As anyone that covers Ohio State sports will tell you, one of the most intriguing questions on reporters’ minds when Chris Holtmann was hired was his stance on non-conference basketball tournaments early in the year. Specifically, early-season tournaments in lovely, tropical locations.
As a closet North Carolina fan as well (I was born there), I’ve often been jealous of watching the Tar Heels travel to the Maui Invitational and other locations in these made for television events with palm trees and exotic beaches. It was nice to see my B team go to these places, but what about team A (Ohio State)?
Former Buckeye coach Thad Matta was clear that he didn’t like taking his team on those types of trips so there wasn’t a whole lot to look forward to in that regard. If you wanted to travel and watch Buckeye hoops while getting some surf and sand, fughetaboudit.
But alas, Holtmann has piqued our interest and is starting to get OSU hoops into some of these tourneys. They will reportedly be playing in the Maui Invitational in 2022, and were slated to play in the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas this year.
That was before the world got turned upside down by the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only was almost every sporting event canceled or postponed, but it has also put future events in jeopardy.
But wait. Today, we get word that the Battle 4 Atlantis will still be played, but in a location about as drastically different from the Bahamas as you can find on the planet Earth, South Dakota.
That’s right. According to CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein, his sources say the event will be held at the Sanford Pentagon (arena) in Sioux Falls, South Dakota as opposed to the wind-swept, palm-tree-lined beaches of Paradise Island.
Sources: The 2020 Battle 4 Atlantis will be played at the Sanford Pentagon in South Dakota. Dates are TBD.
Field includes Duke, West Virginia, Memphis, Ohio State, Texas A&M, Utah, Creighton, and Wichita State.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) September 14, 2020
While this is good that such a marquee event with a stacked field will still take place, it’s a little sad not to have the Buckeyes invade the Bahamas if the tournament was going to allow reporters or even a small amount of fans. Scheduled to be a part of the event with Ohio State are Duke, West Virginia, Memphis, Texas A&M, Utah, Creighton, and Wichita State.
But hey, I’ve got a silver lining for you. I just traveled to South Dakota not long ago, and if you want to drive five hours west from Sioux Falls, you can get into some amazing countryside and even check off Mount Rushmore from your bucket list.
Yes, South Dakota is a large state, but for most Midwesterners, there’s not a whole lot of other reasons to get into that part of the country. So make it count.
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