DALLAS, TEXAS — SMU looks to Moody magic to get back in the win column as they host Penny Hardaway and his Memphis Tigers. The Mustangs come off a tough road trip where they dropped games to Tulane and Tulsa. The Mustangs still have a lot to be proud of and look forward to, coming into the matchup (18-8) overall and (8-6) in the American Athletic Conference.
The Mustangs play hard and the players’ desire to improve remains apparent. Understandably, the biggest struggle seems to be consistency. Many improvements since the beginning of the season are obvious, both as a team and as individuals, but the starting lineup looks different almost every week.
Memphis held a national ranking early in the year, but they aren’t the same without James Wiseman, who turned pro in the middle of the season after dealing with an NCAA eligibility issue, based on a payment he took from head coach, Penny Hardaway, prior to Hardaway accepting the job at Memphis.
The Tigers come to Dallas with a 2 game win streak, which helped them tie SMU’s (8-6) AAC record. SMU won the first match up between the teams by 4-points at Memphis, exactly a month ago. Both teams pulled off big upsets within the last week and a half to beat Houston, who still holds the AAC lead by a game. The conference tournament will be at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, March 12-15.
The Mustangs have an outstanding (14-1) home record and an 8 game win streak to defend tonight in Moody Coliseum. Tip off will be at 8 pm CT. The game will be televised on CBS and we will have updates online at www.d210.tv.
