Memphis starts the conference tournament Wednesday night against Tulane. The two teams ended the regular season against each other, and they split the series during the regular season.
The Green Wave enter the conference tournament after losing four straight games to end the regular season, and they’re looking to get revenge after Memphis knocked Tulane out of the conference tournament last season.
Ron Hunter’s team averages 72.5 points per game, and they shoot 42.9 percent from the field, 32.1 percent from deep and 75.8 percent from the free-throw line. Three players average more than 12 points per game, and Rowan Brumbaugh, who scored 31 on Sunday, leads the team in scoring and rebounding.
The Green Wave lacks size in the frontcourt and struggles in the rebounding category. As a team, they average 31 rebounds per game, and they have a rebounding margin of minus-7.9.
Defensively, they allow 75.8 points per game, and opposing teams shoot 44.2 percent from the field and 34.5 percent from deep. Tulane forces 11.9 turnovers per game, and it turns those takeaways into 14.2 points off turnovers.
Here’s a look at how to watch the Tigers’ first-round matchup in the American Tournament against Tulane:
TV: ESPNEWS
Stream: WatchESPN
Radio: 98.9 The Roar of Memphis
Line: Memphis -3.5
Time: 6:00 p.m. CT
Winner will play: No. 5 seed Charlotte
What to watch for from Memphis against the Green Wave:
The Tigers beat Tulane on Sunday, but the game could’ve easily gone in the other direction. Hunter’s team led by double digits in the first half, and they took an early six-point lead in overtime before Memphis rallied to win the game.
Th biggest thing for Wednesday night will be a better start. The Tigers shot only 37.5 percent from the field and 22.2 percent from deep in the first half, and they allowed the Green Wave to score 40 points over the first 20 minutes.
It’ll be interesting to see if Hardaway sticks with the same starting lineup against Tulane or if he switches it up with the back-to-back. In the first half, the starting five went a combined 5-for-15 from the field, and none of the starters made more than one field goal.
Quante Berry led the team in scoring with 22 points, and he will be a player to watch tonight in the conference tournament. Berry averaged 6.1 points during the regular season, but he has shown the ability to light it up.
Hardaway has limited the rotation late in the season, and only eight players saw action in New Orleans. Only six players played in the second half and overtime, and it’ll be interesting to see if the head coach goes with a similar rotation in the conference tournament.
The Tigers will be forced to win five games in five days in order to win the conference tournament, and they will likely play a longer rotation to keep guys fresh.