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The Memphis Tigers have had a rich history in college basketball, with several notable achievements and alumni. As of March 2025, the team has a 6-1 Quad I record, a 5-2 Quad II record, and a 29-5 overall record. The Tigers have experienced both highs and lows, including a period of struggle under coach Moe Iba in the 1960s. However, they have also reached significant milestones, such as achieving a No. 1 ranking in the Associated Press basketball poll in January 2008 and producing two consecutive NBA Rookie of the Year winners in 2009 and 2010. The team has had a notable impact on the sport, with two coaches inducted into the National College Basketball Hall of Fame and ten players chosen as All-Americans.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Ranking as of March 2025 | 49 |
| Previous ranking | 50 |
| Record | 29-5 |
| Conference record | 16-2 |
| Quad 1 record | 6-1 |
| Quad 2 record | 5-2 |
| Quad 3 record | 11-2 |
| Quad 4 record | 7-0 |
| Highest ranking in 2007-08 | #1 |
| Highest ranking in 1971 | #19 |
| Number of players chosen as All-Americans | 10 |
| Number of unanimous first team selections | 3 |
| Number of players in the NBA as of 2024-25 | 5 |
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What You'll Learn
Memphis Tigers' rankings history
The Memphis Tigers basketball team has had a varied ranking history, with several notable achievements and setbacks.
As of March 2025, the Memphis Tigers are ranked 49th in the NET rankings, with a previous ranking of 50th. The team has a strong record of 29-5 and a conference record of 16-2. In the NCAA Tournament, the Memphis Tigers were seeded fifth but were defeated by the 12th-seeded Colorado State team in the first round.
In terms of long-term ranking history, the Memphis Tigers have experienced both highs and lows. According to sources, the team has been ranked in the AP Poll four times (Final) and 30 times in total, indicating a significant presence in the rankings over an extended period.
Additionally, the Memphis Tigers have been ranked in the CFP rankings three times (Final) and maintained their ranking for a total of 15 to 17 weeks. This ranking places them among notable college football programs.
While the specific years and rankings are unclear, the Memphis Tigers have a recorded history spanning from 1960 to 2024, indicating a long-standing presence in college sports.
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Memphis Tigers' players in the NBA
As of the 2024-25 NBA season, six former Memphis Tigers players are signed to NBA rosters. Since the NBA draft began in 1947, 14 Memphis players have been selected in the first round, including eight top-ten picks and one number-one pick, Derrick Rose.
Three former Tigers have been named NBA All-Stars: Larry Kenon (twice), Penny Hardaway (4 times), and Derrick Rose (3 times). Four have won the NBA Championship: Win Wilfong (St. Louis Hawks, 1958), William Bedford (Detroit Pistons, 1990), Earl Barron (Miami Heat, 2006), and James Wiseman (Golden State Warriors, 2022). In 2010, Memphis became the second college to produce two consecutive NBA Rookie of the Year winners: Derrick Rose in 2009 and Tyreke Evans in 2010. In 2011, Rose became the first former Memphis Tigers player to be named the NBA's Most Valuable Player.
Other Memphis Tigers players who have played in the NBA include Kyan Evans, Boogie Ellis, and Rich Jones, who was drafted by the Phoenix Suns in 1968 but opted to play in the American Basketball Association (ABA) instead.
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Memphis Tigers' coaches
The Memphis Tigers men's basketball team has had a long and illustrious history, with many coaches contributing to its success over the years.
The team, which represents the University of Memphis (formerly known as Memphis State College and Memphis State University) in NCAA Division I men's college basketball, first made the NCAA tournament in 1955 under coach Eugene Lambert. Bob Vanatta took over as coach in 1956 and led the team to the NIT final. In 1962, Dean Ehlers became the coach, but it was Moe Iba who oversaw one of the lowest points in the Tigers' history, with the team suffering 19 and 20-loss seasons.
Wayne Yates took over coaching duties in 1974 and led the team to three consecutive 20-win seasons, including an NCAA Tournament berth in 1976. Dana Kirk became head coach in 1979 and led the Tigers to seven NCAA tournaments and three Metro Conference titles in the 1980s. Keith Lee, who began playing for the Tigers in 1982, dominated Patrick Ewing in the paint as the Tigers beat Georgetown in the 1983 NCAA tournament.
The Tigers joined Conference USA in 1995, with Larry Finch as head coach. However, Finch stepped down in 1997, and Tic Price's three-year tenure was one of the least successful periods for the team.
In more recent years, the Tigers have continued to compete in Division I men's college basketball, playing their home games at FedExForum. While specific coaches were not mentioned, the team was ranked as the 19th most successful basketball program from 1962 to 2012 by ESPN Stats and Information Department, and as of 2020, they had the 26th highest winning percentage in NCAA history.
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Memphis Tigers' performance in the NCAA Tournament
The Memphis Tigers men's basketball team has a rich history in the NCAA Tournament, with several notable appearances and achievements over the years.
One of their most successful seasons was in 1972, when the Tigers won the MVC outright and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. They defeated South Carolina and Kansas State to reach the Final Four, where they beat Providence to advance to the national championship game. Led by coach Gene Bartow, the Tigers faced the UCLA Bruins, led by legendary coach John Wooden and star player Bill Walton. Despite keeping the game close in the first half, the Tigers were ultimately overwhelmed in the second half, losing by a final score of 87-66. Bartow was named the NABC National Coach of the Year, and player Larry Finch was recognised as a consensus All-American.
The Tigers continued their success in the 1980s, making seven NCAA Tournament appearances and winning three Metro Conference titles during the decade. In the 1983 NCAA Tournament, they pulled off an impressive upset, defeating a Georgetown team led by Patrick Ewing. The following year, they advanced to the Final Four for the second time in school history, ultimately falling to eventual champion Villanova and finishing the season with a 31-4 record.
However, the Tigers also experienced setbacks during this period. In 1986, head coach Kirk was forced to leave due to a criminal investigation, and it was discovered that the team had committed multiple NCAA violations. As a result, the Tigers were forced to sit out the 1987 NCAA Tournament and were stripped of their tournament appearances from 1982 to 1986, including the 1985 Final Four run.
More recently, in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, the fifth-seeded Memphis Tigers suffered a first-round loss to the No. 12 seed Colorado State, with a final score of 78-70.
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Memphis Tigers' performance in the 2007-2008 season
The 2007-08 Memphis Tigers men's basketball team represented the University of Memphis in the 2007–08 college basketball season, the 87th season of Tiger basketball. The Tigers were coached by eighth-year head coach John Calipari, and they played their home games at the FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. The team was the most successful in Tigers' history, reaching the NCAA Championship game for the second time and setting numerous school records. It is also one of the most successful in college basketball history, setting the record for most wins in a season at 38–2.
The Tigers began the season ranked No. 3 as a result of a strong recruiting class led by Derrick Rose and returning veteran stars Chris Douglas-Roberts and Joey Dorsey. To start non-conference play, the Tigers defeated powerhouses Oklahoma and Connecticut in the 2K College Hoops Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York. On the same court in the Jimmy V Classic, they won an overtime thriller over USC, led by O. J. Mayo. On December 22, they defeated No. 5 Georgetown by 14 and No. 17 Arizona the next week. On January 21, the undefeated Tigers were ranked No. 1 by both major polls after a loss by number-one North Carolina. The Tigers started the season 26–0, the best start to a season in Memphis history.
Entering conference play, the Tigers were predicted to match the previous year's undefeated run in the conference. Memphis finished the season with a 38-1 record and became the Conference USA regular-season champions. In the NCAA tournament, Memphis received the No. 1 seed in the South. In the opening rounds in Little Rock, they defeated No. 16-seeded Texas–Arlington and 8-seed Mississippi State. They moved on to regionals in Houston, where they defeated No. 5 seed Michigan State. In the regional final, they knocked off a No. 2-seeded Texas team playing near to its home in Austin. In the Final Four, Memphis beat UCLA and proceeded to the national championship game. The Tigers fell in overtime to Kansas, 68–75, after a game-tying three-pointer at the regulation buzzer by Kansas star Mario Chalmers.
All 38 wins and one NCAA tournament loss were subsequently vacated by the NCAA for rules violations, leaving the team with an official record of 0–1. The NCAA determined that Derrick Rose had forfeited his eligibility because the Educational Testing Service voided his SAT Reasoning Test score, which made him eligible to play for Memphis.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the Memphis Tigers are ranked. As of March 2025, they are in the AAC conference and have a 6-1 Quad I record, a 5-2 Quad II record, an 11-2 Quad III record, and a 7-0 Quad IV record.
The highest ranking the Memphis Tigers have achieved was a No. 1 ranking in the Associated Press basketball poll in January 2008.
Two coaches, Gene Bartow and John Calipari, have been inducted into the National College Basketball Hall of Fame and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, respectively. However, no players from the Memphis Tigers basketball team have been inducted.
As of the 2024-25 NBA season, five former Memphis Tigers are signed to NBA rosters.
