Georgia @ Memphis preview

No. 11 Memphis comes into Saturday’s home contest with Georgia riding a 10-game winning streak after an impressive offensive performance during which the Tigers took care of the basketball in Monday’s victory over Tulane. Burdened by turnovers at times this season, the Tigers committed only 12 miscues in an 84-73 triumph and finished with a season-high 24 assists, leading to five Memphis players scoring in double figures.

“Rather than making those full-court, long passes, or those flashy passes, we’re starting now to just run the offense,” Memphis freshman guard Lester Quinones told reporters after scoring a team-high 16 points and hitting four 3-pointers. Quinones is one of several freshmen who are contributing heavily for Memphis, and Saturday’s opponent is similar in that the Bulldogs rely on multiple first-year players. Freshman guard Anthony Edwards leads Georgia in scoring at 18.8 points per game, despite managing just nine in Monday’s 78-48 rout of Austin Peay. “We have to be a team in the sense of how we defend, how we rebound, everyone out and running, and everyone cutting and moving without the ball,” Georgia coach Tom Crean told the media postgame. “We did some really good things in the second half.”

TIME: 1 p.m. ET. TV: CBS

ABOUT GEORGIA (9-3): Edwards began the weekend third in the SEC in scoring while averaging 4.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.8 steals and shooting 31.3 percent from 3-point range. Freshman forward Toumani Camara has taken advantage of a recent increase in playing time, pulling down a season-best nine rebounds Monday and averaging 9.3 points and 7.3 boards across his past three games. Graduate transfer guard Donnell Greshman Jr. helped fuel Monday’s victory, hitting three 3-pointers during a 22-2 run, while junior forward Rayshaun Hammonds finished with 17 points and six rebounds.

ABOUT MEMPHIS (12-1): Freshman forward Precious Achiuwa recorded his sixth double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds against Tulane, and with the departure of James Wiseman he is the Tigers' leading scorer (14.2) and rebounder (9.8). Quinones averages 11.4 points and is shooting 36.1 percent from 3-point range, while freshman forward D.J. Jeffries scored 14 points with eight assists and seven rebounds Monday. Memphis entered the weekend second in the nation in field-goal percentage defense (34.9 percent) and fourth in blocks per game (6.9).

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Bulldogs began the weekend 12th in the nation in scoring offense at 82.2 points.

2. The Tigers have allowed 57 points or fewer in five of their past six games.

3. Georgia opens SEC play next week with contests against two ranked teams, at home Tuesday against No. 14 Kentucky and at seventh-ranked Auburn on Jan. 11.

PREDICTION: Memphis 83, Georgia 69