Midnight Madness in Memphis

Memphis Tiger basketball fans are getting ready to pack the sold-out FedEx Forum on Oct. 4 for the first look at this year’s men’s and women’s basketball teams during the annual Memphis Madness.

Tigers women’s basketball coach Melissa McFerrin is excited for the event, especially because it will feature her team along with new men’s coach Penny Hardaway, who she said is bringing back enthusiasm for the event.

“It’s the opening of basketball season for a city that is crazy about basketball,” McFerrin said, “The main attraction for the event is Penny, and rightfully so.”

​Tickets for the event are already gone, even standing room only tickets, so that means that every one of the 18,119 seats will be filled, and FedEx Forum will be filled to maximum capacity. 

If you do not already have a ticket for the event, you’re only hope of getting in is to get there early and try to scalp a ticket. 

“There will be a lot of other new and exciting thing’s other than Penny.” McFerrin said, “Like the Blue Carpet Experience and player contests. It’s like a pep rally for Memphis Tiger basketball.”

Lifelong Memphis Tiger basketball fan, Evan Webster said he plans on scalping a ticket. 

“I’m definitely going to try to go to Memphis Madness. I want to go,” Webster said, “Besides Penny being the new coach, I’m looking forward to seeing the new local guys and how well they play together.”

Webster thinks the Memphis Tigers men’s team will be good this year, and he hopes they have a chance of making the NCAA tournament.

Memphis Tiger basketball fans have been waiting for an event they can get excited for since the university hired Penny. Penny has brought back excitement, enthusiasm and hope for the men’s basketball team. 

The women’s basketball team will look different and feature new player’s, as well. 

McFerrin said, “Pay attention to Freshman Jamirah Shutes, Junior Taylor Barnes, and Senior’s Brianna Porter and Jasmine James.”

The Commercial Appealbelieves Memphis Madness will be bigger than any scheduled basketball game this year. They believe the event is even bigger than their renewal with the University of Memphis’s in state “rival”, The University of Tennessee Volunteers. 

Memphis Tiger fans consider the Tennessee Volunteers as one of their biggest rivals, but Vol fans do not feel the same way about the Memphis Tigers. This makes Memphis Tiger fans hate the Vols even more. 

“Fans believe Memphis Madness is bigger than a game against the Vol’s, and a lot of Memphis Tiger fans feel the same way,” The Commercial Appeal said, “

Memphis Madness will hopefully be the beginning of a whole new era of Memphis Tiger basketball after many seasons of losing in the first round of the NCAA Tournament under former head coach Josh Pastner. 

The Memphis Tigers have not even qualified for the NCAA tournament since 2013. The Tigers never made the NCAA tournament under the last head coach, Tubby Smith. Hopefully this is the beginning of a winning era, and the end of a losing one. 

Hopefully, Memphis Madness eventually turns into March Madness with Penny as the Memphis Tigers head coach. 

Memphis Tiger basketball fans hope the “Penny era” is a period of long-lasting success filled with big wins. Hopefully Penny will bring the program back to prominence. The Memphis Tiger fans are ready, excited but mostly hopeful for Penny to bring winning teams back to the University of Memphis. 

Fans hope Midnight Madness will be the first of many exciting moments with Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway leading the team as the men’s basketball head coach. Fans hope Hardaway will be considered the men’s Memphis Tigers basketball team’s lucky “Penny.”

For more information on Memphis Madness and Memphis Tigers basketball visit the website www.gotigersgo.com.