Tiger Basketball Podcast

Memphis basketball coach Penny Hardaway is building toward something.

Has it taken longer than some people − possibly even he − expected? Yes, it has. But last week's win over No. 2 Houston, then the No. 1 team in the country, clinched the first league championship for the program in a decade. It represents the high-water mark of the Hardaway-as-coach era.

On this week's episode of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, beat writer Jason ...

The Memphis basketball team is hitting the reset button this week.

The Tigers (23-8) ended the regular season in second place, their best finish since joining the AAC in 2013. But that doesn't much matter in the postseason, when every team has a clean slate. Penny Hardaway's team will be the No. 2 seed at this week's conference tournament at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth. It will face the UCF-SMU winner Friday (6 p.m., ESPNU).

On t...

Memphis basketball believes it belongs in the NCAA Tournament.

But the Tigers also know there's still work to be done. That work continues Thursday, when Memphis travels to Dallas to face SMU and, then, returns home to host No. 1 Houston on Sunday.

On this week's edition of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, beat writer Jason Munz and columnist Mark Giannotto look ahead to those two games and discuss the implications attached to each ...

Memphis basketball should be hungrier than ever after its 72-64 loss to Houston, this week's new No. 1 team in the nation.

“That’s exactly what I told the team,” Tigers coach Penny Hardaway said outside the team’s locker room. “We played with a 90% (Alex Lomax), kind of a 60% Malcolm (Dandridge) and no (Kendric Davis) and still had an opportunity to win the game. Definitely gonna be using this as motivation."

It isn't often that ...

The Memphis basketball team rebounded from a disappointing loss to Tulane with a business-like win at USF.

But the damage was done. Most bracketologists have the Tigers squarely on the NCAA Tournament bubble with seven regular-season games left. Two of their remaining games are against Houston. Did Memphis' loss to Tulane do so much damage that beating the Cougars at least once is the only way to make up for it? Or, can the Tigers...

Tulane. USF. Temple. UCF.

That is what is left of the road ahead of Memphis basketball before it arrives at Houston. The Tigers, 17-5 overall and 7-2 in AAC play, are in a good spot. Is it a good enough spot that they can afford a bad loss?

On this week's episode of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, beat writer Jason Munz and columnist Mark Giannotto weigh in on that. They also debate this hypothetical: If Memphis has to face either ...

Memphis basketball has won its last three games, two of them coming on the road.

Penny Hardaway's teams have a history of settling into a deep groove around this time of year. Since 2020-21, the Tigers are 28-6 after Jan. 20. Can this Memphis team keep that trend going? If so, what does a realistic finish look like? And, based on that finish, what can fans expect the Tigers' NCAA Tournament seeding to be?

On this week's episode o...

Penny Hardaway called the timeout that Kendric Davis said is "the reason we won."

Davis actually hit the shot as time expired to lift Memphis basketball to a 61-59 win at Temple last week. The victory kept the Tigers (13-5, 3-2 AAC) on the projected NCAA Tournament bubble. But, on the heels of an excruciating double-overtime road loss to UCF just four days earlier, it might have also given the team a much needed shot in the arm.

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The Memphis basketball team closed the 2021-22 regular season by winning 10 of its last 11 games.

The Tigers needed every single one of them − and then some, ultimately − in order to reach the NCAA Tournament. Almost a year later, Memphis might need to pull off something similar, because Penny Hardaway's team is right back on the bubble. The Tigers are 4-3 in their last seven games and missed prime opportunities to distance themse...

Memphis basketball is 3-2 in its last five games and has allowed an average of 86.2 points per outing during that stretch.

Last week's Quad 2 loss at Tulane has given pause to more than a few people's optimistic outlook on the Tigers' prospects the rest of the way.

On this week's episode of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, beat writer Jason Munz and columnist Mark Giannotto examine the implications of that setback against the Green ...

Memphis basketball has traversed the bulk of its non-conference schedule in favorable fashion.

The Tigers (8-3) have Texas A&M (6 p.m. Saturday) and Alabama State (8 p.m. Dec. 21) left before entering AAC play. They will likely be favored in every game the rest of the season − with the likely exceptions being the two games against top-5 Houston.

On this week's episode of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, beat writer Jason Munz an...

Extreme early-season narratives are nothing new.

Hot takes, knee-jerk reactions and Monday-morning quarterbacking are universally a part of sports. Seven games into this Memphis basketball season, there has been plenty of all three. One that has popped up frequently so far is the notion that this season's brand of Tiger basketball isn't as exciting as those many have become accustomed to under coach Penny Hardaway.

On this week's...

Memphis basketball is 2-1 and headed to Orlando for the ESPN Events Invitational.

The Tigers most recently dismantled VCU, rebounding from a tough loss at Saint Louis. Kendric Davis scored 26 points and dished out 7 assists. Meanwhile, the defense shut the Rams down.

On this week's episode of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, beat writer Jason Munz and columnist Mark Giannotto discuss which one of the two is the most important develo...

The reaction Memphis basketball team's loss at Saint Louis varied widely.

Some viewed it as a winnable game in which the Tigers doomed themselves by neither shooting nor defending well enough. Others came away from it encouraged by the fight and resolve Penny Hardaway's team exhibited in the closing minutes. And others still acknowledged both good and bad.

All of which is OK. On this week's episode of the Tiger Basketball Podcast...

Memphis basketball − devoid of "chaos," as DeAndre Williams put it − calmly dismantled Vanderbilt Monday, kicking off the 2022-23 season with a 76-67 win.

It was the exclamation point on a three-day stretch of success for Penny Hardaway on and off the court. On Saturday, he landed 5-star guard Mikey Williams and 4-star wing JJ Taylor. On Sunday, Hardaway earned a pledge from 3-star wing David Tubek.

On this week's episode of the ...

The regular season is finally upon us.

In less than a week, the Memphis basketball team will make the short trek to Nashville, where it will meet Vanderbilt (7 p.m., Monday, Memorial Gymnasium). Before we get there, though, there are still a few things to unpack from the Tigers' preseason showings. There are also some new details with regard to UIC transfer Damaria Franklin's pursuit of immediate eligibility.

On this week's episo...

It was only one game − and an exhibition at that.

But that doesn't mean there's not plenty to break down and analyze from Memphis basketball's 69-60 preseason win over Christian Brothers University last week. Who looked good and who didn't. What is worth worrying about and what's not.

On this week's episode of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, beat writer Jason Munz and columnist Mark Giannotto offer their respective perspectives on ...

It’s (exhibition) game week!

The newest iteration of the Memphis basketball team will make its on-court preseason debut when it locks up with Christian Brothers at 4 p.m. Sunday at FedExForum.

In this week’s episode of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, beat writer Jason Munz and columnist Mark Giannotto delve into the top storylines around Penny Hardaway’s program – specifically, what the Tigers’ starting lineup and rotation might lo...

From the looks of things, the Memphis basketball team might well be on its way back toward the top of the metrics leaderboard in terms of defense.

Two seasons ago, the Tigers were No. 1 in adjusted defensive efficiency. Last season, they dropped back to No. 33 in those same rankings. In last week's open practice, Penny Hardaway's team was split up for an intrasquad scrimmage in front of hundreds of fans and a couple dozen media me...