Despite Connecticut sitting unranked, the team could be poised to challenge No. 17 Memphis in a matchup that could come down to effective rebounding. The Tigers have started their slate in conference play strong going 3-1 in the American Athletic Conference, while the Huskies have slipped to 1-2 and need to get back on track in this tough road matchup.
Memphis has won two-straight matchups so far all coming on the road so the home-court advantage is welcomed. The team dominated Temple over the weekend after getting on a 17-6 run. The win was impressive considering they had just beaten ranked Louisville in a challenge 73-67 win.
Shaq Goodwin continues to lead the team with two-straight double-doubles. He assisted in Memphis putting up a 45-28 rebounding effort against Temple while the scored 17 second-chance points during the game. The dominating rebounding is certainly a turnaround from where the team was to start the season. The were outrebounded six times during their first 11 games.
On the other end of the court, Connecticut narrowly avoided an 0-3 start in conference play after getting a win against South Florida. The team hopes momentum is now in their favor as they look to put together a little win stream. Freshman Amida Brimah will the leading charge in that. The center put up a season-high 20 points and eight rebounds in just 20 minutes against South Florida. It was the first conference game he earned points after going scoreless in the first two games.
Connecticut is certainly excelling on their own in rebounding. The team got 50 rebounds against South Florida, their most in two years. Also, the 40 points they put up in the paint was an upgrade from the 20.6 they were averaging in the three games prior.
Memphis looks strong to get another solid win against a conference rivals. The Huskies have lost nine of their last 12 road games against ranked teams. Facing the Tigers will not be much easier.
