Tweet
Sunday, Jan. 14 | 12:00 p.m. CT
Wichita, Kan. | Charles Koch Arena
TV: ESPN2 with John Schriffen & Tim Welsh
Radio: KEYN 103.7 FM with Mike Kennedy & Dave Dahl
OPENING TIPS
• After a week off, Wichita State prepares to host No. 13 Memphis in Charles Koch Arena on Sunday at 12 p.m. on ESPN2.
• Wichita State is 21-14 all time when playing on Jan. 7.
• Memphis has won the last six meetings in the series and holds an 18-12 lead in the all time series.
• Memphis is ranked No. 13 in the AP and Coaches Poll at 14-2 overall and 3-0 after winning its first three conference games by a combined 12 points.
• Memphis is led by David Jones who leads the American Athletic Conference in scoring at 21.0 points per game, while adding 6.9 rebounds and nearly 2 steals a game.
• Wichita State is coming off a fourth straight loss after falling at Temple last Sunday, 68-61.
• Wichita State has lost its last five games against ranked opponents and is 0-1 this season against teams ranked in the Top 25.
• Since joining the American Athletic Conference, Wichita State is 3-11 against ranked teams.
SCOUTING MEMPHIS
• Led by sixth year head coach Penny Hardaway, Memphis enters the matchup at 14-2 and 3-0 in league play.
• In five seasons since returning to his alma mater as head coach, Hardaway, has led the Tigers to a 121-54 record, five-straight 20-win seasons, the 2021 National Invitation Tournament championship, the 2023 AAC tournament championship and two consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament in 2022 and 2023.
• Hardaway's 110 wins entering the season are second-most among 14 first-time NCAA Division I head coaches hired prior to the 2018-19 season and tied for third-most among Tiger head coaches in their first five seasons. Only three of Memphis' 16 head coaches since World War II have won 20 games in each of their first five seasons at the helm, now including Hardaway.
• In his tenure, Hardaway has mentored two first-round NBA Draft picks, three American Athletic Conference Freshmen of the Year, seven all-conference selections, five all-freshman honorees and an AAC Tournament MVP. The Tigers have won eight games against ranked opponents, been ranked inside the top-10 on two occasions and twice had the nation's number-one recruiting class.
• Memphis was picked to finish 2nd out of 14 teams in the Preseason American Athletic Conference Coaches Poll.
• In mid December, Memphis won three straight games over Top 25 teams (Texas A&M, Clemson and Virginia).
• Memphis is one of only two teams in the country that has seven combined wins against Quad 1 and Quad 2 programs. Of their 14 wins this season, eight have come against Power 5 opponents.
• The Tigers have four wins against Power Five programs this season away from their home floor.
• David Jones is the only player in the nation that is averaging at least 20.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals per outing, with more than three games played.
• He leads the American Athletic Conference and ranks 10th in the nation with a 21.0 scoring average.
• Jones has led the Tigers in scoring 12 times this season, and has posted an AAC-high eight games with 20+ points.
• Memphis' newest addition has only been on the roster for about a month in the way of Kansas State transfer Nae'Qwan Tomlin. In five games with the Tigers, Tomlin is averaging 10.2 points and 6.2 rebounds.
• Alabama transfer Jahvon Quinerly scores 13.6 points, dishes 4.4 assists and grabs 3.1 rebounds a game. Quinerly was a Preseason All-AAC First Team selection.
• Memphis is one of the nation's best teams at getting to the free throw line and connecting on those attempts. They rank 15th nationally in free throws made per game, 18th in free throw attempts per game and 78th in free throw percentage.
• The Tigers score 79.9 points per game on 45.5% shooting. They are converting on 34.0% of their attempts from beyond the arc.
• Defensively, the allow 73.6 points and opponents are converting 40.6% of their field goal attempts.
THE SERIES VS. MEMPHIS
• This is the 31st meeting all-time. Memphis leads 18-12 (8-2 AAC era) with six-straight victories.
• Wichita State's last win came Jan. 9, 2020 in a battle of nationally-ranked teams at Charles Koch Arena.
• This is only the second time Memphis will enter the matchup nationally ranked as members of the American.
• Wichita State is 8-6 against Memphis in Wichita (1-3 AAC era). All 14 matchups have taken place at the Roundhouse.
• Since Wichita State joined the American in 2017-18, Wichita State and Memphis have played each other twice in every season but two (2018, 2021). The only reason they didn't in 2021 was due to COVID canceling the game.
• The Shockers won on their first visit to FedExForum (Feb. 6, 2018) but have since dropped five-straight. They're 3-12 all-time against the Tigers in Memphis.
• Wichita State does own two other wins at FedExForum as part of its run to the 2019 AAC semifinals.
• Wichita State is 1-8 against Penny Hardaway.
• The Tigers swept the 2021-22 series, winning by 18 in Wichita and by 24 in Memphis.
• The series in 2022-23 was much closer, but the Shockers still found themselves on the wrong side of the scoreboard.
• Memphis needed 29 points from DeAndre Williams to defeat the Shockers by 10 in Memphis on Jan. 19. One month later, Memphis outlasted the Shockers in Charles Koch Arena, 83-78.
• The only neutral site meeting between the two schools came in 2014 when they meet at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Fall, S.D. to begin the 2014-15 season.
• Ron Baker scored a game-high 21 points and added five rebounds, six assists and two steals to lead Wichita State to a comfortable 71-56 win in front of a sellout crowd.
BOARD OF APPROVAL
• Through the first 15 games of the season Wichita State has been among the nation's top rebounding teams. Wichita State ranks 9th nationally in rebounds per game, 10th in defensive rebounds per game and 45th in rebound margin.
• Wichita State has four players averaging 5.0 or more rebounds per game (Dalen Ridgnal - 7.8; Kenny Pohto - 7.4; Quincy Ballard - 6.4; Harlond Beverly - 5.0).
• Wichita State has been outrebounded five times this season with three of those coming in the last four games.
• Wichita State has pulled down 40 or more rebounds in 9 of the 15 games, including three games of 50+.
• Wichita State has grabbed 73.8% of its possible defensive rebounds this season. That number would be the seventh best in school history.
A SHOCKER WIN WOULD...
... Make them 9-7 this season.
... Make them 1-2 in AAC play.
... Be their first ranked win since 2021 vs. #6 Houston.
... Snap a four-game losing streak.
... Make them 22-14 all time on Jan. 7.
... Give Paul Mills 115 career coaching victories.
... Run their record to 1,666-1,252 all time.
... Make them 13-18 vs. Memphis all time.
... Snap a 6-game losing streak vs. the Tigers.
A SHOCKER LOSS WOULD...
... Make them 8-8 this season.
... Drop them to 0-3 in AAC play.
... Be their fifth straight loss.
... Make Paul Mills 8-8 as Wichita State head coach.
... Drop them to 21-15 all time on Jan. 7.
... Drop their record to 1,665-1,253 all time.
... Make them 12-19 all-time vs. Memphis.
... Be their 7th straight loss vs. the Tigers.
Comment