After coming off an impressive effort controlling Tulsa and surely securing an NCAA tournament spot, UC hosts Memphis in the regular season finale at Fifth Third Arena. The game will air on national television on CBS at noon on Sunday.
For a full breakdown on the Memphis Tigers squad check out our article earlier this year here.
Memphis is currently tied for 3rd in the AAC with UConn while UC is tied for 2nd with Temple.
Since January 15th when Memphis beat UC 63-50, the Tigers have gone 8-6. They swept UConn. However, the other W’s have not been all that impressive – Tulane, ECU, UCF, and USF. They were also dominated by Tulsa and SMU. Meanwhile, UC swept SMU and handled the Golden Hurricane in their only matchup of the year. It’s safe to say the Tigers have not found consistency on either end of the floor yet.
Unlike last time, UC will have the benefit of playing on their home court this time where they have only lost two conference games this year. Especially for being such a young team, playing at home really does matter. The Cats have held AAC opponents under 61 points at home, and only UCF scored 60 in a high scoring shootout. Memphis averages 67.2 points on the season, but they have not faced a well-oiled and now experienced defense like the Cronin-minded Bearcats.
Farad Cobb is also starting to heat up, coming off of a game with 22 points on 9 of 14 shooting, including 4 3-pointers. The twin towers of Gary Clark and Octavius Ellis are also ripping down rebounds like nobody’s business.
Prediction: Tigers sing the blues and UC will close out the regular season with a W at home 60-55.
By Andy Smith