Busting Brackets
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Memphis Basketball: Breaking down the 2019 recruiting class

By Lukas Harkins

ORLANDO, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 25: Penny Hardaway, head coach of the Memphis Tigers, watches the action during the game against the Charleston Cougars at HP Field House on November 25, 2018 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 25: Penny Hardaway, head coach of the Memphis Tigers, watches the action during the game against the Charleston Cougars at HP Field House on November 25, 2018 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) /
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MIAMI, FL – DECEMBER 01: Coach Hardaway of the Tigers reacts. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL – DECEMBER 01: Coach Hardaway of the Tigers reacts. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

Behind the incredible recruiting efforts of head coach Penny Hardaway and Co., Memphis basketball seems to be back on the rise. Who makes up their class?

Head coach Penny Hardaway definitely has Memphis basketball trending in the right direction. Even though he has not been at the helm of the program all that long, he has been tremendous on the recruiting trail and that will likely translate to wins on the court sooner rather than later. In the college basketball world, it is nearly impossible to become a consistent power without top-notch recruiting and/or elite-level developing over multiple years. By landing the No. 1 overall recruiting class in the country for 2019, Memphis certainly has some of the best incoming talents in the country for this coming season.

To put it simply, this class is flat-out amazing on paper. With seven commits ranked in the top-110 of the class, the Tigers are bringing in a ton of talent that will be able to be major difference makers from their first minutes on campus. These athletes have been extremely successful to this point in their basketball careers and it is time for each of them to take that to the next level while playing alongside each other. Of course, the crowning jewel of this group is the No. 1 overall player in the class but he is far from alone. This class, as a whole, is more than deserving of the top overall ranking in the nation.

With that said, top-notch recruiting does not always lead to great seasons. Coach Hardaway might have found a way to bring all of these players to campus but now he has to work to get them to function as a unit. This is easier said than done, and it is hard to predict exactly how good the Tigers will be due to his inexperience as a head coach at the college level. There is a legitimate chance that the Tigers finish this year in the top-10, but coaching and team chemistry will play a major role in that.

But before the season gets underway, let’s take a look at each of Memphis’ seven commits and analyze what they might bring to the table. (Note: All recruiting rankings were found via 247Sports Composite.)