Calkins: How an 11-year-old girl helped inspire Hardaway’s greatest season
Memphis Tigers coach Penny Hardaway shows off the bracelet super-fan Maci Barrett made for him. (Courtesy Julie Barrett)
Geoff Calkins
Geoff Calkins has been chronicling Memphis and Memphis sports for more than two decades. He is host of "The Geoff Calkins Show" from 9-11 a.m. M-F on 92.9 FM. Calkins has been named the best sports columnist in the country five times by the Associated Press sports editors, but still figures his best columns are about the people who make Memphis what it is.
Penny Hardaway was named American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year Tuesday. Is that because an 11-year-old girl gave him an unexpected gift? OK, maybe not. But he did just ask her for two more.
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Hardaway’s Tigers have checked off one goal. They have two to go.
The win over the UTSA Roadrunners gives the Memphis Tigers at least a share of the AAC’s regular-season crown, which they can clinch outright with a victory in Friday’s regular-season finale versus South Florida. Memphis avoids upset against UTSA, clinches share of AAC regular-season title Box score: Memphis 75, UTSA 70 Tigers Basketball Insider: How will Memphis fare in All-AAC honors?Related content:
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