Memphis basketball reenters AP Top 25 after win at Clemson

Memphis basketball is ranked once again just eight days after being upset by Arkansas State.

The Tigers (8-2) are No. 21 in this week’s Associated Press (AP) Top 25 thanks to their bounce-back win at No. 25 Clemson last Saturday. This is Memphis’ second AP poll appearance in three weeks. It received 287 points from AP voters in Monday’s update.

Penny Hardaway’s club also checks in at No. 21 in the CBS Sports Top 25 and 1, No. 23 in CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein’s top 45 and No. 13 in NCAA correspondent Andy Katz’s Power 37.

“I knew that wasn’t my team that played against Arkansas State,” Hardaway said last Saturday. “We went out and recruited character, man—high character guys that want to win. Not guys that are just trying to get NIL money…We got a group that really has huge chips on their shoulders. They really want to get to the NCAA Tournament.”

Memphis—despite owning five Quad 1 wins, which ties No. 2 Auburn for the most in college basketball—is still a bit lower in various computers. The Tigers are No. 30 in the NCAA’s NET rankings, No. 34 in KenPom and No. 40 in Bart Torvik.

Memphis next plays at Virginia on Wednesday (6 p.m., ESPN2) before returning home against Mississippi State on Saturday and No. 17 Ole Miss on Dec. 28 to finish its non-conference schedule. Two of those three games are Quad 1 opportunities.