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New Year’s Resolutions: Memphis Tigers

Memphis

Over the course of the holiday week, we at College Basketball Talk will be detailing what we believe will be the New Year’s Resolutions of some of the nation’s most talented, most disappointing, and thoroughly enigmatic teams. What can we say, we’re in a giving mood.

Who else made Resolutions? Click here to find out.

WHAT DOES MEMPHIS PROMISE TO DO MORE OF?: Rebound


  • Why it will happen: In seven out of 10 games this season (not including Saturday’s contest against Jackson State) the Tigers have been outrebounded by opponents, which includes given Florida an 11-point edge on the glass in a 77-75 loss -- one of two losses on the season for Memphis. The Tigers have to quality players on the frontline in Austin Nichols and Shaq Goodwin, the MVP of the Old Spice Classic, and two of their four guard back court -- Chris Crawford and Geron Johnson -- are both capable rebounders as well.
  • Why it won’t happen: Memphis has one more non-conference game -- against Gonzaga on Feb. 8 -- following Saturday’s matchup against Jackson State. The Tigers are going into a much better conference than Conference-USA, and currently the Tigers are ranked in the middle of the pack in the American Athletic Conference in rebounds per game. Memphis is off to an 8-2 record, and even despite being beat up on the board, whether it’s a product of a better frontline, like the case in the Florida game, or due to the smaller lineup, Memphis plays great defense to try and compensate for its shortcomings on the glass.

WHAT DOES MEMPHIS SWEAR THEY WILL DO LESS OF?: Struggle against quality opponents


  • Why it will happen: The Tigers have started to change the narrative that Josh Pastner’s teams can’t win big games. Two weeks after being blown out in Stillwater, the Tigers proved this season’s team was different, erasing a 10-point halftime deficit to the same OK State team, avenging that 21-point loss. The Tigers have the talent on the roster -- led by one of the best back courts in the nation -- as well as the fight, which was on display in the loss to Florida as well -- to continue to change people’s perception of them. Memphis will also enter the tournament more battle-tested, playing UConn and Louisville twice as opposed to running through C-USA.
  • Why it won’t happen: We’re going off a sample, but a promising sample for Memphis. The Tigers fought hard and nearly left Madison Square Garden with a win over Florida after overcoming struggles in the first meeting with OK State to pull off a neutral floor win. We’ll have a better understanding of how this team deals with quality opponents when conference play begins. Four of its first five conference games are against Cincinnati, at Louisville, at Temple and against UConn while also hosting Gonzaga in February.

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