The Memphis men’s basketball team defended their home court for the third time this season and improved their record to 4-4 by narrowly winning, 88-80, against South Dakota State (7-3).
The Tigers had four players in double figures and were led by both Tyler Harris and Jeremiah Martin, who each chimed in 22 points. In addition to the potent offense from the backcourt, the front court dominated the Jackrabbits, led by Isaiah Maurice, who added in 10 points and eight boards.
Overall, the Tigers were poised in a tightly contested game, but there is still room for improvement for the .500 team.
Tyler Harris and Jeremiah Martin couldn’t be stopped
Of the 88 points Memphis scored Tuesday night against SDSU, Harris and Martin had half of them and only shot four three-pointers to get there. Collectively from the field, the duo knocked down 16 of their 28 shot attempts. Additionally, Harris hit four of the eight three-pointers taken by the team. The freshman point guard out of Cordova High School said he is getting more comfortable and letting the game come to him.
“I’m definitely having a lot of fun,” Harris said. “But without my teammates, Jeremiah and A-Lo (Alex Lomax), none of that will be possible because they find me a lot, and that makes it easier for me.”
On the court, Harris shot from everywhere behind the arc. Whether he made the baskets or not, he said he is confident in his range when the ball leaves his hand.
“I know when it is a little too crazy for me to shoot,” Harris said while laughing. “But I feel like if I hit two, I feel like anywhere on the court I’m just ready to go ahead and shoot.”
Martin and Harris were not the only guards who shined in Tuesday night’s victory against SDSU. Lomax was 5-12 from the field and had 12 points. However, he was 0-3 from the beyond the arc but still knocked down two of his four free throw attempts.
Front court shake up
Senior forward Mike Parks Jr. was the starter tonight; however, he only played seven minutes in the contest. Maurice came off the bench and played the majority of the minutes in the front court.
Maurice was 5-7 from the field and cleaned up nicely on the boards, grabbing eight rebounds. Head coach Penny Hardaway said he will constantly rotate the big men depending on who is having the best production at any given time, but he said Parks’ lack of playing time had nothing to do with the team flowing well without him.
“I wouldn’t say that it runs better,” Hardaway said. “I think that these guys are kind of having their own nights. I think Mike has done exceptionally well in other games. And then Isaiah, tonight was his night.”
It is unclear exactly how tonight’s rotation will impact what Hardaway does going forward with his rotation, but he said he is going to do what is necessary to get his team future victories.
Antwann Jones is still learning
Jones has not seen much playing time as a Tiger eight games into the season, even though he was brought into the program as a big-name recruit. Hardaway said Jones’ upside is something to admire, nevertheless, the 6-foot-6 guard from Florida is slightly behind the curve.
“Well right now, Antwann is just a little bit behind on understanding what we are trying to do on both ends of the floor,” Hardaway said. “He’s trying, and we really need him to be out there because he is our biggest guard, (and) he’s very talented.”
Hardaway said Jones’ ceiling is unlimited, but he has to understand the schemes and know the play calling. The freshman is not where he needs to be, Hardaway said. He also said Jones may just be the best offensive guard, but sometimes he gets lost on offense and defense while playing.
Looking ahead
Now that Memphis has won just as many games that they have lost, the Tigers will have a chance to improve their record to a winning one.
Hardaway said the up-and-down season has built a lot of character for this team, and he wants to continue to challenge them. Memphis will play a noon game against the UAB Blazers on Dec. 8. The Blazers are currently first in the Conference-USA, sitting at 6-2 on the young season.
Tyler Harris makes his defensive presence known against a South Dakota State player. He earned two steals on the night.
