NCAA Basketball: Oregon and Purdue on wrong side of winners/losers this week
By Adam Childs
No. 4 Loser – Wake Forest Demon Deacons
The Demon Deacons did not have to play in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge and for that, they missed out on a great set of games. Instead, they played Western Carolina and barely held them off. This was after they got beat by Houston Baptist last week.
Then they played Richmond on Saturday and lost by ten. The Spiders had lost four in a row including losses to Hampton and Wyoming. They also lost earlier in the year to Longwood. This was not a good loss for Wake Forest and the seat has to be getting awfully warm for Danny Manning. This once proud basketball school has fallen on hard times and it does not look like it is getting better any time soon.
No. 4 Winner – Big Ten/ACC Challenge
Last year the ACC rolled the Big Ten, winning 11 of the 14 games. They were the far superior conference and it showed. This year the Big Ten had looked good earlier but there was still thought that the ACC would win this easily. Instead, we got a bunch of great matchups and some upsets. Only a couple of games were blowouts and the challenge finished tied 7-7.
This is a premier set of games each year and when they deliver like it did this year, it makes for some of the best basketball of the non-conference schedule. Yes, the mid-major teams get a big payday for playing the big boys, but this right here is what college basketball fans love to see. For three nights we were treated to great games among two great conferences, For that, we are all winners.