The Memphis Tigers had a spectacular regular season in which they suffered just one loss to Tennessee. After a dominant victory in the first round of the tournament against No. 16 seed Texas Arlington, the Tigers just barely held on for a victory against Mississippi State.
The Tigers' poor free-throw shooting almost cost them the game, as the Bulldogs committed 23 team fouls, which translated into 32 Tiger free-throw attempts of which Memphis converted just 15. Still, Memphis' guard's haved played superbly as junior Chris Douglas-Roberts and freshman Derrick Rose combined for 40 points in the first round and 34 points in the second.
Up front, senior forward Joey Dorsey continues his solid production, averaging 10.5 rebounds per game in the Tigers' two tournament appearances. Memphis has received solid rebounding contributions from its guards, giving them a 42 rebound average during the tournament. The Tigers hope that their five rebound per game advantage over Michigan State, Friday's opponent, will result in a victory.
In the beginning of the regular season, the Spartans lived up to their high expectations by posting an 18-2 record through 20 contests. However, the month of February proved to be difficult for Michigan State, as it lost 4-of-7 games. The Spartans seem to be back to their high level of play with their deep run in the Big Ten Tournament and convincing wins over No. 12 Temple and No. 4 Pittsburgh in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
Michigan State is led by sophomore forward Raymar Morgan and senior guard Drew Neitzel, who average 14 points a piece but have showed inconsistent play as of late. In their next matchup against Memphis, Michigan State will likely be dependent on their third scoring option, freshman guard Kalin Lucas.
Michigan State has averaged only 68.5 points in the tournament compared to Memphis' 81.5, so it will be crucial for the Spartans to play tough defense while trying to close the scoring gap through Lucas' play.
The Longhorns had an excellent season in the Big 12, posting a 13-3 conference record and advancing to the Big 12 Tournament final before losing to No. 1 seed Kansas.
Texas is coming off a tight 75-72 victory over Miami (FL) where it gave up 40 second-half points. Texas' tandem of lethal guards has carried the Longhorns all season. Junior D.J. Augustin leads Texas with 19 points and six assists per game, while sophomore A.J. Abrams adds 17 points per game.
The Longhorns' biggest surprise thus far in the tournament has been sophomore swingman Damion James, who is among the tournament's leading rebounders with 13 per contest. Texas and its opponent Stanford are two of the top rebounding teams in the tournament, with 42.5 rebounds apiece so far.
The Longhorns will rely heavily on James to continue his consistent play on the boards and limit Stanford's dominant post presence.
Stanford has already surpassed their win total from each of their past three seasons after a strong performance in a very competitive Pac-10 conference. The Cardinal went all the way to the final of the Pac-10 Tournament before suffering a three-point loss at the hands of UCLA.
The team had a decisive victory in the first round over Cornell before a one-point overtime victory over Marquette in the second round.
Stanford is led by their frontline sophomore twins, Brook and Robin Lopez. Brook leads Stanford both in scoring and rebounding with 19 and eight, respectively. But the big surprise for Stanford thus far in the tournament has been junior guard Mitch Johnson. Johnson is among the NCAA Tournament's top assist leaders with 10.5 per game.
