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Memphis basketball closed the book on the 2024-25 season at No. 25 in the final AP Top 25 and just outside the USA TODAY Coaches Poll.
Among the teams receiving votes that did not crack the coaches' poll, the Tigers garnered the most − essentially coming in at No. 26, just 21 voting points behind No. 25 Arkansas.
Memphis had been ranked 16th in both polls before March Madness began.
The Tigers (29-6) were a near-permanent fixture in the national rankings this season, sitting somewhere within the polls 14 out of a possible 21 weeks. Memphis yo-yoed in and out of the top 25 throughout an up-and-down December that featured wins over Clemson and Ole Miss, as well as losses to Mississippi State and Arkansas State.
But, from Dec. 30 until March 16, Memphis remained in the top 25, climbing as high as No. 14 on Feb. 10.
Led by consensus All-American guard PJ Haggerty (21.8 points per game), the Tigers won the American Athletic Conference regular-season championship for the first time. Then, Memphis beat Wichita State, Tulane and UAB in consecutive days to win the AAC tournament title for the second time in three years.
The Tigers' body of work − which included three wins over teams in the final rankings (Michigan State, Ole Miss and Clemson) − was good enough to warrant a No. 5 seed in the NCAA tournament. But, playing without starting point guard Tyrese Hunter and backup point guard Dante Harris, Memphis lost 78-70 to Colorado State in Seattle on March 21.
"Yeah, it's life. You got to handle adversity. This is adversity," Tiger coach PennyHardaway said following the loss. "I trust God in every situation, no matter what. I'm an ultimate competitor, and when things go bad you have to rely on that. I rely on that."
Hardaway is in the midst of another roster rebuild. Whether Haggerty will be back for another season at Memphis remains unclear. All-conference big man Dain Dainja is pursuing another season of eligibility, but nothing is guaranteed.
The Tigers have at least seven open scholarships following last week's commitment from Temple transfer guard Quante Berry.
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at [email protected], follow him @munzly on X, and sign up for the Memphis Basketball Insider text group.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Where Memphis basketball stands in final 2024-25 rankings, national polls
Continue reading...
Among the teams receiving votes that did not crack the coaches' poll, the Tigers garnered the most − essentially coming in at No. 26, just 21 voting points behind No. 25 Arkansas.
Memphis had been ranked 16th in both polls before March Madness began.
The Tigers (29-6) were a near-permanent fixture in the national rankings this season, sitting somewhere within the polls 14 out of a possible 21 weeks. Memphis yo-yoed in and out of the top 25 throughout an up-and-down December that featured wins over Clemson and Ole Miss, as well as losses to Mississippi State and Arkansas State.
But, from Dec. 30 until March 16, Memphis remained in the top 25, climbing as high as No. 14 on Feb. 10.
Led by consensus All-American guard PJ Haggerty (21.8 points per game), the Tigers won the American Athletic Conference regular-season championship for the first time. Then, Memphis beat Wichita State, Tulane and UAB in consecutive days to win the AAC tournament title for the second time in three years.
The Tigers' body of work − which included three wins over teams in the final rankings (Michigan State, Ole Miss and Clemson) − was good enough to warrant a No. 5 seed in the NCAA tournament. But, playing without starting point guard Tyrese Hunter and backup point guard Dante Harris, Memphis lost 78-70 to Colorado State in Seattle on March 21.
"Yeah, it's life. You got to handle adversity. This is adversity," Tiger coach PennyHardaway said following the loss. "I trust God in every situation, no matter what. I'm an ultimate competitor, and when things go bad you have to rely on that. I rely on that."
Hardaway is in the midst of another roster rebuild. Whether Haggerty will be back for another season at Memphis remains unclear. All-conference big man Dain Dainja is pursuing another season of eligibility, but nothing is guaranteed.
The Tigers have at least seven open scholarships following last week's commitment from Temple transfer guard Quante Berry.
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at [email protected], follow him @munzly on X, and sign up for the Memphis Basketball Insider text group.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Where Memphis basketball stands in final 2024-25 rankings, national polls
Continue reading...
