After falling to Connecticut by just three points (81-78) in the final minutes of their first meeting this season, the Tigers should have plenty of motivation when the Huskies visit the FedExForum Thursday night.
It will be only the eighth meeting between the two teams, as UConn leads the all-time series 4-3. Memphis will look to avoid being swept by the Huskies for the second time in three seasons, as the Huskies defeated Memphis in all three contests in the inaugural season of the American Athletic Conference in 2013-14.
UConn (15-6, 5-3 in the AAC) is coming off a 67-41 rout over the UCF Knights. At only two games behind first, UConn is currently tied with Houston for third place in the conference standings.
Memphis (13-8, 4-4 in the AAC), who is coming off of a disappointing 80-68 loss to then no. 13 ranked SMU, has plenty of ground to make up in the conference standings. The Tigers currently sit in seventh place in the conference race. Fortunately for Memphis, they will get a chance to play each of the six teams ranked ahead of them in the conference standings, before the regular season ends.
If the Tigers hope to make a push for a top seed in the American Athletic Conference tournament, they will need to go on hot-streak beginning Thursday against the Huskies.
Currently, four different players are averaging double figures in scoring for UConn. Leading the way for the Huskies is senior forward Shonn Miller. The Cornell transfer is averaging 13.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.
Junior guard Rodney Purvis is having a career season, as he is putting up 13.2 points, three rebounds and 2.1 assists per game.
Senior guard Sterling Gibbs, who transferred from Seton Hall during the offseason, is averaging 13 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. Gibbs lit into the Tigers for 26 points, including five three-pointers, in the Huskies’ 81-78 win earlier this year.
Sophomore forward Daniel Hamilton is yet another threat for Connecticut. Hamilton is averaging 11.6 points per game. He also leads the team in rebounding (8.6 rpg) and assists (4.8 apg).
Junior center Amida Brimah returned to action in the Huskies’ big win over UCF on Sunday, after missing 11 games with a broken finger. Brimah managed to post six points, 2 rebounds and 2 blocks through 18 minutes in the win.
Brimah’s return is key for the Huskies as he was the anchor of their defense. Brimah led the nation in blocks per game (3.5) last season.
Memphis will have its hands full on the defensive end Thursday, but a better showing will be key if they expect to come up with the win. The Tigers allowed UConn to shoot 42.6% from the field and 47.4% from behind the arc in the loss earlier this season.
Memphis will also need to make better shot selections this time around. Although the Tigers shot well from three-point range (42.1%), they only connected on 22 of their 59 shots from the field—a mark good enough for only 37.3%. They also gave up nine blocks to the Huskies.
Seventh-year coach Josh Pastner said he expects Thursday’s matchup to come down to wire, similar to their last matchup with the Huskies.
“We play a very good UConn team on Thursday,” he said. “Besides the one game in the conference tournament here at home (72-53 loss in the 2013-14 season), every one of our games with them has been down to the last minute—down to the wire. There have been some great battles and nothing changed the last time we played them in Storrs (Connecticut), so I would assume nothing is going to be different moving forward.”
Pastner said Memphis will need its “Big Three”—senior forward Shaq Goodwin, senior guard Ricky Tarrant and freshman forward Dedric Lawson—to play at a high level for a chance to win.
Goodwin, who is averaging career highs in points per game (15.1) and rebounds per game (8.1), posted 23 points on 6-9 shooting, to go along with five rebounds in the January loss to the Huskies.
The Tigers and the Huskies will tip-off at 8 p.m. Thursday at FedExForum.
Memphis senior forward Shaq Goodwin will hope to help the Tigers get its third win in four games against UConn Thursday night.
