Memphis’ plan is to run Virginia into the ground

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Penny Hardaway is trying to make hay while the sun is shining on his Memphis basketball program, and that sun could set after tonight’s Virginia visit to FedExForum.

With Houston, Cincinnati and Central Florida having left the American Athletic Conference after last season, some of the league’s stronger basketball programs, the conference’s strength was greatly diminished. Hardaway has scheduled aggressively — the nation’s 13th-most difficult slate — in hopes of giving his Tigers their best chance of impressing the NCAA Tournament committee.

So far, so good, although Hardaway hasn’t liked the reaction that his 8-2 team has gotten from those who vote on the nation’s Top 25. Memphis has beaten Texas A&M, VCU (in overtime), Michigan and Missouri, combined with losses to Villanova and Ole Miss. Not until Memphis knocked off previously unbeaten and No. 13 Clemson three days ago, did the masses pay much attention.

Finally, the voters placed Memphis at No. 23, one spot behind tonight’s opponent, Virginia (9-2, 7 p.m., ESPN2).

If Hardaway’s team can beat a second ranked ACC team within a four-day span, he’s hoping committee members will remember that accomplishment in March, well after the Tigers most likely chew their way through a rather-unimpressive list of AAC opponents.

UVA’s Tony Bennett wasn’t quite sure how this home-and-home series came about when asked after the Cavaliers survived a close brush against Northeastern over the weekend. Bennett said he knew he wanted his team to take on a quality nonconference team on the road before ACC play gets serious next month.

Mark Giannotto, columnist for the Memphis Commercial Appeal and a writer who once covered Virginia for The Washington Post, said on this website’s podcast that he believed Hardaway has always admired the way Bennett’s teams play defense and wanted to see it up close and personal, and that Hardaway has wanted to set up this series for quite a while.

Some might caution, be careful what you wish for, but Hardaway has no fear, especially after wearing out Clemson on Saturday. His well-conditioned Tigers ran Clemson’s Tigers into the ground.

“We were tired,” Clemson coach Brad Brownell confessed after losing, 79-77. “Our older guys were tired, but our big guys especially.”

That was music to Hardaway’s ears. Classic Memphis basketball.

“We worked all week on getting the ball up and down the court as fast as we could,” Hardaway grinned. “At the end of the game, Clemson’s players were exhausted.”

It showed in the second half when Memphis outscored Clemson, 47-38.

Of course, Clemson tried to run with Memphis, something that Virginia simply won’t do, or at least doesn’t plan on doing.

The old axiom in coaching is that it’s a lot easier to slow a team down than to speed one up. No truer words have been spoken when describing Virginia hoops. Bennett’s Cavaliers play at one of the slowest tempos in America, even though this UVA team is one of its most athletic in years.

Memphis plays at greyhound speed and dares you to keep up.

This will be a battle of will — which team can impose its style of play on the other.

It’s a big homestand for Memphis, hoping to sell out its arena for the first time since March 8, 2014 (SMU) that a ranked Tigers team has hosted a ranked opponent. Virginia will be the third-consecutive ranked foe, but the most disciplined opponent Memphis will meet.

The fact that Bennett normally plays three or even four guards at a time in his lineup may benefit his cause because most of them are rather athletic, good ballhandlers, good passers, good shooters. Memphis plays a lot of guards as well, and forwards David Jones (6-6) and Nick Jourdain (6-9) aren’t towering as two of the Tigers’ best players, along with 6-1 guard Jahvon Quinerly.

Tonight’s game, featuring contrasting basketball philosophies, should produce an NCAA Tournament atmosphere, something Hardaway hopes the tournament committee will remember a few months from now.