Tonight's the night.
Since March 11, the entire city has been awaiting this moment.
The University of Memphis men's basketball team will take on Atlantic 10 powerhouse Temple in its season opener.
Are the Tigers fully prepared?
The number five-ranked Temple Owls (AP poll), who went 27-6 last year, physically outsize Memphis and have a solid matchup defense that holds the opposition to 54.8 points per game and 36.2 percent shooting, not to mention a coach who is ranked among the winningest active Division I coaches.
The Owls also lost Atlantic 10 player of the year Pepe Sanchez, along with Lamont Bares and Mark Karcher.
Returning starters Quincy Wadley and Kevin Lyde will pick up where they left off last year, with some help from players such as Mamadou Cellou Barry, Lynn Greer and Ron Rollerson.
The 6-foot-4 guard Wadley was Temple's second leading scorer and Atlantic 10 Tournament MVP last season, recording 12.8 ppg. He has also shown versatility with his ability to play the one, two or three spot.
Lyde, a 6-9 forward, led the team in rebounds and tallied 51 blocks.
Without a true point guard, Greer could be the Owls's choice to take on Courtney Trask.
The frontcourt is expected to carry all the weight for Temple.
Rollerson and Barry will pose a defensive threat for the Tigers when they step to paint.
Head coach John Calipari realizes all of this.
"They're a big team," he said. "I just want our guys to have a winning effort. I think it will be about being physical, doing the things we need to do. It's about a team effort."
Calipari said Temple already has two games under their belt, and with this game being nationally televised, the jitters will be there.
This season begins the rebuilding phase for the Tigers. So far, Temple holds a 4-3 lead in its series with the Tigers, while Calipari holds an 11-10 record against Temple head coach John Chaney and his Owls from his days at the University of Massachusetts.
Tip-off begins at 7 p.m. and the game will be broadcast nationwide on ESPN.
