Coming off back-to-back home wins, and having won five of its last six games, Penny Hardaway recently declared his Memphis basketball team has finally turned a corner. 

Can we trust him? Is it safe to even entertain the thought that the Tigers may, in fact, be "back" after they responded to a disappointing loss at FAU by beating Temple and UTSA in wildly different fashions? 

On this week's episode of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, Jason Munz and Jonah Dylan unpack that whole scenario during a segment dedicated to fielding listener-submitted questions. In addition, they discuss the strange and unusual portion of ESPN2's broadcast of the Memphis-UTSA game that featured Maroon 5 and Michael Buble'. Munz and Dylan also tackle some Tiger football topics and look ahead to the basketball team's next few games, which are setting up to be pivotal. 

Memphis basketball was knocked off its perch, tied atop the American Conference standings, in deflating fashion Jan. 11.

That's when the Tigers were beaten handily by FAU, sending some fans' emotions into a tailspin. Not necessarily because the team lost one game. But largely because the same issues that plagued the team in ugly losses to UNLV and Louisville reared their head again. 

On this week's episode of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, Jason Munz and Jonah Dylan discuss whether coach Penny Hardaway has any more buttons left to push to turn Memphis' season around (and wonder whether or not part of the problem is the amount of button-pushing that's already taken place). Also, Munz and Dylan dissect and analyze the loss to FAU, then look ahead to the Tigers' home game against Temple. 

The Tigers are 2-0 in American Conference play, which is good enough for a first-place tie with Tulane and Temple. 

It's an encouraging start for Penny Hardaway's team, especially considering how shaky some other teams' starts were. But how much does the next nine weeks matter in the grand scheme of things for the Tigers, all things considered? 

On this week's episode of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, Jason Munz and Jonah Dylan sift through the many layers of that topic. In addition, they reveal their primary takeaways from the team's win at Rice, answer some listener-submitted (some football transfer portal-related) questions, preview the upcoming game against FAU, and celebrate the return of the Tiger Basketball Insider text group. 

Memphis football has officially ushered in the Charles Huff era.

The Tigers' new football coach was introduced Dec. 10, when he made clear, "it's time to win a championship." Anything less is a goal unreached. 

On this special football edition of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, Jonah Dylan and Jason Munz put a bow Ryan Silverfield's somewhat complicated tenure as Memphis head coach and set the stage for Huff and the immediate future of the program. 

The Memphis Tigers, nine games into the season, are still searching for a signature win. 

Maybe they'll get it against No. 12 Vanderbilt on Dec. 17. If so, it could prove that the issues from the monster loss at No. 11 Louisville are correctable. 

Will Penny Hardaway's team bounce back and get that marquee victory it needs in a bad way? 

On this week's episode of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, Jason Munz and Jonah Dylan revisit the yuckiness at the "Yum!", attempt to hone in on the most troubling aspect of the performance, and wonder whether Memphis can pull it together sooner rather than later. 

The storied Memphis-Louisville basketball rivalry resumes Dec. 13, 2025, after an eight-year hiatus. 

And, for that, we are thankful.

In fact, we should never again be left to wonder when the next time the Tigers and Cardinals will play. They should square off regularly no matter what. 

In this case, the upcoming meeting at the KFC Yum! Center is the first of a six-game series that will end during the 2030-31 season. While we hope a new agreement to extend the series will be in place by then, Jason Munz and Jonah Dylan dive into the rich history of the long-standing feud on this week's episode of the Tiger Basketball Podcast. 

In addition, Munz and Dylan look forward to the game between Penny Hardaway and Pat Kelsey's teams and discuss their top takeaways from Memphis' win over Baylor on Dec. 6, including Aaron Bradshaw and Zach Davis.   

Penny Hardaway and his Memphis basketball Tigers are gearing up for an important stretch of games, starting with New Orleans on Dec. 3. 

It continues with Baylor, then Louisville, Vanderbilt and Mississippi State. And how the team fares might have major March Madness at-large candidacy implications. 

With that in mind, will the recent debut of forward Hasan Abdul Hakim turn out to be a key factor in how it all plays out for the Tigers? Can Aaron Bradshaw build upon his best outing in a Memphis uniform and, if so, is that something that can elevate the team's trajectory? 

On this week's episode of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, Jason Munz and Jonah Dylan weigh in on these matters and more, including: the initial release of the NET rankings, previewing upcoming games against New Orleans and Baylor, and an update on the return of the Memphis basketball insiders text group. 

There's only one way to absorb a 1-4 start that includes a four-game losing streak.

Recovering from such a thing won't be easy. It may even be impossible. But the Memphis basketball team can dig itself out of the hole it's in. 

So says Tiger basketball beat writer Jason Munz. On this week's episode of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, he and Tiger football beat writer Jonah Dylan (who is not convinced) look back on the team's trip to the Bahamas, where it lost to No. 1 Purdue and Wake Forest in the Baha Mar Championship. They debate whether we've seen enough from the Tigers to believe they can redeem themselves.

Munz and Dylan also look ahead to Memphis' next game (Nov. 26 vs. Southern Illinois at FedExForum) and take a look around the American Conference at the week that was for some teams. 

Memphis basketball has made a name for itself in recent years as a significant threat in non-conference play. 

From 2021 to 2024, Penny Hardaway's Tigers are 31-8 outside American Conference play in the regular season. That stretch includes wins over UConn, Clemson, Ole Miss, Michigan State, Arkansas, Michigan, Missouri, Texas A&M, Auburn, Vanderbilt and more. 

But, after starting the season 1-2 (with one of those losses coming by 14 points at home to UNLV), is it time to reset your expectations? Is it time to accept the likelihood that Memphis may not stack wins against non-league teams the way it has been? 

Is it time to consider the possibility this season will be more about building toward American Conference play? While ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi seems to think so, Jason Munz and Jonah Dylan ponder these questions as they look back on and dissect the Tigers' ugly loss to UNLV. In addition, Munz and Dylan set up Memphis' game against No. 1 Purdue during its trip to the Bahamas. 

Other topics on this week's episode: the status of the Tiger basketball text group, how Memphis football's season shifted so dramatically and the dominance of the school's women's soccer program. 

Two games into the regular season, Memphis basketball fans seem to be either heartened by the Tigers' play or resigned to a ho-hum existence that may or may not result in a March Madness appearance. 

There isn't much in-between. 

Penny Hardaway has his team off to a 1-1 start with a home win over San Francisco and a road loss to Ole Miss. 

Where do we stand? On this week's episode of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, Jason Munz and Jonah Dylan weigh in with their thoughts and feelings on the subject. In addition, they break down some of the more under-the-radar moments so far and preview the upcoming home game against UNLV. They also touch on where Memphis football is after the Tulane loss and set up the Tigers' women's soccer NCAA tournament game against Illinois.