Here's a little appetizer as you await he USF men's basketball game is at 9 p.m. eastern time tonight in Memphis tonight on ESPN2.
There was a time when this matchup all but guaranteed a loss for the Bulls. The Tigers lead the all-time series 34-9 and USF's longest winning streak over Memphis is, well, not a streak. The Bulls have never strung together consecutive wins over the Tigers.
However, that drought has a good chance of ending tonight. With a win, USF will clinch the American Conference title outright. After Sunday's 90-62 demolition of Tulane, the Bulls have secured no worse than a tie for first in the conference. It was USF's seventh straight win and 10th in its last 11 games.
GAME. DAY. pic.twitter.com/gCTnpTO3sP
— USF Men's Basketball (@USFMBB) March 5, 2026
The Tigers are experiencing, by their standards, a historically bad season. Memphis is 12-17 overall entering the game and drags a six-game losing streak onto the court tonight. Of the Tigers' 17 losses, 12 have been by double figures, including an 87-66 whipping they took in the first meeting this season with USF.
That's a staggering number for a team that went 29-6 last year and won the both the American regular-season and tournament titles. More of the same was expected this season as the Tigers were the preseason favorites to repeat.
If USF prevails tonight, Memphis will be in danger of not qualifying for the conference tournament. Only 10 of the American's 13 teams will be in the tournament and heading into tonight's game the Tigers sit at No. 10.
All of this has the heat turned up to London Broil on head coach Penny Hardaway, but it's also a dilemma for school officials and supporters. Hardaway was raised in Memphis, was a high school star there, and an All-American for the Tigers before the Orlando Magic selected him No. 3 overall in 1993,
Hardaway was near tears after losing to the Bulls on February 19, and things haven't gotten better. They are coming off an 84-68 drubbing at East Carolina, which is in 11th place in the American. Memphis played its typically tough non-conference schedule this season, but unlike other seasons the Tigers didn't have much success.
They are 0-6 against Quad 1 teams and 2-5 against Quad 2s.
"Penny does a phenomenal job, challenging his team, the non-conference (games), doing his part to try to escalate the value of our league," Bulls coach Bryan Hodgson said.
Still, college basketball at this level can be unforgiving, and the Tigers' record is not the only part of the program under water. The Commercial Appeal reported that revenue for the men's basketball program has a shortfall this season of $1.2 million.
USF is unquestionably the better team coming into this game, but it's Senior Night for the Tigers and, possibly, the last time Hardaway will coach a game at the FedEx Forum. Will the Tigers summon enough will to put up a serious challenge?
Maybe. The Bulls are only favored by 6.5 points, which seems awfully low considering the circumstances.
We'll find out soon enough.