A family visit to Seattle turned into a serendipitous scouting trip for this Memphis cyber-correspondent, as the two biggest nonconference opponents that remain on the Memphis Tiger basketball schedule — Tennessee and Gonzaga — squared off in the annual Battle in Seattle.
With pockets of orange scattered throughout Key Arena (including an alum to my right, my mom), the Vols ran off to an early 15-5 lead, fell behind midway through the first half, then ran away for good just after halftime to improve their record to 12-1 and affirm themselves as legitimate rivals for the University of Memphis when it comes to state supremacy.
Each of these teams will test the Tigers as March draws near. The Tennessee affair, I’d argue, will be the largest hurdle for any Memphis dreams of an undefeated regular season. For more, check out this report from the Seattle Times.
— Frank Murtaugh
