Penny Hardaway/Men's Basketball Head Coach | The University of Memphis
Penny Hardaway/Men's Basketball Head Coach | The University of Memphis
The Memphis Tigers close the 2022-23 regular season with a showdown with top-ranked American Athletic Conference regular-season champion Houston Sunday morning at FedExForum. Game time is set for 11 a.m. on CBS.
The showdown marks the first time the Tigers have ever hosted a No. 1 team inside FedExForum and only the second time in program history the top team has visited the Bluff City.
The game is sold out and FedExForum will be striped, so fans need to check social media to see which color to wear.
No. 1 Arkansas, the eventual national champion, ventured into the Pyramid on Dec. 8, 1993 and came away with a 96-78 victory over the Tigers.
Winners of 11 of its last 13 games overall, Memphis can pick up a second ranked win of the season after knocking off No. 11 Auburn (82-73) in December. It would also give the Tigers their first-ever win over a No. 1 team in program history.
With Houston having an NCAA NET ranking of 1, Sunday's game is an opportunity for Memphis to log a third Quad I win on the year.
The nine other teams in the AAC not named Houston have combined for eight Quad I wins this season. Of note, should Cincinnati rise four spots in the NET from 79 to 75, Memphis' road win over the Bearcats Jan. 22 would become a Quad I victory.
Memphis is locked into the second seed in next week's AAC Tournament with its current 13-4 conference record. The Tigers cemented its highest tournament seed under head coach Penny Hardaway with Thursday's 81-62 road win at SMU, coupled with Tulane's 83-68 loss at ECU.
Should the Tigers capture a 14th AAC win on the season, it would be their most since joining the conference prior to the 2013-14 season. Memphis went 13-5 in league action last season in 2021-22.
Sunday's game is sponsored by the Memphis Area Toyota Dealers.
Prior to Sunday's game, the Tigers are honoring the contributions of six seniors: Damaria Franklin, Elijah McCadden, Chandler Lawson, Kendric Davis, DeAndre Williams and Malcolm Dandridge.
UP NEXT
After Sunday's game, the Tigers head to Fort Worth, Texas, for the AAC Tournament March 9-12 at Dickies Arena. The tournament bracket will be revealed Sunday evening after the conclusion of all games.
Original source can be found here