VCU to face Memphis in the Battle 4 Atlantis

The Battle 4 Atlantis is one of the premier preseason tournaments, and it features an extremely competitive eight-team field. VCU will face Memphis in the first round.

August 2, 2012; 3:06 PM • by Aaron Williams

Over the past decade, VCU basketball has radically transformed its brand: from the Jeff Capel era of regional players to a nationally recognized NCAA tournament menace under Shaka Smart. This season, “HAVOC” is getting its passport and going overseas to Italy and the Bahamas.

The Battle 4 Atlantis tournament, held from November 22nd – 24th on Paradise Island in the Bahamas, is one of the premier preseason tournaments, and it features an extremely competitive eight-team field. Today, the Battle 4 Atlantis announced its schedule.

In the first round, VCU will face Memphis at 7pm on Thursday, November 22nd¹ (televised on the NBC Sports Network). On the 23rd, the Rams will face either Duke or Minnesota. VCU is just 1-4 against Memphis with the last meeting in 1992 going to the Tigers 85-58.

As a legitimate national title contender, Louisville will likely be the favorite, but Memphis, Duke, VCU, Missouri, and Minnesota all have justified preseason top-25 aspirations. Reigning NIT champions Stanford and Missouri-Valley Conference power Northern Iowa round out the eight team field.

The Rams have a 9-15 all-time record against the field, but VCU is 3-0 against the field since the Siegel Center opened in 1999 with wins over Louisville, Duke, and Northern Iowa.

Download the full bracket can be found here (PDF).

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• Former VCU AD Norwood Teague along with David Benedict and Mike Ellis all left VCU this offseason to join the Minnesota athletics department.
• Minnesota coach Tubby Smith was an assistant at VCU from 1979-1986. In 1998 he won the national championship as the head coach at Kentucky.
• VCU beat Northern Iowa last season 77-68 as part of the ESPN Bracketbusters event. The Rams will travel to Northern Iowa this season to face the Panthers.
• After falling behind by twenty points, the Rams beat Louisville in the Stuart C. Siegel Center debut in 1999.
• Mascot confusion: The Louisville Cardinals and Stanford Cardinal join the Memphis Tigers and Missouri Tigers in the tournament.

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August 2, 2012 3:06 PM 0