WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2010 – FREE NCAA PICK
UAB Blazers (18-3) vs. Memphis Tigers (11-6)
The UAB Blazers will travel to Memphis to do battle against the Tigers in a C-USA bout at FedEx Forum on Wednesday evening.
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The two teams last met on Feb 26, when then-No. No. 5 Memphis beat UAB 71-60 to clinch C-USA title.
The Blazers fell from the national rankings in a 74-65 double OT loss to UTEP on Saturday night. Kenneth Cooper had 18 points and 12 rebounds, Aaron Johnson scored 15 points and Howard Crawford added 10 in a loss that snapped the Blazers’ seven-game winning streak and handed them their first C-USA defeat of the season. Johnson left the court and did not return after colliding with UTEP’s Randy Culpepper late in the game. UAB officials said he has a broken nose, and will be out for an undisclosed amount of time. The Blazers shot a lousy 26 percent from the field in the first half while allowing UTEP to shot 48 percent in the first 20 minutes. Not good considering UAB leads C-USA in scoring defense at 59.9 points.
Meanwhile, after a 64-game C-USA winning streak, Memphis has lost two of its last four league contests including a 70-60 loss to SMU on Saturday. Elliot Williams had 19 points and Roburt Sallie 17 in the loss. Earlier in the season, the Tigers chemistry seemed off but as of late they are coming together. However, their lack of depth will surely be tested against C-USA leader UAB. The Tigers is scoring 75.5 ppg while ranking third in the league in points allowed at 62.0 ppg on just 40.7 percent field goal efficiency while forcing from more than 17 turnovers per outing.
The odds makers have Memphis at –8-point favorites.
The Blazers have established themselves as a legitimate NCAA Tournament team, and they will have a huge opportunity to make a serious bid for the C-USA title as they play a Tigers team that is short on depth and does not carry the level of talent as they have in the past. If they can contain Memphis’ Elliot Williams, the Tigers will struggle to outscore the Blazers.
Expect the Blazers to out gun and out rebound the Tigers and cruise to a double-digit victory.
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- UAB is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games
- UAB is 17-2 SU in its last 19 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of UAB’s last 6 games
- UAB is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games on the road
- Memphis is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
- Memphis is 14-5 SU in its last 19 games
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Memphis’s last 5 games
- Memphis is 22-3 SU in its last 25 games at home
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