FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — While Memphis was a lock to make the NCAA Tournament even before tipping off in the 2025 American Men’s Basketball Championship, coach Penny Hardaway and the 16th-ranked Tigers got another trophy on the way to Seattle.
PJ Haggerty scored 23 points and Dain Dainja had another double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds as the Tigers beat UAB 84-72 on Sunday to wrap up the tournament after also winning the league’s regular-season title for the first time.
Memphis (29-5) is in the NCAA Tournament for the 29th time, and the third time the past four seasons with the seventh-year coach who as player for the Tigers was part of the 1992 and 1993 tournaments. They are the No. 5 seed in the West Regional, and play Friday against Colorado State (25-9), which has won 10 in a row.
Haggerty put the Tigers ahead of UAB to stay with his tiebreaking bank shot with 16:10 left. The American player of the year later had a 17-second span when he drove the baseline for another shot off the glass, then had a steal that led to his fastbreak ending with a three-point play.
Yaxel Lendeborg had 19 points and 17 rebounds for the Blazers (22-12), last year’s American tournament champion who had to win the game that ended less than a half-hour before the Selection Show to get back to the NCAA Tournament. Efrem Johnson had 17 points.
Lendeborg’s 23rd double-double matched Stanford’s Maxime Raynaud for the most this season, but he was worn out after three double-doubles in as many days.
Dainja had his fifth double-double in eight games. Colby Rogers added 15 points for Memphis and Moussa Cisse had 14 rebounds.
2025 American Men’s Basketball Championship Schedule
(All Rounds Except First Round Played at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas
First Round | Wednesday, March 12 | Super Pit in Denton, Texas
Game 1: No. 13 Charlotte 64, No. 12 Rice 61 Box Score | Postgame Notes | Highlights
Second Round | Thursday, March 13
Game 2: No. 8 Wichita State 73, South Florida 68 | Box Score | Postgame Notes | Highlights
Game 3: No. 5 Florida Atlantic 64, Charlotte 59 | Box Score | Postgame Notes | Highlights
Game 4: No. 10 Tulsa 75, No. 7 Temple 71 | Box Score | Postgame Notes | Highlights
Game 5: No. 6 East Carolina, 70, No. 11 UTSA 65 | Box Score | Postgame Notes | Highlights
Quarterfinals | Friday, March 14
Game 6: No. 1 Memphis 83, No. 8 Wichita State 80 | Box Score | Postgame Notes | Highlights
Game 7: No. 4 Tulane 83, No. 5 Florida Atlantic 76 | Box Score | Postgame Notes | Highlights
Game 8: No. 2 North Texas 77, No. 10 Tulsa 59 | Box Score | Postgame Notes | Highlights
Game 9: No. 3 UAB 94, No. 6 East Carolina 77 | Box Score | Postgame Notes | Highlights
Semifinals | Saturday, March 15
Game 10: No. 1 Memphis 78, No. 4 Tulane 77 | Box Score | Postgame Notes | Highlights
Game 11: No. 3 UAB 66, No. 2 North Texas 56 | Box Score | Postgame Notes | Highlights
Final | Sunday, March 16
Game 12: No. 1 Memphis 84, No. 3 UAB 72 | Box Score | Postgame Notes | Highlights
