Memphis Madness officially welcomed the Penny Hardaway era at University of Memphis, and the power of Penny was on full display Thursday night at FedEx Forum. After a night that featured many surprises and a sold-out crowd that was electric, there are five main things to take away about the upcoming basketball season.
David Wingett is as advertised.
In the three-point contest, David Wingett shined as he showed off his heralded shooting stroke. Albeit a small sample size, the Winnebago, Nebraska, native stole the show by increasing his total each round.
His 18-point tally in the finals was the most scored by any member of either team, and his ability to get hot from behind the line brought the crowd to a fever pitch numerous times while he was shooting. Despite not having many high-profile scholarship offers after high school, Wingett looked like he belonged in the big-time leagues with his performance.
Recruits are noticing the difference in Memphis basketball.
Early on in the evening, with the camera panning over the crowd, top 2019 recruit James Wiseman was spotted in the stands. Immediately upon being shown on the jumbotron, Tiger fans erupted with cheer, as Wiseman recently announced his top-five schools list, which featured Memphis.
While the Wiseman sweepstakes are far from over, it must be an encouraging sign that Wiseman was in attendance. For the first time in years, Memphis basketball is competing for the best players the recruiting trail has to offer. Although it is still unclear who will be suiting up in the blue-and-gray in 2019, one thing that is for sure is fans are eager for a winner, and that starts with securing commitments from prospects like Wiseman.
The Penny effect is real.
From the moment the all-black court was unveiled, the tone was set. With as many names that were rumored to be in attendance, there was a question as to whether Memphis could really deliver the spectacle Memphis Madness was made out to be. However, Moneybagg Yo quickly delivered on some of the hype with his performance of “Bigg Facts” during the player introductions.
Shortly after, Derez Deshon made a surprise appearance to perform his track “Hardaway,” which received a thunderous reaction from the FedEx Forum crowd. After BlocBoy JB arrived and hyped the crowd with his hit song “Shoot,’ it was clear that this was no typical Madness event. This was Memphis Madness done the Tigers’ way.
The home games will be significantly different this season.
One of the main reasons behind the decision to fire Tubby Smith was a recent trend that saw a major dip in home attendance. Any doubts about those problems persisting this season were quickly answered.
The crowd was near capacity before the official start time of 7 p.m., and almost all of the fans in the crowd remained on their feet for a large portion of the night.
During the program’s most successful runs in the past, one of the defining aspects of the team was the advantage that came with playing in front of raucous home audiences. It’s safe to say that advantage will be returned to the Tigers in 2018.
Alex Lomax and Tyler Harris fit right in.
When Hardaway was announced as head coach, a large amount of attention was directed towards two high school prospects who had been tearing up the local scene. While neither Lomax nor Harris initially featured Memphis in their list of school choices, it certainly didn’t seem like there was any hesitation when the two took to the floor for the first time at FedEx Forum.
Both guards received warm welcomes from the fans, and they both seemed like they were living the fulfillment of a lifelong goal. While it is unclear to what extent either will be featured this year, Memphis basketball has a bright future with those two leading the program to where many expect it can be.
