Giannotto: Victory sets up biggest game of Hardaway era
There was no celebration when the game before the biggest game of Penny Hardaway's coaching career ended Tuesday night. Not with what's next.
Memphis had beaten South Florida, 73-52, in Tampa just like it was supposed to do. Just like it had to do in six-straight games, and nine of the past 10, just to get back to “next four out” status on the NCAA Tournament bubble.
But there was a sense of accomplishment for reaching the game before the game, and then successfully getting through it. For overcoming those disappointing early losses, and the delayed debut of Deandre Williams, and two COVID-19 pauses and, most recently, the ankle injury of point guard Alex Lomax.
Might as well start campaigning for Selection Sunday now, when you're this close.
“I feel like we've gotten better every month,” Hardaway said, “and now we're definitely an NCAA team.”
Unfortunately, there is no “definitely” on the bubble. The only definite right now is that Memphis played its way into one of the biggest regular-season game in years. Sunday at No. 7 Houston in front of a national television audience on CBS.
A win might be enough to get the Tigers into the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014. A win could be further validation for Hardaway, for how he steered this team to this point after its rocky start.
A loss would likely mean Memphis needs to win the AAC Tournament to end this NCAA drought. The stakes haven't been bigger, or more clear, since Hardaway took over the program.
“We get a chance to prove to everybody that we're an NCAA team,” guard Boogie Ellis said.
What more, at this point, could any Memphis fan really want? Well, aside from the home game at Fedexforum that the AAC and Houston took away from Memphis last week.
After how this turned so dramatically, after how bleak it looked 11 games in, the Tigers gave themselves a chance to earn the NCAA Tournament berth they were predicted to get in the preseason.
It seems right that an at-large berth is contingent on beating Houston. It just deserved two shots at the Cougars (and they might play again in the AAC semifinals in the most likely seeding scenario).
Houston has won 24-straight home games and only lost one AAC game since the Fertitta Center opened for the 2018-19 season.
So the Tigers need to play better than they did Tuesday, better than they have the past three games, and maybe better than they have all season.
They need Ellis to keep hitting 3pointers and provide steady point guard play with Lomax's health in doubt. But it also needs Landers Nolley II and Lester Quinones and D.J. Jeffries to hit shots, too.
Memphis needs Williams to continue producing double-doubles like he has the past two wins. But it also
needs big men Moussa Cisse and Malcolm Dandridge to play more like they did last week at Cincinnati and less like they did at USF.
The Tigers need to keep playing defense like the most efficient defensive team in the country, which is what they are as of Tuesday night, according to Kenpom. But they also need to minimize the damage done by missed free throws and turnovers.
“We're really close right now to where we want to be and it's happening at the right time,” Hardaway said.
“There's a different type of attitude the players are walking around with. The swagger they're walking around with is now we belong. It's taken us a long time to get to this point because we've been pulling teeth all year to try to get to this point.”
“Now, there are no egos,” he continued. “They checked the egos at the door and the guys are really pulling for each other and they're really close and, man, that's a dangerous sign for other teams. Because now that we're close, we can accomplish anything we want to accomplish.”
Beating Houston, in these circumstances would be entirely different than any other achievement since Hardaway became coach.
Hardaway said he's been thinking about how to beat Houston since last year. Since Memphis lost its regular season finale against the Cougars and eliminated any need for campaigning. Since “they are the bar” in the AAC, according to Hardaway
So here come the Tigers, closer to ending this NCAA Tournament drought than they've been since it began seven years ago.
They've done what they were supposed to do. Now, can they do what they need to do?
You can reach Commercial Appeal columnist Mark Giannotto via email at mgiannotto@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter: @mgiannotto
The TSSAA’S Division II boys and girls basketball state tournament tips off at noon Thursday at Tennessee Tech’s Hooper Eblen Center in Cookeville.
The tournament’s semifinals will be held Thursday for Division II-A and Friday for Division II-AA. All finals will be played Saturday.
Here is a watch list of the top players participating this weekend.
Girls
Jaloni Cambridge, Ensworth, Fr: The Division II-AA finalist averages 19.4 points with 5.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists.
Kennedy Cambridge, Ensworth, Jr.: Kennedy Cambridge averages 13.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists.
Lashae Dwyer, Webb School (Bell Buckle), Sr.: Dwyer, a Miami (Fla.) signee, averaged 22.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 5.0 steals in the regular season.
Mariah Edmonds, Providence Chr., Sr.: Edmonds averages 14.9 points and 2.1 steals this season.
Carmyn Harrison, Hutchison, Sr.: Harrison, a DII-AA Miss Basketball signee and Georgia Tech signee, averages 10.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 6.0 assists a game.
Leah Jones, Northpoint Chr., Sr.: Jones averages 16.5 points and 6.7 rebounds this season.
Olivia Jones, USJ, Sr.: Jones averages 14.1 points with 8.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists a game.
Mary Mackie, Father Ryan, Jr.: Mackie averages 11.8 points and 2.3 rebounds this season.
Sydney Mains, Knoxville Catholic, Fr.: Mains averages a team-high 19.7 points with 8.6 rebounds and 3.1 steals
for the Lady Irish, who are making their state tournament debut.
Julie Wagner, USJ, Sr.: Wagner averages 14.2 points and 9.1 rebounds a game.
Boys
Alex Anderson, Tipton-rosemark, Sr.: Anderson, a DII-A Mr. Basketball finalist and South Alabama signee, averages 21 points, 14 rebounds and 5.0 assists this season.
Tyler Byrd, Tipton-rosemark, Jr.: Byrd averages 20 points, 8.0 rebounds,
4.0 steals and 3.0 assists.
B.J. Edwards, Knoxville Catholic, Jr.: Edwards, a Division II-AA Mr. Basketball finalist, is the No. 4 prospect for the Class of 2022 according to the 247Sports Composite. He averages 20.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists.
Jackson Francis, MBA, Jr.: Edwards averages 17 points and 4.2 rebounds a game.
Chandler Jackson, Christian Brothers, Jr.: Jackson, a DII-AA Mr. Basketball finalist and the No. 9 college prospect for 2022, averaged 16.5 point, 6.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists in the regular season.
Kameron Jones, Evangelical Christian, Sr.: Jones, a Marquette signee and Division II-A Mr. Basketball finalist, averages 19.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists. He is the No. 4 prospect for the Class of 2022 in Tennessee according to the 247Sports Composite.
Trent Mcnair, Brentwood Academy, Jr.: Mcnair, a DII-AA Mr. Basketball finalist and son of former Titans quarterback Steve Mcnair, averages 19.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists.
Braeden Moore, CPA, Jr.: Moore, a DII-A Mr. Basketball finalist, is the No. 5 college prospect for the Class of 2022 with more than 30 offers. He averages 19.0 points and 8.0 rebounds. He has hit 91 3-pointers this season.
Pjay Smith, Goodpasture, Sr.: Smith, the Cougars’ point guard, averages a team-high 17.4 points and 2.4 rebounds.
Isaiah West, Goodpasture, So.: West, who is the No. 1 prospect in Tennessee for the Class of 2023, averages 16.3 points and 5.8 rebounds
DII semifinal schedule
(All times Central)
Class A
Thursday: Girls: Webb School (26-2) vs. USJ (22-4), noon; Northpoint Christian (23-4) vs. Providence Christian (22-9), 1:30 p.m. Boys: Goodpasture (29-1) vs. Evangelical Christian (16-8), 4 p.m.; Tipton-rosemark (17-3) vs. CPA (28-4), 5:30 p.m.
Class AA
Friday: Girls: Hutchison (20-2) vs. Ensworth (17-2), noon; Knoxville Catholic (14-16) vs. Father Ryan (21-3), 1:30 p.m. Boys: Knoxville Catholic (21-3) vs. MBA (11-2), 4 p.m.; Christian Brothers (21-0) vs. Brentwood Academy (19-4), 5:30 p.m.
Reach Tom Kreager at 615-259-8089 or tkreager@tennessean.com and on Twitter @Kreager.