TIGER BASKETBALL

AAC top scorer Jeremiah Martin expected to return for Memphis Tigers at Tulane

Mark Giannotto
Memphis Commercial Appeal
Memphis guard Jeremiah Martin drives for a layup against the Tulane defense during first half action at the FedExForum in Memphis Tenn., Tuesday, January 9, 2017.

Memphis men's basketball coach Tubby Smith said Friday that point guard Jeremiah Martin returned to practice and should be back in the lineup when the Tigers face Tulane on Saturday afternoon.

Martin missed Wednesday's win at SMU after aggravating a hip injury in Sunday's loss to UCF. The Memphis native is leading the American Athletic Conference in scoring (19.2 points) while also contributing 4.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.2 steals per game.

"Jeremiah being back will be a big help," Smith said. 

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The Tigers performed admirably without Martin at SMU as junior Kareem Brewton Jr. stepped in and took over point guard duties. Though he had five second-half turnovers, Brewton finished with 16 points, six assists, five rebounds and a career-high three 3-pointers.

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Memphis had 20 assists on 26 made field goals thanks to improved ball movement facing SMU's zone defense. The Tigers improved to 9-0 when they have at least 15 assists.

The challenge now, Smith noted, is to replicate that unselfishness against Tulane's man-to-man defense while reincorporating Martin.

The junior had increasingly become the focal point of opposing defenses before his injury and shot below 50 percent from the field in five of the six games before sitting out against SMU.

But Wednesday was the first time Memphis won a conference game without Martin scoring at least 21 points. He had 31 when the Tigers beat Tulane, 96-89, at FedExForum on Jan. 9

“I hope he saw how the ball moved," Smith said. "We don’t need the ball sticking in his hands, or anybody’s hands. The ball needs to move. He knows that he’s going to be a guy that we need in clutch situations, late clock and that sort of thing, (but) we need to keep the ball moving because I think that’s why we were so effective."

Tigers' next game

Who: Memphis (15-11, 6-7 AAC) at Tulane (13-12, 4-9)
When, where: 2 p.m. Saturday, Devlin Fieldhouse
TV, radio: ESPNU; WREC-AM 600, WEGR-FM 102.7
Skinny: Tulane is reeling with four losses in a row and defeats in six of its past seven games. The Green Wave is coming off an 82-80 setback at home against ECU on Wednesday and lost to the Tigers, 96-89, at FedExForum on Jan. 9. Tulane is the only team in the AAC with two players averaging more than 15 points in 6-foot-8 senior Cameron Reynolds and guard Melvin Frazier.