Penny Hardaway isn’t messing around anymore.

The sixth-year Memphis basketball coach watched his No. 22 Tigers (15-4, 4-2 AAC) drop back-to-back games last week. During his weekly coaches show at Brookhaven Pub and Grill on Monday, he said that he plans to ratchet up the intensity as the team prepares for its next game, which is Sunday at UAB (4 p.m., ESPN).

Hardaway said he took it easy on his experienced roster during the nonconference portion of the schedule and the early part of the AAC slate — allowing players with minor bumps and bruises, for example, to skip practices.

That’s about to change.

“ . . . What has happened is the guys are staying in that mode, because they really played harder against the nonconference teams,” he said. “I’ve given them the first three months off, really. So what we’re doing is having to go backwards.”

Hardaway missed the first three games of the season due to a suspension for recruiting violations committed in 2021. Because of that, he said, he elected to be “more safe than aggressive, like I usually am,” which is a big reason why the Tigers’ defense has struggled so much lately.

“I’ve allowed the older guys to try to get together and make it work,” he said. “It just hasn’t been the way we need it. Now, with this week off, we’ll get to the meat of everything.”

Memphis squandered a 20-point second-half lead at FedExForum in a one-point loss Jan. 18 to South Florida. On Sunday, the Tigers lost at Tulane 81-79. The mini-skid resulted in Hardaway’s team dropping in both the Associated Press Top 25 (to No. 19) and in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll (No. 22).

MEMPHIS BASKETBALL: Tigers drop, but remain in the top 25

Hardaway said the loss to the Green Wave has opened the Tigers’ eyes.

“They understand how real it is, the guys that didn’t respect our conference,” he said. “And they’re upset. We’re just gonna see how upset this week.”

Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or follow him @munzly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis basketball's Penny Hardaway vows to ratchet up intensity