by Stefan Adams, TechSideline.com, 3/18/05 Virginia Tech (16-13) at Memphis (20-15) Saturday, March 19th, 2005, noon TV: ESPN2 With the possibility of “no tomorrow” for Virginia Tech men’s basketball, the team travels to Memphis, Tennessee to take on the University of Memphis Tigers in the second round of the National Invitation Tournament. The Hokies defeated Temple 60-50 in round 1 of the NIT, and Memphis beat Northeastern 90-65 to set up the matchup. After numerous reports that the game would be in Blacksburg, the powers that be decided on a Saturday game at noon in Memphis’ FedExForum, news that does not bode well for the Hokies, who are 3-10 on the road this season. On the other hand, the Tigers were mediocre at home this season, posting a 13-6 record, with nine of those wins coming when Memphis was favored by a decent margin. Head coach John Calipari’s Tigers are primarily led by an explosive mixture of talent both young and old. Memphis’ biggest name is Darius Washington Jr., a freshman from Orlando, Florida. The 6’2 guard is averaging 15.2 points per game (second on the team) and leads the team in assists, steals and minutes played (35 per game). Washington’s compliment inside is junior forward Rodney Carney, who is averaging 15.5 points per game and 5.1 rebounds per game. Carney is aided in the blocks by 6’8 sophomore Sean Banks (14.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg), 6’9 senior Duane Erwin (6.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg) and 6’9 freshman Joey Dorsey (4.5 ppg, 6.1 rpg). Also up top, the Tigers rely on senior guard/forward Anthony Rice (10.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg) and 6’4 junior Jeremy Hunt (9.5 ppg, 3.4 rpg). Overall, the Hokies match up fairly well with Memphis and will rely on senior Carlos Dixon to use his athleticism to shoot outside and take it to the basket. Jamon Gordon will have his hands full with Washington, but Memphis’ freshman sensation has 122 turnovers this year, which leaves him ripe for the picking. Gordon could easily have a full stat sheet once again by the end of Saturday’s game. The Hokies will need Coleman Collins to elevate his game once again on the glass. In his last seven games, Collins has averaged 10 rebounds per game. One interesting stat is that 90 of his 186 rebounds this season have come on the offensive glass, a potentially gigantic momentum swing that could aid the Hokies on Saturday if this trend continues. Memphis is a team that rebounds well, averaging 38.2 per game with a +2.7 margin. This is an alarming number when compared to the Hokies 33.7 average and their -1.9 margin (numbers that have improved dramatically lately). However, like Washington Jr., the Tigers do not take good care of the ball, an area Tech must exploit to give itself the best chance possible to win. Memphis has 520 turnovers this season and has forced 514. The Hokies have forced 511, almost identical, but the key difference is Tech’s turnover total of 386, far less than Calipari’s team. Expect the Tigers to be active from the perimeter. Memphis has taken 695 three-point shots this year (Tech has taken 462). Even though the Tigers rely on the three, it is the Hokies who shoot better from the arc with a 35.7 percent average when compared to Memphis’ 34.4 percent mark. As we all know, long shots create long rebounds, therefore, all five of the Hokies must box out on defense every time a shot goes up. Therefore, the keys to Saturday’s game are simple. Play to your strengths and focus on crippling where the opponent thrives. While this is always a good strategy, it can never be more true for this game. Tech must force turnovers and minimize the damage Memphis is capable of on the boards. For the Tigers, they must take care of the ball and rebound, rebound, rebound. Here is a quick look at the numbers that the teams have averaged this season.
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