NCAA BB: Memphis Tigers Go Untested...and Will Suffer for It

Memphis ascended to No. 1 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll this week, and rightfully so. 

The unbeaten Tigers have played a solid non-conference schedule with quality wins including those at Oklahoma, UCONN, USC, No. 4 Georgetown, and No. 18 Arizona.  They have thrashed the teams that they were supposed to and even outplayed some of the elite teams in the country. 

But unfortunately for the Tigers, they do not stand a chance in the NCAA Tournament.

The reason for this?  Memphis plays in Conference USA, a group of teams that each has  become a joke with respect to the NCAA landscape.  As of today, the second place team in the conference is UCF, a team that has an overall record of 10-7.  It is obvious that there is no team other than Memphis that will be receiving an invitation to the Big Dance.

So it is clear that play in Conference USA simply cannot help the Tigers. 

Kansas meanwhile is playing Texas, Texas A&M, and the other quality teams in the Big 12, and so they are inevitably improving.  The same can be said for Duke and UNC who are being tested every night in a very competitive ACC.  And finally, Indiana and MSU, while playing in conferences weaker than the Big 12 and ACC, are still facing formidable opponents each time they take the floor.

While all of the other top tier teams in the nation are being tested and challenged, Memphis can simply throw it into autopilot and finish the season unbeaten and with a guaranteed No. 1 seed in the tournament.

There is an old coach's cliché that a loss can be turned into a moral victory and something can be taken away from the defeat.  UNC most certainly will learn from their mistakes against Maryland last Saturday and come to the court better for it.  On the other hand, Memphis can manage to have an off game and still win by 15 points.

So come tournament time, when it really counts, don't expect that the Tigers will still be growling in the Elite 8.