Men's basketball goes on the road to Wichita State

Saturday, February 23

Wichita, Kan.

7 PM

University of Memphis

Wichita State

Tickets

Jeremiah Martin set a personal and conference scoring record with 43 points Wednesday vs. Tulane.

Photo by: Matthew A. Smith

Feb 22, 2019 | Men's Basketball

Memphis Notes (vs. Wichita State)Wichita State Notes (vs. Memphis)

Tigers, Shockers meeting in Wichita for first time since 1976.

By: Phil Stukenborg

WICHITA, Kan. – What can Jeremiah Martin do for an encore?

Martin, the senior guard for the University of Memphis, will be playing Saturday night at Wichita State in an American Athletic Conference game, his first game since setting both a career-high and American record with 43 points Wednesday against Tulane.

While Martin's record-setting performance – he is the only player in school history and league history with two 40-point games – came at FedExForum, Martin has been productive on the road, too. He enters the game averaging 26 points in league road games.

Wichita State (13-12 overall, 6-7 The American) will present a hurdle for Martin and the UofM. The Shockers defeated Tulsa, 81-60, Tuesday night at Tulsa for their fifth win in six games.

Tigers coach Penny Hardaway is aware of the challenge a resurgent Wichita State, under longtime coach Gregg Marshall, presents. Marshall, in his 12^th season with the Shockers, has taken the program to seven straight NCAA tournaments.

"You've got to give coach Marshall credit," Hardaway said. "They have a history and a culture that's been (created) from all the winning teams in the past. This has been his toughest year in a long time, but he's found a way to win (five of six).

"He still feels like he's right there. If we stay together as a team and believe, we can go in there and steal a win. But it's going to be tough because they play hard for him and they have a history of winning."

As for Martin, he's making a bid for conference player of the year. He is averaging 29.6 points per game in his last six games, a stretch that includes the two 40-point games and a 31-point effort. Martin was a preseason first-team all league selection.

Entering Saturday, Martin is averaging 21.6 points in league play and 18.3 points overall.

"It was great just watching (Martin)," said Memphis freshman guard Tyler Harris. "He says he's the best player in the conference. I think he's showing it night in and night out."

QUICK FACTS

Memphis guard Jeremiah Martin moved to 15^th on the career scoring list following his 43-point game. Larry Finch set the record with a 48-point effort against St. Joseph's in 1973.
The Tigers will be playing at Wichita State for the first time in 43 years. Memphis played the Shockers last in January 1976 in a non-conference game. The schools are former members of the Missouri Valley Conference.
Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall will be seeking his 300^th win as Shockers' coach.
Memphis and Wichita State have split 22 career meetings. Wichita State is 7-3 in games played in Wichita.
Memphis beat Wichita State, 85-74, Jan. 3 at FedExForum to open American Athletic Conference play. Kyvon Davenport scored 25 points to lead the Tigers.