Friday’s college basketball schedule includes an intriguing matchup between the Memphis Tigers and the Murray State Racers.
Despite an uneven start to the season, Penny Hardaway’s Tigers are hoping to remain unbeaten at home while the Racers are looking for a signature win amidst a 7-1 start. At home, Memphis is favored by 10.5 points, with the over/under listed at 142.5 points.
Things looked promising for Memphis at the start of the season, as the Tigers jumped off to a 5-0 start, including a win over Virginia Tech. But things have fallen apart quickly with losses to Iowa State, Georgia, and Ole Miss. The Tigers have two more ranked teams on their schedule before Christmas, so it’s critical that they get back on track quickly.
Meanwhile, Murray State has raced out to a 7-1 start as one of the favorites in the Ohio Valley Conference. The caveat is that the Races don’t have anything close to a quality win. Their best wins have come against Illinois State and James Madison, so the Racers have a lot to prove when they play Memphis on Friday night.
Dynamic Duo
Murray State’s dynamic duo of Tevin Brown and KJ Williams is back from last season and even better. With Justice Hill taking a step forward as the team’s point guard, Brown can focus on being more of a scorer than a playmaker, averaging 18.1 points per game thus far.
Meanwhile, Williams is one of the best forwards that Memphis will face season, as he can score at all three levels and is averaging 17.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.
As mentioned, Hill has stepped into a bigger role this season while giving the Racers a third reliable scorer. South Carolina transfer Trae Hannibal also adds to the backcourt scoring, giving Murray State 10.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.
Finally, Texas Southern transfer DJ Burns has added another capable scorer and rebounder to the Murray State frontcourt along with redshirt freshman Nicholas McMullen, who is giving the Racers good minutes as well.
Falling Apart
Things have been falling apart quickly for Memphis, with a lack of point guard play being the most obvious culprit. Emoni Bates was projected to play that role but has gone through some growing pains after reclassifying late and enrolling at Memphis when he should have been in high school. Meanwhile, returning backcourt players Landers Nolley and Lester Quinones are both averaging fewer points than they did last season.
In the frontcourt, senior forward DeAndre Williams has also seen a slight dip in his numbers from last season. Granted, part of that is due to freshman center Jalen Duren, who is averaging 10 points and 8.1 rebounds per game but has scored 14 total points in the team’s three straight losses. The Tigers are also struggling to incorporate high-level transfers like Tyler Harris and Earl Timberlake into the mix.
Seize the Opportunity
There’s no doubt that Memphis is vulnerable right now, and Murray State is good enough to take advantage of that. The Racers don’t have the depth or athleticism of Memphis, but they have some talent, and they play a team game, which the Tigers aren’t doing right now.
Bet on Murray State to make this interesting and beat the 10.5-point spread.
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