Saturday saw the college basketball slate change up, for the most part, as two tournaments that got going on Thursday took a day off before they finish up on Sunday. The slate was still a busy one, with a couple of tournaments and a few showcases having game action. But a game that was not part of a tournament, Ole Miss’ visit to Memphis, looked to have the potential to be the best game of the day.
Fortunately, the game lived up to that billing, with the Tigers eking out an 87-86 win over the Rebels. It’s a reminder that they have a lot of talent, even if most of it is young, and that they can grow.
The Tigers will be without James Wiseman until January, so they’re currently without the projected top pick in next June’s NBA Draft. Before having to sit due to eligibility issues, he looked the part. But the Tigers also have talents like Precious Achiuwa and D.J. Jeffries, who each had big days on a day when the Tigers also saw classmate Lester Quinones leave the game early due to an undisclosed injury. Achiuwa had 25 points and 11 rebounds, while Jeffries added 23 points.
Memphis also had to grow up within this game, as they built a 16-point lead but then allowed Ole Miss to rally. The final score is a bit deceptive in that the Tigers led by four in the final seconds when Ole Miss hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to make it a one-point game. A 10-2 run by Tigers gave them their largest lead at 64-48 with over 11 minutes left, but the Rebels responded with a 17-6 run of their own to get within five. The Tigers, to their credit, had more than enough answers, not allowing the Rebels to get any closer until 17 seconds remained.
According to KenPom, the Tigers are the youngest team in the country. The equation of their talent and inexperience means the most likely scenario is that this team has a lot of wins that might include some in March, but they should have some real growing pains along the way as well. That was sure to be the case even with Wiseman playing every game; without him, the growing pains are likely to not only come during his absence, but also once he returns as they learn to play with him and play off him once again.
Thus far, the Tigers have looked impressive on some nights, but they also looked like mere mortals against Oregon in Portland with Wiseman, though he was hampered by foul trouble in that game. Oregon outplayed them in all, especially with their defense, so you take nothing away from them while also acknowledging that the game said something about Memphis. On Saturday, they showed some growth, both in the big picture and within the game to respond to rallies the Rebels made after building the lead.
Side Dishes
Tournament roundup:
- In the Hall of Fame Tip-Off, Virginia handled UMass 58-46 and Arizona State turned the game around in the second half to knock off St. John’s 80-67 in the Naismith Bracket, while the Springfield Bracket had a pair of blowouts as Vermont beat Central Connecticut 81-49 and Rider took care of Columbia 87-63.
- In consolation round action in the Paradise Jam, Fordham beat Grand Canyon 70-58 and Western Kentucky used a big second half to knock off Illinois State 83-69.
Other results of note: DePaul remained undefeated by knocking off Boston College 72-67 in Chestnut Hill; UCF edged College of Charleston 72-71 in a game that was as good as advertised; Marquette got all they could handle from Robert Morris in a 66-62 win; Wichita State took care of Oral Roberts 68-59 to move to 5-0 on the young season; Penn State got 13 points and 13 rebounds from Lamar Stevens but needed a late three-pointer to edge Yale 58-56; Penn ran out to a big lead and then held off Providence 81-75; Saint Louis rode the best individual effort of the day – 21 points and 24 rebounds from Hasahn French – to a 60-55 win over Belmont; Cornell’s Jimmy Boeheim put up a big stat line of his own with 25 points and 17 rebounds in a tough 68-66 loss to Coppin State; Boise State outlasted Pacific 82-76 in three overtimes; Purdue manhandled Jacksonville State 81-49; Texas Southern got a nice road win in a double overtime thriller at Northern Kentucky 98-96; Saint Mary’s pulled away from Lehigh 77-66; and SMU is now 5-0 after edging UNLV 72-68 in Las Vegas.
Tonight’s Menu
The early season tournaments and showcases continue, featuring a couple of championship games as we get ready for a full week of them.
- The final day of the Charleston Classic starts with the third place game between Miami and UConn (1 p.m.), then Missouri State takes on Buffalo for fifth place (3:30 p.m.), Saint Joseph’s and Towson play for seventh place (6 p.m.) and the event concludes with the championship game between Xavier and Florida (8:30 p.m.)
- The Myrtle Beach Invitational begins its final day with the fifth place game between Tulane and Utah (10:30 a.m.), then Mississippi State and Coastal Carolina play for third place (1 p.m.). The evening session begins with the championship game between Villanova and Baylor (5 p.m.) and concludes with the seventh place game between Middle Tennessee and Ohio (7:30 p.m.)
- The Hall of Fame Tip-Off Classic in Connecticut has the Naismith Bracket championship game with Arizona State taking on Virginia (1 p.m.) followed by its third place game between UMass and St. John’s (3:30 p.m.), then the Springfield Bracket consolation game between Central Connecticut and Columbia (6 p.m.) and the championship between Vermont and Rider (8:30 p.m.)
- The Paradise Jam has semifinal action with Valparaiso taking on Nevada (5:30 p.m.) and Bowling Green taking on Cincinnati (7:30 p.m.)
- In the Jamaica Classic, North Carolina A&T takes on Eastern Michigan (noon), then LSU battles Rhode Island (2:30 p.m.), Utah State takes on North Texas (6:30 p.m.) and UMBC battles Nicholls (9 p.m.)
- The MGM Resorts Main Event in Las Vegas features Detroit taking on UC Irvine at Ed Clark High School 3 p.m.), then at T-Mobile Arena, Colorado takes on Wyoming (8 p.m.) and TCU battles Clemson (10:30 p.m.)
- Outside of tournaments, Hofstra travels to Cal State Fullerton and Minnesota hosts North Dakota (8 p.m.)
