Memphis is somehow, someway, 2-0 to kick off the 2026-27 season, a shocking turnaround for a program where head coach Penny Hardaway started his ninth year on the absolute hot seat. Just last week, KenPom projected Hardaway’s Tigers as underdogs in *each* of their first four games. Yeah, that’s how low the expectations were.
A Start Nobody Predicted
We’re only seven days into the new season, but you can absolutely make the case that nobody had a better first week than Hardaway’s squad. They opened on Monday with a tight 80-76 neutral-court win over No. 18 Iowa State. That was huge, but then they backed it up Saturday with an 89-88 victory at FedExForum against VCU, a team picked to win the Atlantic 10 and ranked 57th by KenPom. Think about that for a second. In this moment, Memphis is the *only* team in Division I men’s basketball with a win over an opponent ranked in the AP poll AND another win over an opponent ranked in the top 60 at KenPom. That’s a serious early statement.
A huge part of this electric start is transfer Jayden Reid from Northwestern. The dude absolutely went off for 32 points against VCU, even burying the game-winning free throws in the final seconds. He’s been incredible, averaging 29.0 points, 4.0 assists, and 2.5 steals for these undefeated Tigers. Reid was clearly emotional after the VCU win, saying, “I’m just so thankful, man. … I’m just thankful for God. He put me in a great position, coming to Memphis out the portal. I’m so thankful for my coaches, my teammates. It’s a big-time win at home.” You can feel that energy!
Hardaway’s Bet Is Paying Off (For Now)
To really get how wild this 2-0 start is, you gotta understand what Hardaway has been dealing with. He’s the program’s greatest alum, a guy who would’ve been a Naismith Memorial Hall of Famer if injuries hadn’t cut his playing career short. Before the Grizzlies even hit the NBA, Penny was the city’s NBA franchise. He means that much to Memphis. But his coaching tenure has been a rough ride. Over eight years, they’ve only had one conference championship and four times finished fifth place or lower in the American.
Hardaway has always wanted to schedule tough non-league games, trying to build an at-large resume for the NCAA Tournament, despite playing in a conference that currently ranks ninth nationally. The problem? It hasn’t always worked. Last season was a nightmare, losing seven of their first 11 non-league games, leading to the program’s worst season in 56 years. That’s why he was on the hot seat! But he still went out and assembled another brutal non-league schedule. This time, it looks like it’s actually paying off.
Memphis cracking the Top 25 And 1 after a start like this, especially with that hot seat pressure, is just phenomenal. The league is watching this unexpected run closely, and you gotta wonder what they can do next after such a strong opening week.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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