5 teams we’d like to see on Louisville basketball’s schedule in 2019-2020
By Jacob Lane
Memphis State
Before we move into the details on why a matchup with the Tigers is a must for 2019-2020, I must first start by saying we will always refer to the program known as “Memphis” by their real name, “Memphis State.”
One of the more memorable Louisville basketball moments came at the expense of John Calipari and Memphis State, and to this day, it is one of the most glorious things to ever happen to the Cards in my lifetime.
Much like Cincinnati, Memphis State was a staple of the Louisville basketball schedule for years with the two programs bumping heads at least once, if not two or three times, on a yearly basis in both the Metro and C-USA days.
Louisville and Memphis State last matched up in 2017-18 in the prestigious “Gotham Classic,” which was their first matchup since the Cards one and only season in the AAC. Memphis has had its ups and downs over the last few seasons with Josh Pastner and Tubby Smith at the helm, but it’s a new era on Beale Street.
With former NBA star Penny Hardaway and his team of former NBA players on staff, the Tigers are recruiting at a level that they haven’t seen since the Calipari days. Just a year into his tenure and Hardaway already has the number one recruiting class in the nation, headlined by five stars James Wiseman and Precious Achiuwa, and will have a top-five team when the preseason rankings come out.
Anytime Louisville can get one of their old conference rivals on the schedule, especially in a season where they will likely be a legitimate threat to contend for a title (of course, depending on whether Hardaway can actually coach), it’s a huge win.