Forward Kyvon Davenport goes up for a dunk against Cincinnati. Davenport had two double doubles on the road last week.
The Memphis Tigers men’s basketball team (13-9) has had a tough time on the road, with all four conference losses coming from away games. The Tigers return home, after dropping the last two games, to face the No. 25 Cincinnati Bearcats (19-3). The Bearcats have had a strong conference showing, going 8-1, but Memphis is a different team at FedExForum.
“It feels good, man,†Tigers head coach Penny Hardaway said to reporters Wednesday. “You know, obviously the road woes are very frustrating. We watch film to see exactly what it is but then go into the next game and repeat. We just have to get better at that. But at home, we’ve had the energy. We fed off the crowd and we’ve been having some great numbers with fans coming out and the place being packed. It definitely gives us the energy to play our hearts out. It’s been working. We just want to continue that.â€
Slowing down CumberlandÂ
The Bearcats are on a seven-game winning streak and average 45.9 percent from the field shooting, but the offense flows through 6-foot-5 guard Jarron Cumberland, as he currently averages 18.7 points per game and 3.5 assists. Both are team highs.
Memphis will need to shut Cumberland down and get him into foul trouble early to force other players on the Bearcats to step up. Cumberland does have range, as he is shooting 42.3 percent from deep, so the Tigers’ perimeter defense will need to make an appearance early to keep him from getting a hot hand.
Cincinnati is currently averaging 75 points per game, while Memphis is averaging 82.8. Taking Cumberland out of the game may be too big of a blow to overcome for the Bearcats.
Seniors start strong
While the Tigers do average more points per game, starting strong in the first half will be key to beating their first ranked team of the season. Jeremiah Martin scored a ridiculous 41 points in the second half against the South Florida Bulls, albeit in an 84-78 loss. Martin needs to capture that energy early and put Cincinnati in an uncomfortable situation.
Kyvon Davenport was moved to the bench earlier in the season due to Penny Hardaway thinking he generated more energy. Davenport leads the team in rebounds per game with 7.4 and will be vital in giving the Tigers second chance opportunities against Cincinnati, as the Bearcats currently average 35.5 boards to the Tigers’ 38.2.
Kareem Brewton Jr. was looking like a more-than-capable sharp shooter for Memphis, especially against SMU, where he went 6-11 from deep, but since then, Brewton has struggled to hit consistently, shooting 0-10 from deep since that game. Brewton’s range will be needed against a Bearcat team averaging 4.8 blocks per game.
Defensive production
Memphis can score quite a few points very fast, being one of the faster teams in the league. However, the defensive side of the ball has not been as consistent. The Tigers are giving up an average of 77.3 points per game, only 5.5 points less than their 82.8 average on offense. This has led to many close games and given Memphis issues closing out down the stretch.
Martin currently leads the Tigers in steals with 2.4 per game, while Isaiah Maurice has become a strong rim protector with an average of one block per game. For these lower range numbers to be team leading shows that Memphis needs to step up on the defense, as they have shown the potential before. The Tigers need to show not only themselves but the rest of American Athletic Conference they are not a push around team, and upsetting Cincinnati will be a strong statement on route to a tournament bid.
