Penny Hardaway explains Memphis basketball’s bid for redemption at AAC Media Day

Penny Hardaway reached the lowest point in his coaching career in Memphis basketball’s last game.

The Tigers—who went 7-8 after starting 2023-24 with a 15-2 mark—concluded their season with a loss to 14-win Wichita State in the second round of the American Athletic Conference (AAC) Tournament on March 14, which officially sealed Hardaway’s fate of missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021.

Hardaway then sat in front of reporters both lost and embarrassed. Embarrassed at how flat Memphis came out in that contest. Embarrassed at how unprepared his team looked. Embarrassed at how the U of M had gotten here after once being ranked No. 10 in the Associated Press (AP) Top 25.

But what humiliated Hardaway the most was how Memphis had completely shifted from the identity he envisioned for the program since his hiring in March 2018—a defensive-oriented group marred with toughness and heart. Last year’s team, whilst talented, didn’t exactly fit that mold.

But Hardaway, who will coach his seventh season at Memphis this year, believes this year’s squad checks every box he’s looking for.

“I went out this year in the [transfer] portal and hand-picked these young men we have for toughness, the grit, the competitiveness and the chip on their shoulder. I got back to who I was,” Hardaway told reporters at AAC Media Day on Sunday in Irving, Texas. “I went after talent the last couple years, and didn’t go out and try to hand-pick guys that were just tough, gritty and would grind every possession. That’s what I’ve done this year, so I’m excited to get back to that going into this season.”

Hardaway still acquired plenty of flash for his 2024-25 roster.

Redshirt-sophomore PJ 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 AAC Freshman of the Year award. Senior Tyrese 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. Both are preseason All-AAC first-teamers.

Redshirt-senior Colby Rogers (6-foot-4), who is on the preseason all-conference second team, scored 16.4 points per contest while shooting 40.9% from 3-point range (7.1 attempts per game) for Wichita State. Redshirt-senior Dain Dainja (6-foot-9) averaged just 6.1 points and 3.6 rebounds in limited minutes for an Illinois team that made the Elite Eight last season, but many expect his offensive numbers to take a massive uptick at Memphis.

This team brings a lot more ferociousness too, though. Hunter also snatched 1.3 steals per contest and received a 98.1 adjusted defensive rating on barttorvik.com, where Memphis is ranked No. 32 to start the season. Haggerty averaged 1.9 steals and earned a 102.1 adjusted defensive rating. Additionally, seniors Moussa Cisse (7-foot) and Tyreek Smith (6-foot-8) averaged a combined 3.1 blocks per game last year for Ole Miss and SMU respectively.

“This team can’t score like [last year’s], but they make up for it with being together. They make up for it with being tougher as a unit, covering for each other, communicating more,” Hardaway said. “At the end of the day, last year’s team [was] more talented. This year’s team [is] more together and more dangerous.”

Another big difference, according to Hardaway, is that this year’s team has had ample time to practice together and get to know each other on and off the court. The majority of the roster fully participated in summer workouts, and each player was on campus for Memphis’ first official practice last month.

“The biggest strength right away is their unity, together. They’re hanging together on the floor and off the floor. When you see that, that means they’re gonna go to every extreme to play for one another out there on the court,” Hardaway said. “When you get me a team that’s gonna run through a wall and stay together, then I feel like I can have a successful season and win a lot of games. This team knows who they are. They’re very close.”

Hardaway’s club will see its first action since that dreadful Wichita State game Tuesday in the Hoops for St. Jude Tip Off Classic against North Carolina inside FedExForum (6 p.m., ESPNU). It may be a meaningless exhibition, but it’s also an opportunity for Memphis to give a precursor for what must be a bounce-back year for its head coach.

Hardaway built a roster that drastically differs from previous underwhelming seasons. But for Memphis to finally get over the hump, whether that’s claiming an AAC regular season title or winning multiple NCAA Tournament games, Hardaway has to take a different approach himself.

He has to start putting out fires instead of calling for “all the smoke.” He has to ensure his team plays consistently in each phase of the season, not just in the early or late portion. He also must create a more prevalent culture, win more big games and take care of business against inferior opponents more often.

Hardaway says he’s evolved this offseason, however, and believes he now has what it takes to do all those things and more starting this year.

“I think what I’ve learned is that it’s hard to win on this level. The structure of what you have to have on this level [and] the culture has to be set on discipline, responsibility, accountability, family, respect, all those words,” he said. “As a player’s coach, I think I’ve let too many things go along the way that I’ve gotten to understand that we’re closing the door on all those non-negotiables. And from day one, having my entire team there, I was able to put together that culture of, ‘Non-negotiables mean non-negotiables. If this happens, then this is gonna happen,’ and stand on that. That’s what I’ve been doing from day one, and I haven’t done that in [any] of [my] six seasons consistently enough.”