Positives, negatives from Tigers’ Orlando trip
It wasn’t the trip they hoped for, but coach Penny Hardaway and his Memphis Tigers players returned from the AdvoCare Invitational in Orlando with a better sense of where they stand six games into the season.
It’s nowhere near where they want to be at the start conference play in January.
“Now we see where we’re at as a team, and we know we have to get a lot better than we are right now,” freshman guard Tyler Harris said.
But it’s still November, and Tigers have a long way to go before taking on Wichita State in AAC play Jan. 3.
Here are three upward and downward trends after the Tigers’ trip to Orlando.
THREE UP Mike Parks’ starting role
Senior Mike Parks Jr. played just four minutes in the lopsided loss to Oklahoma State on Thursday.
When asked about the usage of his post players after the loss to the Cowboys, Hardaway said he was trying to give starting center Isaiah Maurice more time to build confidence.
The coach moved Maurice out of starting lineup ahead of Friday’s game against Canisius and replaced him with Parks. The senior responded with 14 points and five rebounds despite battling foul trouble.
Kareem Brewton’s productivity
Senior guard Kareem Brewton Jr. scored 20 total points over the three games and averaged just above 18 minutes.
Brewton was one of two players on the team to finish with a positive scoring margin over the weekend — the other was Parks.
The junior college transfer leads all Memphis guards in shooting percentage and is second in 3-point percentage.
Brewton also allowed the fewest points of any Memphis guard in Orlando.
Kyvon Davenport finished with the Tigers’ highest efficiency statistic.
Davenport scored nine or more points in all three games and recorded his second double-double against Canisius.
The senior is Memphis’ only player to average over 50 percent shooting with at least 30 shot attempts.
THREE DOWN Team defense
Memphis ranks No. 124 in defense according to KenPom, and gave up 78 and 84 points in its two losses over the weekend.
Memphis allowed Oklahoma State to score on over 50 percent of their possessions and allowed 18 layups or dunks.
Charleston averaged over a point per possession and scored 44 percent of the time on Sunday.
Hardaway said the struggle to play one-on-one defense would be his greatest takeaway from the trip.
Brewton is averaging fewer than 20 minutes per game.
When the senior guard is on the floor, he’s attempting just over 20 percent of the Tigers’ shots. Only Alex Lomax, Victor Enoh and Raynere Thornton are shooting less often.
While Brewton’s shooting percentage, rebounding rate and turnover rate have all improved, his usage has decreased, according to KenPom.
Pace vs. production
The Tigers rank No. 31 in the nation in tempo, and average just 14.8 seconds per possession.
It’s safe to say Memphis has matched Hardaway’s preferred playing style, but the up-tempo offense hasn’t translated to points. Not yet.
Hardaway’s team is ranked No. 219 in offensive efficiency and scored just 12 fast-break points in Orlando.
The coach said he noticed teams were making more of an effort to limit the Tigers’ transition baskets.