NCAA Basketball: Key early-season tournament games for 2021-22 season

Memphis versus Virginia Tech (maybe Xavier too)

The complexity of the interest in the 2021-22 Memphis Tigers is layered, one could say like an onion. First and foremost freshman Emoni Bates is under the assumption that he was recruited by head coach Anfernee Hardaway to play point guard – which could very well be the case, as only they know – although with Lester Quinones scoring twenty in an exhibition game versus Le Moyne Owen, Quinones may be the best option.

Another freshman of interest is 6’11 Jalen Duran who is more than capable of replacing Moussa Cisse. The undisclosed reason for leading scorer Landers Nolley missing the exhibition game along with Bates is creating interest at the moment but should be settled one way or another come November.

Head coach Mike Young brings back three starters – that happen to be three of their top five scorers – after finishing third in the ACC last season. As a No.10 seed, the Hokies fell to Florida in the first round. After losing that game, they lost starting point guard Wabissa Bede and over 9 points per game guard Jalen Cone. In the same sense that the aforementioned starting frontcourt is returning the Hokies will have a brand new backcourt.

Those departures will elevate Hunter Cattoor (8.5 ppg) to starting off guard while Wofford transfer Storm Murphy (17.8 ppg, 4.3 apg) becomes the starting point guard. Murphy’s 40 percent from beyond the arc will bring a different dynamic to the point guard position as Cone and Bede shot 35 percent and 25 percent respectively.

Murphy will join Naheim Alleyne and Hunter Cattoor as starters who connect at better than 40 percent from the three-point line. If both teams are healthy and have all their players eligible this match-up will be one to watch, if not, Virginia Tech and Xavier will be a great much up in the finals.