Bring On the Wolfpack

Fox Sports is reporting that Wisconsin will take on North Carolina State in the 2010 Big Ten-ACC Challenge.

The Wolfpack went 19-15 last season and lost to Alabama-Birmingham in the second round of the NIT. This will also be the second consecutive season that the Badgers will play a Big Ten-ACC Challenge game at the Kohl Center.

Last season the Badgers took on the eventual national champion Duke Blue Devils at the Kohl Center. The match-up was reportedly in response to a Bo Ryan request that the Badgers play a game at the Kohl Center in the challenge. ESPN, who sets up many of the match-ups for TV, decided to give the Badgers a game against Duke.

Wisconsin eventually took down Duke 73-69 back in November. The reward for the Badgers this season will be another home game, but this time against a team that doesn't quite carry the marquee like Duke does.

The Badgers last took on the Wolfpack in 2005 in the sweet sixteen of the NCAA tournament. Wisconsin won and moved on to the elite eight where they ran into eventual national champion North Carolina.

For the rest of the Big Ten, the other reported match-ups include a game between Illinois and North Carolina. Ohio State will reportedly take on Florida State in another match-up of two teams that should be ranked in the top 25. But the marquee game will feature Bucky's victim from last season. Duke and Michigan State will meet up in a game that should feature two teams ranked in the top five in Durham.

For the Badgers the match-up against the Wolfpack could be a good game as well with NC State returning a quality freshman class. Wisconsin will be looking to improve on their 5-6 record in the challenge (No Big Ten team has a winning record in the challenge), and a move to .500 will mean a win over NC State.