#2 Seed Memphis to Tangle with North Texas in Big Easy

The Mean Green is coached by former Memphis assistant Johnny Jones

After cruising through Conference USA play without a loss, No. 5 Memphis will begin its march toward the Georgia Dome (host of Final Four) when it plays 15th-seeded North Texas at 12:30 p.m. (EST) on Friday in New Orleans.

The Tigers (30-3), who advanced to last year’s Elite Eight when they were the No. 1 seed in the Oakland Regional, collected the regular season and tournament titles in Conference USA for a second consecutive season. They also reached the 30-win plateau for a second straight season, which is a first in the program’s history. John Calipari’s club won its 22 nd game in a row—which is good for the nation’s longest winning streak—when it collected a 71-59 victory over Tom Penders’ Houston Cougars in the CUSA title game.

The Mean Green (23-10), who is coached by former Memphis assistant and interim head coach Johnny Jones (‘97-’00), advanced to the “Big Dance” by winning its first Sun Belt Conference Tournament title. UNT, which is making its second trip to the NCAA Tournament, defeated Arkansas State, 83-75, in the championship game.

Memphis and North Texas have met 21 times down through the years, but this will mark the first meeting since the 1983-84 season. The Tigers hold a 15-6 advantage in the series and have won 10 of the last 11 meetings between the schools.

North Texas did play two Conference USA schools this season. They notched two wins, winning 71-69 at Rice before defeating Tulsa, 65-63, later in the season.

Despite their remarkable success this season, there are still plenty of your so-called “college basketball experts” around the nation who aren’t sure how good Memphis is. They feel that the Tigers have not been challenged much in Conference USA and could exit the NCAA Tournament without making it to the Sweet 16.

“Compared to everybody else, I don’t know. I do know this. I don’t think they’re lining up to play us. That line’s empty,” said Memphis head coach John Calipari.

Houston’s Tom Penders feels as though the Tigers can play with anyone in the nation.

“There are a lot of teams that may have a little bit more publicity or national recognition, but they’re outstanding in every area.”

Both teams feature up-tempo attacks, as each averages nearly 80 points per contest. The Tigers and Eagles each shoot the basketball relatively well as a team, as they knock down 46 percent of their shots from the floor.

The difference in this one will be which team plays the best on the defensive end. Memphis possesses the better defensive numbers, as their athleticism really allows them to play in your face while forcing a plethora of turnovers. The tenacious Tigers are allowing 62.3 points per game. Their opponents are shooting only 38.5 percent from the floor while committing 18 turnovers per contest.

Conversely, the Mean Green is surrendering an average of 71.1 points each time out.

Chris Douglas-Roberts leads Memphis’ offensive attack. “CDR” is averaging 15.4 points per game while shooting an impressive 54.4 percent from the floor.

Senior Jeremy Hunt gives John Calipari an extremely reliable sixth-man to turn to. The Memphis-native comes off the bench to score 13.6 points per contest. He is far and away the top three-point shooter on the team, as he has drained 78 trifectas this year.

Antonio Anderson is tops on the team in assists and steals, as he dishes out 3.6 per game while collecting nearly two steals.

On the interior, Joey Dorsey and Robert Dozier lead the way. Dorsey produces 8.7 points per contest, but more importantly cleans the glass for the Tigers. The 6’9”, 260-pound junior averages 9.6 boards while also swatting 2.3 shots. Dozier scores 9.8 points and pulls down 6.1 rebounds. He ranks second on the team in blocked shots with 47.

The Mean Green has four players who average in double figures.

Senior guard Calvin Watson leads the way with 15.8 per game while connecting on a team high 88 three-point field goals (39.5% from 3).

Fellow senior guard Kendrick Davis is second on the team with his 13.2 average. Davis leads the team in free throw shooting, as he knocks down 80 percent from the charity stripe.

The Eagles’ top assist man is junior guard Ben Bell. Bell, who only scores 7.4 points per game, tallies slightly over three assists. He also leads the team with 39 steals.

UNT junior Quincy Williams grabs a team-high seven boards. The 6’8” forward is also posting 10.5 points per contest and has rejected 35 shots on the season.

Junior Michael Sturns is third on the team in scoring with his 12.4 average.

Prediction: North Texas will hang around for a while, but in the end Memphis will have too much athleticism for the Mean Green. The Tigers’ defense will be the difference in this one and they will advance to play the winner of No. 7 Nevada and No. 10 Creighton in Sunday’s second round.

Memphis 80 - North Texas 64