Dante Harris had 20 minutes to prepare for his first start. Here’s how he stepped up for an injured Tyrese Hunter.

Tyrese Hunter’s bad knee has been a constant thorn in his side all season, and it finally cut a bit too deep Sunday morning.

The 6-foot guard tried to give it a go before No. 17 Memphis’ rematch with Temple that afternoon, but his body wouldn’t relent. So, Hunter missed a game for the first time in his four-year college basketball career—he had started every single one too.

“When he came in this morning, Darrell [Turner] (Memphis’ athletic trainer) had already texted me and said, ‘Tyrese’s knee has swollen,'” Memphis coach Penny Hardaway told reporters after the Tigers’ 90-82 victory over the Owls. “He felt like he was running in mud, and couldn’t get over the discomfort in his kneecap.”

That created the ultimate opportunity for Virginia transfer guard Dante Harris, who joined the Tigers in late December. The 6-foot redshirt senior has been a low-maintenance reserve since arriving on campus, logging 11 minutes per game in nine appearances. Fellow backup guard Baraka Okojie, meanwhile, has been with the team since last summer, and reserve wing PJ Carter has emerged as Memphis’ best scorer off the bench in recent games.

Hardaway, however, still chose Harris to take Hunter’s place in the starting lineup. He called him into his office about 20 minutes before tipoff to tell him the good news.

“It was like, ‘Hey, I’m gonna start you. Just go out there and be who you are,'” Hardaway said.

Harris, who was named the Big East Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player as a member of Georgetown in 2021, did just that. He totaled 14 points, 3 rebounds and 2 steals on 6-for-8 shooting in 29 minutes. The Tigers were plus-6 with Harris on the floor against Temple.

Memphis bounced back from an 11-turnover first half to run away from the Owls in the second. The Tigers gave the ball away just twice during the period, and scored 14 points off 6 Temple turnovers in that span. Harris—despite starting on short notice—didn’t commit a giveaway throughout the entire contest.

“I knew my teammates had my back. I knew the coaching staff believed in me. I’m just happy we got the win,” Harris said. “[Hardaway] just told me before the game just to play my game, play with confidence. He believes in me, and I feel like that just gave me the will to just go out and play my game and not worry about anything.”

Other Tigers showed out in Hunter’s absence too. PJ Haggerty led Memphis with 20 points (8-for-15 shooting), 7 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals and a block. Dain Dainja totaled 18 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks while shooting 5-of-7 from the field and 8-for-10 at the free-throw line. Nick Jourdain compiled 11 points, 3 assists and 2 rebounds, while Moussa Cisse had 10 points, 6 boards and 3 steals.

Memphis shot 56% overall and 42% at the 3-point line. It also outrebounded Temple 26-24 after losing that tally to the Owls by 24 during last month’s loss in Philadelphia. Memphis allowed 22 offensive rebounds in that contest, but controlled the offensive glass 10-8 this time around.

“Just proud of everybody on the team for stepping together and holding it down for Tyrese while he was out,” Hardaway said.

Memphis (20-4, 10-1 AAC) visits South Florida on Thursday (8 p.m., ESPN2).