Memphis basketball drops, but remains in the top 25
Memphis basketball took a tumble in the national polls after losing back-to-back games last week, but Penny Hardaway's team is still in the top 25.
The Tigers (15-4, 4-2 AAC) dropped nine spots to No. 19 in the Associated Press rankings. In the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, Memphis fell 10 spots to No. 22.
It was the largest drop in both polls. Baylor, after losing twice last week, fell six spots in the AP poll, while Duke fell six spots in the coaches poll after losing at home to Pitt.
Memphis appeared as high as No. 13 on three AP voters' ballots. It appeared on 42 ballots overall, while 18 voters did not give the Tigers any top 25 votes.
The Tigers coughed up a 20-point second-half lead at home in a 75-74 loss to South Florida on Thursday. Less than 72 hours later, they led by as many as seven points in the second half at Tulane, but came up short, 81-79.
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Memphis gets a week to prepare to play at UAB on Sunday (4 p.m., ESPN). The Blazers (currently 155th in the NET) are 12-6 overall and 4-1 in league play.
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or follow him @munzly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis basketball drops, but remains in the top 25
