Texas
Memphis basketball vs North Texas: Prediction, picks, injury updates and odds
The Memphis basketball team’s early season schedule has been one of the strongest in the country.
It has also featured an array of contrasting styles and looks. Coming off a commanding road victory over an FAU team that is more offensive-oriented, now the Tigers (11-3, 1-0 AAC) turn their attention to North Texas (11-3, 1-0), which prefers to focus more on defense.
The Mean Green travel to Memphis for a game Sunday (4 p.m., ESPN or ESPN2). It will be the only regular-season meeting between the two.
North Texas is coming off a come-from-behind win at home over UAB on Tuesday. The Blazers were the preseason favorite according to a poll of the AAC’s coaches to win the league. The Tigers earned a win over FAU on Thursday.
Here are three things to keep an eye on ahead of Sunday’s game.
The ‘blessing’ of having Dain Dainja
Memphis big man Dain Dainja feasted on FAU in the second half, scoring all 16 of his points during a 6:54 span.
The former Illinois and Baylor player is averaging 11.4 points per game (fourth on the team), and he’s doing it off the bench.
Coach Penny Hardaway has called it a “luxury” to have a player of Dainja’s caliber playing a reserve role. On Thursday, he went with a new word.
“What a blessing to have Dain Dainja coming off your bench,” he said. “At any time, he can get going. When he got his fourth foul, I left him out there and went with the two bigs (Dainja and Moussa Cisse). They did really well. Dain adds a different layer, because he can score the ball in bunches.”
How to capitalize on momentum
Memphis’ Tyrese Hunter said there was plenty of room for improvement after the FAU win.
The senior guard, who scored 20 points, rattled off a list of things: Keep the confidence level high, pay attention to the scouting report, and maintain the same energy level for a full 40 minutes.
But there was one item very clearly at the top of the list.
“Learn from your mistakes,” he said.
The Tigers committed 19 turnovers and gave up 25 points off those miscues. They also gave up 19 offensive rebounds, which led to 18 second-chance points for FAU.
North Texas basketball scouting report
It’s all about the defense for North Texas.
The Mean Green are second in the nation in steal percentage (15.1%). Eight different members of the roster have registered 10 or more steals through 14 games, led by Latrell Jossell’s 23.
But the Mean Green can create turnovers in other ways. North Texas is fourth in the country in turnover percentage defense (24.4%), and its opponents are averaging 15.1 turnovers per game.
The latter is a top-50 mark in Division I. But Memphis has overcome turnover-minded teams. The Tigers committed 13 turnovers versus Ole Miss and 16 against Missouri but won both of those home games comfortably.
Scoring points is not something North Texas emphasizes. The Mean Green has put up more than 73 points just twice since early November and has only topped 80 points once this season against Mississippi Valley State. That’s partially because of personnel. But it’s also a result of coach Ross Hodge’s philosophy. North Texas plays at one of the five slowest paces in the country, which was also the case last season.
Memphis basketball score prediction vs. North Texas
Memphis 77, North Texas 68: The Mean Green can be a feisty bunch. But the Tigers at home will be more than they can handle.
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com, follow him @munzly on X, and sign up for the Memphis Basketball Insider text group.
A day off at the pool — and a little sunburn — didn’t stop the Minnesota Twins’ momentum.
Brooks Lee hit a three-run homer as Minnesota scored multiple runs in the first inning for the third consecutive game, and the Twins went on to complete a series sweep of the Texas Rangers with a 9-3 win Thursday.
Minnesota has won four games in a row and scored 25 runs in the three-games series in Texas. The two teams had a rare, mid-series day off on Wednesday with the England-Croatia World Cup game being played in Arlington.
“We’re locked in every day,” Lee told Audra Martin on the team’s broadcast. “Yesterday, taking time off, lay out by the pool, get a little burnt and then right back to it. We did a good job getting focused. I feel like we do that with rain delays, too, just lock back in and we’re doing it.”
Lee’s 12th homer capped a four-run first off Jack Leiter (3-7). Trevor Larnach made it 6-0 in the fourth with a two-run shot to straightaway center that just cleared the extended glove of leaping Alejandro Osuna. Larnach’s third hit was an RBI single in the fifth, and Ryan Kriedler hit a two-run homer in the eighth.
Joe Ryan (5-3) struck out seven but needed 97 pitches to get through five scoreless innings while allowing three singles. Leiter was done after the fourth, and has given up 17 runs while losing three starts in a row.
The Twins never trailed in the sweep that extended their winning streak to four, matching their longest this season. Their 14-5 record at Globe Life Field is the best for any American League opponent since the ballpark opened in 2020.
Wyatt Langford, Ezequiel Duran and Justin Foscue hit solo homers for the Rangers, who have lost five of six games. They are 0-15 when giving up multiple runs in the first inning.
Twins DH Josh Bell, who was born in nearby Irving and grew up in the area, had an RBI single before Lee’s homer. Bell hit a three-run homer in the first inning of the series-opening 4-2 win Monday, and had an RBI single for a 2-0 lead in the first of a 12-2 win on Tuesday.
“We’re just passing the baton each time,” Lee said of the offensive output. “Our guys are hot. They feel good and they came out swinging today. It was awesome to see. We’ve done that for a while now.”
Up next
Twins rookie left-hander Connor Prielipp (2-4, 5.26 ERA) starts Friday at Arizona. The Diamondbacks are scheduled to start right-hander Michael Soroka (8-3, 3.11).
Watch CBS News
A Texas state trooper was killed in a crash in the Panhandle, becoming the 244th Texas Department of Public Safety officer to die in the line of duty since 1823, according to the agency.
Sergio Romero, 27, died Wednesday after a semi-truck pulled in front of him as he attempted a traffic stop around 4 p.m. on U.S. 287 in Childress County, DPS said.
In a statement, Col. Freeman F. Martin praised Romero’s courage, integrity, and service.
“Today, we grieve the loss of one of our own,” Martin said. “… Our hearts break alongside his family, friends, fellow troopers, and all who loved him. We will never forget the ultimate sacrifice he made in service of his fellow Texans.”
Romero previously served with the Hall County Sheriff’s Office before joining DPS as part of Class B-2025 in Childress, the agency said.
He is survived by his wife, Francisca, and their two young sons.
Funeral arrangements are pending. The crash remains under investigation.
-
Crypto3 minutes agoEl Salvador Adds to Bitcoin Reserve Again as Daily Buys Push Stack Past 7,680 BTC
-
Finance6 minutes agoLUMIQ Raises Strategic Funding to Become the AI Decision Layer for Financial Services
-
Fitness11 minutes agoWhen is the best time to exercise in the heat?
-
Movie Reviews21 minutes ago‘Maa Inti Bangaram’ Movie Review: Samantha Rocks, Writing Suffers
-
World33 minutes agoUS tells ASML it is concerned China may have top chip tool, Bloomberg News reports
-
News36 minutes agoSan Francisco Film Patrons Are Found Dead on Side of Highway
-
Politics41 minutes agoVideo: Reflecting Pool Turns Green, Paint Peels After Renovation
-
Health56 minutes agoNew At-Home DNA Test Reveals if GLP-1 Weight-Loss Drugs Will Work for You
