By Kyle Beery | 97.1 The Ticket
The Battle 4 Atlantis has emerged as a real challenger to the Maui Invitational in recent years as the best tournament of "Feast Week." This year's field in the Bahamas may be the best the event has ever seen, and it's undoubtedly the better tournament this week.
Michigan has gotten off to a 4-0 start in the Juwan Howard era. While Creighton has been the only true test on the slate thus far, things are about to get pretty tough for the Wolverines inside the Imperial Ballroom this week on Paradise Island.
The Wolverines have been shooting the rock pretty well from 3-point range -- especially Isaiah Livers (55%) and Eli Brooks (47%) -- through the first four games, but the unique setting of playing in a makeshift arena inside a ballroom has produced some notoriously poor shooting performances in this tournament. Michigan shot just 32% from the field in the opening game of the 2015 Battle 4 Atlantis, a 74-60 loss to Connecticut.
But more cause for concern than the low ceiling and dark backdrop is the stable of quality teams scattered across the bracket.
Here's a look at the Battle 4 Atlantis bracket and a quick look at every other team in the loaded field.
We are headed to Paradise in November! --☀️The Battle 4 Atlantis bracket is out and we will take on Iowa State to start the tournament Nov. 27 in Paradise Island, Bahamas!#GoBlue 〽️-- pic.twitter.com/ZM0fHsn1Xh
— Michigan Men's Basketball (@umichbball) July 11, 2019Iowa State
The Wolverines and Cyclones are the first game of the tournament, Wednesday at noon on ESPN. Iowa State comes in at 3-1, having lost its only road game of the year to a revitalized Oregon State team.
The Cyclones have had a tough time shooting from 3-point range this season, posting a 27.2% mark as a team – something that could play in favor for a Michigan team that has done a solid job defending the deep ball so far this year. Iowa State has four players averaging double figures, including point guard Tyrese Haliburton (10.8 PPG, 10.3 APG).
North Carolina
The Tar Heels will be the first of four ranked teams in this field to take the court, facing Alabama at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. While there are several other candidates on other teams, freshman Cole Anthony may be the biggest attraction in the Bahamas this week.
Anthony is one of the best freshman in the country, averaging 22.8 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. The son of former NBA star and current TV analyst Greg Anthony exploded for 34 points against Notre Dame in his college debut. The Tar Heels feature a lot of length and athleticism in Armando Bacot, Leaky Black and Garrison Brooks.
Alabama
Nate Oats' tenure in Tuscaloosa has gotten off to a bit of a rough start at 2-2, with losses to Penn and Rhode Island. The former Buffalo – and Romulus High School – coach has some tough sledding ahead, especially this week.
Jaden Shackleford and Kira Lewis Jr. can both light it up from 3-point range, but ball security can be an issue, especially for Lewis. The Tide rank outside the top 300 in the country, turning the ball over on 28.3% of their possessions, per KenPom.
Gonzaga
Writing off Gonzaga in the early part of the season because of the conference the Bulldogs play in seems to be a national pastime. That needs to stop. Mark Few has put together a program that is consistently one of the best in the country. This year is no different.
The Zags have been ranked in the top 10 of the AP Poll for 28 straight weeks, dating back to February 2018 – the longest active streak in the country. While they lost their top four scorers, two of which were first-round draft picks, the talent is still there. Killian Tillie is finally healthy, Corey Kispert is poised for a breakout, and newcomers Admon Gilder and Drew Timme are humming early on. And I didn't even mention leading scorer Filip Petrusev yet – the 6-foot-11 Serbian wonder is poised for a stellar year.
Southern Miss
The Golden Eagles are by far the weakest link in this field. Not only do they enter at 2-3, their only two wins are against non-Division I teams. The lone bright spot might be Boban Jacdonmi, a 6-foot-9 London, England, native averaging 16.4 points per game.
Oregon
Dana Altman had some bad luck last year. Losing Bol Bol made for a long year, but a late-season surge led by Payton Pritchard carried them to the Sweet 16. Pritchard is back for more this season, averaging 19.4 points and 5.6 assists per game. His high school teammate Anthony Mathis is averaging 15 PPG on 64.5% 3-point shooting, as the Ducks are out to a 5-0 start.
Oregon gets Seton Hall in the first round, which is without a doubt the best first-round game of any tournament this week.
Seton Hall
Local fans got a taste of what Myles Powell is all about two weeks ago when he dropped 37 points on a bum ankle against Michigan State. While the Pirates let a late lead slip away and lost the game, they showed they're for real.
This tournament will be a great measuring stick for Kevin Willard's team, with potential games against Gonzaga and North Carolina looming, should they beat the Ducks. In order to capture the title in Paradise, they'll need the likes of Sandro Mamukelashvili and Myles Cale to carry some of the weight.
