Long story short, the last few months have been quite a rollercoaster for the Tigers.
And if Memphis wants any shot of making the NCAA Tournament in 2024, it’d better hope that the ride doesn’t end any time soon.
Yes, it’s obvious that Memphis isn’t a quality team right now. To suggest otherwise would be asinine.
What’s even more asinine, however, is to suggest that the lack of projected quality for the Tigers’ roster has anything to do with what Penny Hardaway has already brought in via the transfer portal.
The Real Reason for Memphis’ Current Status
The reason for that deficiency is that there are holes in the roster that Memphis has yet to fill. Most fans are paying attention to the need for big-men, but the Tigers also lack a quality scorer on the wing. Check out our stories on Tyrin Lawrence and Kruz Perrott-Hunt to learn more about options for the latter.
And the reality is that fans will have to wait even longer to see how those spots get filled. That’s because the NBA Draft withdrawal deadline isn’t until May 31. And what Memphis does for the rest of the off-season will be largely dictated by what happens at that deadline.
Memphis was in a similar situation last year when it was waiting on deadline decisions for both DeAndre Williams and Lester Quinones. Williams ultimately returned to Memphis while Quinones opted to stay in the draft. Quinones’ departure triggered the signings of both Emmanuel Akot and Keonte Kennedy.
Most fans and analysts are criticizing Memphis for having a subpar roster right now. In doing so, however, they are failing to acknowledge that the roster is far from complete.
Instead, they point to the apparent lack of star-power and effective options. But one would know that the latter is false if they were actually paying attention.
None of the five portal commits for Memphis will light the world on fire. Most of them won’t move the needle individually. And none of them will average 20 points per game or make millions of dollars in NIL.
However, each of them have higher upside than most think and come from situations where they were productive, reliable college basketball players. They developed reputations as winning players and are good pieces that can help the Tigers compete.
Caleb Mills, the 2020 AAC Preseason Player of the Year, is arguably the team’s only high-level scorer. And though he’s not a traditional point guard, Mills has the ability to be a team’s primary ball-handler. Click here to learn more about Mills.
Here’s an NBA scout’s (@PDTScouting) take on Memphis commit Teafale Lenard Jr. (@TeafaleJ):
“He’s a high-level defender with great athleticism and underrated playmaking skills. He reminds me of Josh Minott, yet with better defense and ball control.”
Jonathan Pierre was probably the best player on a National Championship team last season. The 6-foot-9 wing averaged 14.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game while shooting 40.5% from three-point range for Nova Southeastern. If you don’t think he can not only play, but be a significant contributor at the division one level at some point, I don’t know what to tell you.
🐅Ⓜ️ PLAYER SPOTLIGHT Ⓜ️🐅
Memphis G/F Jonathan Pierre (@Jluvbucketss ) is a talented wing with guard skills and unlimited range (40.5% from 3). He shot 41.2% off of the catch and shoot (35% guarded & 47.1% unguarded), so expect designed sets. Great facilitator & DEFENDS‼️👇 pic.twitter.com/ygzpYBRk1y
Nick Jourdain and Jayhlon Young will largely be role players for the Tigers next season. That doesn’t make them any less important, though.
Jourdain, a 6-foot-8 forward, was quite productive for Temple last season, and is probably better than any big-man that Memphis had last year.
Young should be a rock-solid option as Memphis’ backup point guard, as he led UCF to an 8-1 start last season while starting for an injured Darius Johnson. And Young’s stint as a starter probably should’ve continued after Johnson got healthy.
What Should Fans Think Moving Forward?
Don’t be fooled by those who tell you that Memphis has a bunch of nobodies on its roster. They’re either unfamiliar with the players or are simply trying to get a rise out of the fans.
Right now, it’s wise to just trust the process, let things play out at the draft withdrawal deadline and see what happens from there. Hardaway and his staff know exactly what they are doing. And they will find a way to put the pieces together and build a tournament-caliber team.
Memphis’ transfer portal class is already very good.
Senior Editor for Tiger Blueprint. See more of my work on Bluff City Media, where I’m the Memphis basketball beat writer, the Men in Hoodies podcast on Apple and Spotify and on “Sports with Roman Cleary” live on University of Memphis Radio—The ROAR Fridays from 3-4 p.m. during the fall and spring.
