Cyclones to play Michigan in first round of Battle 4 Atlantis

March 28, 2019; Anaheim, CA, USA; Michigan Wolverines forward Ignas Brazdeikis (13) moves to the basket against Texas Tech Red Raiders forward Tariq Owens (11) during the second half in the semifinals of the west regional of the 2019 NCAA Tournament at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Iowa State officially knows its first opponent in the 2019 Battle 4 Atlantis tournament.

The Cyclones will square off with the University of Michigan on Wednesday, No. 27, at 11 a.m. in their first game of the bracket scheduled to take place Nov. 27-29 in Paradise Island, Bahamas, according to CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein.

The Wolverines went 30-7 during the 2018-19 season, advancing to the Sweet 16 before losing to Texas Tech in dominating fashion. This will be Michigan’s first season under new head coach, and former Wolverine Fab Five star, Juwan Howard after John Beilein left the school to become the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Howard is tasked with replacing three of the team’s top players from last season but does return second-team All-Big 10 senior point guard Zavier Simpson (8.8 points, 6.6 assists per game last season) and senior 7-foot-1 center Jon Teske (9.5 points, 7.0 rebounds per game last season).

Iowa State and Michigan have met 10 times previously with the series split at five victories apiece. The last time the two teams met, the Cyclones topped the (at the time) No. 7 Wolverines 77-70 behind 22 points from Melvin Ejim on Nov. 17, 2013, at Hilton Coliseum.

That win remains one of the most memorable of the Fred Hoiberg era at Iowa State considering it was former Iowa State (and Michigan) head coach Johnny Orr’s last appearance in the arena he helped turn into one of college basketball’s most feared before his death a little more than a month later.

The other first-round matchups in the tournament will pit North Carolina against Alabama, Gonzaga against Southern Mississippi and Oregon against Seton Hall. It is unclear at this time how the bracket exactly comes together out of those matchups.

Jared Stansbury

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Jared a native of Clarinda, Iowa, started as the Cyclone Fanatic intern in August 2013, primarily working as a videographer until starting on the women’s basketball beat prior to the 2014-15 season. Upon earning his Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Iowa State in May 2016, Jared was hired as the site’s full-time staff writer, taking over as the primary day-to-day reporter on football and men’s basketball. He was elevated to the position of managing editor in January 2020. He is a regular contributor on 1460 KXNO in Des Moines and makes regular guest appearances on radio stations across the Midwest. Jared resides in Ankeny with his four-year-old puggle, Lolo.

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