The Memphis Tigers were put to the test on December 21. Mississippi State got the best of them with a shocking 79-66 loss. Then, they bounced back in a big way to take down No. 16 Ole Miss by double digits.
Coach Penny Hardaway stated that his team had been ‘soft’ and urged them to show a little pride and more fight. That was more than enough to ignite his players’ fire.
That’s why, following the big triumph against a ranked opponent, Hardaway agreed with the narrative about his team caring more about the game than their opponents.
Penny Hardaway admits Memphis got embarrassed
“It was absolutely true. It was true because we had a chip on our shoulders for how we played last week,” Hardaway said. “Mississippi State is a damn good team, and to go out there and not fight, they embarrassed us.”
Memphis coach Penny Hardaway encourages his team during the first half against Wichita State on Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024, at Koch Arena in Wichita, Kansas
“So we had to go through Christmas and enjoy Christmas with family, but we knew we had to get back to business. We knew that we couldn’t let Ole Miss come in here and do the same thing that Mississippi State had done,” he added.
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Memphis showed a strong defensive attitude in the win over Ole Miss, holding the Rebels to just 36.4% from the floor. Now, they’ll look to replicate that success in their first conference game, which will take place on January 2. vs. Florida Atlantic.
