Owls look to contain Memphis' Lawson brothers again
When Temple visits Memphis on Sunday, the Owls know what they have to do to win. "We have to be prepared to stop the brothers," Temple forward Obi Enechionyia said after Thursday's 66-50 loss to No. 25 Southern Methodist University at the Liacouras Center.
When Temple visits Memphis on Sunday, the Owls know what they have to do to win.
"We have to be prepared to stop the brothers," Temple forward Obi Enechionyia said after Thursday's 66-50 loss to No. 25 Southern Methodist University at the Liacouras Center.
The brothers are 6-foot-9 sophomore Dedric Lawson and 6-7 redshirt freshman K.J. Lawson, who have formed quite a combination.
Dedric Lawson is a candidate for AAC player of the year. He is averaging 19.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.3 blocked shots, and is shooting 46.7 percent from the field in 34.6 minutes per game. His three-point shooting has been one flaw (25.8 percent).
K.J. Lawson averages 12.6 points and 8.5 rebounds in 34 minutes.
The Owls showed earlier this season how to contain the Lawsons. On Jan. 25 the Owls beat Memphis, 77-66, at the Liacouras Center. The Lawsons shot a combined 5 for 20 from the field, including 0 for 7 from three-point range in totaling just 17 points, 13 for Dedric.
"We did a good job the last time they came here," Enechionyia said, the numbers clearly backing him up. "We know what to do against them."
Knowing and executing are different things, and guard Shizz Alston, who had 22 points in the win, is especially wary of the older Lawson.
"Dedric will be looking to put a big imprint and he didn't have a great game," Alston said. "We have to control him and limit him."
That win has proven to be the bright light for the Owls in American Athletic Conference play. Temple (13-12, 4-8) has only one AAC victory over a team with a winning conference mark, and that was Memphis.
Memphis (18-7, 8-4) will not only be out for revenge, but the Tigers are attempting to build an NCAA resumé. With only SMU and Cincinnati as apparent NCAA locks, several other AAC teams, including Memphis, will be scrambling for spots.
The problem for Temple is that Memphis has other weapons to stop, including 6-5 redshirt junior Markel Crawford, who had 15 points and five assists in the loss to the Owls, and point guard Jeremiah Martin, who added 16 points and five assists.
Crawford is the Tigers' second-leading scorer (14.0 ppg.), while Martin averages 9.6 points and a team-high 4.4 assists.
Veteran coach Tubby Smith, in his first year with Memphis, knows his way around March Madness. Smith and Oklahoma's Lon Kruger are the only coaches to lead five different teams to the NCAA tournament. In 1998 Smith's Kentucky team won the championship.
So Temple, especially after the win in the first meeting, will have the Tigers' attention. The Owls need some wins for any type of momentum heading into the AAC tournament.
"They are a good team and they found ways to win games," Temple coach Fran Dunphy said of the Tigers. "It was a really good win for us and we have to play better than when we played here."
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