Will Memphis join the Big 12? The latest on conference realignment as the Commish visits Penny Hardaway's Tigers

Memphis Tigers have been an excellent men's college basketball program as evidenced by their track record. It was reported by CollegeAD that the Tigers were visited by Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark.

Does this mean they are going to be jumping from the American Conference to the Big 12 soon? Not necessarily. Although preliminary discussions have begun, which is not great for the American Conference. It may not happen in a hurry, but it is clear that Memphis Tigers are bigger than the conference, and a jump in the next few years could be unavoidable.

Think about the difference in competition on the conference schedule. Instead of facing the Temple Owls and UCF Knights, they would be battling the Kansas Jayhawks and Baylor Bears. This will likely increase the revenue from media rights and things of that nature. It makes a whole lot of business and sporting sense for them to take the decision.

What should we expect out of this year's Memphis Tigers?

Memphis Tigers finished the 2022-23 season as the 24th-ranked program in the nation with a 26-9 (13-5) record. That was good for second in the American Conference as they were four games behind Houston Cougars. They were beaten in the first round of the NCAA Tournament by the unfancied FAU Owls (66-65), and are looking to bounce back this year.

Penny Hardaway enters his sixth season as the head coach of the Tigers and has a 111-52 record with two consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances to his name.

There has been a lot of player movement from last year's roster. The program lost its leading guard Kendric Davis, forward Jahmar Young Jr (Texas Southern), guard Keonte Kennedy (Cal), and forward Jonathan Lawson (Creighton). They also have forward Malcolm Dandridge, guard Tadarius Jacobs, and guard Conor Glennon in the NCAA Transfer Portal, who have yet to find a new destination. Issues with their top recruit Mikey Williams persist as well.

Memphis did add some names, including guard Jayhlon Young (UCF), forward Teafale Lenard (Middle Tennessee State), forward Nick Jourdain (Temple), guard Caleb Mills (Florida State), and forward Jonathan Pierre (Nova Southeastern) through the Transfer Portal. This team is going to have to find its identity early in order to have a successful season. The reassuring fact for the fans is that Hardaway has shown the ability to rally the troops and dominate year in and year out.