Every year, college basketball fans from both the ACC and Big Ten conferences await to see which team that they will face in the annual women’s Big Ten-ACC Challenge, and this year was no different. When the matchups were announced, I was quick to seek out the Yellow Jackets’ opponent for the upcoming season, and I was not disappointed: the Michigan State Spartans. The Big Ten-ACC Challenge will take place on November 30 and December 1 and will feature 14 games as the two conferences clash with each other.
It will only be the third time that the two teams will meet on the court, and first time since 2014, a game that the Spartans won 79-71.
It will be a crucial game on Georgia Tech’s schedule early on in the season, as it will be one of the first challenges that the team will face during the season. The Yellow Jackets enter the 2022-23 season returning a ton of their production from last season, as they get back three of the four players that averaged over ten points per game last season.
Michigan State finished last season 15-15, but didn’t qualify for the Women’s NCAA Tournament after losing in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament to the Ohio State Buckeyes.
The Yellow Jackets faced a similar fate in the ACC Tournament, losing in the second round to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, but was able to make a case to get in the Women’s NCAA Tournament after putting up a 21-10 record. They will try to get back to postseason play this season after being knocked out in the first round of the Women’s NCAA Tournament last season by Kansas.
While the matchup is intriguing, the Yellow Jackets should be able to handle the Spartans even though that it will be a road game for them.