Drip, drip, drip.

What a rough few days it’s been lately on the Memphis sports scene.

And with each tumultuous turn over the past week, The Daily Memphian sports staff has delivered a steady dose of the harsh reality.

What a flood of bad news it’s been.

Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant is injured and out. Again. This time with a strained calf.

“The injury comes at a tough time for the Grizzlies, who have started the season 4-10,” Chris Herrington wrote Monday.

One day earlier, the Memphis Tigers basketball team fell hard to former coach Josh Pastner and UNLV, marking the second straight loss for Penny Hardaway’s team along with one at Ole Miss last Tuesday. Hardaway’s Tigers “exhibited little in the way of interest while getting embarrassed by a struggling Runnin’ Rebels outfit that was missing multiple starters to injury,” Tim Buckley wrote after the loss to UNLV.

And the Tigers football team fell last Saturday at East Carolina, also giving it its second consecutive loss and putting a massive dent in Memphis’ College Football Playoff hopes.

“The loss was a crushing one for the Tigers, who were already a longshot to make the American Conference Championship game,” Frank Bonner II wrote afterward.

Following the football and basketball losses, Buckley wrote in a column, “Tiger sports fans aren’t happy, understandably so. Accordingly, some are calling for change — as fans far and wide tend to do when they’re down.”

What a mess, right?

For as much as many Tigers and Grizzlies fans may feel the sky is falling, though, Geoff Calkins offers reason to feel good.

“Saturday, while the Memphis football team was losing to East Carolina,” Calkins wrote, “the women’s soccer team was beating Illinois, 2-1, in the NCAA Tournament.”

So hope abounds as Memphis tries to advance with a win Thursday at TCU.

Meanwhile, the Tigers basketball team will be down in the Bahamas facing a huge task in its opening four-team tournament game: figuring out how to upset their toughest opponent of the season, No. 1 Purdue.

The Tigers football team is taking some time off before its regular-season finale against Navy on Thanksgiving night at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.

And the Grizzlies, who dropped their fourth in a row while losing Morant at Cleveland, are back at it tonight at San Antonio before returning home to face Sacramento on Thursday at FedExForum.

Meanwhile, over in the preps world, John Varlas reported on football playoff wins last week by Southwind and Collierville that set up this Friday night’s quarterfinal-round showdown between the two local Class 6A programs. Whitehaven is also still in the 6A hunt, and multiple lower-level Memphis-area programs, including Melrose and Lausanne, remain alive as postseason play progresses.

Just like in college sports, it’s crossover season for the high schools, too — and Varlas delivered on that front with a nice piece on new CBHS basketball coach Brad Luckett, the son of longtime former coach Bubba Luckett. CBHS opens its season tonight at White Station.

Varlas also dipped down this week for a rare story on middle school sports, profiling Elmore Park and its Bartlett-based boys hoops team that recently won its 100th straight game under coach Jevonte Holmes.

Let’s close with a shoutout and many congrats to our own Drew Hill, who posted this on X: “Baby girl Hill decided she wanted to come a month early today. She and mom are healthy and doing great. I may be less active when it comes to Grizzlies stuff on here for a little while. God is so good.”

Here’s a look at some of the staff’s top work from the week: — Deputy sports editor Tim Buckley

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Memphis and Josh Pastner reunion turns sour as UNLV upsets Tigers By Parth Upadhyaya

Hardaway still unable to find the 'fight' as his Tigers head into critical stretch By Parth Upadhyaya

Buckley: Josh Pastner and UNLV had their way with Memphis. And the Tigers didn't seem to care. By Tim Buckley

ECU hands Memphis a second straight loss By Frank Bonner II

Buckley: Would Memphis football and basketball be better off with new coaches? Let's explore. By Tim Buckley

Calkins: The worst week ever in Memphis sports? Of course not. But it sure feels that way. By Geoff Calkins

A look at Baha Mar Hoops Championship field as Memphis heads to Bahamas By Parth Upadhyaya

Grizzlies get Edey back, lose Morant in loss to Cavs By Chris Herrington

Herrington: Zach Edey transformed the Grizzlies defense, but without a healthy point guard will it matter?  By Chris Herrington

Friday football report: Southwind advances in Class 6A; Collierville awaits By John Varlas

100 straight wins — and counting — for Elmore Park hoops By John Varlas

'A good kind of different' as Brad Luckett takes over at CBHS By John Varlas

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