Clank!

The sound of Darius Washington missing free throws in the 2005 Conference USA finals should remind people of the reason Memphis won’t win this NCAA Tournament.

All over the cable networks, experts are picking Memphis to breeze through the South region en route to a Final Four match-up with UCLA.

While I offer to alternative to who will win the tournament (I’m picking Georgetown), in the question “will Memphis win?” the answer is simple.  No.

Memphis is set to draw a physical Pittsburgh team in the Sweet 16, who can neutralize Joey Dorsey.

Gone are the write-in W’s of Conference play.  Every game from Saturday on for the Tigers are going to be a battle.

They’ve been flirting with fire the entire season.  Fortunately for them, their talent trumped their flaws in most games.

Conference ’s champs have most of the ingredients needed to cut down the nets in San Antonio .  Out of the 65 tournament teams, Memphis is ranked 6^th in rebounds per game and 11^th in scoring average.

But the #1 Tigers have an Achilles’ heel. They are a 59.6% free throw shooting team—ahead of only 13-seed Winthrop .

In the Tigers only loss this season, they came up 4 points short.  Tennessee hit 12 of 18 free throws (66.7%).  Memphis displayed a junior high quality performance from the charity stripe—shooting just 8 of 17 (47.1%).

Every team that wins the tournament is challenged on at least one occasion.  Some games are won on the free throw line. 

1’s: North Carolina (75.4%), Kansas (70.2%), UCLA (73.1%)

2’s: Texas (68.9%), Duke (69.5%), Georgetown (66.5%), Tennessee (65.6%)

3’s: Louisville (65.5%), Wisconsin (70.9%), Xavier (75%), Stanford (69.9%)

4’s: UConn (71.9%), Pittsburgh (65.8%), Vanderbilt (73.6%), Washington State (73.3%)

5’s: Notre Dame (73.6%), Michigan State (73.1%), Drake (75.6%), Clemson (62.4%)

6’s: USC (68.5%), Marquette (70.2%), Oklahoma (68.1%), Purdue (70.6%)

7’s: West Virginia (68.2%), Gonzaga (71.5%), Butler (73.7%), Miami (74.1%)

8’s: Mississippi State (64.4%), Indiana (76.3%), UNLV (74.3%), BYU (65.8%)

9’s: Oregon (68.9%), Arkansas (67.2%), Texas A&M (68.7%), Kent State (71.4%)

10’s: Arizona (74.7%), Davidson (71.9%), South Alabama (71.2%), Saint Mary’s (67%)

11’s: Kentucky (73.4%), Baylor (74.2%), Kansas State (68.9%), St. Joseph ’s (72.6%)

12’s: Villanova (72.3%), George Mason (70.4%), Temple (74.1%), Western Kentucky (69.8%)

13’s: Oral Roberts (67%), San Diego (67.6%), Siena (68.3%), Winthrop (59.5%)

14’s: (68%), Boise State (66.5%), Cornell (76.3%), Cal State Fullerton (70.6%)

15’s: American (74.3%), UMBC (72.9%), Austin Peay (71.5%), Belmont (69.9%)

16’s: UT-Arlington (65.8%), Mississippi Valley State (68.1%), Portland State (67.6%), Coppin State (71.9%), Mount St. Mary’s (69.6%)