PORTLAND, Ore. — Saturday will be no easy task for the Zags.
The Memphis Tigers have caught fire to end their season as they won ten of their final 11 regular season games, played in the AAC tournament championship and notched a win over Boise State in the first round of the tournament here in Portland.
Simply put, they’re peaking at the right time, and that makes them confident heading into this matchup.
“I feel like it’s a number one vs. a number one seed,” said Memphis guard Landers Nolley II. “You can say this is a number one seed versus a number nine seed, but I feel like they know we don’t belong as a number nine seed, so I feel like we still going to get their best. I feel like they haven’t seen a team like us.”
“This is the kind of the opportunity any team in the tournament would ask for,” added guard Lester Quinoes
Arguably the most talented frontcourt Gonzaga has seen all season awaits in its second-round matchup.
Freshman phenom and projected NBA lottery pick Jalen Duren leads Memphis in points this season and has averaged over 13 points and 11 rebounds per game in the team’s last five contests before the big dance.
“He’s a pretty unique talent,” said Drew Timme. “I’m pretty sure he could still be in high school playing or something, and he’s a lottery pick. It’s just a credit to him and the hard work he’s put in. It’s obviously going to be a fun match up for sure.”
His partner in the paint, senior DeAndre Williams, is averaging double-figures as well.
“Pretty? Pretty talented? Like, extremely talented,” said Mark Few when asked about the two bigs. “It’s daunting. They are extremely athletic and big and play with force. That’s going to be a real challenge for us.”
A dynamic duo down low. Sounds familiar, doesn't it Zag fans?
Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway tried his best to get Holmgren in Tiger blue. The 7-footer chose the Bulldogs instead, but Hardaway still has the utmost respect for the 19-year-old.
“He’s a true competitor. You can go into a game and try to say you're going to rough him up, and he's not going to let you do it. It’s not who he is. You can talk about not letting him get offensive rebounds and blocking him out. He's like plastic man. He'll get a rebound over you and grab the ball and dunk the ball,” said Hardaway.
Now Hardaway and Holmgren will face each other with their seasons on the line.
“A lot of people always say, ‘Be careful what you wish for.’ I’ve always wanted to play the best. Gonzaga is the best. You’ve got to beat great teams to get to where you want to go, and we look forward to playing them tomorrow,” said Hardaway.