The Memphis Tigers men’s basketball team (9-5) played their first conference game against Wichita State Shockers (7-6). The game started with sloppy offense and solid defense from both teams, as neither team could pull away from the other.
Offensive prowess
After the tough start, the Tigers were able to get moving offensively behind Kyvon Davenport, as he totaled 25 points and five rebounds. Memphis shot 28-56 from the field for 50 percent. While the Tigers bench put up 44 points to the Shockers 18.
While the Tigers' offense was rolling, the Wichita St. offense seemed to sputter at times, connecting on 29-66 from the field for 43.9 percent. The Shockers hurt themselves by forcing the three-ball, 10-33 from deep for 30.3 percent, as the Memphis defense held Wichita St. to 26 paint points.
The difference maker was the amount of times each team was sent to the charity-stripe. The Tigers only sent the Shockers to the foul line a total of six times (6-6), while Memphis was able to create more opportunities and get to the line 31 times (25-31).
Jones continues his star turn
The decision to insert Antwann Jones into the starting lineup instead of Alex Lomax a few weeks ago was one that was initially met with skepticism from some. However, since the switch, Jones has done nothing but validate coach Hardaway’s decision.
In the team’s conference opener against Wichita State, Jones poured in a career-high 16 points to go along with two rebounds and a steal. Although he may not have led in one statistical category, the freshman guard made his presence felt the entire time he was on the floor, as he banged around inside, competed with players much taller than him and appeared to just be comfortable in traffic.
“Back in my YMCA days when I was a young kid, I played the five,” Jones said. “So, I'm used to playing against dudes that are bigger than me or the same size as me. So, I’m just comfortable doing that type of thing.”
As the conference schedule heats up and the games take on more importance, the Tigers will certainly feel good about themselves if Jones can continue to develop both as a scorer and a defender.
Rebounding continues to get better
One of the primary concerns about this Memphis team coming into the season was their lack of size in the front court. Many wondered if the Tigers would struggle matching up with larger, physical teams and that rebounding would be a crippling weakness. However, after four straight games where they’ve won that statistic, some of those concerns seem a bit overblown now.
Against Wichita State, a program known for its physical style of play, Memphis was able to dominate the boards by a margin of 35-29. The effort on the glass was team-wide, with everyone getting at least one rebound.
“I feel like the whole team hasn’t gotten involved in rebounding and once we do, we’ll be outrebounding teams by 10 or 15,” senior forward Kyvon Davenport said. “It will just get better and better.”
After dropping some closely contested non-league games to physical opponents early on, the Tigers have found their stride on the glass. With players gaining more confidence and wins beginning to pile up, a perceived weakness coming into this year has quietly shifted to a pivotal strength.
Looking ahead:
The Tigers will travel to Houston to play the No. 19 Cougars (14-0 (1-0)) on Jan. 6. The Tigers have not played a road game since Dec. 1 and will be going against a Cougars team that has won 25 straight home games. Davenport said the team has not looked to Houston yet, but will be ready.
“We haven’t prepared for them yet, but we are gonna prepare,” Davenport said. “I feel like we just got to stay focused. Keep our mental and we can go there and have a great game and win.”
Jones said the Tigers can battle any team that steps on the court against them.
“To chime in on that, when we are locked in, I feel like we can compete with any team in the country, not just Houston,” Jones said.
Kyvon Davenport pulls up mid-range jump shot early in the first half against South Dakota State. Davenport ended the game with five points and five rebounds
