Inside Vanderbilt Basketball's Series Restart With Memphis

NASHVILLE—The connection between former Vanderbilt coach Jerry Stackhouse and Memphis coach Penny Hardaway appeared to be obvious as they scheduled a home-and-home series prior to the 2022-23 season, but the back end of that two-year scheduling decision appeared to be it.

Stackhouse was gone. Vanderbilt coach Mark Byington opted not to schedule Memphis in his first season at the helm. Vanderbilt and Memphis appeared to be irrelevant to each other outside of their proximity. The two-year series–in which Memphis won both games–appeared to be a flash in the pan considering the teams hadn’t matched up since the 2004-2005 season prior to the 2022-23 series.

Then, Byington and Hardaway came to terms on a home-and-home series as if to indicate that the series still mattered to them. It didn’t happen in Byington’s first season at the helm, but he never appeared to forget about the idea of bringing the series back.

“I want this series,” Byington said. “I want this series for the fans. Teams in Tennessee, like us, should play each other. They’ve got a great basketball tradition and we were willing to say ‘we’ll come to Memphis this year’ and start it on the road. That’s how bad we wanted to start it.”

Vanderbilt and Memphis have matched up just 15 times and isn’t exactly a conventional rivalry, but the teams being two of the state’s three most prominent basketball programs appears to lend credence to the idea that it has potential as a consistent non-conference matchup.

Byington and company have rejuvenated local matchups by scheduling Lipscomb as this season’s opener and by adding Tennessee Tech as well as Austin Peay to the schedule last season.

As Vanderbilt travels to FedEx Forum to face Memphis this season, the programs are in different places. The Commodores are 10-0 with a nation-high four quad one wins while Hardaway’s Tigers are 4-5 with a loss to UNLV on their resume. Memphis’ win over Baylor indicates that it’s capable of beating Vanderbilt, though.

“It’s going to be a challenge,” Vanderbilt big man Jalen Washington said. “We know Memphis is gonna give us their best shot. We’re gonna be more locked in and intense the next game.”

If Vanderbilt pulls off a win over Hardaway’s team–which has won three of its last four, but lost 99-73 to Louisville in its last game–it would be the program’s first win over the Tigers since 1997-98, when it took down the Tigers 86-77 at Memorial Gymnasium. Byington warns that if his team plays the way it did on Saturday in its 83-72 win over Central Arkansas, it will “lose by 40” to Memphis.

Hardaway doesn’t appear to believe that will be the case, though.

Dec 6, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Tigers Head Coach Penny Hardaway reacts against the Baylor Bears during the second half at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Wesley Hale-Imagn Images | Wesley Hale-Imagn Images

“They’re a really, really, really exceptional team,” Hardaway said. “I think they’re right there with Louisville. Very dynamic, fast, explosive. We didn’t know they would be this good, but I’m glad they are.”

Vanderbilt is ranked No. 13 in the AP Top 25, the program’s highest ranking since it reached No. 9 during the 2011-2012 season, and is ranked No. 7 in the NET Rankings. Its 10-0 record is the program’s first since the 2007-2008 season.

Vanderbilt looks to pick up a win that could age well on Wednesday and has shifted its focus fully to that goal, but it’s not losing sight of what it means that it will share the floor with Memphis for the first time of Byington’s tenure. Perhaps the matchup will lead to something beyond the end of the teams’ contract.

“It should be a series that we play year-in-year out,” Byington said. “Tremendous respect for Penny and what they’ve done. Just being in the state of Tennessee, these teams should match up.”