Memphis returns to action on Saturday for another road matchup against Wichita State. The Tigers will look to bounce back following a 17-point loss against Tulsa and avoid losing back-to-back conference games for the first time this season.
The Shockers enter the game with a 12-8 record, and they’ve won back-to-back conference games over USF and ECU.
As a team, Wichita State averages 78 points per game, shooting 44.4 percent from the field and 36.3 percent from deep. Kenyon Giles leads the team in scoring, averaging 18.4 points per game, while shooting 42.2 percent from three-point range.
The Shockers average 41.2 rebounds per game, and 7-foot-2 center Will Berg leads the team with 8.2 rebounds per game. Wichita State ranks No. 5 in offensive rebounding percentage.
Paul Mills’ team also doesn’t turn the ball over a lot, averaging 10.3 turnovers per game, and they only force 10.6 turnovers per contest.
Here’s a look at how to watch the Tigers game against Wichita State:
TV: ESPN2
Stream: WatchESPN
Radio: 98.9 The Roar of Memphis
Line: Wichita St. -5.5
Time: 3:00 p.m. CT
What to expect from Memphis against the Shockers:
It’ll be interesting to see how Memphis responds after the loss against Tulsa. The Tigers led by five points with 8:18 left in the game before the Hurricane went on a 26-4 run to close the game.
Penny Hardaway’s team completely unravelled down the stretch, and the first few minutes of Saturday’s game will tell a lot about where this team is. The team will be fine if they can split the two road games, but they’ll be in a difficult spot if they return home with three conference losses.
Memphis got Julius Thedford and Aaron Bradshaw back from injuries earlier this week, and Hardaway went with the same starting lineup he used against Temple, the game in which Bradshaw suffered his injury. It appears Hardaway might’ve found a lineup he likes to use early in games, and it’ll be interesting to see if he uses that starting five again on Saturday.
Ashton Hardaway led the team in scoring and recorded a season-high 18 points, including five three-pointers. Hardaway came off the bench, and he could become a nice option for the Tigers if he can become more consistent with the three-point shot.