Iowa to play at North Carolina in B1G/ACC

JonDMiller

JonDMiller

Publisher/Founder
IOWA CITY, Iowa -- The University of Iowa men's basketball team will travel to North Carolina, Wednesday, Dec. 3, as part of the 2014 ACC/Big Ten Challenge Presented by Dick's Sporting Goods. Both Iowa and North Carolina return three starters from NCAA Tournament teams a year ago.

This will mark the fourth meeting between the Tar Heels and Hawkeyes and first since 2004. North Carolina defeated Iowa, 106-92, in the championship game of the 2004 Maui Invitational; the Tar Heels went on to win the national championship that season. The teams also played a home-and-home series in 1989 and 1990 with the Hawkeyes winning both -- 98-97 in Chapel Hill in 1989 and 87-74 in 1990 in Iowa City.

“We are excited about the opportunity to play North Carolina in this year’s Challenge,†said Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery. “North Carolina is a talented basketball team that is extremely well-coached. This game will enhance our nonconference schedule and be a good road test for us early in the season.â€

Game times and television information will be announced at a later date. ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU will combine to televise all 14 games of the two-day event matching top college basketball programs playing for conference supremacy and the Commissioners Cup. All 14 games will also be available via WatchESPN.

Iowa won last season’s Challenge game in thrilling fashion, 98-93, over Notre Dame in Iowa City on Dec. 3.

Iowa went 20-13 a year ago and placed sixth in league action -- its second consecutive first-division finish in the Big Ten under head coach Fran McCaffery. The Hawkeyes earned an NCAA Tournament at-large berth -- their first since 2006 -- falling to Tennessee, 78-65 (OT), in the first round in Dayton, Ohio. The Hawkeyes return 10 letterwinners, including three starters in 2014-15. Iowa returns three of its top four scorers and four of its top five rebounders next season. Iowa will be led by Aaron White, who earned third team all-Big Ten laurels the last two seasons. The senior forward led the squad in rebounding (6.7 rpg) and was second in scoring a year ago (12.8 ppg). Other returning starters include junior guard Mike Gesell, who averaged 7.8 points and a team-best 3.9 assists per game, and junior center Adam Woodbury (5.7 ppg and 3.9 rpg).

North Carolina head coach Roy Williams also welcomes back three starters from a team that posted a 24-10 overall record and tied for third place in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Tar Heels were edged by Iowa State in the Round of 32, 85-83, in last season’s NCAA Tournament in San Antonio, Texas. North Carolina returns leading scorer Marcus Paige (17.5 ppg). Paige garnered second-team All-America honors from The Sporting News and was a first-team All-ACC honoree last season. He is a Marion, Iowa, native and played on the same All-Iowa Attack AAU team as Iowa’s Gesell and Woodbury. The Tar Heels also return starting forwards J.P. Tokoto and Kennedy Meeks. Tokoto was an All-ACC Defensive team selection after averaging 9.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg and a team-best 1.6 steals, while Meeks (7.6 ppg and 6.1 rpg), who was named to the ACC All-Freshman team.

The ACC and Big Ten split the last two Challenges with six wins each, but the Big Ten retained possession of the Commissioners Cup. Before the last two ties, the Big Ten won the previous three challenges (2009-11). In addition to the two ties, seven of the 15 challenges have been decided by a single game.

With 15 teams in the ACC and 14 in the Big Ten, Boston College will not be participating in this year’s event.

The 2014-15 Challenge schedule is listed below:

Monday, Dec. 1
Nebraska at Florida State
Rutgers at Clemson

Tuesday, Dec. 2
Illinois at Miami
Minnesota at Wake Forest
NC State at Purdue
Ohio State at Louisville
Pittsburgh at Indiana
Syracuse at Michigan

Wednesday, Dec. 3
Duke at Wisconsin
Georgia Tech at Northwestern
Iowa at North Carolina
Michigan State at Notre Dame
Virginia at Maryland
Virginia Tech at Penn State
 
JonDMiller said:
IOWA CITY, Iowa -- The University of Iowa men's basketball team will travel to North Carolina, Wednesday, Dec. 3, as part of the 2014 ACC/Big Ten Challenge Presented by Dick's Sporting Goods. Both Iowa and North Carolina return three starters from NCAA Tournament teams a year ago.

This will mark the fourth meeting between the Tar Heels and Hawkeyes and first since 2004. North Carolina defeated Iowa, 106-92, in the championship game of the 2004 Maui Invitational; the Tar Heels went on to win the national championship that season. The teams also played a home-and-home series in 1989 and 1990 with the Hawkeyes winning both -- 98-97 in Chapel Hill in 1989 and 87-74 in 1990 in Iowa City.

“We are excited about the opportunity to play North Carolina in this year’s Challenge,” said Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery. “North Carolina is a talented basketball team that is extremely well-coached. This game will enhance our nonconference schedule and be a good road test for us early in the season.”

Game times and television information will be announced at a later date. ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU will combine to televise all 14 games of the two-day event matching top college basketball programs playing for conference supremacy and the Commissioners Cup. All 14 games will also be available via WatchESPN.

Iowa won last season’s Challenge game in thrilling fashion, 98-93, over Notre Dame in Iowa City on Dec. 3.

Iowa went 20-13 a year ago and placed sixth in league action -- its second consecutive first-division finish in the Big Ten under head coach Fran McCaffery. The Hawkeyes earned an NCAA Tournament at-large berth -- their first since 2006 -- falling to Tennessee, 78-65 (OT), in the first round in Dayton, Ohio. The Hawkeyes return 10 letterwinners, including three starters in 2014-15. Iowa returns three of its top four scorers and four of its top five rebounders next season. Iowa will be led by Aaron White, who earned third team all-Big Ten laurels the last two seasons. The senior forward led the squad in rebounding (6.7 rpg) and was second in scoring a year ago (12.8 ppg). Other returning starters include junior guard Mike Gesell, who averaged 7.8 points and a team-best 3.9 assists per game, and junior center Adam Woodbury (5.7 ppg and 3.9 rpg).

North Carolina head coach Roy Williams also welcomes back three starters from a team that posted a 24-10 overall record and tied for third place in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Tar Heels were edged by Iowa State in the Round of 32, 85-83, in last season’s NCAA Tournament in San Antonio, Texas. North Carolina returns leading scorer Marcus Paige (17.5 ppg). Paige garnered second-team All-America honors from The Sporting News and was a first-team All-ACC honoree last season. He is a Marion, Iowa, native and played on the same All-Iowa Attack AAU team as Iowa’s Gesell and Woodbury. The Tar Heels also return starting forwards J.P. Tokoto and Kennedy Meeks. Tokoto was an All-ACC Defensive team selection after averaging 9.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg and a team-best 1.6 steals, while Meeks (7.6 ppg and 6.1 rpg), who was named to the ACC All-Freshman team.

The ACC and Big Ten split the last two Challenges with six wins each, but the Big Ten retained possession of the Commissioners Cup. Before the last two ties, the Big Ten won the previous three challenges (2009-11). In addition to the two ties, seven of the 15 challenges have been decided by a single game.

With 15 teams in the ACC and 14 in the Big Ten, Boston College will not be participating in this year’s event.

The 2014-15 Challenge schedule is listed below:

Monday, Dec. 1
Nebraska at Florida State
Rutgers at Clemson

Tuesday, Dec. 2
Illinois at Miami
Minnesota at Wake Forest
NC State at Purdue
Ohio State at Louisville
Pittsburgh at Indiana
Syracuse at Michigan

Wednesday, Dec. 3
Duke at Wisconsin
Georgia Tech at Northwestern
Iowa at North Carolina
Michigan State at Notre Dame
Virginia at Maryland
Virginia Tech at Penn State
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my early picks in bold.... Big Ten rallies on the last day to edge out the ACC...8-6.
 
Good match up for Iowa. Having a such a mature veteran team, this is the year to schedule a bunch of big boys in the non con.
 
Good, hopefully we can play well and beat them. Much more exciting than playing a team that doesn't have the tradition.
 
Even with the collapse last year, it's still cool to get enough respect as a program to play a top program in a high profile event. It'd be even cooler if we won some stupid basketball games.
 
volhawk50 said:
Duke is playing a Challenge game away from home?
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I think it would be more accurate to say "Duke is playing a true road game in the Challenge"? It seems like they get a lot of home games or neutral site games for this event.
 
WindsorHawk said:
I agree...and the Selection Committee doesn't seem to care if we win just that we play the game.
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True. Or at least, that's the way the RPI feels, and we all know how much the committee loves the RPI. If Iowa wins, all the better.

Not sure what I think of our odds in this one, but I look forward to the challenge. Any game @UNC is something I will be excited to watch.
 
Right now, I'd pick UNC. Playing in Chapel Hill is never easy, and while we might have the potential to be better this year, it's likely still going to take some time for guys to settle into their new roles now that Marble is gone. And if this game is close near the end, I'm definitely not expecting us to pull it out. Not because we won't be over the hump in that department, but because Marcus Paige might be the most clutch player in college basketball.
 
Thanks for the resume boost ESPN! A win at Chapel Hill could be the difference between a 4 seed and a 6 seed.
 
WegsBabyUnk said:
Thanks for the resume boost ESPN! A win at Chapel Hill could be the difference between a 4 seed and a 6 seed.
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Even a loss is good for our RPI....we will be very heavy underdogs in this game...could be very ugly with the way that Roy Boy loves to play fast....110- 85 type of score. Hope getting blown out does not cancel out the quality loss.
 
JHHawk said:
Even a loss is good for our RPI....we will be very heavy underdogs in this game...could be very ugly with the way that Roy Boy loves to play fast....110- 85 type of score. Hope getting blown out does not cancel out the quality loss.
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The RPI won't care since it doesn't take margin into account. Nothing much to lose in this one IMO.

Iowa also likes to play fast, though, so should be an entertaining game. Not sure I see Iowa winning, but not sure I see us losing by 25, either.
 
So in this game Iowa will face one of the best players to ever come out of the state, one recruited by Fran, while Iowa's center will be seeing a legendary college coach he turned down to come to Iowa. Interesting.

My gut says it's a good thing the football schedule looks so favorable this year because, as Jon points out today, the start of the basketball season could be brutal. After looking at the schedule, I agree that it's doubtful Iowa will be able to return to the tournament this year. I'd dearly love to be wrong about that.
 
tm3308 said:
Right now, I'd pick UNC. Playing in Chapel Hill is never easy, and while we might have the potential to be better this year, it's likely still going to take some time for guys to settle into their new roles now that Marble is gone. And if this game is close near the end, I'm definitely not expecting us to pull it out. Not because we won't be over the hump in that department, but because Marcus Paige might be the most clutch player in college basketball.
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We won't win this game but in the end, we win because RPI is stupid and it will boost that and stuff.
 
LawVHawk said:
So in this game Iowa will face one of the best players to ever come out of the state, one recruited by Fran, while Iowa's center will be seeing a legendary college coach he turned down to come to Iowa. Interesting.

My gut says it's a good thing the football schedule looks so favorable this year because, as Jon points out today, the start of the basketball season could be brutal. After looking at the schedule, I agree that it's doubtful Iowa will be able to return to the tournament this year. I'd dearly love to be wrong about that.
Click to expand...

I think it could be one of those seasons when Iowa gets a strong early RPI due to the UNC, Texas, Cuse, ISU games, and despite possibly finishing as low as 8th in the league, Iowa could slip into the Dance. I do think that the Big Ten gets 7 teams in the dance, possibly 8. That could be Iowa, with a strong RPI, but a 20- 12 (8-10) type of record.
 
LawVHawk said:
So in this game Iowa will face one of the best players to ever come out of the state, one recruited by Fran, while Iowa's center will be seeing a legendary college coach he turned down to come to Iowa. Interesting.

My gut says it's a good thing the football schedule looks so favorable this year because, as Jon points out today, the start of the basketball season could be brutal. After looking at the schedule, I agree that it's doubtful Iowa will be able to return to the tournament this year. I'd dearly love to be wrong about that.
Click to expand...

I completely disagree with the thought that we won't make it back to the tournament next year. I think we make it in comfortably. We're going to have a very solid RPI based on our schedule for next year. We played by far the toughest B10 schedule of any of the top seven B10 teams last year and we're once again terrible in close games. This was easily a top 25 team last year until the last month of the season when we fell apart. Forget how last year ended, move on to this year. Marble's a big loss but so was Gatens and Iowa was better the following year.
 
Just another in a long string of terrible match-ups in this series. There is a reason that our record sucks in the Challenge and I don't see it improving after this contest. And screw the RPI bump. Our preconference schedule is already tough enough.
 
If our AD had any integrity, we would boycott this game. UNC is the dirtiest bunch of cheaters the NCAA has seen since SMU in the 80s. It's embarrassing to even take the floor with Crooked Roy.
 
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