Preview: Tigers vs. Tennessee

Now that the dust has settled and Joe Jackson will remain a Tiger for the foreseeable future, the University of Memphis Tigers basketball team (8-5) must now turn their focus on heated rival Tennessee Vols (6-6). And for the second time this season, the Tigers will face a non-conference opponent twice on their schedule. And head coach Josh Pastner knows that his team has a tall order.

"Tennessee is a good basketball team, they're better than their record," Pastner said. "It's a rivalry game, it's an in-state game so you can throw out the stats."

And that maybe just what the Tigers would want to do against this tough and scrappy Volunteers team. After part one of this unusual double dip during the season between the Tigers and Vols, the Tigers were outhustled, outrebounded and almost lost a close double overtime decision 99-97 in the EA Sports Maui Invitational. The Tigers led pretty much throughout the game and even had a double-digit lead of 16 before letting the Vols back in it. But with Will Barton's 25 points and 11boards, to go along with Adonis Thomas' 19 and Antonio Barton's 21 points were enough for the Tigers to squeak out their second victory of the young season.

"I look at his game as a rivalry so I expect it to be close," Barton said. "We're going to go back and look at the film from the last game and be ready to play because they'll be ready to play."

Sophomore Joe Jackson returns to the team after a one game absence due to a personal matter. All signs indicated that Jackson hinted at transferring although Pastner decline to comment on it and Jackson said the rumors were untrue. But the one thing that was glaring during this whole debacle was that Jackson is indeed frustrated with his play and the minimal success of the Tigers thus far this year.

"I never thought about leaving here, I don't know where that came from," Jackson said. "I always wanted to play for Memphis. It's where I wanted to go since 7th or 8th grade. I just been frustrated with the way I've been playing and how he we been losing. I hate losing because I'm a winner and I guess I just need to work harder."

The Tigers look to keep the momentum going and build on a modest two-game winning streak when Tennessee comes to town on Wednesday. After that game, the Tigers begin conference play on the road against UAB on Saturday.