Despite their impressive record and first place in the American athletic conference, Memphi’s tigers find that their NCAA tournament is resumed in the eyes of many forecasters.
The 22nd ranked tigers will try to get back on track when they host Florida Atlantic on Sunday in Memphis.
The tigers (21-5, 11-2 AAC) had an eight-game winning line that was snapped in an overtime loss of 84-79 in Wichita State on February 16.
In summary, Florida Atlantic (15-11, 8-5) will also be loss for The Shockers in their latest game on Thursday.
Memphis, although it is still expected to do the NCAA tournament, has seen its projected sowing slip some places in several brackets. The tigers will need to avoid further harmful losses to strengthen their status after the season during the last two weeks of the regular season and the AAC tournament.
But Memphi’s tough nonconference slate, against which it went 10-3, and the fact that Tigers has a 6-2 record in Quad 1 play leader Penny Hardaway to believe that his page is undervalued.
“I feel we can be 26-0 and still be a seed no. 6,” Hardaway said on Friday. “It’s almost distracting for the guys probably, because they go,” man, how does this work? “
“We did all that work in nonconference, and we have only lost two matches in the conference. I love our conference. It is more difficult than people giving it credit for, but the nation and voters will not let you get past a certain point. “
The tigers have five games with regular season left to play, starting with their second collision against Florida Atlantic. Memphis directed Owls 90-62 on January 2 in Boca Raton, FLA.
Tyrese Hunter had 20 points in that game and Tigers went an astonishing 10 of 18 from 3-point interval. Memphis shot 55.9 percent from the field in total, while they held the owls to only 32.4 percent field goal shooting and 5 out of 31 (16.1 percent) from long distance.
PJ Haggerty, who had 19 points in that competition, leads Memphis with averages of 21.2 points and 3.8 assists per match. Haggery and Hunter each shoot better than 40 percent from 3-point intervals.
As with Memphis, the owls played well until they encountered growing Wichita State.
Florida Atlantic had won five in a row, but the problems with the circuit defense resurfaced when Shockers shot 6 out of 10 from 3-point intervals.
The owls cannot afford to experience another betrayal against Memphis.
“I thought there were some frustrated pictures taken by us, which is quite disappointing,” said Florida Atlantic coach John Jakus after the defeat. “We had 12 assists at 25 (field goals). It is not even 50 percent of the assistant relationship, which is a disappointment because we have hovering between 60 and 70 while we have won.”
The owls have a balanced scoring crime, led by Kelb Glenn at 12.9 points per match, three Carroll of 12.2 ppg and Baba Miller at 10.7 ppg. Florida Atlantic has another three players on average nine-plus points per competition.
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