The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

BASED on the early success of the Battle 4 Atlantis over the past three years, the tournament has become the upstart of the college basketball world, established a reputation as a top early season tournament on the NCAA calendar and has confirmed another stacked field for the 2013 edition.

The Michigan State Spartans rounded out the field of eight teams expected to descend upon New Providence over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

The Spartans are currently ranked No. 18 on the AP poll with an 12-3 record headed into conference play in the Big 10.

Under head coach Tom Izzo, the Michigan State programme has been one of the most successful in the country.

Izzo has led the Spartans to the 2000 National Championship, the 2009 NCAA Division I National Championship Game, six Final Fours, and seven Big 10 Championships in his first 17 years at Michigan State.

The 2013 B4A will be headlined by perennial powerhouse Kansas Jayhawks, representing the Big 12 and currently ranked No. 6 in the AP poll at 12-1.

Head coach Bill Self’s tenure at Kansas includes the 2008 NCAA National Championship and a host of accolades, including Self was named 2012 Naismith College Coach of the Year, Sporting News National Coach of the Year in 2000, 2009 and 2012, the Associated Press National Coach of the Year in 2009, the Big 12 Coach of the Year in 2006, 2009, 2011, and 2012.

Other teams in the field include Villanova (Big East), Wake Forest (ACC), Tennessee (SEC), Southern California (PAC-12), Texas El-Paso (Conference USA) and Xavier (A-10).

The B4A has drawn comparisons to the Maui invitational - staged in Maui, Hawaii - for its location and ability to host a high quality field early in the NCAA season.

This year’s Maui Invitational featured one ranked team in the AP top 25 , No. 9 North Carolina.

The B4A featured arguably the most stacked early season NCAA field ever with four ranked teams Louisville (2), Duke (5), Missouri (13) and Memphis (19), plus unbeaten Minnesota, which was ranked 26th.

Following his team’s 76-71 championship win over Louisville, Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski heralded the organisers’ ability to put together another quality field.

“The tournament field ranks as tough as anything we’ve been apart of NIT, Maui or others and this tournament can get even better as they learn how to put it on even better.”

In year one, the B4A featured what organisers called a “dress rehearsal” to evaluate Atlantis’ ability to host an NCAA tournament.

Georgia Tech, Richmond, Mississippi State and Virginia Tech took part in the event.

In 2011, it transitioned to a full eight-team tournament. Harvard won the inaugural title.