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In the annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge, the leagues fight for the early-season ego stroke coveted by athletic directors and presidents more than any collective gains that may impact decisions in March. The NCAA selection committee does not reward teams according to conference affiliation.A North Carolina win over Indiana this week would not improve Wake Forests long odds of earning an at-large berth, and a Michigan State victory at Duke would not end Northwesterns term in postseason purgatory.But the ACC/Big Ten Challenge -- tied at 1-1 after Florida State defeated Minnesota and Northwestern held off Wake Forest on Monday night -- does create a platform to boost the individual résumés of the teams involved.?That results in the increase or decrease of their respective RPIs and affects quality-win opportunities for their opponents -- while answering some of the early questions about two of the nations top conferences.The ACC, which hasnt won the Challenge since 2008, owns the best conference in America title right now -- and its not close. The Big Ten needs a few significant wins to prove its still capable of matching the preseason hype.Lets explore the good, the bad and the ugly of both leagues thus far.ACCTHE GOODDukes depthJeff Capel should wear a tux and a bow tie on the Duke bench this season. The maestro of this talent infusion in Durham deserves more credit than he tends to receive for Mike Krzyzewskis impact in the one-and-done era.So we all knew Duke had enough talent to withstand the ongoing absences of injured five-star prospects Harry Giles, Marques Bolden and Jayson Tatum. But who knew the Blue Devils would play like this?The four-guard lineup featuring Matt Jones, Luke Kennard, Grayson Allen and Frank Jackson anchors the most efficient offense in America, per KenPom.com. Even without the size theyll have once the gifted freshman trio returns, Duke has connected on 47.3 percent of its shots against man-to-man schemes and 54.2 percent against zone, per Synergy Sports.Theyre playing without three potential lottery picks!This is ridiculous. Beautiful, but ridiculous.North Carolinas frontcourt Marcus Paige?departed after last season and North Carolina seemed destined to endure a few setbacks following its loss to Villanova in the national title game.Yet the Tar Heels now seem capable of challenging Duke in the ACC and finishing what they started in Houston last season, with the help of a dominant presence in the paint.Isaiah Hicks, Kennedy Meeks and Tony Bradley comprise the nations best frontcourt. Bradley is leading the nation in offensive rebounding percentage. Meeks is second.North Carolinas opponents have connected on just 41 percent of their shots inside the arc.Star power The league is stacked with studs this season. NC States Dennis Smith Jr. (19.8 points per game) is one of eight NBA prospects from the ACC listed in Chad Fords top 30 right now. Florida States Jonathan Isaac could evolve into a young NBA standout in the coming years. Tony Bradley is a force in the post.But veterans like Grayson Allen, Michael Young, Jaron Blossomgame, Joel Berry II and Andrew White III also help make the ACC Americas must-see league right now.The leagues unrivaled depth A lot could happen between today and Selection Sunday. But the ACC might lock down an abundance of NCAA tournament berths. Entering the week, five ACC squads were ranked among the top 10 in ESPNs Basketball Power Index, 11 were in the top 50 and 13 were in the top 60.Hard to find a bad team in the ACC.THE BADBlown leads In the NIT Season Tip-off in New York, Florida State surrendered a late 12-point lead in a loss to Temple. Thats a modest collapse compared to the 22-point edge Louisville gave up in its loss to Baylor in the Battle 4 Atlantis title game last week. Embarrassing finishes for both programs.Incomplete squads Yes, the ACC is Americas best league. But its not yet whole. Duke isnt the only squad thats ailing right now. Virginia will never know how Memphis transfer Austin Nichols might have helped the squad now that he has been kicked off the team.Theo Pinsons foot injury and indefinite absence has cost North Carolina a talented wing. NC States Maverick Rowan has missed the past five games with a concussion, and Omer Yurtseven is still serving a nine-game NCAA suspension for his time playing with a Turkish pro team.Syracuse freshman star Taurean Thompson was on crutches after suffering an ankle injury against Monmouth on Nov. 18. Hes back, but multiple ACC teams are either waiting for some of their best players to return or preparing to move on without them.THE UGLYEverything Virginias first six opponents tried to do Perhaps youve heard about the Cavs holding three consecutive opponents under 40 points. Impressive. But St. Francis (N.Y.), Yale and Grambling State aint exactly world-beaters, right? Well, in their next two games, the Cavs held Iowa and Providence to 93 points ... combined.Forget the box scores. Virginias opponents, thus far, have played with the facial expressions of folks whove been strapped into scary roller coasters without their consent. The No. 1 defense in America is making everything their opponents attempt look ugly.Big TenTHE GOODCaleb Swanigans growth Few players in America have matched the 6-foot-9, 247-pound forwards transformation since he landed in West Lafayette. The former 344-pound eighth-grader now looks the part of an NBA forward. His new body has helped him become one of the nations most promising frontcourt talents, a sophomore who has connected on 61.2 percent of his shots inside the arc. Hes the most complete player in the Big Ten, capable of scoring from the perimeter (5-for-8 from the 3-point line) or dominating in the paint. Fortunate to coach guys like [Swanigan] who make me better, Purdue strength coach Josh Bonhotal recently tweeted. His drive and work ethic is off the charts!Showtime in Bloomington Tom Creans squad lost at IPFW last week, but the Hoosiers remain the Big Tens best shot at a Final Four trip, it seems. Why? Well, a staggering offense that connected on 48 percent of its 3-pointers in the teams season-opening win over Kansas in Honolulu is a sign that Indiana can still fill it up and tussle with any squad in the country.Northwesterns strides The Wildcats secured their first nonconference victory over a Top 25 team in the Chris Collins era when they defeated then-No. 22 Texas in last weeks Legends Classic. They lost to No. 18 Butler by just two points at Hinkle Fieldhouse.Under Collins, Northwestern has never finished among KenPom.coms top 50 in adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency in the same season, but right now the Wildcats are 44th and 51st, respectively. Theyve connected on 44 percent of their 3-pointers and 77 percent of their free throw attempts. And Vic Law (17.7 PPG, 54.5 percent from the 3-point line) could earn an all-Big Ten first-team slot at this pace. Only a fool would suggest Northwestern has no shot at its first NCAA tournament berth.THE BADFort Wayne Yeah ... that happened, Hoosiers fans. And star James Blackmon Jr. suffered a knee injury in the loss that could keep him in street clothes against North Carolina on Wednesday.Iowas limitations Peter Jok is averaging 25.3 PPG on a team thats 3-3 in its first six games. The Let Peter Eat philosophy would work well in a local rec league. But its not a great strategy for a Division I team that has failed to identify offensive weapons who dont wear No. 14.Ohio State at the free throw line The undefeated Buckeyes excel in critical areas of the game. But theyve connected on a putrid 59.5 percent of their free throws. Ugh.THE UGLYTurnover problems The Big Ten cant hold onto the ball. Per KenPom.com, Wisconsin (20.4 percent), Rutgers (20.5), Purdue (21.2), Iowa (21.4), Illinois (21.9), Michigan State (22.2) and Indiana (23.4) have all committed turnovers on at least one-fifth of their possessions. Thats half the conference. Only three teams (Minnesota, Nebraska and Northwestern) are ranked within the top 100 in offensive turnover percentage. Remember this stat throughout the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.Top 25 exit a good thing for Texas, Shaka Smart?Texas wanted Smart because it knew he could build something with a Longhorns program that enjoyed some rich years under former coach Rick Barnes. Smart has elevated talent throughout his career, so the idea was reasonable.But Smarts solid reputation probably inflated preseason expectations for a young Texas team that fell from the Top 25 this week after double-digit losses to Northwestern and Colorado in last weeks Legends Classic.The Longhorns are raw and troubled right now. Their 29 percent mark from the 3-point line and 17.2 defensive turnover percentage would represent career lows for a team coached by Smart. Now, however, talented young prospects like Andrew Jones and Jarrett Allen can focus on enhancing their chemistry with the returning underclassmen on Smarts roster without a magnified?national spotlight.The pressure is still real, though. The Texas team that struggled last week will finish in the bottom half of the Big 12 if it fails to address its flaws in the coming weeks.Lual-Acuils growth helps BaylorJo Lual-Acuil Jr. missed all of last season, after transferring from junior college, because of a problem with his heart. But the 7-footer has helped Baylor crack the top 10 this season and demonstrated few signs of any rust after that redshirt season. He has connected on 68 percent of his shots inside the arc and hes averaging 4.2 blocks per game.Baylor coach Scott Drew said the Sudanese prospects evolution has expanded the depth of a squad with wins over Louisville, Oregon and Michigan State. It is the nations best résumé right now.Our team depth has been really important to our success, Drew told ESPN.com. That and the players returning have all improved. Additions from Jo, Manu [Lecomte] and [Wendell] Mitchell have been big, too.The Fran Dunphy effectLets see ... missing three starters from last seasons 21-win squad? Still waiting for injured talents Josh Brown (8.3 PPG and 4.9 APG last season) and Trey Lowe (4.8 PPG, 79 percent from the free throw line in 2015-16) to play for the first time this season? Can you do anything with that, Fran Dunphy?Sure you can. Listen, Temple is not a great team. But the Owls do own a couple of good wins after last weeks surprising victories over Florida State and West Virginia in the NIT Season Tip-off.That rally followed a pair of losses to New Hampshire and UMass. But Dunphys squad achieved last weeks feat without his starting point guard (Brown). Not bad for an incomplete team picked to finish sixth in the AAC prior to the season.Lonzo Ball vs. DeAaron Fox is the point guard matchup we needWe dont deserve Saturdays clash between point gods Ball and Fox. UCLAs Ball is one of the most explosive and exciting players in the game. And Kentuckys Fox recorded a triple-double against Arizona State -- just the second triple-double in school history -- in the Bahamas on Monday night.This deserves as much hype as Buddy Hield vs. Ben Simmons in last years Oklahoma-LSU nonconference matchup. And those two didnt guard one another throughout the game.We hope to see Ball (16.0 PPG, 9.1 APG) and Fox (15.3 PPG, 7.6 APG) in one-on-one battles during Saturdays matchup at Rupp Arena.Fake Vans . McPhee said that Ovechkins father Mikhail is in stable condition after having the surgery this week and is no longer in intensive care. "Weve told him to stay as long as necessary with your dad," he said. Ovechkin and his Russian national team were eliminated from the mens hockey tournament in Sochi on Wednesday with a 3-1 quarter-final loss to Finland. Fake Vans 2020 . Its 1987 and a Brazilian playmaker, known as Mirandinha, is being paraded around St James Park to the passionate Newcastle fans. https://www.vansfake.com/ . It was the second consecutive win for the Pacers (2-5), who lost their first five preseason games. Jeff Teague led the Hawks (1-5) with 17 points and eight assists and Al Horford had 12 points and seven rebounds. Mike Scott scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half. Fake Vans For Sale .Y. -- The Buffalo Sabres have recalled forward Kevin Porter and defenceman Chad Ruhwedel from the minors as part of a five-player roster shuffle made by the NHLs worst team. Fake Vans From China . Scott Kazmir allowed four hits in seven shutout innings, Michael Brantley hit a two-run homer in a three-run first inning and the Indians maintained their hold on an AL wild-card spot with a 4-1 win over the Houston Astros on Saturday night.It was only fitting that Beauden Barrett had a deciding say in New Zealands final Test of 2016.Energised by the half-time break and led by the rampaging Sebastien Vahaamahina, France had hammered their way deep into the All Blacks 22 before Barrett spotted his chance.In picking off Camille Lopezs attempted pass and sprinting the length of the pitch to dot down, the 25-year-old displayed the attributes that have earned him not only his countrys No. 10 shirt but also the right to call himself the worlds best player.Barrett would have you believe it was just a case of right place, right time. I just sort of got the angle right, he said afterwards. Its one of those opportunist things, you dont plan it.But that is a typically modest summation. Lots of players have found themselves in a similar position but few have had the confidence to stretch out and make an attempt to win the ball, especially with seven points the inevitable cost of any slip.Barrett is not like other players. His ability to read the game, even when the pressure is on, is second to none and he also possesses the hands to snaffle the interception and pace to outrun even the quickest winger.It is that lethal skillset, allied to an ice-cool head, that has seen him edge out Aaron Cruden as the successor to All Blacks legend Dan Carter in that famous No. 10 shirt.He had an X-Factor right from the start, Mark Anscombe, who gave Barrett his New Zealand under-20s debut, told ESPN. He could turn a game, he has always had that. His pace and his ability to eye an opportunity and just back himself -- his confidence to take on what he sees -- is what sets him apart.He doesnt second guess himself. Even back then, if he saw an opportunity he took it. A very instinctive player, but also very level headed, a smart footballer who understood the game, read the game well and also communicated well.Anscombe, who is now Canada coach, describes Barrett as the ultimate team man and that is something to which his colleagues with the senior All Blacks would certainly attest.TJ Perenara knows Barrett better than most having played alongside him since their days with the U20s for club and country. He has watched his teammate evolve at close quarters, cementing a half-back partnership at the Hurricanes that has now been transported into the Test arena.Hes a class act. Hes probably one of the fastest players on the field and hes got a cool head on him, Perenara said following Saturdays win over France.To be able to play with him throughout the year its good for the guys around him. He makes other players look better, and I think thats his biggest strength.Yes, hes fast, yes, hes a good player himself but the time he gives to other players and the holes that he puts other players in I think is his best asset.Barretts rise to All Blacks playmaker and World Rugby Player of the Year has not always seemed set in stone, though. He was not Anscombes first-choice fly-hallf when the Baby Blacks travelled to Italy for the 2011 Junior World Championship.ddddddddddddInstead, the coach -- on the advice of his assistant Chris Boyd -- decided to start his son, Wales international Gareth Anscombe, at 10 with another future Test fly-half, Lima Sopoaga, at 12. Barrett anchored a mouth-watering back line at fullback.We just wanted to have our best players on the park, Anscombe Sr. says. We always knew that Beauden had that ability to play at 15 because of his speed [which gives him] opportunity in open space, and thats what we wanted to give him. It worked out for us.It is a tactic that All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has transferred to Test rugby, with Barrett switching to the back three when Cruden came on at the Stade de France on Saturday.According to Anscombe, Barrett just wants to be out on the park and play, and his lack of ego has definitely given the All Blacks an interesting attacking option.In turn, his willingness to sacrifice himself for the good of the team should stand him in good stead as he continues to work on the one area of real weakness in his game -- goal kicking.Barrett has enjoyed an encouraging November from the kicking tee, converting 11 of his 12 attempts at the posts. But the memory of Octobers final Bledisloe Cup Test, in which he missed three out of three and was replaced early in the second half, is still raw.Hes human, like everyone, and his work-on without question is his goal kicking, Anscombe explains.Im sure no one puts more effort and work into it than he does because thats the kind of diligent guy he is, but its a weakness in his game. His goal kicking is not international level, thats the one area in which he slips up.And you can be certain that Barrett will be working on his kicking, day in, day out ahead of the British & Irish Lions visit next June. He has always had that dedication, whether as an eight-year-old tackling GAA in County Meath, Ireland, or as a Baby Black adapting to a new position.He has had plenty of experienced heads to learn from too. Having served a three-year apprenticeship under Carter, Barrett can still call on Cruden and Ian Foster, the All Blacks assistant coach and former Chiefs fly-half, for advice.Thats the beauty of top teams, you have depth, Anscombe says. Beauden has been able to spend a lot of time with two great 10s, Carter and Cruden, not only to challenge himself but to work and talk and discuss what 10s need to do.He adds: Thats the big thing with a lot of these guys; they havent just turned up at this level. Theyre coachable, they listen, they seek from others, and hes had some great coaches with him.He takes it on board and is willing to be challenged and looked at.With that attitude and commitment, rugby should take note that the worlds best player will only get better. ' ' '