Can Arizona Wildcats Avoid Major Upsets Other Battle 4 Atlantis Contenders Suffered?
The Arizona Wildcats were one of eight teams participating in the Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament held in the Bahamas.
The field was a loaded one. The Davidson Wildcats, whom Arizona drew in their first-round matchup, was the only team outside of the top 100 on the KenPom rankings. The next lowest was the Providence Friars, who are No. 71 after Wednesday’s action.
College basketball fans were excited at the potential championship matchup that the Wildcats could have down the road against either the Gonzaga Bulldogs or Indiana Hoosiers. Ranked No. 3 and No. 14 respectively, it would have been another huge non-conference matchup for Tommy Lloyd’s crew.
That is the second-round matchup everyone wanted to see and the fans got their wish. However, not in the fashion, they believed it would occur.
The Bulldogs and Hoosiers both lost their first-round games to the West Virginia Mountaineers and Louisville Cardinals, respectively. That means they are participating in the loser’s bracket with a fifth-place finish being the best they can do.
These holiday tournaments always provide some major upsets and powerhouse teams going down. Look at how things went in the Maui Invitational, where the two-time defending champion UConn Huskies lost to the Memphis Tigers and Colorado Buffaloes.
Can the Wildcats avoid a similar outcome as they navigate the Battle 4 Atlantis field?
They were able to get on track in a big way, blowing out Davidson 104-71 in the opener. They will now be taking on an undefeated Oklahoma Sooners team, who just got past the Friars 79-77 on Wednesday.
The Wildcats are a sizable upgrade in competition from who the Sooners have faced to this point, but anything can happen once teams step on the court. Tommy Lloyd’s crew has to come out with the same intensity and level of effort as they did in the opener to avoid being upset like their fellow favorites.
Should Arizona advance, they will take on the winner of the game between Louisville and West Virginia.
As a new member of the Big 12, the Wildcats will be facing off against the Mountaineers in Morgantown on January 7. Getting a look at them ahead of conference play certainly wouldn’t be the worst outcome.
After a truly abysmal two-year stretch under Kenny Payne, the Cardinals are much more competitive this season. They are 4-1, matching the number of wins they had in Payne’s first campaign.
Recency bias about their struggles could lead to being underestimated, but Pat Kelsey has his team playing solidly. With one upset under their belt already, their confidence is on the rise in the Bahamas.
