5 teams highlights the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, where both teams can score a lot of points. The Blue Devils have risen in the rankings after knocking off Louisville and Kentucky in the span of nine days. Duke also was able to beat a pretty good Minnesota team as well. There's no doubt that this team for Coach K is both talented and willing to work hard. There's no superstar on the team as in year's past, but the Devils certainly are a talented group that gets the job done.
Playing at Cameron Indoor Stadium is only going to help them against the Buckeyes. It's the best environment in college basketball and you know that the student section will be all over the Ohio State players. That's what makes college basketball great — home court, student bodies and big time competition. The Blue Devils were punked in Columbus last season, getting beat up by the Buckeyes 85-63. Ohio State did just about everything right in that game, overmatching Duke and capitalizing on playing them at home, where the Buckeyes rarely lose. Remember, Ohio State won 31 games last season and got all the way to the Final Four.
There's no question that the Buckeyes haven't played nearly the amount of competition that Duke has so far this year. That should come as no surprise as Thad Matta and Ohio State weren't in any of the big time preseason tournaments like Maui, Bahamas or the NIT Tip Off. They did play in the "Hall of Fame" tournament, which showcased such powerhouse programs as Albany, Norfolk State, Seton Hall, Loyola (Maryland), Rhode Island, Washington and Missouri-Kansas City. The Buckeyes were able to get wins over Albany, Rhode Island and eventually Washington. Their opponents haven't exactly been on par with them, unlike Duke, who played and beat two teams that are probably just as good as they are this year.
We like Buckeye point guard Aaron Craft. He's a down and dirty point guard that plays defense and gets after it on the offensive end of the floor. He's going to be a handful. Quinn Cook will surely have the task of trying to slow Craft down, which certainly won't be easy. Mason Plumlee and Ryan Kelly are going to battle inside with Ohio State and it's going to spur some nice matchups. The Buckeyes will counter inside with Lenzelle Smith, Jr. and Deshaun Thomas. Thomas can get out on the perimeter and shoot the 3, which could cause some problems with Duke's inside defenders. He can also put the ball on the deck and get to the hole and certainly is more athletic than either of the Duke guys down low.
Ohio State is a great shooting team — filling it up at 52 percent per game. Duke hasn't been nearly as efficient this season, shooting just 47 percent. Certainly they're a much better offensive team in home games and we're expecting a close battle tonight between two teams that could end up in the Final Four. Expect a gritty style of defense from Ohio State and we think they're going to keep it close. It seems like six points is a bit much, but remember the Buckeyes blew out Duke last year at home. Could we see the same type of game from the Blue Devils in this one? We don't think so.
Free Pick: Duke 77, Ohio State 72
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