Around the American: 2021-22

[GoBearcats31]

Through January 12:
- Houston (NET ranking = #4) 3-0
- Tulane (#124) 4-1
- SMU (#77) 3-1
- Memphis (#58) 3-2
- Temple (#118) 3-2
- UC (#67) 2-2
- UCF (#55) 2-2
- ECU (#150) 1-2
- Wichita State (#87) 0-3
- Tulsa (#188) 0-3
- USF (#256) 0-3

[Gmann]

With these NET rankings there are a lot more ways to drop with losses than opportunities to improve with wins. I am so looking forward to moving to the Big 12 where there are so many more quality wins to be had. I realize we first need to improve the roster to compete at that level but I think WM will do that.

[swilsonsp4]

SMU held off Tulane today in NO, 75-66. In a frantic comeback, ECU hit a buzzer beater that banked in from 12' to nip Memphis, who held a 44-30 halftime lead, 72-71. The Tigers had a 10-point lead late, but wilted under constant pressure.

[swilsonsp4]

USF got their first AAC win, putting a disinterested UCF away, 75-51, in Tampa.

UH nearly blew a 10-point lead with less than four minutes remaining at Tulsa, as a Hurricane contested layup rolled off the rim at 0.4 seconds. The Cougars held on, 66-64.

[GoBearcats31]

Bubble Watch from The Athletic ($) has UC at least in the conversation - that Illinois win could go a long way if UC can continue to stack some wins together, even though it's looking like a 1-bid league right now: https://theathletic.com/3075120/2022...lready-locked/

[GoBearcats31]

Wichita State's next two games PPD due to health and safety protocols within the WSU program - hopefully non-issue for UC, which just played there on Sunday

[swilsonsp4]

ECU just coughed up a 20-point lead at home to UCF & lost in OT, 92-85. Meanwhile, UH took care of USF at home, as expected, 74-55.

[GoBearcats31]

Sounds like Rasheed Wallace is no longer an assistant coach at Memphis. Penny says he's in "more of a consultant's role" and seemed to indicate he will not be back. See @geoff_calkins on Twitter.

[RedDog]

Penny continues to recruit great classes but has no idea how to harness them into a team. Its street ball deluxe and occasionally they click, but they are fundamentally poor, just like he was as a player. They are underachieving again tonight at home against SMU, on the heals of blowing a big lead to ECU because they lacked the discipline to close it out. Too bad for the conference, we could use them for SOS if they just played to their talent level. By the way, our SMU win is looking pretty strong at this point.

[London 'Cat]

SMU is up by two right now. Don’t sleep on Memphis yet.

[London 'Cat]

Wel that did not age well. Right after my post, SMU outscored Memphis 20-8 to put the game away.

[GoBearcats31]

Penny is not having a good time

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/33112682/penny-hardaway-takes-aim-media-says-depleted-memphis-tigers-men-basketball-team-playing-hard-amid-losing-streak

Hardaway was asked by one reporter if he had lost faith he could get the job done at Memphis and whether he was embarrassed by the team's performance.

"I think the one thing I can say to this media because this media gets kinda f---ed up sometimes when it comes to me. We don't have our full roster. Y'all know we don't have our full roster. Stop asking me stupid f---ing questions about if I feel like I can do something," Hardaway said in response.

"If I had my roster like they did, then I feel like I can do whatever I want to do. I'm coaching really hard, my boys are playing really hard, I'm not embarrassed about nothing. We have four freshmen starting, y'all need to act like it. Act like we got 17- and 18- and 19-year-olds out here trying to learn how to play against 22-, 23- and 24-year-old guys. Come on, man. Stop disrespecting me, bro. Like, don't do that. I work too f---ing hard. I work way too hard for that. Y'all write all these bulls--- articles about me and all I do is work. We got young kids on the floor. They got young kids on the floor."

[GoBearcats31]

UC's game at Houston, originally scheduled for December 28, will now be played on Tuesday, March 1. Tip time and broadcast details TBA. https://gobearcats.com/news/2022/1/2...r-march-1.aspx

[Oldtimer_UC_fan]

Penny is not having a good time

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/33112682/penny-hardaway-takes-aim-media-says-depleted-memphis-tigers-men-basketball-team-playing-hard-amid-losing-streak

Hardaway was asked by one reporter if he had lost faith he could get the job done at Memphis and whether he was embarrassed by the team's performance.

"I think the one thing I can say to this media because this media gets kinda f---ed up sometimes when it comes to me. We don't have our full roster. Y'all know we don't have our full roster. Stop asking me stupid f---ing questions about if I feel like I can do something," Hardaway said in response.

"If I had my roster like they did, then I feel like I can do whatever I want to do. I'm coaching really hard, my boys are playing really hard, I'm not embarrassed about nothing. We have four freshmen starting, y'all need to act like it. Act like we got 17- and 18- and 19-year-olds out here trying to learn how to play against 22-, 23- and 24-year-old guys. Come on, man. Stop disrespecting me, bro. Like, don't do that. I work too f---ing hard. I work way too hard for that. Y'all write all these bulls--- articles about me and all I do is work. We got young kids on the floor. They got young kids on the floor."

I'm sure Memphis has to be really proud of his language. Great representative for the university.

[Lobot]

This was an absolute complete meltdown on Penny's part. It should result in him getting fired to be honest.

He's already had to banish Rasheed Wallace to an office job this week.