The Tigers (18-9, 8-6AAC) have four games left in the regular season. Thursday they will face No. 15 Cincinnati (24-3, 13-1 AAC) on the road after a week off, and they will host Houston (19-8, 9-5 AAC) Sunday.
A look at the opponents:
The Tigers went 1-1 against the Bearcats last season. Cincinnati plays tight defense, and take care of the ball well. They allow their opponents 60.9 points per game (No. 7 in the nation), and have only had the ball stolen 98 times this season (No. 1 in the nation). The Bearcats are ranked 17 in the nation in assists, and they are third in the nation with a 1.61 assist to turnover ratio.
Memphis beat Houston in overtime last month. Memphis struggle to hit free-throws that game shooting 42.9 percent from the charity stripe. Houston is a top 40 team according to the Pomeroy Basketball Rankings and could add another quality win for the Tigers.
Areas for improvement
Last week at UConn, the Tigers blew a double-digit lead, and the Huskies won by three. In the loss, they made half of their two point shots. Memphis shot 41 percent from the field, but went 6-21 from deep. In the loss against Temple at home, the Tigers shot 25 percent from three.
Cincinnati struggles to guard the three-point line, but the Tigers do not shoot threes well. The Tigers could upset Cincinnati if they shoot well from beyond the arc.
Players to watch
Cincinnati does not rely on one player to carry their team. They have four players who average double figures in points. Kyle Washington leads the team in his first season as a Bearcat. The transfer from NC State averages 13.8 points per game and grabs seven rebounds. The 6-9 forward shoots 53 percent from the field and 42 percent form three.
Houston’s Danyard Knowles tested the Tigers in their overtime win in January. He put up 13 points and 10 rebounds, but his season averages are 8 points and 4 boards.
Houston’s Robert Gray Jr. is a contender for AAC player of the year along with Dedric Lawson. This game could carry a lot of weight into who gets the honor. Gray averages 20 points per game. He shoots 40 percent from three-point range and 47 percent from the field.
Craig Randall II has seen more time on the floor recently, and has played more than twenty minutes in five of the last six games. He scored 13 points against UConn which is his highest point total in conference play.
He attempts more threes than any other player on Memphis and has made 36 threes this season. His willingness to shoot from the three-point line could help the Tigers against Cincinnati.
Memphis’ Chad Rykhoek could return this week after suffering an ankle injury in early December. He returned to practice at the beginning of last week. The 6-11 center is the tallest Tiger on the roster and averages 5.9 points per game. He could be an asset to Memphis when he returns.
Craig Randall shoots a corner three in the win against ECU. He leads all bench players in minutes played for the Tigers.
