Jeremiah Martin looks for a teammate before his zip line pass. Memphis will open the first round with a home game against the sixth seeded San Diego Toreros.
After coming up just short against Houston in the semifinals of the American Athletic Conference tournament, all the University of Memphis Tigers had left to do was await their fate. While they knew a berth in the NCAA tournament would elude them, a chance to make the NIT still represented an opportunity for the program to end a five-year postseason drought.Â
Their hopes came to fruition Sunday night when they were announced as a three seed in a field that features several notable teams, including the likes of Alabama, Indiana, TCU, Clemson, and Loyola Chicago, the unlikely darling that warmed the hearts of an entire nation on their magical run to the Final Four in last year’s NCAA tournament.
Memphis will open the first round with a home game against the sixth seeded San Diego Toreros, who finished 21-14 in the regular season and made it to the semifinals of the West Coast Conference tournament before falling to the eventual champion, St. Mary’s.
The Toreros are led by seniors Isaiah Pineiro, Olin Carter III and Isaiah Wright, who together carry most of the scoring load for a roster that has a diverse blend of young players and experienced veterans. Pineiro comes into Tuesday night’s game posting 19 points per game, while Carter III and Wright both average at least 13. Â
As a team, San Diego rebounds the ball at a high rate, and their strength lies in their half-court offense. While they may not be from one of the power five conferences, the Toreros still faced multiple quality opponents in the WCC, including the likes of BYU and Gonzaga.
For a player like Jeremiah Martin, who won’t ever get the chance to play in the NCAA tourney, the NIT is a chance to finish his Tigers career on a positive note. Although he said he would rather be playing for a national title, he isn’t going to let his first postseason appearance go to waste.
“If we get into the NIT, I’m gonna go out and play hard just like it’s the tournament and try to win it,†Martin said Saturday after the semifinal loss to the Cougars. Â
Now that he’s gotten his wish, head coach Penny Hardaway’s team cannot afford to dwell on their shortcomings from the last few days. They must regroup and prepare for a tough San Diego team that will certainly be looking to quiet what is sure to be yet another raucous FedExForum home crowd.
If they get by the Toreros, Memphis would then play the winner of Creighton and Loyola Chicago the second round. If the Ramblers come out on top in that one, then the Tigers will get to host a second game on their home floor.
Against the Toreros and anyone else they’ll play if they get the win Tuesday, the Tigers will have no options but to keep winning if they wish to extend their season as far as possible. At this point, though, with the pressure on, they should feel their most comfortable. It’s been that way since February.
