Cincinnati, Ohio:

The Memphis Tigers will hit the road on Thursday night to take on the Bearcats of Cincinnati for a pivotal matchup. Thursday night will be the second matchup between the two programs this season with the first one going to the Tigers by a score of 60-49 but, a lot has changed since that game.

The Tigers have fallen out of position for an at-large NCAA Tournament bid due to a 40 point loss to Tulsa, and an embarrassing home loss to USF. Thursday night is crucial for this Memphis team if they want any shot at playing in the Big Dance.

Memphis has what it takes to make a run during these last three weeks of the season, but it starts with this team having the ability to forget and move on. It's a lot easier said than done, but this team needs to grind through the injuries and keep their eyes on the bigger goal at hand, which is to earn an at-large NCAA Tournament bid.

Thursday night will be a massive test for this young Memphis team as the Bearcats are starting to catch fire at the right time, playing themselves into the bubble talk. The Bearcats have won five out of the last six-game with the one loss coming last weekend at UConn, where the Huskies were able to edge out Cincinnatti 72-71.

Over the last five games, it's been Jarron Cumberland leading the way for the Bearcats in scoring with 18.7 points per game and 5.9 assists.

For Memphis, the Tigers will need big games from Lester Quinones and Alex Lomax to have a shot at beating the Bearcats.

Lance Thomas and Malcolm Dandridge are expected to play tonight after a successful week of practice. This is huge for Memphis, considering that Precious Achiuwa is listed as a game-time decision.

The Tigers and Bearcats will tip-off at 6:00 central and can be seen on ESPN. Memphis will return to action on Sunday as they travel to face the UConn Huskies.