Tulsa (2-3, 0-1) at Memphis (5-3, 1-0)
Series
Memphis holds a 29-19 lead in the series against Tulsa as the Tigers are 16-8 at home in the Bluff City. Interestingly, Tigers guard Alex Lomax is the only player who has multiple games against Tulsa as he has suited up for three previous meetings. Coach Penny Hardaway is 1-2 vs. the Golden Hurricane. Tulsa’s last win in Memphis came in 2015, but the Golden Hurricane won 80-40 last season behind 23 points from Elijah Joiner.
Vs. The Spread
The Tigers check in at 2-6 ATS while Tulsa is currently at 2-3. The total has gone OVER in four of Tulsa’s last six games and the Golden Hurricane is 4-1 ATS in the last five vs. the Tigers. Memphis is a surprising 1-6 ATS in it’s last seven games and then eight of the last ten games have seen the UNDER as the play.
| Teams | Spread | Money Line | Total Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tulsa | +9.5 (-107) | +395 | O 139 (-115) |
| Memphis | -9.5 (-113) | -500 | U 139 (-105) |
Last Time Out
Tulsa junior Austin Richie had a breakout game in the Golden Hurricane’s 82-55 win over Northwestern State. Richie led Tulsa with 19 points as he made 5-of-10 three-point shots in playing a season-high 23 minutes.
The Tigers took an 80-74 win at Tulane last Thursday evening when Lester Quinones scored 19 points and D.J. Jeffries checked in with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Jeffries had eight points as Memphis took an early 24-7 lead and had to stave off numerous Green Wave runs to secure the win.
Gold Mine
Frank Haith continues to be one of the more underrated coaches in the nation despite his 323 career wins. Last season was another chapter in these annals as Tulsa tied Houston and Cincinnati for the American Athletic Conference title and would have participated in the NCAA Tournament had the cancellation not occurred due to COVID-19.
Tulsa’s inside attack has been consistent throughout the start of the season as 59 percent of the Golden Hurricane’s points have come in the paint over it’s five games. TU has a 36-22 advantage on average in scoring down low as Emmanuel Ugboh and Rey Idowu have been consistent mainstays among Haith’s bigs. Watch the guards off the dribble and how Memphis chooses to defend Elijah Joiner and Keyshawn Embrey-Simpson. Both average 10.4 points per game which is behind leading scorer Brandon Rachal’s 15.6 ppg.
Tiger Talk
No doubt the Tigers will challenge Tulsa on the boards as Penny Hardaway’s squad has averaged 20.7 offensive rebounds per game over the last three after accumulating 10.6 over the first five. The dynamics of the offense and the scorers will be a challenge as well as eight of the 13 Tigers have had double digits games. The Memphis defense is again at a high level only 39.2 ppg after allowing and NCAA low 36.1 percent a year ago. Landers Nolley leads Memphis at 14.4 points while Lester Quinones and Alex Lomax have been judicious ball handlers and playmakers thus far with assist-to-turnover ratios of around 2-to-1.
Winner: Memphis 74, Tulsa (+9.5) 68
Over-Under: Take OVER 139
