Houston, Alex Lomax, NCAA tournament: Where the Tigers stand
Alex Lomax is questionable to play at Houston and the Tigers are still on the NCAA tournament bubble.
Alex Lomax is questionable to play at Houston and the Tigers are still on the NCAA tournament bubble.
After leaving Memphis State, Penny Hardaway dropped jaws in legendary pickup games at Fonde Recreation Center, Houston’s longtime NBA haunt.
With USF taken care of, all eyes and efforts now turn to the season’s toughest task.
The Tigers have a tremendous opportunity when they play the Houston Cougars on national TV Sunday. It’s one they first had to earn.
March 2, 2021: Memphis 73, South Florida 52Related story:
Defense again the name of the game, and Boogie Ellis led the Tigers with 18 points. Related stories:
Tigers fans have likely gotten used to watching ugly basketball games this season.
Sunday’s win at Cincinnati showed that the Tigers are at their most dangerous when Malcolm Dandridge, Moussa Cisse and DeAndre Williams are in sync.
The Tigers lost Alex Lomax to injury and got the shaft from the American Athletic Conference, but they rose to the occasion Sunday and won at Cincinnati for the first time since Derrick Rose led the team.
Feb. 28, 2021: Memphis 80, Cincinnati 74 Related Story:
Memphis fends off Cincinnati for fifth straight win
The Tigers dominated on the boards and maintained their composure in the final seconds.
A source with knowledge of the situation described Lomax’s injury to The Daily Memphian as a “twisted ankle” and said he would most likely not play against the Bearcats.
When the American Athletic Conference stripped Memphis of its final home game against Houston, it was just the latest in a long line of civic shaftings. There’s a reason Memphians are so resilient. What other choice do we have?
The American Athletic Conference moved the Tigers’ last home game of the season to Houston. It’s a transparent screw job.
The change is a devastating blow for the Tigers, who now have lost home-court advantage for their toughest game of the season.
Memphis looked rusty after 18 days without basketball. But never mind that. The Tigers got the win!
Feb. 24, 2021: Memphis 61, Tulane 46
The Tigers kept their NCAA tournament hopes alive by taking care of business.Related story:
The South Florida date change could give the Tigers more flexibility to reschedule one or more postponed games.
The Tigers will soon be unpaused, but will they be untroubled?
It has been a difficult season for the Tigers, but now that they’re back from a COVID pause, they have a chance to make things right.
Players and staff, isolated from the court and each other, are scrambling to get back to form.
Men’s tournament will permit 25% of capacity; women’s tournament will allow 17%.
Attendance for both the men’s and women’s tournaments will be limited to about 25% capacity, or 3,500 fans.
A fourth Memphis basketball game has been called off due to positive COVID-19 cases within the Tigers program.