Balled up fists. The James Wiseman saga and the ensuing IARP investigation. The failed Emoni Bates experiment and mysterious injuries that disappeared when he left. Seemingly persistent locker room turmoil. Malcolm Dandridge's academic scandal. The anonymous letter alleging NCAA violations. The mass staff firings two months before the start of the season.
Tyreek Smith’s all-too-public NIL dispute.
Under Penny Hardaway, the off-the-court headlines for the University of Memphis Men’s Basketball team have constantly overshadowed and gotten in the way of the on-the-court results.
All Hardaway has to show for his tenure going into his seventh year is two NCAA tournament appearances, one NCAA tournament win, no AAC regular season titles, and a myriad of overhyped disappointments. If it were any other coach, they would no longer be employed at the University of Memphis.
But this is not just any other coach.
This is the native son of Memphis. This is the greatest player this program and city, both steeped in basketball history, have ever produced. This is the coach that saved the University of Memphis basketball program from the apathy that marred it under Tubby Smith.
For these reasons, Hardaway will be given every chance to succeed as the head coach of this program.
This season represents his last chance though. After the disaster that was the end of last season after a 15-2 start, Hardaway must perform this year. Simply put, if Memphis misses the NCAA tournament for the second year in a row, his job will be in serious jeopardy.
The beauty of Hardaway being the coach though, is that even with all the consistent off the court drama and on the court let downs, he can win back the fanbase and the city in an instant. Everybody wants him to succeed and to avoid a situation similar to the firing of his head coach at Memphis, Larry Finch.
With this schedule he has put together, Hardaway can make everyone forget about all the shortcomings of this program under him and get them all right back on board.
Go out and win the home opener against Missouri and they’ll forget about the Tyreek Smith dispute. Go out and beat the two-time defending champion UConn to open up the Maui Invitational and they’ll forget about the sudden mass staff layoff in September. Go out and win road games against Clemson and Virginia and beat regional rivals Mississippi St. and Ole Miss at home, and they’ll forget about the anonymous letter and Dandridge’s academic scandal. Go out and dominate the AAC like you should with the talent you have for the first time, and they’ll forget about the collapse of last season.
Because of the way Hardaway schedules, his recruiting prowess, and his deep connection and meaning to the city and the program, Hardaway can make everyone forget about his failures and make them remember his successes. He can make them remember how he stayed home and came to Memphis St. when he could have gone anywhere in the country and how he came back and saved a once-proud program from hurdling into the depths of irrelevancy.
The opportunity is there for him and this season’s team, but Hardaway must take advantage of it. From the city, please Penny. Make us forget.
