Published Nov 23, 2022
Tennessee basketball prepares for Battle 4 Atlantis tournament
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Ryan Sylvia  •  VolReport
Assistant Managing Editor
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@RyanTSylvia

After opening the season with a 2-1 record, No. 22 Tennessee will travel to The Bahamas to compete in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament this week.

This year's early-season tournament marks the 11th edition of the event. The tournament is considered one of the most challenging of its kind.

“We appreciate the opportunity to be here," said Tennessee coach Rick Barnes. "We realize it’s a great field here as always. I think it’s a tournament that players really look forward to being part of. We’re here and we’re just looking forward to having three days of basketball and hoping we can win some basketball games.”

The Vols will open their three-day stint with a matchup against Butler on Wednesday at 7:30 ET on ESPN2. The Bulldogs have dominated in three games vs. inferior opponents but lost on the road to Penn State.

Butler's scoring production comes from a balanced attack. Five players average over 12 points per game on efficient shooting. Chuck Harris leads the group with 15.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.

As a team, the Bulldogs have impressed on both sides of the floor. They have scored 83.8 points per game (39th in the country) while allowing just 57.5 points per game (35th in the country). However, their matchup with the Vols will be their toughest challenge at this point in the season.

Following the battle with Butler, Tennessee will have a matchup with either BYU or USC. If the Vols win, they will play the winner of that game on Thursday at 1:30. If they lose, they will play the loser at 6:30.

The Cougars have started the season with a 3-1 record. They've earned three wins over weak opponents with their lone loss coming on the road to No. 19 San Diego State by seven points.

The Trojans opened the season with a loss to FGCU, but have rebounded with three consecutive wins.

If the Vols can come out on top in their first two games of the tournament, they'll earn a spot in the championship. No. 3 Kansas, NC State, Dayton and Wisconsin will square off on the opposite side of the bracket as potential foes on the third day. No matter the results of the opening two games, each team is guaranteed three matches.

As one of two teams ranked in the AP poll, Tennessee will be a favorite to make the championship game. The Vols boast a stout defense that has earned the fourth-highest adjusted defensive efficiency according to KenPom.

On offense, Tennessee is led by Josiah-Jordan James who is averaging 13.7 points per game. Tyreke Key and Zakai Zeigler also average double-digit points. The team is listed in the 25th-highest spot for adjusted offensive efficiency according to KenPom.

Following the three-day tournament, Tennessee will return home to host McNeese on Nov. 30. The game will tip off at 7:30 and air on SEC Network.