Clemson to play at Iowa on Nov. 29 in ACC/Big Ten Challenge

Quality nonconference opponents don't pass through Carver-Hawkeye Arena all that much when it comes to men's basketball, at least not in recent years.

One if coming on Nov. 29 in the form of Clemson, part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

Clemson was 22-12 last season and made it into the second round of the NCAA tournament. It has played in the last four NCAAs. That's not bad.

Iowa is a dismal 2-8 in the Challenge. It also lost to Georgia Tech of the ACC in the 2003 NIT, in Iowa City. A fellow named Chris Bosh, then a freshman, had 17 points for Tech in that 79-78 win.

Clemson is coached by Brad Brownell, who reportedly was on Iowa Athletic Director Gary Barta's short list to replace Todd Lickliter before Barta hired Fran McCaffery. Brownell, who came to Clemson from Wright State, found considerably better material to inherit at Clemson and had a nice first season. Iowa was 11-20 in McCaffery's first season, which wasn't marked by an abundance of player talent.

The Tigers return three starters, but not their top two scorers.

Duke is at Ohio State on Nov. 29. Wisconsin is at North Carolina on Nov. 30. You want to start playing Duke or North Carolina in this event, Iowa, you know what you have to do.