Hardaway explains why this season’s Tigers are ‘different’ in candid interview
Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway watches from the sideline during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Michigan State at the Maui Invitational on Tuesday, Nov. 26, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Lindsey Wasson/AP file)
Less than 24 hours after Memphis picked up a close road win against Virginia, Penny Hardaway appeared on 92.9 FM (WMFS-FM) ESPN’s “Jason & John” show Thursday afternoon, Dec. 19.
Hardaway, the coach of the No. 21 Tigers (9-2), spoke about what his team has already accomplished — fresh off of its 64-62 victory over the Cavaliers in Charlottesville, Virginia — and what he believes this season still has in store.
The win improved Hardaway’s record to 6-0 against Atlantic Coast Conference teams in his six-plus seasons as coach.
“Man, it’s been a blessing, honestly,” Hardaway told hosts Jason Smith and John Martin. “You know how hard that is. ... It’s been a blessing for us to even get those games. Because there are a lot of people that turn us down — that’s what a lot of people don’t understand. We call around the country to try to play everybody, and then there’s certain teams that take it. And Virginia and Clemson were two of them. So, (I’m) thankful for that. The ACC has been good for us.”
Even after Memphis ended up finishing 22-10 and missing the NCAA Tournament last season after starting the campaign 15-2 and being ranked as high as No. 10 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll last season, Hardaway had confidence he’d bounce back.
But he admits even he couldn’t have envisioned jumping out to the start that his group has gotten off to this season.
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Memphis Tigers Memphis Tigers Basketball Penny Hardaway 92.9 ESPN Jason & John Show Subscriber OnlyThank you for supporting local journalism.
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Parth Upadhyaya
Parth Upadhyaya covers the Memphis Tigers men’s basketball team. A Raleigh, N.C., native and a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill’s Hussman School of Media and Journalism, Upadhyaya is a longtime college hoops junkie. Prior to joining The Daily Memphian in 2022, he covered high school sports in western Pennsylvania for the Beaver County Times and Penn State football for the Centre Daily Times.
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