Despite Critics, Memphis Tigers Reign Supreme

Go ahead, count 'em out.

"Memphis is in a weak conference," "they won't make it past the Sweet Sixteen," "the Tigers won't be battle tested for the NCAA Tournament," "they can't shoot free throws."

I've heard them all.  But the excuses just won't cut it anymore.

What does the University of Memphis men's basketball team have to do to get some respect?  Lose?  Because they sure can't seem to do that this year.

Currently, the Memphis Tigers are 24-0 overall, with a 10-0 record in Conference USA, not to mention a No. 1 national ranking in both polls.

This team has quality wins over Oklahoma, Connecticut, Southern California, Cincinnati, Georgetown, Arizona, Gonzaga, and Houston (twice).

The Tigers also easily took down Siena and Austin Peay, both favorites to win their respective conferences.  Their non-conference schedule is second to none; maybe even the best in the country. 

Memphis' conference schedule, however, leaves a little to be desired.

Conference USA is ranked 10th best nationally and consists of teams such as Rice, Southern Methodist, and East Carolina, which have a combined 19 wins among them.

However, the conference also includes several respectable schools in Houston, UAB, and UTEP.

But the fact is that night in and night out, no matter if Memphis is playing Rice or Houston, the opposing team throws everything they have at the Tigers.  Every conference road game that Memphis has played has been sold out, full of screaming fans and alumni who have come to see their team take a shot against the No. 1 team in the country.

Still, the Tigers have yet to lose.  As a matter of fact, they haven't just won all ten conference games; they have dominated them.  Only two out of the ten victories have come by single digits; the other eight were blowouts.

The Memphis squad is winning their conference games by an average of 21.9 points per outing.  Yes, they are ranked a whopping 327th out of 328 teams in free throw shooting, but the Tigers make them when they count most.  The same was said of last year's Tigers, but when the NCAA tournament rolled around, they shot over 70 percent from the charity stripe.   

With a couple big tests coming up at UAB and against No. 3 ranked Tennessee, the Tigers look to keep their perfect record and prolong their winning streak.

The Memphis vs. Tennessee game, which will take place on February 23rd, was strategically scheduled a couple weeks before Selection Sunday to prepare the Tigers for the NCAA tournament.  This game could also potentially decide whether or not Memphis finishes with an undefeated regular season.

So go ahead, count Memphis out.  Tell everyone that they don't deserve their No. 1 ranking.

Come April 7th, though, when the Tigers are playing for the national championship, be prepared to eat your words.