What to expect when Memphis basketball visits UNLV, plus a game prediction

Memphis basketball fought off a season-opening loss against Missouri on Monday, but this might be where the real challenge begins.

The Tigers (1-0) head out to Las Vegas to face UNLV (1-0) inside the Thomas & Mack Center Saturday (5 p.m., Mountain West Network).

This is the first of several west-coast road trips for Penny Hardaway’s club this month, as it later visits San Francisco on Nov. 21 and plays three games (including one with defending national champion UConn) in the Maui Invitational from Nov. 25-27. Memphis returns to FedExForum just once in that span for a matchup with Ohio on Nov. 15.

But the Tigers—fortunately for Hardaway—seemed primed and ready for what lies ahead.

“This is why I came here. I came here to learn. I came here to be better. I came here to get out of my comfort zone and grow in certain areas,” guard Colby Rogers said on Oct. 31. “I don’t know many players who wouldn’t be excited to play top teams in the country. For us to play top teams this early on and this many, I think it’s just a blessing…You don’t have time to have a day off. You gotta stay on point every single day.”

Memphis hasn’t faced UNLV since 1997, when the Runnin’ Rebels won 66-62 in Las Vegas. UNLV is 4-1 in its all-time series with the Tigers.

Here’s what to expect in Memphis’ second regular season game.

Can Memphis avoid another bad start?

Memphis’ first-half offense underwhelmed throughout the preseason, and it did so again during Monday’s game.

The Tigers shot just 35% from the floor and 4-for-14 from 3-point range in the first half. Memphis’ porous attack made life on defense much harder too, as Missouri went into halftime with a 55% clip and a 42-32 lead. Mizzou, which led by as many as 14 points in the opening period, also scored 26 points in the paint and 12 fastbreak points.

But stingy defense later turned the tide for Memphis, which forced 6 turnovers in the first 10 minutes of the second half and generated a 7-0 run in less than two minutes to retake the lead with 10:34 to play. The Tigers never relinquished their advantage afterwards, outscoring Mizzou 51-33 in the final 20 minutes and forcing 11 total turnovers in that same span. Sophomore guard PJ Haggerty also came up big for Memphis with 22 second-half points while shooting 6-for-9 from the field and 9-for-9 from the free throw line.

This winning formula—whilst thrilling—likely isn’t sustainable in the long run, and Hardaway knows that better than anyone. So, perhaps Saturday’s game is a good opportunity to build more consistency.

“These games are showing us that we gotta be more prepared. We gotta be tougher from the beginning,” Hardaway said postgame. “[But] sometimes as a coach, you like winning games where you play a bad first half and you come out in the second half and take over. So, it definitely will help us.”

Is Moussa Cisse more important than anticipated?

The Ole Miss transfer, who began his career at Memphis, played a nice role in the Tigers’ victory over Missouri.

Cisse put up 14 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks on 50% shooting in just 19 minutes off the bench. The 7-foot center is still very much a defensive specialist, but maybe there’s more to his offensive game than in years past.

Hardaway has repeatedly called Cisse one of Memphis’ vocal leaders in recent months, and Cisse himself told reporters last week he’s willing to do whatever it takes to win and “make the city happy.”

“He wants to win so badly, because he’s never made the NCAA Tournament. His effort shows that. Coming off the bench or starting, he’s gonna give you that same effort,” Hardaway said on Nov. 4. “It’s been big for us, because he and Dain [Dainja]—to me—are the best frontcourt in the country.”

What UNLV brings to the table

Kevin Kruger’s squad defeated Alabama State 93-79 in its season opener Monday.

UNLV—picked to finish No. 5 in the Mountain West preseason poll this year—currently ranks No. 92 in KenPom and No. 90 on barttorvik.com. Memphis, for reference, is slotted at No. 39 and No. 35 respectively in both computers.

Jeremiah “Bear” Cherry had a nice debut for the Rebels earlier this week. The 6-foot-11 forward dominated Alabama State with 24 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocks on 90.9% shooting. Cherry transferred to UNLV from New Mexico Junior College, where he averaged 12.6 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting 62% from the field last year.

Dedan Thomas Jr. is Kruger’s biggest returnee from last season. The 6-foot-1 sophomore guard put up 13.6 points and 5.1 assists per game while shooting 44.9% overall and 36.2% from 3-point range in 2023-24. Thomas, a Las Vegas native, recorded 17 points and 7 assists against the Hornets. He’s started the first 35 games in his college career.

Other players to watch for are 6-foot-6 guard Julian Rishwain (13 points v. Alabama State), 6-foot-3 guard Brooklyn Hicks (11 points), 6-foot-7 guard Jaden Henley (9 points and 4 rebounds) and 6-foot-4 guard Jailen Bedford (8 points and 6 rebounds, 14.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game at Oral Roberts last season).

The Prediction

Memphis earns a convincing win on the road.

The Tigers have a tough non-conference schedule ahead, making this game an important opportunity to earn an easier victory. Both teams lack continuity, but Memphis is simply the more talented team across the board compared to the Rebels. Cherry can do good work in the post for UNLV, but Memphis’ backcourt led by Haggerty and Tyrese Hunter probably surpasses that production by a significant margin.

Expect Hardaway’s team to start 2-0 for the second straight year.