FORT WORTH, Texas — Penny Hardaway immediately felt vindication when he saw Memphis’ name come across the ticker.
His entire team did too, yelling in joy as the Tigers received a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament moments after dispatching UAB in Sunday’s American Athletic Conference (AAC) final. This is Memphis’ third March Madness berth in Hardaway’s tenure, and the program’s best seed line since 2009—when it was a No. 2 seed in John Calipari’s final season at the helm.
The Tigers (29-5, 16-2 AAC) did more than enough to earn their favorable position in the bracket, finishing 10-3 against the nation’s third-strongest non-conference schedule, according to the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET). That made up the bulk of their 11 combined wins in Quads 1 and 2, including six Quad 1 victories (vs. Missouri, at San Francisco, vs. UConn, vs. Michigan State, at Clemson and vs. Ole Miss).
Many, including Hardaway, doubted Memphis would get its due. Most bracketologists pinned the Tigers as No. 7 or 8 seed for much of the past month, largely because of their two Quad 3 losses (vs. Arkansas State and at Temple) and a weak AAC schedule that drove them outside the top 50 in both KenPom and Bart Torvik. They also dropped to No. 50 in the NET prior to Sunday’s 84-72 victory over the Blazers inside Dickies Arena.
Hardaway even told reporters last Tuesday that he wouldn’t be shocked if the Tigers got bad news on Selection Sunday. He also said last month that—because of its conference—Memphis can’t get past a certain point in terms of seeding for the Big Dance. So, while obviously thrilled, he was caught a bit off guard by Adam Zucker’s announcement on CBS’ tournament selection show.
“We heard so much 8-9 [seed talk] for the last month, and that’s kinda what pushed us through—even though there was nothing we could do about it. But it does make [me] feel good to see the 5. That’s respecting us a lot. We put the work in, [and] we earned it,” Hardaway told reporters postgame. “Yes, [I was caught off guard] because of the talk that happened. But at the end of the day, if they’re gonna go by resumes, we have one of the best resumes in the country…And when you win games—whether it’s non-conference or the AAC—it’s tough. And I’m just thankful for [the selection committee] respecting that.”
Dain Dainja—the AAC Newcomer of the Year—often sported a confused look on his face as he watched various schools pop up on the bracket. The 6-foot-9 center visibly scoffed as teams Memphis had beaten like Ole Miss and Missouri got No. 6 seeds. Michigan State, which also lost to the Tigers in November’s Maui Invitational, received a 2-seed. His former schools—Baylor and Illinois—appeared on the bracket before the Tigers too, sharpening his scowl a little bit more.
Dainja worried for a moment that his worst fears would come true—that Memphis really would be relegated to a lower seed than its resume suggested it deserved. But his frown immediately turned upside down when the Tigers’ true fate was revealed.
His smile, in fact, was the biggest of anyone’s in the room.
“Oh man, it was a good feeling. Just with all the talk about the seeds these past couple weeks, it was just a good feeling for us to know that we’re in a good spot for the tournament,” Dainja said. “We can’t take the seeding for granted at all. It’s gonna be a fight regardless, so we can’t look at [Colorado State] as just an easy game. Every game’s gonna be hard.”
Hardaway’s original vision when forming this team last offseason is now a reality. After last year’s disastrous 7-8 finish in Memphis’ final 15 games, the seventh-year coach knew he had to build the 2024-25 Tigers differently than his first six squads. His new recruiting philosophy was simple—character comes before talent.
Hardaway sought after players who saw wanted more than just a blank check. He targeted individuals who were eager to win, and perhaps had the same chip on their shoulders as he did. That’s why he wanted Dainja (14.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game), who spent his first four college seasons playing limited minutes for winning programs.
PJ Haggerty (21.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.8 steals) was another good candidate, since he had much to prove after putting up big numbers for a bad Tulsa team last season. The 6-foot-3 guard showed he can do more than produce empty stats, leading Memphis to both the AAC regular-season and Tournament championships. His efforts earned him AAC Player of the Year, AAC Tournament MVP and a second-team All-American selection from The Sporting News.
Tyrese Hunter (13.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.5 steals) fit exactly what Hardaway needed in an alpha dog. The 6-foot guard won six NCAA Tournament games in his first three college seasons, and brought that same high standard to Memphis this year.
His energy and commitment never wavered, even after he injured his left foot in Saturday’s semifinals against Tulane. Hunter—in crutches and a walking boot, mind you—sat on the bench in a coach-like manner, shouting words of encouragement as his teammates successfully brought home their second trophy in nine days. Don’t worry, he still managed to climb the ladder and retrieve his share of the net afterwards.
Gestures like that symbolize the Tigers’ positive, resilient attitude that Hardaway can’t help but gush over. After all, he knows Memphis wouldn’t have returned to March Madness—much less earned a No. 5 seed—without it.
“All these young men are purely good human beings. They really care. They have a care factor,” Hardaway said. “That’s what I really wanted for our city and our university. Not [to] just be transactional and come in for nine months, [or] to get an NIL check and not care about the city or the name on the front. We really targeted these young men. They responded to the bell every time.
“The leadership on [this team] is what really carried us through all season.”
Memphis, residing in the West Region, gets its Round of 64 matchup with No. 12 seed Colorado State in Seattle on Friday (1 p.m., TBS).