During Thanksgiving break, the University of Memphis men’s basketball team traveled to Orlando, Florida, to participate in the Advocare Invitational Tournament, where they finished 1-2. The Tigers (3-3) struggled in the tournament, and head coach Penny Hardaway vowed to switch things up.
Roster changes
Memphis opened up the tournament with a 20-point loss to the Oklahoma State Cowboys (4-2), 84-64. After the game, Hardaway told media in Orlando there would be adjustments to the starting five.
Against the Canisius Golden Griffins (1-5) and the Charleston Cougars (5-2), Hardaway started forwards Mike Parks Jr. and Raynere Thorton in place of forwards Isaiah Maurice and Kyvon Davenport, shifting from a small-ball lineup to a traditional lineup.
Thorton finished both games with a combined total of 13 points on 5-10 shooting and 14 rebounds. Parks shot 8-11 for 17 points and seven rebounds collectively in both games.
Davenport took advantage of his new role off the bench, securing his tenth career double-double against Canisius with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Against Charleston, Davenport came up a point shy of having back-to-back games with double-doubles, finishing the game with nine points and 11 boards.
Tyler Harris has a solid tournament
Tyler Harris had ups and downs in Orlando, but had 41 points and shot 14-31 from the field for 45 percent in the three games. Harris totaled four boards and six assists, but he shined from the three point line.
Harris shot 10-21 from beyond the arc, knocking down seven three-point shots in the Charleston game. Harris has grown his role and become a reliable deep threat for the Tigers’ offense.
Negative takeaways
Memphis struggled protecting the ball, turning it over 53 times in the tournament. The Tigers’ only win came against Canisius, 71-63, but the game was closer than it should have been due to unforced turnovers, a total of 20 in the game, and not contesting shots.
Memphis fell short against Charleston 78-75, committing 18 turnovers and allowing the Cougars to complete 42 percent of their shots, including 11 threes. Hardaway said the team’s defense needs to focus more and be tougher.
“We just got to take the challenge, man-to-man,” Hardaway said. “We started off the season really trying to talk about help, and where the defense needs to be, and where your teammates need to be in case you get beaten. It’s time to start focusing on manning up and doing your job.”
Hardaway continued to say some of the issues are on the coaching staff as well, and they will work to improve on defense.
Winning now
The Tigers currently have a 3-3 record, but inconsistent play and bad decisions have left Memphis with a mediocre record. Hardaway said he wants to make a difference in the program this year, regardless of the top recruits coming in next year.
“I’m all in for this year,” Hardaway said. “Honestly we should be, instead of 3-3, we should be 5-1 at least, and I’m growing as a coach, and I’m not looking to next year. I’m looking for this year. I want to compete. I don’t want to be a laughing stock and then talk about moral victories. That doesn’t do us any good. We are trying to build a culture, and the guys here, we are all going to have to step up and push towards that culture.”
Tiger men’s basketball head coach Penny Hardaway said he has not like the way his team has played against highly ranked opponents this year.
