Little Rock @ Memphis preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 13, 2013 ) Little Rock 59, Memphis 73

Memphis missed an opportunity in its season opener and looks to gain some confidence back when it begins the home part of the schedule with a matchup against rebuilding Little Rock on Tuesday night. The Tigers managed only seven assists Friday in the Veterans Classic at Annapolis, Md., before falling 82-70 to Alabama, which was missing three of its key returnees due to injuries and a suspended top recruit.

“We shared the ball before, but you get on a big stage like this, and this is an important game, so now we know how they reacted in the spotlight,” Memphis coach Tubby Smith told reporters. “. … If you’re going to break down people penetrating, you’ve got to get the ball to open man and I think that’s something we really struggled with.” There are plenty of excuses for the Tigers, who are a work in progress with five junior transfers and only two returning letterwinners on the roster after the top three scorers left for different schools in the offseason. Kyvon Davenport, a Junior College All-American at Georgia Highlands last season, led the way against Alabama with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Memphis should be able to score against Little Rock, which was picked 10th out of 12 teams in the Sun Belt’s preseason poll and lost 81-79 against Division II Ouachita Baptist on Friday.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN3

ABOUT LITTLE ROCK (0-1): Nine of the 12 who saw playing time in the opener were making their debut for the Trojans while eight participated in their first Division I contest, and coach Wes Flanigan told reporters it was a learning experience. Freshman forward Damir Hadzic from Bosnia led the way with 16 points, draining 7-of-11 from the field, and junior guard Ben Marcus made 6-of-8 shots to score 12. The Trojans shot 55 percent from the floor overall, but struggled from behind the 3-point line (6-of-20) and allowed Ouachita Baptist to make 14-of-28 from long range.

ABOUT MEMPHIS (0-1): Dedric Lawson and his brother K.J. transferred to Kansas while Markel Crawford left for Ole Miss in the offseason, and the trio averaged more than 44 points last season. Davenport will be depended on to contribute consistently while junior guard Kareem Brewton Jr. had 13 points in his debut with the Tigers and freshman guard Jamal Johnson scored 10 versus the Crimson Tide. Junior Jeremiah Martin, who had 10 points and seven rebounds in the opener, and senior forward Jimario Rivers (10 points against Alabama) are the only returnees.

TIP-INS

1. The Tigers hope to improve on their 3-point shooting after converting only 2 of 17 attempts against Alabama.

2. Little Rock’s 6-11 senior F Wadly Mompremier had 11 points and made all four of his shots in the opener.

3. Smith went 19-13 in his first year as Memphis coach and boasts a 576-290 career record with 18 NCAA Tournament bids.

PREDICTION: Memphis 78, Little Rock 56