Memphis basketball vs UConn score prediction: Latest news, injury updates

On By Littum

Memphis basketball coach Penny Hardaway knows the opportunity that awaits the Tigers in Hawaii.

When Memphis (4-0) and no. 2 UConn (4-0) opens the Maui Invitational on Monday (1:30 p.m. CT, ESPN2), the Tigers will be on a national stage. Thursday’s 68-64 win over San Francisco (a top-60 KenPom team) at the Chase Center was nice. But UConn will be very different.

“We look at it as a blessing,” Hardaway said Thursday. “You get a chance to play the No. 2 team in the country again. We played Alabama when they were No. 2, even though it was a game. Man, that’s a real blessing.”

Here are three things to look out for ahead of the game.

PJ Haggerty, Tyrese Hunter injury update

For the third week in a row, Memphis’ leading scorers PJ Haggerty (22.5 points per game) and Tyrese Hunter (13.3) have not been full participants in practice.

Both are dealing with nagging knee injuries. While neither has been limited in a game this season, the prospect of playing three games on consecutive days — with only three days off between San Francisco and UConn — worries Hardaway.

Hunter, meanwhile, didn’t seem overly concerned about it. He said head coach and senior associate AD for sports medicine Darrell Turner, along with strength coach Todd Forcier, have helped him deal with the injury and he will continue to lean on them.

Whether he or Haggerty will practice leading up to the UConn game is unclear.

“It depends on what my guys want to do with Darrell and Todd. Seeing how my body reacts,” he said. “The main thing is to stay healthy. Make sure the body feels good. We do the whole nine (yards). Ice, stem, boots.

“You know, I’ll be fine. If I can still play defense, I’m good.”

Penny Hardaway wants more physicality

One area that has left Hardaway unsatisfied so far is the Tigers’ level of physicality.

He was especially underwhelmed by it for much of Thursday’s win over San Francisco, in which the Dons won the rebounding game 46-43. The offensive glass was especially where USF excelled (18-12).

And that’s because the Tigers don’t bring enough toughness.

“You gotta hit, man. We hit every day,” Hardaway said. “These guys know what to do. You just have to think about it. We played a soft first half. So, late we didn’t hit. If we hit, we come out of this game 10-plus.”

Memphis got away with it against the Dons. Hardaway is sure UConn won’t be so forgiving.

“If you don’t do it against UConn, the same thing will happen (but worse),” he said. “They’re going to smash the glass. Guys just gotta toughen up.”

UConn basketball scouting report

The Huskies do pretty much everything extremely well.

One of the precious few un-elite aspects of their game so far this season has been turnovers. UConn averages 12.2 turnovers per game — more than Missouri, UNLV and Ohio. Sure, Memphis has been pretty good at creating turnovers. Opponents are averaging more than 13 per game.

But UConn is as dominant as any team in the sport. Sure, the Huskies returned just one starter from last season’s championship team (leading scorer Alex Karaban), but coach Dan Hurley’s plug-and-play approach continues.

Freshman Liam McNeeley is the second-leading scorer, and former Michigan center Tarris Reed Jr. averages nearly 10 rebounds a game.

Memphis basketball score prediction vs. UConn

UConn 83, Memphis 74: The Huskies will have their hands full with the Tigers. But UConn will hit its free throws down the stretch.

Reach sportswriter Jason Munz at [email protected] or follow him @munzly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.