Memphis returns to action Thursday night for a home game against Wichita State. The Tigers have lost four games in a row, and they’ll look to close the regular season strong before heading to Birmingham for the conference tournament.
The Shockers are 8-2 in their last 10 games, including a win over Penny Hardaway’s team, and they are in a great position to secure a bye in Birmingham.
In the first game, Wichita State capitalized on a massive first half, where it led by as many as 21 points, and secured a 15-point victory. Kenyon Giles and Karon Boyd, who are the team’s two leading scorers, both led the team with 14 points, while big man Will Berg recorded a double-double.
Giles leads the team in scoring, averaging 19.1 points per game, but he’s averaging 26.5 points over his last four games, including a 27-point performance against Temple, where he made five three-pointers.
As a team, the Shockers average 77.4 points per game, shooting 44.4 percent from the field, 34.4 percent from deep and 67.6 percent from the free-throw line.
Defensively, Wichita State holds opponents to 70.3 points per game, and opposing teams are shooting 42.4 percent from the field and 30.7 percent from deep. The team averages 40 rebounds per game, and they have a plus-6.6 rebounding margin.
Here’s a look at how to watch Memphis’ game against the Shockers:
TV: ESPN2
Stream: WatchESPN
Radio: 98.9 The Roar of Memphis
Line: Memphis -1.5
Time: 8:00 p.m. CT
Here’s what to keep an eye on during the Tigers’ game against Wichita State:
Aaron Bradshaw played less than a minute in Memphis’ loss against UAB, and all eyes will be on the conference’s availability report for an update on his status. During his weekly radio show, Penny Hardaway said that Bradshaw was “day-to-day”, and it will be interesting to see if he’s able to play against the Shockers.
The Tigers have struggled in the rebounding category for most of the season, and they gave up 40 rebounds in the first game against Wichita State. Hardaway could use all of his big men available for what feels like a very important home game, and without Bradshaw, Memphis could struggle in the paint.
Prior to Sunday’s game, Dug McDaniel struggled to make shots, and he shot 28.3 percent from the field over a five-game span. The point guard looked better against UAB, scoring 15 of his 19 points in the second half, and Memphis will need him to play like that through the rest of the season.
Despite the recent shooting woes, McDaniel still leads the team in scoring, and it’ll be interesting if Sunday’s second-half performance shook the slump.
The Tigers have lost three straight games by double-digits, and they need to capitalize on the final four games to improve in the conference standings.
If the conference ended today, Memphis would be the seventh seed in the conference tournament. However, they have a realistic opportunity to secure a spot inside the top five with some success over these last four games.