Tigers, Rebs set for noon tip at FedExForum

Saturday, November 23

Memphis, Tenn.

12 PM

University of Memphis

Ole Miss

Tickets

Memphis Men’s Basketball vs. Little Rock

Lance Thomas (15) has started the past two games for the Tigers.

Photo by: Matthew A. Smith

Nov 22, 2019 | Men's Basketball

Memphis Notes (vs. Ole Miss)Ole Miss Notes (vs. Memphis)

Ole Miss is unbeaten; Tigers are 4-1 and ranked 16th

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – For the second time this month, the University of Memphis men's basketball team will face an opponent from a Power Five conference with an impressive resume.

Nationally ranked Oregon was the first major test in the Phil Knight Invitational Nov. 12 in Portland, a game the Ducks won, 82-74. Saturday at noon at FedExForum, unbeaten Ole Miss will offer another strong challenge for the 16^th-ranked Tigers (4-1).

The Rebels are 4-0 after Tuesday's home victory over Seattle. And while Ole Miss isn't ranked, the Rebels are receiving votes in the USA Today Coaches Poll.

As for the Tigers, coach Penny Hardaway is hoping for a better start Saturday against Ole Miss than his team had Wednesday against Little Rock. The UofM beat Little Rock, 68-58, but struggled in the early going. The Tigers trailed 9-0 before gathering themselves and eventually pulling ahead late in the first half.

"When you're at home, it's your home turf," Hardaway said. "You want to get the crowd into the game. You want to start with the lead and make them fight from behind. You want them to be uncomfortable."

The Tigers will be playing their third straight game without 7-foot-1 All-American center James Wiseman, who is being withheld from games by the NCAA until Jan. 12 at USF.

In his absence, the Tigers will need to get consistent performances from their other highly regarded freshmen, including Precious Achiuwa and D.J. Jeffries. Achiuwa and Jeffries combined for 31 points and 15 rebounds against Little Rock.

Memphis is shooting only 31 percent from beyond the arc, but Hardaway isn't concerned at this point.

"They just have to keep shooting," he said. "I think it's just in their head now because they are turning down shots. To me, that's selfish because you are a shooter and you have to shoot until you make it. I don't want them turning down shots."

Ole Miss has been led in the opening month of the season by upper classmen Devontae Shuler and Breein Tyree. Shuler, a 6-foot-2 junior guard, is averaging 13.5 points per game and Tyree, a 6-foot-2 senior guard, is averaging 14.3 points. KJ Buffen, a 6-foot-7 sophomore, is also averaging 13.5 points.

Tyree was chosen Preseason First Team All-SEC, while Shuler was selected Second Team All-SEC.

Rebels' coach Kermit Davis led the team to the NCAA tournament last season, his first at Ole Miss. Although the Rebels are unbeaten, Davis, like Hardaway, has been disappointed with his team's slow starts.

"I told our team about a month ago, get ready to try and win some games in the 50s and 60s because we don't execute offensively," Davis said. "The ball sticks, we don't cut and move. No (disrespect) to the four teams we've played, but it's going to really change here in the next two weeks. It's good for us that we're guarding and doing the things like that, but we just don't trust offense. I haven't had a team do that in a long time."