| Memphis Tigers men's basketball | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| University | University of Memphis | ||||||||||||
| First season | 1920 | ||||||||||||
| All-time record | 1,406–820–1 (.632) | ||||||||||||
| Head coach | Penny Hardaway (8th season) | ||||||||||||
| Conference | American | ||||||||||||
| Location | Memphis, Tennessee | ||||||||||||
| Arena | FedExForum (capacity: 18,119) | ||||||||||||
| Nickname | Tigers | ||||||||||||
| Colors | Blue and gray[1] | ||||||||||||
| Uniforms | |||||||||||||
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| NCAA tournament runner-up | |||||||||||||
| 1973,2008* | |||||||||||||
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| Conference tournament champions | |||||||||||||
| 1982*, 1984*, 1985*, 1987, 2006, 2007, 2008*, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2023, 2025 | |||||||||||||
| Conference regular-season champions | |||||||||||||
| 1972, 1973, 1982*, 1984*, 1985*, 1995, 1996, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008*, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2025 | |||||||||||||
*Vacated by NCAA | |||||||||||||
TheMemphis Tigers men's basketball team represents theUniversity of Memphis inNCAA Division I men'scollege basketball. The Tigers have competed in theAmerican Conference since 2013. As of 2020, the Tigers had the 26th highest winning percentage inNCAA history.[2] While the Tigers have an on-campus arena,Elma Roane Fieldhouse (which is still the primary home forTigers women's basketball), the team has played home games off campus since the mid-1960s. The Tigers moved to theMid-South Coliseum at the Memphis Fairgrounds in 1966, and then to downtown Memphis atThe Pyramid, initially built for the team in 1991 and later home to theNBA'sMemphis Grizzlies. In 2004, both teams moved to a new downtown venue,FedExForum.ESPN Stats and Information Department ranked Memphis as the 19th most successful basketball program from 1962 to 2012 in their annual50 in 50 list.[3]
The predecessor of the University of Memphis,West Tennessee State Normal School, first put a basketball team on the court in 1920.Zach Curlin began coaching the team in 1924. The Tigers joined theMississippi Valley Conference in 1928. The team played its early home games at a local high school gym, a localYMCA, and in a room on campus called the "Normal Cage" which allowed only six inches from the court lines to the walls. In 1929, a $100,000 facility on campus named Memorial Gym became the Tigers' home.[4]
Curlin's last season coaching the Tigers was in 1948, by which time the school had been renamedMemphis State College; it would becomeMemphis State University in 1957. His successor was McCoy Tarry. In 1951, the new $700,000Fieldhouse gym was opened for Tiger home games. In 1952, John Wallesea became the first Memphis State player to be drafted by theNBA.Forest Arnold became the school's first All-American in 1954. The Tigers made theNCAA tournament for the first time, in1955, under coachEugene Lambert.Bob Vanatta became the team's coach in 1956 and took the Tigers to theNIT final. Win Wilfong became the team's second All-American in 1957.[4]
In 1962, Dean Ehlers took over coaching duties. The Tigers began playing its home games at theMid-South Coliseum in 1964.Moe Iba became the team's coach in 1966, the same year the team joined theMissouri Valley Conference.[4] Iba's four years running the program are considered the low point in the history of Memphis basketball, with the team suffering 19 and 20 loss seasons before Iba's dismissal. However, the Tigers did not remain down for long.
In 1970,Gene Bartow was named head coach. The 1970 season also saw the first games ofLarry Finch andRonnie Robinson, two all-time greats. Larry Finch scored 24 points in his first appearance as a freshman. In 1971, the Tigers led by Finch and Robinson upset conference rivalLouisville. At 11–2, they were ranked #19 after not reaching the Top 20 in a decade. Early in the 1971–1972 season, Memphis State fell in a heart breaker to No. 2 Marquette after leading by five points with five minutes to go. After defeating Louisville inFreedom Hall, the Tigers shared the Missouri Valley Conference title in 1972 with Louisville. Louisville won a playoff to represent the MVC in the NCAA Tournament while the Tigers went to the NIT for their fifth time.
During the 1972–73 season, seniors Finch and Robinson led the Tigers to one of their most successful seasons. Memphis State won the MVC outright in 1972 after winning 14 straight games. They went to theNCAA tournament where they handily beat South Carolina and Kansas State after a first round bye to reach the Final Four. After beating Providence, the Tigers went to play for the national championship against theUCLA Bruins led by legendary coachJohn Wooden and led by starBill Walton. Keeping it close in the first half, the Tigers were overwhelmed in the second half eventually losing by 21, 87–66. Bartow won the NABCNational Coach of the Year award that season and Larry Finch was named a consensus All-American. Also on the Finals team wasLarry Kenon who went on to be a 2-time All-Star in theNBA. He remains one of the most successful NBA players in Memphis history.Wayne Yates took over for Bartow in 1974 when Bartow left for Illinois. Yates led Memphis State to three straight 20-win seasons, including an NCAA Tournament berth in 1976. The Tigers left the Missouri Valley Conference to become one of the inaugural members of theMetro Conference in 1976.Dana Kirk became head coach in 1979.[5]
In the 1980s, the Tigers made seven NCAA tournaments and won three Metro Conference titles, amassing a record of 230–87 (.726).Keith Lee began playing for the Tigers in 1982, and Memphis was ranked number one in both major national polls for the first time the same year. However, that same night they were knocked off byVirginia Tech 69–56 inBlacksburg.[6] In the1983 NCAA tournament, the Tigers beatGeorgetown led byPatrick Ewing, whom Lee dominated in the paint. They lost their next game to top-seedHouston led byHakeem Olajuwon.[5]
After finishing 24–3 in the regular season, the 1984–1985 season proved to be another memorable one in Tiger history. Lee eventually led the team to anotherNCAA tournament in 1985. Memphis State beat Penn, UAB, Boston College and Oklahoma to reach the school's second Final Four. They were defeated by eventual championVillanova and finished the season 31–4. All but one of the 12 players on this team were from the Memphis metro area.[7] Lee was named a consensus All-American for the third time in his four-year career. In 1986, Kirk was forced out after becoming the subject of a criminal investigation. He was also found to have committed many NCAA violations as well. The Tigers were forced to sit out the1987 NCAA tournament and were stripped of all of their NCAA tournament appearances from 1982 to 1986, including the 1985 Final Four run. Kirk's top assistant, Larry Finch, one of the leaders of the fabled 1972–73 team, took over head coaching duties in 1986. One of Finch's first recruits,Elliot Perry, began playing for the team in 1987. Perry led Memphis State to the1988 and1989 NCAA Tournaments and was drafted to theNBA where he became a successful player. In the 1988–89 season, the Tigers set a school record by starting the game against arch-rivalLouisville with a 24–0 run.[5]
In 1990, Finch landed the country's highest rated high school recruit,Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway. The Tigers also moved to theGreat Midwest Conference and began playing their home games at the newPyramid Arena (affectionately known as the "Tomb of Doom") in 1991. Stand-out Hardaway led Memphis State to the1992 NCAA tournament, where the Tigers were defeated in the Elite Eight by rivalCincinnati. The following summer, Hardaway was named All-American and earned a chance to train with theDream Team before theBarcelona Olympics. During the 1992–93 season, Hardaway earned Memphis State's first triple-double and then the first back-to-back triple-doubles in wins overGeorgia State andVanderbilt. On February 6, 1993, the school achieved its 1,000th all-time basketball victory in an upset over No. 4 Cincinnati. After the season, Penny Hardaway left for the NBA draft where he was selected third overall by theGolden State Warriors. He became the most successful NBA player in history to matriculate from the Memphis basketball program. In 1994, Memphis State changed its name to theUniversity of Memphis.[5]
In 1995, the Memphis team included future NBA players David Vaughn,Cedric Henderson, andLorenzen Wright, and they made it to the1995 NCAA tournament where they lost in the Sweet Sixteen. Memphis joinedConference USA in 1995 as a founding member with long-time rivals Louisville and Cincinnati. Finch stepped down as head coach in 1997 andTic Price took over thereafter. Price's three years were one of the Tigers' least successful since the 1960s. He was forced to resign just days before the start of the 1999–2000 season after school officials discovered he was involved in an inappropriate relationship with a student at the university.[8]Johnny Jones spent one year as interim head coach while the school looked for a replacement.[5]
John Calipari was named Memphis' head coach in 2000. Under his leadership, the Tigers won the2002NIT championship, then made the NCAA tournament in2003 and2004. The Tigers leftThe Pyramid to play home games in theFedExForum in 2004. The 2005–06 Tigers were led byDarius Washington,Shawne Williams andRodney Carney and set a school record by going 30–3 and reaching a No. 3 ranking during a regular season that was capped by aConference USA championship. In the2006 NCAA tournament, the Tigers received a number one seed, and they advanced to the Elite Eight before falling to eventual tournament runner-upUCLA.
Despite losing their top three scorers from the prior season to the NBA and graduation, the 2006–07 Tigers duplicated the previous year's regular season record of 30–3, were ranked as high as No. 5, and again won theConference USA championship, going undefeated in conference play. The Tigers earned a number two seed in the2007 NCAA tournament. The Tigers defeated 15 seedNorth Texas in the first round, 7 seedNevada in the second round, and 3 seedTexas A&M in the Sweet Sixteen, and lost to 1 seed and eventual tournament runner-upOhio State in the Elite Eight.
The2007–08 Memphis Tigers men's basketball team achieved a No. 1 ranking in theAssociated Press basketball poll in January 2008, the school's first No. 1 ranking in the poll since 1982, and went on to win their third straight Conference USA title on March 15, 2008. After a month, they lost this ranking when they were defeated by in-state rival and No. 2-rankedTennessee at home. Led by First-Team All-AmericanChris Douglas-Roberts and future No. 1 overall pickDerrick Rose, the team received a No. 1 seed in the2008 NCAA tournament and defeated No. 16 seedTexas-Arlington in round one, No. 8 seedMississippi State in round two, and No. 5 seedMichigan State in theSweet Sixteen. Memphis convincingly defeated No. 2 seedTexas in the Elite Eight round to advance to the school's first Final Four since 1985. Following this win, Memphis went on to beat No. 1 seedUCLA on April 5, 2008, advancing to the National Championship game on April 7, 2008. With this win, Memphis became the first team in NCAA history to achieve 38 wins in a single season.[9] After holding a nine-point lead with two minutes and 12 seconds left in regulation, the Tigers lost toKansas in the National Championship in overtime by the final score of 75–68, becoming the second NCAA runner-up team in Memphis history.[10]
The 2008–09 Tigers, led by another freshman guard,Tyreke Evans, again went undefeated in Conference USA and earned a two seed in the 2009 NCAA tournament. The Tigers were defeated by the No. 3-seedMissouri Tigers in the Sweet Sixteen. Evans left after one year and was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 2010, the second straight Tiger to do so after Rose. On March 31, 2009, Calipari resigned to become the head coach at theUniversity of Kentucky. In the months following Calipari's departure, nearly all of the incoming recruits who had committed to play basketball for the University of Memphis decommitted from Memphis and committed to Kentucky or other schools. The recruits includedXavier Henry,DeMarcus Cousins, Nolan Dennis, and Darnell Dodson.
On May 28, 2009, the NCAA formally accused the Tigers of allowing an ineligible player to participate in their games during the 2007–08 season.[11] On August 20, 2009, the NCAA Committee on Infractions announced that Memphis must vacate all 38 wins for that season as well as their appearance in the NCAA tournament and spend three years on probation. The NCAA alleged that Derrick Rose, a Chicago native, had obtained a fraudulent SAT score when another person took the test for him in Detroit, Michigan and his brother Reggie Rose was provided nearly $1,700 in free travel and lodging with the Memphis team.[12] The University of Memphis was not charged with knowingly fielding an ineligible player given that Rose had originally been cleared by the testing company and the NCAA. Rather, the NCAA imposed the penalty on a "strict liability" standard which held that Memphis must vacate their wins regardless of whether the school had any knowledge of wrongdoing by Rose and regardless of the NCAA's original clearance of Rose.[13]
On April 7, 2009,Josh Pastner was named the team's head coach. Pastner was hired as an assistant at Memphis in 2008 after serving as an assistant coach underLute Olson atArizona for six years. Pastner gained a reputation as a strong recruiter during his tenure atArizona.[14] In his first year as coach at Memphis, Pastner brought inElliot Williams, a transfer from Duke, who led the team in scoring and was drafted to the NBA. Williams was permitted to play his first season after departing Calipari took with him Memphis' top-ranked recruiting class.[15] In 2011 Pastner led the Tigers back to the NCAA tournament for the first time in his coaching career, though they lost in the first round to his former team, Arizona.
During the 2011–12 season, the Tigers announced they were leaving Conference USA to join theBig East Conference starting in 2013 (later renamed the American Athletic Conference, and now known as theAmerican Conference).[16] They began the season strong, moving as high to No. 13 in the country before falling out of the rankings (a phenomenon which would become a recurrent theme of the Pastner era). In the last game of the season, Josh Pastner's victory overTulsa gave him 72 career victories, the most by a Memphis head coach over his first three seasons.[17] Memphis made its second straight NCAA Tournament after winning the Conference USA tournament. An 8-seed, the Tigers lost in the first round to 9-seededSaint Louis. After the season, sophomore starWill Barton left for the NBA.
In 2012–13, the Tigers, led by CUSA player of the yearJoe Jackson, won the Conference USA regular season and tournament titles in their last season in CUSA.[18] The Tigers began competition in the then newly formedAmerican Athletic Conference in 2013. AAC competition was not as kind to the Pastner-led Tigers, as they earned an NCAA tournament berth in only 1 of the team's first 3 seasons in the AAC.
On April 8, 2016, facing mounting criticism in Memphis, Pastner took the job of head men's basketball coach atGeorgia Tech.[19] A few days later, the Tigers hiredTubby Smith to take over the head coaching job.[20] Smith had just won the Big 12 coach of the year award as well as some national coaching awards for his season atTexas Tech.
Smith was fired on March 14, 2018 after failing to reach the NCAA Tournament in both of his two years as head coach.Penny Hardaway was later confirmed as Smith's replacement.[21]
On March 28, 2021, the Tigers won their second NIT tournament with a 77–65 win over the #4 seed Mississippi State Bulldogs, finishing their season at 20–8.[22]
On June 11, 2021 speculation began to circulate that Penny Hardaway was a candidate for multiple head coaching jobs in theNBA, including his former team theOrlando Magic.[23] On June 28, reports emerged that Hardaway had in fact interviewed and emerged as a top candidate for the Magic's vacant head coaching job.[24] Two days later, via Instagram, Hardaway confirmed he was not leaving the University of Memphis, and reports emerged the same day thatHall of Fame coachLarry Brown had accepted an offer to be his assistant.[25] Brown was an assistant coach for the 2021-22 season, but changed his role to advisor for the 2022-23 season, and left the program for health reasons in December 2022.[26]
The Tigers have appeared in the NCAA Tournament 28 times. Their overall record is 35–27. However, wins in 1982–1986 and 2008 have been vacated.
| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | – | First Round | Penn State | L 55–59 |
| 1956 | – | First Round | Oklahoma City | L 81–97 |
| 1962 | – | First Round | Creighton | L 83–87 |
| 1973 | – | Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National Championship Game | South Carolina Kansas State Providence UCLA | W 90–76 W 92–72 W 98–85 L 66–87 |
| 1976 | – | First Round | Pepperdine | L 77–87 |
| 1982* | #2 | Second Round Sweet Sixteen | #7Wake Forest #3Villanova | W 56–55 L 66–70 |
| 1983* | #4 | Second Round Sweet Sixteen | #5Georgetown #1Houston | W 66–57 L 63–70 |
| 1984* | #6 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen | #11Oral Roberts #3Purdue #2Houston | W 92–83 W 66–48 L 71–78 |
| 1985* | #2 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four | #15Penn #7UAB #11Boston College #1Oklahoma #8 (S)Villanova | W 67–55 W 67–66OT W 59–57 W 63–61 L 45–52 |
| 1986* | #3 | First Round Second Round | #14Ball State #11LSU | W 95–63 L 81–83 |
| 1988 | #9 | First Round Second Round | #8Baylor #1Purdue | W 75–60 L 73–100 |
| 1989 | #5 | First Round | #12DePaul | L 63–66 |
| 1992 | #6 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight | #11Pepperdine #3Arkansas #7Georgia Tech #4Cincinnati | W 80–70 W 82–80 W 83–79 L 57–88 |
| 1993 | #10 | First Round | #7Western Kentucky | L 52–55 |
| 1995 | #6 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen | #11Louisville #3Purdue #2Arkansas | W 77–56 W 75–73 L 91–96OT |
| 1996 | #5 | First Round | #12Drexel | L 63–75 |
| 2003 | #7 | First Round | #10Arizona State | L 71–84 |
| 2004 | #7 | First Round Second Round | #10South Carolina #2Oklahoma State | W 59–43 L 53–70 |
| 2006 | #1 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight | #16Oral Roberts #9Bucknell #13Bradley #2UCLA | W 94–78 W 72–56 W 80–64 L 45–50 |
| 2007 | #2 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight | #15North Texas #7Nevada #3Texas A&M #1Ohio State | W 73–58 W 78–62 W 65–64 L 76–92 |
| 2008* | #1 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National Championship Game | #16Texas–Arlington #8Mississippi State #5Michigan State #2Texas #1 (W)UCLA #1 (M)Kansas | W 87–63 W 77–74 W 92–74 W 85–66 W 78–63 L 68–75OT |
| 2009 | #2 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen | #15Cal State Northridge #10Maryland #3Missouri | W 81–70 W 89–70 L 91–102 |
| 2011 | #12 | First Round | #5Arizona | L 75–77 |
| 2012 | #8 | First Round | #9Saint Louis | L 54–61 |
| 2013 | #6 | First Round Second Round | #11Saint Mary's #3Michigan State | W 54–52 L 48–70 |
| 2014 | #8 | First Round Second Round | #9George Washington #1Virginia | W 71–66 L 60–78 |
| 2022 | #9 | First Round Second Round | #8Boise State #1Gonzaga | W 64–53 L 78–82 |
| 2023 | #8 | First Round | #9Florida Atlantic | L 65–66 |
| 2025 | #5 | First Round | #12Colorado State | L 70–78 |
* = vacated by NCAA
The Tigers have appeared in theNational Invitation Tournament (NIT) 19 times. Their combined record is 24–17 and they were NIT champions in 2002 and 2021.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Final | Utah Manhattan St. Bonaventure Bradley | W 77–75 W 85–73 W 80–78 L 83–84 |
| 1960 | First Round | Providence | L 70–71 |
| 1961 | Quarterfinals | Holy Cross | L 69–81 |
| 1963 | First Round Quarterfinals | Fordham Canisius | W 70–49 L 67–76 |
| 1967 | First Round | Providence | L 68–77 |
| 1972 | First Round | Oral Roberts | L 74–94 |
| 1974 | First Round Quarterfinals | Seton Hall Utah | W 73–72 L 78–92 |
| 1975 | First Round | Oral Roberts | L 95–97 |
| 1977 | First Round | Alabama | L 63–86 |
| 1990 | First Round | Tennessee | L 71–73 |
| 1991 | First Round Second Round | UAB Arkansas State | W 82–76 L 57–58 |
| 1997 | First Round | UNLV | L 62–66 |
| 1998 | First Round Second Round | Ball State Fresno State | W 90–67 L 80–83 |
| 2001 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals 3rd Place Game | Utah UTEP New Mexico Tulsa Detroit | W 71–62 W 90–65 W 81–63 L 64–72 W 86–71 |
| 2002 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Final | UNC Greensboro BYU Tennessee Tech Temple South Carolina | W 82–62 W 80–69 W 79–72 W 79–77 W 72–62 |
| 2005 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals | Northeastern Virginia Tech Vanderbilt Saint Joseph's | W 90–65 W 83–62 W 81–68 L 58–70 |
| 2010 | First Round Second Round | St. John's Ole Miss | W 73–71 L 81–90 |
| 2019 | First Round Second Round | San Diego Creighton | W 74–60 L 67–79 |
| 2021 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Final | Dayton Boise State Colorado State Mississippi State | W 71–60 W 59–56 W 90–67 W 77–64 |
The Memphis program has had two coaches inducted into theNational College Basketball Hall of Fame (Gene Bartow) andNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (John Calipari). The school has yet to produce any players that have been inducted. Larry Brown was hired as an assistant in 2021 and was already a member of both the College and Naismith halls of fame.
Memphis has had 10 players chosen as All-Americans by the four sources used by the NCAA to determine consensus teams, theAssociated Press, theUnited States Basketball Writers Association, theNational Association of Basketball Coaches andThe Sporting News (which replaced theUnited Press International in 1998). Three players have been unanimous first team selections (Keith Lee,Anfernee Hardaway, andChris Douglas-Roberts). Keith Lee was the only Tiger to be selected more than once, eventually being selected three of his four years at Memphis.
| NCAA Recognized All-Americans | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Consensus | Points[a] | AP | USBWA | NABC | UPI/TSN |
| 1973 | Larry Finch | 2nd | 3[b] | HM | 1st | - | - |
| 1982 | Keith Lee | - | 2[b] | 2nd | - | - | - |
| 1983 | 1st | 10[b] | 2nd | 1st | 2nd | 1st | |
| 1984 | 2nd | 7 | 3rd | 2nd | 2nd | 2nd | |
| 1985 | 1st | 12 | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | |
| 1986 | William Bedford | - | 1 | 3rd | - | 4th | - |
| 1993 | Anfernee Hardaway | 1st | 12 | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st |
| 1996 | Lorenzen Wright | 2nd | 5 | 2nd | - | 3rd | 2nd |
| 2006 | Rodney Carney | 2nd | 6 | 2nd | 2nd | 2nd | - |
| 2008 | Chris Douglas-Roberts | 1st | 12 | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st |
| 2008 | Derrick Rose | - | 2 | 3rd | - | 3rd | - |
| 2023 | Kendric Davis | - | 1 | HM | - | - | 3rd |
| 2025 | P.J. Haggerty | 2nd | 7 | 2nd | 2nd | 3rd | 2nd |
Source:[27]
According to the program's records, the school recognizes the following bodies for their selection of All-America teams:UPI,Converse,ESPN,Associated Press,Basketball Times,Basketball Weekly,USBWA,The Sporting News,Scripps-Howard,Wooden Award,CBSSports.com,FOXSports.com,Collegehoops.net,Rivals.com,NBC,NABC,College Sports,Collegeinsider.com,Sports Illustrated,NaismithLives.com andRupp Trophy. They recognize all levels including honorable mentions and freshman teams.
The University of Memphis currently recognizes 38 players as All-Americans:
| Year | Player | Conference |
|---|---|---|
| 1971–72 | Larry Finch | Missouri Valley |
| 1972–73 | Larry Kenon | Missouri Valley |
| 1981–82 | Keith Lee | Metro |
| 1982–83 | Keith Lee | Metro |
| 1991–92 | Penny Hardaway | Great Midwest |
| 1992–93 | Penny Hardaway | Great Midwest |
| 2003–04 | Antonio Burks | Conference USA |
| 2005–06 | Rodney Carney | Conference USA |
| 2007–08 | Chris Douglas-Roberts | Conference USA |
| 2011–12 | Will Barton | Conference USA |
| 2012–13 | Joe Jackson | Conference USA |
| 2019–20 | Precious Achiuwa | American |
| 2024–25 | P.J. Haggerty | American |
| Year | Player | Conference |
|---|---|---|
| 1986–87 | Larry Finch | Metro |
| 1988–89 | Larry Finch | Metro |
| 2005–06 | John Calipari | Conference USA |
| 2007–08 | John Calipari | Conference USA |
| 2008–09 | John Calipari | Conference USA |
| 2012–13 | Josh Pastner | Conference USA |
| 2024–25 | Penny Hardaway | American |
Since theNBA draft began in 1947, 52 players from Memphis have been drafted, with an additional nine played after being signed as undrafted free agents. Of the 52 drafted players, 28 played in at least one NBA (or ABA) game. Memphis has produced 14 first-round picks, including 8 top-ten picks and one number-one pick (Derrick Rose). Three former Tigers have been namedNBA All-Stars:Larry Kenon (twice),Penny Hardaway (4 times), and Derrick Rose (3 times). Four have gone on to win the NBA Championship:Win Wilfong with theSt. Louis Hawks in1958,William Bedford with theDetroit Pistons in1990,Earl Barron with theMiami Heat in2006, andJames Wiseman with theGolden State Warriors in2022. In 2010, Memphis became the second college to produce two consecutiveNBA Rookie of the Year winners: Derrick Rose in 2009 andTyreke Evans in 2010 (the first beingNorth Carolina with winnersWalter Davis in1978 andPhil Ford in1979). In 2011, Rose became the first former Tiger to be named theNBA Most Valuable Player. Many Memphis players since the 1960s that have gone undrafted or had unsuccessful NBA careers have also played in professional leagues in Europe, Asia and/or Latin America.
As of the2025–26 NBA Season, six former Tigers are currently signed to NBA rosters.
| Memphis Tigers in International Competition | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Country | Year | Competition | Location | Finish | Ref |
| Elliot Perry |  USA | 1989 | FIBA Americas Championship | Mexico City | Silver | |
| Anfernee Hardaway[a] | USA | 1996 | Olympic Games | Atlanta | Gold | |
| Darius Washington Jr.[b] |  North Macedonia | 2009 | Eurobasket | Poland | 2nd Round | [28] |
| Derrick Rose[a] | USA | 2010 | FIBA World Championship | Turkey | Gold | |
| Derrick Rose[a] | USA | 2014 | FIBA World Championship | Spain | Gold | |
| Precious Achiuwa[a] |  Nigeria | 2021 | Olympic Games | Tokyo | 10th Place | [29] |
| European Championships | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Club (Tenure) | Championship(s) | |
| Rich Jones |  Pallacanestro Varese (1969–1970) | 1970 FIBA European Champions Cup | |
| Joey Dorsey |  Olympiacos B.C. (2012) | 2012 EuroLeague Champion | |
The University of Memphis has retired nine jerseys.Chris Douglas-Roberts, guard/forward from 2005 to 2008, declined the University of Memphis' invitation to have his #14 jersey retired in 2017.[30]
| Memphis Tigers retired numbers | |||||
| No. | Player | Pos. | Tenure | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
13 | Forest Arnold | C | 1952–56 | [31] | |
21 | Larry Finch | SG | 1970–73 | [31] | |
22 | Win Wilfong | SG | 1955–57 | [31] | |
24 | Keith Lee | PF | 1981–85 | [31] | |
25 | Penny Hardaway[n1 1] | PG | 1991–93 | [31] | |
33 | Ronnie Robinson | PF | 1970–73 | [31] | |
34 | Elliot Perry | PG | 1987–91 | [31] | |
35 | Larry Kenon | PF | 1972–73 | [33] | |
44 | John Gunn[n1 2] | C | 1974–76 | [31] | |
| 55 | Lorenzen Wright | C | 1994–96 | [34] | |
American Conference men's basketball | ||
|---|---|---|
| Teams |  | |
| Championships & awards | ||
| Seasons | ||
