Spirit of Memphis
Martin: From walk-on to starting NFL wide receiver, Calvin Austin III is a perfect Memphis story
“There’s one quintessential Memphis sports story that should make your heart smile, and it’s unfolding in Pittsburgh as we speak.”
John Martin
Columnist
There are 305 articles by John Martin :
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August 2025
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Spirit of Memphis
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July 2025
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Memphis Tigers BasketballTigers Talk: Sincere Parker’s future with Memphis, strength of nonconference slate
Tigers basketball beat writer Parth Upadhyaya and college sports columnist John Martin weigh in on Sincere Parker’s ongoing legal case, the difficulty of Memphis’ nonconference schedule and more.
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Memphis Tigers FootballMartin: Can Memphis football beat the odds?
“Just because we don’t have an official preseason poll doesn’t mean we can’t set a baseline of expectations for Memphis football this season. That’s where Las Vegas comes in.”
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Memphis Tigers BasketballMartin: It’s time to call the Big East
If there’s anything the news of the last few days has shown us, it’s that the Memphis administration indeed understands just how desperate and possibly dire its situation is as members of the American.
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Memphis Tigers BasketballMartin: There’s only one name that matters for Hardaway’s next hire: Benjamin Franklin.
Coach Penny Hardaway clearly appreciated Nolan Smith being a part of the enterprise. Now he’ll have to find a replacement.
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Memphis Tigers BasketballMartin: Good news, Tiger basketball fans — just watch the Las Vegas Summer League
Penny Hardaway took a major step last year in his coaching career when he won the AAC regular-season title for the first time. But the one area that he’s always been elite in has been player development. And his fingerprints are all over this year’s NBA summer leagues.
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June 2025
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SportsMemphis native Kam Jones selected 38th by Pacers
Kam Jones becomes the first Memphis native to be drafted since Kennedy Chandler was selected by the Memphis Grizzlies in 2022.
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SportsMartin: OKC does it again, and other favorite picks
With the first round of the NBA Draft in the books, here are some of my favorite picks from Wednesday.
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Memphis Tigers BasketballMartin: Memphis has money for basketball, but there’s work to do
“Most of Memphis’ athletic revenue will go to men’s basketball. Will it be enough for the Tigers to compete at the national level?”
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Memphis Tigers BasketballTigers Talk: Realistic expectations for Memphis basketball in 2025-26
Parth Upadhyaya and John Martin weigh in on expectations for Memphis heading into the 2025-26 season.
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SportsMartin: Change is coming to Memphis athletics. Just how much?
What will the ramifications of a settlement in the case of House v. NCAA mean for the Memphis Tigers going forward?
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May 2025
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Memphis Tigers BasketballMartin: PJ Haggerty will regret leaving Penny Hardaway and Memphis
“When you boil it all down: Haggerty is leaving the team that he led to the NCAA Tournament as an All-American, to go to a team that didn’t make the tournament last year, and ultimately for less money than he would’ve made if he had just committed to Penny Hardaway for another season.”
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Memphis Tigers Basketball Memphis native Curtis Givens III commits to Memphis
“Basically, he’s been gone for three years,” his father said. “He wants to come back and represent the city and get it back rocking with having Memphis kids back on the team.”
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SportsNike EYBL is in town. Here are some top players to watch.
Just less than a quarter mile from Tiger Lane, some of the best high school basketball players in the country will all be under one roof as part of the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League.
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Memphis Tigers BasketballMartin: Memphis native Curtis Givens III is visiting the University of Memphis. Is a commitment next?
Givens, a former four-star point guard, is also fielding interest from Ole Miss, BYU, Villanova, Maryland, USC, Vanderbilt and others.
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Memphis Tigers BasketballMartin: Memphis-Louisville is back on. That’s a win for college basketball.
“Most of all, the six-year commitment from Louisville shows that Memphis basketball is still a brand worth playing. It’s a program worth getting on the schedule.”
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April 2025
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Memphis Tigers BasketballMartin: Memphis, P.J. Haggerty still talking. What are the Tigers’ chances?
While PJ Haggerty remains in the NCAA transfer portal and continues to consider pro options, communications with the Memphis Tigers and Ole Miss Rebels are still ongoing.
Related content:
Analyzing potential PJ Haggerty landing spots, including Memphis
Tigers Basketball Insider: How good is Memphis’ transfer portal class so far?
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Memphis Tigers BasketballTigers Talk: Memphis’ roster, chance of a PJ Haggerty return, hidden gems
Parth Upadhyaya and John Martin weigh in on the Tigers’ basketball roster rebuild, the possibility of a PJ Haggerty return and more.
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Memphis Tigers FootballMartin: We’d better see the 2025 AAC champs on the field Saturday
Instead of a rebuild, what you’ll actually see at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium on Saturday is the best American Athletic Conference roster money can buy. And given the resources that Memphis football has, it’s time for Ryan Silverfield to do something with them.
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Memphis Tigers BasketballMartin: Haggerty’s potential exit? An existential threat for the Tigers
PJ Haggerty’s entry into the NCAA transfer portal isn’t just about this new era of college athletics, which like most things in our society has gone through seismic changes. It’s about what Haggerty’s potential decision to leave suggests about Memphis basketball’s place in it.
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Memphis Tigers BasketballMartin: The college basketball game is changing. Can Memphis keep up?
It’s not Penny Hardaway’s fault that the Tigers' offseason roster-building isn’t going well. The reason is simple: Everybody has money.
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Tigers Podcast Tigers Podcast: Reviewing a successful Memphis season, analyzing the road ahead for Penny Hardaway
Parth Upadhyaya and John Martin grade the Tigers’ 2024-25 season.
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March 2025
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Memphis Tigers BasketballMartin: In this Final Four, there’s a message for Memphis
Memphis won’t get the chance to get closure in San Antonio for the 2008 title game. That doesn’t mean that there still isn’t something for Penny Hardaway and Memphis to take from the last four teams remaining.
Related content:
Memphis forward Damarien Yates enters transfer portal, per report
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Memphis Tigers BasketballMartin: Here are three reasons Tigers will have better days ahead under Penny
Hardaway’s job this offseason won’t be easy, given the team’s challenges with its conference affiliation. Still, there are reasons to be optimistic about the offseason and beyond for Tiger basketball.
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Tigers Podcast Tigers Podcast: Can Memphis overcome the injury bug to make an NCAA Tournament run?
With Memphis back in the Big Dance, Memphis basketball beat writer Parth Upadhyaya and college sports columnist look at potential paths to a March Madness run for a hobbled but hungry Tigers team.
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