UCF vs. Memphis Preview

Ah, Memphis. Good at making music, great at making BBQ and even better at basketball. However, the thing Memphis may possibly be the best at is walking all over our Knights, Marc Cohn style. The Tigers have absolutely ran things in Conference USA for the past several years, with 23 tournament appearances and four, Final Four visits. Despite that, the one simple statistic that drives us crazy is a quick look at the record books; Over ten contests between the two teams, Memphis is 10-0. A Knight fan doesn’t have to look further than last season for an excuse to despise the Tigers, as Memphis sunk any hopes of a UCF victory with a last second buzzer-beater to notch a 63-62 win.

Chances for the Knights bode a little better this year, as Memphis sits at 12-5 and is suffering from a few key injuries, namely stud freshman forward Adonis Thomas. That’s not to say there won’t be any good match-ups on the floor Wednesday night; UCF defensive stalwart Keith Clanton only needs three more blocks to tie Ken Leeks UCF career blocks record (1988-92) at 141, but will have to go toe-to-toe with Memphis’ Ferrakohn Hall to get them. Offensively, the Tigers will look for Will Barton to do what he’s done all season: Cause havoc on the scoring front. Barton leads the Tigers in points and rebounds and also leads the conference in scoring. Behind him at #2 is UCF G Marcus Jordan. How Jordan and Co. handle Barton is critical; It wouldn’t be the first time a Barton has rained on the Knights parade, as mentioned earlier.

It’s a tough game. No doubt. But hey we beat UConn, remember? That, and we beat up coaches for fun. Get some, Tigers.