Memphis Tigers Season Preview – CBB Handicapping
The Memphis Tigers are clearly the class of Conference USA. They are blessed with quite a bit of talent and for the first time in years some experience too as they will likely start a senior, 3 juniors and a sophomore.
Memphis Tigers Odds to Win (By bovada.lv)
Conference USA
2011-12 Record: 26-9
Odds to win title: +2000
Odds to win conference: not currently listed
Key losses:
Will Barton – Lanky wing led the Tigers in scoring last season while also being their most effective rebounder at 8pg.
Wesley Witherspoon – Provided length and experience last year but never really fit in with current wave of talent.
Top Newcomers:
Shaq Goodwin – One of the top high school recruits in the nation. He is loaded with athletic talent but is still really raw offensively.
Damien Wilson – Another gifted athlete who will likely develop as a contributor over time. A tweener who needs to add some bulk.
Top Players
Joe Jackson – One of the quickest players in the nation is becoming a better floor leader as he matures.
Chris Crawford – The versatile two guard could easily bust out now that Barton has moved on to the NBA.
Tarik Black – His big body on the block can be tough to handle when he is playing at his best. He has only shown flashes in the past
Adonis Thomas – Huge upside for the sophomore who looks like an NBA prospect.
All the preseason reports are that this is a team to keep a close eye on. They are very athletic and play hard nosed defense with enough scoring to beat most any team in the nation.
It seems like the question with Memphis is always whether they will live up to their promise. This was true when coach Cal was there but maybe even more so with Josh Pastner at the helm. Pastner is a young coach and no matter what anyone says I think the jury is still out on whether he can handle a big time program like Memphis where the expectations are high. I think this is the year that winning puts some of those questions to bed. [ad-6571516]
Strengths
When most people think of Memphis basketball I think they envision a freelancing undisciplined style. With the talent they have they can certainly get away with that sometimes but this is a team that also plays hard nosed defense (63ppg against last year), shoots well (49% – 6th in the nation) and makes it free throws (71%). That combination and improvement amongst key contributors could lead to even more success in the future.
Weaknesses
Memphis might struggle this year if they have to play a team that has some real effective size and length up front. They have some thick bodies on the roster but no one measures over 6’8”. It might not affect them too much in Conference USA but when it matters most they might struggle with a guy like Cody Zeller or the other top big men across the country.
Top Games
Nov. 22 – The Tigers will visit one of the recent darlings of the tournament VCU. It should be a good barometer for both teams.
Dec 15 – A game against Louisville will be a huge one, especially if the Tigers win. Look for a close defensive battle.
Feb 26 – A late trip to Xavier will help the Tigers polish up their tournament resume.
Prediction
Memphis should cruise through Conference USA. Most mags have three Tigers on the all conference team and they should be able to out talent the rest of the league. As for March this is a tough team to read. They might rack up a great regular season record and be flying high when the music starts playing. If they can beat Louisville then this will definitely be a team to be reckoned with. I think Sweet Sixteen but it wouldn’t shock me to see more.
