Memphis Basketball was coming off a season-opening loss to Missouri on Monday, but this could be where the real challenge begins.

The Tigers (1-0) head to Las Vegas to take on UNLV (1-0) Saturday (5 p.m., Mountain West Network) at the Thomas & Mack Center.

This is the first of several West Coast road trips this month for Penny Hardaway’s club, as the club visits San Francisco later on November 21 and plays three games (including one with defending champion UConn) in the Maui Invitational from November 25 through by November 25. 27. Memphis will return to FedExForum just once during that period for a game against Ohio on November 15.

But the Tigers – fortunately for Hardaway – appear ready for what lies ahead.

“This is why I came here. I came here to learn. I came here to get better. I came here to get out of my comfort zone and grow in certain areas,” guard Colby Rogers said on Oct. 31. “I don’t know many players who wouldn’t be excited to play against top teams in the country. I think it’s just a blessing that we’re playing against top teams so early and with so many top teams. You don’t have time for a day off. You have to stay sharp every day.”

Memphis hasn’t faced UNLV since 1997, when the Runnin’ Rebels won 66-62 in Las Vegas. UNLV is 4-1 in its all-time series with the Tigers.

Here’s what to expect in Memphis’ second game of the regular season.

Can Memphis avoid another bad start?

Memphis’ first-half offense has been disappointing all preseason, and it happened again in Monday’s game.

The Tigers shot just 35% from the floor and 4-for-14 from 3-point range in the first half. Memphis’ porous offense also made life much more difficult on defense, as Missouri entered halftime at a 55% clip and a 42-32 lead. Mizzou, which led by as many as 14 points in the opening period, also scored 26 points in the paint and 12 fastbreak points.

But the stingy defense later turned the tide for Memphis, which forced six goals in the first 10 minutes of the second half and generated a 7-0 run in less than two minutes to retake the lead with 10:34 to play. The Tigers never relinquished their advantage after that, outscoring Mizzou 51-33 in the final 20 minutes and forcing a total of 11 turnovers in that same period. Sophomore guard PJ Haggerty also scored big for Memphis with 22 points in the second half while shooting 6-for-9 from the field and 9-for-9 from the free-throw line.

This winning formula – while exciting – is unlikely to be sustainable in the long run, and Hardaway knows that better than anyone. So maybe Saturday’s game will be a good opportunity to build more consistency.

“These matches show us that we need to be better prepared. We have to be stronger from the start,” Hardaway said after the game. “(But) sometimes as a coach you like to win games where you play a bad first half and come out in the second half and take over. So it will certainly help us.”

Is Moussa Cisse more important than expected?

The transfer from Ole Miss, who started his career at Memphis, played a nice role in the Tigers’ victory over Missouri.

Cisse scored 14 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks on 50% shooting in just 19 minutes off the bench. The 7-foot center is still a defensive specialist, but perhaps there is more to his attacking game than in recent years.

Hardaway has repeatedly called Cisse one of Memphis’ vocal leaders in recent months, and Cisse himself told reporters last week that he is willing to do whatever it takes to win and “make the city happy.”

“He wants to win so bad because he’s never made it to the NCAA tournament. His commitment shows that. Whether you come off the bench or start, he will give you the same effort,” Hardaway said on November 4. “It’s been big for us because he and Dain (Dainja) – for me – are the best frontcourt in the country.”

What UNLV brings to the table

Kevin Kruger’s team defeated Alabama State 93-79 in the season opener on Monday.

UNLV – picked to finish No. 5 in this year’s Mountain West preseason poll – is currently ranked No. 92 in KenPom and No. 90 on barttorvik.com. For reference, Memphis is ranked No. 39 and No. 35 respectively in both computers.

Jeremiah “Bear” Cherry had a nice debut for the Rebels earlier this week. The 6-foot-4 forward dominated Alabama State with 24 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocks on 90.9% shooting. Cherry transferred from New Mexico Junior College to UNLV, where he averaged 12.6 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting 62% from the field last year.

Dedan Thomas Jr. is Kruger’s biggest returner from last season. The 6-foot-2 sophomore guard scored 13.6 points and 5.1 assists per game while shooting 44.9% overall and 36.2% from 3-point range in 2023-24. Thomas, a Las Vegas native, recorded 17 points and 7 assists against the Hornets. He has started the first 35 games of his college career.

Other players to watch for include 6-foot-1 guard Julian Rishwain (13 points against Alabama State), 6-foot-2 guard Brooklyn Hicks (11 points), 6-foot-1 guard Jaden Henley (9 points and 4 rebounds ) and 6-foot-1 guard Jailen Bedford (8 points and 6 rebounds, 14.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game at Oral Roberts last season).

The prediction

Memphis takes a convincing victory on the road.

The Tigers have a tough non-conference schedule ahead of them, making this game a key opportunity to get an easier win. Both teams lack continuity, but Memphis is simply more talented than the Rebels across the board. Cherry can do a good job in the post for UNLV, but Memphis’ backcourt led by Haggerty and Tyrese Hunter likely exceeds that production by a significant margin.

Expect Hardaway’s team to start 2-0 for the second year in a row.