How far Memphis basketball can go in March Madness. Here's what the experts say

The scene on the court was bordering on chaotic after the No. 24 Memphis basketball team defeated No. 1 Houston for the AAC Tournament championship Sunday.

Red, white and blue confetti rained down inside Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, as fans roared, the Tigers danced and event management officials hurried to get set up for proper postgame commemoration. Amid all that, though, Memphis superstars Kendric Davis and DeAndre Williams met in the middle of the floor. Fourteen seconds after Williams officially completed his sportsmanship responsibilities, Davis saw his friend and teammate for the first time since the final buzzer sounded.

"Dre!" he called out.

Williams whipped around and, without hesitation, initiated a special handshake that was accompanied by a series of emphatic declarations.

"I love you, boy. I love you, boy," said Williams. "You turned into a dog and you brought us home. I love you, boy. This is gonna go down in history. I love you, boy."

Davis and Williams, who have combined to average 39.9 points per game this season, have a chance to make more history and restore a certain degree of national respect for the Tigers (26-8) as they enter the NCAA Tournament as a No. 8 seed. Not since 2009 have they gotten past the Round of 32, when they fell to Missouri in the Sweet 16. Last season, Memphis defeated Boise State before falling to No. 1 overall seed Gonzaga in Portland, Oregon.

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This season, Penny Hardaway's team gets No. 9 FAU (31-3) − a team it has never faced − on Friday (8:20 p.m., TNT) at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Joining the Tigers in that pod are No. 1 seed Purdue and the Texas Southern-Fairleigh Dickinson winner.

Just how deep into March Madness can Memphis go? Here is a cross-section of predictions from some high-profile names.

ESPN (Jay Bilas)

Bilas predicts Memphis will beat FAU, giving the Tigers the edge due to their overall athleticism and Davis' "speed and experience." While Bilas calls Memphis the most likely team to take down a No. 1 seed before the Sweet 16, he says Purdue will come away with the win on Sunday.

ESPN (Jeff Borzello)

Borzello is calling for a four-point Memphis win over FAU to start, setting up a second-round upset of Purdue.

"We've seen the Boilermakers really struggle with opponents pressuring them late in games, and Memphis will cause plenty of issues for Purdue's guards in that area," he wrote. "Kendric Davis will step up and make big shots late."

Borzello has Memphis falling to Duke in the Sweet 16.

CBS Sports (Gary Parrish)

Parrish is also a believer in the Tigers on Friday. He contends Memphis will advance with a win over FAU, but it ends in the Round of 32 against Purdue.

CBS Sports (Matt Norlander)

Norlander has no faith in Memphis, calling for the Tigers to go one-and-done in Columbus.

The Athletic (Seth Davis)

Likewise, Davis is bullish on the Owls, predicting they will end the Tigers' season.

Sports Illustrated (Pat Forde)

Forde believes in Memphis, forecasting it will not only eliminate FAU, but also Purdue. After that, though, Duke will put the Tigers out on its way to a Final Four appearance.

FOX Sports (John Fanta)

Fanta stops short of making any specific bracket predictions. But he writes that of all the 8 seeds, Memphis is the one he is most high on.

"The Tigers are physical and Kendric Davis would be the best guard on the court. If Memphis can beat Dusty May and FAU, look out," writes Fanta.

EvanMiya.com

Among the leading college basketball analytics experts, Evan Miyakawa's popular metrics-based forecast gives Memphis a 53% chance of beating FAU and a 16.1% chance of getting to the Sweet 16.

Bart Torvik

Another leader in the analytics space, Bart Torvik is slightly more optimistic about the Tigers, giving them a 60.1% chance of getting to the round of 32, a 23.4% chance of advancing to the Sweet 16, and a 10.5% chance of making it to the Elite 8.

Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @munzly.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: March Madness: How far can Memphis basketball go? Expert predictions