Memphis Defies Odds With Explosive Start Under Penny Hardaway
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After a dismal previous season and heavy skepticism, the Tigers open 2-0 with signature wins over ranked and top-60 opponents.
Memphis is starting the 2026-27 season as a surprising force in college basketball, moving to No. 26 in the CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 daily rankings after an undefeated first week, as CBS Sports first reported. The surge comes at a critical juncture for head coach Penny Hardaway, who entered his ninth year at his alma mater facing significant scrutiny following a season that CBS Sports described as the program's worst in 56 years.
Hardaway's strategy involves scheduling aggressively to build an at-large NCAA Tournament resume, despite playing in a conference that KenPom.com currently ranks ninth nationally. This approach previously led to a difficult non-conference stretch last season where the Tigers lost seven of their first 11 games. Heading into the current season, KenPom projections suggested Memphis would be underdogs in each of its first four contests.
However, the Tigers have pivoted quickly, securing two high-profile victories. The team kicked off the week by defeating No. 18 Iowa State 80-76 in a neutral-court matchup. They followed that upset with an 89-88 victory at FedExForum against VCU, a team ranked 57th by KenPom and picked to win the Atlantic 10. According to CBS Sports, Memphis is currently the only team in Division I men's basketball to hold both a win over an AP-ranked opponent and a win over another opponent ranked in the top 60 by KenPom.
Much of the early success has been fueled by transfer Jayden Reid. The former Northwestern player scored 32 points and hit the game-winning free throws in the victory over VCU. Reid is currently averaging 29.0 points, 4.0 assists, and 2.5 steals per game. Following the VCU win, Reid expressed gratitude to God, his teammates, and his coaches for the opportunity to play for Memphis.
The turnaround is particularly stark given Hardaway's recent history at the program. In eight years, the Tigers have secured only one conference championship and made three NCAA Tournament appearances, winning just one game in those tournaments. CBS Sports noted that the program has seen more NCAA investigations and top-ranked recruiting classes than postseason wins under Hardaway.
Memphis now faces its most difficult test to date on Tuesday, traveling to play No. 24 Vanderbilt inside Memorial Gym. While the Commodores are also 2-0 and the computers do not favor a Memphis victory, the Tigers enter the game having already defied projections that had them starting the season 0-4.