St. Jude Classic Tip Off Preview

Tomorrow, Memphis will host the inaugural St. Jude Classic, an event dedicated to supporting the local children’s research hospital. With 100% of the proceeds going to St. Jude, Penny Hardaway and his team visited the hospital last week to emphasize their commitment to the cause.

The Tigers will host top programs, including North Carolina Men’s and South Carolina Women’s teams, marking a significant occasion.

As we get our first glimpse of this year’s teams, let’s highlight the key elements to watch for during the games.

Backcourt

Seeing PJ Haggerty and Tyrese Hunter share the backcourt for the first time will be intriguing. Both are strong defenders, with Hunter even being a finalist for the Lefty Driesell Award.

Watching how Haggerty adapts to his new role at Memphis will also be interesting. While he was Tulsa’s go-to scorer last season, he’ll still have a significant impact here, just not as prominently.

Colby Rogers is another player to watch. He brings potential for consistent shooting, but his defensive effectiveness remains uncertain.

Effort

Regardless of whether this is an exhibition, Memphis should demonstrate some competitiveness by testing out what works and what doesn’t before the season starts.

Memphis faces a gauntlet in their non-conference schedule. This event allows Hardaway and his staff to work out early kinks, experiment with different schemes, and finalize rotations for opening night.

Facing a blue-blood program like North Carolina offers invaluable preparation, especially considering they could meet again in the Maui Invitational.

Crowd

So far, reported ticket sales for this event have been underwhelming.

With aspirations of transforming the St. Jude Classic into a regular-season tournament, it’s vital for Memphis to support this kickoff event. This will help St. Jude decide whether to expand on this concept in the future.

With a day to go, Memphis has the opportunity to make a national statement by supporting and hosting such a significant event.