The Tribune

November basketball matters in the NCAA. When Selection Sunday rolls around on March 17 next year, the games played at the 2012 Battle 4 Atlantis could have a major impact on the field of 64.

Just ask Harvard, who helped their RPI in a major way with a 46-41 win over then ranked Florida State (#22) in the B4A semifinals.

Harvard went on to defeat Central Florida in the finals who got there by way of a 68-63 win over then ranked UConn (#4).

The pair of wins helped Harvard secure a 12th seed in the East Region, while Florida State was a third seed in the East.

In two years, the B4A has featured four teams that went on to reach the NCAA tournament and five NBA Draft picks.

This year’s, scheduled for November 22-24, is expected to feature another outstanding field, setting the stage for the Louisville Cardinals to headline the eight-team group, which also includes the Duke Blue Devils, Memphis Tigers, Minnesota Golden Gophers, Missouri Tigers, Northern Iowa Panthers, Stanford University Cardinals and Virginia Commonwealth Rams.

The B4A is one of the highlights of the year for me as a reporter, so I feel it’s important that you know what you’re going to see.

For basketball fans, it’s an opportunity to see the game played at a higher level than we’re accustomed. 

For coaches, it’s an opportunity for your players to witness the game played as Larry Brown would say “the right way.”

For alumni having an opportunity to watch your alma mater play here in the Bahamas is something that was unthinkable just years ago, but is now a reality.

For me, it’s an opportunity to sit courtside at the media table behind the cool sign with my name on it and pretend to “work” doing something I would be doing on my time off anyway.

For groupies, it’s an opportunity to get a early jump on becoming a future cast member of Basketball Wives.

Let’s face it, as much as Bahamian girls love VH1 and reality television...this is their best chance to get there because there will be NBA-level talent in the building. 

Whatever your reason, you should know what’s coming to town today, and you should recognise just how much it matters.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Russ Smith - #2 Guard, Junior,

Louisville Cardinals

6’ 0” 165 lbs, 21.3ppg

On a given possession you have no idea whether “Russdiculous” is going to shoot it from halfcourt or drive the lane and dunk on the entire team’s defense. This season it seems as if defenders can’t stop either. The hardest thing for Smith to follow up will be the off court shenanigans we’ve come to know and love. The rabbit ears behind Pitino’s head during a live post game interview, the hug request after an angry shouting match during a timeout, the Pitino-mandated use of “Thum” to stop a nail biting habit....let’s just say you want to be a part of the Russ Smith experience.

Seth Curry - #30 Guard, Senior,

Duke Blue Devils 

6’2” 185 lbs, 16ppg, 40%

from 3 point range

In their quest to become the Mannings of basketball, the third in the line of the sharp shooting Curry-clan is ready to take the national stage by storm in his senior year. Lightly recruited out of high school, a freshman year at Liberty and a role player at Duke as a sophomore, Curry became a legitimate threat playing alongside Austin Rivers last year. He won’t have to dominate the NCAA tournament like Steph did at Davidson, but to step out of the shadows of his older brother, he will have to lead the Blue Devils in the locker room and on the perimeter to make a run in March. 

Alex Oriaki - #42 Forward,

Senior, Missouri Tigers 

6’ 9” 255 lbs - 12.3ppg, 11.7rpg

Oriaki makes history as the first player to make multiple appearances at the Battle 4 Atlantis, following last’s year’s trip as a member of the UConn Huskies. A fresh start after the virtual collapse of the Huskies programme, Oriakhi adds experience and size to a Mizzou squad that severely lacked both last season.

Peyton Siva -  #3 Guard,

Senior, Louisville Cardinals

6’ 0” 185 lbs, 7.7ppg, 9.0apg

He could be the fastest basketball player in the world, and if it wasn’t for Usain Bolt, I’d say he was the fastest person in the world. Watching Siva in his first three seasons was a little like watching a super hero struggle to harness his newfound power (think Spiderman before he understood how to release and control the webshots from his wrists). With an improved jumpshot and on pace to be one of the NCAA leaders in assists, Siva may have put it all together this year.  

Joe Jackson - #1 Guard,

Junior, Memphis Tigers

 6’ 1” 171 lbs, 13.5ppg, 5.0apg, 4.0rpg 

It only seems as if we’ve been waiting on Jackson’s breakout season forever, but his junior year may be the season when it all comes together. When you declare yourself as “The King of Memphis” in high school, the burden to produce looms large at the collegiate level.

Trevor Mbakwe - #32 Forward,

Senior, Minnesota

Golden Gophers 

6’ 8” 245 lbs, 6.0ppg, 6.0rpg

When a guy declares that he will repay his scholarship if his team doesn’t make the NCAA tournament, you have to stand up and take notice of everything he does from that point forward. Recovering from major knee surgery and off the court troubles, Mbakwe’s goals of an NCAA tournament berth and the first round of the NBA Draft can take a major step forward this weekend.

Mason Plumlee - #5 Forward,

Senior, Duke Blue Devils 

6’ 10” 235 lbs, 21.7ppg, 8.7rpg, 2apg

The best of the Plumlee trio, Mason surprised most when he returned to Tobacco road for his senior season. A mobile, energetic post player with toughness and rebounding ability, he gives the Blue Devils an advantage in the interior that few top teams in the nation have.

Phil Pressey - #1 Guard,

Junior, Missouri Tigers

5’11” 175 lbs, 15.3ppg, 4.7apg, 3.0rpg

Pressey has to be the unquestioned leader of the Tigers after the departures of Marcus Denmon, Matt Pressey, Kim English, and the suspension of Michael Dixon Jr. Last year he led the Big 12 in assists, but one of the most exciting point guards in the country will be asked to score more this year for the Tigers in the SEC and to contend again and improve on last year’s first round exit in the NCAA tournament.

Gorgui Dieng - #10 Center,

Junior, Louisville Cardinals

6’ 11” 245 lbs, 10.0ppg, 8.3rpg, 2.7apg, 2.0 bpg

The most feared interior defender in the NCAA last year with two eyebrows. Dieng’s offense is a work in progress but his defense and rebounding are the calling cards that will get him into the NBA.

Chane Behanan - #21 Forward,

Sophomore, Louisville

Cardinals

6’ 6” 250 lbs, 9.0ppg, 11.3rpg

It’s so disappointing that Pitino has banned Behanan from talking to the media for the first semester of the season. His public quotes about the Cardinals going undefeated and the Final Four being a “piece of cake” if they made it there made national headlines last year and nobody wants to see him top that this year more than I do.

Rasheed Sulaimon - #14 Guard,

Freshman, Duke Blue Devils  

6’ 4” 185 lbs, 11.7ppg, 4.3rpg, 3.7apg

The “Diaper Dandy” of the tournament, Sulaimon may look 12 but plays with the savvy and ability to knock down timely shots of a 32-year-old vet. He stepped right into the Blue Devils starting lineup and wil be relied upon heavily this year as the Blue Devils’ best perimeter defender.

Rodney Williams Jr - #33

Forward, Senior,

Minnesota Golden Gophers 

6’ 7” 200 lbs, 14.5 ppg, 6.5rpg, 50% from 3 point range

The burden to save Tubby Smith’s job and make good on Mbakwe’s promise rests heavily on the shoulders of Williams. He makes highlight reel plays on a regular basis and is an explosive athlete with an improved jumpshot from his junior season. If he pulls off anything close to that picture perfect breakaway 360 he threw down against USC last year, the Golden Gophers could be one of the most fun teams to watch this year.

Juvonte Reddic - #15 Forward,

Junior, Virginia Commonwealth

University Rams

6’ 9” 235 lbs, 16.7ppg, 8.7rpg, 2.0 spg

Legitimately difficult for defenders to handle one on one because of his size and athleticism. A strong candidate to be a first-team all-Atlantic 10 selection, Reddic is said to have added three point range to his game this season. 

Ryan Kelly - #34 Forward,

Senior, Duke Blue Devils

6’ 11 230 lbs, 10.7ppg, 5.0 rpg,

Every generation has that one signature Duke player people love to hate...Ryan Kelly is that guy for this team.

Laurence Bowers - #21 Forward,

Senior, Missouri Tigers

6’ 8” 227 lbs, 15.3ppg, 5.3rpg

Bowers missed the Tigers’ upstart season last year with a season ending knee injury, but returns this year as the Tigers make the transition to the SEC without five of its top scorers from last season.

Chasson Randle - #5 Guard,

Sophomore, Stanford Cardinal

6’ 1” 180 lbs, 13.0ppg, 3.8rpg, 2.8apg

Expected to be a star for Johhny Dawkins’ best Cardinal team to date, Randle came on late last year during Stanford’s five-game NIT title run where he averaged 14.0 points per game, including 47.8 per cent from three-point territory. He’ll look to build on one of the best rookie seasons in Cardinal history.

Adonis Thomas - #4 Forward,

Sophomore, Memphis Tigers

6’ 7” 240 lbs, 12.0ppg, 3.0rpg

When your parents give you the name Adonis, you have no choice but to spend way too much time in the weight room. He reportedly bulked up to over 250 pounds in the offseason, but has returned to his playing weight and could breakout in his sophomore season helping to fill the void left by Will Barton’s depature.

Deon Mitchell - #1 Guard,

Sophomore, Northern

Iowa Panthers

6’ 1” 203 lbs, 17.7ppg, 4.7apg, 50% from 3

A true point guard that has been asked to score more and so far this season has proved he’s ready to deliver.

Darius Theus - #10 Guard,

Senior, Virginia Commonwealth

University Rams

6’3” 200 lbs - 10.7ppg 5.3apg

The most outstanding player of the 2012 NCAA Tournament, Theus is expected to be the floor general and provide senior leadership for the Rams as they make the switch to the A-10. He’s already shown a flair for the dramatic with a late game-tying three against Wichita State.

Jake Koch - #20 Forward,

Senior, Northern Iowa Panthers

6’ 9” 255 lbs, 11.7ppg, 9.7rpg

He was there during the Ali Farokmanesh era, so he has experience with upsets against elite teams on the NCAA’s biggest stage. A freshman during that 2010 Sweet 16 run for the Panthers, Koch has now come into his own.

Dwight Powell - #33 Foward,

Junior, Stanford Cardinal

6’ 10” 235 lbs, 12.3ppg, 7.3rpg

For the Cardinals to challenge the frontcourt-heavy Arizona Wildcats and UCLA Bruins in the PAC-12, Powell will have to develop into an interior star to compliment Randle on the perimeter.

The most loaded field of any NCAA early season tournament tips off today with the 2012 Battle 4 Atlantis at the Imperial Arena.

Thursday, November 22

Game 1: #13 Missouri Tigers vs. Stanford Cardinal (live at 1pm ET on AXS TV)

Game 2: #5 Duke Blue Devils vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers (live at 3:30pm ET on AXS TV)

Game 3: #19 Memphis Tigers vs. VCU Rams (live at 7pm ET on NBC Sports)

Game 4: #2 Louisville Cardinals vs. Northern Iowa Panthers (live at 9:30pm ET on NBC Sports)