Memphis Tigers Basketball Brief History

The Memphis Tigers Basketball team represents the University of Memphis for the men's college basketball in the NCAA Division I. They usually compete in Conference USA. They have won the previous two conference and regular season tournament championships. Their present coach is John Calipari.

In 1920, the West Tennessee State Normal School (predecessor of University of Memphis) fielded their first basketball team. In 1924, Zach Curlin became their first coach. In 1928, the team joined the Mississipi Valley Conference. During their early years the Tigers played in a local YMCA or a local high school gym or in a room called “Normal Cage” on campus. It was in 1929 that the $100,000 Memorial Gym was built and this became the Tigers' home. By 1948 the school was renamed as Memphis State College and in 1957 it was again renamed as Memphis State University. In 1951, the Tigers got a new home, the $700,000 Field House Gym. They joined the NCAA tournament in 1955. In 1964, the team started playing home games in the Mid – South Coliseum.

In 1971 and 1973, they won the Missouri Valley Conference titles. During the 1980's, they won several Metro Conference titles and made it to seven NCAA tournaments. The Tigers joined the Great Midwest Conference and made the Pyramid Arena as its new home during the years 1991 and 1992. The Tigers achieved the top spot in the Associated Press Basketball Poll in 2008. They remain as the only Division I team that is undefeatd.