Make way for Memphis basketball, Top 25.
The Tigers (6-1) − fresh off a 3-1 week that included wins over San Francisco, UConn and Michigan State − have moved into the USA TODAY Coaches Poll, which was released Monday.
Penny Hardaway’s team checks in at No. 15, right behind Cincinnati and just ahead of Baylor. Michigan State is ranked 25th in the coaches poll, while UConn dropped out (to essentially No. 26).
In the updated Associated Press Top 25, released Monday, Memphis comes in at No. 16 − behind Baylor and ahead of Houston. UConn fell to No. 25 in the AP poll, while Michigan State received enough votes to essentially sit at 26th.
Last season, the Tigers spent considerable time in the Top 25. But they got bounced in late January amid a four-game losing streak that was bookended by losses to South Florida and Rice.
Last week, Memphis was among the 22 teams under the “others receiving votes” heading, registering enough to essentially be slotted at No. 35 overall. But, since then, the Tigers scored three neutral-site victories before falling to Auburn in the Maui Invitational championship game at the Lahaina Civic Center. Auburn is ranked No. 2 in both polls.
“This is a new team, (10) new players,” Hardaway said after the tournament. “To get to the championship, not knowing each other, not being in a battle before this weekend with the best teams in the country, I’m really proud of the effort and looking forward to getting back to practice after Thanksgiving.”
Memphis’ place in the college basketball pecking order as ranked by human voters is only slightly at odds with where the program is slotted by the computer metrics.
The NCAA released its first NET rankings Monday morning, and the Tigers come in at No. 31. NET rankings are the primary sorting tool for the NCAA Tournament selection committee when filling out the bracket. Memphis is 2-1 in Quad 1 games and 2-0 versus Quad 2 opponents. Auburn and Oregon are the only other teams in the country with as many as four combined Quad 1 and Quad 2 victories.
The Tigers have also played one of the most demanding schedules in the country. They are fifth in average opponent NET ranking behind San Diego State, Florida A&M, Mississippi Valley State and Alabama.
Bart Torvik’s WAB (wins above bubble) is among the key metrics that factor into the NET. It measures how many more (or fewer) games a team has won than a bubble team would be expected to have against the same schedule.
Memphis has a WAB of +2.3. The only teams with more are Auburn (+3.0) and Oregon (+2.4).
The Tigers are gearing up to face Louisiana Tech (7-1) on Wednesday (7 p.m., ESPN+) at FedExForum.
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com, follow him @munzly on X, and sign up for the Memphis Basketball Insider text group.
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