Free (throw) Willies
Despite the difference in record, the Blue Demons and Tigers stack up comparably in most statistical categories, so if the stats hold up, this one should be close. The team to hit free throws will likely come out on top if it goes down to the wire.
Memphis has been poor at the line for much of the year, ranking eighth in the conference at .670. DePaul follows the Tigers at .667. So who will knock 'em down? The U of M has improved recently, hitting 81.8 percent (48-59) in its last two games. The Tigers' 30-36 performance from the line played a huge role in a victory last week at South Florida. Another strong effort from the stripe would make knocking off DePaul that much easier.
Guard the Perimeter
Quemont Greer has been arguably the conference's best player so far this season. The 6-7 DePaul forward leads C-USA with 21.5 points per game and is fifth in rebounding (8.0). Since Greer has scored 20 or more points in 13 of 15 games, it's unlikely the Tigers will keep him from getting his stats.
They don't have to.
The key will be defending the outside threats. Drake Diener and Sammy Mejia -the defending C-USA Player of the Week - have been hot from downtown and serve as nice complements to Greer's inside presence.
The Blue Demons have shown good touch from outside all season, hitting .367 (4th in C-USA), but Memphis is good at defending from long range, holding opponents to .306 three-point shooting (2nd in C-USA).
The Tigers will have to play team defense and close out hard. If Diener and Mejia hit at their conference clip of.450, Memphis is in trouble.
Post it.
Memphis has struggled to sustain scoring in the paint all season. In last weekend's 73-70 loss to UAB, post players Duane Erwin, Simplice Njoya and Joey Dorsey managed just 14 points. In contrast, Erwin went for a season-high 20 against South Florida. Njoya added 9 against the Bulls.
Ideally, Memphis will get 35-40 percent of their scoring from inside, not the 20 percent the trio managed against UAB.
It seems a simple formula, but Memphis struggles to consistently feed the post. However, DePaul won't pressure the ball as intensely as UAB, so passing lanes will be available.
Even if the big boys don't score in bunches, they need to get touches and free other players to knock down open shots. Every easy bucket - inside or out - is a big step toward a big conference win.
