It’s been nearly six full years since Memphis and Tennessee met on the basketball court. That rivalry will finally be renewed on Saturday at the FedEx Forum. It’s a perfect way to kick off a new era for Memphis, which now has former Tiger standout Penny Hardaway steering the ship.
The Memphis basketball program slowly eroded after the departure of John Calipari, eventually bottoming out under Tubby Smith. Belief and excitement has been restored over the offseason, however. Penny has already earned a commitment from the No. 1 player in next year’s recruiting class in James Wiseman, along with another from top 50 player DJ Jeffries.