Bahamian Lourawls "Tum Tum" Nairn Jr. and the Michigan State Spartans will take on the St. John's Red Storm in the opening round of the 2016 Battle 4 Atlantis Basketball Tournament. The Thanksgiving Day weekend tournament will be held Nov. 23-25 inside the 3,900 seat Imperial Arena at Atlantis on Paradise Island.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) released the opening round match-ups for the 2016 Battle 4 Atlantis (B4A) Basketball Tournament yesterday, and based on those match-ups, collegiate hoops fans can expect to see some fierce competition at the three-day Thanksgiving Day weekend event.
The Battle 4 Atlantis tournament is regarded as one of the most challenging early-season tournaments, following five years of high-level teams and success.
Despite the fact the teams playing this year will probably be tournament level or bubble teams, it will be hard for them to measure up to the ridiculously high standards set by past tournaments.
One half of the draw will feature Louisville going up against Old Dominion and Wichita State taking on Louisiana State University (LSU). The other will feature Bahamian Lourawls "Tum Tum" Nairn Jr. and Michigan State taking on St. John's and Baylor challenging Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU).
Out of the field of teams, it is expected that Michigan State will be the highest pre-season ranked team, more than likely in the top 10 nationally. Louisville also has preseason top 20 potential and is almost sure to make a tournament appearance.
As for the others, they'll really have to go above and beyond the call of duty, bringing the heat on the court. The B4A competes with another premier preseason tournament, the Maui Invitational, and is expected to be one of the most competitive tournaments of the 2016-17 season.
The annual Battle 4 Atlantis once again falls during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, scheduled to take place November 23-25, at Atlantis on Paradise Island here in The Bahamas.
Over the last few years, teams that played in the preseason tournament found success during the regular season of the NCAA and quite a few advanced to the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament.
The event is televised live on ESPN and AXS TV. ESPN2 airs opening round games while ESPN airs the semi-finals, third place and championship games. The tournament is staged at the 3,900-seat Imperial Arena, a ballroom converted to a basketball venue.
Not only did the 2016 NCAA Tournament's Elite Eight boast five teams (62.5 per cent) that had participated in past Battle 4 Atlantis tournaments, but also all Final Four teams were Battle-tested alumni. The Final Four included Syracuse University (2015), University of Oklahoma (2014), Villanova University (2013), and the University of North Carolina (2013). Both Syracuse and Villanova hold titles as Battle 4 Atlantis Champions for their respective years.
Randy Smith, Guardian Sports Reporter
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