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Memphis blues? Maybe not.
It wasn't an ideal offseason for Penny Hardaway's program. But the end result may actually turn out OK. Plus, loads of schedule moves, NIL messes and more.
Mike Miller
August 20, 2024
Good morning! And thanks for spending a few minutes with us today.
1. Maybe these Tigers won’t be caged
There’s nothing straightforward about Memphis entering the 2024-25 season.
The Tigers are entering their seventh season under coach Penny Hardaway, and have just two NCAA Tournament berths during his tenure. All but one player is gone from last season’s roster (only starting forward Nick Jourdain remains).
And yet, it’s not like the last few seasons have been without hope. The Tigers played No. 1 Gonzaga to the buzzer in the 2022 NCAA tourney, then won 26 games and the AAC tourney before a bad bounce cost them a shot at a likely Sweet 16 appearance in 2023. Even last season began with promise: 15-2 through Jan. 14 … only to finish 22-10.
So when you assess the vibes of a program that’s fallen short of its goals and has done a complete makeover, maybe it’s not a surprise that John Martin and Rob Dauster express significant concerns about the new squad.
Still, as John notes, there is talent on the roster.
Tyrese Hunter was an All-Big 12 player, PJ Haggerty can score (John’s skeptical though), Colby Rogers can shoot and Dain Dainja is terrific (at least in small spurts).
It’d be easy to project Memphis as a sure-fire NCAA tourney team if David Jones was back. But there’s enough talent to make a run.
The players certainly think so. And sometimes, if there’s enough belief among the players, that’ll carry the day. From the Memphis Commercial-Appeal:
“One through five, we’re loaded,” Dainja said. “I feel like we’ve got one of the best front and backcourts in college basketball.”
Hunter agrees. The former Iowa State and Texas standout has had plenty of success with high-profile programs in the Big 12, one of the strongest basketball conferences in the country in recent years.
“I came from schools that were more high-major. I’ve seen a lot of winning in my career, and I feel like I didn’t take a step down coming (to Memphis),” Hunter said. “I feel like we’ve got every piece that we need.”
Most importantly, the mantra among the Tigers is team. They’re talking about being selfless, which isn’t something last season’s squad could say (especially when the losses piled up).
Need a non-player assessment (and reason to scoff at Rob and John)? Barttorvik slots Memphis at No. 25 in its early rankings, just ahead of Marquette, Miami, BYU and Cincinnati and waaaaaaaaay ahead of the next AAC team (UAB at No. 82).
That’ll be quite the seventh season if so.
2. Maui, exhibitions and non-con schedules
Some days just overflow with schedule news.