MEMPHIS, Tenn. — After they were seemingly looked over by the national sports media and top-25 polls earlier this season, the Memphis Tigers men's basketball team finds themselves ranked in the AP Top-25 for the first time in the 2023-2024 NCAA men's basketball season.
The Tigers earned the ranking thanks to a huge 79-77 home win against the then-No. 13 Clemson Tigers, who came into the game undefeated and having their best season start in more than a decade at 9-0.
Memphis (8-2) had received top-25 votes every week this season, including missing out on the top-25 by four votes after week three, but had lost some momentum after dropping two straight games to Villanova and Ole Miss, the latter of which also finding themselves in the top-25 this week at No. 25.
Three straight wins - at VCU, at then-No. 21 Texas A&M, and the aforementioned Clemson win - have the Tigers sitting at No. 23 in the latest poll, notably behind Clemson, which fell five spots to No. 18.
They join No. 14 Florida Atlantic as the only ranked teams in the American Athletic Conference, and one of just eight ranked teams from non-Power 5 conferences.
Memphis beat Clemson thanks largely in part to outpacing them in the second half, which came down to conditioning. Memphis outscored Clemson 47-38 in the half and seemed to gain momentum after erasing a halftime deficit.
“We were tired,” Clemson coach Brad Brownwell said. “Our guys were tired. Our older guys were tired, but our big guys especially.”
That was something Memphis planned its strategy around. Long rebounds and quick outlet passes led to fast transitions, particularly in the second half. But the Tigers had seen the Clemson big men laboring late in the first half.
Memphis coach Penny Hardaway said his Tigers haven't reached their potential.
“That was true Memphis basketball," Hardaway said.
Memphis has another huge home game Tuesday at the FedExForum, in what is now a top-25 matchup against No. 22 Virginia.
