Penny Hardaway rubbed his chin and leaned forward, then prefaced his response to a reporter’s question on Thursday by saying he was exercising caution.
The question: How much of a defining stretch will the next four games be for his Memphis basketball team?
The Tigers (7-2) are gearing up to face No. 16 Clemson (9-1) Saturday (10 a.m., ESPN2) at Littlejohn Coliseum in South Carolina. After that, they make a trip to Virginia before returning home for games against Mississippi State and Ole Miss to conclude non-conference play.
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Hardaway – while being careful not to disrespect the AAC – said those four games might be the last chances Memphis gets to make a lasting impression on the decision-makers associated with the NCAA Tournament. To show “the writers and the nation” that “we belong.” To show that the Tigers are not only worthy of being part of March Madness but that they are deserving of a better seed than the 8- or 9-seed they were in 2023 and 2022, respectively.
“They do not respect one team in our conference, which is unfortunate,” said Hardaway. “If you just win our conference, you’re going to be 8, 9 or lower. That’s not what we want. We want a 4-seed or higher to put us in position where we can have a couple games – that’s how most of these teams get to the Sweet 16 every year.
“So, these next four games are pivotal for us.”
It starts with Clemson, which has won six straight, including one over No. 5 Kentucky at home, after falling at Boise State last month. Brad Brownell’s Tigers return a strong core – led by Ian Schieffelin and Chase Hunter – from a team that went to the Elite Eight last season.
Hardaway has expressed concern that his team has lost some of the fire it showed in earlier wins over the likes of UConn, Michigan State and San Francisco. That shift, he said, manifested itself most tangibly in last week’s 13-point home loss to Arkansas State.
On Thursday, however, Hardaway was confident that losing that game and the fallout from it has snapped the Tigers out of whatever funk they might have been in.
“Yeah, they know now,” he said. “We’ve been on Clemson since we left the arena Sunday to say, ‘Hey, bad loss, but there’s a way to make up for it.’ They understand now more than they did before the Arkansas State game. That’s unfortunate … because we were in a position to do something pretty special. (But we) still can.
“We’re just going to have to go and fight like hell for 40 minutes.”
For Memphis guard Tyrese Hunter, if the loss to Arkansas State did anything to his team’s mindset, it emphasized that there always has to be a sense of urgency.
“I think it’s obvious where this team is trying to go,” he said. “So, I think, every little thing we do there has to be a sense of urgency. From the little details, (like just) walking in the building for practice. I think that’s what it has to be.”
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com, follow him @munzly on X, and sign up for the Memphis Basketball Insider text group.
