University of Memphis Athletics

Tigers Look to Advance Win Streak Against Rebels
Dec 17, 2015 | Men's Basketball
Memphis (7-2) vs. Ole Miss (8-2)
When: Friday, December 18, 2015
Tip-Off: 7:05 p.m. (CT)
Location: Memphis, Tenn.
Arena: FedExForum
TV: ESPNews / WatchESPN
  Bob Picozzi, play-by-play
  Tim Welsh, analyst
Radio: Memphis Radio Network /Â 600 WREC
  Dave Woloshin, play-by-play
  Matt Dillon, analyst
  Forrest Goodman, pregame/postgame host
Live Stats: Memphis Stat Broadcast
Game Notes: Memphis | Ole Miss
Rosters: Memphis | Ole Miss
Schedules: Memphis | Ole Miss
Media Guide: Memphis | Ole Miss
SCOUTING THE REBELS
Ole Miss comes into the game riding a five-game win streak with wins over Georgia State, Bradley, UMass, Southeast Missouri State and Louisiana Tech.Â
In the most recent win, a 99-80 victory over Louisiana Tech, Stefan Moody scored a game-high 29 points, hitting 10-of-22 shots from the field and 4-of-9 from long range, while Rasheed Brooks scored 20 points (8-10 FG, 4-5 3FG). Marcanvis Hymon scored 14 points while Tomasz Gielo added 13 for the Rebels. Sebastian Saiz pulled down a game-high 15 rebounds, as Gielo and Moody each gave out four assists.
This season the squad has been led by Moody, who averages an SEC-best 24.1 points per game, while also dishing out a team-best 42 assists, averaging 34.3 minutes per game. Saiz averages a double-double with 11.8 points and 10.3 rebounds, as he and Hymon each have blocked 12 shots for tops on the team. Three other players - Gielo (7.7), Brooks (7.5), and Sam Finely (7.1) - average over seven points per game each.
CLIMBING INTO THE POINTS CLUB
Against Ohio State on November 27, Memphis senior forward Shaq Goodwin became the 50th member of the program's 1,000-point club with an ally-oop dunk with eight minutes remaining in the first half. He now has 1,073 career points, which puts him 40th in the school record book. Below is where Goodwin stands, and the two former standouts ahead of, and behind him in the record book.
Student-Athlete | Years | Points | Needed | |
38. | Bob Neumann | 1961-64 | 1,117 | 44 |
39. | Baskerville Holmes | 1982-86 | 1,112 | 39 |
40. | Shaq Goodwin | 2012-pres. | 1,073 | |
41. | Omar Sneed | 1997-99 | 1,072 | |
42. | Will Barton | 2010-12 | 1,062 |
SHARE AND SHARE ALIKE
This season, the University of Memphis has recorded assists on 61.2 percent of its baskets, the 40th highest total in the country. Since Josh Pastner's first season as head coach in the Bluff City (2009-10), the Tigers have ranked in the top 90 in the category five times, and inside of the top 30 three times, including a 2013-14 total of 61.1 percent of baskets that ranked 17th overall. The current average is tied for the program's highest since the 2002-03 team had an assist on 62.6 percent of its baskets - which ended the season 30th in NCAA Division I. Additionally, the 2012-13 and 2013-14 teams ranked inside of the top five nationally in assists per game and total assists, finishing third in total assists for 2012-13 and fourth in assists per game in 2013-14.
YOUNG UP-AND-COMER
Memphis freshman Dedric Lawson is not only sitting in fourth in the American Athletic Conference in scoring and rebounding, he also has the 11th-highest scoring total and fifth-highest rebounding among freshman players. Below are the top 11 freshmen scorers as of December 17 and top five freshman rebounders in the country.
Rank | Student-Athlete | School | PPG | Nat. Rank |
1. | Marcus Evans | Rice | 18.2 | 75 |
2. | Malik Beasley | Florida State | 18.1 | t-79 |
    | Ben Simmons | LSU | 18.1 | t-79 |
4. | Jordon Varnado | Troy | 17.9 | t-84 |
5. | Chris Clemons | Campbell | 17.1 | t-109 |
6. | Makai Mason | Yale | 16.7 | 143 |
7. | Tyler Hall | Montana State | 16.6 | t-147 |
8. | Henry Ellenson | Marquette | 16.5 | t-153 |
9. | Dwayne Bacon | Florida State | 16.2 | t-171 |
10. | Nick Emery | BYU | 16.0 | t-186 |
11. | Dedric Lawson | Memphis | 15.9 | t-196 |
Rank | Student-Athlete | School | RPG | Nat. Rank |
1. | Ben Simmons | LSU | 14.4 | 1 |
2. | James Thompson IV | Eastern Michigan | 11.8 | 10 |
3. | Caleb Swanigan | Purdue | 9.2 | t-48 |
4. | Matt Rafferty | Furman | 9.1 | t-51 |
5. | Dedric Lawson | Memphis | 9.0 | t-55 |
Henry Ellenson | Marquette | 9.0 | t-55 |
ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST OLE MISS
2015-16 kicks off a long-standing rivalry between two border states, as the Ole Miss Rebels and Memphis tigers have met up 37 times since 1923, with Memphis holding a strongÂ
Series Statistics
Overall Series: Memphis leads 25-12
Games in Memphis: Memphis leads 17-3
Games in Oxford: Ole Miss leads 8-6
Games at Neutral Site: Memphis leads 2-1
Current Series Win Streak:Â Ole Miss, one game
Longest Memphis Win Streak:Â 12 games
Longest Ole Miss Win Streak: 6 games
Largest Memphis Victory: 39, January 23, 1960
Largest Ole Miss Victory: 32, February 2, 1925
Most Memphis Points: 96, January 23, 1960
Fewest Memphis Points:Â 13, two times
Most Ole Miss Points: 92, December 26, 1978
Fewest Ole Miss Points: 14, Janueary 12, 1923