Will Memphis halt tailspin with win over Wichita State? Our preview
Wichita State visits memphis for an 8 p. m. Thursday tip at FedExForum, and the Shockers will lean on redshirt freshman TJ Williams after his recent surge as they look to keep pace in the American. Williams’ crash-the-glass play and two consecutive strong scoring nights give Wichita State a clear inside advantage against a Memphis club that has struggled with consistency.
Williams’ rebounding has become nonnegotiable
Paul Mills has watched Williams “crash the boards” so often a referee stopped him last Saturday after the freshman kept climbing for rebounds, and Mills laughed it off with: “No such thing. ” Williams’ aggressiveness is concrete—he averaged 9. 5 points and 5. 1 rebounds in the 15 games before a concussion, then dropped to 4. 4 points and 3. 7 rebounds over a nine-game stretch after the hit against Rice and lost his starting role. Now, Mills says Williams looks like a sophomore-level player rather than a freshman, and that shift showed up in back-to-back outings.
Memphis at FedExForum: can the Tigers counter the board pressure?
Memphis (12-15, 7-7 American) will try to blunt Williams and the Shockers’ interior work after Wichita State (18-10, 10-5) beat the Tigers 74-59 on Jan. 24, a game in which Memphis grabbed only four fewer rebounds than Wichita State. That January score and the teams’ conference records are immediate anchors: the Shockers need more eyes on the glass again Thursday, and the Tigers must find a way to protect the rim and secure rebounds against a player who now seeks “city rebounds” at the rim.
Recent form: career night and clutch plays
Williams’ return to form included a career-high 27 points against East Carolina at Minges Coliseum, when he also had eight rebounds and delivered the go-ahead dagger in a 92-89 double-overtime win, followed by a 12-point, five-rebound outing against Philadelphia’s Owls. Williams said, “Coming back, you don’t really want to go in there and hit or get hit because of your head… Now, I’m just back 100%. I feel like I can just go in there and take a blow. ” Mills emphasized that Wichita State likely wouldn’t have won either game without Williams’ aggressive presence on the boards.
Mills also draws a practical line for Williams’ style: the team used to nag him about “suburban rebounds” instead of “city rebounds, ” with city rebounds defined as anything you can snatch at the rim with two hands. That language matters for Thursday’s matchup—if Williams continues to win the battle of the glass, Wichita State’s interior offense and second-chance scoring will be harder for Memphis to contain.
The teams meet at 8 p. m. Thursday at FedExForum, and the game is the next confirmed event on both clubs’ schedules; the outcome will immediately affect both teams’ standing in the American and offer a clear test of whether Williams’ resurgence can translate into a road win in a hostile arena.
