Penny Hardaway’s seventh season as Memphis basketball’s head coach unofficially begins tomorrow.
The Tigers will take the court for the first time since March 14 in the Hoops for St. Jude Tip Off Classic against North Carolina inside FedExForum Tuesday night (6 p.m., ESPNU). The charity event also features a second matchup between Memphis women’s basketball and defending national champion South Carolina (8:30 p.m., ESPN+). Proceeds from the double-header will go towards St. Jude.
This may be an inconsequential scrimmage, but it’s also an opportunity for Hardaway’s club to experiment with its new toys via the transfer portal and give fans a precursor for what has to be a bounce-back year for Memphis.
Hardaway feels the Tigers, who’ve largely been practicing together since June, are more than ready to see game action.
“They’re ready. I know the city is gonna love this team. This is a team that’s tough, and kinda carries that mentality we’ve always had here in Memphis with the grit-and-grind” he said on September 23. “I’m really anxious for the city to see these young men.”
Here’s what to expect when Memphis takes on the Tar Heels.
First look at Hunter, Haggerty-led backcourt
Hardaway reshaped his backcourt with two alpha lead guards this offseason.
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 American Athletic Conference (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.
Defensively, Hunter 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.
Fans will also get their first glimpse of redshirt-senior Colby Rogers (6-foot-4), who scored 16.4 points per contest while shooting 40.9% from 3-point range (7.1 attempts per game) for Wichita State. Hunter and Haggerty were both named preseason All-AAC first teamers, while Rogers qualified for the preseason all-conference second team.
Hunter and Haggerty are widely expected to be the lead horses for this year’s Memphis team, but they’ve rarely played together since arriving on campus this summer. Hardaway told reporters on Oct. 3 that he’s largely been pitting them against each other in most practices, and they’ve only consistently been in the same lineup in recent weeks.
The Tigers’ star ballhandlers, however, have little concerns of their abilities to compliment each other on the court.
“We’re both fast guards [who] like to get downhill. We can get our teammates involved. [We’re both] willing to do whatever to win,” Hunter said at AAC Media Day on Sunday. “We are going to open the floor for each other. Whether if I got the ball and he’s out, he’s got the ball and I’m out, [we’re just going to be] running our lanes and playing for each other.”
Dain Dainja’s untapped potential
Most would probably call Hardaway’s decision to recruit Dain Dainja to be his starting center interesting, at the very least.
After all, Dainja (6-foot-9) averaged just 6.1 points and 3.6 rebounds in 10 minutes per game for an Illinois team that made the Elite Eight last season. But the redshirt-senior put his efficiency on full display in 2022-23, when he put up 9.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in 20 minutes per contest for the Fighting Illini.
Dainja, though he wasn’t flashy, put in a nice showing during a scrimmage at Memphis’ Blue and Gray Showcase on Oct. 4. He may have scored a measly 6 points, but he also notably excelled in many of the little things—playmaking, footwork, post moves. The Brooklyn Park, Minnesota native is as fundamentally sound as ever, which is why Hardaway believes Dainja’s poised for his best season yet.
“He’s a playmaker, honestly. He handles the ball like a guard. When we do the ballhandling drills in practice, he’s probably one of the best two or three ballhandlers on the team. He can make plays, pass the ball, score inside. He’s definitely a weapon,” Hardaway said. “We really haven’t had a big like Dain before [in my tenure]. We’ve had young bigs with Precious [Achiuwa] and Jalen Duren, who were great in their own right. But Dain is highly skilled down on that block.”
Dainja’s technical ability and basketball IQ may surprise those who are unfamiliar with him, but Hunter—a Racine, Wisconsin native—wasn’t the least bit shocked when the two became teammates this summer.
“I’ve been watching Dain since I was in high school. Both of us being Midwest kids, I’ve always been watching Dain and following his journey,” Hunter said. “I know Dain’s game. I know what he’s capable of. He’s doing everything to reach this potential to help himself in the future and this team.”
Senior Moussa Cisse, who transferred back to Memphis from Ole Miss, will suit up for the Tigers for the first time since 2021. SMU senior transfer Tyreek Smith will make his debut, and fellow senior Nick Jourdain returns as the Tigers’ lone remaining scholarship player from last season to round out the frontcourt.
Cisse (7-foot) and Smith (6-foot-8) averaged a combined 3.1 blocks per game last year, while Jourdain (6-foot-9) put up 6.5 points and 4 rebounds per contest.
What UNC brings to the table
North Carolina—flanked by fourth-year coach Hubert Davis—is one of the nation’s most heralded teams headed into 2024-25.
The Tar Heels are ranked No. 9 in the Associated Press (AP) Top 25, No. 14 in KenPom and No. 5 on barttorvik.com.
UNC returns first-team All-American guard RJ Davis, who averaged 21.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game last year. The 6-foot senior also shot 42.8% from the field and 39.8% from 3-point range.
But Davis, who led the Tar Heels to the Sweet 16 in 2023-24, suffered a lower back contusion during a scrimmage Saturday, leaving his status for Tuesday night in question.
North Carolina also brings back starting guard Elliot Cadeau (7.3 points and 4.1 assists per game), while welcoming Vanderbilt transfer forward Ven-Allen Lubin (12.3 points and 6.3 rebounds) and 5-star freshmen Ian Jackson and Drake Powell.
Lubin didn’t score against Memphis when Vanderbilt visited FedExForum last year, recording just 2 rebounds and 2 blocks in limited action because of a groin injury.