Martin: What made this Tigers season possible? It starts with Hardaway
University of Memphis forward Deandre Williams reacts to being handed the AAC Championship trophy after defeating Houston on March 12, 2023. It was the first time to win the championship since joining the conference in 2013, and the Tigers had to beat the No. 1 team to do it. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)

John Martin
John Martin is a contributing college sports columnist for The Daily Memphian. Martin is a lifelong Memphian who’s covered the Memphis Tigers’ basketball program for more than a decade. Before joining The Daily Memphian team, he was the Memphis beat writer for The Athletic. Currently, he is the co-host of the Jason and John Show on 92.9 FM ESPN, weekdays at 11 a.m. Martin is a graduate of White Station High School and the University of Memphis.
As the Tigers enter the NCAA Tournament for a second straight season, the team reached 25 wins for the first time since 2012-13; improved their seeding from a season ago; beat the AP No. 1 team for the first time in school history; and won the American Athletic Conference tournament.
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Memphis Tigers Tigers Basketball AAC Tournament Championship Penny Hardaway Kendric Davis Emani Bates Subscriber OnlyAre you enjoying your subscription?
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