Welcome to this week’s Tigers Basketball Insider. Below you’ll find the latest news and analysis from The Daily Memphian’s Parth Upadhyaya, John Martin, Tim Buckley and Geoff Calkins.

Memphis pulled out a win Sunday against Temple despite having just eight of its regular-rotation players available.

When guard Alex Lomax went down with a groin injury on Jan. 11 versus UCF, he added to what’s lately seemed to be an ever-growing list of injured Tigers players. Forward Malcolm Dandridge had already been out since Dec. 13 after suffering a Grade 2 ankle sprain against Alabama, and guard Jayden Hardaway hadn’t played since logging a start Jan. 1 against Tulane due to a hip injury.

Still, the Tigers came out on top this past weekend in Philadelphia with a 61-59 victory over the Owls.

While they could breathe a sigh of relief for one day, coach Penny Hardaway said after the game that none of his sidelined trio — Lomax, Dandridge or Jayden Hardaway — would play in the team’s next game against Wichita State at home on Thursday either. The fifth-year coach didn’t specify return dates for any of the three, but he added that Dandridge was “on the verge” of coming back and Jayden Hardaway would “maybe” suit up Jan. 22 versus Cincinnati, while Lomax would be out “a couple weeks or more.”

So, Memphis will have to try to gut out at least one or two more wins while missing its third-leading scorer in Lomax, another starter in Jayden Hardaway and one its lone big men in Dandridge. But there is a silver lining to the Tigers’ current predicament. 

Out of the team’s next four games — Wichita State, Cincinnati, SMU (Jan. 26) and Tulsa (Jan. 29) — three are against teams ranked No. 121 or worse in KenPom and in the bottom half of the AAC standings. Cincinnati (No. 71 in KenPom and tied for third in the AAC) is the lone opponent in that stretch that has an above-.500 conference record thus far.

These contests will allow key players to develop and perhaps make the Tigers a deeper, more well-rounded squad once they get back to full strength.

While Lomax has been Memphis’ lone ball-handler aside from guard Kendric Davis, the team found success at times against Temple when guard Keonté Kennedy initiated the offense and allowed Davis to score off the ball. And, while forward Kao Akobundu-Ehiogu didn’t grab a single rebound versus the Owls, his increased playing time in Dandridge’s absence will only help him further develop that skill.

Defense has also been a concern for the undermanned Tigers. A group that already allows opponents to score 71.7 points per game (No. 242 in scoring defense) and shoot 31.8% from 3 (No. 112 in 3-point defense) now loses Lomax — its best all-around defender — for an extended period of time.

But Memphis stepped up in that department against Temple, holding the Owls to a 4-29 (13.8%) mark from deep.

Even though the Tigers’ performance Sunday wasn’t pretty they figured out a way to return home with a much-needed victory. If they can manage to eke out the next four — though that game on the road versus Cincinnati will especially be a challenge — they could be better for it.

Besides, with the first five games of February including rematches against Tulane and UCF and a clash with No. 1 Houston, they’ll need to be.

More from your Insider: 

Love it, Like it or Hate it: Reviewing Memphis’ win over Temple

There are limited opportunities left for quality wins on Memphis’ schedule. And if it plays anywhere close to the level at which it played versus Temple, it’ll be difficult to take care of business against even mediocre AAC foes.

Kendric Davis saves day, allows Memphis to escape with win over Temple

Kendric Davis led Memphis to victory Sunday on a buzzer-beater. The Tigers have picked up a much-needed conference road victory against the Temple Owls.

Martin: Tigers lean on Davis to keep season alive, like Hardaway planned

Just days after allowing a game-tying 3-pointer at the end of regulation against UCF, the Memphis Tigers found themselves in the same exact predicament against Temple. Luckily, they have Kendric Davis to rely on.

Box score: Memphis 61, Temple 59

The NCAA men’s basketball box from the Sunday, Jan. 15 game between the Memphis Tigers and Temple Owls from Philadelphia.

Memphis’ collapse to UCF offers Tigers a reality check

With only four chances remaining for the Tigers to grab Quad 1 or 2 wins, they’ve learned quickly that nothing they set out to do will come easily.

Calkins: The Tigers give away another. But why?

Kendric Davis scored 42 points against Central Florida Wednesday, which was great. But if the Memphis Tigers had done what they should have done before the game lurched into two overtimes, they’d have something much sweeter: A win.

Box score: UCF 107, Memphis 104 (2 OT)

NCAA men’s basketball box score for the Wednesday, Jan. 11 game between the Memphis Tigers and the University of Central Florida Knights.

Memphis falls short to UCF in double overtime

Coach Penny Hardaway’s squad held an 11-point lead against UCF on the road Wednesday and was minutes away from picking up what would’ve been just its second statement victory of the season. Then, the Tigers collapsed. 

Memphis legend Lorenzen Wright’s jersey retirement set

Wright’s No. 55 jersey will hang in the FedExForum rafters next to the jerseys of nine other Tigers greats.

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