NCAA Basketball: Ranking all 8 teams in 2019 Battle 4 Atlantis tournament

By Brian Rauf | Jul 12, 2019

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - MARCH 06: Shavar Reynolds #33 of the Seton Hall Pirates and the rest of his teammates celebrate the win over the Marquette Golden Eagles on March 06, 2019 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.The Seton Hall Pirates defeated the Marquette Golden Eagles 73-64. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

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SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – MARCH 23: Head coach Mark Few of the Gonzaga Bulldogs looks on during their game against the Baylor Bears in the Second Round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament at Vivint Smart Home Arena on March 23, 2019 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

4) Oregon Ducks

For a few weeks following Oregon’s Sweet 16 loss to Virginia, it seemed like this season was going to be a lost one for the Ducks due to the amount of unexpected departures they suffered. Only three players from last year’s rotation are back but, given the quality of the newcomers they have, Oregon should be a force again.

Five-star forward CJ Walker gives them an explosive athlete in the frontcourt to replace Kenny Wooten, seven-foot center Isaac Johnson gives them size, four-star prospect Chandler Lawson is a superb defender, and Chris Duarte, the nation’s top JUCO prospect, will play a major role in the backcourt.

Oregon may experience a slow start given all of that turnover but point guard Payton Pritchard (who feels like he has been in Eugene for a decade) is back and leading this group. As has been the case during his tenure, the team will go as he does.

Head coach Dana Altman has the length and athleticism on his roster to try to replicate last season’s defensive supremacy, but how quickly can they get there?

3) Gonzaga Bulldogs

There is a clear line between the top three teams in the field and the other five, and Gonzaga is the lowest of those three for me – but that doesn’t mean the Zags can’t win the whole thing.

Killian Tillie and Corey Kispert return to the starting lineup in the frontcourt ready and able to become superstars. Filip Petrusev is expected to take a step forward as well, and three top 60 recruits will add depth to the rotation.

However, Gonzaga lost a lot of production and doesn’t quite have the answers yet for the backcourt. A pair of grad transfers in Admon Gilder (Texas A&M) and Ryan Woolridge (North Texas) figure to start there, but neither is as good as Josh Perkins and Zach Norvell were last year.

Mark Few’s squad will be great up front yet guard play and backcourt depth could be issues for them all year. We typically see teams with weaknesses in those areas struggle against elite competition. Are Gilder and Woolridge up the challenge?

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