Cincinnati @ Memphis preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 10, 2018 ) Memphis 60, Cincinnati 70

American Athletic Conference co-leader Cincinnati entered the national rankings for the first time this week at No. 23 and the Bearcats look to continue their rise when they face a difficult league test at Memphis on Thursday night. Cincinnati held off a second-half rally from SMU for a 73-68 triumph Saturday to extend its winning streak to seven games, and it must be ready against a Memphis squad that is 11-1 on its home court.

Bearcats coach Mick Cronin told reporters his team must embrace the pressure and take care of the ball against the Tigers, whose only loss at home was against No. 1 Tennessee and won the last two at FedEx Forum by a total of 42 points. “They just continue to come after you. They really do a good job of that,” Cronin told reporters of the Tigers. “The game is not over until the clock hits zero. They play some really long games with a lot of possessions.” However, Memphis comes in after two straight losses on the road and wasted a record 41-point second-half performance from senior guard Jeremiah Martin in an 84-78 loss at South Florida on Saturday because it scored just 13 in the first 20 minutes. “I’m proud of my guys for fighting back in the second half,” Tigers coach Penny Hardaway told reporters. “The first half was a nightmare. The second half was our type of basketball.”

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2

ABOUT CINCINNATI (19-3, 8-1 AAC): Junior guard Jarron Cumberland is second in the league in scoring entering Wednesday at 18.7 per game and also leads the Bearcats in assists (3.5) along with steals (1.3). Sophomore guard Keith Williams is the only other player averaging in double figures scoring (11.0), but four others contribute at least eight points per contest and junior forward Tre Scott tops the team in rebounds (6.3). Senior guard Justin Jenifer (8.8 points) takes care of the ball about as good as anyone in the country with 71 assists and just 14 turnovers.

ABOUT MEMPHIS (13-9, 5-4): Martin, who leads the team in scoring (16.3), is the first Tiger to register at least 40 in a game since Marcus Moody (41) in 1997 and the 6-3 guard’s effort Saturday tied him for the sixth-most in school history. “For a personal goal it’s great, but, honestly, you don’t feel good because we lost,” Martin told reporters after draining 7-of-9 from 3-point range. “If I’d done more in the first half, I would have given my team a better chance to win.” Senior forward Kyvon Davenport (14.4 points, team-best 7.4 rebounds) is just 9-of-29 from the field the last two games.

TIP-INS

1. Memphis senior G Raynere Thornton is averaging 11.8 points and 10 rebounds over the last five games.

2. The Bearcats received at least 20 points from their bench 10 times this season, including Saturday when they outscored SMU 20-1.

3. Cincinnati has won the last four meetings and six of eight, including a 62-48 victory at Memphis last season.

PREDICTION: Cincinnati 78, Memphis 74