Photo by The Battle for College Basketball Supremacy: SEC and ACC Set to Clash in Highly Anticipated Challenges
The world of college basketball is abuzz with excitement as the highly anticipated SEC/ACC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Challenges approach. The back-to-back events, set to take place on December 3-4 and December 4-5, respectively, promise to deliver thrilling matchups between some of the nation’s top programs.
A New Era of Competition
The inaugural SEC/ACC Challenges in 2023 ended in 7-7 ties for both the men’s and women’s events, setting the stage for an intense rivalry between the two conferences. This year’s challenges feature 16 games, with the men’s event taking place on December 3-4 and the women’s event on December 4-5. The games will be broadcast across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ACC Network, and SEC Network.
ACC and SEC logos combined in a stylized format
The ACC boasts an impressive 17 NCAA Championships, with a .654 winning percentage in NCAA Tournament history. The conference has combined to win 487 NCAA Tournament games, the most of any conference. In the last nine tournaments, ACC teams have combined to win 111 games, with nine teams reaching the Final Four and three national titles won by Duke, North Carolina, and Virginia.
On the women’s side, ACC programs have made 24 trips to the Final Four, including six teams in the last six years. The conference sent a nation-best eight teams to the NCAA Tournament last season, marking the sixth consecutive season with eight teams in March Madness. At least one ACC team has advanced to the Elite Eight in each of the past 22 NCAA Tournaments, with NC State, Notre Dame, and Duke earning spots last season.
Notable Matchups and Storylines
The men’s challenge features several intriguing matchups, including South Carolina at Boston College, Kentucky at Clemson, and Alabama at North Carolina. The women’s challenge boasts exciting games such as Florida State at Tennessee, Mississippi State at Georgia Tech, and Duke at South Carolina.
A split-screen image of the SEC and ACC logos
Missouri, under the guidance of head coach Dennis Gates, is set to host California in the SEC-ACC Challenge. Gates, who played for Cal from 1998 to 2002, welcomes his alma mater to Mizzou Arena on December 3. The Tigers own a 7-4 record in conference challenge matchups, including a 5-0 record at Mizzou Arena.
Temple Men’s Basketball Signs Mohamed Keita
In other news, the Temple men’s basketball program has signed 7-foot, 1-inch center Mohamed Keita to its 2024-25 roster. Keita joins the Owls after spending last season at Tulsa, where he averaged 1.1 points and 1.5 rebounds per game. The Conakry, Guinea native has experience at the international level, competing for the Guinean Under-18 National Team at the 2018 FIBA U18 African Championships.
Image of Mohamed Keita in action on the court
“Mo comes from a great program and coach,” said head coach Adam Fisher. “His size and length on the defensive end will give us great rim protection. His ability to be a lob threat will be a great mixture with the guards we have assembled. We are looking forward to Mo joining the Temple family.”
Conclusion
The SEC/ACC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Challenges promise to deliver thrilling matchups and intense competition between some of the nation’s top programs. With the events just around the corner, fans are eagerly anticipating the opportunity to witness the best of college basketball. Will the ACC continue its dominance, or will the SEC rise to the challenge? Tune in to find out.
Image of the challenge schedule
