Utah State Routs Memphis Despite Hardaway's Objections

Aggies' late-game scoring spree draws ire of Memphis coach Penny Hardaway

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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In a non-conference matchup, Utah State's men's basketball team routed Memphis 99-75, despite Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway objecting to the Aggies' continued scoring in the final minutes. Utah State head coach Jerrod Calhoun defended his team's actions, citing the need to maximize their scoring opportunities due to the challenges mid-major programs face in the current NCAA landscape.

Why it matters

This game highlights the ongoing tensions between major conference programs and mid-major teams like Utah State, who feel they must maximize every scoring opportunity to bolster their NCAA Tournament resume, even if it means running up the score late in games. Hardaway's objections raise questions about sportsmanship and the competitive dynamics between programs of vastly different resources and profiles.

The details

Utah State, the Mountain West Conference leader, dominated Memphis throughout the game, closing with a 13-2 run that included a flashy dunk by MJ Collins Jr. in the final seconds. This upset Hardaway, who felt the Aggies lacked "class" by continuing to score. Calhoun defended his team's actions, explaining that mid-major programs like Utah State must maximize their scoring opportunities due to the challenges they face in the current NCAA system, where they are held to a higher standard than major conference teams.

  • Utah State defeated Memphis 99-75 on Saturday, February 15, 2026.

The players

Jerrod Calhoun

The head coach of the Utah State Aggies men's basketball team.

Penny Hardaway

The head coach of the Memphis Tigers men's basketball team.

MJ Collins Jr.

A player for the Utah State Aggies who scored 24 points in the game.

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What they’re saying

“You can't keep scoring the ball. You gotta have more class than that. You've just gotta have some type of class, seriously.”

— Penny Hardaway, Head Coach, Memphis Tigers (Memphis radio interview)

“Unfortunately—the way the rules are written with the analytics—the last two baskets, we would not have scored if this was a normal circumstance. The deck is stacked totally against mid-majors now. You've got teams that have $10 and $20 million rosters; we don't have that. We don't have the ability to play a bunch of Quad 1 and Quad 2 games; we can't get them. So we're measured … we almost have to be perfect, let's call it like it is.”

— Jerrod Calhoun, Head Coach, Utah State Aggies (Post-game press conference)

What’s next

The Utah State Aggies will travel to face the Boise State Broncos on Wednesday, February 19, 2026.

The takeaway

This game highlights the ongoing challenges mid-major basketball programs face in the current NCAA landscape, where they must maximize every scoring opportunity to bolster their tournament resumes, even if it means running up the score late in games and drawing the ire of their opponents.