University of Memphis Athletics
Friday, March 12
Fort Worth, Texas / Dickies Arena
9 p.m.
University of Memphis
vs
UCF
Photo by: Joe Murphy
Third-seeded Tigers set for AAC Tournament opener Friday night
Mar 10, 2021 | Men's Basketball
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The Memphis Tigers begin play in the 2021 Air Force Reserve American Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Championship in the quarterfinals Friday in Fort Worth, Texas. The third-seeded Tigers secured a first-round bye and will play the winner of the game between sixth-seeded UCF and 11th-seeded East Carolina.
Friday's game is scheduled to tip off at 9 p.m. on ESPNU. UCF and East Carolina play Thursday at 6 p.m. on ESPNU.
The Tigers are one of the hottest teams in the AAC entering postseason play, having won six of their last seven games and 9-of-11 overall. The only two defeats were at SMU by two points on Jan. 28 and at No. 9/7 Houston by three points on Sunday.
Memphis' third-place finish in the AAC this year is its best since finishing third in the conference in 2013-14.
In the regular season, Memphis went 2-0 against both UCF and East Carolina. Five Tigers averaged double figures in the games against UCF this season, led by Landers Nolley II's 19.0 points per game. D.J. Jeffries led the Tigers with a 10.0-point scoring average against the Pirates, and Moussa Cisse and DeAndre Williams both averaged 8.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per contest.
Historically in tournament play, the fifth-seeded Tigers topped fourth-seeded UCF in the 2019 quarterfinals in Memphis, Tenn., 79-55. UCF got the better of the Tigers in the 2017 quarterfinals in Hartford, Conn., 84-54. Memphis has never played East Carolina in the AAC Tournament but did defeat the Pirates in the semifinals of the 2011 Conference USA Tournament en route to the title.
Entering this year's tournament, the Tigers are 6-6 all-time in the AAC Tournament. Memphis reached the championship game in 2016 and the semifinals in 2018 and 2019. The 2020 AAC Tournament was canceled due to COVID-19.
With a win in the quarterfinals on Sunday, the Tigers would advance to Saturday's semifinals at 4:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
The championship game of the 2021 AAC Tournament is scheduled for Sunday at 2:15 p.m. on ESPN.
Following that, NCAA Tournament bids are handed out during the Selection Show on Sunday at 5 p.m. on CBS.
Game Details
No. 3 Memphis (15-7) vs. No. 6 UCF/No. 11 East Carolina
2021 American Athletic Conference Championship Quarterfinals
Friday, March 12, 2021 | 9 p.m. CT
Dickies Arena; Fort Worth, Texas
Television: ESPNU (Mike Corey, pxp; Mark Adams, analysis; Kris Budden, reporter)
Radio: 102.7 FM/600 AM (Dave Woloshin, pxp; Matt Dillon, analysis)
By The Numbers
- 2013: Memphis' last conference tournament championship, which came in its last season in Conference USA; the Tigers received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament the following season.
- 2011: The last time the Tigers played in a conference tournament in Texas, which was the Conference USA Tournament in El Paso; Memphis won the championship with wins over Southern Miss, East Carolina and UTEP.
- 6: Postseason games of experience on Memphis' roster, counting five games by Alex Lomax in 2019 (3 AAC Tournament, 2 NIT) and one by Landers Nolley II with Virginia Tech in the 2020 ACC Tournament.
- 6: Defensive categories in which Memphis ranks in the top-16 in the nation (3-point pct. defense, 2nd; field goal pct. defense, 5th; steals per game, 12th; blocked shots per game, 12th; turnovers forced, 16th; scoring defense, 16th).
The Last Time Out
- Memphis tied the game at 64 on a Boogie Ellis 3-pointer with 1.7 seconds left, but the No. 9/7 Houston Cougars came down and banked in a 3-pointer at the buzzer to beat the Tigers Sunday afternoon in Houston, 67-64.
- The loss snapped Memphis' six-game winning streak, but the Tigers have still won nine of their last 11 games entering postseason play.
- Trailing 64-61 with nine seconds left, Lester Quinones missed a 3-pointer but the ricochet went to Ellis, who drained a triple to tie the game at 64 with just over one second left.
- After a timeout, Houston threw the ball halfway down the court to Tramon Mark, who banked in a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Cougars the victory.
- Houston has now won 25-straight home games, which is the fourth-longest active streak in the nation.
- Landers Nolley II led Memphis with 14 points, and Houston native DeAndre Williams had 11, all in the second half.
- Williams also had four assists and three steals.
- Quinones hit three 3-pointers and ended with 11 points for the Tigers.
- Malcolm Dandridge added nine points and five rebounds off the bench.
- Despite five players with two first-half fouls and one with three, Memphis trailed by just four points at the break, 39-35.
- The Tigers shot 46.9 percent from the floor in the game (23-49), compared to Houston's 36.7 percent (22-60).
- The game featured eight ties and nine lead changes.
- Memphis was just short in its bid for its first road win against a top-10 team since beating No. 9 Louisville on Feb. 9, 2005, 85-68.
Noting the Knights
- Memphis went 2-0 against UCF this season and has won four-straight games against the Knights.
- The Knights earned the No. 6 seed in the tournament after finishing the year with an 8-10 conference mark and a 10-11 overall record.
- UCF is the only AAC team to play 18 league games this year.
- Guards Brandon Mahan and Darius Perry were named to the All-AAC Third Team.
- Fellow guard Isaiah Adams was selected to the conference's All-Freshman Team.
- UCF was picked to finish eighth in The American's preseason coaches poll.
Noting the Pirates
- East Carolina picked up the No. 11 seed in the tournament after going 2-10 in conference play and 8-10 overall.
- The Tigers won both games against the Pirates this year and have won six-straight overall.
- Junior forward Jayden Gardner was voted to the All-AAC First Team after leading the league in scoring at 18.3 points per game.
- The Pirates began the season with a 7-1 record before dropping five-straight.
- But that losing streak was emphatically stopped with an 82-73 win over No. 5 Houston on Feb. 3.
- East Carolina is tops in the nation in assists-per-field-goal-made, with 67.2 percent of its baskets coming from a dish.
- The Pirates were picked to finish ninth in the AAC's preseason poll.
- They return all five starters from a season ago, when they went 11-20 overall and 5-13 in conference play.
- This is reflected in their minutes continuity, as 83.4 percent of the Pirates' minutes are played by the same player as last season.
- That also leads the nation.
Friday's game is scheduled to tip off at 9 p.m. on ESPNU. UCF and East Carolina play Thursday at 6 p.m. on ESPNU.
The Tigers are one of the hottest teams in the AAC entering postseason play, having won six of their last seven games and 9-of-11 overall. The only two defeats were at SMU by two points on Jan. 28 and at No. 9/7 Houston by three points on Sunday.
Memphis' third-place finish in the AAC this year is its best since finishing third in the conference in 2013-14.
In the regular season, Memphis went 2-0 against both UCF and East Carolina. Five Tigers averaged double figures in the games against UCF this season, led by Landers Nolley II's 19.0 points per game. D.J. Jeffries led the Tigers with a 10.0-point scoring average against the Pirates, and Moussa Cisse and DeAndre Williams both averaged 8.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per contest.
Historically in tournament play, the fifth-seeded Tigers topped fourth-seeded UCF in the 2019 quarterfinals in Memphis, Tenn., 79-55. UCF got the better of the Tigers in the 2017 quarterfinals in Hartford, Conn., 84-54. Memphis has never played East Carolina in the AAC Tournament but did defeat the Pirates in the semifinals of the 2011 Conference USA Tournament en route to the title.
Entering this year's tournament, the Tigers are 6-6 all-time in the AAC Tournament. Memphis reached the championship game in 2016 and the semifinals in 2018 and 2019. The 2020 AAC Tournament was canceled due to COVID-19.
With a win in the quarterfinals on Sunday, the Tigers would advance to Saturday's semifinals at 4:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
The championship game of the 2021 AAC Tournament is scheduled for Sunday at 2:15 p.m. on ESPN.
Following that, NCAA Tournament bids are handed out during the Selection Show on Sunday at 5 p.m. on CBS.
Game Details
No. 3 Memphis (15-7) vs. No. 6 UCF/No. 11 East Carolina
2021 American Athletic Conference Championship Quarterfinals
Friday, March 12, 2021 | 9 p.m. CT
Dickies Arena; Fort Worth, Texas
Television: ESPNU (Mike Corey, pxp; Mark Adams, analysis; Kris Budden, reporter)
Radio: 102.7 FM/600 AM (Dave Woloshin, pxp; Matt Dillon, analysis)
By The Numbers
- 2013: Memphis' last conference tournament championship, which came in its last season in Conference USA; the Tigers received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament the following season.
- 2011: The last time the Tigers played in a conference tournament in Texas, which was the Conference USA Tournament in El Paso; Memphis won the championship with wins over Southern Miss, East Carolina and UTEP.
- 6: Postseason games of experience on Memphis' roster, counting five games by Alex Lomax in 2019 (3 AAC Tournament, 2 NIT) and one by Landers Nolley II with Virginia Tech in the 2020 ACC Tournament.
- 6: Defensive categories in which Memphis ranks in the top-16 in the nation (3-point pct. defense, 2nd; field goal pct. defense, 5th; steals per game, 12th; blocked shots per game, 12th; turnovers forced, 16th; scoring defense, 16th).
The Last Time Out
- Memphis tied the game at 64 on a Boogie Ellis 3-pointer with 1.7 seconds left, but the No. 9/7 Houston Cougars came down and banked in a 3-pointer at the buzzer to beat the Tigers Sunday afternoon in Houston, 67-64.
- The loss snapped Memphis' six-game winning streak, but the Tigers have still won nine of their last 11 games entering postseason play.
- Trailing 64-61 with nine seconds left, Lester Quinones missed a 3-pointer but the ricochet went to Ellis, who drained a triple to tie the game at 64 with just over one second left.
- After a timeout, Houston threw the ball halfway down the court to Tramon Mark, who banked in a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Cougars the victory.
- Houston has now won 25-straight home games, which is the fourth-longest active streak in the nation.
- Landers Nolley II led Memphis with 14 points, and Houston native DeAndre Williams had 11, all in the second half.
- Williams also had four assists and three steals.
- Quinones hit three 3-pointers and ended with 11 points for the Tigers.
- Malcolm Dandridge added nine points and five rebounds off the bench.
- Despite five players with two first-half fouls and one with three, Memphis trailed by just four points at the break, 39-35.
- The Tigers shot 46.9 percent from the floor in the game (23-49), compared to Houston's 36.7 percent (22-60).
- The game featured eight ties and nine lead changes.
- Memphis was just short in its bid for its first road win against a top-10 team since beating No. 9 Louisville on Feb. 9, 2005, 85-68.
Noting the Knights
- Memphis went 2-0 against UCF this season and has won four-straight games against the Knights.
- The Knights earned the No. 6 seed in the tournament after finishing the year with an 8-10 conference mark and a 10-11 overall record.
- UCF is the only AAC team to play 18 league games this year.
- Guards Brandon Mahan and Darius Perry were named to the All-AAC Third Team.
- Fellow guard Isaiah Adams was selected to the conference's All-Freshman Team.
- UCF was picked to finish eighth in The American's preseason coaches poll.
Noting the Pirates
- East Carolina picked up the No. 11 seed in the tournament after going 2-10 in conference play and 8-10 overall.
- The Tigers won both games against the Pirates this year and have won six-straight overall.
- Junior forward Jayden Gardner was voted to the All-AAC First Team after leading the league in scoring at 18.3 points per game.
- The Pirates began the season with a 7-1 record before dropping five-straight.
- But that losing streak was emphatically stopped with an 82-73 win over No. 5 Houston on Feb. 3.
- East Carolina is tops in the nation in assists-per-field-goal-made, with 67.2 percent of its baskets coming from a dish.
- The Pirates were picked to finish ninth in the AAC's preseason poll.
- They return all five starters from a season ago, when they went 11-20 overall and 5-13 in conference play.
- This is reflected in their minutes continuity, as 83.4 percent of the Pirates' minutes are played by the same player as last season.
- That also leads the nation.
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