Is Hasan Abdul Hakim the missing ingredient for Memphis?

Penny Hardaway and his Memphis basketball Tigers are gearing up for an important stretch of games, starting with New Orleans on Dec. 3.  It continues with Baylor, then Louisville, Vanderbilt and Mississippi State. And how the team fares might have major March Madness at-large candidacy implication…

Memphis basketball, at 1-4, is not a pretty sight. But sit tight

There's only one way to absorb a 1-4 start that includes a four-game losing streak. Recovering from such a thing won't be easy. It may even be impossible. But the Memphis basketball team can dig itself out of the hole it's in.  So says Tiger basketball beat writer Jason Munz. On this week's episo…

Is it already time to reset your expectations for the Tigers? Joe Lunardi says yes

Memphis basketball has made a name for itself in recent years as a significant threat in non-conference play.  From 2021 to 2024, Penny Hardaway's Tigers are 31-8 outside American Conference play in the regular season. That stretch includes wins over UConn, Clemson, Ole Miss, Michigan State, Arkan…

Encouraged or resigned? How Memphis has created two distinct camps

Two games into the regular season, Memphis basketball fans seem to be either heartened by the Tigers' play or resigned to a ho-hum existence that may or may not result in a March Madness appearance.  There isn't much in-between.  Penny Hardaway has his team off to a 1-1 start with a home win over…

What do we know about the Tigers with regular season starting? Nothing

The Memphis basketball team lost to Arkansas and Auburn by more than 20 points apiece in a pair of lopsided exhibition games. Are those results harbingers of dark days ahead for the Tigers, who open the regular season against San Francisco (2 p.m., Nov. 8, ESPN+)? Or, are they merely a mirage?  T…

New-look Tigers display 'proof of concept' in Arkansas loss

Any discussion about preseason exhibition college basketball should feature a healthy dose of nuance.  The Memphis basketball team's 99-75 loss to Arkansas is no exception.  The result is the result, but it's far from the most important thing. If nothing else, it did nothing to put a damper on th…

Setting up John Calipari and Arkansas vs. Penny Hardaway and Memphis

For the first time in more than 20 years, Memphis basketball will host the Arkansas Razorbacks.  Sure, it's an exhibition game (part of the second annual Hoops For St. Jude Tip Off Classic). It won't count toward either program's record. It won't help either team in the standings. It won't do anyt…

Who are these guys? Breaking down the entire 2025-26 Memphis basketball roster

We, here at The Commercial Appeal, recognize it can be difficult to keep up with the vast amount of roster turnover Memphis basketball undergoes each season.  But especially this season. All 15 players on Penny Hardaway's 2025-26 roster were members of someone else's roster last season. Top to bot…

Memphis has momentum. As football season kicks off, can Tigers keep it going?

Anticipation is building at the University of Memphis. Football season kicks off on Aug. 30. The nationally-ranked women's soccer team is undefeated with a home game against top-5 Tennessee coming up. Penny Hardaway has finalized his roster and his non-conference schedule.  And what will universi…

Big 12 passes on Memphis again. Where do Tigers go from here?

The Big 12 apparently wants no part of Memphis. The Tigers reportedly put together a pitch to join the power conference that was unprecedented. Yet the Big 12 was so unmoved by it that it did not even rise to the level where the league's presidents put it to a vote.  What does that say about the …