Penny Hardaway and his
Memphis basketball team will put their seven-game winning streak on the line Thursday at South Florida. The 14th-ranked Tigers (20-4, 10-1 AAC) are playing the reeling Bulls (12-12, 5-6), who have lost four of their past six games. But Hardaway has not forgotten that it was his team's loss to USF last season that started its downward spiral. The stars remain aligned for Memphis to accomplish two of its primary goals: winning the regular-season AAC championship and getting back to March Madness as a top-four seed. The first-place Tigers have a 1.5 game lead over North Texas and a 2-game lead over UAB with seven games left before the conference tournament. And while all bracketologies are exercises in informed speculation, the various forecasts currently project the Tigers as a 4-seed or within striking distance of one. The NCAA Tournament selection committee's first in-season reveal of its top 16 seeds is set for Saturday (11:30 a.m. CT, CBS). Before that, though, here are three things to keep an eye on ahead of the game (8 p.m. CT, ESPN2) at the Yuengling Center.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. Tyrese Hunter or Dante Harris?
The status of Tyrese Hunter's right kneecap — the same one that kept him out of the Tigers' win over Temple last week, and the first game he has missed in his career, college and high school — remains uncertain. A program spokesperson told The Commercial Appeal Tuesday afternoon that Hunter was being held out of practice this week and
will be a game-time decision Thursday. Which means it's unclear whether it will be Hunter or Dante Harris at point guard versus USF. Whoever it will be, he'll be going up against a Bulls team that has allowed 74.5 points per game in AAC play and is scoring 73.5 a game. USF opponents were also averaging 17 assists per game in an eight-game span before the Bulls held Wichita State to just five last week.
Dain Dainja dominating down the stretch
Dain Dainja has been downright dominant since league play began, but especially so during Memphis' seven-game winning streak. Since the Tigers lost at Temple on Jan. 16, the team's big man has averaged 14.6 points (on 71.7% shooting, second to Wichita State's Quincy Ballard in the AAC in that span) and 2.3 assists per game. “I’m just glad to see the work is paying off," Dainja said last week. "But, you know, I’m not getting relaxed or anything like that. I’m still worried about winning. That’s the only thing on my mind. You know, I’m getting old, so winning is really a big focus for me.” Dainja — who was dealing with what he deemed minor left wrist stiffness after taking an awkward fall on a dunk attempt Sunday — also has averaged 7.7 rebounds a game in his past seven games. The game against USF could be an opportunity for him to improve that number significantly. The Bulls are next to last in the AAC in rebounding margin since conference play began. They have been out-rebounded by 7.2 a game during that stretch.
USF basketball scouting report
Senior 6-foot-11 forward Jamille Reynolds leads South Florida in scoring (12.7), field goal percentage (52.5%), rebounding (7.6) and blocked shots (34). Sophomore guard Jayden Reid (12.1 points per game) and junior guard Kobe Knox (11.1 ppg) also pack some scoring punch. But the Bulls — under Ben Fletcher, who is serving as interim coach this season after coach Amir Abdur-Rahim died in October — have struggled to find consistency. USF, which has three home losses already this season (to Bethune-Cookman, UAB and Wichita State), has had issues finding much scoring beyond the arc. The Bulls rank 221st in the nation in 3-point percentage (33%), while Memphis is No. 1 in the country at 40.3%.
Memphis basketball score prediction vs. USF
Memphis 81, USF 75: Tyrese Hunter or not, the Tigers have too much firepower to slip up against the Bulls.
