To say that the Memphis Tigers aren’t the most talked-about or renowned basketball program in the nation would be a huge understatement. Not even getting Penny Hardaway has changed that.
Of course, people pay attention to them, especially now that they’ve gotten off to a strong start. Even so, they’re more than likely to be either snubbed or overlooked come tournament time.
The American Athletic Conference has never been considered a top-tier conference by any means, especially when compared to the ACC, Big East, or others.
Penny Hardaway claims the NCAA doesn’t respect Memphis
With that in mind, coach Hardaway, who wants to make sure his team is a perennial tournament-caliber program, shared his thoughts on how the league sees them:
“They do not respect one team in our conference, which is unfortunate If you just win our conference, you’re going to be 8, 9 or lower. That’s not what we want. We want a 4-seed or higher to put us in position where we can have a couple games – that’s how most of these teams get to the Sweet 16 every year. So, these next four games are pivotal for us,” said the former NBA star.
The Tigers have won seven of their first nine games of the season. They’ve already beaten the likes of Michigan State and UConn, both ranked teams, so they can definitely hang with the best.
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They will now square off vs. two more ranked teams, No. 16 Clemson and No. 19 Ole Miss, with matches with Virginia and Mississippi State in-between. This stretch will be crucial to change the narrative once and for all.
