Memphis @ Wichita St. preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 3, 2019 ) Wichita St. 74, Memphis 85

Three days after setting the American Athletic Conference single-game scoring record, Jeremiah Martin will lead Memphis when it visits Wichita State for the first time in over four decades on Saturday. Martin was doing it all for the Tigers in Wednesday's 102-76 victory over Tulane as the senior scored a career-high 43 points to go along with eight assists, seven rebounds and five steals.

"Coach (Penny Hardaway) just told me to keep playing hard," Martin told reporters Wednesday after setting career highs in field goals made (15) and attempted (24). "He kept me in the game until I got (the record). And I've got to (give a) shout out to my teammates. I think they wanted me to get it more than I did." Martin is averaging 29.6 points over his last six contests and became the first Memphis player – and first in AAC history – to record 40 or more twice in a career. Wichita State will look to get back to .500 after a 1-6 conference start as it won for the fifth time in six games Wednesday with an 81-60 rout of Tulsa. The Shockers tied a school record by draining 15 3-pointers and Dexter Dennis matched a freshman mark by hitting six 3-pointers en route to his team-high 18 points.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN2

ABOUT MEMPHIS (16-11, 8-6 American): The Tigers rank among the national leaders in steals (8.5) and recorded 12 during an 85-74 victory over Wichita State to open conference play on Jan. 3. Senior forward Kyvon Davenport recorded 10 points and a career high-tying 15 rebounds as the Tigers grabbed a season-high 56 boards against Tulane. The Tigers did a great job of limiting the damage from their turnovers as they committed 13 that led to 10 points for Tulane, while they scored 25 points themselves off 16 giveaways.

ABOUT WICHITA STATE (13-12, 6-7): Jamarius Burton posted a career-high 10 assists in Wednesday’s victory – the most by a Wichita State freshman since 1973. Leading scorer Markis McDuffie (18.3 points per game) saw his career-high streak of 15 straight games with a 3-pointer come to an end Wednesday as the senior finished with nine points while missing all six of his attempts from beyond the arc. Freshman Erik Stevenson had gone just 5-for-30 from 3-point range over the Shockers’ first eight true road games but went 3-for-6 from long distance against Tulsa, finishing with 11 points and seven boards in 21 minutes off the bench.

TIP-INS

1. Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall is eight wins shy of 500 for his career and needs one to claim his 300th with the Shockers.

2. Memphis has the conference’s top scoring offense (82.1 points per game) – just shy of the league-record pace set by Wichita State last season (82.8).

3. Wichita State C Jaime Echenique has rejected a league-best 27 shots in 13 conference games and has at least one block in 10 straight contests - his second such streak of the season.

PREDICTION: Wichita State 84, Memphis 82