Memphis opens season against No. 11 Wichita State

Nov 18, 2014 - 3:47 PM Sioux Falls, SD (SportsNetwork.com) - The Memphis Tigers will kick off the 2014-15 season with a neutral-site contest against the 11th-ranked Wichita State Shockers.

Wichita State already got to work on the 2014-15 campaign, having notched a 71-54 victory over New Mexico State in the season opener. The Shockers will have a tough time replicating their success from last season, when they won 35 straight games and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. They will return home to host Division II foe Newman in their next outing.

Memphis is entering its sixth season under Josh Pastner, who took over after John Calipari left for Kentucky. The first five campaigns have all gone well for Pastner, as the Tigers have won at least 24 games each time, while making it to the NCAA Tournament in each of the last four. The Tigers earned a 24-10 overall mark last season, although they lost to Virginia in the third round of the Big Dance.

It has been more than 30 years since these programs last met. Memphis claimed an 85-73 victory in the most recent meeting, which took place during the 1982-83 season. As a result, the Tigers own a slim 10-9 edge in the series.

Last season, Wichita State simply dominated at both ends of the floor. The Shockers ranked first in the Missouri Valley Conference in scoring (75.2 ppg), while placing among the top-15 teams nationally in both scoring defense (59.5 ppg) and opponent field goal percentage (.390). If their first game is any indication, not much has changed, as they connected on 49.2 percent of their shots from the floor, while holding the Aggies to just 40 percent shooting. One smudge on an otherwise strong debut, was an 0-of-11 showing from 3-point range.

Returning starters Fred VanVleet, Ron Baker and Tekele Cotton give the Shockers an excellent backcourt. VanVleet had some trouble with his shot in the opener, finishing with only six points on 3-of-8 shooting. However, he also handed out four assists, while snagging seven steals. Cotton and Baker handled most of the scoring responsibilities, with Cotton dropping in 17 and Baker contributing 16. Finding a replacement for Cleanthony Early will be a challenge for the squad early on, but Darius Carter appears to be the early favorite. Carter had nine points on 4-of-10 shooting against New Mexico State.

While the returning strength for Wichita State is in the backcourt, Memphis has more experienced contributors up front. With Joe Jackson (14.1 ppg, 4.5 apg), Michael Dixon Jr. (11.8 ppg), Geron Johnson (8.9 ppg, 3.5 apg) and Chris Crawford (8.7 ppg, 3 apg) all gone, the pressure to produce now falls on Shaq Goodwin (11.5 ppg) and Austin Nichols (9.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg). Both forwards find themselves on the injured list to start the season. Goodwin is listed as probable with a groin injury, while Nichols is questionable with a sprained shoulder. Markel Crawford is expected to lead the team in the backcourt, but he is also listed as probable with knee tendonitis. All three played in Memphis' exhibition game against Christian Brothers last Wednesday, but the Tigers only narrowly won that one, pulling out a 74-70 decision in overtime.