--At 37-1, Memphis has tied the NCAA Division I record for wins in a season. It's only loss came to Tennessee, which was ranked No. 2 at the time. With last week's wins over Michigan State and Texas, the Tigers have won 11 straight games.

--The Tigers have been ranked no lower than third throughout the season and spent five weeks at No. 1 from Jan. 21 to Feb. 24. Memphis and its Final Four opponent, UCLA, are currently tied for the longest current streak in the national polls. The Tigers and Bruins have been in the polls for the past 58 weeks. Memphis was No. 2 in the most recent AP poll and No. 3 in the coaches poll, while UCLA was No. 2 in the coaches and No. 3 in the AP poll.

--The Tigers shot less than .600 from the free-throw line for most of the season, but coach John Calipari insisted he wasn't worried about it because he knew his team would come through when it counted most. The Tigers have proved his point in their past two games, making 26 of 35 free throws (.743) against Michigan State and 30 of 36 (.833) against Memphis.

"I never worried about it because I know my guys are mentally tough and they've got good mechanics," Calipari said.

--Memphis also took good care of the ball against Michigan State and Texas, combining for 16 turnovers in two games. Over the past three games, the Tigers have committed 21 turnovers while recording 50 assists.

COACH
John Calipari, eight years at school, five years in NCAA Tournament

HOW THEY GOT HERE
Memphis was supposed to be vulnerable after grinding out wins over Texas-Arlington and Mississippi State in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. They responded by dominating both fifth-seeded Michigan State and second-seeded Texas in the first halves of both games. Both opponents attempted to get back in the game in the second half but the Tigers took care of their business down the stretch, especially at the free-throw line.

THEY'LL ADVANCE IF: They remain focused on winning as a team instead of standing out as individuals. The Tigers are at their best forcing the issue and setting the tone through aggressive defense, dominating rebounding, hard and unselfish play on the offensive end and using their dribble-drive motion offense to create the best possible shots for each other. As talented as the Tigers are in the backcourt, the Tigers tend to go as senior forward Joey Dorsey and junior forward Robert Dozier go. If those two are physical and productive inside, it'll go a long way toward Memphis containing UCLA's Kevin Love and possibly advancing to the title game.

QUOTE TO NOTE
"They are just as athletic as anybody else. I think they spread the court a little bit more than those other teams as far as driving the ball, and they use every position." -- Texas guard A.J. Abrams, whose team has faced UCLA, Kansas, Tennessee and Michigan State this season.

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