Tigers Open Homestand with Huskies

Thursday, February 4

Memphis, Tenn.

8 pm CT

University of Memphis

Connecticut

Tickets

Photo by: Joe Murphy

Feb 03, 2016 | Men's Basketball

Memphis hosts UConn and Cincinnati over Thursday/Saturday weekend series

GAME INFORMATION
Memphis (13-8, 4-4 AAC) vs. UConn (15-6, 5-3 AAC)
When: Thursday, February 4, 2016
Tip-Off: 8 p.m. (CT)
Location: Memphis, Tennessee
Arena: FedExForum
TV: ESPN2 (remote broadcast)
Mike Patrick, play-by-play
Len Elmore, analyst
Radio: Memphis Radio Network / 600 WREC
Dave Woloshin, play-by-play
Matt Dillon, analyst
Forrest Goodman, pregame/postgame host
Live Stats: Memphis StatBroadcast
Game Notes: Memphis | UConn
Roster: Memphis | UConn
Schedule: Memphis | UConn
Media Guide: Memphis | UConn

SETTING THE TABLE

•     Memphis has the fifth-quickest pace of play of all teams in NCAA Division I basketball
•     The Tigers have five players who have career scoring averages in double-figures against the Huskies
•     The Memphis duo of Dedric Lawson and Shaq Goodwin combine to average 17.1 points per game, which not only ranks as the top total in the American Athletic Conference, but also the 15th-highest total in NCAA Division I basketball
•     This season Memphis has recorded an assist on 60.8 percent of its baskets, which ranks as the 28th-best total in the country
•     The same pair of players (Goodwin and Lawson) who combined to lead the AAC in rebounding, also combine for the third-highest points total in the league
•     Ricky Tarrant Jr. ranks eighth in the country among active players in career free throws made, as he and Shaq Goodwin rank inside of the top-50 in five different categories
•     This season the Tigers have scored 26.2 percent of their points from the free throw line, which ranks as the fifth-best such total in the country. The team also stands ninth in the country in total free throws made, and 10th in free throws attempted
•     Dedric Lawson's eight double-doubles this season rank as the fifth-highest true-freshman total in Memphis school history

SCOUTING THE HUSKIES

The Huskies come into the Thursday evening game having won four of their last five games, including a 67-41 victory at UCF on January 31.

In the win over the Knights, Shonn Miller scored a game-high 11 points, while Jalen Adams scored 10. Miller pulled down a game-best eight rebounds, while Adams dished out five assists. The game also saw the return of Amida Brimah, who had missed the previous 11 games with an injury.

For the season, the team is led by Miller who averages 13.3 points, while Rodney Purvis averages 13.2, Sterling Gibbs 13.0, and Daniel Hamilton 11.6. Hamilton pulls down a team-best 8.5 rebounds per game, as the Huskies out-rebound their opponents by three rebounds per game.

Despite missing the last 11 games, Brimah continues to lead the team in blocks with 29, as Hamilton has 24 steals to pace the squad.

QUICK PACE

After games as of February 1, the Memphis Tigers have the seventh-fastest offense in NCAA Division I basketball, averaging 75.4 possessions per game, and have the fifth quickest possession length in the country.

BIG AGAINST THE HUSKIES

Over the last three and a half seasons, Memphis and UConn have faced off six times. In those games - or a combination of games - five current Memphis players average double-figure points against the Huskies. Kedren Johnson, based off of his 31 points in two games last season lead the pack with his 15.5 point per game average, while Ricky Tarrant Jr. averages 15 in his one game. Trahson Burrell has put up 42 points over his three games for a 14.0 point per game average, with Shaq Goodwin leading the active Tiger players with 64 career points against UConn, averaging 10.7 per game. The fifth and final player to average double-digits against the Huskies is Dedric Lawson, who scored 10 in the first game between the two teams this season.

MEMPHIS VS SCHOOLS IN CONNECTICUT

The state of Connecticut, with a population of nearly 3.6 million people over 5,500 square miles, supports seven NCAA Division I schools. Memphis is 4-5 all-time against teams from the Constitution state, including a 2-4 mark against the Huskies.

TIGHT SERIES

Of the seven all-time meetings between Memphis and UConn, only one has had a margin greater than 11 points. In the most recent four regular-season meetings between the teams, the margin has been five points or fewer, including an overtime Huskie win in 2014, a Memphis sweep last season where the combined margin between the two games was four points, and an earlier season three-point UConn win in Storrs.

NATION'S TOP CAROM COMBOS

Later in this notes package, we talk about where Dedric Lawson and Shaq Goodwin rank as a team among the top two rebounders in the American Athletic Conference (spoiler alert - they are the top pair). The duo doesn't stop there, however, as only 14 other sets of teammates in NCAA Division I average more rebounds than Lawson and Goodwin.

ALL-TIME SERIES VS UCONN

After a loss to the Huskies earlier this season, Memphis now trails the series 4-2. Memphis has won two of the last three meetings between the teams, including a 75-72 Memphis win the last time the two teams met at FedExForum.

CONFERENCE REBOUNDING DUOS

Taking to the trend of the previous note, the Tigers rebounding duo of Dedric Lawson and Shaq Goodwin stand nearly a rebound ahead of the next closest team in the American Athletic Conference. Below are each team's top two rebounders, and their total.

HELP ME, HELP YOU

This season the Memphis Tigers have assisted on 60.8 percent of its field goals, good for the 28th-highest total in the country this season. Leading NCAA Division I by a wide margin is Michigan State, who has 72 percent of its baskets coming off of an assist.