On the day in March 2018 when Memphis made the decision to fire coach Tubby Smith, it had been four years since Memphis won an NCAA tournament game, and three-and-a-half since it had landed an ESPN 100 prospect. Eighteen months later, Memphis is the most buzzed-about team in college basketball entering the 2019-20 season. These are the steps that led to the Tigers becoming one of the most feared programs on the recruiting trail and soon, perhaps, on the court:
How Penny Hardaway put Memphis back on the map -- a timeline
