NCAA Basketball: Analyzing 2021 5-star C Chet Holmgren’s top 7 schools
By Ian Mumm
Memphis Tigers
Penny has been an ace recruiter since taking over his alma mater a year ago. His first recruiting class finished #1 in the nation and consisted of five top-60 players, two 5-star forwards and the #1 overall player in James Wiseman. While Memphis fans, and fans of college basketball, didn’t get many chances to see Wiseman on the court last season, it was his play that provides the blueprint for how Holmgren could make a name for himself.
When on the floor, Wiseman was dominant for the program. He pulled down rebounds with ease, blocked shots left and right, and had a lot of offensive priority and versatility within the Tiger’s system. These are all areas where Holmgren can thrive in a Memphis uniform, but the kicker and added dimension for him is in transition.
With talented guards Lester Quinones, Boogie Ellis and Alex Lomax on the floor, Memphis created a lot of turnovers and loved to push the pace for easy baskets. Contributing more than his fair share of forced turnovers, Wiseman was capable of running the break with the lot of them and was the benefactor of hustle on the scoreboard. Holmgren features the same athleticism Wiseman had last season and can expect to be on the receiving end of many of those open-court assists.
The trio of Quinones, Ellis and Lomax are collectively unlikely to be with the program when Holmgren figures to join the team, but many strong shooters and guards to rebuild the roster. Penny and the rest of the Tigers staff are furiously pursuing 5-star guards Kennedy Chandler, JD Davison and Jaden Hardy. The addition of any of them would significantly elevate the potential for the program to make a deep run in the tournament.