PARADISE ISLAND, The Bahamas — Memphis basketball and Arkansas will renew a once-fierce rivalry in the semifinals of the Battle 4 Atlantis on Thanksgiving Day.
The Tigers (4-0) and Razorbacks (4-1) have not met on the hardwood since Jan. 2, 2003. The last time the programs played anywhere other than Memphis or Fayetteville was March 24, 1995, in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament in Kansas City, Missouri. Arkansas holds an 11-10 lead in the series, which dates to 1966.
Penny Hardaway, in his sixth season as Tigers coach, faced Arkansas three times as a player at then-Memphis State.
“Hey, that’s what it’s all about,” Hardaway told The Commercial Appeal after the 71-67 win over Michigan Wednesday. “I mean, we used to have those rivalries all the time. Me and (Arkansas coach Eric) Musselman, we’re cool. So it’ll be fun.”
Here are three things to keep an eye on ahead of Thursday’s game (4 p.m. CT, ESPN).
Can Memphis basketball’s big names bounce back?
For 38 minutes and 22 seconds against Michigan, some of the Tigers’ top-tier transfers struggled tremendously.
David Jones, Jaykwon Walton and Jordan Brown combined to score just 11 points until Jones dropped nine points by himself in the final 1:38 to seal the victory. And yet Memphis won the game — something Hardaway would’ve found difficult to fathom if he’d been told ahead of time that’s how it would play out.
“At first, I would’ve said, ‘No way,’ ” he said. “But then, I would’ve said, ‘We have strength in our numbers.’ We have other guys who can take over. When you’re talking realistically, those three guys have 11 points, I would’ve said it was going to be a hard night.”
Ashton Hardaway’s 17 points went a long way toward compensating for that group’s scoring issues. Whether Jones, Walton and Brown can rebound against Arkansas will be a big factor in how things play out.
Facing familiar faces
Sure, Hardaway and Musselman go back a long way. Twenty-five years ago, Musselman was an assistant coach for the Magic in Hardaway’s final season as a player in Orlando.
But the more intriguing matchup might be the Tigers vs. Arkansas big man Chandler Lawson, who spent the past two seasons at Memphis before transferring. He also played for Hardaway at East High, and he’s from Memphis.
Regarding the possibility of going up against the Razorbacks, Hardaway has said in recent weeks a big part of what made the rivalry so intense is how many Memphis natives wound up playing in Fayetteville over the years. Lawson is the latest in that long line, which includes Todd Day, Corey Beck, Dwight Stewart and Ron Huery, among others. In Wednesday’s 77-74 double-overtime win over Stanford, Lawson had nine points, 13 rebounds and five blocks.
In addition, Tigers fans will recognize Arkansas newcomers (and the team’s top scorers) Khalif Battle (a former Temple star) and Tramon Mark (a one-time Houston standout). Former Cincinnati wing Jeremiah Davenport also is on the team.
Arkansas scouting report
The Razorbacks have struggled recently, losing to UNC-Greensboro last week, then needing double-overtime to dispose of Stanford.
But Musselman’s team could pose the most significant threat the Tigers have faced so far. Arkansas is ranked 32nd in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency. It’s also 47th overall in adjusted offensive efficiency.
Arkansas relies heavily on Battle, Mark and guard Davonte Davis (who has played 80% of the team’s minutes this season). Louisville transfer El Ellis has been a key cog, but he played just six minutes against Stanford. Former Missouri standout Trevon Brazile (6-foot-10) pairs with Lawson to provide size for the Razorbacks.
ASHTON HARDAWAY:Why the Tiger freshman told national TV audience: ‘I’m really like that’
No. 23 Memphis vs. Arkansas score prediction
Memphis 77, Arkansas 70: Expect the Tigers’ core group of scorers to bounce back and lead Memphis to another win.
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at [email protected] or follow him @munzly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.