NCAA Basketball: Duke, Memphis, Michigan State rise in latest top 25 power rankings
By Joey Loose
13. Memphis (12-2)
With a stockpile of solid wins, Memphis has proven they belong in the conversation this season. They are one of the two solid teams left in the AAC but didn’t waste their nonconference opportunities, with wins over Clemson, Texas A&M, and Virginia among the highlights. The Tigers have been far from perfect this season, but they did notch a seventh straight win this past week as conference play got underway.
It all started on the road for the Tigers and it got a little closer than expected, as a 14-point halftime lead vanished late at Tulsa. Jahvon Quinerly hit a game-winning 3-pointer late for a 78-75 road win against the Golden Hurricane. David Jones and Nae’Qwan Tomlin both had 17 points to lead the team as the Tigers did just enough to hold on for a 1-0 start to AAC play.
Memphis’s play in recent weeks has been questionable at times, but they’ve had the answers and held on for some important wins, putting themselves in this enviable position. This is a talented roster with enough depth to do significant damage this season; we’ll just have to see how they fare when getting the best shot from their conference foes. Next week includes home dates with SMU and UTSA.