Tigers, Auburn to play Dec. 12 in Atlanta
The University of Memphis will play Auburn for the second time in program history – and for the first time since the early 1950s – when it participates in the Holiday Hoopsgiving event in mid-December at State Farm Arena.
Christopher Williams, CEO/Founder of The VII Group and creator of Holiday Hoopsgiving, announced the lineup Thursday. It features five Southeastern Conference teams – Auburn, Alabama, Kentucky, LSU and Mississippi State – and an opening game Nov. 27 (Kentucky vs. Georgia Tech) matching former University of Memphis coaches John Calipari and Josh Pastner.
The other games -- Memphis vs. Auburn, Clemson vs. Alabama, South Florida vs. LSU and Dayton vs. Mississippi State -- will be played Dec. 12 as part of a quadruple-header. Memphis will be led by third-year coach Penny Hardaway, a former NBA All-Star and an All-American during his playing days for the UofM in the early 1990s. Hardaway led the Tigers to a 21-10 record last year, a season that included wins at nationally ranked Tennessee and at home against No. 22 Houston.
The UofM will return key sophomores Lester Quinones, Boogie Ellis, D.J. Jeffries, Malcolm Dandridge and Damion Baugh, along with juniors Alex Lomax and Lance Thomas. Hardaway said he's looking forward to playing in a city some Memphis fans "consider a second home."
Auburn will enter the 2020-21 season with momentum, having finished in the final Associated Press Top 25 for the third-straight season. Auburn went 25-6 overall and was ranked 20th.
Holiday Hoopsgiving has historically showcased many of the top high school basketball programs in the country for the past six years and is listed as one of the top five Thanksgiving basketball showcases in the country by USA Today. "Our goal is to highlight the top basketball talent in the country on both the high school and college levels to show the future of basketball," Williams said. "We are elated to be able to bring this experience to Atlanta."
Dayton, Kentucky and Auburn are coming off seasons in which they finished ranked in the Top 25. Dayton's Anthony Grant was named national coach of the year by two outlets. The two weekends of the Holiday Hoopsgiving will include the high school showcase and events benefiting local charities and local students at various locations throughout the city.
All travel packages and game tickets will be available at a later date. Fans can stay up to date on information at http://theviigroup.net.