Memphis, Saint Louis Battle In NCAA Tournament 2012 South Region

PREDICT: No. 8 Memphis vs No. 9 Saint Louis

Meeting in yet another toss-up 8/9 game are a pair of efficient mid-major teams with aspirations of a VCU-like run through the tournament. Aside from taking notes from Shaka Smarts' 2011 crew, Memphis can also look at its own recent tournament history to draw confidence. The Billikens from Saint Louis, meanwhile, can look at the history of their itinerant but successful coach Rick Majerus, who took Utah to the Final Four in 1998.

NO. 8 MEMPHIS

Overall record: 26-8
Conference Record: 13-3
Last Ten Games: 9-1
Conference Tournament Outcome: Champions of Conference USA Tournament
Points Scored Per Game: 75.3
Field Goal Percentage: .494
Rebounding Ranking: 34.4
KenPom Ranking: 9
RPI Ranking: 16
Nickname: Tigers
Tournament History: 32-23, 23 appearances, 3 Final Fours
Standout Player: Will Barton
Season In Review: An efficient scoring team, the Tigers have remained an athletic power atop Conference USA in the years since coach John Calipari departed for Kentucky. This offense has hummed in 2012 as the Tigers have lost just three games since the calendar turned from 2011.

NO. 9 SAINT LOUIS

Overall record: 25-7.
A-10 Conference Record: 12-4
Last 10 Games: 8-2
Conference Tournament Outcome: Lost to Xavier In A-10 Semifinals
KenPom Ranking: 15
RPI Ranking: 31
Points Scored Per Game: 69.2
Field Goal Percentage: 452
Nickname: Billikens
Tournament History: 3-7, 6 appearances
Standout Player: Brian Conklin
Season In Review: Led by experienced NCAA tournament coach Rick Majerus, the Billikens opened the season by winning 12 of their first 13 games, including wins over Villanova and Oklahoma. After stumbling in January, they got themselves back on solid footing heading into Selection Sunday.

Before You Go

Click HERE for Printable 2012 NCAA Tournament Bracket and stay tuned for in-depth coverage of March Madness throughout the tournament.

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