Memphis Basketball: 3 takeaways from Emmanuel Akot choosing the Wildcats
By Joey Loose
The current state of the roster
Last year was quite the season for Memphis in Penny Hardaway’s fourth season with the Tigers. The expectations were much higher this past season, especially with the addition of blue-chip recruits Emoni Bates and Jalen Duren, along with a pretty talented roster. Hardaway did lead the Tigers to their first NCAA Tournament in nearly a decade, ironically knocking Boise State out in the first round before dropping a tough game to top-seeded Gonzaga in the second round.
However, things are going to look very different in Memphis this season. Bates and Duren are both gone, as are former starters Lester Quinones, Landers Nolley, and Alex Lomax. Point guard Tyler Harris also won’t return, leaving forward Deandre Williams (11.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg last year) as the best returning player from the Tigers. A few pieces like Malcolm Dandridge and Chandler Lawson also return and will be expected to play slightly bigger roles.
Fortunately, Hardaway has been busy in the Transfer Portal, as well as on the recruiting trail. The Tigers landed arguably one of the biggest names in the portal, plucking point guard Kendric Davis from conference rival SMU. Additionally, the Tigers added former Georgia Southern wing Elijah McCadden, the leading scorer on last year’s Eagles squad, and will also look to work former UT Arlington center Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu into the rotation.
The Tigers also have some young pieces, hoping to work freshmen Johnathan Lawson and Sam Ayomide into some important minutes in the lineup. However, this team is still trying to replace a lot of offensive talent from last year’s Tournament squad. All four of their long-range threats are gone, while they’re going to have to depend on more than just Davis and Williams for scoring. Last year’s team got at least 8.8 points per game from six different players, with Williams the only of that group back this year.