MEMPHIS – With 16 consecutive wins at FedexForum, Memphis has the third longest active win streak in D-I basketball and the Tigers have won eight straight the Green Wave at home. However, the Tigers are trying to get even as they lost the first game of 2023 to Tulane in New Orleans.
” Well for us, you know, every game that you lose, you want you want to beat that team the next time you play them. They took care of home court and now we have to take care of home”, said Tigers head coach Penny Hardaway.
” We lost them so that’s, you know, all the motivation we need”, said Tigers senior DeAndre Williams.” We already know what they do. They know what we do. We just got to go in and take care of business, that’s all”, he added.
Headed into Saturday, the Tigers are 6-1 since that lost, and feel as they understand more of the team’s identity since then.
“We’re a totally different team than when we played them the first time around. I mean, as far as offensively and defensively, it was our first game of the conference New Year’s Day, and there was no excuses. They are good at what they do, and we just didn’t do enough to beat them”, said Hardaway.
Though Memphis hopes to settle the score from that January 1st lost to Tulane, they will play with added motivation as former Tiger legend Lorenzen Wright’s number ’55’ jersey will go into the rafters at halftime at FedexForum.
Friday, both Wright and Tiger-great Larry Finch were honored with a reception on campus.
” I wish he could be here to look at this. Like if he was here, we wouldn’t be having what were are doing, but I’m going to be ecstatic tomorrow”, said Wright’s mother, Deborah Marion.
” It’s a beautiful day with Lorenzen’s jersey going into the rafters, Coach Finch’s bobble head you can’t get a better day than that if you’re a Tiger fan and being the coach”, said Hardaway.
“You always want to play hard, obviously. But it makes you even like another gear somewhere you it just comes out”, said Tigers senior Keonte Kennedy.
” It’s going to be an emotional night but at the same token we have to go out and take care of business the same way did when he played
