If granted eligibility, DeAndre Williams (27 years old) will lead the way for a Memphis roster that isn't lacking in experience. (Image Credit: Dylan Buell / Getty Images)
One of the biggest harps the casual basketball fan has had with the Memphis roster this off-season is how old many of the players are. Particularly in the starting lineup, the Tigers are older than many other teams nationwide (and even some NBA teams).
In this era of college basketball, where young, one-and-done talent is emphasized more than ever, Memphis has become older. Penny Hardaway and the staff have adapted to the era of NIL by prioritizing experience and immediate production out of a transfer portal that, nowadays, has options aplenty. It’s a strategy particularly suited for March and April, a destination this Memphis team hopes to reach.
The Roster’s Experience
Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) in college basketball has given way to more opportunities for student-athletes across the sport. Heading into the off-season, Memphis lost their leading scorer Kendric Davis. They also faced the potential loss of their second-leading scorer DeAndre Williams (an ongoing situation) due to exhausted eligibility.
In response, Hardaway sought to replace this production with experience through the transfer portal. The starting lineup has four (potentially five) new faces amongst its ranks, players who have immense experience at the college level.
Throughout his four combined seasons at Villanova, Quinerly accumulated 123 games played and 40 total starts. The former McDonald’s All-American was the SEC Co-Sixth Man of the Year last season and was named to the SEC All-Tournament team in 2021 and 2023. Furthermore, he won the SEC Tournament Most Outstanding Player in his sophomore season. He is 24 years old and turns 25 in November.
Mills joins Memphis as a fifth-year senior with six years in college basketball due to redshirting his freshman season. During his career, he accumulated 93 games played and 61 total starts through stints at Houston and Florida State. Before his sophomore season, Mills was also named AAC Preseason Player of the Year. He is 23 years old.
Jones accumulated 68 games played and 45 total starts in two seasons at DePaul and one at St. John’s. He also boasts significant international experience playing for the Dominican Republic. Jones is 21 years old and turns 22 in November.
DeAndre Williams will be the most experienced player in college basketball this season if he gets his waiver granted. He’s played in 100 career games and has 95 total starts. Williams started college at 21 and sat out his freshman season at Evansville. He played another year for the Purple Aces before transferring to Memphis, where he’s spent his last three seasons. Here, Williams was named to the All-AAC second team in his senior season and the All-AAC first team in his fifth-year senior season. He also earned All-AAC tournament team honors in both years. He is 26 years old and turns 27 in October.
Jordan Brown is a former five-star recruit who’s moved around a lot in college. In stints with Nevada, Arizona, and Louisiana, Brown accumulated 119 games played and 70 total starts. Last year, he won the Lou Henson Award for being the best mid-major player in the sport. Voters named Brown to the Sun Belt Second Team and All-Tournament Team during his redshirt sophomore season and the Sun Belt First Team and won Tournament MVP during his junior season. He is 23 years old and turns 24 in December.
Memphis will be able to replace experience with more of the same when going to their bench.
Past National Champions
This upcoming season, Memphis’ roster is created in the mold of past national champions. Since 2016, every one of the sport’s championship winners depended upon the experience of their stars in big moments to have success.
The Wildcats were led in scoring by a pair of juniors, Josh Hart (15.5 PPG) and Kris Jenkins (13.6 PPG), who hit the shot to win the national championship game. Other top scorers included senior leader Ryan Arcidiacono (12.5 PPG) and senior big man Daniel Ochefu (10.0 PPG).
The Tar Heels were one of the most experienced teams in college basketball in the 2016-17 season. They were led by the junior pairing of Justin Jackson (18.3 PPG) and Joel Berry II (14.7 PPG), the team’s leader. The senior frontcourt of Kennedy Meeks (12.5 PPG) and Isaiah Hicks (11.8 PPG) proved formidable. Furthermore, the third member of the junior class – Theo Pinson (6.1 PPG) – was a versatile chess piece who rounded out the starting lineup.
In their second national championship in three years, Villanova was led in scoring by the junior duo of Jalen Brunson (18.9 PPG) and Mikal Bridges (17.7 PPG). Juniors Eric Paschall (10.6 PPG) and Phil Booth (10.0 PPG) and freshman Omari Spellman (10.9 PPG) rounded out the starting lineup for the Wildcats.
The Cavaliers were led by the junior backcourt pairing of Kyle Guy (15.4 PPG) and Ty Jerome (13.6 PPG) and sophomore wing De’Andre Hunter (15.2 PPG). Junior big man Mamadi Diakite (7.4 PPG) and first-year guard Kihei Clark (4.5 PPG) rounded out the starting unit, while senior center Jack Salt (3.7 PPG) played an important role as well.
The veteran guard trio of junior Jared Butler (16.7 PPG), senior Macio Teague (15.9 PPG), and junior Davion Mitchell (14.0 PPG) led the Bears in 2021. In the frontcourt, senior Mark Vital (5.6 PPG) played an essential role as a glue guy, and junior center Flo Thamba (3.6 PPG) was a solid defensive presence.
The Jayhawks made their championship run led by senior wing Ochai Agbaji (18.8 PPG) and junior wing Christian Braun (14.1 PPG). Senior forward David McCormack (10.6 PPG) had an important role down low, while wing Jalen Wilson (11.1 PPG) came on strong in his sophomore season. Furthermore, junior point guard Dajuan Harris (5.4 PPG) was a steady presence at the point guard position. Senior guard Remy Martin (8.6 PPG) also provided leadership and a scoring punch off the bench.
The Huskies were led by talented senior center Adama Sanogo (17.2 PPG) and sharpshooting sophomore wing Jordan Hawkins (16.2 PPG). Senior point guard Tristen Newton (10.1 PPG) stuffed the stat sheet, and junior wing Andre Jackson (6.7 PPG) was a versatile playmaker. Finally, freshman forward Alex Karaban (9.6 PPG) rounded out the starting rotation.
How Memphis Compares
The Tigers have the talent and experience of a traditional national championship winner, especially if the NCAA grants DeAndre Williams his eligibility. College basketball fans have complained about the age of this season’s roster. Granted, Penny Hardaway and company didn’t build the roster through natural means.
However, this was Hardaway’s clear strategy to attack a new era of college basketball. By building a team around experience, production, and leadership through the portal, Memphis is set up for success this season. This summer, the Tigers’ staff took advantage of the options available and chose those best fit for short-term success. Hardaway understands that he can rebuild rosters in a single off-season. This means a lack of young talent on the roster is less of a problem now.
If the Tigers can get Williams back, they’ll have a starting lineup consisting of five seniors with an average age of 23.4 years old. When the going gets tough in March, they can rely on this as a steadying presence in the biggest moments. And while this experience is a great asset, the talent is also there for Memphis.
