While the rest of IU basketball’s nonconference schedule looks soft, the Battle 4 Atlantis at the end of November be the best gauge of what Mike Woodson’s remade roster is capable of.
On Wednesday, the Hoosiers found out their first opponent in The Bahamas: Louisville.
IU will play the Cardinals at noon, Nov. 27. The Hoosiers beat Louisville, 74-66, last season in the Empire Classic at Madison Square Garden.
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Louisville fired Kenny Payne after a 4-28 year last season and hired Pat Kelsey, who arrives after successful runs at Winthrop and Charleston.
The full bracket for the three-day tournament was released on Wednesday and IU will face either West Virginia or Gonzaga in the semifinals based on the results of its opening round game. The rest of the field for the event includes Arizona, Davidson, Oklahoma and Providence College.
Gonzaga reached the Elite Eight last season while West Virginia (9-23) finished last in the Big 12 conference with a 4-14 record in league play. Indiana and Gonzaga haven’t faced off since 2008 when the teams played the first ever basketball game at Lucas Oil Stadium just months after the venue opened.
Gonzaga won the game 70-54 over the Tom Crean-coached Hoosiers.
The Battle 4 Atlantis will be the only time IU plays away from Assembly Hall during its nonconference schedule in 2024-25. The program announced the rest of its nonconference schedule in July with a slate featuring games against South Carolina, Winthrop and UNC Greensboro.