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Preview: Jackson State at Memphis
The Memphis Tigers and their high-powered offense get one more tuneup before kicking off their conference schedule – a Saturday afternoon encounter with visiting Jackson State. The No. 17 Tigers have scored at least 73 points in every game and are ranked in the top 25 nationally at 83 points per contest. That success should continue against Jackson State, which comes in on a two-game winning streak but has yet to face any top-flight competition.
Memphis showed signs of fatigue going into its holiday break but escaped with a 12-point victory over Southeast Missouri thanks to 19 Redhawks turnovers. Head coach Josh Pastner applauded his team’s defensive effort but wasn’t at all pleased with the Tigers’ 2-for-17 effort from beyond the arc. “Our main shooters have to be able to put the ball in the basket,” he told reporters afterward. “We cannot afford to shoot the ball how we did (against Southeast Missouri).”
TV: Noon ET, ESPNU
ABOUT JACKSON STATE (4-7): The Tigers find themselves in transition, returning only one starter – small forward Derell Taylor – from last year’s 11-18 squad. Guard Julysses Nobles has taken on the bulk of the scoring burden, averaging a team-best 16.8 points, and hit the game-winning 3-pointer with one second remaining in a 73-70 triumph over Louisiana-Lafayette on Dec. 19. Jackson State’s offense has been dreadful to date, averaging just 64.6 points and 8.9 assists while shooting below 30 percent from beyond the arc.
ABOUT MEMPHIS (8-2): Pastner’s roster has faced three major tests in non-conference play, and lost two of them. After falling 101-80 to Oklahoma State on Nov. 19, the Tigers reeled off a six-game winning streak – including a revenge victory over the Cowboys – but came up just short in a 77-75 defeat at the hands of Florida at the Jimmy V Classic in New York. Memphis won’t have to wait long for another taste of tournament-level competition: it will tangle with the sixth-ranked Louisville Cardinals in its third conference game on Jan. 9.
TIP-INS
1. Memphis is 25-1 all-time against SWAC opponents.
2. Nobles is 10-for-39 from 3-point range on the season.
3. Jackson State is 1-14 all-time versus the Tigers.
PREDICTION: Memphis 81, Jackson State 61
