Tennessee basketball: 10 memorable games between Vols and Memphis Tigers

MEMPHIS, TN - FEBRUARY 23: Robert Dozier #2 of the Memphis Tigers jumps against Tyler Smith #1 of the Tennessee Volunteers at FedExForum on February 23, 2008 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Joe Murphy/Getty Images)
MEMPHIS, TN - FEBRUARY 23: Robert Dozier #2 of the Memphis Tigers jumps against Tyler Smith #1 of the Tennessee Volunteers at FedExForum on February 23, 2008 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Joe Murphy/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images /

1. 2007-2008: Tennessee beats Memphis 66-62 (Game played Feb. 23, 2008)

There’s no debate that this was the most memorable game in the series. In fact, this may be the most memorable regular season game in the history of college basketball. After all, No. 1 vs. No. 2 is usually reserved for Duke vs. UNC.

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  • However, the seeds for this were laid the years before. Again, we’re at Bruce Pearl vs. John Calipari. These are two big northeast media people who were leading two different programs in this southern state. And both teams had finished in the Top 25 each of the previous two years.

    This season, Pearl had all his talent back plus the addition of Tyler Smith. Calipari had his best ever one-and-done guy at the time in Derrick Rose and a bunch of other veterans himself. In the process, his team got to 26-0 and was thinking about going undefeated.

    After an early season loss to Rick Barnes’s Texas Longhorns of all people and then an early SEC loss to the Kentucky Wildcats, Tennessee basketball had gone on its run too. And with a 25-2 record and the No. 1 strength of schedule, they had made it up to No. 2 right before the game.

    No. 2 vs. No. 1. Tennessee vs. Memphis at the FedEx Forum. Dick Vitale in the house. By the way, Penny Hardaway at the game along with Peyton Manning and even Priscilla Presley. Everything about it was set to be legendary. And yes, the game lived up to its hype. It was the most-watched regular season game in college basketball history.

    Tennessee basketball won a 66-62 thriller by staying in the game after Memphis got red-hot shooting from three in the first half. Bruce Pearl made sure his team stayed patient, and as the Tigers went cold in the second half, the Vols, a team that relied on the three and up-tempo play, were able to run half-court sets with Tyler Smith.

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    The aftermath of the win deflated this a bit. The Vols were No. 1 for three days before losing to another in-state rival, the Vanderbilt Commodores. They then made lost in the SEC Tournament and again in the Sweet Sixteen. Meanwhile, Memphis made the national title game and choked away a nine-point lead to the Kansas Jayhawks with two minutes left. And afterward, they had to forfeit all their games from that year because Derrick Rose was ineligible. But on this one glorious night, the state of Tennessee was the center of basketball. And the Vols pulled off arguably their greatest win as a part of their greatest season in school history.