Battle 4 Atlantis championship preview

The Matchup: No. 2 Wisconsin (6-0) vs. Oklahoma (4-1)
When: Friday, Nov. 28; 3:30pm CT
Where: Paradise Island, Bahamas
TV: ESPN
Radio: Badger Radio Network
Last Meeting: UW won, 75-64 (11/29/97)
All-Time Series: Series tied 3-3

Projected Starting Lineups: 

Oklahoma

G Jordan Woodard – So. 6-0 189 (8.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg)
G Buddy Hield – Jr. 6-4 212 (18.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg)
G Isaiah Cousins – Jr. 6-4 192 (12.2 ppg, 7.6 rpg)
F Ryan Spangler – Jr.. 6-8, 235 (9.6 ppg, 10.2 rpg)
F Tashawn Thomas – Sr. 6-8 242 (8.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg)

Wisconsin

G Traevon Jackson – Sr. 6-3 207 (8.8 ppg, 2.8 apg)
G Josh Gasser – Sr. 6-4 192 (7.0 ppg, 3.4 rpg)
F Sam Dekker – Jr. 6-9 230 (12.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg)
F Nigel Hayes – So. 6-8 235 (14.0 ppg, 8.8 rpg)
C Frank Kaminsky – Sr. 7-0 242 (18.6 ppg, 9.8 rpg)

Key Matchup: Josh Gasser vs. Buddy Hield

So far in this tournament, the Badgers have been able to hold off the opposition by allowing just one man to hurt them and stuffing the rest of the team. In the opener it was Robert Brown going for 16 points for UAB, while yesterday it was D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera going for a game-high 29 points for Georgetown.

Today that one player who can really kill the Badgers is guard Buddy Hield, who is just one of two Sooners averaging in double figures. So, holding him below his season average would go a long way towards helping the Badgers capture the Battle 4 Atlantis title.

The job of holding Hield down goes to Gasser, who is perhaps the best all-around defender the Badgers have. He’ll have his hands full, as he was able to score 22 points in the tournament opener against UCLA. However, we saw him held in check by Butler’s physical and hard-nosed defense, scoring just 5 points on 2-10 shooting. Gasser will need to be strong and physical to take him out of his game, and part of that will also be taking it to him on the offensive side of the ball. I forsee a lot of Gasser posting up in this contest to try and take it to Hield.

Game Prediction: Wisconsin 78, Oklahoma 62

Wisconsin saw a challenge yesterday, but overcame it with a cool and calm demeanor that indicates this team knows it’s never out of a basketball game. Rather than panicking when things got rough in the early second half against Georgetown, the Badgers kept things within striking distance and then finished off the Hoyas down the stretch.

There’s also this massive height advantage the Badgers will have, with three players as tall or taller than Oklahoma’s tallest starter. Look for Wisconsin to try and establish the game down low, kick the ball out and play a little more old-school Wisconsin basketball. If there was a game that UW was going to drop in this tournament it would’ve been yesterday. UW is just too deep and too tall to lose this game.