Duke To Play Michigan State In ACC/Big 10 Challenge

The biggest challenge for Duke and their overly-wordy Non-Conference Home Winning Streak will be the game against the Michigan State Spartans. Right now both teams are projected to be pre-season Top 3 and they should both be undefeated by the time this game rolls around on Wednesday, December 1.
This game will be the headlining game of this years ACC/Big 10 Challenge. Duke will try to bounce back from last year, during which they lost their first game ever in this challenge (10-1). Last year also marked the first time in 11 tries that the Big 10 won this event.
The Duke streak stands at 77 games right now and goes back to February 26, 2000 when a #2 Duke team lost to an unranked St. John’s team 83-82.
This Michigan State team will be the toughest test in recent years. When Duke steps out of conference against heavyweights normally its at a neutral site, like Madison Square Garden or the Greensboro Coliseum. Places that Duke may visit again in the post season.
Few ranked teams come into Cameron, often its during the ACC/Big Ten Challenge or Georgetown the last couple of years. Its true that Duke plays its share of Radford-like teams at home, but these would be teams that Duke may face in opening rounds and Coach K always makes sure his team is prepared to play these hungry, well-coached teams.
That’s what makes this game against Michigan State all the more exciting. Besides being the headliner of the ACC/Big 10 Challenge, it matches a pair of last season’s Final Four participants and a pair of pre-season top three teams. When all the schedules are finalized for next year, this game should be one of the five most anticipated non-conf games of the season.