University of Memphis forward Nick Jourdain isn’t just playing for a team—he’s playing for the city.
“It’s definitely been super dope, but I don’t really look at it as playing for the platform of Memphis. I look at it as just literally trying to win and trying to play for the city, because you’re really the city’s team here,” Jourdain said. “It’s not like most schools where there’s other things in town. Here in Memphis, it’s strictly Memphis basketball.”
The passion runs deep in the city, and Jourdain knows that the Tigers are a staple of Memphis sports culture.
“They got the Grizzlies and us, but we were here before the Grizzlies. So they’re always going to rock out with their Tigers. I was almost like a celebrity around here. There’s a lot of love. But there’s also a lot of things that come with that.”
Embracing the Blue Collar Mentality
In Memphis, winning isn’t an option—it’s the expectation.
“They don’t accept anything but winning here. So you just always got to be going hard and always got to be at your best. They like blue collar basketball. They like hustling. They like pressing. They like all that stuff,” Jourdain emphasized.
That mindset has been ingrained in his game, particularly on the defensive end.
“I’ve always been a good defender, taking pride in my defense. But I think it’s been amplified, especially as the year has gone on here.”
Jourdain prides himself on his defensive versatility. “And as my time in college best was, I’ve gotten more IQ and understanding how to guard guys and understanding, getting weak side blocks, chase down blocks, on-ball blocks, so just having kind of that trifecta.”
Stepping Up When It Matters Most
Jourdain knows how to deliver when his team needs him most. Reflecting on a standout performance, he recalled, “Yeah, no, that was last year against UTSA. That was a, that was a, I don’t want, I feel like my last game might’ve been one of my, I’ve had some good games at Memphis. I like that game, that was my most inflated stats, that game.”
“But I don’t know, my three ball was going out, that made like what, three threes. Rebounding was perfect. I had three blocks in that game too. I was just, I was in the flow and my team needed all those points, all those rebounds. I mean, we won that game at overtime.”
Inspired by the Greats
Jourdain grew up studying some of the NBA’s finest.
“Watched Carmelo a lot growing up, being a Knicks fan on MSG. So definitely Melo, Paul George. Now that I’m older, I kind of try to look at people of my type game, my type athleticism. So guys like Aaron Gordon, I like his game. I try to steal it from Kuzma, light-skinned brother, but yeah, so I have to say those guys.”
When asked why Paul George resonates with so many young players, Jourdain broke it down.
“I don’t know. Like growing up, I remember in high school, I was just, I was drawn to him and his game. I think it’s the smoothness of it. Like it’s very smooth. It’s like, I heard someone say this, it’s like you get Kyrie’s handle and fluidity at like a 6 ‘8 and you get Paul George, his footwork. And then you add the athleticism he has.”
Learning Under Penny Hardaway
Having Memphis legend Penny Hardaway as a coach is an experience Jourdain doesn’t take lightly.
“Um, it’s a lot of information. It’s a lot of knowledge. Yeah. You really just got to tune in because his IQ for the game is genius. Like he’ll, he’ll give you a key and it will work every single time.”
Hardaway’s attention to detail has made a major impact. “Just talking about timing up my cuts from the corner, he was telling me how to time it up, basically following the help to catch the lobs.”
“And it was just every, every area of my game just amplified. It was passing, ball handling, shooting, even defense.”
Chasing the Tournament Dream
For Jourdain, making the NCAA Tournament would mean everything.
“I mean, we’re on the path. I don’t want to jinx it, especially after last year, because we were in the tournament. We were ranked as I think a second, second or third seed. Everything went left and downhill.”
“Being in contention right now to be in the tournament again, it’s definitely a blessing, but a berth for me will mean everything because I haven’t touched the tournament before. And I hear some of my friends that play college ball, they talk about the experience, the feel, coaches even talking to me about it and how, how electric it is.”
From Philly to Memphis: A Culture Shock
Jourdain’s journey from Temple University to Memphis has been an adjustment, but one he’s embraced.
“But transitioning from Philly to Memphis, it is totally different. People would never even guess. And Philly, it’s very in your face. People are gonna tell you exactly how they feel, whether it hurts your feelings or not. And there’s not gonna be a lot of passive feelings in there.”
“And so coming from that and then coming to Memphis, it’s in the South, it’s not the most south, but here, you know, you get southern hospitality, you get a lot of love. And like I said, we’re almost like celebrities here. They really appreciate us, like, because this is Memphis, they got the Tigers and the Grizzlies. So it was a dope transition. And yeah, it was definitely very different. You go from ‘boul and jawn’ to people saying ‘junt and Memphis mane.'”
Nick Jourdain is embracing every part of the Memphis experience—from the basketball culture to the city’s deep love for its Tigers. And if his defensive presence and work ethic continue at this pace, his dream of making the NCAA Tournament might just become a reality.
