Gameday Guide: Wisconsin men's basketball Battle 4 Atlantis preview
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The Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team is still a perfect 3-0 after an 11-point win against UW-Green Bay last Tuesday night.
This week the competition level ramps up in a big way, as the Badgers head to the Bahamas for the Battle 4 Atlantis college basketball tournament.
Set to play in three games over the next three days, Wisconsin will begin by playing the Dayton Flyers on Wednesday afternoon.
With that in mind, here is a preview of Wisconsin versus Dayton, with a look toward the entire week of basketball.
Game details and television information
- Wisconsin Badgers (3-0 overall) vs. Dayton Flyers (3-1 overall)
- Tip time is set for 1:30 p.m. CST at Imperial Arena in Paradise Island, Bahamas.
- The game will be aired on ESPN2
- Radio coverage
- Live stats
Betting info
- The Dayton enters the game as 1.5-point favorites per SI Sportsbook
- The over/under is set at 122
Series history
The Badgers and Flyers last met all the way back in 1961. Wisconsin won that matchup 105-93 inside Madison Square Garden as part of the New York Holiday Festival. That is the only time the two teams have played in men's basketball.
In terms of the rest of the field, here is how the Badgers have fared against the other teams participating in the Battle 4 Atlantis:
- Butler: 8-8 series record overall
- BYU: 1-0 series record overall
- Kansas: the two teams have never played one another
- NC State: 3-1 series record overall
- Tennessee: 3-2 series record overall
- USC: 0-1 series record overall
*Based on the game's outcome versus Dayton, Wisconsin will face either Kansas or NC State in Game 2.
Dayton season overview
The Dayton Flyers are 3-1 overall this year, with wins over Lindenwood (73-46), SMU (74-62), and Robert Morris (60-51). The team's lone loss came on November 15 against UNLV, falling by eight to the Runnin' Rebels.
Dayton is led by First Team Preseason All-Atlantic 10 selection Daron Holmes II. The 6-foot-10 forward is a great rim protector on defense and is a talented sophomore to watch. Holmes is averaging nearly three blocks per game and had 20 points against SMU. Sophomore guard Kobe Elvis has also had a strong season so far. Elvis previously played at Depaul and is averaging double-figures this season with over four rebounds and three assists per game. One area where the Flyers excel is on the glass. Starting forward Toumani Camara is averaging over 12 rebounds per game.
The Flyers are the preseason favorites to win the Atlantic 10 this year and return all five starters from a year ago. They finished second in the A-10 a year ago, with a 24-11 record.
Top scorers
Wisconsin
- Tyler Wahl: 14.7 points, eight rebounds, and 1.67 steals per game
- Chucky Hepburn: 11 points, four rebounds, and 3.67 assists per game
- Steven Crowl: 10 points, 7.7 rebounds, and two blocks per game
Dayton
- Daron Holmes II: 13.3 points, six rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game
- Kobe Elvis: 11.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game
- Toumani Camara: 7.3 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game
The biggest question for Wisconsin
Defensively the Badgers have been strong this year, holding opponents to only 51.3 points per game. However, with three tougher games upcoming, the major question for this team is, can they generate enough offense to win multiple games in the Bahamas?
Wisconsin won the 2021 Maui Invitational a year ago, playing well on both ends of the court. Heading into the Battle 4 Atlantis, it will be interesting to see if this team can make a similar run this season.
The Badgers have shown promise this year from behind the three-point arc, but there have also been stretches of inconsistency around the rim and some spotty shot selection at times.
Coming off a summer trip to France and a game at American Family Field versus Stanford, Wisconsin should be accustomed to playing in various arenas, which could help them on Paradise Island, but the competition level is much higher this week.
The two players that the Badgers need to step up big are Tyler Wahl and Chucky Hepburn, both of whom are coming off tough games in the paint against UW-Green Bay.
Tournament Notes
- Regardless of how Wisconsin plays, they are assured to play in three games throughout the tournament. You can see the entire bracket above.
- Based on the outcome against Dayton, the Badgers will either face Kansas or NC State on Thursday. If they win the game will take place at 10 a.m. CST, while if they lose it is later in the afternoon at 3 p.m. CST.
- The Badgers last won the Battle 4 Atlantis in 2014. Frank Kaminsky was the tournament MVP that year, guiding Wisconsin to a 69-56 win over Oklahoma.
- Wisconsin also made the championship game of the tournament in 2018, though they lost to Virginia 53-46.
- All eight teams have a winning record so far this season. The Kansas Jayhawks, NC State Wolfpack, and Wisconsin Badgers are all currently undefeated, while the rest of the field has one loss.
- Schools make $2 million for participating in the tournament, with Bad Boy Mowers as the official sponsor of the event.
Related links:
- Wisconsin basketball signs three scholarship players on National Signing Day
- Game notes and top plays from Wisconsin's win versus UW-Green Bay
- Wisconsin men's basketball unveils new alternate uniforms for the 2022-2023 season
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