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NCAA Basketball: Houston, Florida, Louisville rise in latest top 25 power rankings

Jan 25, 2025; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Houston Cougars forward J'Wan Roberts (13) controls the ball as Kansas Jayhawks guard AJ Storr (2) defends during the second half at Allen Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images
Jan 25, 2025; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Houston Cougars forward J'Wan Roberts (13) controls the ball as Kansas Jayhawks guard AJ Storr (2) defends during the second half at Allen Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images
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20. Memphis (15-4)

One thing that’s unfortunate for this Memphis team this season is that conference play can do much more harm than good for this team. Penny Hardaway’s squad had a phenomenal run through nonconference, dropping a few tough games, but getting wins over UConn, Michigan State, Missouri, and Ole Miss that all look great. Now can they stay out of their own way enough to remain relevant, especially after last week’s loss to Temple?

They avoided a second-straight misstep on Sunday, settling for a 77-68 road win at Charlotte. PJ Haggerty had his typical 18-point, 8-rebound effort on what was a solid shooting night for the Tigers, now back in the win column. After trailing at the half on Thursday, they used a strong second half to beat Wichita State 61-53. Haggerty stuffed the stat sheet in a 22-point effort while Tyrese Hunter added 16 points of his own.

You could make the argument that Memphis played more than half a dozen teams out of league play tougher than anyone currently in the AAC. It’s all about playing up to that potential and not getting caught sleeping like against Temple just over a week ago. There’s potential with Haggerty and this lineup if they’re in the Big Dance. We’ll see them Sunday against a sharp UAB squad; they’ll have to again be on upset alert.