| The 1956-1957 season turned out to be a special year for the Tigers. First-year coach Bob Vanatta took a cinderella team to the finals of the NIT in New York City. It was one of the most important years in Tiger basketball history. |
| The opening round game against Utah was the Tigers' first appearance in the NIT, first official game at Madison Square Garden, and the first nationally televised game. |
| Over 200 Memphis students piled into 5 chartered buses for the 17-hour trip to New York. Another 300 were expected to make the trip in private cars. The bus showed up at the arena during halftime of Memphis's thrilling overtime win over St. Bonaventure. Bob Swander sank a last second shot to give the Tigers a shot at the title. |
| The Tigers lost in the finals against Bradley, 84-83. Win Wilfong scored 31 points, however, and was named the MVP of the tournament. Over 2,000 fans greeted the team upon their return to Municipal Airport. |
| Below are the results of those games. |