South Dakota State at Memphis
When: Tuesday, December 4, 8:00 PM
Where: FedEx Forum, Memphis, TN
TV/Streaming: ESPN College Extra, ESPN3
South Dakota State Jackrabbits (6-2, 0-0)
Brookings, South Dakota
Summit League
Enrollment: 12,527
FCS Sagarin Rating: 83 (7 in CSJ Mid-Major Men’s Basketball Top 25)
Scouting Report: So far in the early going, the Jackrabbits’ inside-outside game is showing the skill that has let them to be back-to-back Summit League champions. Everyone knows about Mike Daum, but sophomore G David Jenkins has also picked up where he left off last season too, with four 20-plus scoring performances including a career-best 32 against Colorado State.
Key Fantasy Player: A good chunk of South Dakota State’s fantasy goodness comes through All-American F Mike Daum, who averages a double-double a game (24.1 points and 11.2 rebounds per game), shooting 51.4 percent from the field with 18 3-point field goals. Daum has dished 18 assists as well on the year and is playing 32.2 minutes per contest, making him a true lock-and-load player. The two-time Summit League Player of the Year now has 2,449 career points and ranks first all-time on SDSU’s career scoring chart.
Memphis Tigers (3-4, 0-0)
Memphis, Tennessee
American Athletic Conference
Enrollment: 17,394
FCS Sagarin Rating: 117
Scouting Report: The Penny Hardaway era at Memphis has gotten off to a bit of a rocky start, though their 3-4 record came in large part due to a challenging set of invitationals. The Tigers’ 109-102 double-overtime win over Yale was their last home game, and it seems indicative of the type of high-octane offense Hardaway wants at Memphis.
Key Fantasy Player: Freshman G Tyler Harris has been raining 3’s for the Tigers, going 22 of 57 beyond the arc for a 38.6% accuracy, and he leads Memphis in scoring so far. “Tyler is a weapon and teams are going to try and take him out of his game,” Hardaway said in the run-up to this game.
Fearless Prediction:
I’m not sure a young Memphis team has the necessary horses and balance to deal with the Jackrabbit’s inside-out game. They’ll need Daum to be off his game to have a chance. South Dakota State 83, Memphis 73
Chuck has been writing about Lehigh football since the dawn of the internet, or perhaps it only seems like it. He’s executive editor of the College Sports Journal and has also written a book, The Rivalry: How Two Schools Started the Most Played College Football Series.
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