The Tiger Basketball Podcast from The Commercial Appeal, hosted by Tiger basketball beat writer Jason Munz and Tiger football beat writer Jonah Dylan.
The Tigers are a team on the brink of a full-fledged crisis. Can they recover? On this week's episode of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, beat writer Jason Munz and columnist Mark Giannotto examine the problems Memphis has faced during its three-game losing streak and discuss whether the team can get things turned around in time.
There are no second chances when it comes to first impressions. To this point, the Memphis basketball team has played exclusively at home and exclusively on ESPN+. That changes this week as the Tigers travel to Brooklyn, N.Y., where they will face Virginia Tech on Wednesday in a game that will be broadcast to a national audience (ESPN2). And there’s a chance Memphis will be back on ESPN2 on Friday, facing No. 25 Xavier. Which Penny Hardaway squad will show up? On this week’s episode of the Tiger...
The first three games of the Memphis basketball season have revealed plenty about these Tigers. Want a weekly breakdown of all things Grizzlies, Tigers and 901 FC? Consider subscribing to our Memphis Sports newsletter. Most notably, despite all of the team's flaws, Penny Hardaway and Co. are still very good. We've also learned, however, that with a little work, a few adjustments in certain areas and maybe some more time together, the Tigers' ceiling could be among the five highest in the country...
Emoni Bates and Jalen Duren were as advertised and the Memphis basketball team's veteran core gave the Tigers all the stability it needed to come away winners in the season opener. How it all came together and where they still have work to do are the primary topics of this week's edition of the Tiger Basketball Podcast. Co-hosts Mark Giannotto and Jason Munz break down the lineup combinations that were most effective and least effective in Tuesday's win over Tennessee Tech, discuss Memphis' upco...
The trajectory of the upcoming Memphis basketball season will hinge on myriad variables. How it utilizes veteran guard Alex Lomax might be at the top of the list. On this episode of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, beat writer Jason Munz and columnist Mark Giannotto debate the topic, while also evaluating the role of star freshman Emoni Bates. Munz and Giannotto also survey the big picture and make a few predictions regarding the 2021-22 Tigers and the season to come.
Memphis did what it was supposed to do last week against LeMoyne-Owen. Better yet, for the most part, it looked like most people hoped it would look. The Tigers played confidently and were in sync more often than not, despite missing several key pieces, including Emoni Bates and last year's leading scorer, Landers Nolley II. On this week's episode of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, beat writer Jason Munz is joined by Tiger football beat writer Evan Barnes to break down the biggest takeaways from t...
The Memphis basketball team achieved its highest preseason Associated Press Top 25 ranking in a decade this week. Thirty-four of the AP's 63 voters had the 12th-ranked Tigers inside their top 10. The team even showed up on one ballot at No. 2 in the country, according to collegepolltracker.com. But seven voters did not include Memphis anywhere in their top 25. On this week's episode of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, beat writer Jason Munz is joined by Tiger football beat writer Evan Barnes and pr...
We know more today about the Memphis basketball program's pending NCAA infractions case than we did last week. That's because Independent Accountability Resolutions Process officials released a timeline of the case's procedural events on Monday. But, for every question it answered, it raised many more. On this week's episode of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, beat writer Jason Munz and columnist Mark Giannotto take a closer look at where things stand and use some procedural context clues to guesst...
It's one thing to see it on paper, but it's something else entirely to observe it up close and personal. If anything was made clear by watching the Memphis basketball team practice last week, it's how deep the Tigers' roster will be this season. Even without veteran guard Alex Lomax and high-profile transfer Earl Timberlake on the floor during the Memphis Rebounders Club's Happy Hour Hoops event, Penny Hardaway showed off a collection of players that is built to endure almost anything thrown the...
The Memphis basketball team won a postseason tournament championship (the NIT) in March. It won an offseason championship – in a manner of speaking – by signing the No. 1 recruiting class in the country and adding Hall of Famer Larry Brown and former NBA All-Star Rasheed Wallace to the coaching staff. Will the Tigers make it three in a row with a national championship next spring? Penny Hardaway's team will officially begin its pursuit of the program's first NCAA Tournament title Tuesday. That's...
Football is the driver behind any and all conference realignment. Always has been and always will be. But, obviously, its effects aren't limited to football. So, as the American Athletic Conference appears set to lose Houston, Cincinnati and UCF to the Big 12, where does that leave the league from a basketball perspective? On this week's episode of the Memphis Basketball Podcast, Tiger basketball beat writer Jason Munz and Commercial Appeal columnist Mark Giannotto dissect the topic, discuss whi...
The Memphis basketball offseason has been one wild ride. And, one way or the other, the season to come is sure to follow suit. On the long-awaited return of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, The Commercial Appeal's Tiger basketball beat writer Jason Munz and sports columnist Mark Giannotto revisit the highlights of the past five months – the No. 1 recruiting class, the start of the NIL era, Larry Brown, Rasheed Wallace and more – before looking ahead to the Tigers possibly becoming the sport's bigge...
The Memphis basketball program sailed into the offseason on the strength of its recent NIT championship run. The Tigers ran the table at the postseason tournament, beating Dayton, Boise State, Colorado State and Mississippi State to win the crown for the second time (2002). On this week's episode of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, beat writer Jason Munz and columnist Mark Giannotto discuss the significance of the team's strong finish, what was most impressive about its season and how the current r...
The Memphis men's basketball team is back in action Thursday in the quarterfinals of the National Invitation Tournament. On this week's episode of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, beat writer Jason Munz and sports columnist Mark Giannotto discuss Memphis' opponent (Boise State), break down what the NIT means in the grand scheme of things, and how next year's schedule should be more advantageous for Penny Hardaway's program, despite the direction the AAC is trending.
Selection Sunday was disappointing again for the Memphis basketball program and its fans. The Tigers were left out of the NCAA Tournament field after a 16-8 season. While the team, under third-year coach Penny Hardaway, is a No. 1 seed at the National Invitation Tournament, how should we perceive the program and the direction it is headed? Beat writer Jason Munz and columnist Mark Giannotto discuss that, as well as give their impressions of how things played out at the AAC Tournament last week a...
The Tigers have their work cut out for them. Memphis (15-7), after losing a heartbreaker at Houston to close out the regular season, will be the No. 3 seed at this week's AAC Tournament. The Tigers will face either East Carolina or UCF at 9 p.m. Friday. Chances are, if they win that game, a rematch with the Cougars will be on deck at 4:30 p.m. Saturday. Can Memphis redeem itself? If so, what must the Tigers do differently in order to ensure a different outcome? If they're able to beat Houston th...
The Memphis basketball team has set itself up for a dramatic conclusion to the regular season. The Tigers, winners of six straight, are in position to potentially move into the NCAA Tournament field and still has a shot at an AAC title. But they can't do either of those things without beating No. 7 Houston at 11 a.m. Sunday at the Fertitta Center. On this week's episode of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, beat writer Jason Munz and columnist Mark Giannotto preview the marquee matchup, while also sc...
The Tigers are a dangerous team capable of rattling off a strong enough regular-season finish to legitimately join the NCAA Tournament at-large conversation. Why? Defense. But will that be enough against the likes of Houston or Wichita State? On this week's episode of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, beat writer Jason Munz and columnist Mark Giannotto dive into what Memphis has to do to position itself on the bubble, breaks down its survive-and-advance win over Tulane and previews the weekend's roa...
Memphis has won six of seven and is 8-3 in league play for the first time since the 2013-14 season. But, if the Tigers are going to have a legitimate shot at an at-large bid and get back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since that same 2013-14 season, they have to beat Cincinnati at 6 p.m. Thursday. Only after that should Memphis start looking toward Sunday's matchup at Houston. Tiger basketball beat writer Jason Munz and columnist Mark Giannotto discuss that, as well as break down the ...
Memphis has turned its season around in the a matter of 15 days. The Tigers have gone from a 6-5 record and a bleak outlook on the rest of the year to an 11-6 mark and, all the sudden, clearing a realistic path to the postseason. Tiger basketball beat writer Jason Munz and columnist Mark Giannotto discuss how the team has turned things around, what it needs to do to keep momentum on its side and whether the Tigers can do just that.
In the span of a week, the Memphis basketball team has gone from mediocre to having as much momentum as any team in the AAC. The Tigers have won back-to-back-to-back league games for just the second time in the past two seasons. Which begs at least a couple of intriguing questions: Is this the best three-game stretch of the Penny Hardaway era? Also, which five factors are the most responsible for Memphis' turnaround? Beat writer Jason Munz and columnist Mark Giannotto attempt to answer these que...
Another loss to Tulsa, a top 75 decommitment and a surprise addition to the current roster. There's plenty to cover on this week's episode of the Tiger Basketball Podcast. Beat writer Jason Munz and columnist Mark Giannotto recap the team's loss at Tulsa (and break down what it might have revealed about the future of the 2020-21 season), discuss Arterio Morris' decommitment, analyze Jordan Nesbitt's decision to enroll early and look forward to the next couple of games....
The Memphis basketball team's season has been interrupted twice in less than a week by its opponents' issues with COVID-19 testing. After beating South Florida on Dec. 29, the Tigers do not have a game scheduled until Jan. 14, when they are set to host SMU at 6 p.m. at FedExForum. On this week's episode of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, beat writer Jason Munz and sports columnist Mark Giannotto recap the latest developments, dissect the team's new offense, discuss how the extended layoff might af...
Watching the Tigers this season has been a frustrating experience for some Memphis fans. The team is 4-3 after another disappointing loss, this time to Auburn. Coach Penny Hardaway took to social media Sunday night, writing in part: "I appreciate the fans who are being patient. It is a marathon and not a sprint." On this week's episode of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, beat writer Jason Munz and columnist Mark Giannotto discuss how criticism of Hardaway and his team is warranted in some ways, whi...
Defense is the Tigers' strong suit. Three-point shooting is the team's weak spot. Jayden Hardaway has been Memphis' biggest surprise. Lester Quinones might be the team's best all-around player through six games. On this week's episode of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, beat writer Jason Munz and columnist Mark Giannotto break down these things, as well as dig into other topics such as Landers Nolley II's injury, Memphis' upcoming game against Auburn and what the potential addition of graduate tran...
On this week's Tiger Basketball Podcast, beat writer Jason Munz and columnist Mark Giannotto discuss whether it's still worth it to play in the Crossover Classic. In addition, Munz and Giannotto react to the news of Isaiah Stokes' one-year suspension, discuss Moussa Cisse and DeAndre Williams' statuses, and break down the impact of James Wiseman and Precious Achiuwa being taken in the first round of the NBA Draft.
The Crossover Classic, where Memphis is scheduled to begin the 2020-21 season, is unique in what it can offer to the Tigers. Penny Hardaway's team could strengthen its postseason resumé if the dominoes fall their way. But there's also a chance its postseason outlook could take a hit. On this episode of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, beat writer Jason Munz and columnist Mark Giannotto dissect Memphis' potential paths through the Crossover Classic. They also discuss the latest on Moussa Cisse, Isai...
The Memphis basketball team continues to await the NCAA's ruling on DeAndre Williams' transfer waiver request. On this week's edition of the Tiger Basketball Podcast (which was recorded prior to Wednesday's news that Penny Hardaway's team will officially travel to Ole Miss on Dec. 5), beat writer Jason Munz and sports columnist Mark Giannotto discuss the impact Williams would have on the team if he is eligible to play this season. In addition, they analyze the initial KenPom.com rankings – where...
On this week's episode of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, beat writer Jason Munz and sports columnist Mark Giannotto react to and analyze the results of the poll. Munz and Giannotto also discuss how the Tigers have looked since full practices began two weeks ago as well as the status of the 2020-21 schedule.
