NCAA Basketball: Top 25 team frontcourts heading into 2021-22 season

The Tigers frontcourt from last season consisted of Deandre Williams, Moussa Cisse, and DJ Jeffries, who collectively was solid but nothing spectacular. Of the trio, only Williams remains, who was the best of three. He was second on the team with 11.7 ppg, 5.8 rpg, and 3.4 apg in 21 games played. He wasn’t the 20 ppg scorer that he was back at Evansville but the 6’8 forward proved his versatility and all-around effectiveness this past season.

Williams and backup center Malcolm Dandridge are the only returning frontcourt players but the newcomers gives Memphis arguably it’s highest ceiling under the Penny Hardaway era. Oregon transfers Johnathan and Chandler Lawson are former top-100 prospects, while John Camden, Joshua Minott, and Sam Ayomide Onu are incoming freshman contributors.

But the reason why the Tigers crack the top 10 is the recent pickup of Jalen Duren, who was the No. 1 class of 2022 prospect before he opted to reclassify and play this upcoming season. The 6’11 center instantly gives this team a premier big man and No. 1 scoring option on offense and is a massive upgrade offensively over Cisse. He and Williams is a great frontcourt pairing and Memphis now has arguably the best player in the AAC for 2022.

If Memphis gets five-star forward Emoni Bates in the next two weeks, they’ll have a top-5 frontcourt overall. The lack of experience will be an issue but from a pure talent perspective, Duren’s arrival instantly makes this team a major threat.