There was a point in Memphis' game on Thursday night where the Tigers had been leading by double-digits for 17 consecutive minutes of game action, with their biggest lead ballooning to twenty early in the 2nd half. Memphis came into the game on a ten-game winning streak and had climbed to #10 in the most recent AP Poll, and their opponent, the South Florida Bulls, had lost 38 consecutive games to AP-ranked opponents, according to ESPN News Services. This is all to say that there was no reason to believe that Memphis was about to blow a game they were 11-point favorites in.

Of course, I wouldn't have written all of this if Memphis didn't blow the game. And as is often the case, when a team is winning, we don't necessarily see or hear about the issues going on behind the scenes. But after the stunning loss, Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway was ready to unload on all of the behind-the-scenes issues that have apparently been plaguing the 10th-ranked Tigers all season long.

“I don’t even know if this is going to be a wake-up call,” a frustrated Penny Hardaway stated after the 74-73 loss, per Mark Giannotto of the Memphis Commercial Appeal, “We have so many things that are going on that we’re just dealing with as we’re moving forward that I hope by March is all gone.”

Hardaway went on to suggest that there were chemistry issues all throughout the roster that were so bad that some Tigers players couldn't be on the floor with certain teammates. He talked about how there were too many players on the roster who expect to be the go-to-guy on offense, and when they aren't getting their shots, their defense suffers. And as I said before, winning does a fantastic job of hiding all of these issues. But now, after an embarrassing loss like this one, a spotlight comes down and makes the issues easier to see.

“We’ve been able to mask it, but it’s there,” Hardaway said.

Memphis has an opportunity to get their season back on the winning track this Sunday, when they visit a Tulane Green Wave squad that is looking to stay in the mix in a suddenly up-in-the-air American Athletic Conference.