St. Louis, MO (My Sportsbook) - A rematch of the 2008 National Championship game is on tap in St. Louis this evening, as top-ranked Kansas and Memphis tangle in the Basketball Hall of Fame Showcase from the Scottrade Center.
This marks the seventh all-time meeting between these two teams, with the most important one coming two seasons ago in San Antonio, a 75-68 overtime affair that earned the Jayhawks the national title.
Bill Self is in his seventh season at the helm of Kansas, which opened its much-anticipated 2009-10 campaign with a 101-65 pasting of Hofstra last Friday, its eighth straight season-opening win. The Jayhawks also extended the nation's longest homecourt winning streak to 42 games with the lopsided win over the Pride.
Memphis is under new leadership as John Calipari has jumped ship to Kentucky. Enter first year coach Josh Pastner, who got his tenure off to a good start with Memphis' 82-53 win over Jackson State on Friday.
Long known as the favorite to win the Conference USA, this year presents a bit of a different vibe, as Memphis is picked anywhere from second to fourth in the league by most accounts. The Tigers looked solid in their season-opening win however, as the team played well at both ends of the floor. Three Tigers finished in double figures in the win, led by Eilliot Williams' 19 points. A Duke transfer, Williams set a career-high in the opener, his first time suiting up in a Memphis uniform. Juco transfer Will Coleman was a beast coming off the bench in his first NCAA Division I game, recording a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Wesley Witherspoon came up big in the win as well, adding a career-high 13 points to the cause. The Tigers flexed their defensive muscles also, forcing 20 turnovers, finishing with a +10 rebounding advantage and holding Jackson State to a mere .368 shooting effort.
The Jayhawks have a ton of talent on a roster that returns almost everyone from last year's Sweet 16 squad. It all starts with All-American Sherron Collins and All-American candidate Cole Aldrich. Collins, a Second-Team All- American last year, opened this season with 23 points against Hofstra. Aldrich was a bit more reserved with an 11-point, eight-rebound, four-blocked shot performance. However, both players had to share the spotlight against Hofstra with freshman guard Xavier Henry, who erupted for 27 points in his collegiate debut, thanks in large part to five three-pointers. Sophomore guard Tyshawn Taylor played a complementary role, adding eight points, four rebounds and six assists to the cause. With all the key pieces back in the fold and Henry's ability as a youngster, the Jayhawks are obviously the favorite to win their sixth straight Big 12 championship and perhaps another national championship.
