As an alternative of our conventional sport preview, we’re wanting on the Battle 4 Atlantis at massive forward of Wednesday’s tip in opposition to Louisville at midday ET on ESPN.
Right here’s all the things you could learn about this yr’s Battle 4 Atlantis:
The 2024 Battle 4 Atlantis begins tomorrow on the ESPN household of networks. Every of the eight groups within the discipline will play three video games in three days within the Imperial Area on Paradise Island within the Bahamas.
EVENT ESSENTIALS
This yr’s Battle 4 Atlantis discipline consists of Gonzaga, West Virginia, Indiana, Louisville, Oklahoma, Windfall, Davidson and Arizona.
Whereas the occasion is in its thirteenth season, that is Indiana’s first look. The Indiana ladies’s basketball program wrapped up play in Battle 4 Atlantis on Monday.
THE MATCHUPS
Day one matchups – Wednesday, November 27:
Indiana vs. Louisville – Midday ET on ESPNWest Virginia vs. Gonzaga – 2:30 p.m. ET on ESPN or ESPN2Oklahoma vs. Windfall – 5 p.m. ET on ESPN2Davidson vs. Arizona – 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Recreation instances on Thursday are additionally set for midday ET, 2:30 p.m. ET, 5 p.m. ET and seven:30 p.m. If Indiana beats Louisville, it’ll play at midday ET on Thanksgiving Day on ESPN. If the Hoosiers fall to the Cardinals, they’ll play at 2:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
On Friday, the seventh/eighth place sport will tip at 11 a.m. ET on ESPN2 adopted by the third/4th place sport at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN, the championship sport at 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN and the fifth/sixth place sport at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
THE FIELD
Whereas the sector suffered when it misplaced Creighton over the summer time—the Bluejays are enjoying within the Gamers Period Pageant in Las Vegas this week—there’s nonetheless a robust group of groups on Paradise Island.
Right here’s slightly about every program taking part:
Indiana – Picked to complete second within the Large Ten within the preseason “official unofficial” media ballot, the Hoosiers have excessive expectations in Mike Woodson’s fourth season. Indiana landed a major switch portal haul, highlighted by Oumar Ballo, Myles Rice and Kanaan Carlyle.
The Hoosiers additionally return Trey Galloway, Malik Reneau and Mackenzie Mgbako, all important contributors from final season. The journey to the Bahamas permits Indiana to spice up its non-conference power of schedule. Outdoors of Paradise Island, Indiana is enjoying only one sport in opposition to an influence convention foe outdoors of league play. It received that matchup 87-71 in opposition to South Carolina in Bloomington.
Louisville – Led by first-year coach Pat Kelsey, the Cardinals have a very new roster this season after Kenny Payne’s dismissal final spring. Louisville performs an up-tempo type and shoots a excessive quantity of 3-pointers. This group took an offseason journey to the Bahamas for a pair of video games in the summertime, and it may be harmful when making perimeter photographs.
The Cardinals, who suffered a 22-point loss at house to Tennessee on Nov. 9, power turnovers however lack a post-scoring presence. Indiana followers will probably be acquainted with this system’s level guard, Chucky Hepburn. He performed the final three seasons at Wisconsin earlier than transferring to Louisville. The Cardinals had been picked to complete ninth within the 18-team Atlantic Coast Convention in a preseason media ballot.
West Virginia – One other program with a first-year head coach, the Mountaineers are led by coach Darian DeVries and his son, Tucker DeVries. Just like the Cardinals, West Virginia makes use of the 3-pointer as a focus of its offense. Nevertheless, the Mountaineers lack a major publish presence and are extremely depending on their guards and wings to generate offense.
West Virginia has two Illinois transfers, Sencire Harris and Amani Hansberry, in its rotation, together with Javon Small, a South Bend, Indiana native who transferred from Oklahoma State. The Mountaineers had been picked to complete thirteenth within the 16-team Large 12 Convention in a preseason ballot performed by the league’s coaches.
Gonzaga – The favourite coming into the occasion, the Zags have nationwide championship aspirations. Mark Few’s group made a press release to start out the season with a 101-63 win in opposition to Baylor, a win that ought to age effectively come NCAA match choice time.
Gonzaga performs up-tempo, is a wonderful rebounding staff and has no scarcity of scoring choices. The beginning backcourt of Ryan Nembhard and Nolan Hickman is without doubt one of the greatest within the nation. The Zags had been picked to win the West Coast Convention within the preseason by the league’s coaches.
Oklahoma – There’s stress for Porter Moser to win this season in Norman and he’s scheduled to rack up wins to start the season. The Sooners have performed 4 straight video games in opposition to Division I backside feeders previous to their arrival on Paradise Island.
However Oklahoma received’t have the ability to disguise this week. With 5 seniors within the beginning lineup – led by ahead Jalon Moore – the Sooners have loads of expertise. The SEC is as soon as once more loaded and Oklahoma has to profit from its non-conference alternatives. Its opening matchup in opposition to Windfall is pivotal after such a good slate to date. The Sooners had been picked to complete fifteenth of 16 groups within the preseason SEC media ballot.
Windfall – Just like the Sooners, the Friars have scheduled extraordinarily gentle to start the season with 5 video games in opposition to groups effectively outdoors the highest 200 in KenPom.
The Friars have a rotation constructed round its guards and wings, led by Miami (FL) switch Bensley Joseph. Windfall takes a excessive quantity of 3-pointers and at present has a protection ranked inside the highest 50 nationally by KenPom. Within the preseason Large East coaches ballot, the Friars had been picked to complete sixth out of 11 groups.
Davidson – The bottom-ranked KenPom staff within the discipline, the Wildcats are led by third-year coach Matt McKillop. Like a number of of the groups on this yr’s discipline, Davidson has performed a weak schedule main into the occasion, together with one sport in opposition to a non-Division I opponent.
The Friars are led by 6-foot-10 massive man Reed Bailey, who will probably be among the best frontcourt gamers within the Atlantic 10 Convention. Within the preseason, Davidson was picked to complete twelfth within the 15-team A10 in a ballot that included the league’s coaches and media.
Arizona – The Wildcats misplaced a few of their early-season shine due to losses at Wisconsin and to Duke in Tuscon. Nonetheless, this stays one of many nation’s most gifted rosters.
The guard trio of KJ Lewis, Caleb Love and Jaden Bradley is without doubt one of the high perimeter teams within the nation. After its notable early-season losses, Arizona will probably be seeking to bounce again and make a press release on Paradise Island. The Wildcats had been picked to complete fifth within the 16-team Large 12 Convention in a preseason ballot performed by the league’s coaches.
Filed to: Battle 4 Atlantis
