The college basketball season is only a few weeks old, but things will ramp up quickly for the Big Ten: the ACC-Big Ten Challenge starts tonight, and the conference season begins with two games in the first week of December, starting on Saturday. With 20 conference games on the schedule, there are relatively few opportunities for the league to notch strong out-of-conference wins and bolster its collective resume.

Fortunately, the conference has exceeded expectations. Ohio State went on the road and defeated Cincinnati and Creighton (and were rewarded with the #1 spot in the NCAA's new, insane ranking metric); Iowa looked great in their early-season tournament, which included a win over a great Oregon team (Oregon lost at home last night to Texas Southern so maybe not!); Michigan has annihilated all of its opponents, including Villanova and Providence away from home; State dropped its opener to Kansas - no shame in that - and then took down UCLA and Texas. You get the picture. It's been a good season for the Big Ten thus far.

With the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, there are opportunities for a few more big wins, but the league is already in better position than it was last season, in which a dearth of tournament quality teams in the conference made it hard for teams to find opportunities for quality wins. With the way things are shaping up now, the 20 Big Ten games on every schedule will feature plenty more opportunities to bolster resumes, and the conference will be better for it.

It's time to reassess. People (including me) thought that the Big Ten would be bad; it's probably pretty good, actually! I took a look at every team, assessed whether they're good, and predicted the outcome of their Challenge game.

Nebraska

Are They Good?

31st Kenpom, 10th Sagarin, 16th Torvik

Probably. Overwhelming defensive performances against the dregs of the schedule distort their numbers some (they’re 1st nationally in eFG% defense), and wound up getting blown out by Texas Tech, a program on the rise nationally. Glynn Watson has been hot; James Palmer has been cold from outside, but still has scored effectively. The defense appears to be for real. Unlike last season, Nebraska will have plenty of chances to rack up quality wins, even though they haven’t yet.

ACC Opponent

at Clemson (Monday, 7:00, ESPN2)

24th Kenpom, 39th Sagarin, 36th Torvik

Clemson is a veteran team that made the Sweet 16 last season despite suffering the loss of their best player to injury. The Tigers are widely expected to reach the tournament again. Guards Marcquise Reed and Shelton Mitchell will provide a tough test on both ends for the Husker backcourt. Like Nebraska, Clemson is better on defense than offense.

Prediction

Nebraska

[UPDATE: Nebraska won a close one, 68-66. Isaiah Roby had a tough time with Tiger big man Elijah Thomas, but James Palmer scored 20 for the Huskers and Nebraska managed to avoid blowing a 7-point lead with two minutes left.]

Minnesota

Are They Good?

45th Kenpom, 43rd Sagarin, 64th Torvik

Possibly? The Gophers are 5-0 with three decent but not exceptional wins, including close victories over Texas A&M and Washington in their early-season tournament. Amir Coffey and Jordan Murphy have led the way as scorers and their attacking styles have influenced the offense a lot, but unheralded freshman Gabe Kalscheur has impressed as a sorely-needed knockdown shooter. The computers are still leery of the Gophers on both ends of the floor though, and point guard Isaiah Washington is still struggling.

ACC Opponent

at Boston College (Monday, 9:00, ESPN2)

71st Kenpom, 93rd Sagarin, 106th Torvik

Junior guard Ky Bowman is a great player, but Boston College hasn’t made the tournament in a decade and projects to be a lower-tier ACC team again.

Prediction

Minnesota

[UPDATE: Boston College pulled away in the second half and won, 68-56. A second half switch to a zone flummoxed the Gophers, and the Eagles overcame a poor night from Bowman with standout performances from Wynston Tabbs and backup big Nik Popovic. Dupree McBrayer and Isaiah Washington combined to shoot 2-18 from the field.]

Lamar Stevens

Penn State

Are They Good?

38th Kenpom, 63rd Sagarin, 50th Torvik

Probably Not. The Nittany Lions have had two tough losses against probably mediocre opponents already: in overtime on the road against DePaul, and by three against Bradley in Mexico. Lamar Stevens has been the breakout star so far in the Big Ten, scoring at least 22 points in every game thus far. Penn State is sound defensively, but their results early have been poor. PSU also has a very young backcourt and starting center John Harrar has struggled.

ACC Opponent

vs Virginia Tech (Tuesday 7:00, ESPN2)

16th Kenpom, 9th Sagarin, 10th Torvik

Buzz Williams has things up and running in Blacksburg, and the Hokies have one of the best offenses in the country - an undersized but well-spaced group that shoots 59% on twos and 41% on threes. They’ll be a tournament team and could threaten to break into the top tier of the ACC. Stevens will have to light up the scoreboard if Penn State is to keep pace with Virginia Tech.

Prediction

Virginia Tech

Illinois

Are They Good?

95th Kenpom, 97th Sagarin, 51st Torvik

No. They’re 2-4 and haven’t had any notable wins, though they did acquit themselves well in a first-round Maui loss to Gonzaga (Trent Frazier got hot and scored 29 in that game). Their defense is still built to be bad: the high pressure on the perimeter bothers teams for a while, but eventually bleeds easy layups once opponents figure it out. In 3 Maui games, the Illini forced 52 turnovers, but gave up 64% shooting on two-point attempts.

ACC Opponent

at Notre Dame (Tuesday, 7:00, ESPNU)

52nd Kenpom, 52nd Sagarin, 47th Torvik

A year after missing the NCAA Tournament, this isn’t one of the better teams in Mike Brey’s two decades in South Bend, but he has a good point guard in TJ Gibbs and his teams never turn it over.

Prediction

Notre Dame

[Rest of the B1G after the jump]

Josh Langford

Michigan State

Are They Good?

8th Kenpom, 2nd Sagarin, 8th Torvik

Very. Their only loss was a comeback that came up a bit short against Kansas, one of the top teams in the country, in the opener; they took care of middling UCLA and Texas squads in their early-season tournament. Cassius Winston hasn’t seen a drop-off in efficiency, and Josh Langford is taking twice as many threes as he did last year. The State backcourt has combined for 46% shooting from behind the arc. Like many Izzo teams, they’re strong inside defensively and on the glass, and can be turnover-prone.

ACC Opponent

at Louisville (Tuesday, 7:30, ESPN)

59th Kenpom, 44th Sagarin, 52nd Torvik

Chris Mack’s first team at Louisville is projected to be a bottom half ACC team and more reliant on scoring from the free throw line than almost any team in the country. They have a deep rotation headlined by high-usage wing Jordan Nwora.

Prediction

Michigan State

Iowa

Are They Good?

32nd Kenpom, 36th Sagarin, 29th Torvik

Probably. Iowa’s been a pleasant surprise for the conference: the Hawkeyes are 5-0 and have one of the league’s best wins so far over Oregon in NYC. They’re excellent on offense, with a style befitting an enormous team. Iowa has the top free throw rate in college basketball (and hits 79% of them) and collectively shoots a shade under 60% on twos. The defense has been better, but still not that good. Freshmen Connor McCaffery (son of Fran) and Joe Wieskamp have been impactful early.

ACC Opponent

vs Pittsburgh (Tuesday, 9:00, ESPNU)

119th Kenpom, 94th Sagarin, 143rd Torvik

This program hit rock bottom last year, and new coach Jeff Capel has an extremely young team. They’re undefeated now, but will finish near the bottom of the ACC.

Prediction

Iowa

Wisconsin

Are They Good?

12th Kenpom, 16th Sagarin, 15th Torvik

[exaggerated sigh] Yes. Ethan Happ has been phenomenal, averaging 17.8 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game despite Wisconsin’s very slow pace, and D’Mitrik Trice has stepped up as a scorer on the perimeter (though his hot shooting will regress). The Badgers have a very sound defense, and their offense with Happ operating as point center is much better than it was last year. They beat Xavier on the road and blew out Oklahoma at a neutral site - games in which they shot more than 50% from three - and lost a rock fight to Virginia, aka Bizarro Wisconsin.

ACC Opponent

vs NC State (Tuesday, 9:00, ESPN2)

35th Kenpom, 21st Sagarin, 31st Torvik

Former UNC Wilmington coach Kevin Keatts had a successful debut last year with NC State, making the NCAA Tournament, and the Wolfpack will probably make it again. They have a very deep rotation, have one of the most efficient offenses in their conference, and crash the offensive glass well despite their average size.

Prediction

Wisconsin

Juwan Morgan and Romeo Langford

Indiana

Are They Good?

22nd Kenpom, 14th Sagarin, 27th Torvik

Good, But Young. The Hoosiers have a ton of talent and very little experience, with two freshmen and two sophomores starting on the perimeter and senior Juwan Morgan inside. Morgan has been excellent, as has one-and-done talent Romeo Langford, and they’ve averaged a combined 36 points per game. Indiana blew out Marquette at home and lost a coin flip to Arkansas on the road (by no means a bad result). They’re solid on both ends of the floor right now and should improve throughout the season.

ACC Opponent

at Duke (Tuesday, 9:30, ESPN)

1st Kenpom, 1st Sagarin, 1st Torvik

The Hot Take Industrial Complex has already given us the “Could Duke beat [awful NBA team]?” headlines, and with all of the top three recruits in the 2018 class suiting up, they’re right up there with the most talented teams of the one-and-done era. ESPN has already fixated on Zion Williamson as a feature of their college basketball coverage, but RJ Barrett, Cam Reddish, and Tre Jones are phenomenal freshmen as well. They’re the national championship favorite.

Prediction

Duke

Rutger

Are They Good?

114th Kenpom, 71st Sagarin, 72nd Torvik

Still Rutger. They have a defense that can smother teams - look no further than when they held Eastern Michigan to just four points in a half - and still struggle to score the ball, even though they’re shooting much better from three. The Cable Subscribers lost their only game against a quality opponent by 19 at home - and St. Johns isn’t that great. Rutger isn’t good until proven otherwise, but at least they have an identity now.

ACC Opponent

at Miami (Wednesday, 9:15, ESPNU)

23rd Kenpom, 28th Sagarin, 11th Torvik

The Canes narrowly lost to Seton Hall late last night, but they should be a good bet to reach a fourth straight NCAA Tournament under Jim Larranaga. Diminutive point guard Chris Lykes - who's listed at 5'7 and has to be shorter than that - burst onto the scene last year as a freshman and is one of the more unique players in high major basketball.

Prediction

Miami

Ohio State

Are They Good?

26th Kenpom, 13th Sagarin, 35th Torvik

Seems Like It. Despite losing a ton of talent, they’re 6-0 to start the season and already have two Top 50 road wins (including in their season-opener in a rowdy environment against a tough Cincinnati team). Sophomore center Kaleb Wesson has expanded his game and done well in his new role as OSU’s go-to guy. Keyshawn Woods, Luther Muhammad, and Duane Washington have been solid additions in the backcourt alongside point guard CJ Jackson. The Buckeyes have a solid defense and should contend for a tournament bid.

ACC Opponent

vs Syracuse (Wednesday, 7:15, ESPN2)

20th Kenpom, 50th Sagarin, 28th Torvik

The Orange have underachieved relative to expectations so far, especially due to a loss against a mediocre iteration of their old rival, UConn. Frank Howard has only played in one game since returning from an ankle injury and his presence will provide a boost for an offense that’s been shooting the ball horribly. Their defense is still excellent, and Tyus Battle is a great player as well.

Prediction

Ohio State

Maryland

Are They Good?

33rd Kenpom, 38th Sagarin, 40th Torvik

Maybe. It's hard to tell without any valuable data points, but Maryland is 6-0 and beat their best opponent, Marshall, by 37 points. Bruno Fernando has been terrific against the low level of competition thus far: he's shooting 77% from the field and ranks in the Top 75 nationally in offensive rebounding rate, defensive rebounding rate, and block rate among qualifying players. Five-star freshman Jalen Smith is a nice complement for a Maryland team that's really efficient on twos and that loves to crash the offensive boards.

ACC Opponent

vs Virginia (Wednesday, 7:30, ESPN)

3rd Kenpom, 7th Sagarin, 2nd Torvik

Fresh off being the first one-seed to lose to a sixteen in the NCAA Tournament, Virginia is back among the nationally elite again. Their pace is the slowest nationally for the third straight season, they rarely turn it over, and their pack line defense forces opponents into terrible shots. The Hoos also have a bonafide NBA prospect for a change in sophomore wing De'Andre Hunter. This will be a brutal wake-up call for Maryland.

Prediction

Virginia

Purdue

Are They Good?

13th Kenpom, 12th Sagarin, 19th Torvik

Almost Definitely. Their only returning starter, Carsen Edwards, is averaging over 25 points per game on 51 / 41 / 92 shooting ( 2P / 3P / FT ) - a strong start for a player with All-American hype. They’ll have an elite offense or close to it with Edwards operating as a high volume, ball-dominant scorer, which creates easier roles for everyone else. Purdue is 5-1 with two easy wins over solid mid-majors, and their only loss was a competitive defeat at the hands of a great Virginia Tech team in the finals of their early-season tournament (and their third game in three days).

ACC Opponent

at Florida State (Wednesday, 9:15 ESPN2)

14th Kenpom, 18th Sagarin, 20th Torvik

FSU has beaten Florida and LSU, and has lost to Villanova - all consensus Top 50 teams. They probably won’t make the Elite 8 again; but they’re probably better than they were last year. The Seminole offense might be as good as it’s been in Leonard Hamilton’s long tenure. It will be interesting to see how well the smaller Edwards copes with their length, but FSU doesn’t protect the rim as well as they usually have under Hamilton, even though they’re still huge.

Prediction

Florida State

Northwestern

Are They Good?

46th Kenpom, 58th Sagarin, 38th Torvik

Doubtful. The computers have them ranked near the bottom of the league. A decisive loss to a possibly decent Fresno State team in the first round of their early-season tournament thrust them into the loser’s bracket, depriving their schedule of quality opponents. Senior wing Vic Law has expanded his game and initiates the offense due to the lack of a traditional point guard. Evansville transfer Ryan Taylor is hoisting more than seven 3PA per game and hitting less than 30%.

ACC Opponent

vs Georgia Tech (Wednesday, 9:15, ESPNU)

77th Kenpom, 60th Sagarin, 91st Torvik

Mediocre, but strong defensively. This is one of the crappy matchups these conference challenges inevitably produce.

Prediction

Northwestern

Michigan

Are They Good?

7th Kenpom, 4th Sagarin, 5th Torvik

Absolutely. The Wolverines have destroyed all comers so far this season, including at Villanova (a win that was diminished somewhat by their loss to Furman shortly thereafter) and against Providence at a neutral site. Michigan has the best defense in the country, per Kenpom and Torvik, and currently have the top two-point defense at 35%. Freshman wing Ignas Brazdeikis leads Michigan in scoring at 15.7 points per game and has impressed on the defensive end of the floor as well. Iggy's style seems to be influencing the rest of the team as well, as the Wolverines have shot the most free throws and second-fewest threes of Beilein's tenure.

ACC Opponent

vs North Carolina (Wednesday, 9:30, ESPN)

4th Kenpom, 5th Sagarin, 7th Torvik

The Tar Heels were upset by Texas in Vegas - and promptly fell in the polls - but the computers still feel like they're one of the top teams in the country. North Carolina plays at a breakneck pace offensively, attacks the offensive glass with their size, and barely shoots any threes. Nassir Little is a one-and-done talent, but he's been outshined by fellow freshman Coby White so far. Versatile veteran frontcourt players Luke Maye and Cameron Johnson are among the best in college basketball.

Prediction

Michigan

8-6, Big Ten