Bulls seek upset of 23rd-ranked Tigers

Jan 26, 2014 - 3:57 PM Memphis, TN (SportsNetwork.com) - The 23rd-ranked Memphis Tigers attempt to finish a four-game homestand with a victory, as they play host to the Bulls of South Florida in an American Athletic Conference duel at FedEx Forum.

USF has endured five losses in six tries in league play, falling to 10-9 overall in the process. The Bulls, who are a solid 4-1 on the road, were routed by 12th-ranked Louisville in their last bout, 85-47. Up next, they will host SMU.

Memphis has won back-to-back games after opening the current homestand with an 83-73 loss to Connecticut. The Tigers are 14-4 overall, including a 4-2 mark in their new conference. They will hit the road to take on UCF and SMU in their next two games.

These two teams began their respective conference schedules against each other on Dec. 31. The Tigers claimed an 88-73 victory in that contest, improving to 19-3 in the all-time series.

Chris Perry scored 10 points as the only player in double figures for USF against Louisville. The Bulls were outscored by an incredible 35-6 margin off of turnovers, as well as 17-3 in second-chance points.

The Bulls are too weak on offense to afford to be so careless with the basketball. They are scoring only 67.3 ppg and shooting 43.8 percent from the floor. On defense, they have put forth much better effort, limiting opponents to 69.3 ppg and 42.5 percent shooting. Victor Rudd (14.8 ppg, 7.1 rpg) is the team's top offensive weapon, although he is prone to erratic shooting performances, knocking down 39.9 percent from the field for the season. Corey Allen Jr. (10.7 ppg, 3.3 apg) is the de facto leader with the ball in his hands, especially with Anthony Collins (6.9 ppg, 5.6 apg) listed as questionable with a knee injury that has hampered him most of the season.

Shaq Goodwin tallied 20 points and Joe Jackson tacked on 18 to go with seven assists, as Memphis crushed Houston on Thursday night, 82-59. The Tigers knocked down 58.9 percent of their shots from the floor, assisting on 20 of 33 field goal..

The Tigers are extremely efficient on offense, ranking second in the AAC and among the top-25 nationally in scoring (80.8 ppg) and field goal percentage (.484). They are also sixth in the country, and first in the AAC in assists (17.5 apg). Making the team tick is Jackson (14.1 ppg, 4.1 apg), who is the leading scorer and one of three players averaging at least three assists per game. Goodwin (13.2 ppg, 6.7 rpg) gets his production in the paint, where he is shooting a conference-best 62.9 percent from the field. Michael Dixon (11.4 ppg) provides a spark off the bench.