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| The late Win Wilfong, who stands 21st on The University of Memphis's all-time scoring list with 1,203 points, played basketball for the Tigers from 1955-57 and led the Tigers to a 44-13 mark. |
| Wilfong played under coaches Eugene Lambert and Bob Vanatta and was considered at the time, the best player in Tiger history. Wilfong, a versatile player, could do it all in his time — score, rebound and handle the basketball. In the U of M record book, he currently stands in the top ten in nine different statistical categories. For his career, Wilfong averaged 21.5 points and 12.3 rebounds a game. In the 1955-56 season against Union, Wilfong poured in 40 points, which stands as the seventh most in a single-game at the U of M. In fact, Wilfong had 30 or more points in 11 different games during his career. |
| In the 1956-57 season, which some say was the true arrival of Memphis basketball, Wilfong led the Tigers to their first NIT bid at famed Madison Square Garden. The Tigers opened up with a 77-75 win over Utah in The U of M's first ever nationally-televised game. Two nights later, the Tigers upended Manhattan, 85-73, then slipped past St. Bonaventure, 80-78, on a last second shot. In the title game against Bradley, Wilfong scored 31 points and was named MVP. The Tigers, however, lost the game, 84-83. |
| Also in 1957, Wilfong became the U of M's first-ever first team All-American when he was named to the Converse first team All-American squad. In 1956, he was honored by United Press International as an honorable mention All-American. |