Welcome to this week’s Tigers Basketball Insider. Below you’ll find the latest news and analysis from The Daily Memphian’s Parth Upadhyaya, John Martin and Tim Buckley.

About an hour and a half after Memphis lost to UAB on Sunday in Birmingham, Malcolm Dandridge sat by himself in a quiet part of the team bus while speaking on the phone with reporters.

The then-No. 19 Tigers (15-5, 4-3 AAC) had just fallen 97-88 to the Blazers (13-7, 5-2 AAC), their third straight loss following a 10-game winning streak.

As the charter bus rolled up I-22 in a three-plus-hour ride back to campus, Dandridge — a fifth-year center who’s played for coach Penny Hardaway for his entire college career and three seasons before that at East High — found himself with plenty of time to brainstorm. He felt it was time for the Tigers to lean more heavily on players who have been competing with a high level of intensity and effort — even if those weren’t necessarily the most talented individuals on the roster.

“If we had the guys out there who had all the heart and care factor the way that you see me play, then it would be a lot of (fans) complaining about the more skilled or offensively talented people not being in the game, so we have to pick a battle,” said Dandridge, who was coming off of a performance in which he scored a career-high 19 points to go with four steals, three rebounds and two assists.

“And I’m not the head coach — or (one of) the coaches — so I don’t make those decisions. But if I did, I’m riding with the guts of the team, what Penny likes to call the ‘Goon Squad.’ That’s what we call it: the Goon Squad. And those are the people that (for them), it’s not a 50-50 ball; it’s more of an 80-20, because it’s an 80% chance that they’re gonna get that ball.”

Dandridge said he was “the leader” of the Goon Squad, but he declined to share who else he felt should be a part of that unit.

Just one night later, on Monday, Hardaway shared during his Penny Hardaway Radio Show that a change to the Tigers’ starting lineup was likely coming ahead of the team’s game against Rice on Wednesday (7 p.m., ESPN+, 98.9 FM).

It sounds like Dandridge’s suggestion was heard loud and clear.

“There’s no such thing as 50-50 with the Goon Squad,” Dandridge said. “We dive on floors, bring defensive (intensity). We might lack a little offensive talent. But that’s OK, because we can make that up when we run and push. But I think that’s the next (step).

“We done lost three games in a row now. So we’re not walking on eggshells anymore. Now it’s time to make some changes.”

More from your Insider:

Buckley: Are the Memphis Tigers NIT-bound? Let the wondering begin.

Things are looking bleak for Coach Penny Hardaway’s club after three straight losses including Sunday’s to UAB in Birmingham.

Memphis drops out of AP Top 25 poll following third straight loss

Tigers are on the outside looking in of the national rankings for the first time in more than a month.

‘No more excuses': Hardaway suggests starting lineup change for Tigers

The Tigers have run out the same starting five for 10 consecutive games. But after a three-game losing streak has threatened the group’s NCAA Tournament chances, Hardaway says that could change.

‘Selfishness’ costs Tigers again against UAB. It could cost them their season.

“If your (main) goal is not for the team that’s on the front of your chest to win the game, then you’re thinking about yourself,” Tigers center Malcolm Dandridge said.

Tigers beat writer Parth Upadhyaya’s newest AP Top 25 ballot

How much did Upadhyaya’s Top 25 change after a relatively tame week in college basketball?

Tigers break down in second half, fall to UAB in third straight loss

Memphis dropped its third straight game for the first time under coach Penny Hardaway since the 2021-22 season.

Box score: UAB 97, Memphis 88

Here is the box score for the Sunday game between the Memphis Tigers and UAB Blazers.