Tigers earn third NCAA bid in last four years with regular-season championship: “What a difference a year makes.”
For Penny Hardaway and the Memphis Tigers, it was a season of redemption and triumph.
PJ Haggerty and Dain Dainja combined for 20 points apiece to lead a Tigers second-half charge over the South Florida Bulls, 84-68, and capture the American Athletic Conference regular-season championship at the FedExForum on Friday, March 7.
It is Tigers coach Penny Hardaway’s first AAC regular-season title.
“It has been a great season because we have been so grounded. We know where our power comes from. Tonight’s game is a result of staying close and keeping our faithful,” Hardaway said.
Memphis also secured a spot in the 2025 NCAA Tournament with the victory. The achievement marks a rebound from last season’s postseason absence. After not being selected to the NCAA Tournament in 2023-24, Hardaway opted to skip the lesser NIT event.
“It is definitely sweeter because of last season. When you can fall down and get back up, that’s what life is all about. When you see someone fall and get back up and be victorious, that’s the American story. It has been rewarding compared to last season,” Hardaway said. “What a difference a year makes.”
Memphis outscored South Florida 49-33 in the second half. Tyrese Hunter kicked off a 6-0 run with a three-point shot from the top of the arc to start the half. A few plays later, Hunter intercepted a pass and found Colby Rogers open for a corner three to extend the Tigers’ lead to 44-36 with 18:00 remaining.
An alley-oop from CJ Brown to Kobe Knox narrowed the Bulls’ deficit to 50-45. It was as close as South Florida would get to sniffing a victory. By midway through the half, the Tigers had pulled away to a 60-48 lead on a Dainja dunk. The senior center shot 10-for-13 for the night.
A three-point shot by Haggerty with 3:22 remaining gave the Tigers a 78-60 lead, effectively icing the game. The Bulls scored eight points in the rest of the second half. Confetti dropped at the sound of the horn in celebration.
Haggerty averages 21.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.2 assists, ranking sixth-best in NCAA Division I, after transferring from Tulsa last season. The sophomore guard hit 5-for-10 from the field, including 2-for-3 from deep, in 32 minutes of play. The team’s leading scorer also hit 8-for-10 from the free-throw line. Between each attempt in the second half, Tigers fans chanted, “One more year.”
“I appreciate all the love. I tried to focus on this year. We have a lot of games ahead of us. I think we are a Final Four team,” Haggerty said.
Tyrese Hunter also played well, scoring 16 points, dishing a game-high seven assists, and collecting a team-high three steals.
“It feels good. We are going to enjoy the moment. A lot of people didn’t want us to have it. We worked hard to get to this moment,” Hunter said.
Hunter, Haggerty, and Dainja combined for 37 second-half points after both teams ended the first half in a 35-35 stalemate.
Dainja and Hunter were two of five seniors honored before the game, along with Colby Rogers, Nicholas Jourdain, and Moussa Cisse.
South Florida was led by Jayden Reid, who scored 20 points on 7-for-9 shooting from the field. The sophomore guard also hit 2-for-3 from deep. The Bulls finished the season 13-18, 6-12 for ninth place in the AAC.
The conference championship and tournament bid reflect a vast improvement in the Tigers’ record. The Tigers wrap up the season with a 26-5, 16-2 record, compared to last year’s squad, which finished the season 22-10, 11-7, and tied for fifth place in the AAC with SMU.
Memphis will have to wait until Sunday, March 16, to learn their seeding in the NCAA Tournament. Most experts peg them as a sixth seed with a couple of wins in the AAC Tournament. The conference is considered a one-bid league.
The Tigers will play their first contest of the conference tournament on Friday, March 14, at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. Tip-off is at noon. The winner will face the winner of eighth-seeded Wichita State vs. the TBA ninth-seeded squad.
