Let’s take a deep breath.
A win is a win, right? That’s the biggest takeaway for the Memphis Tigers right now following Sunday’s thrilling buzzer beating game winner at Temple to move the Tigers above .500. That is one of the only positives to take from that game as the Tigers struggled mightily in the scoring department but held serve on the defensive end to give themselves the opportunity for that ending.
Kendric Davis was just named AAC player of the week for the 5th time this season and deservedly so as he was the guy to hit that game-winner and score 42 points in the Tigers’ previous game last week at UCF. That’s great in hindsight but the bigger question remains, who else is reliable to score on the offensive end when and if opposing defenses decide to truly key in on Kendric Davis and make someone else beat them?
For starters, DeAndre Williams had a solid outing at the Temple Owls as he scored 20 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, recorded 3 blocks, and most importantly stayed out of foul trouble! Only committing two fouls in 39 minutes of action is a huge win for the Tigers and the hope is he can continue that momentum heading into this crucial stretch.
Next, is getting A. a consistent 3rd scorer or B. some form of rotation between a couple of players to be that 3rd guy night in and night out. Penny Hardaway continues to tinker with the lineup as Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu received his first start of the season in place of Chandler Lawson and Johnathan Lawson received the most minutes he’s played all season playing 30 minutes against the Owls. The injuries to Malcolm Dandridge, Alex Lomas, and now Jayden Hardaway are starting to take their toll on the team considering that’s 3 starters, and replacing their roles hasn’t been easy.
Health might be the simplest answer to the Tigers’ problems, but the team’s 3-point shooting wasn’t good when fully healthy so that much probably wouldn’t change much. Coming off a week of shooting 10-41 behind the arc, the Tigers will just need to continue to attack the rim and be hopeful that some of the open looks that they will receive from kick outs will fall.
The good news is the Tigers return home to a place where they are undefeated with an 8-0 record against the Wichita State Shockers. The Shockers are led by guards Craig Porter Jr. and Jaykwon Walton. Craig Porter Jr. leads the team with 12.3 points per game and 5.9 rebounds per game followed by Jaykwon Walton with 12.2 points per game and 6.1 rebounds per game. Also, Craig Porter Jr. leads the Shockers in assists, steals, and blocks.
As of 1/18, Wichita State is ranked 141 in the NET rankings making this a Quad 3 game for the Tigers. Keeping up with the Bracketology, Joe Lunardi has the Tigers in the “Last Four Byes” and as an 11 seed as of this past Tuesday. That means the Tigers have no room for a loss to a team of this caliber and considering Wichita State is right behind them in the AAC standings, it would hurt their chances of reaching the top of the AAC.
The Prediction:
Every conference game is tough no matter the opponent and location and this has been the case in all five of the Tigers conference games this season so I expect more of the same against the Shockers. Wichita State is currently on a two-game winning streak and boasts a “do it all” backcourt that could potentially present some problems for the Tigers defensively but I expect the Tigers to carry the momentum from the thrilling win this past Sunday on the road and ride the energy of the crowd to a needed victory.
Wichita State 72, Memphis 81
Matchup: Memphis Tigers (13-5, 3-2 in AAC) vs. Wichita State Shockers (9-8, 2-3 in AAC)
Time: 6 p.m. CST
Location: FedExForum, Memphis, TN
TV/Stream/Radio: ESPNU / 98.9 THE ROAR OF MEMPHIS