After dropping two of their three games in the AdvoCare Invitational Tournament last week, the Memphis Tigers (3-3) are readying themselves for yet another stiff non-conference opponent away from the friendly confines of FedEx Forum.
Fewer than six days removed from a 12-hour journey from Orlando, Florida, to back home, the team will turn around and venture even further south into Florida as they take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. on ESPNU in Miami at American Airlines Arena.
With as much attention as next year’s recruiting class has received and an overall record that may not meet the early expectations of some fans, it may be easy to overlook everything that has gone right this season. Freshman guard Tyler Harris has already showcased the score-in-bursts ability that earned him acclaim during his high school career, including his 25-point outing in the tightly contested loss to College of Charleston.
Additionally, head coach Penny Hardaway has flashed his ability to make in-game adjustments and shown his willingness to be flexible by tinkering with his starting lineups and rotations after his initial decision to play smaller lead to defensive struggles.
A 2018 Elite Eight participant, the Red Raiders are off to another strong start under third-year head coach Chris Beard, despite losing their star swingman Zhaire Smith to the NBA Draft. Currently 6-0 and No. 20 in the country, the Red Raiders are led by a mix of highly productive underclassmen and savvy graduate transfers with years of experience under their belts.
Sophomore guards Jarrett Culver and Davide Moretti pair together to form a strong backcourt that combines to average 29.8 points and 8.1 assists per game.
So far, Memphis has had trouble defending. With most of the roster comprised of true freshmen and former junior college transfers, the non-offensive end of the floor has been a work in progress. Coming into this one, the Tigers will once again look to speed up the tempo in hopes of making up for their lack of size on the frontline.
After their first six matches, albeit a small sample size, the Red Raiders are ranked third in the country in scoring defense, as their suffocating play style has only yielded 51 points per game from the opposition. Despite losing several primary contributors from a season ago, Beard’s defense-first approach has kept his squad right in the thick of the Big 12 race.
In their win against Yale, the Tigers showed their ability to scratch and claw their way through tough stretches of play and proved they can respond to adversity in crunch-time situations.
Against Texas Tech, it will be key for Memphis to play their game and not settle for bad shots. Once they start forcing the issue and allowing the Red Raiders to control the tempo, the potential for a blowout is there. However, if Hardaway’s post game pressers of late are any indicator of what is to come, fans can expect the head coach to have his team prepared to play their brand of ball and fight for all 40 minutes.
As the new campaign rolls on and games begin to take on more significance, early-season tilts like this can be used as a measuring stick to help teams gauge where they are overall and what they feel like they can accomplish for the rest of the year.
For the Tigers, fans can expect to see a team that is eager to remind them there is a reason for excitement right now and their preseason slogan of “Back to Business” is more than just a phrase that looks good on a poster.
Forward Mike Parks Jr. defends the rim as a Yale player goes up for a layup. Coach Penny Hardaway has his team playing with heart and poise.
