Memphis Tigers Prepare for NCAA Tournament After AAC Championship Win

FORT WORTH, Texas — The Memphis Tigers are gearing up for the NCAA tournament after claiming the AAC championship title with an 84-72 victory over UAB on Sunday. The win at Dickies Arena secured the Tigers a 5-seed in the tournament, marking their highest seed since 2009.

With a 29-5 record, Memphis is set to face 12-seed Colorado State on Friday at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle at 1 p.m. CT, broadcast on TBS. The Mountain West champions, who finished the season with a 25-9 record, are seen as formidable opponents.

“Colorado State, I’ve watched them this year,” Memphis coach Penny Hardaway said. “They’re a well-oiled machine, they play hard, they’re well-coached. We know what it’s going to be like.”

This season stands in stark contrast to last year’s struggles for the Tigers, who missed the NCAA tournament and turned down a spot in the National Invitation Tournament after finishing with a 7-8 record in their last 15 games. Hardaway attributed the turnaround to the character and effort of this year’s players.

“All these young men are purely good human beings,” Hardaway said. “They really care, they have a care factor, and that’s what I really wanted for our city and university.”

The Tigers clinched both the AAC regular-season and tournament titles this year, showcasing their resilience by bouncing back from losses quickly, as evidenced by never losing two games in a row.

Penny Hardaway is hopeful that the scrutiny over their seeding and the oddsmakers’ underdog status will motivate his team. “We obviously try to use it as motivation,” Hardaway said, acknowledging the skepticism about the strength of their conference.

The betting lines have opened with Memphis as 1.5-point underdogs against Colorado State, despite an impressive showing in the AAC tournament. The Tigers had entered the selection Sunday expected to be an 8-seed, but the last-minute adjustments caught many by surprise.

“I understand why they did that,” Hardaway added. “We don’t need extra motivation, but obviously the guys are human and they see that. It’s human nature to see that and go, ‘Okay, let’s see.’”

Additionally, star guard PJ Haggerty expressed confidence while feeling slighted by not making the first team. “I think they snubbed me, though,” Haggerty said, emphasizing the importance of focusing on team success this tournament season.

Haggerty, along with teammates like Dain Dainja, who had 23 points and 11 rebounds in the championship game, form a crucial part of Memphis’s strategy. “It’s about caring for the name on the front of your jersey,” Haggerty stated.

As Memphis prepares for the impending matchup, the stakes are high, with many anticipating an intense showdown against Colorado State. The path to the Sweet 16 may be fraught with challenges, including injuries, as Memphis’s plans hinge on the recovery of key players.