Iowa struggles more in Big Ten-ACC Challenge than any other team

After getting socked in the first 10 years of the Big Ten-ACC Challenge, the Big Ten has won two straight in the annual series.

Both years the Big Ten has won by 6-5 margins. In fact the last three challenges have been decided by a 6-5 margin. This year's flagship matches include No. 3 Duke at No. 2 Ohio State (Tuesday) and No. 9 Wisconsin at No. 5 North Carolina (Wednesday).

As good as the Big Ten has played in the challenge the last two years, Iowa has not helped the league one bit. The Hawkeyes have limped to five straight losses in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge and is 2-8 overall. Iowa's winning percentage (20 percent) is the worst among the 23 teams that have competed in the challenge.

Iowa has been competitive in four of the last five challenge losses, twice losing road games in the final three seconds. But the bragging rights' series doesn't come with asterisks or decimal points. It's all about wins and losses.

In that five-year span, Iowa twice lost to Wake Forest (76-73 last year, 56-47 in 2007) and twice to Virginia Tech (69-65 in 2006, 70-64 in 2009). In 2008, Iowa lost at Boston College 57-55 when then-freshman Andrew Brommer was fouled with no time remaining. Brommer missed his first free throw, which ended the game. Had Iowa won that game, the Big Ten would have a three-year winning streak in the series.

Last year Iowa squandered an 18-point first-half lead but appeared set to go into overtime until Wake Forest's J.T. Terrell drilled a 25-foot 3-pointer with 2.7 seconds left to win the game.

Other losses for Iowa include at Florida State (80-67, 2002), vs. Duke (80-62, 2001) and vs. Maryland (83-65, 1999). Iowa's wins were in 2005 (North Carolina State 45-42) and 2000 (Georgia Tech 85-67).

Here are the team records in the 119-game series:

• ACC (72-47) - Duke 11-1; Wake Forest 9-2; Maryland 9-3; Clemson 8-4; Virginia 6-5; North Carolina 6-6; Florida State 6-6; Boston College 5-0; North Carolina State 5-6; Georgia Tech 4-7; Virginia Tech 2-4; Miami 1-3
• Big Ten (47-72) - Wisconsin 6-6; Ohio State 5-5; Michigan State 5-6; Illinois 5-7; Northwestern 5-7; Purdue 4-6; Penn State 4-6; Michigan 4-6; Minnesota 4-8; Indiana 3-7; Iowa 2-8; Nebraska 0-0

Tuesday night, Iowa plays host to Clemson (3-2), an NCAA Tournament team last year. The Tigers have lost their two games by a combined four points, including a 60-59 decision to Coastal Carolina with by a buzzer-beater. Senior point guard Andre Young averages 14.4 points, has 19 assists and 10 steals to only five turnovers.

Junior forwards Milton Jennings and Devin Booker have replaced Clemson stars Demontez Stitt and Jerel Grant by averaging 12.4 points and 10.6 points per game, respectively.

Here's Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery's assessment:

"The interesting thing to me is as I studied this team, you look at Booker and Jennings, in particular, and they didn't play much lately," Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery said. "They played 11 minutes a game last year, if you look at their stats, these two guys can really play. They're 6-8, and 6-9. They have a complete skill set. They can put it on the deck. They can shoot 3s. They can post up. They can finish with either hand, and they're phenomenally athletic.

"So they had two guys waiting in the wings that were bona fide, big time scoring threats. Young's a senior. He can really go. So now you take those three guys along with Tanner Smith who is a really good basketball player. You look at his numbers across the board (9.8 ppg, 6.4 rpg). Phenomenal rebounder as a small forward. I think he's second on the team. Leading defensive rebounder on the team. But he steals the ball. He's got 21 assists. There is a guy that can really help."

Here's the list of ACC-Big Ten Challenge games:

TUESDAY

• No. 14 Michigan at Virginia, 6 p.m. (ESPN2)
• Northwestern at Georgia Tech, 6:15 p.m. (ESPNU)
• Illinois at Maryland, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN)
• Miami at Purdue, 8 p.m. (ESPN2)
• Clemson at Iowa, 8:15 p.m. (ESPNU)
• No. 3 Duke at No. 2 Ohio State, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)

WEDNESDAY

• Indiana at North Carolina State, 6:15 p.m. (ESPN2)
• Penn State at Boston College, 6:15 p.m. (ESPNU)
• Florida State at Michigan State, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN)
• Virginia Tech at Minnesota, 8:15 p.m. (ESPN2)
• Wake Forest at Nebraska, 8:15 p.m. (ESPNU)
• No. 9 Wisconsin at No. 5 North Carolina, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)