Memphis Basketball Players Skip Out On Postgame Press Conference After Bad Home Loss To Arkansas State

The Memphis Tigers welcomed Arkansas State to town on Sunday feeling as good as they have in years with a 7-1 record highlighted with wins over Connecticut and Michigan State already on their resume. Forty minutes later, and the 16th-ranked Tigers looked like the Tigers of years past that drop a home game they have no business of losing and then handle said loss in poor fashion.

The Red Wolves, who entered the game well outside the Top 100 in KenPom rankings, held a 13-point lead at halftime and impressively held onto that advantage in the second half en route to an 85-72 win at FedEx Forum. The Tigers gave up 16 offensive rebounds to Arkansas State, turned the ball over 20 times, and were outscored in the paint by a count of 28-22.

Losses, especially early-season losses, happen in college hoops and now the focus turns to how Memphis will respond during what could be a pivotal point of the season when March comes around with four consecutive games against Clemson, Virginia, Mississippi State, and Ole Miss staring the Tigers in the face.

As for how the players handled the embarrassing loss to Arkansas State, well, actions sometimes speak louder than words.

Following the game, Memphis players were not available to the media. Some reportedly spoke with local radio after the game, a friendly group that won't be critical, but players completely avoided the outside press after the contest.

Memphis players not being made available to the press after a home loss comes less than a week after head coach Penny Hardaway took accountability for his program's recent struggles in years past.

"I just basically had to blame everything on me and just say, ‘Hey, I have to get control of me,’ " Hardaway said last week during his coach’s radio show. "It was some dark days. Just for me personally, just to check myself and say, ‘Hey, it’s time for you to grow up. It’s time for you to get this done, because you know you can get it done."

Hardaway answered questions from the media on Sunday evening.

As for the crowd who may not think players skipping out on media obligations after a loss is notable, gone are the days when college-aged athletes can't be held accountable. College athletes are paid nowadays, and in some cases paid hundreds of thousands of dollars, therefore speaking to the media and the fans who are seemingly paying your salary should be a requirement.

Will Memphis players skipping out on a postgame press conference following an early December loss to Arkansas State send the season into some sort of spiral? Most likely not, but that doesn't mean it's setting a good precedent for the remainder of the season.