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Tennessee basketball: Vols rivalry with Memphis Tigers as bitter as ever

By Caleb Calhoun

LEXINGTON, KY - FEBRUARY 06: Admiral Schofield #5 of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrates during the 61-59 win against the Kentucky Wildcats in the game at Rupp Arena on February 6, 2018 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
LEXINGTON, KY - FEBRUARY 06: Admiral Schofield #5 of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrates during the 61-59 win against the Kentucky Wildcats in the game at Rupp Arena on February 6, 2018 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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Tennessee basketball’s win over the Memphis Tigers Saturday shows the Volunteers’ rivalry with Penny Hardaway’s program is as bitter as ever.

Well that didn’t take long. Tennessee basketball and the Memphis Tigers have only played one game since renewing the rivalry. And the hatred is already running deep again between the two programs.

It makes sense. This is the only competitive in-state college rivalry with such national attention that the state of Tennessee has to offer. And it represents two vastly distinct regions and cultures of the state.

But I thought with the renewal and Penny Hardaway now coaching the Memphis Tigers, the rivalry could be a friendly one. After all, they are in different conference and play on different stages. Boy, was I wrong.

As the game drew to a close Saturday, players from both teams started jawing. Jordan Bone, Alex Lomax and Jeremiah Martin all got technicals. Hardaway took it to another level when he claimed in the postgame that the Tennessee basketball bench cleared ready to fight, even though video evidence showed the exact opposite. Kyvon Davenport also made things more intense by claiming Memphis had better players.

That the Vols won 102-92 against a team who gave it everything they had became an afterthought. UT fans complained about the Tigers flopping the entire game. Memphis fans complained about the numerous times UT went over the back.

The truth is, both are right. Memphis flopped a lot, but that appeared to be Penny’s game plan since his team was undersized and those refs were being so easily manipulated. They would fall for charges and miss over the back calls. It evened out.

With that, they were able to put up a huge fight. Scoring 92 points against this UT defense is impressive. Memphis still needs a year under Penny to get to UT’s level under Rick Barnes, but the aftermath of Saturday’s game proves already the rivalry is intense again between the fans.

It’s to the point where some lifelong Penny fans who also support the Vols may have to make a choice or draw a line in the sand. If you think the rivalry is bad this year, what do you think will happen when Memphis gets its top guys to compete?

So what makes it already so intense? Why, after just one game, does it already seem more brutal than what Bruce Pearl and John Calipari had going for years? Well, that’s something Billy Williford touched on before the game Saturday. It’s about Barnes and Hardaway.

Pearl and Calipari are both from the Northeast who took the state by fire when they led their respective programs. But Barnes and Hardaway are much more culturally reflective of the schools they are coaching.

Hardaway is a Memphis kid, homegrown in Binghampton. Barnes, meanwhile, is from Hickory, N.C., part of the Appalachian culture that so deeply defines East Tennessee. Both are classy guys who have their own levels of fire in them. And while Hardaway is just getting started compared to Barnes being a seasoned veteran, both have illustrious careers that preceded them to their schools.

As a result, this time, the rivalry is going to run deeper. Lines will be drawn. Fans will have to make a choice. Memphis and Tennessee basketball will benefit from it. But if this past weekend is any indication, both sides will eventually be so blinded by hatred of the other side that it won’t matter. Given the future, maybe we’ll get another No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup.

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