After coming off a stretch where they played three consecutive days, the Memphis Tigers have returned to a normal playing schedule. However, they return to the road to face the Ole Miss Rebels. The program now has a new face, former Texas Longhorns head coach Chris Beard, at the helm. So far, under Beard’s watch, the Rebels are 6-0 on the season.
Their most dominating win so far came on Tuesday against North Carolina State 72-52. As for Memphis, they are coming off an underwhelming performance in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament’s final round, in which Villanova defeated them soundly. Overall, the Tigers were able to pick up quality wins over teams such as Michigan and Arkansas.
The loss to the Wildcats may have stung for a moment, but there’s still an opportunity to add significant nonconference victories to their resume. Memphis is currently 5-1 and has been seeking advancement into the AP’s exclusive top 25 ranking. Despite multiple performances where they have demonstrated that they are head and shoulders better than their opponents, the Tigers have been left off every top 25 rankings since the 2023-2024 campaign tipped off.
“We get judged so harshly, Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway said. We played five really good halves (at the Battle 4 Atlantis) and one really bad one. And we got judged on the one really bad one.” “Which is what it is at Memphis. We work so hard to get to the top, and all it takes is one loss for us to drop all the way back out of that situation.”
Hardaway believes the loss to Villanova may have influenced the voter’s decision not to include Memphis in the most recent AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll. Maybe a victory over the Rebels on Saturday can finally convince the committee to have the Tigers in next week’s rankings, which comes out on Monday. Along with trying to be ranked among college basketball’s best teams, there are a few intriguing storylines in Saturday’s matchup.
Former five-star recruit and Memphis Tiger Moussa Cisse has been deemed eligible to play this season after serving a three-game suspension mandated by the NCAA. Beard said the report came out right before the Rebels Tuesday night matchup with the NC State. Before joining the Rebels, Cisse spent the past two seasons as a member of the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Due to being a two-time transfer, Cisse needed a waiver approved by the NCAA to step on the court for the Rebels this season.
If Cisse is on the court for Ole Miss on Saturdays, he gives them a presence at the center position they have lacked. Ole Miss is ranked 233rd in rebound differential. The former Tiger has garnered a reputation as being one of college basketball’s top defenders. He was the 2021-22 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and ranked in the top 15 nationally last season in defensive rebounding and block percentage.
For Memphis to leave Oxford victorious, they must come out and play inspired basketball. They should be well rested and locked in to perform in Saturday’s crucial matchup. Expect top scorer David Jones to have another impactful performance. So far, the former Syracuse standout has averaged 17.8 points per game this season. The perimeter is an area where the Tigers can aggressively attack the Rebels in Saturday’s matchup. Ole Miss allows their opponents to score 34.1% of their points from behind the three-point line. The Rebels have two scorers that Memphis must be committed to defending at all times: Allen Flanigan and former Whitehaven star Matthew Murrell.
Score Prediction
Don’t be surprised if the flow of Saturday’s game follows the same pattern as the Missouri matchup, where you think all hope is lost for Memphis until proper adjustments are made. Expect the Tigers to pull out a sluggish but impressive victory in Oxford.
Memphis 84, Ole Miss 78
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