When Memphis basketball meets San Francisco en route to the Aloha State, it will likely be a bit more than your standard tuneup.
Ahead of a monster matchup with No. 3 UConn to kick off the Maui Invitational (1:30 p.m. CT, Nov. 25), the Tigers (3-0) have to deal with the Dons on Thursday (9 p.m. CT, ESPNU). In a technically neutral-site game (at Chase Center in San Francisco), Penny Hardaway’s team — which boasts wins over Missouri, UNLV and Ohio — will face its toughest test of the season.
That also might be the case for San Francisco (4-0).
“We’re going to have our hands full,” second-year Dons coach Chris Gerlufsen said last week.
But San Francisco (which has not played a game outside its own arena this season) already has a win over Boise State. The Broncos (who defeated Clemson on Sunday) were the preseason pick to win the Mountain West. Gerlufsen believes that game will help prepare his team for Memphis.
“We’re extremely excited for the challenge. Really well-coached team. Very talented team,” he said. “But, you know, I think we’ll draw upon some of our experiences in the Boise game.”
Here are three things to keep an eye on ahead of Thursday’s game.
Memphis basketball and the 3-point shot
The Tigers are the No. 1 team in the country in 3-point field-goal percentage at 49.1%.
That number was boosted significantly by a historic performance in last week’s win over Ohio. Memphis established a school record (minimum 10 attempts), shooting 72.2% (13 of 18) beyond the arc versus the Bobcats at FedExForum.
A small sample size, to be sure. But it’s in dramatic contrast to how things went from downtown for the Tigers in their exhibition games against North Carolina and Alabama, when they managed only slightly better than 16% from deep.
“I don’t know what happened in those two exhibition games, but I’m happy to have it this way,” Hardaway said after the Ohio game.
San Francisco has held its opponents to just 27% at the 3-point line this season.
Where Penny Hardaway’s defense is vulnerable
Memphis has been solid defensively this season, ranking in the top 40 in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency.
There has been a glaring problem area, however: the 3-point line. Opponents are shooting 35%, which means Memphis is in the bottom 100 in the nation in 3-point percentage defense.
That could wind up being of particular concern, because the Dons are shooting 34.7% along the perimeter.
San Francisco scouting report
San Francisco, like Memphis, is led by a strong trio of guards: Tyrone Riley IV, Malik Thomas and Marcus Williams.
Riley, a true freshman who picked the Dons over offers from Cal and LSU, is tops on the team in scoring (19.5 ppg). Thomas has put up 15.6 ppg and has the most steals on the team. Williams has hit 58.8% of his 3-pointers and leads the team with nearly five assists a game.
But San Francisco is not just a three-headed monster.
“Our depth should be something that separates us as the season goes on,” Gerlufsen said. “We’re at our best when the ball is moving, we’re sharing the ball and we’re playing with pace.”
Memphis basketball score prediction vs. San Francisco
Memphis 80, San Francisco 79: The Tigers (getting Tyrese Hunter and PJ Haggerty healthier, according to Haggerty) will fend off the pesky Dons and head to Hawaii for the Maui Invitational undefeated.
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at [email protected] or follow him @munzly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.
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