As the final buzzer sounded on Saturday night in Cincinnati, the Tigers had lost a close battle by a score of 71-69. However, the loss it felt different than the other losses this season, the loss in fact felt like a positive. The early season Tigers would have lost this game by 20 plus and would not have a shot at victory but this Memphis team has vastly improved throughout the season.

Memphis has seen their fair share of extreme highs and extreme lows, the program as a whole has seen a complete overhaul all in credit to Penny Hardaway.

Heading into March many Tigers fans were a bit leery on the potential of this Memphis team, but as we have seen year after year with the Tigers they start to peak right at the right time. With one week before the AAC Tournament, the Tigers are playing their best ball of the season and quite frankly the best in a few years. We’re going to take a few points as to why the Tigers are primed for a special AAC Tournament.

First and foremost, the Tigers will have home court advantage at the AAC Tournament and the Tigers so far this season are 14-2 at the Grind House. Memphis has been almost to the point of unbeatable this season at the FedEx Forum, credit to the Tiger fans who have once again made Memphis one of the toughest places to play. With the AAC being played in Memphis it goes without saying that the basketball fans of the 901 will create a very special environment for the hometown Memphis Tigers.

Second, unless you’ve been living under a rock over the last month you’ve heard about Jeremiah Martin and his amazing play over the last month or so. Martin has become one of the most beloved Tiger basketball players in program history, joining the ranks of CDR, Derrick Rose, and many more who have put on the Tiger blue. Martin is averaging an impressive 19.7 points a game and has led the Tigers with 5 over 30 point games including two with over 40 games. Martin is the leader on this team and will play a crucial role into how far Memphis will go this March. If Martin can get help from Davenport the Tigers will be close to unbeatable in the AAC Tournament.

Lastly, Penny Hardaway has his Tigers playing as their brother’s keeper. When you watched the Cincinnati game you saw a team who played for each other and who watched out for their brother, and when a team starts to do that in March that team is more likely to make a surprise run and shock a few folks. Memphis is finally starting to play with confidence and certain swagger level that a lot of Tigers fans haven’t seen in years. This has the potential to be one of the best coaching jobs by a first-year head coach that College Basketball has seen in quite some time.

Memphis fans across the city need to sit back and enjoy the ride no matter where this team and Penny Hardaway might take them. This season hasn’t been the easiest at times but this season has taught Memphis fans the value of patience for the future so they can fully enjoy the new culture around the Memphis basketball program. This is only the beginning and any postseason play would be a huge uptick for the program, not only for practice and game experience but also for the future heading into next season