Signs of Dain Dainja’s emergence have been popping up for a little while. In fact, Memphis basketball coach Penny Hardaway was first tempted to reinsert the gifted big man back into the starting lineup before the Tigers’ win over Ole Miss on Dec.

Penny Hardaway has made a change to the Memphis basketball starting lineup for the UAB game. For the first time in 16 games, Dain Dainja will get the starting nod of Moussa Cisse at center Sunday (noon,

Penny Hardaway reacts to Memphis basketball win over UAB

The thunderous dunk by Memphis basketball's Dain Dainja over UAB star Yaxel Lendeborg in the opening minutes Sunday at FedExForum was not the play of the game. But it was the tonesetter. The two-handed jam — along with Dainja's ensuing shoulder-ride — was symbolic of the fire-breathing to come from the 22nd-ranked Tigers (16-4,