Memphis basketball adds UTSA transfer PJ Carter

Penny Hardaway has finally landed a wing.

UTSA transfer PJ Carter will play for Memphis basketball next season, a source confirms to Bluff City Media. Carter signed with Rice earlier this offseason, but is still able to join Memphis without penalty since he never reported to campus.

He becomes the eighth member of the Tigers’ transfer portal class, joining PJ Haggerty (Tulsa), Dain Dainja (Illinois), Colby Rogers (Wichita State), Tyrese Hunter (Texas), Baraka Okojie (George Mason), Tyreek Smith (SMU) and Moussa Cisse (Ole Miss). Memphis also welcomes freshman guards Jared Harris and Daniel Viera-Tuck, and returns senior forward Nick Jourdain.

Carter, a fifth-year senior, began his college career at Campbell (2020-22) and Georgia Highlands College (2022-23) before playing for UTSA last season. The 6-foot-5 guard averaged 9.5 points and 2.4 rebounds while shooting 41.5% from the field and 40.3% from 3-point range in 31 appearances.

He emerged as a major bright spot towards the end of the campaign, putting up 14.6 points per contest and shooting 51.8% from beyond the arc in the Roadrunners’ final nine games. Carter enters next season with one year of eligibility remaining.

Carter’s presence fills a huge need for Memphis’ current roster. The Tigers have long searched for depth on the wing ever since star forward David Jones chose to remain in the NBA Draft on May 29.

Hardaway first tried to poach draft withdrawals like Jamir Watkins and Arthur Kaluma, but the former remained at Florida State and the latter signed with Texas. Memphis also got involved with Arkansas forward Trevon Brazile, but new coach John Calipari convinced Brazile to remain a Razorback.

Memphis finally seems to have its man in Carter, though. The Atlanta native obviously doesn’t figure to have a chance at replacing Jones’ stellar production from last season (21.8 points per game), but he could provide crucial minutes at a spot that didn’t have much going for it besides the 6-foot-4 Rogers (16.4 points per game and 40.9% from 3-point range last season).

Haggerty (6-foot-3) averaged 21.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game for Tulsa last year, which helped him earn the American Athletic Conference (AAC) Freshman of the Year award. Hunter (6-foot) averaged 11.1 points and 4.1 assists for Texas in 2023-24. He also won the Big 12 Freshman of the Year award at Iowa State in 2021-22, and is 6-3 in NCAA Tournament games.

Cisse (7-foot) and Smith (6-foot-8) averaged a combined 3.1 blocks per game last year. Jourdain (6-foot-9) started 25 of 32 games for the Tigers in 2023-24, and put up 6.5 points and 4 rebounds per contest. Dainja (6-foot-9) averaged 6.1 points and 3.6 rebounds in limited minutes for an Illinois team that made the Elite Eight last season.

Memphis still has two open scholarships remaining with Carter on its roster.