The Memphis Tigers moved to 9-2 on the season with a blowout victory over No. 20 Virginia, 77-54, at home on Tuesday evening.
It was coach Penny Hardaway’s third straight win over a ranked opponent, following a road victory over Texas A&M and a win over then-undefeated Clemson, 79-77, over the weekend.
Memphis remains undefeated at home and their only losses came against Villanova in the Battle 4 Atlantis and on the road at Ole Miss, one of just four remaining undefeated teams in college basketball.
The Tigers finally earned some respect with a top 25 spot in the coaches poll this week. While some teams crumble once the spotlight finally hits them Memphis did the opposite, holding Virginia to just 22 second half points in a convincing victory.
“Our identity is defense,” Hardaway said after the game. “That’s who we are. We’re a disruptive team. That’s our identity.”
KenPom currently ranks Memphis’ defense 21st in the country, and they have reinforcements on the way in the form of Kansas State transfer Nae’Qwan Tomlin, who should join the team early in 2024 as an immediately eligible graduate transfer.
While mid-major darling Florida Atlantic remains the favorite in the American Athletic Conference, Memphis does not look like a team ready to concede second place and should make the AAC an exciting two-team race all season long.
The Tigers have two more non-conference matchups, first at home against a struggling Vanderbilt squad on December 23 and then against Austin Peay on December 30, before they begin AAC play.