Buckley: The table was set. The fans showed up. The Tigers did not.
University of Memphis fans get hyped up before a Saturday, Dec. 21 game against Mississippi State. An announced crowd of more than 14,000 showed up inside FedExForum to support the Tigers against the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs prevailed 79-66. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)
Tim Buckley
Tim is a veteran sportswriter who graduated from CBHS in Memphis and the University of Missouri. He previously covered LSU sports in Baton Rouge, and the University of Louisiana football and basketball for The Daily Advertiser/USA TODAY Network in Lafayette, the NBA’s Utah Jazz for the Deseret News in Salt Lake City, the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning for the St. Petersburg Times in Florida, and West Texas State basketball for the Amarillo Globe News in Texas.
The table was set.
Memphis was coming off big wins against two ACC schools, No. 16 Clemson and Virginia. Upset by Arkansas State two weekends earlier, the Tigers were back in the Associated Press Top 25 themselves and ranked No. 21.
Penny Hardaway got plenty of the support he’s been wanting at FedExForum where a crowd announced at 14,565 braved the cold on a Saturday morning to watch the SEC team from three hours or so to the south. CBS was in the house, and all the Tigers had to do to pad their NCAA resume and put the college-basketball world on notice was play to the moment.
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