Memphis Basketball: 5 keys for a successful 2018-19 campaign

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NEW ORLEANS, LA – FEBRUARY 15: Hardaway attends. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

1. Coach Penny emerges as more than a recruiter

Nobody is going to dispute the idea that Penny Hardaway has been hot on the recruiting trail since taking over as the new Memphis head coach. He already has a solid class coming in for 2018 and is active in seeking out some of the best high schools players in the nation from the 2019 class. With his background as a former NBA player and high school coach, Penny has already proven that he can be an elite recruiter at the college level. However, bringing highly-rated players to campus is only half of the battle.

In order for the Tigers to take the next step this year (and in the future), Coach Hardaway will need to emerge as a solid coach both on and off the court. Before anyone gets too upset here, though, I am not saying that Hardaway isn’t already a good coach. He was clearly successful at the high school level and easily earned the respect of his players. Still, coaching at the college level is a whole different animal. Considering Penny has no experience as a college coach to this point, it is reasonable to question just how good he will be right away.

If Penny is able to take on the extra responsibility of running a college basketball program in stride, then Memphis could be a dark-horse top-25 team in the country this season. Of course, a few others would need to happen as well.