Penny Hardaway’s Tigers get one more tune-up before the 2024-25 college basketball season begins.
Memphis takes on No. 2 Alabama in the 2024 Rocket City Classic exhibition at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Alabama on Monday (7 p.m., ESPN+). This will be Memphis’ second preseason scrimmage after losing its first to No. 9 North Carolina inside FedExForum earlier this month.
The Tigers shot 44% from the field and 23% from 3-point range during the 84-76 loss on Oct. 15. They out-rebounded UNC 41-40 while recording 14 steals, 12 assists, 10 offensive boards and 6 blocks. But Hardaway’s team, which also scored 10 second-chance points, ultimately derailed its momentum with 22 turnovers.
PJ Haggerty led Memphis with 24 points, 9 rebounds (2 offensive) and 3 assists on 8-for-14 shooting. Tyrese Hunter finished with 9 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists on 40% shooting. Colby Rogers, Nick Jourdain and Tyreek Smith also chipped in 11, 11 and 8 points respectively, while Baraka Okojie snatched 4 steals.
Here’s what to expect when the Tigers face the Crimson Tide.
Memphis is “ramping things up.”
Hardaway, who will coach his seventh campaign at Memphis this year, told reporters his club didn’t throw its full arsenal at North Carolina.
“We tried not to run any sets. We tried not to really show much. I just allowed the guys to get out there and play,” he said postgame.
The Tigers plan to change that against Alabama, according to Hardaway.
“I’m ramping things up,” he said Thursday. “All the quiet teams are losing teams, so I’m challenging [the Tigers] to talk. We’re not gonna hold [their] hand. We’re doing these exhibitions for a reason…We’re gonna play our style against Alabama. We didn’t play our style against North Carolina.”
Moussa Cisse is expected to play.
Ole Miss transfer Moussa Cisse, who played for Memphis in 2020-21, should suit up against Alabama after sitting the UNC game with a groin injury. The 7-foot center averaged 4.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game for the Rebels last season.
“Moussa’s been practicing, so he’s gonna play,” Hardaway said. “Maybe Moussa could’ve played in the game against [North] Carolina, but he wasn’t 100%…You need to play. You need to get the rhythm. You need to get the reps. So, if [players] are able to play, they’re gonna play.”
Illinois transfer Dain Dainja—Memphis’ projected starting center—tweaked his back while warming up for the UNC game, according to Hardaway. The 6-foot-9 senior put up 5 points, 3 blocks, 2 rebounds and a steal in only 18 minutes against the Tar Heels. But Dainja has fully participated in practice since then, so he should have a larger workload Monday.
What Alabama brings to the table
Nate Oats, who’s coached Alabama since 2019, fields a squad that’s one of the favorites to win the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Alabama is also the preseason favorite to win the SEC.
The Crimson Tide are No. 2 in the Associated Press (AP) Top 25, No. 4 in KenPom and No. 9 on barttorvik.com. They return two starters from a group that advanced to the Final Four last season.
Alabama’s biggest returnee is senior Mark Sears, who CBS Sports named the preseason National Player of the Year earlier this month. The 6-foot-1 guard was named First-Team All-SEC and a Second-Team AP All-American last year after averaging 21.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4 assists while shooting 50.8% overall and 43.6% from 3-point range.
Sears upped his play in the NCAA Tournament by scoring 24.5 points per game and shooting 45.5% from beyond the arc.
Senior Grant Nelson, who transferred to Alabama from North Dakota State in 2023, also returns. The 6-foot-11 forward put up 11.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per contest on 48.8% shooting last season. He isn’t expected to play against Memphis, however, due to an undisclosed injury.
Senior Latrell Wrightsell is a returning role player for the Crimson Tide who averaged 8.9 points and 3 rebounds. The 6-foot-3 guard is expected to become a regular starter this year, though he sat out Alabama’s first exhibition against Wake Forest with a lower-leg injury. Oats told CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein that Wrightsell might suit up on Monday earlier this week.
Transfers Cliff Omoruyi (Rutgers), Houston Mallette (Pepperdine) and Chris Youngblood (South Florida) are all expected to be major contributors for Alabama this year.
Omoruyi, a 6-foot-11 center, averaged 10.4 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.9 blocks last season. Mallette, a 6-foot-5 guard, put up 14.7 points on 41.5% 3-point shooting for the Waves in 2023-24.
Youngblood, a 6-foot-4 guard and Tuscaloosa, Alabama native, averaged 15.3 points on 41.6% 3-point shooting for South Florida last year in route to being named the American Athletic Conference (AAC) Co-Player of the Year. He also helped USF capture its first AAC regular season title in school history. He’ll be out of action until conference play after undergoing ankle surgery last month, though.
Oats also brought in freshmen Derrion Reid, Aiden Sherell, Labaron Philon and Naas Cunningham, who are all top-44 players in the Class of 2024, according to 247Sports. Sherell likely won’t play against Memphis due to a lower-leg injury.
Alabama dominated Wake Forest 98-77 in its first scrimmage. The Crimson Tide shot 43.5% from the field and 41.3% from 3-point range. Forty-six of their 69 shot attempts came from beyond the arc. Oats’ club also racked up 44 rebounds (14 offensive), 24 assists, 15 forced turnovers, 8 steals and 6 blocks.
Auburn transfer guard Aden Holloway led Alabama off the bench with 20 points and 6 assists on 7-for-15 shooting. Sears also had a big performance, recording 19 points and 6 assists while hitting four of his seven 3-point tries. Philon (13), Jarin Stevenson (10) and Mouhamed Dioubate (10) scored in double figures as well.