Top Performers from Memphis season-opening win over Iowa State

Memphis pulled off the upset win to open the college basketball season with an 80-76 victory on Monday. The Tigers led most of the game, and their point guard stepped up to close the game in the final few minutes of regulation.

The win was a massive statement victory for Penny Hardaway following last year’s results, and it makes the head coach 9-0 in season openers since taking over at Memphis.

The Tigers received notice that their appeal for Nemanja Popović was denied, so Hardaway started Maxim Logue in his place. Logue played 12 minutes and finished with five rebounds and an assist but didn’t score.

The Tigers shot 41.8 percent from the field, 45 percent from deep and 75.8 percent from the free-throw line. Three of the five starters finished in double figures and all scored 15 or more points. 

Here are the top performers from Memphis’ win over Iowa State.

Jayden Reid

Jayden Reid led the Tigers in scoring last night, and most of his production happened in the second half. Reid stepped up when Memphis needed scoring and scored the team’s final 11 points to secure the win.

Reid finished with 26 points, four assists, three rebounds and three steals, and he went 11-for-15 from the field and 2-for-4 from deep. He also didn’t commit a single turnover running the offense.

Iowa State tied the game with 3:15 left in the game, and Reid took over shortly after that. He got to the basket a few times and knocked down a massive three-pointer with 38 seconds left in the game before making two more clutch free throws to close the game out.

Luke Almodovar

Almodovar finished with 18 points, and most of his production happened in the first half. He finished with 18 points, eight rebounds, two assists, two steals and two turnovers in 28 minutes of action.

In the first half, he led the team with 12 points and eight rebounds, and he closed the half with a posterizing dunk to give the Tigers a ton of energy entering the half.

Almodovar was aggressive throughout the game, and he fouled out with about three minutes left in the game. When he left the game, he was the leading scorer before Reid turned up the intensity to close the game.

Corneilous Williams

Corneilous Williams saw little playing time during the two exhibitions, but with Nemanja Popović out, there was an opportunity for more playing time. Williams started on the bench behind Maxim Logue, but he played 22 minutes off the bench and finished with six points, eight rebounds and a block.

The North Alabama transfer didn’t try to do anything flashy, but he played his role well and grabbed six offensive rebounds. The Tigers grabbed 12 offensive rebounds, and Williams accounted for half of them.

It will be interesting to see if his role grows over the next few games with Popović still out.