MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The New Orleans Privateers men's basketball team heads to Memphis before diving into Southland play as they take on the Tigers in a non-conference battle on Wednesday at FedEx Forum. Tip is slated for 7 p.m.
New Orleans (2-5) is coming off a Thanksgiving week that saw them play two power conference opponents. The Privateers lost a heartbreaker in overtime against Mississippi State by a score of 81-78 and lost to #20 Texas Tech 82-50. The Privateers had four players in double figures against Mississippi State including
MJ Thomas and
Churchill Abass who both had double-doubles (13 points, 10 rebounds each).
Jakevion Buckley has two double-doubles this season: at 15 point, 12 assist outing at Tulane, and a 25 point and 14 rebound effort at Fresno State. His double-double against Tulane was the first points-assists double-double by a Privateer since 2018, and just the seventh since 1996. He's one of just 10 in the NCAA with a points-assists double-double this season.
Coleton Benson enters Wednesday night's game having made 24-of-24 free throws this season. He's one of just six in the entire country to remain perfect at the free throw line while averaging 2.5 or more made free throws per game. The school record for consecutive free throws made is 32 by Terry Gill in December of 1971.
Privateer basketball players have combined for a total of four double-doubles so far this season (Buckley 2, Abass 1, Thomas 1) - the most in the Southland so far this season. New Orleans has three different student-athletes with double-doubles this year, also the most in the Southland.
The Privateers are in search of their first ever win against Memphis in what will be their 11
th meeting. The Tigers and Privateers last met in 2019 at FedEx Forum. Six of the ten games in the series history have been decided by single digits.
ABOUT THE OPPONENT
Memphis (2-4) is coming off a 74-58 victory over Southern Illinois. Julius Thedford and Dug McDaniel each had 15 points. The Tigers' other victory this season was a triumph in their home opener against San Francisco.
Penny Hardaway is in his eighth season on the sidelines as the head coach. Hardaway has won 68.4 percent of his 228 games coached with the Tigers. Memphis was the preseason favorite to win the American Athletic Conference. McDaniel and Aaron Bradshaw were tabbed as preseason all-conference selections.
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