Two of Conference USA’s three undefeated teams will face off tonight at 7 when Memphis plays host to the South Florida Bulls at The Pyramid.
At 3-0, both teams are off to an undefeated start in conference play and will be fighting for an early-season edge on the coveted No. 1 spot in C-USA’s National Division. Cincinnati, which holds the top spot in the American Division, is also 3-0.
The Bulls (12-3, 3-0 in Conference USA), led by senior All-America candidates Altron Jackson (19.1 points and 6.6 rebounds per game) and B.B. Waldon (14.1 ppg, 9.2 rpg), were picked by coaches to finish second this season in the National Division behind Memphis.
“They are all really good,” Tiger head coach John Calipari said Monday. “They have improved a lot this year.”
Jackson, who had his fifth double-double of the season for South Florida with 24 points and 12 rebounds in a 70-63 win at DePaul Saturday, needs just four points to become C-USA’s second all-time leading scorer. He needs 13 points to join former Charlotte standout DeMarco Johnson as the only two players in league history to reach the 1,700-point plateau.
Waldon, who has averaged just under 17 points in seven career games against Memphis, is currently ranked fifth in the conference in rebounding while shooting at a 58-percent clip from the floor this season.
Tiger junior forward Arthur Barclay said he knows playing the Bulls will be a challenge, but feels the Tigers (13-4, 3-0 in C-USA) will defeat them.
“We’re both undefeated in C-USA play,” Barclay said. “It’s going to be a good game because everyone is playing to be No. 1 in the conference. It’s going to be a battle, but I think we have the upper hand because we have a lot of heart.”
This is the first time since the 1995-96 season the Tigers have opened their C-USA schedule with a 3-0 record. USF’s 3-0 start in conference play marks its best-ever and its 12-3 overall record is the best in USF head coach Seth Greenberg’s six-year tenure.
The Bulls, which have dropped seven straight in The Pyramid to Memphis, have finished no lower than third in their division over the last three years and are currently ranked No. 30 in the RPI (Rating Percentage Index). Memphis is ranked No. 59.
“Their ranking does not mean anything to us,” Tiger sophomore guard Antonio Burks said. “We just have to hit our open shots and not make too many turnovers.”
The Tigers figure to lean heavily on senior forward Kelly Wise, C-USA’s Co-Player of the Week after averaging 20 points and 14 rebounds in two road wins for Memphis last week. Wise, who leads C-USA in rebounding this season (11.6 rpg), also broke the conference record for career double-doubles last week against Tulane with his 36th.
Tiger swingman Scooter McFadgon has also been a steady presence for Memphis of late, scoring in double digits in six of his last eight games. He had 10 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals in the Tigers’ win over Tulane Saturday.
Tonight’s game should feature plenty of offense as Memphis — led by freshman guard Dajuan Wagner’s 21.3 points per game — ranks second in C-USA this season in scoring (82.5). The Bulls, meanwhile, rank third, scoring 79.7 points per game.
The Tigers are 11-3 this season when scoring at least 70 points.
