No. 20 Memphis Tigers Face East Carolina in AAC Showdown

The No. 20 Memphis Tigers (12-3, 2-0 AAC) are set to take on East Carolina (9-7, 1-2) in a crucial American Athletic Conference matchup on Saturday at 1 p.m. at FedExForum. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.

Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway emphasized the importance of maintaining focus as conference play intensifies. “I think the eye test is on us to see if we’re going to falter in conference and see if we’re going to start playing worse,” Hardaway said. “We’re just going to have to keep that in mind and keep playing hard.”

The Tigers enter the game on a three-game winning streak, while East Carolina has struggled, losing six of its last eight games. However, the Pirates secured a narrow 1-point victory over Temple on Wednesday, showcasing their potential to compete.

One of the key areas of focus for Memphis has been reducing turnovers. The team averages 14.5 turnovers per game, and Hardaway has implemented a unique practice drill to address the issue. The “ball rack” method involves adding a basketball to the rack for every careless turnover during practice. Once the rack is full, the team must complete 17 sideline-to-sideline sprints. “We’re not trying to take the aggression away from the guards, so I kind of define which turnovers are the worst,” Hardaway explained. “It’s the lazy, nonchalant, unforced turnovers that we just can’t have.”

East Carolina poses a significant challenge on the offensive boards, averaging 13.6 offensive rebounds per game, ranking them among the top 20 teams in the nation. Memphis big man Dain Dainja acknowledged the need for improvement in this area. “Some of the rebounds were from me stepping up and helping, trying to get a blocked shot, and the big would be on the opposite side to get a rebound,” Dainja said. “On some of them, I definitely could’ve gotten better position.”

The Pirates are led by RJ Felton, who averages 17 points per game, and C.J. Walker, who contributes 16.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Despite their struggles from beyond the arc, shooting just 26.1% from three-point range, East Carolina relies heavily on its inside game and free-throw shooting, with 54.4% of their points coming from two-pointers.

Memphis, on the other hand, will look to exploit East Carolina’s vulnerability to the three-point shot, as the Pirates allow opponents to shoot 38.7% from deep. The Tigers are focused on securing a top-four seed in the conference, and a strong performance against East Carolina will be crucial in achieving that goal.