Penny Hardaway Cools Hot Seat As Rebuilt Memphis Tigers Upset Ranked Iowa State

After finishing 10th in the American Athletic Conference during Memphis' worst season since 1969, head coach Penny Hardaway offered $2.6 million of his own money to help assemble a competitive roster.

That personal financial pledge came during an offseason defined by relentless scrutiny.

Hardaway made it clear to university leadership that he needed a $9 million budget to build an NCAA Tournament contender.

Memphis athletic director Ed Scott ultimately fulfilled the head coach's request.

Yet the fan base remained intensely skeptical about Hardaway's long-term future leading the program.

Whispers about his job security grew louder throughout the summer months.

Facing a brutal early-season schedule, Hardaway needed an immediate statement victory to silence his critics.

On November 2, his newly reconstructed squad delivered exactly that.

Memphis stunned nationally ranked Iowa State with an 80-76 upset at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

The Cyclones entered the season opener ranked No. 14 in the country according to The Commercial Appeal, while Yardbarker listed them at No. 18.

Regardless of the specific poll number, Iowa State arrived as a battle-tested top-20 heavyweight.

Instead of folding against high-level competition, Memphis seized control of the game.

With one statement performance, the unbearable heat surrounding Hardaway's seat began to dissipate.

ADVERSITY BEFORE TIP-OFF

The drama for Memphis began long before the ball was tipped in South Dakota.

Just two hours prior to the game, the school learned that a key appeal had been officially denied by the NCAA.

Center Nemanja Popović was ruled ineligible under an NCAA-mandated withholding period.

The governing body sidelined the 24-year-old big man due to previous international competition.

Popović was ordered to miss the season opener alongside the next five contests.

The ruling landed like a hammer blow to Memphis' tactical plans.

In the days leading up to the game, Hardaway had described the hulking 6-foot-9 center as the backbone of his offense.

Losing such a vital interior piece hours before facing a physical Big 12 opponent would derail many teams.

Yet the Tigers refused to let the adverse ruling dictate their mindset.

THE SHOT BEFORE THE BUZZER

The opening half evolved into an intense, back-and-forth defensive battle.

Iowa State pushed ahead late in the period behind its veteran playmaker.

Three-time All-Big 12 guard Tamin Lipsey scored on a tip-in off an out-of-bounds set that began with just 0.4 seconds on the shot clock.

That basket gave the Cyclones a 39-38 advantage and seemed to snatch away all momentum.

Hardaway reacted immediately by calling a timeout.

He pulled his team together and drew up an ambitious final sequence.

Southeast Missouri State transfer Luke Almodovar executed the play to perfection.

Corneilous Williams provided a critical screen, wedging out an Iowa State defender.

Almodovar elevated with power and threw down a ferocious left-handed dunk over Iowa State center Blake Buchanan.

The ball cleared the net just as the first-half buzzer sounded.

The explosive highlight silenced the thousands of Iowa State supporters packed inside the arena.

Hardaway was visibly thrilled when reflecting on the sequence during his postgame press conference.

"Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh," Hardaway said with a wide smile.

"First, it was the tip by Lipsey with 0.4 (seconds) that pissed us off," Hardaway explained.

"Then, to call a timeout, then draw the play up, then Luke ran it to perfection, then Corneilous (Williams) wedged the guy out," the coach continued.

"For (Almodovar) to dunk it over both of them . . . it’s amazing," Hardaway added.

"He’s about the city. He’s a tough kid."

Almodovar credited the play with shifting the energy of the entire night.

He described a chaotic, high-energy locker room immediately following the dunk.

"I mean, it was good for us to have that type of play going into halftime for momentum purposes," Almodovar said.

"I mean, we came in here knowing we were going to win, so that sort of moment kind of pushed us through to start the second half," the guard explained.

Almodovar ended the contest with 18 points and eight rebounds.

THE UNSEEN HALFTIME SPARK

While the buzzer-beating slam dominated social media highlights, Hardaway pointed to an entirely different moment as the game's true turning point.

That critical sequence unfolded quietly on the court during halftime.

Washington State transfer Rihards Vavers had struggled badly during the first twenty minutes.

Vavers went 0-for-3 from beyond the 3-point arc and looked completely out of rhythm.

Instead of sulking on the bench, the sidelined Popović took action.

The ineligible center stepped onto the floor to work directly with his struggling teammate.

Popović spent the intermission rebounding for Vavers and contesting his practice shots.

By walling up with his 6-foot-9 frame, Popović forced Vavers to elevate his shooting arc.

The adjustment paid immediate dividends when play resumed.

Vavers caught fire in the second half, converting three of his four attempts from distance.

He finished the game with 15 points, scoring nine crucial points after the break.

Hardaway praised Popović for putting the team first despite his personal NCAA setback.

"To be honest, the biggest story of the game was halftime," Hardaway revealed.

"Rihards hadn’t made a 3, and Popović is on the floor, throwing him the ball and walling up over him to get his shot up higher," Hardaway said.

"Then, (Vavers) went 3-for-4 in the second half. That’s just being unselfish," the coach remarked.

"Pop is the leader. He is the guy that holds everybody accountable," Hardaway emphasized.

"He’s the guy that keeps everything together. He’s the talker. He’s the leader . . . that’s just Pop."

TRANSFER ADDITIONS TAKE CHARGE

The offensive surge carried directly into the second half for Memphis.

The Tigers' new-look rotation quickly found its rhythm on the floor.

Hardaway's squad took the lead early in the period and refused to yield control.

Memphis never trailed at any point after the 14-minute mark of the second half.

Northwestern transfer guard Jayden Reid served as the primary engine down the stretch.

Reid produced a team-high 26 points and shot a perfect mark from 3-point range.

When the Cyclones mounted their final push, Reid took complete ownership of the floor.

The veteran transfer scored 11 of his 26 points in the final 3:02 of regulation.

His poise at the free-throw line and timely shot-making kept Iowa State at bay.

Together, Reid, Almodovar, and Vavers accounted for 59 of Memphis' 80 total points.

The immediate production validated Hardaway's aggressive reliance on the transfer portal.

DEFENSIVE INTENSITY SHUTS DOWN CYCLONES

While the newcomers shined on offense, Memphis secured the victory on the defensive end.

Hardaway praised his players for bringing intense defensive heat for forty full minutes.

The Tigers built a fortress around the 3-point line.

Iowa State struggled all night against Memphis' length and perimeter rotation.

The Cyclones finished an icy 4-for-20 from 3-point territory.

Memphis also neutralized Iowa State's premier scoring threats.

Lipsey was limited to just 12 points despite his late first-half tip-in.