Tiger Basketball Podcast

Memphis basketball took a "bad loss" on Sunday, falling to Arkansas State at FedExForum.  This is after the Tigers beat UConn, Michigan State, Missouri and San Francisco (among others). Does that mean the Tigers are "doomed" to repeat the same movie that played out last season?  Jason Munz and Jonah Dylan answer that question, preview upcoming games against Clemson and Virginia, and discuss what Clemson coach Brad Brownell said about Saturday's game against Memphis. 

Memphis is riding high after another fast start.  The Tigers are 6-1 and ranked No. 15 in this week's USA TODAY Coaches Poll - their only loss to No. 2 Auburn.  Who can forget how things played out last season, when Memphis fell apart down the stretch after becoming a top-10 team in January? On this week's episode, Jason Munz and Jonah Dylan explain why this season will not at all suffer the same fate as the Tigers did last season. 

Penny Hardaway and his Memphis basketball team are facing what could be the toughest four-game stretch in recent memory this week and next week. The Tigers get San Francisco first at the Chase Center, then open the Maui Invitational versus No. 2 UConn next week.  On this week's episode, Jason Munz and Jonah Dylan discuss what would constitute a successful trip. 

The Memphis basketball team is 2-0 thanks to rallies from double-digits deficits in each game, both keyed by heavy lifting from PJ Haggerty.  On this week's episode, Jason Munz and Jonah Dylan break down the win over UNLV and Haggerty's latest standout performance. They also analyze Penny Hardaway's plans for Dain Dainja and Moussa Cisse, before delving into the Tigers' upcoming game against Ohio University. 

On this week's episode, Jason Munz and Jonah Dylan break down Memphis' come-from-behind win over Missouri in the season opener, offer up the last word on the Tyreek Smith saga, and look ahead to Saturday's UNLV game. 

Penny Hardaway's Memphis basketball team opens the regular season against Missouri on Nov. 4. Before that, Jonah Dylan and Jason Munz put a bow on the Tigers' preseason exhibition games, examining the top takeaways and concerns, and breaking down the potential strengths and weaknesses. 

Memphis basketball player Tyreek Smith took a little break from the Tigers and Penny Hardaway's team is gearing up to face Alabama on Oct. 28.  On this week's episode of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, basketball beat writer Jason Munz and football beat writer Jonah Dylan answer the when's, why's and what happened's surrounding the Smith saga that began unfolding privately last week and reached its resolution Tuesday morning.  Munz and Dylan also look ahead to the Tigers' exhibition game against Alabama and discuss what we should expect from Memphis in its final preseason outing. 

It was a busy week in Memphis basketball-land.  With the release of the preseason AAC coaches' poll, AAC Media Day and the Hoops For St. Jude Tip Off Classic for both the men's and women's teams, there is a lot to unpack.  The Tigers lost to North Carolina 84-76 on Oct. 15, while the women's team lost to defending national champion South Carolina 106-63 in the nightcap.  On this week's episode of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, host Jonah Dylan and beat writer Jason Munz react to Penny Hardaway's squad being picked second in the preseason poll and UAB star Yaxel Lendeborg's comments about Memphis, discuss the biggest takeaways from media day and dissect the exhibition games.  Also, you'll hear excerpts from Munz's exclusive interview with Hardaway from media day. 

After a dizzying offseason, Memphis basketball is finally ready to reveal itself.  The Tigers will face North Carolina in an exhibition game (as part of the Hoops for St. Jude Tip Off Classic) at 6 p.m. on Oct. 15 at FedExForum. Memphis women's basketball will host defending national champion South Carolina immediately afterward. Tiger football beat writer Jonah Dylan and Tiger basketball beat writer Jason Munz recap the past six months, dissect the team's new-look roster and preview the hoops doubleheader. 

The Memphis basketball offseason began much sooner than expected after the Tigers lost to FAU in the first round of the NCAA tournament last week. Reconciling that disappointment with all the positive strides the program made over the course of the 2022-23 season might take some time. Beat writer Jason Munz and columnist Mark Giannotto, on this week's episode of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, try to put everything into context and weigh in on how this season will ultimately be remembered. In addition, Munz and Giannotto dissect the loss to FAU (controversy and all), give their takes on what it will mean for the program moving forward and preview the road ahead for the Tigers.

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 Munz and columnist Mark Giannotto look back on the highlights of the AAC tournament, Memphis' formula for success in the NCAA tournament and why this season's Tigers are positioned to go on a run.

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 this week's episode of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, beat writer Jason Munz and columnist Mark Giannotto look back on Memphis' regular-season finale vs. No. 1 Houston, examine the team's NCAA Tournament prospects and predict whether Kendric Davis will win AAC Player of the Year.

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 one. They also give their respective interpretations of Memphis' wins over Wichita State and Cincinnati last week and weigh in on whether some of the players' lack of NCAA Tournament experience will hurt or could benefit the team.

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 a team is left with as much confidence (or more) after a loss as the Tigers have, but here we are. On this week's episode of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, beat writer Jason Munz and columnist Mark Giannotto work through processing Memphis' psyche in the wake of the loss at Houston. They also discuss the latest on Davis, Lomax and Dandridge, shine a light on Elijah McCadden and offer their takes on what the Tigers need to do to feel secure on Selection Sunday.

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 still get into the NCAA Tournament without taking down the No. 2 team in the country? On this week's episode of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, beat writer Jason Munz and columnist Mark Giannotto weigh in on that. They also discuss Memphis' quietly prolific offense and where it ranks in program history.

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 Alabama or Tennessee in the NCAA Tournament, which team would the Tigers rather go up against?

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 of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, beat writer Jason Munz and columnist Mark Giannotto forecast those things, break down last week's wins over Wichita State and Cincinnati, examine DeAndre Williams' level-up, and discuss Memphis' upcoming games versus SMU and Tulsa.

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. On this week's episode of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, beat writer Jason Munz and columnist Mark Giannotto dissect some of the key moments from the win over the Owls and discuss the potential residual effects it might have. They also update Memphis' injury situation, examine Malcolm Dandridge's value and look ahead to Thursday's home game against Wichita State.

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 themselves from the bubble, losing by 3 points at Alabama and falling in double overtime at UCF earlier this week. On this week's episode of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, beat writer Jason Munz and columnist Mark Giannotto break down the fallout of Memphis' most recent loss, offer some insight into what the future might hold for the injured Alex Lomax, give their thoughts on the Johnathan Lawson and Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu debate and preview Sunday's Temple game.

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 Wave, discuss the primary factors behind some of the shakiness of the past few weeks and how much Memphis has missed senior big man Malcolm Dandridge since he went down against Alabama on Dec. 13.