Thoughts from John Martin as the Tigers prepare to soon open American Athletic Conference play.

The Tigers (10-3) picked up a 83-61 win over Alabama State on Wednesday night at FedExForum in their final game before AAC play.

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Box score: Memphis 83, Alabama State 61

NCAA men’s basketball box score for the Wednesday, Dec. 21, game between the Memphis Tigers and Alabama State Hornets played at FedExForum in Memphis.

Penny Hardaway should be able to rest key players and try out different lineups when he takes on his old college teammate Tony Madlock and Alabama State.

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Tigers Basketball Insider: Hardaway back to ‘strength in numbers’ approach

As Memphis gets set to soon head into AAC play, there’s a good chance we’ll see more of a few Tigers who’d previously been buried deep in the team’s rotation.

There’s a real possibility that this group of primarily transfers and unheralded recruits can lead Memphis to its most successful season since 2013.

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Memphis escapes with close home win against Texas A&M

Buckley: A hot-headed star. A long hug. Another huge Tigers basketball win.

Box score: Memphis 83, Texas A&M 79

The bench came up big, helping Memphis overcome another wild night for DeAndre Williams.

NCAA men’s basketball box score for the game between the Memphis Tigers and Texas A&M Aggies played Saturday, Dec. 17, at FedExForum in Memphis.

It wasn’t until guard Kendric Davis — who finished with a team-high 23 points — hit two free throws with two seconds left that Memphis could breathe a sigh of relief.

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Hardaway has ‘blueprint’ for what could be the best Memphis team since 2013

Box score: Memphis 83, Texas A&M 79

When Memphis takes on Texas A&M on Saturday, it’ll mark its final regular-season game against an SEC opponent and its last non-conference game versus a team ranked in KenPom’s top 60.

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Memphis’ Damaria Franklin has ‘no more butterflies’ after Tigers debut

More than a month after the University of Memphis opened its basketball season, Damaria Franklin played his first game as a Tiger. Now, he gears up to face Texas A&M on Saturday, Dec. 17.

University of Memphis athletic director Laird Veatch sent a video to the athletic department’s “ambassadors,” asking for NIL money. It seemed a good moment to ask five ambassadors what they are thinking about Memphis sports. 

The NCAA announced Thursday, Dec. 15, that Memphis reached an agreement with NCAA enforcement staff for “recruiting violations that occurred within the men’s basketball program and the appropriate penalties for those violations.”

The Memphis Tigers can’t always win big games with forward DeAndre Williams on the bench.

Dandridge had to be helped off the floor with about 12 minutes left in the Tigers’ game versus the Crimson Tide after landing awkwardly following an attempt to block a shot.

Franklin’s debut in a Memphis uniform did not come until Tuesday night, a month and a week after the Tigers’ 2022-23 season opened with a win over Vanderbilt in Nashville.

The Memphis Tigers have guts, guile and a genuine star in Kendric Davis. Now they just need someone else who can shoot. 

The Tigers (8-3) were the aggressors early against the Crimson Tide (9-1) and led for the first 11-plus minutes. But then, Alabama found its groove offensively.

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He had no shoes. Damaria Franklin made his Memphis debut anyway.

Box score: Alabama 91, Memphis 88

NCAA men’s basketball box score for the Tuesday, Dec. 13, game between the Memphis Tigers and Alabama Crimson Tide played in Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

The Chicago native — who averaged 17.8 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game last season at UIC — will be thrown into a rotation that seems to have hit its stride. 

Memphis took the first step in proving it can compete with the best in the country just days ago with a win over Auburn. Now, it’s time to do it again.

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Memphis just misses AP Top 25 in latest poll

Franklin is set to make his Memphis Tigers debut Tuesday night when the team faces Alabama.

The University of Memphis men’s basketball team just barely missed the cut in the AP Top 25 poll after beating then-top-15 Auburn on Saturday.

The Tigers’ athletic director shared some revealing things about the outlook for Memphis athletics. Here’s what every fan should know.