Tigers Ride Hot Streak to SMU Sunday to Wrap Up Road Trip
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The Memphis Tigers conclude a three-game road trip Sunday afternoon at RV/RV SMU. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. on ESPN.
With a win, the Tigers would overtake SMU in the American Athletic Conference standings and move into sole possession of second place with four games remaining in the regular season. A victory would also be Memphis' seventh in a row, with its streak starting after a 70-62 loss to SMU Jan. 20 at FedExForum.
A seven-game winning streak would be the Tigers' longest since 10-straight triumphs from Nov. 16-Dec. 30, 2019.
A win Sunday would also secure a fifth-consecutive 10-win season in AAC play. That would include each of the four seasons under head coach Penny Hardaway.
SMU enters the game with a 9-3 AAC mark and an 18-6 overall record. The Mustangs are paced by Kendric Davis' 19.1 points per game, which leads the AAC. SMU also has the conference's second-leading rebounder, Marcus Weathers, whose 7.1 boards per game are just behind Memphis' Jalen Duren's 7.7.
The Memphis coaching staff has two people with ties to SMU. Assistant coach Larry Brown went 94-39 as head coach at SMU for four seasons from 2012-16, including the Mustangs' first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1993 in 2014-15. Additionally, Memphis assistant to the head coach Shawn Forrest was an assistant coach at SMU under Tim Jankovich for three seasons from 2016-19, which included SMU's 30-5 2016-17 campaign.
After Sunday's game, the Tigers return to FedExForum for two games. Memphis hosts Temple Thursday night at 6 p.m. and Wichita State next Sunday at 1:30 p.m. The regular season then concludes March 3 at South Florida and March 6 at home against Houston.
GAME DETAILS
Memphis Tigers (15-8, 9-4 AAC) at RV/RV SMU Mustangs (18-6, 9-3 AAC)
Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022 | 2 p.m. CT
Moody Coliseum (7,000); Dallas, Texas
Television: ESPN (Kevin Brown, pxp; Jon Crispin, analysis)
BY THE NUMBERS
2013-14: The last time Memphis won four-straight road conference games, which can happen Sunday; also the last season the Tigers had two top-10 wins in the same year and the last time they made the NCAA Tournament.1st: Alex Lomax' assist-to-turnover ratio of 6.7:1 over the last three games (20 assists, 3 turnovers) is the best in the AAC among players who have played three games.13.7: Points per game for Jalen Duren over his last six games, all of which have been double-digit scoring efforts; also averaging 9.0 rebounds per game with three double-doubles.10: Consecutive wins in the month of February for the Tigers, dating back to Feb. 29, 2020; Memphis is 19-7 in February under head coach Penny Hardaway.
THE LAST TIME OUT
The Tigers picked up their sixth-straight win with an 81-74 victory at Cincinnati Tuesday night.With the win, Memphis completes a regular-season series sweep over the Bearcats for the first time since 1994-95 when the two were in the Great Midwest Conference.Memphis was led by Tyler Harris' 15 points.Jalen Duren and Landers Nolley II had 13 points apiece, and Lester Quinones added 12.Josh Minott was also in double figures with 10 points and six rebounds in 15 minutes.Alex Lomax played 33 minutes and had nine assists with no turnovers.Memphis led by as many as 17 points in the first half and held a 41-26 advantage at the break.The Tigers shot 52.9 percent in the first half (18-34) and held Cincinnati to 26.7 percent shooting (8-30).Cincinnati pulled within four points in with just over eight minutes to play, 60-56, but Duren scored six-straight points to put the Tigers back up by 10 at 66-56.The Bearcats got no closer than five points down the stretch.Memphis ended the game hitting six of its last seven shots.Cincinnati was led by Jeremiah Davenport's 20 points.
NOTING THE OPPONENT
SMU went 11-6 a season ago and finished fourth in the AAC with a 7-4 record.The Mustangs advanced to the NIT, where they bowed out in the first round after an 85-84 loss to Boise State.Memphis then went on to beat Boise State in the quarterfinals, 59-56.Davis was the AAC's leading scorer and assist-giver a season ago at 19.0 points and 7.6 assists per game.The Mustangs also return Emmanuel Bandoumel, who averaged 10.2 points per game.SMU was picked to finish third in this season's preseason coaches poll, behind Houston and Memphis.Davis was a unanimous first-team all-conference pick in the preseason.SMU has won four total AAC championships, winning the regular season and tournament titles in 2015 and 2017.The Mustangs have had 17 All-AAC honorees, the highest in the conference, in the first eight seasons of the league.