Wednesday, January 22
Tulsa, Okla.
8 PM
University of Memphis
at
Tulsa (Coaches vs Cancer Game)
Tigers coach Penny Hardaway's team is ranked 20th in this week's AP Top 25.
Photo by: Matthew A. Smith
Tigers travel to play first-place Tulsa
Jan 21, 2020 | Men's Basketball
UofM will be led by freshmen Precious Achiuwa, D.J. Jeffries
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The 20th-ranked University of Memphis men's basketball team, energized by back-to-back American Athletic Conference wins and a healthy D.J. Jeffries, will look to extend its winning streak Wednesday night at Tulsa.
The Tigers (14-3, 3-1 AAC) will play the first-place Golden Hurricane (12-6, 4-1 AAC) in a game that tips off at 8 p.m. and will be carried by ESPNU.
Memphis has defeated USF (on the road) and Cincinnati (at home) since dropping a hard-fought decision on the road at then-No. 23 Wichita State on Jan. 9.
In last week's 60-49 victory over Cincinnati, the Tigers got a team-high 18 points from Jeffries, a freshman forward from Olive Branch, Miss. Jeffries had struggled since missing the UofM's Jan. 4 game against Georgia with the flu. He only scored six points in the team's following two games (Wichita State and USF) before breaking out against Cincinnati.
Tigers coach Penny Hardaway said a healthy Jeffries will make the UofM stronger.
"D.J. was playing pretty good basketball before he got sick," Hardaway said. "He's shown he's worthy of being mentioned with the top freshmen in the country. He brings a lot to the table."
Jeffries wasted little time in convincing Hardaway he had recovered from his illness. He hit two early 3-pointers against Cincinnati to give the UofM a 6-0 lead. In the second half – after UC had rallied from a 15-point deficit to take a one-point lead – Jeffries had two more 3-pointers during a 10-0 run that gave the Tigers a nine-point advantage.
While Jeffries returned to his early season form, another freshman forward – Precious Achiuwa – continued an amazing run. He established a conference record with his sixth-straight double-double. It was his 10th double-double of the season.
"Things (are) kind of slowing down and not being so fast for him," Hardaway said. "Precious wanted to play on the perimeter when he first got here. He wanted to take a bunch of jump shots. He wanted to show he had a floor game.
"On this level, we just needed him to be who he was. And, right now, that's doing everything really well and focusing 90 percent in the paint and maybe 10 percent on the perimeter. We don't stop him from bringing the ball up the court."
Achiuwa was recently named to the Sporting News 2019-20 Midseason All-America third team, a reflection of the strong first half of the season. He is the only freshman among the nine major conferences to average a double-double.
Tulsa will present a tough obstacle. The Golden Hurricane, winners of three straight, is tied with Houston atop the AAC standings and plays an effective zone defense. It has held each of its 12 victims this season to less than 40 percent shooting.
"They sprint back every time (to defend) and they are very active in that zone," Hardaway said. "They take charges in that zone. They force you into taking bad shots and then they box out.
"They play very hard and they are well coached. But that zone is what helps them push out on teams."
TIGERS NOTES
The Tigers (14-3, 3-1 AAC) will play the first-place Golden Hurricane (12-6, 4-1 AAC) in a game that tips off at 8 p.m. and will be carried by ESPNU.
Memphis has defeated USF (on the road) and Cincinnati (at home) since dropping a hard-fought decision on the road at then-No. 23 Wichita State on Jan. 9.
In last week's 60-49 victory over Cincinnati, the Tigers got a team-high 18 points from Jeffries, a freshman forward from Olive Branch, Miss. Jeffries had struggled since missing the UofM's Jan. 4 game against Georgia with the flu. He only scored six points in the team's following two games (Wichita State and USF) before breaking out against Cincinnati.
Tigers coach Penny Hardaway said a healthy Jeffries will make the UofM stronger.
"D.J. was playing pretty good basketball before he got sick," Hardaway said. "He's shown he's worthy of being mentioned with the top freshmen in the country. He brings a lot to the table."
Jeffries wasted little time in convincing Hardaway he had recovered from his illness. He hit two early 3-pointers against Cincinnati to give the UofM a 6-0 lead. In the second half – after UC had rallied from a 15-point deficit to take a one-point lead – Jeffries had two more 3-pointers during a 10-0 run that gave the Tigers a nine-point advantage.
While Jeffries returned to his early season form, another freshman forward – Precious Achiuwa – continued an amazing run. He established a conference record with his sixth-straight double-double. It was his 10th double-double of the season.
"Things (are) kind of slowing down and not being so fast for him," Hardaway said. "Precious wanted to play on the perimeter when he first got here. He wanted to take a bunch of jump shots. He wanted to show he had a floor game.
"On this level, we just needed him to be who he was. And, right now, that's doing everything really well and focusing 90 percent in the paint and maybe 10 percent on the perimeter. We don't stop him from bringing the ball up the court."
Achiuwa was recently named to the Sporting News 2019-20 Midseason All-America third team, a reflection of the strong first half of the season. He is the only freshman among the nine major conferences to average a double-double.
Tulsa will present a tough obstacle. The Golden Hurricane, winners of three straight, is tied with Houston atop the AAC standings and plays an effective zone defense. It has held each of its 12 victims this season to less than 40 percent shooting.
"They sprint back every time (to defend) and they are very active in that zone," Hardaway said. "They take charges in that zone. They force you into taking bad shots and then they box out.
"They play very hard and they are well coached. But that zone is what helps them push out on teams."
TIGERS NOTES
- Wednesday's game is Tulsa's National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) vs. Cancer Suits & Sneakers Game. The coaching staffs will wear sneakers during the game to bring attention to the cause – saving lives from cancer.
- Memphis will have its NABC Coaches vs. Cancer Suits & Sneakers Game Jan. 25 at FedExForum when the Tigers play host to SMU.
- Tulsa's Jeriah Horne is the son of former Tigers basketball player Jerrell Horne. Jerrell played on the same team in the early 1990s with current Tigers' coach Penny Hardaway.
- Memphis leads the nation in field goal percentage defense (35.0). The Tigers are second nationally in blocks per game
- In its 12 wins this season, Tulsa has limited opponents to less than 40 percent shooting.
- The Tigers are ranked 20th in this week's AP Top 25 poll. They have been listed in each of the 12 polls this season, which includes the preseason poll.