Tigers, No. 3 Tennessee renew rivalry at FedExForum

Saturday, December 15

Memphis, Tenn.

11 PM

University of Memphis

Tennessee

Tickets

The Tigers and coach Penny Hardaway will be facing third-ranked Tennessee Saturday at FedExForum.

Photo by: Matthew Smith

Tigers, No. 3 Tennessee renew rivalry at FedExForum

Dec 14, 2018 | Men's Basketball

Memphis Notes (vs. Tennessee)Tennessee Notes (vs. Memphis)

Crowd in excess of 18,000 expected for first game in series since 2013.

By: Phil Stukenborg

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The buzz is back.

When the University of Memphis plays host to third-ranked Tennessee at 11 a.m. Saturday at FedExForum, a capacity crowd in excess of 18,000 is expected to fill the arena and give the UofM its first official sellout in nearly a decade. Doors open at 9:30 a.m.

The combination of the excitement surrounding first-year Tigers' coach Penny Hardaway and the renewal of the rivalry with the Vols has many eagerly anticipating Saturday's late-morning tipoff.

Among those is Hardaway, who played against the Vols two times when he was an All-America guard for the Tigers in the early 1990s. He admits he wants it to be so loud at FedExForum that he won't have a voice left to conduct his postgame media press conference.

"Competition is healthy, I love that," Hardaway said. "We have an opportunity to prove that we can play with anybody in the country. I'm not afraid to play anybody. I always want to play a good schedule so my guys know where they (stand)."

Tennessee (7-1) is coming off an upset of top-ranked Gonzaga Sunday in Phoenix. The Vols are led by the duo of Grant Williams, the reigning Southeastern Conference Player of the Year, and Admiral Schofield, the SEC's sixth-active leading scorer.

During the first two months of the season, the Tigers (5-4) have encountered two ranked teams – No. 22 LSU and No. 20 Texas Tech. In each game, Hardaway's team, which features two freshman guards in the starting lineup, has held its own.

Memphis led LSU, 54-52, midway through the second half last month at Baton Rouge before dropping an 85-76 decision.

Against Texas Tech at American Airlines Arena in Miami earlier this month, the Tigers led the Red Raiders by eight (59-51) with seven minutes left and were up by two (59-57) with five minutes to go. Texas Tech rallied to win 78-67 and remain unbeaten.

"It has helped us tremendously to play at LSU and against Oklahoma State and Texas Tech," Hardaway said. "Everyone knows we had 34 minutes of great basketball and for a three-minute span they took over the game and never looked back. So those games are preparing us for games like Saturday."

The Tigers have won two straight since coming off a four-game road swing in Miami, where they were 1-3. The UofM defeated perennial NCAA tournament participant South Dakota State, 88-80, and former Conference USA rival UAB, 94-76.

In those wins, freshman guard Tyler Harris scored 22 and 24 points to earn his second American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Week honor. He also went 12-of-13 from the free throw line, including making 8-of-8 in the closing five minutes against UAB.

Harris is looking forward to playing in the biggest game of his fledgling college career.

"It's going to be very exciting," Harris said. "I get butterflies just thinking about it."

QUICK FACTS

With a sellout crowd in excess of 18,000 expects, FedExForum doors will open at 9:30 a.m., or 30 minutes earlier than normal.
Tennessee is enjoying its highest national ranking since it was No. 1 after defeating the Tigers Feb. 25, 2008, at FedExForum. Memphis was No. 1 and Tennessee was No. 2 entering that game.
Memphis freshman guard Tyler Harris has had five 20-point games in nine career games. It represents the most 20-point games by a UofM freshman since Dajuan Wagner had seven in his first 10 games.
The largest crowd to attend a Memphis home basketball game at FedExForum was 18,864 in 2007 when the Tigers played host to Georgetown.
Tennessee moved from No. 7 to No. 3 in the polls after knocking off top-ranked Gonzaga Sunday in Phoenix. The Vols have played a No. 1 and a No. 2 team (Kansas) this season. They lost to Kansas in overtime.
Memphis is playing the Vols for the first time since the 2012-13 season in Knoxville. The Tigers won the last meeting, 85-80.
Seven of the first 10 teams on the UofM's 2018-19 schedule appeared in postseason play last season, including four that played in the NCAA tournament.