The trophy has sat in the ACC offices in Greensboro, N.C. for the past four years. The hardware and the bragging rights that go along with it have been defended by the ACC for each successive ACC-Big Ten Challenge -- even without much help from Virginia in the effort.
The Cavaliers have been unable to match the success of their fellow conference members in the Challenge, compiling a 1-2 record in the event. Looking to find more success this time around, Virginia (3-0) hosts a Minnesota squad (2-1) that reached the semifinals of last year's N.I.T. tonight at 9:30. The Cavaliers fell to the Golden Gophers, 74-62, in the first annual Challenge in 1999.
Tonight's matchup marks the first time Virginia will face an opponent that made it to the postseason last year. The Cavaliers' first three wins came against schools that combined for a 29-54 record during the 2002-03 season.
The Cavaliers know that Minnesota will give them the kind of competition they haven't seen yet this year.
"It's going to be a pretty good challenge," freshman forward Donte Minter said. "This is really going to set how we are as a team and hopefully keep us rolling."
Minter has had success in the post this season, currently ranking fourth in the team in scoring despite being eighth in minutes. The Golden Gophers should give Minter and Virginia more difficulty in the paint than the Cavaliers have seen. Six-foot-eight forward Kris Humphries is averaging 24.0 points and 10.7 rebounds per game for a Minnesota team that also features 6-foot-8 forward Michael Bauer and 6-foot-11 center Jeff Hagen in its regular rotation.
"We've got to be more aggressive," Virginia coach Pete Gillen said. "Minnesota's a big, physical team and they're going to knock us out on I-64 unless we're more aggressive and physical and take the pounding better."
Gillen specifically mentioned the importance of junior center Elton Brown -- Virginia's tallest player at 6-foot-9 -- rising to the occasion and toughening up when the Cavaliers take the court against Minnesota.
"I'd just like to see him be a little more physical and a little more aggressive," Gillen said. "He's one of the strongest guys in the building. He can bench press 310 pounds. I told him, 'You're going to get banged everyday. Just keep ticking, keep swinging.' He's got to be more aggressive, more physical and take the hits."
Tonight's game is Virginia's fourth of 11 non-conference games, nine of which will be at home. The Cavaliers won their first 10 home games last season before falling to Duke on Valentine's Day.
Virginia's last win in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge came in 2000 in its only home game during the competition, when the Cavaliers wiped out Purdue, 98-79. Virginia has been unable to find success in the annual matchup since.
In 2001, the contest against Michigan State was cancelled midway through the first half after water seeped up onto the court from the ice rink below at the Richmond Coliseum. Last year, the Cavaliers fell 79-72 in a rematch with the Spartans in East Lansing.
The ACC is already off to a 1-0 lead in this year's Challenge, thanks to a 71-53 Florida State victory over Northwestern Monday night.
Some of this year's premier matchups include last night's tilts of Indiana at Wake Forest and North Carolina vs. Illinois in Greensboro and tonight's contest of Duke at Michigan State.
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