In just a few hours, Memphis will return to action with another road game against South Florida. This will be the third and final road game for the Tigers on this three-game road trip, and Penny Hardaway’s team will look to avoid a three-game losing streak tonight.
The Bulls enter the game with an 18-8 record, and they lead the American with only three conference losses. Two of the three losses were at the Yuengling Center, but they haven’t lost a conference game by more than three points.
Bryan Hodgson is in his first season with USF after spending the last two years at Arkansas State. Hodgson led the Red Wolves to a 25-11 season last year, including a 13-point victory inside FedExForum.
As a team, the Bulls average 88.8 points per game, shooting 44.4 percent from the field, 33.4 percent from three-point range and 73.2 percent from the free-throw line. Five players average more than 10 points per game, and Izaiyah Nelson, who joined the team from Arkansas State, leads the team with 16 points and 9.8 rebounds per game.
Defensively, USF allows 78.5 points per game, and opposing teams are shooting 42.2 percent from the field and 35.1 percent from deep. The Bulls grab 42.7 rebounds per game, and they have a rebounding margin of plus-4.7.
Here’s a look at how to watch Memphis’ game against the Bulls:
TV: ESPN2
Stream: WatchESPN
Radio: 98.9 The Roar of Memphis
Line: USF -8.5
Time: 6:00 p.m. CT
What to expect from the Tigers in Thursday night’s game against USF:
Memphis lost back-to-back games last week against North Texas and Utah State, and they’re currently a game under .500 on the year. While they have a 12-13 record on the season, the Tigers are in a three-way tie for the second-best record in the American, but they have losses against Tulsa and Wichita State, the other two teams sitting at 9-5 in conference games.
The Tigers made several headlines over the weekend, but one of them was the suspension of Hasan Abdul Hakim and Zach Davis before Saturday night’s game. Memphis released a statement on Wednesday announcing that Abdul Hakim is no longer with the team, while they have reinstated Davis.
It’s unclear if Davis will play tonight against USF.
Hardaway’s team has struggled with fouls all season, and the issues were on full display a week ago when the Mean Green spent most of the game aggressively getting to the rim and drawing fouls. The Tigers could face a similar challenge against USF.
The Bulls rank No. 5 in the country in average two-point attempt distance, according to KenPom, and they will likely be trying to get to the rim and draw fouls against the Tigers. USF attempts 20.6 free-throws per game, and the Tigers have allowed 26 or more free throws in six of their last eight games.
While Memphis has gotten nice production from Sincere Parker, Dug McDaniel has struggled in recent weeks, and Hardaway could use a back-bounce game from his starting point guard. The guard has only averaged 7.3 points, while shooting 27.9 percent from the field.