Is Memphis Getting the Respect It Deserves?

Last season, the Memphis Tigers set the NCAA single-season win total with 38 wins, but they couldn't quite close the deal, as the Tigers came up short in overtime in the championship game against Kansas.

Now they are back doing their thing again this season with 18 straight victories, sitting at 24-3, and back in the top 5 in the country again. The most amazing stat, though, is the Tigers' current Conference USA winning streak which sits at a whopping 54 games in a row dating back to 2006.

Of course the last team to knock off the Tigers in conference was UAB, the same team they play Thursday night in Birmingham, Ala.

So why is it that Memphis' amazing streak seems to get overlooked? Beyond that, why does it seem that Memphis basketball over the last four years isn't quite getting the recognition that it might if it were North Carolina or Duke racking up the wins.

The main reason seems to be that the conference they play in is perceived as weak, and the pundits suggest that Memphis really doesn't play anyone most of the time. 

Well let's just take a look at just how good Memphis has been the last three and a half years starting in 2006 under John Calipari:

• Over the last four years starting in 2006, Memphis leads the nation in winning percentage, winning 91 percent of its games, and has a 7-3 record against the other top-13 teams in the nation over this same period.
• Memphis also has a chance, with six more wins this season, to become the only team in the last four years to win 30 games in each season.

To the question about the strength of Conference USA, yes, the conference isn't comparable to the Big East or the ACC, but it has shown the ability to beat some quality teams from other BCS conferences along the way.

• Other BCS conference teams that have been beaten by Conference USA, excluding Memphis wins, include Kentucky, Arizona, Texas A&M, N.C. State, LSU, Virginia Tech, Cincinnati, Ole Miss, Georgia, Auburn, Minnesota, Penn State, and DePaul. 
• Memphis, on the other hand, has beaten the following BCS conference teams since 2006: Kentucky, Ole Miss, Cincinnati (three times), Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Connecticut, Southern California, Georgetown, Arizona, Michigan State, Texas, UCLA, and Tennessee. They also have beaten Gonzaga four years in a row.

OK, so Memphis has shown the ability to win against anyone, but another test is who have you lost to? Just how consistent is your program in not only winning big games, but also avoiding those "bad losses"? Well, Memphis only has a total of 13 losses the last four years, so all 10 of their regular season losses count towards their top-10 worst losses, they don't get to throw any out.

• Memphis' worst loss, its absolute worst loss in the last four years, was to a Georgia Tech team ranked 52nd in the RPI in 2006. Georgia Tech made the NCAA tournament that season as well.
• Seven of Memphis' 10 worst losses were to teams higher than 17th in the RPI.

So, the bottom line is that Memphis doesn't lose to bad teams. Period. In the game of basketball, where there is so much parity and anyone can have a hot night, Memphis has shown that talent plus consistency is what wins you 30-plus games a season.

Last, if all that doesn't convince you that Memphis is currently in one of the greatest four year runs in college basketball history, compare the records to teams that rank between 51 and 100 in the RPI. This is a true apples to apples test. It shows that Memphis hasn't lost to a non-tournament team in over three years, with its only loss coming to No. 52 Georgia Tech, which made the NCAA tournament that year.

• Memphis, 28-1, NO losses to teams 100+ in RPI
• North Carolina, 37-8, including a loss to No. 117 Southern California
• UCLA, 26-7, including losses to No. 121 Washington, and No. 115 Washington State
• Kansas, 29-7, including losses to No. 168 UMass, No. 139 Missouri, No. 110 Kansas State
• Duke, 31-6
• Texas, 18-10, includes losses to No. 125 Arkansas, No. 105 Wake Forest

So, whether you like the way John Calipari goes about winning games or not, or whether you think Memphis plays enough quality opponents, the numbers never lie, and the numbers are in Memphis' favor big time.

Funny thing about basketball is, though, that it all can come to an end in one night. UAB has a chance Thursday night to take on all this history and bookend an unbelievable streak by the Tigers as the team that started and ended the 54-game winning streak.

Make no mistake though, Memphis is currently on an amazing four year run, and basketball fans need to apprectiate just how good and consistent this Tiger program has been.