MEMPHIS, Tenn. — When the Tigers name was called, the team was not there to hear it.
"We went into the locker room to talk to the team," Hardaway said. He wanted to speak to his team before heading up to the watch party. "They were like we have to go up and then right when we were walking in the hallway, they were like, it just announced."
An anti-climactic way for Memphis to find out that, after eight long years, they are back in the NCAA Tournament.
The team was clearly still deflated by the loss to Houston in the conference championship game, but Penny said the celebration will set in soon enough.
"The competitive nature in us is not just going to be elated and just forget what just happened an hour ago," Hardaway said. "But we'll be excited when we go to Portland."
The Tigers are the 9-seed, getting Boise State in the NCAA Round of 64 on Thursday afternoon. Chet Holmgren and top-seed Gonzaga loom in the Round of 32.
But in Year Four under Penny Hardaway, Sunday's selection represents a promise fulfilled to Tiger Nation. Doing it with so many Memphians on the roster made it that much sweeter.
"Being in their shoes. Being in their uniforms. And then having them have an opportunity now to experience the NCAA. It's even better because that's what we set out to do," Hardaway said."
"It was always a childhood dream," Alex Lomax, the senior guard and East High alum said. "One day just playing for your home and getting into the tournament."
"I came back because I wanted to be a part of this team," said Tyler Harris, who returned to the Tigers as a walk-on after transferring to Iowa State the year prior. "We didn't get the seed we wanted but it's still a great feeling that we're going to get to go down and play in the NCAA Tournament."
"I know where this came from, and where it's going, and it's headed in the right direction," Hardaway said.