View source for PJ Haggerty Leads No. 17 Memphis Vs. Former Team Tulsa

<br>Memphis star PJ Haggerty squares off against his former team Wednesday night when the 17th-ranked Tigers host Tulsa in an American Athletic Conference contest.<br><br>Haggerty was tied for fourth in Division I in scoring entering Tuesday with 21.6 points per game. He scored 26 in an 86-83 victory Sunday at Rice, the fifth straight win for Memphis (18-4, 8-1 AAC).<br><br>Haggerty had been held to just eight points in the Tigers' previous game,  [https://blogbossbabe.com/ scam] a 68-56 victory at Tulane last Thursday.<br><br>"That's one guy I knew I didn't have to worry about on this trip to be ready to play," Tigers coach Penny [https://www.express.co.uk/search?s=Hardaway Hardaway] said after the win over the Owls. "When he got home, we knew he was going to be ready to go. I could tell he had a little bounce in his step."<br><br>What might Haggerty do for an encore against Tulsa, the team he made 31 starts for as last season's AAC Freshman of the Year?<br><br>If it's like most of his games in the last two seasons, the electric guard will probably score a lot of points. Haggerty canned 11 of 18 shots at Rice and is [https://www.biggerpockets.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&term=shooting shooting] 50.5 percent from the floor and 41.5 percent from 3-point range this season. He is also averaging 5.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.1 steals through 22 games.<br><br>His ability to score almost at will has enabled the Tigers to arrive at the halfway point of league play with a narrow lead over UAB. Even when they haven't played up to potential, they've normally found a way to win.<br><br>"Y'all know my faith, man. I believe we're the best team in the country," Hardaway said.<br><br>While Memphis tries to maintain its AAC lead, Tulsa (9-13, 3-6) continues its search for consistency and a few more wins. It came up short on Sunday in New Orleans, squandering a 28-26 halftime lead and falling to Tulane 59-56.<br><br>Third-year coach Eric Konkol hasn't been able to find anyone to replace Haggerty's volume scoring. The Golden Hurricane shot just 37.9 percent from the field Sunday, going 7 of 25 from the 3-point line. For the season, they are shooting 42.7 percent and 32.5 percent, respectively.<br><br>Guards Dwon Odom (13.8 points per game) and Keaston Willis (13.4) are the team's leading scorers. The inside game has gotten some help with the recent return of 6-foot 9 Jared Garcia (11.8) after he missed 15 games with knee problems.<br><br>"(Garcia's) a guy that can score around the basket," said Konkol, who at times in the 2024 portion of the schedule was using 6-foot-5 Braeden Carrington as a small-ball power forward.<br><br>"We're trying to get JG game-ready, to get him in better shape to see if he can play more extended minutes."<br><br>Garcia netted 11 points Sunday in 18 minutes off the bench. But it wasn't enough to prevent Tulsa's fourth loss in five games.<br><br>--Field Level Media<br><br>