Memphis vs. Xavier Feb. 26 Free Play
Memphis and Xavier get together in an out-of-conference matchup Tuesday night on ESPN 2. With Memphis likely in the field of 68 as of this point in the season, the Xavier Musketeers have an opportunity on their home floor to add to their resume, which likely has them out of The Dance if the season were to end today. The Tigers have opened up as four point favorites on the road in Ohio.
Free Pick
It has been a relatively disappointing season for Xavier, as tons of new personnel has yet to really click and
find a sense of togetherness
this year. They sit at 8-5 and just 2.5 games behind first place St. Louis in the A-10 standings but have not
yet had a big win to give the tournament committee a good reason to think the Musketeers are deserving of an
at-large bid to the postseason.
Offensively, Freshman Semaj Christon leads the way with 15 points per game but he has not been incredibly efficient – hitting just 65% from the free throw line and 16.7% from beyond the arch. Travis Taylor and Justin Martin provide some experience in the front court but they have yet to develop any type of camaraderie with Christon. Xavier is 5-1 at home since conference play opened up, with their only loss coming in their last game against VCU by just four points. If they want to beat a good Memphis team in the Cintas Center they will need to be tough in transition defense and knock down open looks they do get against an incredibly athletic Tigers roster.
It has taken a while, but Memphis is beginning to turn heads on a national scale. The Tigers have not lost since a December 15th matchup with Louisville. Since, the Tigers have just reeled off 18 straight – breezing through Conference USA play. Memphis mixes a strong nucleus of experience with athletic, young talent to dominate lesser opponents in conference play. Joe Jackson, Adonis Thomas and Geron Johnson all average double-figure points – 13.8, 11.8 and 10.7 points per game respectively. Tarik Black is one of the best sixth men in the country. He brings a spark shooting nearly 60% from the field off of the pine. Josh Pastner’s squad loves to run and get out in transition where they can utilize their athleticism and finishing ability to get easy buckets. Look for Memphis to run early and often against Xavier. If they are able to force turnovers and get into the open floor it could be a long night for the home team.
Plain and simple, Xavier needs to win this game to make any bit of a statement going into the A-10 tournament. Memphis is incredibly talented but they have yet to be road tested like this since the new year. Expect Xavier to come out as the hungrier team on their home floor. Add the four points that the spread is giving and the Musketeers look like the play in this one. Take the road pup with the points.
Free Pick: Xavier +4