Oregon Basketball: 2019-20 keys to beating the Memphis Tigers
By Connor Hope
Don’t be afraid to foul James Wiseman
Assuming Francis Okoro is healthy, the Ducks better be prepared to play Wiseman as physically as humanly possible, even if that means their bigs foul more often than usual. The best way to throw a center with the talent of Wiseman off is to show you aren’t afraid to defend him tough.
Because of the talent Memphis has throughout their roster, the Ducks will need to defend Wiseman with limited double teams. Having Okoro healthy will help, but Shakur Juiston and Chandler Lawson will also need to take their turns defending the big man.
If the Ducks were able to play their freshman center N’Faly Dante, this matchup would be a lot easier to handle. However, with all available players standing under 6’10” and weighing less than Wiseman, it won’t be easy to establish physicality. Making Wiseman respect his defender should be the most important goal of the first five minutes, and that won’t be easy.
Usually interior defenders have to balance playing tough with avoiding fouls, but in this case, I want the Ducks to risk a couple of hard fouls. The math is simple, James Wiseman shot 83% from the floor through his first two games and only 71% from the stripe. As long as the Ducks’ forwards don’t get into foul trouble too early, fouling is a small price to pay to keep Wiseman away from the rim.
If they can limit Wiseman’s dominance with one or one-and-a-half defenders, the wings and guards should be able to focus on defending the shooters around him.