Penny Hardaway, Memphis basketball connect with fans at reimagined preseason pep rally
Penny Hardaway walked onstage Saturday afternoon and waved to the crowd of several hundred scattered across the Luther C. McClellan Alumni Mall lawn.
Yung Jeezy’s “Put On” echoed throughout that end of the University of Memphis campus, where food tents, inflatable bounce houses and games created a much different vibe for the Tigers’ annual preseason pep rally than Memphis Madness.
But that was the point, according to Hardaway. The born and bred Memphian, entering his fifth season at his alma mater, welcomed the change of pace for a variety of reasons. Chief among them, he wanted to reestablish a connection with the lifeblood of any school’s athletic programs – the fans.
“Yeah, both programs, this is the city’s team. We are your team,” he told the crowd, which had by then become a dense scrum in front of the stage. “We wanted to be closer – up close and personal with you guys. We want to show you guys how much we really do appreciate you.”
The bones of the Memphis Basketball Block Party closely resembled that of recent Memphis Madnesses, although there was no dunk contest and the only recruit on hand was recent verbal commitment Ryan Forrest. Tiger public address announcer Geoff Mack kicked off player and staff introductions just before 5 p.m.
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“Tiiiiiiger Nation, are you readyyyyy,” he said, delivered with his signature growl.
Some Tigers smiled, others pointed or waved, while a select few posed or roused the fans with a short dance. Women’s coach Katrina Merriweather, like Hardaway, sat down for a brief Q&A. Later, some surprise guests took the stage. Polo G was the warmup act before teams were introduced. Kevo Muney and Action Pack also performed ahead of Al Kapone, who delivered a stirring rendition of his signature song, “Whoop That Trick,” while sporting a throwback Memphis State jersey.
After that, men’s and women’s players held an autograph signing, which was sponsored by the 901 Fund – Memphis’ NIL collective.
The Memphis Basketball Block Party represents the last significant preseason benchmark for both teams. Merriweather’s squad will now turn its full attention toward its exhibition opener, a home game against Rust College at 7 p.m. on Nov. 1.
Hardaway’s Tigers will face off against Christian Brothers at 4 p.m. on Oct. 23 at FedExForum in exhibition action. After another exhibition warm-up (against Lane College) on Oct. 30, Memphis will travel to Vanderbilt to open the season at 7 p.m. on Nov. 7, then make the trip to Saint Louis for an 8 p.m. game on Nov. 15.
On Saturday, Hardaway said his group is “ready to go.”
“This team is much older,” said Hardaway, who signed a new contract earlier this month through the end of the 2027-28 season. “We have one of the hardest schedules I’ve ever had here. But that’s what we’re about. (The players) want that and the city wants that. We want to play anybody that wants to play us. We’re not ducking anybody. We want to show who we are.”
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @munzly.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis basketball: Penny Hardaway says Tigers are 'ready to go'
