Jordan Brown officially rejoins Memphis basketball.

Isn’t this quite the turn of events?

Jordan Brown, who suddenly vanished from Memphis basketball last month, has officially rejoined the program, sources confirm to Bluff City Media.

The 6-foot-11 center began this season with lofty expectations after winning last year’s Lou Henson Award for being college basketball’s best mid-major player. But the Louisiana transfer ultimately disappointed in the Tigers’ first seven games with averages of 6.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 13.4 minutes per contest.

Brown had his worst performance yet on Dec. 2 at Ole Miss after picking up two fouls in the first 1:23 of the game and playing just seven minutes total. He finished the game with 2 points and 1 rebound.

He then sat out Memphis’ trip to VCU on Dec. 6 due to an apparent illness. Two days later, Bluff City Media reported that Brown’s proverbial doctor’s note was permanent and he’d be leaving the team. Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway, however, kept reiterating to the media that Brown was just sick.

The fifth-year senior reportedly cut all ties with the program on Dec. 27, which seemingly brought his time as a Memphis Tiger to an end.

But not so fast.

Brown returned to campus and asked to rejoin the team last week, which prompted Hardaway to hold a players only meeting. Nearly everyone on the team initially balked at Brown’s potential return, with the meeting being described as “awkward” by sources. But the players later became mostly indifferent after some convincing by Hardaway and others.

The staff officially reinstated Brown after the Tigers blew a 20-point lead and fell at home to South Florida Thursday, which put a Quad 3 loss on Memphis’ resume. That defeat, however, may not be the team’s biggest concern going forward.

“With all the inner things happening on thing happening on the team…There’s so much going on that you can’t play certain groups together,” Hardaway said Thursday. “Everybody’s so talkative, as far as the game. When the game’s going good, there’s talking. When the game is going bad, there’s talking. And then the negativity of the talk starts to weigh on the team, and it just makes you have to put certain guys out on the court.”

With the Tigers possibly having locker room issues, bringing back someone who hasn’t been with the team in over a month doesn’t seem optimal. But Brown could fill a need for another center in Memphis’ frontcourt, which might help Hardaway’s club end its month-long funk.

Brown is expected to make his Memphis return Sunday afternoon at Tulane (12 p.m., ESPN2).