John Martin is a contributing college sports columnist for The Daily Memphian. Martin is a lifelong Memphian who's covered the Memphis Tigers' basketball program for more than a decade. Before joining The Daily Memphian team, he was the Memphis beat writer for The Athletic. Currently, he is the co-host of the Jason and John Show on 92.9 FM ESPN, weekdays at 11 a.m. Martin is a graduate of White Station High School and the University of Memphis.
Memphis was rolling, leading by double digits against Rice on a sleepy Sunday afternoon with less than three minutes to go.
And then the wackiness ensued. PJ Haggerty turned it over. Nicholas Jourdain missed the front end of a one-and-one. Then Haggerty missed the front end of a one-and-one.
Just like that, what looked like a comfortable Memphis win turned into a sweat. Rice cut the lead to one before suddenly valuable asset PJ Carter sealed the game at the free throw line. Memphis survived, 86-83.
Memphis escapes with close road victory against Rice
But, as we're officially halfway through American Athletic Conference play, this game exactly encapsulates the Memphis basketball viewing experience since conference play began. Rather than opportunities to build upon a resume, these conference games exist only to sabotage the Tigers' profile.