CLAMPING DOWN ON DEFENSE
North Texas ranks seventh in Division I in scoring defense at 58.4 points per game allowed. The Mean Green are 10th in steals per game at 10.3 and lead The American in turnover margin at +4.7 per contest.
HOT SHOOTERS
The American has three of the top scorers in the country, led by Primo Spears of UTSA, who ranks sixth in Division I with 22.9 points per game. Right behind is Memphis’ PJ Haggerty in ninth with 21.9 points per game and Temple’s Jamal Mashburn Jr. in 13th place with 21.0 points per contest.
POURING IT IN FROM OUTSIDE
Memphis is second in Division I in 3-point field goal percentage at 44.3 percent and is led by Tyrese Hunter, who is shooting 51.6 percent from behind the arc, good enough for ninth in Division I. Tiger teammate Colby Rogers is 43rd in Division I.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE
UAB’s Yaxel Lendeborg is tied for sixth in Division I with sixth double-doubles on the season. He is already tied for fourth all-time in The American with 25 career double-doubles, alongside UCF’s Tacko Fall.
TIGERS MAKING THEIR MARK IN NON-CONFERENCE
Through December 16, Memphis is one of two schools in Division I that has four or more Quad 1 victories in the NCAA NET Rankings. Both Memphis and Auburn each have five such wins.
Memphis also has the third-best average opponent NET ranking in Division I and the sixth-toughest strength of schedule in non-conference play.
SCHEDULE/RESULTS
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15
Temple 60, Hofstra 42
UTSA 95, North Dakota 85
Arkansas State 98, UAB 89 (OT)
MONDAY, DECEMBER 16
Rice 77, Alcorn State 75
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17
West Georgia at Charlotte (ESPN+)………………. 7 p.m.
FIU at East Carolina (ESPN+)……………………………. 7 p.m.
Kansas City at Wichita State (ESPN+)…… 7:30 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18
Memphis at Virginia (ESPN2)…………………………… 7 p.m.
Bethune-Cookman at South Florida (ESPN+). 7 p.m.
Davidson at Temple (ESPN+)……………………………. 7 p.m.
Alabama A&M at UAB (ESPN+)………………….. 7:30 p.m.
Miss. Valley State at North Texas (ESPN+).. 8 p.m.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19
UNT-Dallas at Rice (ESPN+)………………………. 12:15 p.m.
SW Adventus at UTSA (ESPN+)………………………… 1 p.m.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20
App State at North Texas (ESPN+)……………….. 8 p.m.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21
Mississippi State at Memphis (CBS)….. 12:30 p.m.
Florida Atlantic at Michigan State (FS1)……. 2 p.m.
Mississippi Valley State at Tulsa (ESPN+)…. 3 p.m.
Gardner-Webb at East Carolina (ESPN+)…….. 3 p.m.
East Texas A&M at South Florida (ESPN+)… 4 p.m.
Temple vs. Rhode Island (CBSSN)………….. 6:30 p.m.
Kansas State at Wichita State (ESPN+)……… 7 p.m.
Dillard at Tulane (ESPN+)…………………………….. 7:30 p.m.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22
Alcorn State at UAB (ESPN+)…………………………… 3 p.m.
Houston Christian at North Texas (ESPN+). 3 p.m.
Prairie View A&M at Rice (ESPN+)………………….. 8 p.m.
Charlotte at Hawaii (ESPN2)……………………. 11:30 p.m.
MONDAY, DECEMBER 23
Charlotte vs. Nebraska/Murray State (ESPN2). TBD
All times ET and subject to change
