Buckley: Dug McDaniel seems to care. But do all the rest of the Tigers?
Memphis Tigers guard Dug McDaniel (1) confers with teammates during a time out in thegame against the Vanderbilt Commodores at FedExForum on Dec. 17, 2025. (Wes Hale/The Daily Memphian file)
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.
Leadership starts at the top.
In the case of the Memphis Tigers basketball roster, that doesn’t mean the tallest guys.
Rather, it’s the smallest — 5-foot-11 point guard Dug McDaniel.
He looks like a leader, on the court and off. Talks like a leader. And acted like one too after the Tigers’ latest loss, which came in overtime to No. 13 Vanderbilt last Wednesday night at FedExForum.
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