#1 Kansas vs. Memphis: Tuesday, 10pm on ESPN

• Phog Allen

  This will be the final game of ESPN's college basketball 24 hour marathon and it should be a very exciting game. Just putting the names Kansas vs. Memphis together has memories of Mario's Miracle dancing around in my head and Jim Natz's call of "Rock Chalk Championship" ringing in my ears!
  
  Memphis is not Hofstra and as great as KU looked in the opener Memphis is going to test Kansas. The Tigers have the athletes to stick with KU and given them a run for their money.
  
  I fully expect KU to win this game but it won't be easy. Memphis has the same decision to make that all teams will have when they play KU: zone and take away Aldrich or man to man and risk Aldrich eating you up? This is a complete team in KU and I see the only way KU losing this year is when they have a game when they aren't hitting their 3s. Outside of Collins and Henry KU doesn't have a consistent 3 point shooter with Morningstar out until January. Tyrel Reed is a solid outside shooter but when he is on the floor it hurts KU on the defensive end because Reed isn't athletic enought to hang with guards like Elliot Williams.
  
  I expect Memphis to play a lot of zone and force KU to make outside shots to beat them. It will be close early and my guess is at the half it could be tied or even have Memphis with a slight lead but in the 2nd half the Jayhawks depth will wear on the Tigers and it will be Cole Aldrich dominating the offensive boards giving KU 2nd chance points that will be the difference.
  
  Kansas moves to 2-0 with a win over Memphis and starts what will be a very challenging non-conf. schedule with the likes of Cal and Michigan visting Allen Fieldhous and KU visiting UCLA and Tennessee.
  
  KU 86
  Memphis 72
  
  ROCK CHALK KANSAS JAYHAWKS!!!!!
• hoops23

  

  KU 85
  Memphis 67
  
  Book it.
• pbuck

  I've got Kansas by 15+
• ironman02

  Definitely going to try to watch this one. I think KU wins comfortably.
  
  Looks like Henry was outstanding against Hofstra. Didn't a lot of Jayhawk fans think he might start slow after missing some off-season workouts or something like that? He seems to be in mid-season form already.
  
  Kansas is my pick to win it all this year, by the way. I'm really going out on a limb, I know.
• reclegend22

  

  I will be watching as well. I haven't had the chance to see KU in action yet, but I can't wait to see what Collins looks like this season. From everything I've heard, and what you've stated here, phog, he will be a strong candidate for NPOTY and best point guard in the country. My feeling (although some will call it biased) is that Kyle Singler will walk away with NPOTY honors this year, but Collins is definitely the latter.
  
  Guard play in this KU-Memphis game should be thrilling. Between the Jayhawks' Collins and Xavier Henry, who scored 23 and 27 points in KU's first game, respectively, and the Tigers' Elliot Williams, expect to see extreme athleticism and a high-tempo affair, IMO. Williams, who transferred back to the Memphis area from Duke after his mother became deathly ill last spring, had a great stat line in Memphis' 82-53 season opening win over Jackson State, scoring 19 points, dropping 3 assists, picking up 3 steals and grabbing 3 boards in 33 minutes. Williams is already Memphis' go-to player and will be a star this year. The duel between Williams and Collins should be a dandy (even if they're not head-to-head b/c of the size differential).
  
  With the number one shooting guard in the country rolling into Memphis next season (Will Barton), as well as 2010's second-ranked small forward and fourth-ranked point guard, it looks like Memphis' basketball program is staying well intact heading into the near future. They have two other guys who are ranked within the top 20 in their positions heading to town as well. And with Duke-honed wing Elliot Williams on board, things are looking very bright.
  
  As of right now, however, Memphis doesn't have enough in the tank to compete with Rock Chalk for an entire 40 minutes. Kansas wins by doubles. I think it will remain close throughout, though, before KU's veteran leadership in Collins takes over for the win.
• Laley23

  

  It will be a good early season test for Kansas, but Memphis is not Memphis anymore (at least not yet, but the recruits are on the way).
• Mulva

  

  Kansas should win this one going away.
• milehiiu

  Laley23 wrote: It will be a good early season test for Kansas, but Memphis is not Memphis anymore (at least not yet, but the recruits are on the way).

  How did Josh Pastner get Jelan Kendrick to commit. Seriously, this is one that even took most of the so called college recruiting experts by surprise.
  
  He has a history of being a good recruiter. But is he that good ?
• slingshot4ever

  Can't wait to see my Jayhawks for the first time this season.
  
  ROCK CHALK!
• HeathAlum21

  The team that was picked to win Conference USA has already played today.Kansas wins handily.
• SportsAndLady

  

  I was shocked that Memphis didn't even receiver any votes for the top 25...I mean I know they're not a great team, but I figured they'd at least be in the top 50 or so in the country!
• hoops23

  

  Memphis is still VERY athletic. Sadly, their team isn't as talented as some of the other Memphis teams of the past.
  
  Next year they have a top 3 class coming in so that should improve.
  
  However, they are playing tough defense and that will give anybody a chance to win some games, especially in the CUSA. Only down 34-28 with just over 14 minutes to go.
• wildcats20

  

  Memphis will be tough with this new, incredibly young coach.
  
  Xavier Henry is a monster, plain and simple.
• hoops23

  

  Memphis has to take advantage while Collins is out of the game.
• hoops23

  

  They just don't have the scorers to seriously make this a game, imo...
• Mulva

  

  Sloppy game. Kansas making a lot of mistakes.
  
  Memphis shooting under 35%, getting out-rebounded by 11, but somehow hanging right in.
• hoops23

  

  Memphis is throwing up junk. I'm amazed this is still a 5 point game.
• hoops23

  

  Great shot by Elliot Williams.
  
  1 point game, 16 seconds left! KU leads.
• wildcats20

  

  Foul. Williams should be shooting a FT. What a shot.
• ironman02

  Big shot by Elliott Williams. He's keeping Memphis in this game.
• eersandbeers

  Kansas seems to be getting some favorable calls here at the end.
• wildcats20

  

  That was really close to a 5 count.
• ironman02

  Yeah, that was REALLY close to 5 seconds.
  
  haha...wildcats20 beat me to it.
• Laley23

  

  This has been a great game.
• hoops23

  

  I thought it was a 5 second violation.
  
  Uh oh... Collins missed the first!
  
  drama...