Despair and desolation. 

If Penny Hardaway and Memphis basketball are to eradicate the feeling of misery that has enveloped the program, a lot has to happen between now and Nov. 2. 

Perhaps nothing is more important than getting the roster right. So, how does Hardaway do that? Where did he go wrong in 2025-26? Which players (if any) should he bring back? What are the Tigers' biggest needs positionally?

And, what should be Hardaway's top priority when evaluating incoming players? 

On this week's episode of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, Jason Munz and Jonah Dylan get into all of that. Plus: Munz and Dylan look back on the season and wonder whether the most memorable moments are likely the ones most hope to forget. 

The Memphis Tigers won the American Conference Tournament last season. 

Will they repeat? They'll have to win five games in five days and eliminate four teams more well rested than them to do it. But isn't that the very essence of March Madness? 

On this week's episode of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, Jonah Dylan and Jason Munz pore over the reasons why you should feel optimistic about Memphis' chances, as well as reasons why the odds against it are very tall. 

Dylan and Munz also get into the school's firing of women's basketball coach Alex Simmons (and discuss some candidates to replace her) and rank which conference tournaments are consistently the most entertaining. 

Memphis basketball coach Penny Hardaway, as his team has lost six straight games, has not blamed injuries. He has not cited a lack of resources. He has not hinted at behind-the-scenes drama.

Hardaway has, in large part, avoided making excuses. 

On this week's episode of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, Jonah Dylan and Jason Munz surmise some potential reasoning behind that. 

Also, Dylan and Munz take stock of where things stand with two games left in the regular season, lean on some listener-submitted analytics to forecast American Conference tournament berth probabilities, and (at the 44-minute mark) shine a light on Rhodes College reaching the Division III NCAA Tournament. 

Memphis basketball still has four games left in what's been a dreadful regular season. 

The Tigers have lost four in a row, and there are no objective signs that things will get better before the book on this particular group is finally closed. 

For those reasons, the number of uncomfortable conversations swirling around Memphis and its coach Penny Hardaway continues to rise. On this week's episode of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, Jonah Dylan and Jason Munz look back on the week that was for the team, which included losses to South Florida and UAB. In addition, they attempt to peel back the layers of the incredibly nuanced situation Memphis finds itself in with Hardaway.

Finally, Dylan and Munz look for reasons one could credibly say right now that next season will be better for Hardaway and the Tigers. 

Who knew the first Memphis basketball-Utah State meeting in history would yield some legitimate theatrics, while also highlighting a broader conversation about the role metrics play in March Madness? 

While that is unclear, that's sort of what's happened since the Tigers and Aggies met on Feb. 14. 

Also in the past week: Memphis suspended two players indefinitely, then dismissed one and reinstated the other four days later; the Tigers lost another game at North Texas, but they remain in contention for a top-two seed at next month's American Conference tournament; and coach Penny Hardaway set the stage not only for next season's home Utah State game, but perhaps a continuation of the series beyond that. 

On this episode of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, Jason Munz and Jonah Dylan delve into all of the above, as well as what's next for Memphis, and some of the wackier recent goings-on around college basketball.

The American Conference race is as wide open as its been in recent memory. 

Only one game separates the current top six teams in the standings (as of Feb. 10). Memphis is one of those six teams. And, believe it or not, the Tigers (12-11, 7-4 in league play) are as hot as any of them.

Penny Hardaway's team has won back-to-back games (tied for the longest active win streak in The American) and three of its last four. Memphis is in a three-way tie for fourth with seven conference games remaining. 

Will the Tigers close strong and win back some of the goodwill it lost earlier this season? Or, will it be Tulsa who pushes away? Or, could South Florida make it two regular-season titles in three years? 

On this episode of the Tiger Basketball Podcast, Jason Munz and Jonah Dylan provide their takes on how the rest of the regular season will play out in The American. In addition, Munz and Dylan revisit some of the top storylines that have emerged for Memphis over the past three weeks and wonder which ones deserve more stock than others. They also look ahead to the Tigers' upcoming road games with North Texas and Utah State. 

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.