Tigers podcast: Basketball drama and football hopes
On this episode of The Daily Memphian’s Memphis Tigers podcast, Parth Upadhyaya, Frank Bonner and John Martin look back at Memphis basketball’s Tyreek Smith saga and look ahead to the team’s preseason charity exhibition game against Alabama, as well as discuss the possibility of Memphis football reaching the AAC title game.
Smith’s reported holdout over name, image and likeness (NIL) matters didn’t last more than 48 hours, largely as a result of what appears to be coach Penny Hardaway’s new-found ability to put out those sorts of fires quickly and effectively.
Now, though, Hardaway must get the Tigers ready for their second final preseason charity exhibition game — one against No. 2 Alabama on Oct. 28 (7 p.m., ESPN+) at the Von Braun Center’s Propst Arena in Huntsville, Alabama, as part of the 2024 Rocket City Classic.
Memphis’ football team, on the other hand, is in a pivotal point of its season.
The Tigers are 6-1 overall and 2-1 in the AAC, with their only loss coming against an undefeated Navy team — a group at the top of the league standings, along with undefeated Army. Coach Ryan Silverfield’s team’s chances to qualify for its first conference championship game since it won one in 2019, are slim but not entirely lost. The Tigers should be favored in every game leading up to their season finale against Tulane on Thanksgiving Day, including their matchup versus Charlotte on Saturday (11 a.m., ESPNU) at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.
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Topics
Memphis Tigers podcast Memphis Tigers Basketball Memphis Tigers Football Tyreek Smith Alabama Crimson Tide Charlotte 49ersFrank Bonner II
Frank Bonner is the Memphis Tigers football beat writer. He is originally from Indiana but arrived in Memphis after spending two years in Tulsa, covering Oklahoma State football and basketball. He covered high school sports in Columbus, Indiana for two years before getting his Master’s degree in Sports Journalism at IUPUI. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in journalism from Indiana University.
Parth Upadhyaya
Parth Upadhyaya covers the Memphis Tigers men’s basketball team. A Raleigh, N.C., native and a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill’s Hussman School of Media and Journalism, Upadhyaya is a longtime college hoops junkie. Prior to joining The Daily Memphian in 2022, he covered high school sports in western Pennsylvania for the Beaver County Times and Penn State football for the Centre Daily Times.
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