Memphis Tigers basketball one year later

Some Tiger fans viewed it as unfair when the University of Memphis dismissed Tubby Smith as head coach after he had just completed a 21-13 season in which the team lost in the conference semifinals of the American Athletic Conference tournament. Now, almost a year later and with the AAC tourney one month away, some main themes have stuck out in head coach Penny Hardaway’s inaugural year on the sidelines.   

Road games have been the team’s Kryptonite

At this point, the Tigers record sits at 14-10 with seven games left on the schedule. Of those 14 wins, 12 of them have come on their home floor. Although it may not be surprising to some that a team comprised of so many new faces, especially one relying so heavily on freshmen, has struggled in hostile environments, at points they have looked like an entirely different team when they are in other arenas.  

Hardaway, who attributes success on the road to playing twice as hard and with toughness, doesn’t seem to fully understand this disturbing trend, either. 

“Our coaches give a perfect game plan, and the kids know exactly what to do,†Hardaway said during a media availability Feb 6th. “But, as soon as the game is over and we push play, we’ve already watched it live, when you push play you see the energy is way down. They’re not playing desperate enough, letting guys catch the ball easy, guys going around them, blow-bys off the dribble right away, giving up offensive fouls, and then we get on the offensive end and it’s like we’ve never played before.â€Â 

Of their remaining contests, four of them will be on the road and now take on much more significance given where the Tigers find themselves. Trips to East Carolina, Central Florida, Wichita State and Cincinnati could spell trouble for a team that has not enjoyed much success outside of Memphis thus far.  

Senior leadership has been pivotal all year long 

Understandably so, much of the hype surrounding this season was centered around the new faces lured to the campus by the hiring of Hardaway. Fans rejoiced when local high-school standouts Alex Lomax and Tyler Harris decided to join forces for the blue-and-gray and players like Antwann Jones, Ryan Boyce and Isaiah Maurice chose the school after previously not even having it on their radar.  

Lost in all the excitement was the fact that Memphis had five returning seniors who all were worthy of considerable minutes in Hardaway’s lineups. Although as the season approaches its end, it’s safe to say the leadership of the returning seniors has anchored the team’s play in the biggest moments.  

Whenever they have needed a clutch basket or a burst of energy, the veterans of the roster have been the most reliable. Whether it be the ability to simply take games over with their scoring shown by Jeremiah Martin and Kyvon Davenport, the confidence to take-and-make any shot from any spot on the floor exhibited by Kareem Brewton, or just the willingness to make the hustle plays and scrap inside displayed by Mike Parks Jr. and Raynere Thornton, the seniors have provided a steadying presence on the floor from the first tip.  

“We can depend on the seniors because they’ve been here,†Hardaway said after his team’s 78-71 victory over UConn last Sunday. “This is a veteran’s league, really, you know the older guys are the guys that are getting it done, and their freshmen on their team are just their younger guys who are chipping in wherever they can. If we’re going to win, we need those five seniors to show up every time we play.â€Â Â 

Recruiting update 

A primary allure associated with hiring Hardaway as coach was his ability to attract high-profile recruits, both from the area and nationally. He certainly has not disappointed on that front, signing top ranked center James Wiseman, five-star forward D.J. Jeffries, and hyper-athletic big man Malcolm Dandridge.  

However, it is evident that the Tigers are still working towards securing even more top-tier talent for Penny’s year two season. Trendon Watford, a five-star forward from Birmingham, has long been rumored to be leaning towards Memphis as his choice, despite heavy interest from Alabama.  

In addition to Watford, the Tigers have come on late as a contender for a pair of top 150 ranked guards. Lester Quinones, a four-star prospect from IMG Academy in Florida, is widely considered the best shooter left available at this stage in the recruiting process. Quinones, who did not receive as much attention from big universities early on, listed the UofM in his list of his final seven school choices.  

Like Quinones, Damion Baugh is another guard who remains unsigned despite putting together a standout high-school career. Baugh, a three-star prospect who is currently listed as the third best point guard in the state of Tennessee, included Memphis in his list of his final three schools and took an official visit to the school during the same weekend that the team grinded out a hard-fought victory over UConn.  

While it remains unclear if any of these prospects will ultimately end up choosing to play for Memphis, fans can say without a doubt that bringing Hardaway into the fold has returned the program’s ability to attract the type of blue-chip players expected to represent the city.  

In conclusion 

The Conference Tournament is slated to begin at FedexForum on Mar. 14 and run through that weekend. With where their record sits now, the Tigers likely only real chance at an NCAA tournament berth, which Hardaway has maintained as the goal since day one, is to win that league tournament in front of their home fans.  

With only seven games left until they all become must-wins, it will be critical for this team to figure out exactly who they are. With four contests left on the road, they will get one last chance to correct the woes that have plagued them all year long. Behind the steadying play of seniors like Martin and Davenport combined with the confidence they gain from playing at home, the Memphis Tigers have one last stretch run to make their 2018-19 season a success.