NCAA Basketball: Ranking the 2020 Big Ten/ACC Challenge matchups
6. Ohio State at Notre Dame
The Fighting Irish will be without All-ACC stars John Mooney and TJ Gibbs but does return a solid core of players. Point guard Prentiss Hubbs and Dane Goodwin are both double-digit scorers, while Juwan Durham and Nate Laszewski will form a solid frontcourt. The hope is that Stanford transfer Cormac Ryan provides great depth and production, while the team looks to find that “go-to” player this season.
Ohio State is in a similar situation without star big man Kaleb Wesson. Returning guards Duane Washington Jr. and CJ Walker will be key players to watch, along with the new transfers Justice Sueing and Seth Towns, former Ivy League Player of the Year at Harvard. There’s a lot of unknowns with these programs and that kind of intriguing makes this a game to watch, as the winner gets a needed resume builder.
Prediction: Ohio State
5. Syracuse at Rutgers
Judging by the names alone, you’d think that the Orange would be the heavy favorite to win this one. Yet the Scarlet Knights not only turned the corner as a program last season, but they also bring back just about everyone. Guards Ron Harper and Geo Baker are under the radar good, while top-50 freshman Cliff Omoruyi adds even more talent to the roster.
That’s certainly not to say that Syracuse doesn’t have talent of its own. Guards Buddy Boeheim and Joe Girard are one of the best scoring combos in the country, while Bourama Sidibe and Marek Dolezaj are solid upperclassmen frontcourt players. And while he’s not as good as the future pro Elijah Hughes, Illinois transfer Alan Griffin should be a great replacement. The firepower of the Orange will likely be too much for Rutgers in this one.