Big 10 stereotypes proving true

North Carolina guard Bobby Frasor said it best Tuesday, at the risk of motivating Ohio State and the rest of the Big Ten teams in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

Frasor, who is from Blue Island, Ill., said the stereotype about the Big Ten – that it has big, slow guys who will physically beat you to a pulp – is true. Frasor said the ACC has quicker guys who also can handle a more physical game.

“I just think the ACC is the best conference in college basketball,” Frasor said.

The Big East and Pac-10 might argue that point with Frasor. But after two days of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, the ACC clearly appears to be the better conference. The ACC is 5-1, and four wins came by a margin of at least nine points.

Some random thoughts after Tuesday’s games:

- By sitting in the stands behind the Duke bench and cheering brother Greg, North Carolina freshman quarterback Mike Paulus reminded us that family is more important than any college rivalry. Good for him.

- Clemson may struggle with its nonconference schedule now that forward James Mays is out four to six weeks with a broken hip. South Carolina, DePaul, Mississippi and Alabama all look like challenging opponents with the Tigers’ best defender hurting.

- Indiana freshman guard Eric Gordon, who scored 29 points against Georgia Tech, is every bit the sensational scorer those who watched him play AAU basketball predicted. Illinois missed out on a gem after Gordon reneged on his commitment there. And as a side note, the Speice Indy Heat team that featured Gordon, Greg Oden, Mike Conley and Daequan Cook once played at the Smith Center might have been the best AAU team ever assembled.

- Ken Tysiac