If you are among the many college basketball fans who wish the Big East Conference had stayed together, or if you just miss the Syracuse-UConn rivalry, there was good news on Friday. The Orange and the Huskies were among eight teams named to the field of the 2015 Battle 4 Atlantis field.
So, perhaps a reunion is in the not-so-distant future. Wouldn’t that be a good reason for a holiday visit to Paradise Island, Bahamas?
Texas, Texas A&M, Gonzaga, Washington, Michigan and Charlotte are the others in the field announced Friday on ESPN. That means eight conferences – the American Athletic, Southeastern, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12, West Coast and Conference USA – will be represented.
“It’s loaded,” tournament founder Lea Miller told The Associated Press.
Opening-round matchups will be announced later. Syracuse and UConn have not played since the 2012-13 season. Syracuse has scheduled regular season games with Villanova and St. John’s. UConn has slated a series with Georgetown. But so far, the Orange and Huskies haven’t come to an agreement.
Depending on the brackets and schedule, the tournament could also reunite Texas and Texas A&M and Gonzaga and Washington, who haven’t met since 2006.
UConn last appeared in Battle 4 Atlantis in the 2011-12 season, beating UNC Asheville, losing to UCT and beating Florida State in overtime.
LUBIN, CALHOUN REINSTATED
UConn coach Kevin Ollie has reinstated Omar Calhoun and Rakim Lubin after they were suspended for breaking team rules in Puerto Rico, published reports said Friday. Ollie made the announcement before practice Friday at Gampel Pavilion.
Ollie said he wouldn’t comment when asked what team rule the players violated. Walk-ons Marcel Lewis and Dan Guest were also suspended and missed the West Virginia game. Ollie said he was still considering the status of one of the walk-ons.
Ollie said every player on the team is “on a short leash.”
“I’m just not going to tolerate breaking rules,” Ollie told reporters. “We’ve got team rules in place and they understand that. As a man, you learn your lesson and that’s what we’re here to provide.”
Calhoun has been out with a sprained right knee since Oct. 26. He was able to participate in shooting drills Thursday and it is possible he could play Sunday against Texas. . . . Rodney Purvis (sprained left ankle) is listed as “probable” for Texas.
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