Kareem Brewton focuses for one last run

Upon arriving at Memphis after playing two years at Eastern Florida, Kareem Brewton  Jr. was considered one of the key cogs in former-head coach Tubby Smith’s system. As a quick-footed guard with confidence, Brewton never shied away from the big moments.

In last year’s American Athletic Conference tournament, Brewton delivered one of the season’s signature moments when he nailed a game-winning floater from beyond the three-point line to clinch a hard-fought victory against Tulsa in the conference quarterfinals.  

Now, with only four regular season games left on the schedule before the league tourney begins, Brewton said he is focused on one thing. The University of Memphis men’s basketball team has not appeared in an NCAA tournament since 2014 when Josh Pastner was the head coach. Ending that drought is something the senior from east Georgia is not taking lightly.  

“It would mean everything,†Brewton said. “That’s one of my biggest goals that I’ve always had in life. Ever since I was in junior college, I always wanted to get to this division one level and make it to the tournament because I’ve been watching it on TV, and I just always wanted to get there. 

As of right now, the Tigers face a tough road ahead as far as their tournament hopes are concerned. Despite having a winning record at 16-11, Memphis lacks a true standout, résumé-building win that will grab the attention of the NCAA selection committee. The selection committee is tasked with choosing the schools that will compose that 64-team field. Unless the Tigers win their conference tournament on their home floor, it is not likely they will be included in the participants.

“It has been way tougher,†Brewton said. “As you can see, USF, they used to be at the bottom, and now they’re in the upper half. That just lets you know how tough everything is. Cincinnati and Houston are ranked right now, and they’re really tough. And at the same time Temple because they beat Houston. You have to be on your toes in the AAC.â€Â 

Although the results may not be as positive as first-year head coach Penny Hardaway would have hoped for, the impact Hardaway had on Brewton in their one season has helped tremendously.  

“It feels good that it’s my senior year, and I’m under a hall of famer,†Brewton said. “He’s a point guard, you know. He was in the NBA, so it feels good because I can finally see where my game is. I’ve got to get better at reading the guys when I’m on offense and making plays for me and at the same time our big men. I’ve been feeling more confident every time, and he’s been having more confidence in me. And I feel like it’s all just helping me for the next step.â€Â 

In his best performance of the year, Brewton shined in the team’s 83-61 win over SMU. He finished with 20 points which included a career-high six and made three-pointers. He has displayed all year long that he plays with a confidence second to none.  

“I’m a scorer,†Brewton said. “(Hardaway) wants me to do that and at the same time be a leader, so it’s just that confidence boost. Once I get it going, I feel like no one can stop me.† 

While Brewton’s Memphis career will come to an end after having only played two seasons here, he knew this was where he always wanted to be.  

“I always wanted to play here,†Brewton said. “This was always one of my main schools I wanted to come to because I used to watch Derrick Rose all the way up until the championship game.† 

For Brewton and the rest of the Memphis Tigers, these next few weeks will be critical in determining the outcome of this season. For the fans of the program all over the city, they’ll be hoping they can use sheer will and enthusiasm to push their team all the way to the NCAA tournament.