Memphis Basketball: 3 reasons why the Tigers have been struggling as of late

3. Does this group want to win the AAC?

We’re in the “dog days” of the season, where some teams are either looking ahead to the NCAA Tournament, while others with under .500 records are starting to pack it in. A couple of weeks ago, Memphis knew it was safe to the Big Dance, looking for a top-tier seed. 

No matter how good teams are, losses in conference play are going to happen. Even Gonzaga, who wins 99% of its league battles, already has a road loss to Santa Clara. But Memphis and its lackadaisical play has been very noticeable, even since the start of league play.

That’s the problem with the Tigers and its roster filled with notable names. These guys all could’ve gone to power conference teams but with all of them essentially on their last years in college, they’re aiming to make a run in March and enhance their resumes. The problem is that it’s hard to get excited for UAB, Wichita State, and UTSA, teams that aren’t overly appealing to play on a Sunday afternoon but have enough talent to cause problems on a given night.

It’s hard to build a “culture” with basically a bunch of one-year players but Coach Hardaway has to find a way to motivate this group in the next month. Because even if they still make the Big Dance, they’re setting themselves up for an early exit and making this a disappointing year regardless.

We'll see on Wednesday on Rice if there's a switch this team can turn on.