Last year’s ACC/SEC Challenge was the canary in the coal mine for both a miserable year for the ACC and a historic one for the SEC. The SEC’s 14–2 dominant victory was a key boost to the league’s eventual 14 bids to the NCAA tournament, while that public embarrassment for the ACC continued a nonconference spiral that left the conference with a whopping 10 teams outside KenPom’s top 90.
That backdrop made the ACC’s improved showing (especially on Tuesday night before the wheels came off Wednesday) a key revelation for a league in desperate need of some good news right now. Its two biggest brands, Duke and North Carolina, won high-profile matchups on Tuesday, but perhaps more important was seeing potential bubble teams like Miami (Ole Miss), Syracuse (Tennessee) and Notre Dame (Missouri) pick up key wins. The path for the ACC to stack up a significant number of bids to the NCAA tournament relies heavily on a strong nonconference showing, and having seven teams in KenPom’s top 40 at this point in the season sets the league up to have significantly more quality-win opportunities in conference play. It’s not unrealistic to hope to double last year’s four NCAA tournament bids.
ACC/SEC Challenge results
- No. 4 Duke 67, No. 15 Florida 66
- Syracuse 62, No. 13 Tennessee 60
- No. 16 North Carolina 67, No. 18 Kentucky 64
- Virginia Tech 86, South Carolina 83 (OT)
- Oklahoma 86, Wake Forest 68
- Texas A&M 81, Pitt 73
- Miami 75, Missisippi 66
- Georgia 107, Florida State 73
- Notre Dame 76, Missouri 71
- No. 25 Arkansas 89, No. 6 Louisville 80
- No. 12 Alabama 90, Clemson 84
- No. 17 Vanderbilt 88, SMU 69
- No. 20 Auburn 83, NC State 73
- LSU 78, Boston College 69
- Virginia 88, Texas 69
- Mississippi State 85, Georgia Tech 73
Here’s a look at what else we learned from the event:
The SEC doesn’t have a top-tier title contender
The calls that the SEC is down this year are premature and a function of just how elite the league was a year ago. After all, the SEC still has 12 top-50 teams on KenPom as of Thursday morning and ended up winning the challenge despite its slow start. It wouldn’t be a shock if the league got nine to 10 teams in the NCAA tournament again. It’s not premature, however, to wonder who the true title contenders are from this league, and the ACC/SEC Challenge did little to quell those fears.
Defending national champion Florida lost for the third time already this season on the road at Duke, and its backcourt play continues to be inconsistent. The Gators will be a tough out because of their overwhelming size and dominance of the glass, but they don’t feel like top-tier contenders today. Kentucky’s early season flop continued with a loss at home to North Carolina, making the Wildcats 0–3 against high-major competition. Tennessee’s win over Houston at Players Era looks more and more like an indictment of the Cougars after the Vols lost to Syracuse on Tuesday.
The team with the best case based on its early play is likely Alabama, though we’ve seen the limitations the Tide have against teams with size in losses to Purdue and Gonzaga. The Tide added another strong win to a résumé that already includes wins over St. John’s and Illinois by holding on to beat Clemson. Defensive limitations keep them out of the highest-level convos nationally though.
Vanderbilt is a serious SEC threat
The power vacuum at the top of the SEC has paved the way for Vanderbilt to emerge as a clear contender. It was hard to know how seriously to take the Commodores early on after a light slate to start the season, but beating an excellent Saint Mary’s team by 25 and then following that up with a 19-point win over SMU has sent a clear message that Vanderbilt is legit. Sophomore guard Tyler Tanner is one of the least-talked-about stars in America, and the Commodores are near the top of just about every offensive category nationally en route to climbing into KenPom’s top 10.
Amazingly, KenPom currently has Vandy favored in every game until a Feb. 28 road game at Kentucky. While it seems highly unlikely it won’t lose at least once before then, there’s a path here for Mark Byington’s team to stack wins and position itself as the SEC’s best team.
Arkansas breaks through
John Calipari’s Razorbacks had real chances late against Michigan State and Duke but couldn’t finish the job. The Hogs finally broke through Wednesday against Louisville, getting out to a 41–22 lead and never relinquishing it en route to a comfortable 89–80 win over a very talented Louisville team. Darius Acuff, overshadowed in the Duke game by Cameron Boozer’s performance, was phenomenal with 17 points and 10 assists and continues to emerge as one of the best point guards in college basketball. And veteran forward Trevon Brazile continues to play well, using his combination of elite athleticism and floor-spacing ability to be a valuable inside-out option for the Hogs.
Cameron Boozer is the national player of the year front-runner
Expectations were through the roof for Boozer at Duke, but somehow he has exceeded them all through nine games. His latest masterpiece: A 29-point outburst in a narrow one-point win over Florida that gave the Blue Devils yet another monster early season win. He’s third nationally in points per game at over 23, knocking on the door of averaging a double-double and impacting the game in virtually every way with his ability to pass, defend multiple positions and stretch the floor. His impact on winning is rapidly knocking on the door of what Cooper Flagg did for Duke a year ago, and Duke’s undefeated start only further bolsters his case. While Darryn Peterson and AJ Dybantsa may have higher pro ceilings and will be tough to top for the No. 1 pick, Boozer is going to make the decision at the top of the 2026 draft a very difficult one as he continues to rip through the best of the best in college basketball.
Ryan Odom has Virginia ahead of schedule
One of the most lopsided games of the event and the lone bright spot Wednesday for the ACC was Virginia’s drubbing of Texas in Austin. The final 19-point margin doesn’t even fully encapsulate just how much of an embarrassment the Cavaliers put on the Longhorns. And while Texas has plenty of work to do, it’s yet another sign that Virginia could be a factor in the ACC race in Ryan Odom’s first season. Odom bet big on a pair of international frontcourt players in Thijs De Ridder and Johann Grünloh this offseason, and that duo dominated the game Wednesday with a combined 30 points and 11 boards against an overmatched Texas frontcourt. Also emerging: diminutive freshman guard Chance Mallory, who had another standout showing with 16 points off the bench.
More College Basketball from Sports Illustrated
Listen to SI’s new college sports podcast, Others Receiving Votes, below or on Apple and Spotify. Watch the show on SI’s YouTube channel.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as ACC/SEC Challenge Exposed a Big Problem for One College Hoops League.
