ESPN BPI Predicts West Virginia to Have a Fourth Place Finish in Battle 4 Atlantis

See what the computers at ESPN have to say about West Virginia vs. Arizona.

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The 2024 Battle 4 Atlantis will come to a conclusion today in the Bahamas. Oklahoma will square off with Louisville in the title game, and West Virginia and Arizona meet in the third-place game, while others will fight to finish as high as they can in the field.

Although it may not be exactly what West Virginia had hoped for when they made the trip to paradise, picking up a win this afternoon and going 2-1 in a very competitive MTE field is something to be proud of. Darian DeVries has already won over a significant portion of the fan base and a win today will increase the level of buy-in.

What the ESPN BPI says about the matchup

According to the ESPN Basketball Power Index (BPI) matchup predictor, West Virginia has just a 21.3% chance to walk away as the third-place team in the event. Arizona has been given a 78.7% chance.

West Virginia was one shot away from going to the championship game yesterday, but unfortunately for the Mountaineers, Amani Hansberry couldn't connect on a wide-open three at the buzzer in regulation.

WVU didn't have the same bounce in the overtime period, and foul trouble persisted, which helped Louisville clinch a spot in the title game. The Cardinals were awarded 33 free throw attempts in the game compared to West Virginia's 12. Officiating did not decide the game, but the titled advantage at the charity stripe certainly didn't help.

Arizona did a good job of pressuring the ball against Oklahoma, forcing 17 turnovers in the game. However, they failed to run the Sooners off the three-point line, allowing them to shoot 12-for-29 (41%) from the perimeter. The Wildcats weren't as fortunate from deep as they were only able to connect on five of their nineteen attempts.

Is the BPI right?

For the second straight day, I think so. Arizona is better equipped to handle these types of events where you're playing several games in a short period of time. They have more playable depth and have more scoring options than the Mountaineers.

To be quite honest, I wouldn't have had an issue with the BPI giving Arizona as much as an 85% chance to win this game. Yes, they have three losses, but that's not a true indicator of how talented this team is.

When these two butt heads again on January 7th in Morgantown, I think you'll see a much better outing from Darian DeVries' squad.

Next up

Following this afternoon's game in the Bahamas, West Virginia will have a full week off before returning to action. Next Friday, the Mountaineers will host the Georgetown Hoyas in the Big 12-Big East Battle inside the WVU Coliseum. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST and will be televised on ESPN2.

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