What you need to know about the Battle 4 Atlantis
The UConn women’s basketball team lost in the Battle 4 Atlantis title game Monday in the Bahamas.
Now the tournament shifts to the men’s side, as Dan Hurley’s team prepares to face Auburn Wednesday. The eight-team, three-day Battle 4 Atlantis tournament starts with Michigan State and Loyola Chicago at noon Wednesday and the championship game is Friday at 11 a.m.
The field includes reigning NCAA champion Baylor, national brand names Syracuse and Michigan State, and the Hurley brothers — Dan of UConn, Bob of Arizona State.
A rundown of the men’s teams in the tournament:
MICHIGAN STATE (3-1)
The Spartans, coming off a win over Eastern Michigan, opened the season with a loss to No. 4 Kansas. Tom Izzo’s team has a balanced offense, with three players in double figures led by 6-foot-8 inch forward Gabe Brown (14.0 points per game).
LOYOLA CHICAGO (4-0)
The program that gained national attention for its 2018 Final Four run is off to a strong start after reaching the Sweet 16 in the spring. The Ramblers are led by Princeton transfer Ryan Schwieger, a 50% shooter from 3-point range who is averaging 14.8 points. Loyola, which is moving to the Atlantic 10 next year, is averaging 91 points per game, seventh among Division I programs.
SYRACUSE (2-1)
Coming off a 100-85 loss
to Colgate, Syracuse is led by Buddy Boeheim (20.0 ppg) and Joseph Girard III (19.3 ppg). Seniors Boeheim and Cole Swider and grad student Jimmy Boeheim have accounted for more than 50% of Syracuse’s point this season. Girard III scored a career-high 27 points in the loss to Colgate.
VCU (2-2)
The Rams are coming off a loss to Chattanooga, which prevailed on a jump shot with 0.4 seconds left. VCU has struggled offensively (50.8 points per game) but the Rams have allowed just 51.2 points. Vince Williams (12.3 points) is the only VCU player averaging double-digits in points.
AUBURN (3-0)
Bruce Pearl’s 19th-ranked team is led by guard K.D. Johnson (15 points), guard Wendell Green Jr. (11.3 points, 5.3 rebounds) and forward Jabari Smith (13.3 points, nine rebounds). The Tigers are coming off a 6-point win over South Florida.
UCONN (4-0)
The Huskies beat Binghamton by 24 points Saturday, but coach Dan Hurley was not pleased with the performance. Adama Sanogo (15.8 points, 6.3 rebounds) and Tyrese Martin (13.5 points, 6.5 rebounds) have led UConn this season.
ARIZONA STATE (2-2)
The Sun Devils, who have been upset by UC Riverside and San Diego State, started slow as they added three transfers and 10 newcomers into the program. Providence native Kimani Lawrence is the leading scorer (16.0) for Bob Hurley’s team.
BAYLOR (4-0)
The sixth-ranked and defending national champion Bears have won their four games by an average of 34.8 points. Baylor, coming off a win over Stanford, has five players in double-figures in scoring, led by LJ Cryer (18.5 points) and Kendall Brown (15.0).