Sun Devils Prepare for Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament
With nearly a week's worth of rest, the Arizona State Sun Devils look to bounce back from their tough road loss to San Diego State last Thursday.
Perhaps the Bahamas isn't a bad place to regroup after starting the season 2-2.
Arizona State will be one of eight teams competing in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament over Thanksgiving weekend, joining Auburn, Baylor, UCONN, Loyola, Michigan State, Syracuse and VCU on Paradise Island.
The tournament will see 12 games played over the course of three days, beginning on Wednesday, Nov. 24. Each winner will advance through a winner's bracket until a champion is ultimately crowned on Friday, Nov. 26. Each team will play three games regardless of outcome, matching up with respective winners or losers throughout the bracket.
Arizona State's first-round matchup? No. 9 ranked Baylor, which is currently 4-0, averaging 88.5 points per game with an average margin of victory of 34.75 points.
Case in point, the Sun Devils may have their hands full when the two meet on Wednesday.
Should Arizona State lose that matchup (ESPN's FPI gives ASU a solid 25.1% chance), they'll meet the loser of the Syracuse/VCU meeting on Thanksgiving at 5:30 pm Arizona time.
From there, tipoff time (times local for Arizona) for either two possible remaining consolation games on Friday will be at 5:00 pm should the Sun Devils lose their second game, or at 2:30 pm if they defeat either Syracuse or VCU.
The Sun Devils will certainly have their work cut out for them on both ends of the floor. While Arizona State has gotten off to a slow start to 2021, the Sun Devils look to utilize the upcoming early tests to their advantage down the road when playing in tough games while also providing a solid measuring stick for how Arizona State will compare with NCAA tournament teams.
All games can be found on ESPN's network of channels.