The road to the NCAA tournament starts now for the Memphis Tigers. After losing to UAB on Sunday, their losing streak was extended to three. The loss also ended their run as a top-25 team in college basketball for the foreseeable future. Memphis was placed as high as 10th in the top 25 rankings a few weeks prior. The margin for error has become more slim with each defeat.
To make things even more dire for the program, they were finally listed among the four bubble teams named on Joe Lundardi’s weekly bracketology post. So, how can they overcome these issues? By winning and winning some more. They must revert to those attributes that made them appear dominant against opponents such as Virginia, Clemson, Missouri, Arkansas, and Texas A&M. The Tigers head home to FedEx Forum to host the Rice Owls. The Owls are currently listed as the second-to-last team in the AAC standings.
They have lost seven of their last eight games in their first season as conference members. Everything that has gone wrong for the Owls should result in an easy victory for Memphis. However, as we have witnessed recently with the Tigers, few conference opponents have resulted in layup wins for Memphis. Talent-wise, the Tigers may have one of the better rosters in the conference right now, along with Florida Atlantic. But in the AAC, that does not guarantee a victory.
We are witnessing this season that on any night, programs with losing records or having the slightest chance to qualify for the tournament will fight to the very end. The last time that an opponent had a losing record and pushed the Tigers to the edge was against UTSA. The Roadrunners made 19 three-pointers in what went down as one of the most thrilling games of the Tigers 2023-2024 campaign. The Tigers would hang on to win 107-101 in overtime.
The game was a reminder that regardless of how talented a roster is, there’s always a chance of losing to an inferior opponent. Will that be the case on Wednesday against Rice? The Owls do not have the scoring capabilities that UTSA contains, which has put so many opponents on edge in the AAC this season. But with the Tigers currently struggling with defending and turnover issues, there’s always a chance of drama unfolding when there shouldn’t be.
The Owls allow teams to connect on 37.1% of their 3-point attempts. Overall, they do not do many things right based on where they are ranked as a team in many statistical categories. However, the Tigers must minimize their turnover and defensive issues to close Wednesday’s game with the least possible miscues.
Will Malcolm Dandrige continue his dominance as a top big man in the AAC right now? The Memphis native is coming off another game where he was an impact player for the Tigers. In last Sunday’s game against UAB, Dandridge scored a career-high 19 points, four steals, three rebounds, and two assists. On Wednesday, the Tigers may need another exceptional performance from Dandridge. Their front court will have to contend with Rice center Max Fiedler. Fielder leads the conference with 9.9 rebounds per game and is ranked fourth with a 64.7% field goal percentage. The Owls’ leading scorers are Travis Evee (15.7) and Mekhi Mason (13.9).
Score Prediction
While it will not look perfect, the Tigers losing streak will end at three.
Memphis 89, Rice 77
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