Tigers Travel to Music City to Renew Rivalry with Vanderbilt

Monday, November 7

Nashville, Tenn.

7 p.m.

University of Memphis

Vanderbilt

Guard Elijah McCadden (0) during the Memphis vs. Lane College Menâ??s Basketball game on 10302022.

Photo by: Matthew A. Smith

Tigers Travel to Music City to Renew Rivalry with Vanderbilt

Nov 06, 2022 | Men's Basketball

WATCH ON SECN+LIVE STATS MEMPHIS GAME NOTES VANDY GAME NOTES AAC GAME NOTES

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The anticipated 102nd season of Memphis Tiger Basketball gets underway Monday at 7 p.m. when the Tigers invade Music City to battle Vanderbilt at Memorial Gymnasium.

Memphis is coming off a 2022 NCAA Tournament appearance and a 22-11 campaign, and Penny Hardaway's squad will have a new look this season despite returning two starters and seven letterwinners. The Tigers brought in a wealth of experience with eight new guys this offseason, six of which were Division I transfers.

The prize jewel of the newcomers is Kendric Davis from SMU, who most national pundits considered the top transfer in the portal. Davis is a two-time American Athletic Conference first team selection and the reigning AAC Player of the Year after averaging 19.4 points (1^st AAC), 4.4 assists (3^rd AAC), 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game.

Davis has earned a number of preseason accolades, including being named to the NABC Player of the Year and Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Watch Lists. He was also tabbed Preseason All-American by a host of publications, including Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, CBS Sports and Stadium, while Dick Vitale named him to his All-Rolls Royce squad.

The Tigers were picked to finish second in the 2022-23 American Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, just behind 2022 Elite Eight participant Houston, who the Tiger fell to in the AAC championship game.

Memphis and Vanderbilt have not met on the hardwood since March 23, 2005 when the two sides faced off in the third round of the National Invitational Tournament in the Bluff City. The Tigers took an 81-68 victory behind Rodney Carney's 26-point night and Darius Washington's 23 points and seven assists. The Commodores last win in the series came Nov. 21, 1997 in Nashville by a score of 86-77.

Monday's lid lifter is the first true road game to open a season for Memphis since the 1992-93 campaign when the Tigers dropped an 81-76 decision to Arkansas in Fayetteville on Dec. 2, 1992.
The Tigers will stay on the road next week with a trip to the Show-Me State on Nov. 15 to take on Saint Louis at 8 p.m. on CBS Sports Network. They will then return to Memphis for the home opener at FedExForum on Nov. 20 against VCU.

Season tickets for all 15 home games are available at GoTigersGo.com, with a mobile pass allowing fans to experience a different seating location for each game starting at $99.

GAME DETAILS
Memphis Tigers (0-0) vs. Vanderbilt Commodores (0-0)
Monday, Nov. 7, 2022 | 7 p.m. CT
Memorial Gymnasium (14,316); Nashville, Tenn.
Television: SECN+ (Andrew Allegretta, pxp; Drew Maddux, analysis)
Radio: 98.9 THE ROAR OF MEMPHIS (Dave Woloshin, pxp; Matt Dillon, analysis)
Live Stats: HERE

BY THE NUMBERS

28.1: Percent of Memphis' returning scoring from a season ago, including just one of its top-seven scorers, along with 38.5 percent of its rebounding.
15.1: Percent of Memphis' returning three-point production in 2022-23, just 31 of the Tigers 205 makes last season.
7: The number of transfer additions to the roster this season, six of which were brought in from Division I programs. The Tigers lost nine total players from the 2021-22 roster.
878: The combined number of games of Division I experience this roster has amongst 13 players. Nine of those have played 50-plus games in their career with three of them having at least 110 games under their belt.
3: Programs in the nation have won at least 18 games in each of the last 22 seasons starting in 2000-01 (Memphis, Kansas, Gonzaga).

THE LAST TIME OUT

The Tigers fell to No. 1 Gonzaga 82-78 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Portland, Oregon on March 19, 2022.
It was the program's first trip to the Big Dance since 2014 and the 27^th appearance all-time. The Tigers are 35-27 in those appearances.
DeAndre Williams led the Tigers with 14 points against the Zags to go along with seven rebounds.
Tyler Harris added 13 points after going 6-of-6 at the free throw line.
Lester Quinones finished with 10 points, five rebounds and three dimes in 28 minutes.
Jalen Duren found himself in foul trouble, totaling just seven points and seven boards in 19 minutes.

NOTING THE COMMODORES

Vanderbilt returns three starters in Jordan Wright, Quentin Millora-Brown, and Myles Stute.
The Commodores also welcome back two other players who started at least 10 games a season ago in Tyrin Lawrence and Liam Robbins.
Wright, the 2021-22 SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year, led the team with 6.4 rebounds (11^th SEC) and was second on the squad in scoring at 12.3 points per game.
Stute is back for his junior season after leading the SEC in 3-point shooting (43.2 percent).
Two-time Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award preseason watch list selection (2021, 2022), Robbins returns for his senior season after battling injury last year.
Vandy returns 61.1 percent of its scoring and 68.0 percent of its rebounding from a team that finished 19-17 last season, earning a trip to the NIT quarterfinals.

HOW TO FOLLOW THE TIGERS:

For complete information on Memphis Tiger Men's Basketball, visit www.GoTigersGo.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.