NO. 17 MEMPHIS VS. SAMFORD
When, where: 7 p.m. Saturday, FedExForum TV, radio: No TV, WREC-AM 600 Records: Memphis 1-0, Samford 1-2 Coaches: Memphis, Josh Pastner (7629 at school, 76-29 overall); Samford, Bennie Seltzer (1-2 at school, 1-2 overall) Series: Memphis leads, 3-1
MATCHUPS
G Joe Jackson (Jr., 6-1, 171, 14 ppg, 6 apg) vs. G Raijon Kelly (So., 6- 4, 175, 11.3 ppg, 4.7 apg): Jackson was good in the Tigers’ season-opening win over North Florida on Monday, playing deliberately and getting others involved. More important than his floor game was how he energized Memphis with his rebounding (six boards) and willingness to go after loose balls. Kelly likes to shoot from deep, having attempted 17 3-pointers (and made six) in three games. F Tarik Black (Jr., 6-9, 262, 18 ppg, 7 rpg) vs. F Tim Williams (Fr., 6-8, 210, 17 ppg, 8.7 rpg): Black got 10 field-goal attempts (he made six) and got to the free-throw line 10 times (he made six) against North Florida, a positive sign for a Memphis team looking to get the ball inside more often. Williams, a true freshman out of Chicago, has led the Bulldogs in scoring in all three games. He had 15 points and six rebounds in Samford’s 80-54 road loss at No. 2 Louisville on Thursday.
THE SKINNY
The last time Memphis played Samford, the Tigers squeaked by 63- 62 at The Pyramid during the 2003-04 season. Memphis went 22-8 that year, advancing to the second round of the NCAA tournament, where the Tigers lost to Oklahoma State. ... Memphis tallied 15 fast-break points in its win over North Florida on Monday. The Tigers were 13-0 last season when they scored 13 or more points in transition. ... Seltzer, 41, a Birmingham, Ala., native in his first season at Samford, was formerly an assistant under Tom Crean at Indiana and Marquette. Before that, he spent nine years as an assistant at Oklahoma, helping the Sooners reach the Sweet 16 in 1999, the Final Four in 2002 and the Elite Eight in 2003. ... Saturday night’s game will be a homecoming for Bulldogs junior guard Gregg Wooten, a former Briarcrest Christian standout.