Memphis holds slight edge in clash with Tennessee

After a prolonged shooting slump earlier this season, Chris Lofton found his touch again -- just in time for the matchup against Memphis. AP

MAILBAG Grant Wahl will periodically answer questions from SI.com users in his mailbag. Your name: Your e-mail address: Your home town: Enter your question:

After a four-day siege in Bloomington, the 'Bag is ready to talk about ... something besides Kelvin Sampson. So let's dive in:

Is Tennessee-Memphis the biggest game of the regular season?
-- Richard Schulz, Elon, N.C.

Yes, and it's not even close. This season has been kind of a downer when it comes to heavyweight battles between elite teams. The most highly anticipated non-conference showdown until Saturday's Tennessee-Memphis showdown has probably been Memphis-Georgetown, and after a tight first half, that one wasn't all that close. Nor have the most hyped in-league rivalry games been that great. The first North Carolina-Duke game was marred by the absence of Ty Lawson, and while Kansas-Texas was a fun game, it was the only scheduled meeting between the two Big 12 powerhouses all season.

As for No. 1 Memphis and No. 2 Tennessee, they're so far and away the best teams in their respective conferences that their league games have been lacking in the drama department (aside from the near-throwdown between UAB students and Memphis players on Saturday, which is the kind of drama we don't want).

Thank god for Vols-Tigers, which features a host of dynamite storylines: No. 1 vs. No. 2; two hard-driving coaches with big personalities (John Calipari and Bruce Pearl) who don't much like each other; two fan bases in close proximity that like each other even less; and two fun-to-watch teams that have plenty of contrasts and similarities.

How are Memphis and Tennessee similar? Both like to play fast, harassing defense and hope that their depth and conditioning will eventually wear you down. You might recall the last time Pearl's Vols met a team that ran Dribble-Drive Motion was the first round of last year's NCAA tournament, when Tennessee won a hugely entertaining game over Long Beach State, 121-86. (However, you might also recall that Memphis plays much better defense than LBSU.)

How are Memphis and Tennessee different? Well, Memphis has more punch down low, even though Joey Dorsey hasn't been Joey Dorsey of late. And Tennessee has more deadly shooting threats from the outside now that Chris Lofton is back to being Chris Lofton. For me, the big variable (as with any team that faces Memphis) is what kind of defense Pearl chooses to put out there. Pearl has never been a proponent of zone, but zones (and hybrids) are clearly the most effective ways to defend DDM.

I'm going to go with a lukewarm endorsement of Memphis to defend a hair better than the Vols and win on its home court, even though I think Tennessee will end up being more battle-tested for March. What the 'Bag knows for certain is that we've spent far more time in the state of Tennessee this season than in any of our 12 years covering college basketball. We've eaten great barbecue in Memphis (Corky's) and Knoxville (Chandler's Deli), and we've had a blast writing stories on Pearl and on Calipari's offense.

In other words, these are basketball times to remember in the Volunteer State --and not just because of the Volunteers.

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