Part 2: What questions are still unanswered after non-conference play

Non-conference play was a success.

Penny Hardaway and the Tigers designed these first 13 games to give Memphis a real opportunity to bolster its NCAA Tournament résumé. Sure, Memphis left meat on the bone with losses to Saint Louis on the road, Seton Hall at a neutral site by a buzzer-beating three and Alabama in a close loss. Though the marquee wins against Ole Miss, Texas A&M, and Auburn don’t have the same weight as they did at the time, those are still quality wins that help the Tigers.

With that said, important questions still remain.

Who’s the third scorer?

This is the most important question and must be answered over the coming weeks. As stated in Part 1 of this series discussing what we’ve learned from non-conference play, there’s no secret who the two best players are: Kendric Davis and DeAndre Williams. While Memphis has the depth to win the conference and make a run in March/April, a third guy must emerge. But who?

Damaria Franklin is the easy answer. In only three games, Franklin is third on the team in scoring with 8.3 points per game, second in rebounding with five, and third in steals with 1.3. Three games are a small sample size. But what Mars has been able to do in those games after sitting for the first 10 of the season is very impressive, and he should only get better. Though he’s not a great three-point shooter, he has a good mid-range game and can finish at the rim with his athleticism.

Let’s not forget Keonte Kennedy and Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu. Kennedy has provided scoring sparks off the bench when needed. He also ranks second in three-point percentage for guys who take at least 2.5 threes per game, which is second only to Kendric Davis.

2. Speaking of Kao, how good can he be?

Over the past two games against Alabama St. and Texas A&M, Kao’s averaged 10.5 points, three rebounds, and a ridiculous five blocks. He’s also shooting 80.35% from the field because almost all of his points come from gravity-defying dunks. Kao has a chance to be the best shot-blocker in the Penny Hardaway era, which is saying something considering Jalen Duren and Moussa Cisse were great rim protectors themselves. Though his offensive game is limited, he’s a constant lob threat and an important pressure releaser when the defense converges on Davis or Williams. Watch for Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu’s progress on both sides of the ball as the season continues.

3. What’s this team’s ceiling?

At this moment, with DeAndre Williams playing the best basketball of his career, Kendric Davis yet to fully hit his stride, and a third guy yet to emerge, the ceiling for the Memphis Tigers is an AAC regular season and tournament title and a Sweet 16 finish. That’s the Tigers’ ceiling, in my opinion. But there are so many unanswered questions besides those previously mentioned that can’t be fully analyzed because we just need to see how they turn out. The answers to these questions will determine whether the ceiling mentioned before will rise or fall.

Will Memphis stop fouling so much? Will the three-pointer start to fall? Will Kendric Davis find his shot? Can key players stay healthy? Can Penny and his staff continue to game plan well? Will the defense maintain its level or even improve?

If the answers to those questions are yes, and the Tigers get a little luckier – 321st in Luck according to KenPom – then this will be the best Memphis team in the Penny Hardaway era and one of the best all-time.

Only time will tell.