MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Everything is on the line Sunday.
A win at Houston puts the Tigers inside the bubble, and on the cusp of the NCAA Tournament.
A loss would all but rule out an at-large bid.
"If that makes you nervous, this isn't the game for you," Penny Hardaway said.
Can the Tigers upset No. 9 Houston on the road, capture their first Quad 1 win of the season, and position themselves to get into March Madness? Those questions and more will be answered Sunday at 11:00 a.m.
Hardaway has not been shy about expressing the magnitude of this matchup in practice this week.
"We know it’s a big game," he said. "We know what we have to do. We know the mindset we have to have going to that game. And we’re preaching that every second while we’re in that building, I mean, in that gym. And if that bothers guys, it makes them a little bit more nervous, then hopefully the jitters won’t last for long."
The highly anticipated contest comes on the heels of Tiger outrage. The second Memphis-Houston matchup was not rescheduled, despite ample time to do so, costing Memphis its final home game. Penny made clear this morning; his frustration is not with the Cougars, it's with the conference.
"I'm not mad at [Houston] for doing that. The commissioner, to me, could have handled this way differently," he said. "But they did what they had to. I would fight like hell to have it on my home court as well. If I could get away with it I would, and they did."
With Texas removing COVID-19 restrictions this week, the Tigers could face one of the most hostile environments they have seen since the pandemic began. Hardaway says his team will have to overcome.
"You've got to win big games on the road," he said. "I want to be a coach that's known for winning big games on the road, so we'll see what happens Sunday."
Alex Lomax is still questionable for the game, as he continues to nurse the sprained left ankle that kept him out of the Tigers last two games at Cincinnati and South Florida. Penny said Lomax is no longer in a walking boot, but still walking with a noticeable limp.