How Penny Hardaway is helping PJ Haggerty grow

Penny Hardaway is still trying to solve the PJ Haggerty puzzle.

The seventh-year coach knows exactly how to use Haggerty on the court. The 6-foot-3 guard scoring 22.2 points per game (No. 5 in Division I) and being a perennial All-American candidate this season proves as such.

But Hardaway wants to break Haggerty out of his shell off the court too. The Tulsa transfer—a reserved, nonchalant individual—normally lets his actions speak louder than his words.

He did just that in No. 19 Memphis’ victory over North Texas Sunday, dropping a game-high 27 points to go with 5 rebounds and 3 steals. Haggerty—with a bare look on his face—also blew the roof off FedExForum with a 30-plus-foot, towering 3-pointer with 2:18 left in the contest.

Hardaway shared some jokes about Haggerty’s stone-cold demeanor during his weekly radio show at Brookhaven Pub & Grill Monday.

“I think he’s listening to me, because all he does is shake his head and that’s it,” Hardaway said with a chuckle. “He’s really lazy in practice, right. He just starts walking around all moping. And as soon as gets the basketball in his hand, he starts going 100 miles an hour.”

Hardaway knows Haggerty can be a great leader and an even better player. He just has to help him get there first.

Luckily, the shy redshirt sophomore is receptive to Hardaway’s efforts.

“I’m getting him to get out of his shell, to get out of his comfort zone because he’s really a soft-spoken guy. He doesn’t say much,” Hardaway said. “I’m trying to help him get better. That’s what he came here for. He’s just such a great player. I’m trying to teach him how to be a better leader, a better point guard and understand what we need. He’s definitely understanding what that’s all about.”

Haggerty embodies the team player Hardaway was looking for this offseason. Between scoring, playmaking, rebounding and defending, he’s done whatever it takes to help Memphis win at a high level this year. It’s paying dividends too, since the Tigers lead the country with 10 wins in Quads 1 and 2.

But Hardaway still values his players’ opinions. He doesn’t need them to mindlessly say yes to everything all the time, and that certainly applies to his top bucket-getter.

Hardaway anticipates the day Haggerty no longer needs a push to speak up.

“I definitely give my guys that respect to where if they have something that they see, that they can come to me and talk to me. PJ’s not the guy that’s gonna do that first.” Hardaway said. “I have to always go to him and ask him, ‘What do you see?’ So, hopefully one day he’ll come to me and go, ‘Coach, I have a question.’ And I’ll go, ‘Oh wow, what happened?’ I’ll keep going to him until he starts to come to me.”

Haggerty and the Tigers (12-3, 2-0 AAC) host East Carolina on Saturday (1 p.m., ESPN+).