NCAA Basketball: “League Pass Rankings” for 2021-22 season

2. Memphis Tigers

Some experts love Memphis this year. Some don’t. In all honesty, I don’t think anybody has an idea what this team is going to be like. The headliners are incoming freshmen Jalen Duren and Emoni Bates. Both players reclassified to play in college. Duren is a tad older, and the back to the basket center will likely be better right away. But Bates is the more well-known name, bracing the cover of Sports Illustrated at just 15 years old. Following the now 17-year-old Bates’ first season will certainly be a saga.

Penny Hardaway’s first two Memphis teams have been a tough watch offensively, finishing 210th and 117th in offensive Ken Pom respectively. And I’m not entirely sure how clean it’s going to look this year either with Duren being surrounded by a collection of wings, one of whom has to play point guard. But, Hardaway has figured things out on the defensive end.

The Tigers were first in defensive Ken Pom last season, and their length and athleticism combined with Duren’s rim protection will be menacing. Playing in the AAC hurts their schedule a bit, and they only play two ranked non-conference games. But the Tigers are one of the few teams where watching them alone is going to be worth the view.

From an optics standpoint, the trio of Hardaway, Rasheed Wallace, and Larry Brown on the sideline in 2021 is wild. Lester Quinones is back to defend his title of “shortest shorts in college basketball”.

I’m still unsure how I feel about the mostly blue home court, but it’s at least different.