Know Your Opponent: Battle 4 Atlantis

In just eight years, the Battle 4 Atlantis has emerged as one of the top annual Thanksgiving week tournaments on the college basketball schedule. The event consistently draws elite programs and has become a solid indicator for future success - four of the last five Battle 4 Atlantis winners advanced to the Final Four and the last two (Villanova and Virginia) finished the season as national champs. Here's a look at the 2019 field:

Alabama (RollTide.com)
Location: Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Rankings: No. 76 KenPom, NR AP
Record: 2-2
Carolina Series History (Last Meeting): Carolina leads 7-4 (Carolina 64, Alabama 55, March 21, 1992, Cincinnati, Ohio)

After four seasons with between 18 and 20 wins, Alabama moved on from Avery Johnson following the 2019 season and brought in Buffalo head coach Nate Oats. In four seasons at UB, Oats turned the Bulls into the best mid-major program in the country, a run that culminated in last season's 32-4 campaign and a No. 6 seed in the NCAA tournament. He brought his signature fast-paced offense to Tuscaloosa, and the Crimson Tide is No. 2 nationally in KenPom's adjusted tempo through four games. Indefatigable sophomore point guard Kira Lewis is the engine to the Tide attack, leading the team in scoring, assists, steals, 3-point shooting and minutes played.

Michigan (MGoBlue.com)
Location: Ann Arbor, Mich.
Rankings: No. 25 KenPom, RV AP
Record: 4-0
Carolina Series History (Last Meeting): Carolina leads 4-3 (Michigan 84, Carolina 67, Nov. 28, 2018, Crisler Arena)

A new era began in Ann Arbor this summer as John Beilein departed for the NBA and Juwan Howard returned to his alma mater for his first head coaching position. It's been mostly smooth sailing to start for Howard's club, with a home win over Creighton the best result in a 4-0 start. Things get real in a hurry, however, with a trip to Louisville in the ACC/B1G Challenge following the Battle 4 Atlantis. Howard inherited a fairly experienced team, and four upperclassmen (seniors Zavier Simpson and Jon Teske and juniors Isaiah Livers and Eli Brooks) all score in double figures. Led by the sharpshooting Livers and 7-1 Teske, the Wolverines are among the nation's best at putting the ball into the basket.

Iowa State (Cyclones.com)
Location: Ames, Iowa
Rankings: No. 40 KenPom, NR AP
Record: 3-1
Carolina Series History (Last Meeting): Carolina leads 3-1 (Iowa State 85, Carolina 83, March 23, 2014, San Antonio, Texas)

The reigning Big 12 champions look very different in 2019-20 following the departures of grad transfer Marial Shayok, senior Nick Weiler-Babb and freshman Talen Horton-Tucker to the pro ranks. Of the current starting five, only sophomore point guard Tyrese Haliburton and senior forward Michael Jacobson saw significant minutes in Ames last season. A pair of transfers in Prentiss Nixon (Colorado State) and Rasir Bolton (Penn State) have slotted into Steve Prohm's lineup along with Solomon Young, who sat last year due to injury. Haliburton has been the standout so far for the Cyclones, averaging a point-assist double-double through four games.

Gonzaga (GoZags.com)
Location: Spokane, Wash.
Rankings: No. 6 KenPom, No. 8 AP
Record: 6-0
Carolina Series History (Last Meeting): Carolina leads 3-1 (Carolina 103, Gonzaga 90, Dec. 15, 2018, Smith Center)

The Bulldog train keeps rolling in Spokane, where Mark Few has another loaded team that figures to be a threat deep into March and April. The emerging name to know on this year's squad is Filip Petrusev, a 6-11 sophomore from Serbia who is making 67 percent of his 2s and dominating the offensive glass in the early going. Ryan Woolridge, a grad transfer from North Texas who is handling the bulk of the point guard duties so far, is off to a scorching 69 percent start from 3.

Southern Miss (SouthernMiss.com)
Location: Hattiesburg, Miss.
Rankings: No. 224 KenPom, NR AP
Record: 2-3
Carolina Series History (Last Meeting): Teams have never played

The rare unicorn that is a potential first-time opponent for Carolina lurks in the bottom half of the bracket in the form of Southern Miss. After a 20-win season in 2019, head coach Doc Sadler left to return to Nebraska, where he spent six seasons as head coach, to join Fred Hoiberg's first staff in Lincoln. Enter Jay Ladner, who spent five seasons at the helm of Southeastern Louisiana before getting the job in Hattiesburg. The Golden Eagles have yet to beat a D-I opponent this season and are last in the country in 3-point percentage at 18.8 percent against D-I foes. Boban Jacdonmi, a 6-9 senior from London, leads the team in scoring at 16.4 points per game.

Seton Hall (SHUPirates.com)
Location: West Orange, N.J.
Rankings: No. 19 KenPom, No. 13 AP
Record: 4-1
Carolina Series History (Last Meeting): Carolina leads 4-1 (Carolina 95, Seton Hall 65, Nov. 28, 1997, Anchorage, Alaska)

Kevin Willard has Seton Back on the map as a college basketball destination, and the Pirates have a bonafide star in senior Myles Powell to lead the way in 2020. SHU is a 3-point loss to Michigan State away from a perfect start to the season, and the Powell-led Pirates figure to be a threat in the Big East once again. While Powell deservedly gets the headlines, don't sleep on senior point guard Quincy McKnight (10.8 peg, 4.6 app).

Oregon (GoDucks.com)
Location: Eugene, Ore.
Rankings: No. 18 KenPom, No. 11 AP
Record: 5-0
Carolina Series History (Last Meeting): Carolina leads 5-0 (Carolina 77, Oregon 76, April 1, 2017, Phoenix, Ariz.)

Oregon enters the Battle 4 Atlantis at 5-0 with solid wins over Memphis and Houston already on the non-conference résumé. Behind do-it-all senior point guard Payton Pritchard, the Ducks are among the most efficient offensive teams in college basketball. New Mexico grad transfer Anthony Mathis has been unconscious from deep in the early going, making an incredible 64.5 percent of his shots from distance through five games.

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