Tigers can get big win vs. Texas Tech
Memphis basketball's game against No. 19 Texas Tech Saturday at the Hoophall Miami Invitational has potential.
It's a chance to bounce back after a disappointing trip to the AdvoCare Invitational last week.
It's another game against a ranked opponent.
It's another opportunity for a marquee win.
But it's not going to be fun if Memphis doesn't execute against one of the top teams in the country — just ask Tigers coach Penny Hardaway.
Hardaway emphasized that the Red Raiders are "really good" not just once, but twice, in the opening statement of his media availability Thursday.
"They make you play the game the right way for the entire 40 minutes, not just the half," Hardaway said. "We have our work cut out for us."
Stingy Texas Tech defense
Especially on the offensive end, where Memphis is still searching for consistency six.
Texas Tech is No. 9 overall in KenPom's basketball rankings and No. 3 in defensive efficiency. The Red Raiders are giving up just 51 points per game, the best in the NCAA.
The highest point total coach Chris Beard's Texas Tech team has surrendered so far is 63.
It came against a top-50 offensive team in the country, too, in Southern California.
Combine that with Hardaway's scouting report, and Saturday shapes up to be a challenge the coach said will "absolutely" be his team's toughest yet.
"There are no wasted minutes out of anyone on the floor," Hardaway said of the Red Raiders. "... There's not a lot of guys messing things up. They're not perfect, but they show things that a lot of teams don't when it comes to defense."
Scoring against that stingy defense starts with ditching one-on-one basketball, according to Hardaway.
"We can't take bad shots," Hardaway said. "We have to be smarter on the offensive end."
Texas Tech also ranks inside the top 50 in turnovers forced, while Memphis is turning the ball over 16 times per game.
However, Hardaway said he feels like most of Memphis' mistakes have been self-inflicted, estimating that 90 of the Tigers' 97 turnovers could have been avoided.
Comfortable Culver
Flip to the Tigers' defensive end, and Texas Tech's Jarrett Culver could present Memphis with one of its toughest matchups of the season.
Culver is averaging 19 points and is ranked No. 2 in the nation in offensive rating among players used in over 28 percent of their team's possessions.
The only player ranked ahead of Culver is Duke freshman and potential No. 1 NBA draft pick, Zion Williamson.
"We have to make (Culver) feel very uncomfortable," Hardaway said. "We have to make him do things that he doesn't want to do. We have to make him pass it instead of being the aggressor."
More adjustments
Hardaway said he feels like the Memphis coaching staff has done an excellent job of adjusting and added that every game plan they presented "has been spot on."
It's getting his young players to execute and play like a team that Hardaway views as one of his toughest challenges.
"Sometimes with kids, the focus isn't on what the team wants. It's what they want," Hardaway added. "As a staff, you have to keep pushing."
According to Hardaway, the NBA is partly to blame for some of the selfish tendencies because it inspires young players to pass less and instead opt for the "hero shot."
"(The hero shot) is the 3-pointer ahead of time, where we could have gotten it way later in the shot clock," Hardaway said. "But we're taking it early, which is making us play defense way longer than what we want to, and we're not allowing anyone else to play defense against us."
The most obvious adjustment the coach made was switching the starting lineup before the Tigers' game against Canisius last Friday.
Hardaway said he intends to go with the same starting five of Alex Lomax, Tyler Harris, Jeremiah Martin, Raynere Thornton and Mike Parks Jr. against Texas Tech.
How to watch
The Tigers' game Saturday against Texas Tech at the HoopHall Invitational in Miami will be televised on ESPNU.
The tip is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. CT.