Penny Hardaway got what he wanted Monday afternoon.
“You want to be a part of the rare air in the NCAA. You want to be a part of that group that they mention with the Dukes and the Kansases. You want Memphis’ name to be there,” he said last Tuesday. “We want that attention because we work so hard, we want it. We want to be a part of that.”
Memphis (6-1) is officially back in the Associated Press (AP) Top 25 for the first time since January.
The Tigers—ranked No. 16 with 500 votes—went 2-1 in last week’s Maui Invitational with victories over No. 25 UConn (No. 2 last week) and Michigan State. Those wins advanced them to the tournament final, where they fell to No. 1 Auburn last Wednesday.
Memphis’ newfound buzz extends beyond the AP poll, though. CBS Sports personality and Grind City Media host Gary Parrish slots the Tigers at No. 14 in his Top 25 and 1, as does fellow CBS Sports reporter Jon Rothstein in his top 45. Field of 68 host Jeff Goodman and Fox Sports commentator John Fanta have Memphis at No. 15 in their respective rankings.
In simpler terms, Hardaway’s club is indeed “part of that” now.
“I’m actually not taking any of this for granted because I know how hard it is to win,” Hardaway said last Monday. “I’m so excited for our university and the city more so than anything because we need more positivity…The entire city is happy right now, and that makes me happy.”
The NCAA released its first NET rankings of the season Monday. Memphis is No. 31 with two Quad 1 wins and Quad 2 wins respectively. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi currently projects the Tigers as a No. 6 seed in this year’s NCAA Tournament based off their early-season resume. Hardaway and Co. also land at No. 31 on KenPom and No. 34 on Bart Torvik.
Guards Tyrese Hunter and PJ Haggerty made the Maui Invitational All-Tournament team last week. Hunter averaged 20 points on 58.3% 3-point shooting, while Haggerty notched 21.6 points, 7 rebounds and 3.3 assists per contest.
Memphis hosts Louisiana Tech inside FedExForum Wednesday (7 p.m., ESPN+).