Conference USA Basketball Game Preview

UTEP Miners (17-6, 9-1, RPI #85) @ Memphis Tigers (24-2, 10-0, RPI #5) - Wednesday, February 22nd, 2006

UTEP Miners

• Despite Senior Forward John Tofi having limited playing time with an injured foot, he still had 10 pts and 10 rebounds in 22 minutes in Saturday's 58-47 win over Rice
• Tofi averages 14.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game this season, has led the team in scoring 7 times and in rebounding 13 times
• G Miguel Ayala scored 3 points on 1-4 shooting against Rice in his 1st game back from injury. On the season Ayala is averaging 10.7 ppg and 2.6 3pt/game.
• Jason Williams led UTEP in the win over Rice with 18 pts, 7 reb, 4 ast
• Williams has scored in double figures in 16 of 22 games played (he also missed one game). UTEP is 3-4 in games where Williams has not scored in double figures; the Miners are 14-2 when Williams does score 10 or more.
• The Miners are 9-1 in their last 10 games
• Versus the RPI Top 100 the Miners are 1-3; versus the RPI Top 50 the Miners are 0-2
• Key win for UTEP is vs. UAB (#53 RPI)

Memphis Tigers

• The Tigers forced 22 turnovers and had 17 steals in Saturday's 105-65 win @ Tulane
• F Shawne Williams, the Tigers' 3rd leading scorer, sat out @ Tulane with a sore knee
• Senior F Rodney Carney is the Tigers' leading scorer this season at 18.2 ppg
• Memphis is currently 10-0 against C-USA team this year, but has played just one of the Top 4 opponenets in our Conference USA Basketball Power 5. The Tigers will face their toughest tests in conference play in the next two weeks with this home game vs. UTEP, @ UAB on Thursday, March 2nd and vs. Houston on Saturday, March 4th
• Memphis has 13 straight wins and has the best record after 26 games in school history at 24-2
• Memphis is 10-0 in their last 10
• Versus the RPI Top 100 the Tigers are 10-2; versus the RPI Top 50 the Tigers are 5-2
• Key wins for Memphis are vs. Tennessee (#4 RPI), vs. Gonzaga (#9 RPI), vs. UCLA (#14 RPI) in the Preseason NIT, and @ Cincinnati (#26 RPI)