Prevew and Open Thread: UConn Men's Basketball vs. Memphis | TV: 9 p.m., ESPN2

Game Info

TV: ESPN2 (Mike Patrick, Len Elmore)

Radio: WTIC 1080 AM (Joe D'Ambrosio, Wayne Norman)

All-time Series: UConn leads 4-3

Fun Fact: Despite Phil Nolan's reputation, Shonn Miller is the team's leading drawer of offensive charging calls, with 17. Nolan is tied for second on the team with three, in a three-way tie with Amida Brimah and Omar Calhoun.

Preview

The Huskies conclude a two-game road trip tonight against Memphis at the FedExForum at 9 p.m., eyeing a season sweep of the Tigers. With Tulsa and Temple squaring off as well this evening, a win over for Memphis would jump UConn up the American Athletic Conference standings.

In the two teams' last meeting in early January, senior Sterling Gibbs lit it up from three, scoring 26 points and leading the Huskies to an 81-78 victory at Gampel Pavilion. UConn (15-6, 5-3) held the Tigers to 37.1 percent shooting in that meeting but was crushed on the boards (42-29) without starting center Amida Brimah.

Brimah returned to the lineup on Sunday in Orlando, guiding the Huskies to a 67-41 win over UCF. The Huskies' defense is clearly bolstered by Brimah's presence in the paint but will have to contend with Memphis (11-4, 4-4) leading scorers Shaq Goodwin (15.1 points per game) and Dedric Lawson (14.4 ppg). The Tigers' duo combined for 33 points and nine boards in that loss in Storrs on Jan. 9.

Memphis' adjusted offensive efficiency rating of 106.1 is 120^th in the nation, according to kenpom.com. However, the Tigers are the second-highest scoring team in the AAC at 77.7 points per game and should provide a good test for the UConn defense which ranks second in the AAC, allowing 62.6 per contest.

Another strong defensive effort against UCF improved the Huskies' adjusted defensive efficiency rating to 90.4, fifth-best in the country. A key for UConn outside of limiting Goodwin and Lawson will be keeping the Tigers out of transition. Memphis adjusted tempo of 75.4 is seventh highest in the nation while UConn's is 130^th.

The Huskies will need a boost from its second until after Memphis' bench outscored the UConn bench, 23-12 in January. Rodney Purvis started in that game but if recent trends continue, he will be the sixth man for Kevin Ollie, providing a much-needed spark.

The Huskies return home on Sunday to face East Carolina in Storrs at noon.