Why Penny Hardaway feels AAC play could be ‘more dangerous’ than usual for Memphis basketball

[ad_1]

The Memphis basketball team is the projected favorite in every one of its remaining 16 regular-season games.

What’s more, though, the 20th-ranked Tigers (12-3, 2-0 AAC) are also projected to be favored by double-digits in 14 of those such games, according to KenPom.

Why? Because 14 of their last 16 games are currently against either Quad 3 or Quad 4 teams, making the remainder of the regular season a veritable minefield with potential disaster looming at almost every turn.

“Thanks for reminding me,” Memphis coach Penny Hardaway quipped Wednesday during a press conference ahead of his team’s game against East Carolina, which is scheduled for Saturday (1 p.m., ESPN+).

Hardaway remembers all too well how things played out for the Tigers last season, when they got off to a 15-2 start, only to lose eight of the next 15 and miss out on the NCAA Tournament. Which is to say he is acutely aware of the perilous path Memphis must navigate over the next two months to remain in good standing within the March Madness picture.

What complicates things even more, in Hardaway’s eyes, is that the majority of teams in the AAC either struggled in non-conference play or didn’t do enough to compile a strong resume.

“Those teams that played those games are not going to be the teams that we’re going to face – that’s what makes it more dangerous,” said Hardaway. “But we still have to uphold our end of the deal.”

That means doing whatever it takes to win.

“If you’re a ranked team and you’re playing against a team you’re supposed to beat – at home or on the road – you just have to overpower them and beat them,” Hardaway said. “We can’t go in just sleepwalking.”

Hardaway is counting on his players to lead the charge, especially those who have a keen understanding of how treacherous the AAC can be. Colby Rogers spent last season at Wichita State. PJ Haggerty was at Tulsa. PJ Carter played for UTSA. And Nicholas Jourdain, prior to suiting up for Memphis, was at…

[ad_2]
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/why-penny-hardaway-feels-aac-200943910.html

Author : The Commercial Appeal

Publish date : 2025-01-08 20:09:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.