Memphis Tigers: Jaylen Fisher is Important Target

Rumors predicting the demise of Josh Pastner may actually be a bit premature. Once considered one of the rising stars in college basketball coaching, Pastner’s star has cooled now that Memphis has come back to earth while the John Calipari era subsequently fades from memory. This summer’s fiasco involving the transfer of the team’s expected leader, Austin Nichols, also caused a stirring feeling that Pastner’s head may be dipping below the surface. That’s why the Memphis Tigers should be doing all they can to sign local point guard prospect Jaylen Fisher.

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Though the waters of the Memphis basketball program have been stormy, there’s still a solid plan in place to ensure that the Tigers stay at a high talent level for the foreseeable future. As most Memphis fans know, a good majority of that plan revolves around the last name “Lawson” and the four highly ranked players committed to Memphis who share it.

Pastner hired local high school basketball coach Keelon Lawson as an assistant coach for this season. The hire sealed the deal to bring both K.J. and Dedric to campus this year. If Pastner can keep Lawson on staff, he’ll also land a third Lawson brother, Chandler (and baby brother is expected to be the best of the group).

Unfortunately, Keelon Lawson doesn’t have enough kids to fully stock a top 25 basketball program. Pastner still needs to hit the road and recruit. This is an area where he has had success by the numbers, bringing in regarded prospects, but the on-court product hasn’t reflected that success.

Now, with a solid core in place, a point guard of the future is all that the Tigers seem to be missing as they move forward. Luckily, one of the best point guards in the country happens to reside right in there backyard. Enter Jaylen Fisher, one of high school basketball’s top ten senior point guards, and the man should be running the point in 2016 and beyond for the Tigers.

It’s hard to ignore that Fisher has a unique presence on the court. The 6-foot-2 point guard lives with albinism, which makes him easy to spot when he hits the floor. However, it’s his game that sets crowds abuzz once he hits the court.

Fisher’s size at the lead guard spot allows him to overpower opponents and use his exceptional finishing ability to make plays at the bucket. He’s also a capable shooter who can make highlight reel passes in the open floor. Adding Fisher to a lineup that includes the bouncy Lawson Brothers could open up Memphis’ offense in a brand new way.

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This year’s Tigers team will be ran by Ricky Tarrant, a graduate transfer coming in from Alabama. However, after next year, the point guard situation is foggy. Pastner did replace the departing Nichols with Arizona point guard prospect Craig Randall. While Randall is known as a capable scorer, his ability to run a team is in question. The Tigers would likely be better off handing their reins over to Fisher next season.

Winning recruiting battles such as this one is a crucial task for Pastner if he hopes to quell doubts about his ability to build a national contender at Memphis. The city of Memphis doesn’t produce too many high-quality recruits, which means it is integral that such an important potential piece doesn’t skip town on the Tigers.

Fisher recently announced an update on the schools he’s considering. Memphis headlines the list that also includes Baylor, Indiana, UNLV, Arkansas and LSU. Outside of Indiana, where there may be some intrigue in replacing Yogi Ferrell at the point, it doesn’t seem like Pastner is facing stiff competition for Fisher’s signature. This only amplifies the importance of him securing the commitment.

If Jaylen Fisher can join the core that was created by this season’s solid recruiting class, the Memphis Tigers will be at the top of the American in the near future. Missing on Fisher could have dire consequences, most importantly, louder whispers that Josh Pastner isn’t the best choice to lead the Tigers into the future.

Next: Chris Mullin Eyes Impact Class at St. John's

Memphis Tigers: Jaylen Fisher Emerges as Important Target for Josh Pastner

By Chris Godfrey | Aug 5, 2015

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