Memphis or FAU? How to pick 8 vs. 9 matchup in 2023 March Madness bracket

When the NCAA tournament bracket is unveiled, the 8-on-9 encounters are usually the hardest to decide. This year’s Field of 68 presents one of the trickiest matchups in recent memory.

After winning their respective conference tournament titles, the 9-man FAU Owls take on the 8-man Memphis Tigers, a game that sees one of the nation’s most under-the-radar juggernauts roam a larger program starring a former NBA superstar sideline.

No team in college basketball has won more games than FAU, which is one of four teams in the field with 30 or more wins. The Owls dominated Conference USA all season and secured the Conference tournament title with a 22-point win. Memphis is on an exciting run to the American title, capped off by an upset win over Houston, who earned a 1-seed in the NCAA tournament. The battle-hardened tigers click at the right time, which could bode well on the tournament stage.

Both FAU and Memphis are going into the tournament with great momentum, which should make for an exciting encounter in the round of 64. Here’s everything you need to know about the game, including leaderboards, key players, season breakdowns and more.

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Odds Memphis vs. FAU

Memphis vs. FAU will be played on Friday, March 17th, day two of the Round of 64, concluding at 9:20pm ET. According to BetMGM, Memphis opened as the betting favorite.

Below are details of the match including betting odds, time, TV and venue.

• Opportunities: Memphis -2.5
• Date: Friday March 17th
• Time: 9:20 p.m. ET
• TV: TNT
• Arena: National Arena, Columbus, Ohio

Memphis (26-8, 13-5 Americans)

The Tigers continue to climb under head coach Penny Hardaway, who is leading her alma mater to the NCAA tournament for the second straight year.

Memphis is an experienced team that has seen a little of everything this season. The Tigers mostly tended to business in the United States, with two of their five conference losses coming to regular-season champions Houston and two in overtime. Memphis’ other conference loss was a seven-point decision in Tulane.

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The Tigers retaliated with a 40-point win over Tulane in the AAC Semifinals and then earned a 10-point win over Houston in the conference championship.

Memphis largely avoided heavy losses this season, notching up victories over tournament teams Auburn, Texas A&M and Houston. In an instant classic, the Tigers suffered a three-point away loss to NCAA tournament champions Alabama. This team should not be impressed by the tournament phase.

• NET Ranking: 23
• KenPom Ranking: 19
• Quad 1 record: 4-4
• Quad 2 record: 9-3
• Quad 3 record: 7-1
• Quad 4 record: 6-0
• Offensive efficiency ranking: 26
• Defensive efficiency ranking: 35

key figures

Kendric Davis, G, Fifth Year (6-0, 177): 21.8 ppg, 5.7 apg, 3.7 rpg

DeAndre Williams, F, fifth year (6-9, 205): 17.9 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 2.9 apg

Keonte Kennedy, G, Sr. (6-5, 180): 9.2 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1.2 spg

Elijah McCadden, G, Fifth Year (6-5, 195): 7.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.5 apg

Alex Lomax, G, Fifth Year (6-0, 190): 6.7 ppg, 3.2 apg, 2.4 ppg

FAU (31-3, 18-2 C-USA)

Losing isn’t something the Owls have done a lot this season.

After dropping a bargaining game to Ole Miss earlier in the year, FAU racked up 20 straight wins with 11 weeks before their next loss. The Owls dominated Conference USA, with their second loss in early February coming by a four-point margin.

Despite attending a one-bid conference, the metrics speak for FAU, which ranks 13th in the NCAA’s NET ranking. The Owls took care of business all season, going 23-0 against quad 3 and quad 4 opponents.

With a 22-point victory in the C-USA title fight, FAU continued to take care of business. With 31 wins, FAU has the most wins in college basketball, along with Houston and Charleston.

• NET Ranking: 13
• KenPom Ranking: 26
• Quad 1 record: 2-1
• Quad 2 record: 4-2
• Quad 3 record: 11-0
• Quad 4 record: 12-0
• Offensive efficiency ranking: 32
• Defensive efficiency ranking: 36

key figures

Johnell Davis, G, Soph. (6-4, 203): 13.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.5 apg

Aliyah Martin, G, Soph. (6-2, 210); 13.2ppg, 5.4rpg, 1.5apg

Vladislav Goldin, C, Soph. (7-1, 240): 10.6ppg, 6.4rpg, 0.4apg

Nicholas Boyd, G, Fr. (6-3, 175): 9.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.5 apg

Jalen Gaffney, G, Jr. (6-3, 185): 4.8 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.5 apg

Memphis vs. FAU Prediction

This matchup is as close to a toss-up as you can get, with each team picking up steam and posting impressive resumes.

There is an argument that FAU is shorthanded as a 9 since the Owls have been one of the best teams in college basketball all year. Don’t let the classification of their key players fool you; Each of their top performers has taken advantage of the NCAA’s COVID-19 hardship waiver, which puts some of them in their third year sophomores.

While named sixth C-USA Player of the Year, Johnell Davis is entering the tournament after starting in each of FAU’s last seven games. He averaged 16.7 points in the C-USA tournament. Davis’ backcourt mate Alijah Martin became C-USA Tournament MVP after finishing the title game with 30 points and 11 rebounds.

If you’re a fan of guard games, you’ll be a fan of this one.

Memphis is led by fifth-year student Kendric Davis, who is ranked 10th in college basketball this season with 21.8 points per game. Davis averaged 28.0 points and 5.3 assists in the American Tournament, including a game-high 31 points in the title game.

Next to Davis, it’s DeAndre Williams, the most experienced player in all of college basketball. Davis, 26, has averaged 17.9 points and 7.9 rebounds per game this season.

In terms of experience, Williams and guard Alex Lomax both spoke for Memphis in last year’s tournament. As this is FAU’s first tournament appearance since 2002, transfer guard Jalen Gaffney is the only player on the roster with NCAA tournament experience from his time at UConn.

History of 8 vs. 9 matches in NCAA tournament

As fiercely contested as 8-9 matchups are, it’s rare that a 9-seed win comes as a surprise. Last year, 9-seed Memphis picked up a win over 8-seed Boise State.

Last year’s tournament favored 9 seeds going 3-1 against 8 seeds in the Round of 64.

In this game, Memphis is favored for its schedule and stars, but given FAU’s dominance and balanced attack throughout the season, the game is on the verge of failure. The Owls’ 31 wins shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Below is a breakdown of wins achieved by 9 seeds over 8 seeds in the last 10 tournaments.

Year	Result
2022	Memphis 64, Boise State 53
	TCU 69, Seton Hall 42
	Creighton 72, San Diego State 69
2021	Wisconsin 85, UNC 62
2020	No tournament
2019	UCF 73, VCU 58
	Baylor 78, Syracuse 69
	Oklahoma 95, Ole Miss 72
	Washington 78, Utah 61
2018	Alabama 86, Virginia Tech 83
	State of Kansas 69, Creighton 59
	State of Florida 67, Missouri 54
2017	State of Michigan 78, Miami 58
2016	Butler 71, Texas Tech 61
	Providence 70, USC 69
	Uconn 74, Colorado 67
2014	Pittsburgh 77, Colorado 48
2013	Temple 76, NC State 72
	State of Wichita 73, Pittsburgh 55
2012	Saint Louis 61, Memphis 54
2011	Illinois 73, UNLV 62