Memphis Basketball: 3 keys to beat Clemson in non-conference matchup

Memphis entered the month of December riding high after getting all the way to the Maui Invitational Championship Game, eventually coming up short against Auburn. However, a surprising defeat at the hands of Arkansas State just last week showed the Tigers still have work to do as they enter the home stretch of their non-conference schedule.

Things don't get any easier for Penny Hardaway and the Tigers moving forward. Three of their next four opponents are ranked, including going on the road to Clemson over the weekend. Clemson looks ready to build on last season's Elite Eight run with a 9-1 start, punctuated with their upset of Kentucky.

What will be a tough game on the road for Memphis could set the tenor for the entire month, and the beginning of American Athletic Conference action. Hardaway will have to have his team up and ready to go as they travel to one of the sport's most underrated venues in Littlejohn Coliseum.

1. Take care of the basketball

In their two losses, Memphis has unsurprisingly finished with more turnovers than their opponent. That includes 20 in the defeat to Arkansas State, a sloppy showing that disrupted their entire offensive rhtythm in the eventual loss.

Going up against a well-coached Clemson team, Memphis cannot continue their turnover woes. They have to take care of the basketball and make smart decisions, including taking smart shots. Tyrese Hunter will be the X-factor - the former Iowa State and Texas transfer is one of the game's premier distributors when he's playing well, but his playmaking can often come with mistakes. He has to do a better job of taking what the defenses give him, slowing down, and looking for the easy play. Memphis has the athletes and the talent to win games like this, but the program also tends to play out of control in games like this under Hardaway. That has to change if they want not just to win this game, but make noise in the postseason.

2. Attack the paint and get Clemson into foul trouble

Clemson has been tremendous defensively so far this season, holding opponents to just over 62 points per game. The Kentucky game showed they could do it against elite offenses, too, as they held the Wildcats to just 66 points on 38% shooting from the field and 26% from three.

This will be a tough team to score consistently on, but Memphis has to play aggressively to overcome that defense. They should look to match Clemson's physicality and get as much action in the paint as possible, particularly early on. Playing downhill and getting to the basket may also be able to put pressure on Clemson's bigs, forcing them into foul trouble in quick order. If Memphis can get Ian Schieffelin and Viktor Lakhin into foul trouble, it opens up a world of possibilities for this offense, and also robs Clemson of one of their best all-around players in Schieffelin. That said, knocking down the free ones once they get there will be just as important - the Tigers currently rank 129th in the nation at the stripe, hitting 73.4%.

3. Play to the environment

I do wonder if there's something to be said for Memphis playing their worst game of the young season at home. This has been a pattern for Hardaway and the Tigers - they seem to get up for neutral site and big road games, but don't always play with that same energy when it's in front of the home crowd. The Maui Invitational is the obvious example, but even in the Louisiana Tech game in early December, Memphis seemed a little flat and was outplayed for most of the game despite the end result.

Fortunately, heading into Littlejohn allows them to show what they can do against a power conference team on the road. With the Kentucky win so fresh and Clemson also winning their ACC opener over Miami, I suspect Littlejohn and their 9,000-plus seats will be rocking. This gives Memphis an opportunity to play to their environment and play with the energy they need to succeed in what should be a physical, grueling type of game.

We'll learn a lot about the Memphis Tigers over the next couple of weeks before they dive into conference play. They've already built a strong resume thanks to their play in Maui, but finishing up the non-conference slate in impressive fashion could pay major dividends come Selection Sunday. Clemson is a tough way to start, particularly on the road, but it may just be what Memphis needs to get rolling once again.