NCAA Basketball: 10 intriguing storylines to watch for 2021 recruiting class

2. Memphis 2021 recruiting class can go a number of ways

Around a year ago to this point, Penny Hardaway was the talk of the town. He landed the No. 1 overall recruit in James Wiseman and several other top-tier prospects to create the top recruiting class in 2020. The results overall were mixed, with Wiseman playing only a few games before leaving the team, while highly-regarded Boogie Ellis had ups and downs throughout his freshman campaign.

There were positives, including freshmen Lester Quinones and D.J. Jeffries averaging in double figures, while five-star big man Precious Achiuwa became the AAC Player of the Year. The Tigers didn’t have much luck on the recruiting trail since, only landing JUCO forward Ahmad Rand. But Coach Hardaway still managed to land a pair of quality transfers in Landers Nolley and Deandre Williams, two of the best available this offseason.

There still will be work to do for the 2021 recruiting class, with Memphis going for the jugular once again. They’re in play for five-star big man Moussa Cisse, who plans on reclassifying to play next season. The Tigers are also in the running for other five-star prospects, including Harrison Ingram, Kennedy Chandler, JD Davison and Jaden Hardy.

Considering the transfer pickups, Memphis doesn’t need to bring in another No. 1 overall recruiting class to be a national contender. With the current core of underclassmen still likely to be around, they only need to get 1-2 top-tier prospects in the next 12 months to really make some noise. But it’s clear that Coach Hardaway has garnered plenty of interest from not only high school players but those already in college.