Monday tip-off: ACC-Big Ten Challenge begins

Setting up the day in college basketball:

Best bet: With the arrival of December comes one of the more popular made-for-TV events of the pre-conference hoops schedule. Though the headline matchups of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge are later in the week, the series gets underway tonight highlighted by Nebraska's visit to Florida State (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2).

The Cornhuskers lost their top-25 ranking after a loss at Rhode Island but rebounded with a pair of home wins last week. The Seminoles, back at .500 after a three-game skid against teams from New England while missing a couple of injured starters, could use a win against a power-conference squad before embarking on their ACC journey. But Nebraska's one-two punch of G Terran Petteway and F Shavon Shields, combining for 40 points a game, will be hard to contain.

Number of the day:3. Just about anybody would have a hard time scoring inside against Kentucky this season. LaDontae Henton entered Sunday's contest against the top-ranked Wildcats averaging 24.3 points a game. He was held to three, thanks mainly to the defensive work by Wildcats 7-footer Wilie Cauley-Stein.

Words of the day: "I love West Point. I love the fact that I had that opportunity (to attend) and then I had an opportunity to coach there. And one of the reasons I'm a good coach here is my five years there. ... They'll always be in my heart, and I'll always be a West Pointer." — Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, after his second-ranked Blue Devils outscored his alma mater 93-73 Sunday for his 990th career victory. Army had won its first five games in a season for the first time since Krzyzewski helmed the Black Knights to a 7-0 start in 1976-77.

Days until Selection Sunday: 104.