Tiger's Stance is Clear

At this point in conference play, it's pretty safe to assume we know where the Tigers stand talent-wise. They certainly aren't going away as a team that C-USA foes need to pay attention to, but they also aren't the favorites, by any means, to win the regular season or tournament title.

The recent win over Marshall, and loss to SMU, really balanced each other out. Before this Memphis was nipping at the heels of the big boys in conference, but they had not proved that they belonged at the top. The signature win against Marshall put them right back in the mix. Before that, there were three teams in second place in C-USA, and Memphis was one of them. The loss to SMU, however, was a major set back. While this team almost upset Marshall and UAB, two of the top teams in this conference, make no mistake, it was a loss to a bottom tier C-USA team.

Now there are three teams tied at first place in C-USA UAB, Tulsa, and UTEP. Memphis ranks directly behind them. With a game against UAB on Wednesday, they have a chance to say once more, that they belong at the top of the pack. The following Saturday, they will play top-25 team Gonzaga. Failing to secure both of these wins means that the Tigers will most likely have to win the conference tournament to get into the Big Dance. Failing to beat UAB, will almost definitely mean no C-USA regular season title.