Memphis basketball holds off Stanford. Here are 5 observations from the Tigers' win
ORLANDO, Fla. ― Kendric Davis tried to thread the needle.
Initially, it appeared the Memphis basketball star's pass, intended for DeAndre Williams, was destined to become a turnover. Instead, Williams lunged for the skipping ball, gathered and made a layup with 1:33 left against a scrappy Stanford team.
The basket put the Tigers up by six and propelled them to a 56-48 victory in the fifth-place game at the ESPN Events Invitational at State Farm Field House. Memphis (4-2) got 14 points from Davis, 12 from Williams (7 rebounds, 6 assists) and 12 from Alex Lomax (4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals). Chandler Lawson provided eight points and eight rebounds.
"I mean, come on, man, you can't do nothing but tip your hat to these kids," said coach Penny Hardaway. "They are fighting hard for us. They're fighting hard for me. We're still getting to know one another and having injuries. Our best scorer didn't score the ball well today and everybody else picked up the slack. Chandler, terrific on the glass. DeAndre, six assists, carried the load in that area. A-Lo, big three, great defense on Harrison Ingram.
"This group is so connected on the floor. They're always talking about the next-best thing to do and it's just a beautiful thing."
A jolt from Keonte Kennedy
It might make sense that a game between Memphis and Stanford in Orlando that tipped off at 11 a.m. on a Sunday would be a little short on energy. And it was.
Until Keonte Kennedy delivered an poster-worthy dunk that woke everyone up.
“Once we seen him just go to the goal with probably the No. 1 SportsCenter play of the whole tournament, it just opened up everything else for everybody,” said Lomax. “He most definitely set the tone for us today.”
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The Tigers trailed 14-11, and there had only been one basket between both teams over the previous 3:10. That’s when Williams calmly handed the ball to Kennedy, who knifed through the lane and threw down a one-handed dunk that was replayed numerous times on the television broadcast.
“I had to make a play,” Kennedy said. “I seen a gap. I seen big buddy there and the rest is history. I just played off instinct, that’s all it was.”
A few minutes later, Kennedy sank a 3-pointer, giving Memphis a pair of highlights during a 15-0 run that put the Tigers up 24-14. Kennedy finished with six points.
No leading scorer?
Davis, who finished 5-of-18 shooting, wasn’t the only leading scorer who had a tough day.
Michael Jones, a Davidson transfer, came into the game as the Cardinal’s top scoring option at 12.0 points per game. But against Memphis, he was shut out. Jones was 0-for-7 from the field (all from beyond the 3-point arc).
"Be physical," Hardaway said of the game plan with Jones. "I just knew coming in they were bigger, but we were going to have to have more fight. And the guys, they fought hard."
Stanford’s length
The Tigers’ size – or lack thereof – was a concern coming into the season, especially in the backcourt where a pair of undersized guards (Davis and Lomax) get the majority of minutes.
But it hasn’t been much of a problem early this season. On Sunday, though, Memphis, which ranks 255th in the country in average height, went up against an opponent with more length than any it has seen so far.
Stanford is fifth in the nation with an average height of nearly 6-foot-7.
"And (fifth-) strongest, right?" Lomax asked rhetorically. "They gotta be."
The Cardinal, which showed off active hands on defense, was especially effective against Davis. In the first half, the Tigers’ leading scorer was held to two points on 1-of-9 shooting (including 0-for-4 from 3-point range).
Kennedy said the Tigers overcame the height mismatch with toughness.
"That's what it comes down to, the tougher team wins," he said. "All the little stuff that happens in games. Diving on the floor, offensive rebounds, all that. Block-outs. Stuff that's not on the stat sheet all the time."
Paint dominance
Oddly enough, the Cardinal’s size advantage didn’t translate in the paint on offense.
Memphis dominated down low, scoring 22 points inside the lane. The Tigers were able to neutralize Stanford in the paint.
The Tigers ended the game with a 28-12 advantage in the paint.
Try, try again from deep
Speaking of Stanford’s size advantage, the Cardinal appeared determined to take advantage of it on offense as well – specifically along the perimeter. Apparently a sound strategy considering Memphis opponents were shooting 33.6% from there this season.
Stanford, despite being one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the country, were resolute in the face of repeated failure, attempting 19 3-pointers in the first half alone, hitting only four.
The Cardinal closed strong to finish 10-for-33.
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @munzly.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Unpacking Penny Hardaway's Memphis basketball win over Stanford in Orlando
