Loyola (MD) @ Memphis preview
FedExForum
Last Meeting ( Dec 30, 2012 ) Loyola-Maryland 64, Memphis 78
Memphis coach Tubby Smith is in his 27th season and won a national title at Kentucky in 1997-98, but he has rarely faced a challenge like the one coming up Saturday. For the second time in his illustrious career, when Smith and his Tigers host Loyola Maryland, sitting on the opposite sideline will be Smith's son, G.G., in his fifth season at the helm of the Greyhounds.
G.G. will also battle his brother Saul, who is a Tiger assistant for the second time in his coaching career. "It's always emotional," Tubby Smith, whose Texas Tech team beat Loyola and G.G. in the 2014-15 season opener, told gotigersgo.com. "It will be emotional for (wife) Donna and myself, but it will be good to have him here. I just wish he would have brought the grandkids like he was supposed to." The Tigers will attempt to remain unbeaten in games played at FedExForum, where they are 8-0 after Wednesday's 70-66 win over Siena. Loyola recorded a 66-62 victory over Drexel on Thursday, as guard Chuck Champion scored 21 points and forward Cam Gregory grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds.
TV: Noon ET, ESPN3
ABOUT LOYOLA (2-8): The Greyhounds have been beset by injuries, as sophomore Champion (18.0 points, 52.8 field-goal percentage), missed the first five games of the season while fellow starters Andrew Kostecka (12.3 points), Andre Walker (12.1) and James Fives (5.1) have also missed several games with injuries. Freshman guard Isaiah Hart (10.4 points, 3.0 assists) is averaging 16 points over the last four games and 11.4 since joining the starting lineup seven games ago. Gregory, a 6-8 senior, leads the team in scoring (14.5 points) and rebounding (9.8) and ranks 13th in Division I and first in the Patriot League in offensive rebounds per game (3.6).
ABOUT MEMPHIS (8-3): Guard Jeremiah Martin (17.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists) and forward Kyvon Davenport (13.0 points, 6.5 rebounds) scored 16 points apiece and Raynere Thornton, making his first start in place of injured Jimario Rivers (10.4 points, 5.0 rebounds), had 13 points and seven rebounds - both season highs. Siena hit 14-of-30 shots beyond the arc and led by 10 early in the second half, but a three-point play by Davenport with about 2 1/2 minutes to play snapped a tie and allowed the Tigers to escape. "It was another one of those down-to-the-wire games," Smith said. "We had some good performances in the second half. We stepped up and the biggest thing was taking care of the basketball with only two turnovers. That was the key to turning the game around."
TIP-INS
1. Memphis beat Loyola 78-64 on Dec. 30, 2012, in the only other meeting between the teams.
2. Champion is the cousin of former NBA player Raja Bell.
3. The Smiths are one of two father-son coaching duos in NCAA Division I for the 2017-2018 season. Mike Dunleavy, Sr., is coaching at Tulane University, while his son, Baker, is the head coach at Quinnipiac University.
PREDICTION: Memphis 75, Loyola 57