Ole Miss basketball vs. Memphis: Scouting report, score prediction
OXFORD — Fresh off one big test, Ole Miss is set to dive right into another.
The Rebels (6-1) went 2-1 last week at the ESPN Events Invitational, topping Stanford and Siena before losing to Oklahoma in the final. Now they hit the road to take on a solid Memphis (5-2) team on Saturday (6:30 p.m., ESPN2).
Here's what to know ahead of the matchup.
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Tigers built on strong defense
KenPom ranked Memphis 18th in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency as of Thursday morning. The 64.4 points allowed per game by the Tigers come in at 92nd nationally.
In its five victories so far this season, Memphis has held its opponents to 67, 47, 61, 48, and 68 points.
Conversely, in the two instances a team has reached the 70-point threshold against Penny Hardaway's team this season, that team has won.
That defense should provide an interesting test for an Ole Miss team that has experienced something of an uneven start to the season offensively. The glass could be a way for the Rebels to mitigate Memphis' defensive strengths. The Rebels have secured offensive rebounds on 39.1% of their missed field goals, which is top 10 in the country.
Kendric Davis the danger man for Memphis
Like Kermit Davis, Hardaway went shopping in the transfer portal over the offseason, and he came away with a true difference maker in 5-foot-11 guard Kendric Davis, who had previously played at TCU and SMU.
Davis is averaging 19.3 points per game through his first seven contests as a Tiger, showing no signs of needing an adjustment period.
He's an effective floor general, too, with 5.3 assists per game to go along with 3.7 rebounds.
On the defensive end of the floor, Davis is a massive asset. He averaged over a steal per game during all three of his seasons at SMU, and is already up to 12 steals on the year through seven games.
Rebels looking to keep turning the series in their favor
Among programs that have never been members of the SEC, the 32 games between Ole Miss and Memphis dating back to the 1949-50 season are the most.
The results of those 32 games are ugly. Ole Miss is just 9-23 against its neighbor to the northwest, but things have gotten better lately.
Since 2009-10, the Rebels are 4-1 against Memphis, including a victory over a ranked Tigers team at home last season, 67-63.
Score prediction:
Memphis 65, Ole Miss 63. This game has all the makings of a rock fight. Although Ole Miss has shown itself to be comfortable in that kind of game, a road win against the Tigers might be asking a little bit too much.
David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Ole Miss basketball score prediction vs. Memphis: Scouting report,
