NCAA Basketball Power Rankings: Michigan State soars, Memphis plummets

One loss is not going to cause me to sell all of my stock in Memphis. With that said, though, dropping a home game to Georgia is certainly concerning. This is especially true considering Anthony Edwards, UGA’s star, was kept in check and did not single-handedly will the Bulldogs to victory. Memphis was simply outplayed by Georgia in its own gym and that caused a major drop in the rankings. I still think that the Tigers belong as one of the three favorites in the AAC this season even without James Wiseman but they need to prove it during conference play.

Through the opening two months of this season, Memphis’ success has been predicated on setting the pace of games. Most of the Tigers’ worst performances so far this year have come when they were forced to slow down a bit compared to their usual standards. This team ranks 10th in the nation in adjusted tempo and can struggle when forced to play long drawn-out possessions. Sticking true to pushing the pace of games will be crucial moving forward.

Additionally, the nation needs to take notice of Precious Achiuwa. While most of the Memphis-related headlines this season have discussed the absence of Wiseman for the rest of the season, Achiuwa has been absolutely superb. The 6-foot-8 forward has emerged as a legitimate star over the past few weeks and looks to be a potential frontrunner for the AAC Player of the Year. He is averaging a double-double for the season and has been especially successful over Memphis’ last four contests: 18.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game on 63.0% shooting.

Memphis, despite its loss this week, still sits at 12-2 (1-0 AAC) for the season and holds three wins over the KenPom Top 100.