Iowa to face Xavier in Atlantis tourney

Iowa will face Xavier in the first round of the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament on Thanksgiving night in the Bahamas, the tournament announced Monday. NBC Sports Network will televise the game at 6 p.m.

The Hawkeyes then will face either UTEP or Tennessee the following day.

The Hawkeyes and Muskateers played in the 2010 Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands. Xavier beat Iowa, 86-73.  The teams' other meeting was in 1938, when Iowa won 33-28.

Xavier (17-14) finished with an RPI of 87, six spots below Iowa last year. Tennessee, like Iowa, was an NCAA bubble team last year. The Volunteers were a No. 1 NIT seed and finished 20-13 with an RPI of 59. Iowa is 2-1 against Tennessee with the last meeting coming in 2001.

UTEP, which is led by former Iowa State Coach Tim Floyd, was 18-14 last year with an RPI of 96. Iowa is 2-2 all-time against UTEP and the teams last battled in the 1987 NCAA tournament.

Other teams in the tournament include Kansas, Villanova, USC and Wake Forest. Kansas (31-6, RPI 5) and Villanova (20-14, RPI 52) were NCAA tournament qualifers last year. USC (14-18, RPI 119) hired Florida Gulf Coast's Andy Enfield as head coach. Wake Forest (13-18, RPI 170) also is in the tournament.

Here's the tournament format:

Thursday, Nov. 28

Villanova vs. USC, noon, AXS-TV

Kansas vs. Wake Forest, 2:30 p.m., AXS-TV

Iowa vs. Xavier, 6 p.m., NBCSN

Tennessee vs. UTEP, 8:30 p.m., NBCSN

Friday, Nov. 29

Iowa-Xavier loser vs. Tennessee-UTEP loser, noon, AXS-TV

Kansas-Wake Forest lose vs. USC-Villanova loser, 2:30 p.m., AXS-TV

Iowa-Xavier winner vs. Tennessee-UTEP winner, 6 p.m., NBCSN

Kansas-Wake Forest winner vs. USC-Villanova winner, 8:30 p.m., NBCSN

Saturday, Nov. 30

Seventh-place game, noon, AXS-TV

Fifth-place game, 2:30 p.m., AXS-TV

Third-place game, 6 p.m., NBCSN

Championship, 8:30 p.m.