Victories this week against Michigan and No. 20 Arkansas could vault Memphis into the Associated Press basketball poll. If, that is, voters can overlook an ugly loss to Villanova.

In the second part of his end-of-term interview on “Behind The Headlines,” Mayor Jim Strickland also talked about the upcoming transition to Mayor-elect Paul Young and why he is fond of asphalt.

“We needed something like this,” said Memphis guard Jahvon Quinerly, who called the Tigers’ 16-point loss in the Battle 4 Atlantis final a wake-up call.

“Even though the last day of the trip to Nassau was a real bummer, this week was a net success for Penny Hardaway and his program.”

The Tigers were amped up, but less than 15 minutes into the game it was apparent coach Penny Hardaway’s team would not be heading back to the 901 with any sort of hardware.

Related stories:

Love it, Like it or Hate it: Reviewing Memphis’ blowout loss to Villanova

Box score: Villanova 79, Memphis 63

Memphis will get an eighth location of the popular fast-food chain. Plus, Margarita’s is coming to Lakeland Commons, and Marco’s Pizza is also planning an Arlington site.

Memphis allowed 3-9 Temple 465 yards and some really big plays, but the Tigers still have a chance for a 10-win season.

The Houston High Mustangs advanced to their first BlueCross Bowl Class 6A state title game after Friday’s win in Brentwood, Tennessee. But Southwind and Fairley fell in their respective semifinal games.