Are You Joining the Hype Train?

For the first time in my lifetime, The University of Memphis athletic department has a basketball and football program that are both prospering at the same time. Mike Norvell took over a football program that was already heading in the right direction (thanks Justin Fuente) and is trying to take it to another level. Penny, in one year, has turned the NCAA upside down with his recruiting prowess. Even once beloved coach John Calipari has thrown a fit or two towards Penny stealing a couple of his prized recruits. Now that we have made it through the honeymoon phase with Penny and with Mike Norvell putting together 3 consecutive seasons with bowl game berths, here come the expectations. Memphis football has been picked by many to go undefeated this year and basketball is expected to compete for a national title with the number 1 recruiting class on campus. Personally, I would love to see both teams competing for championships, but at some point reality has to set in.

We all know that on any given Saturday a team predicted to win can lose. Also, if you aren't Alabama or Clemson, which are the 2 powerhouses of college football right now, you probably won't stand a chance of going undefeated (I know UCF went undefeated and created false news talking about they were the real national champs a couple of years ago). The AAC has very decent offensive teams, and if Memphis hopes to compete this season that defense has to grow up fast. To Memphis' credit, their offense usually keeps them in most games. Norvell and his staff does a great job with keeping their cupboard of skill players full each year. He can also spot a good quarterback from a mile away. To begin a streak that leads to perfection, the Tigers must first beat an under the radar Ole Miss team who are already disrespecting Memphis calling them "the little brother". Will the Tigers crack the top 25, better yet the top 10-15? Stay tuned to find out.

Penny Hardaway has always been known as a trendsetter. He did it in high school, college, the NBA (How many people can say MJ wore a pair of your shoes during his career in a game?), and now he's doing it as a coach. His recruiting tactics have created a firestorm of news articles and outburst throughout the nation (Especially Dan Dakich, the biggest Penny hater). Call it what you want, but Penny, not Coach Cal, Coach K, Coach Roy Williams, or Coach Bill Self, has the best class of recruits coming into the next season. Now the question becomes whether or not Penny, Mike and the crew can get those freshman on one accord to compete for a national championship. It doesn't happen often (I believe Cal did it in 2012 with Anthony Davis and cast) and it's a reason why. Experience does matter when you make it to the tournament. Sometimes the spotlight shines a little too bright for some. How will the upperclassmen react to their playing time? Will Penny start them? Will he cut into their minutes? You have to remember that most of these kids have a personal brand they are trying to build. How would it look to their fans if they are not getting the playing team they feel they need to be productive according to their standards? What the Tigers do have in their corner are 3 coaches with NBA experience, so if they don't make it to the title game, they will at least have more knowledge about how the NBA works before they actually get there. It's gonna be worth watching every game this season!

I believe the hype train just may be worth jumping on this year. Both teams have potential and that is all that you can ask for (Remember the crowd during the Tubby Smith era? Also, remember the Larry West days where you would walk past the Liberty Bowl for exercise before walking in to watch them play). I don't think either will win the championship, but they will both be a force in both sports this season. This might be the most exciting 7 months in Tigers' athletics history coming up! It's still time to jump on the bandwagon if you haven't yet!!