From November 27th-29th, Porter Moser and the Sooners will play in the Battle 4 Atlantis. Today, the bracket for the tournament was released. Take a look at the bracket and a breakdown of each team in the tournament:
Game one: Providence
The Sooners will open with Providence. Kim English is now in his second year with the Providence Friars. While some things have changed about this year’s roster, one thing that hasn’t is Bryce Hopkins. He averaged 15.5 points and 8.6 rebounds last season before missing half of the season due to injury. Jayden Pierre, who averaged 9.5 points and 3.2 assists, is also back for the Friars. Young players Rich Barron and Corey Floyd, both of whom averaged north of four points per game, are also returning.
Headlining Providence’s transfer class is Wesley Cardet, who averaged 18.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists for Chicago State. Cardet is poised to have a huge year in the Big East. Newcomers Christ Essandoko, a transfer from Saint Joseph’s who averaged 8.2 points and 5.7 rebounds, and incoming freshman Oswin Erhunmwunse will be the centers. Another notable transfer is Bensley Joseph, who averaged 9.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists at Miami.
Game two: Davidson or Arizona
Barring an upset, if Oklahoma beats Providence, it will be Arizona. Head coach Tommy Lloyd and the Wildcats return leading scorer Caleb Love, who averaged 18.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. Joining Love in the Wildcats’ backcourt are returning guards Jaden Bradley, who averaged 7.0 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.0 assists, and KJ Lewis, who contributed 6.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.9 assists.
The frontcourt features Oakland transfer Trey Townsend, who averaged 17.3 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game, leading the Golden Grizzlies to an NCAA Tournament win and positioning himself as one of the best forwards in the Big 12. At center, 7’2” sophomore Motejus Krivas, who averaged 5.4 points and 4.2 rebounds in 12.1 minutes per game, will see the majority of minutes.
If Oklahoma falls to Providence, it will likley be Davidson. Head Coach Matt McKillop returns guard Connor Kochera, who averaged 13.2 points and 4.3 rebounds, forward Reed Bailey, who averaged 12.7 points and 5.8 rebounds, and Bobby Durkin, who put up averages of 8.5 points and 4.4 rebounds last year. Division II star Zach Laput will be Davidson’s point guard. Laput averaged 20 points and 7.1 rebounds last season for Beacon Falls.
The other four teams in the field
Gonzaga
The Gonzaga Bulldogs and head coach Mark Few have to be the favorites to win the Battle 4 Atlantis. The Bulldogs return three of their top four leading scorers: Graham Ike, who averaged 16.6 points and 7.4 rebounds, Nolan Hickman, who notched 14.0 points, 2.7 assists, and 2.3 rebounds, and Ryan Nembhard, who averaged 12.6 points, 6.9 assists, and 4.0 rebounds.
They also return key contributors in Braden Huff, who averaged 9.3 points, and Ben Gregg, who averaged 9.0 points and 5.7 rebounds. In addition to their returning talent, Gonzaga added two impressive transfers. Michael Ajayi, who averaged 17.2 points and 9.9 rebounds at Pepperdine, and Arkansas transfer Khalif Battle, who averaged 14.8 points for the Razorbacks, will bolster the Bulldogs’ roster.
Indiana
Myles Rice, a transfer from Washington State, headlines Mike Woodson’s backcourt. Rice averaged 14.8 points, 3.8 assists, and 3.1 rebounds for the Cougars and helped lead them to the NCAA Tournament. He joins Stanford transfer Kanaan Carlyle, who averaged 11.5 points, 2.7 assists, and 2.7 rebounds for the Cardinal. Returning guard Trey Galloway, who averaged 10.6 points and 4.6 assists, will also play a large role for the Hoosiers.
Indiana’s frontcourt features Malik Reneau, who averaged 15.4 points and 6.0 rebounds last season. Playing next to Reneau will be star center and Arizona transfer Oumar Ballo, who averaged 12.9 points and 10.1 rebounds for the Wildcats. Mackenzie Mgbako, who averaged 12.2 points and 4.1 rebounds as a freshman, returns for the Hoosiers and adds to their incredibly impressive frontcourt. Additionally, the Hoosiers have incoming freshman and former five-star Bryson Tucker, who will be another valuable piece for them this season.
Louisville
Pat Kelsey takes over for the Cardinals and has a team full of newcomers. It starts with James Madison transfer Terrence Edwards, who averaged 17.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists for the Dukes. Guards Chucky Hepburn, a transfer from Wisconsin who averaged 9.2 points and 3.9 assists, and J’Vonne Hadley, a transfer from Colorado who averaged 11.6 points and 6.0 rebounds, will also have large roles next to Edwards. Koren Johnson, a transfer from Washington who averaged 11.1 points and 2.7 assists, will also play a significant role in the backcourt.
The Cardinals have an interesting frontcourt with BYU transfer Noah Waterman, who averaged 9.5 points and 5.4 rebounds for the Cougars, and South Florida transfer Kasean Pryor, who averaged 13.0 points and 7.9 rebounds for the Bulls. Aboubacar Traore, who transfers in from Long Beach State after averaging 12.0 points and 8.4 rebounds, is poised to have a big role in the frontcourt.
West Virginia
Darian DeVries begins his first season as head coach of the West Virginia Mountaineers, with his son, Tucker DeVries, who followed him from Drake, set to be the star player. Tucker averaged 21.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists for the Bulldogs. DeVries’ point guard will be Oklahoma State transfer Javon Small, who averaged 15.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.1 assists for the Cowboys.
Detroit Mercy transfer Jayden Stone will be another key contributor, having averaged 20.8 points and 5.6 rebounds for the Titans. Toby Okani, a UIC transfer, will also have a large role on this team, bringing his averages of 11.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.9 assists from the Flames. The Mountaineers have a lot of young pieces like Amani Hansberry, Sincire Harris, KJ Tenner, and Ofri Naveh, who will all have a chance to contribute.
