Battle 4 Atlantis 2013: Top Storylines to Watch in Thanksgiving Weekend Tourney

The Battle 4 Atlantis may be set in the beautiful Bahamas, but that doesn't mean it's all fun and games. The Thanksgiving weekend tournament provides the background for an exciting slate of basketball with plenty of storylines to watch unfold. 

The early action is already under way with the Villanova Wildcats tipping off the tournament against the USC Trojans, but that's just a small taste of the talent that will be vying for the tournament title.

Here's what to watch for as the weekend progresses. 

Andrew Wiggins in a Tournament Atmosphere

As the crown jewel of the vaunted 2014 recruiting, everyone wants to know just how well Andrew Wiggins will play under the bright lights of March Madness. While the Battle 4 Atlantis pales in comparison to the actual postseason, Kansas' run in the tourney will at least give us a taste of how far he can take the Jayhawks in a tournament. 

Wiggins has already had the opportunity to shine in a big game when Kansas took on No. 4 Duke. The star forward went for 22 points and eight rebounds in 25 minutes as the Jayhawks picked up a 94-83 victory.

Now Wiggins and Kansas come to the Bahamas as a prohibitive favorite to win the tournament as the only top 10 team in the field. Anything less than dominance and an undefeated run will be a bit of a disappointment. 

Dissension Between Coaches?

Anytime you have a coach taking on his former program there's sure to be some drama. When the former coach has reportedly been involved in a heated exchange with the new coach? Well that's even more fun. 

That's exactly what happened when former USC and current UTEP head coach Tim Floyd came to the Bahamas. According to Seth Davis of Sports Illustrated, Floyd and new USC coach Andy Enfield didn't have kind words for one another when they met at the tournament. Davis offers some insight into the incident:

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The conversation between the head coaches lasted for several minutes, with Floyd doing most of the talking. As it intensified, Enfield's wife, Amanda, came to stand next to her husband. Floyd did not direct any of his remarks toward her or Miller.

After about five minutes, three of Enfield's assistant coaches, Kevin Norris, Tony Bland and Jason Hart, stood behind Floyd. Soon Floyd could be heard saying to Hart, "Do you want to kick my (expletive)?"

At that point, Floyd's assistant coach, Bob Cantu, who served as USC's interim head coach after the school fired Kevin O'Neill during the 2013 regular season and was sitting at a table a few feet away, stood up and joined the conversation. While Enfield, his wife and Floyd walked away, Cantu got into an argument with Bland and Hart. Those men were separated, but a few seconds later Bland rushed at Cantu. He was held back by UTEP strength coach Chisan Jones.

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While 4-2 USC and 3-2 UTEP are on different sides of the bracket, the chance remains that they will find each other in the consolation bracket. If they do, the postgame handshake between Floyd and Enfield may be the highlight of the whole tournament. 

Can Iowa or Xavier Prove Their Worth in Title Run?

Of all the first-round games, No. 23 Iowa taking on Xavier is the most interesting.

The Hawkeyes have been impressive in getting off to a 5-0 start, but haven't played anyone from a major conference yet. The Musketeers are 5-0 themselves and at least hold a win over Tennessee, but they haven't played anyone else of note.

That will all change when the two go head-to-head and the winner will be the favorite to meet Kansas in the championship game.  

With Iowa sitting at No. 4 in the country in scoring at 92.6 points per game and Xavier ranked 11th nationally in scoring defense at 58 points allowed per game, this one is bound to be an interesting game. One team should emerge as a legitimate Top 25 squad while the other will need to work hard to bounce back from a loss as the weekend progresses.