Test No. 1: passed.
A pivotal 3 game stretch for the Memphis Tigers started against the undefeated, 11th-ranked Auburn Tigers. Led by Coach Bruce Pearl, Auburn entered this matchup as one of nine remaining undefeated teams in college basketball. For Coach Hardaway and the Tigers, they looked to avenge a loss to Auburn two years ago and make a national statement.
1st Half
After a couple of early fouls on Alex Lomax sent him to the bench with 18:18 left in the game, DeAndre Williams gave the Tigers their first 4 points of the game. Then Kendric Davis woke up. Seven straight points for KD, including a reload 3 gave the M-Tigers a 15-11 lead with 13:36 left in the half. A couple of Malcolm Dandridge lay-ups later, and Memphis led Auburn 19-12.
But this lead didn’t last too long. Memphis proceeded to turn the ball over on 4 straight possessions. Normally, it’s Memphis’s defense that frustrates opponents into rushed decisions and sloppy turnovers. However, for a 5-minute stretch, it was Auburn who brought Memphis fans and players a sense of turnover deja vu. With 7:45 left in the 1st half, Memphis had already committed 10 turnovers and was on pace for 1000.
Ok, Memphis was not on pace for 1000 turnovers, more like something closer to 32. But it sure felt like 1000. On the bright side for the M-Tigers, they were only down 1 point, 21-22.
Jayden Hardaway got the Tigers back on track with a fade-away, corner three. Though he then missed three straight lay-ups on the next possession – you read that right, Keonte Kennedy never gave up on the play and knocked down a triple of his own giving Memphis a 27-22 lead.
Auburn was not going away though. A Chris Moore trey for the A-Tigers gave them a 29-30 lead with 3:37 to go in the half.
So far, this has been a game of runs, and Memphis answered with a 9-0 run of themselves thanks to Mr. Kendric Davis. His importance to this team can’t be overstated. After a horrid performance against Little Rock, KD had to find his groove on offense if Memphis were to compete in their next 3 games.
Memphis finished the 1st half up 38-32 led by Kendric’s 12 points, 3 assists, and 6 rebounds. Coach Hardaway had to feel good entering the break leading by 6, even after Memphis committed 13 turnovers. Foul trouble was an issue though. Malcolm Dandridge, DeAndre Williams, and Alex Lomax finished the 1st half with 3 fouls.
2nd Half
To start the 2nd half, it was Memphis’s turn to ramp up the defensive pressure converting a couple Auburn turnovers to Memphis buckets. A nice back-door find by KD to DeAndre Williams for the slam gave Memphis a 49-42 lead with 14:56 to play.
The lead grew to 10 after a KD triple and a Keonte Kennedy post-up. The Memphis ball movement and off-ball movement have been key to unlocking Auburn’s stingy half-court defense.
But with 11:53 left in the game, Auburn cut the lead to 8 and tried to pump up their fans in this “neutral” environment. An Auburn player slapped the floor. War Eagle faithful rose to their feet. Then Kendric Davis asked everyone in the building, “May I have this dance?” and shimmied his way to a pull-up jumper to silence the majority of this capacity crowd. At the 10:44 mark, Memphis led 60-50.
This sequence changed the game. Memphis’s defensive intensity continued to bother Auburn who couldn’t buy a bucket, and Coach Bruce Pearl had enough. Auburn called a timeout after Memphis got their largest lead at 67-52.
Though Kendric Davis has grabbed most of the fanfare so far, let’s not forget DeAndre Williams. There aren’t many better 1-2 punches in the country than the Memphis duo. Everything Kendric excels at, DeAndre compliments, and vice-versa. But if there’s one thing he continues to struggle with, it’s foul-trouble. At the 4:04 mark, DeAndre Williams fouled out, and Auburn took advantage. Give credit to Auburn. They didn’t give up and cut the Memphis lead to 8 with 3:04 left.
For all the great offensive plays Kendric Davis performed tonight, perhaps his best moments were on the defensive side. First, he drew a pivotal offensive foul that changed a potential and-1 to a turnover. Then Kendric hustled back on what should’ve been an easy transition lay-up for Auburn and forced a miss. Bruce Pearl thought his player was fouled though and let the refs know it. After Kendric hit two technical free throws, the game was done and dusted.
Memphis vanquished Auburn 82-73.
Quick Takeaways:
- Kendric Davis is a baaad man.
Lethal. Clutch. This is the KD Memphis fans thought they were getting in the summer. That sequence with 11:53 left in the game epitomized the type of player he is. With the crowd on its feet in enemy territory, Kendric calmly found his spot and hit a jumper over the outstretched arm of an Auburn center to quiet the arena. Then after Bruce Pearl blew a gasket and got called for a technical foul, Kendric calmly hit two free throws and closed the game out for Memphis. He finished 27 points (9-19 FGs), 6 assists, 9 rebounds, 2 steals.
2. DeAndre Williams is no Robin.
As I said before, though KD will grab most of the headlines, the performance of DeAndre Williams can’t go unnoticed. He hit multiple big buckets, played his typical lockdown defense on Auburn’s bigs, and helped take away Auburn’s greatest strength on the boards. DeAndre is no Robin. He’s the heart and soul of this team.
3. This performance can beat Alabama.
Next Tuesday, Memphis faces the Alabama Crimson Tide, who just beat the No. 1 ranked Houston Cougars. Tonight’s performance against Auburn was very encouraging for Memphis’s chances against Bama. Though Memphis was sloppy with the ball committing 19 turnovers, the Tigers played disciplined team defense and dominated the rebounding battle. Offensively, Memphis moved the ball well, hit timely shots, and made enough free throws to get the job done. They even outscored Auburn in the paint 50-24. If Memphis can duplicate that performance, they should be right there on Tuesday.
Memphis travels to Tuscaloosa for a Tuesday night showdown at 8 pm central.