The Memphis Tigers are in need of a big victory. Can they pull it off against the No. 11 Auburn Tigers? Here’s a preview of the matchup.
TV schedule: Saturday, December 10th, 5:00 pm ET. ESPN2
Arena: State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia
There are just 10 unbeaten teams left in college basketball, with the Auburn Tigers (9-0) being on them. They’re coming off a 93-66 victory over Colgate. Eight players scored at least eight points for the Tigers, led by K.D. Johnson off the bench with 16. He’s one of three double-digit scorers on the season, with Wendell Green (13.4 ppg and 3.8 apg) and big man Johni Broome (10.9 ppg and 8.7 rpg) also in the mix.
Auburn hasn’t faced too much competition to this point, with wins over Saint Louis and Northwestern being its best victories to this point. But they have a tough foe coming up in Memphis (7-2), who after a 2-2 start is on a five-game winning streak. Their most recent victory is an 87-71 win over Little Rock, led by 16 points from Deandre Williams. Senior guard Jayden Hardaway had a career-high 16 points, while Alex Lomax chipped in with 10 points, four assists, and five steals.
Memphis scoring 87 points without much from star point guard Kendric Davis (8 points on 3/15 shooting) is a great sign of the team’s offensive strengths. He’ll have to deal with Johnson and Green in the backcourt and Auburn’s defense is much more unrelenting compared to Little Rock. The matchup between Broome and Williams inside will be fun to watch as well.
The strength of both teams is on the defensive end, with shooting a bit inconsistent as well. This has all the makings of it being a low-scoring affair, with the first to 60 points wins. The Memphis Tigers need this win more than Auburn since they’re in the AAC and have no opportunities for signature victories going forward outside of Houston.
This will be a hard-fought and physical matchup, with the game being decided in the final minutes. In the end, I think the Tigers from the AAC find a way to get a much-needed win.
Prediction: Auburn 64, Memphis 60