One of the best moments of the Penny Hardaway era came around this time last season when Memphis upset Houston to win the AAC Tournament championship trophy. The Cougars were the #1 team in the country at the time. They could not slow down the potent duo of Kendric Davis (31 points) and DeAndre Williams (16 points, 13 rebounds) in the tournament final.
If the Tigers want to earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament this season, it will likely require them to hoist the championship trophy once again this Sunday.
Can Memphis, as the 5th seed in the AAC Tournament, get four wins in four days to do so? Here’s a closer look at the bracket and the Tigers’ potential opponents if they advance.
Second Round Game
Memphis will face off against Wichita State in the second round of the AAC Tournament. The game will take place at Dickies Arena in Forth Worth, Texas. It is scheduled for Thursday, March 14th, at 1:30 p.m. ESPNU and ESPN+ will have the coverage of the matchup. It will be the first game for the Tigers since Saturday when they took a tough road loss in the regular season finale to FAU.
Memphis defeated Wichita State twice in games that served as the precursor and ending to their devastating four-game losing streak in late January. The Shockers are the 12th seed in the conference tournament and defeated 13-seed Rice in the opening round on Wednesday.
History shows it’s difficult to beat a team three times in one season. That also goes true for Wichita State, despite their lowly 14-18 record. After getting blown out on their home court in the first matchup between the two teams, the Shockers took Memphis to the brink in the FedExForum. The Tigers needed a big second half and a game-winning jumper from David Jones with three seconds left to take home the win.
Memphis had difficulty guarding Wichita State’s leading scorer, Colby Rogers, in both games against the Shockers this season. Rogers averaged 19.5 points and made nine threes across two games despite the losses. The Tigers will have to stop him if they hope to beat Wichita State for a third time and advance to the quarterfinals.
Quarterfinals Game
If Memphis advances past Wichita State on Thursday, it will play fourth-seeded UAB in the quarterfinals. The game would take place on Friday, March 15th, at 2 p.m. ESPN2/ESPN+ would cover the matchup.
The Tigers were upset by the Blazers back in January. They then struggled to a 15-point deficit in the first half of the second matchup. However, Memphis seemingly found the formula to take down Andy Kennedy’s squad in the second half of the March contest. In what ended up being a 19-point win for Memphis, the Tigers outscored UAB 60-26 in the final twenty minutes to take home the win.
If the results of both games tell us anything, we can expect a high-scoring contest between the two teams if they were to face off. The scores of each game reflected something of an NBA game. Each team averaged over 90 points across the two matchups.
UAB has a versatile offense that Memphis will need to stop to win. However, the Blazers offensive success is largely dictated by the performance of junior guard Eric Gaines. The athletic playmaker put an imprint on each game against the Tigers. He averaged 18.5 points and six assists across the two matchups. How Gaines plays and how Memphis deals with his athleticism will determine the outcome of this one.
Semifinals Game
Should they win their first two games of the AAC Tournament, Memphis will face off against one of 9-seed Tulsa, 8-seed East Carolina, or 1-seed South Florida.
The Tigers own a 2-1 combined record over the three teams. Their only loss came to South Florida back in January. Memphis, the #10 ranked team in the nation at the time, lost to the Bulls despite having a 15-point halftime advantage. The Bulls got 23 points from Selton Miguel and 21 from Kasean Pryor in the victory.
Since their lone matchup, both teams have changed significantly. USF is 13-1 since its win over Memphis and has solidified itself as the AAC’s top team. Meanwhile, since joining the team in late December, Nae’Qwan Tomlin has emerged as one of Memphis’ star players.
USF is the #1 seed in the conference tournament for a reason, possessing a 16-2 record against AAC opponents. They have a balanced attack, with Co-AAC POTY Chris Youngblood, Miguel, and Pryor leading the charge. AAC Coach of the Year Amir Abdur-Rahim is a fantastic coach. He has helped vault an experienced squad to the top of the conference.
If South Florida and Memphis were to meet up with one another, the Tigers would have to lean on their star power to get past the Bulls. That star power is one area where Memphis may have an advantage in this potential matchup. The trio of David Jones, Nae’Qwan Tomlin, and Jahvon Quinerly can take over games. If all three are on their game, this Tigers team will be challenging to stop.
Championship Game
If Memphis were to win three games to advance to the conference championship game for the second year in a row, there would be six opponents on the opposite side of the bracket they could potentially face. However, the Tigers seem destined to meet up with Florida Atlantic in the tournament championship with their March Madness hopes on the line.
The two teams have been connected all year after Memphis fell to the Owls in the Round of 64 in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. It was a loss that many Tigers fans weren’t pleased with. Since then, they have had their chance for revenge (twice), with FAU joining the AAC.
They went 1-1 in those games, with each team winning on their home floor. Memphis squeaked out a four-point win in late February, getting 25 points from David Jones and 21 from Nae’Qwan Tomlin. The Owls got them back just weeks later. They earned an eight-point win behind 21 points each from Bryan Greenlee and Vlad Goldin.
The Key to a Rematch
Florida Atlantic is dangerous due to the star power of Co-AAC POTY Johnell Davis and junior Alijah Martin. However, it’s been FAU’s big man in the middle who’s given Memphis trouble in both games. Goldin averaged 21.5 points and ten rebounds across two games, both coming without Malcolm Dandridge on the floor.
With Dandridge’s continued absence, Goldin has been able to take advantage and dominate on the inside. However, Nae’Qwan Tomlin has given Goldin and the Owls’ frontline fits as well. He averaged 24 points and connected on seven of ten three-point attempts over the two contests.
Tomlin’s ability to stretch the floor and open up driving lanes for Memphis’ guards would be key in their ability to take down FAU for a second time if they were to match up in the championship game. However, as many Tigers fans should know and expect by now, it will be up to the play of David Jones to take them to the NCAA Tournament.
