NCAA Basketball: Ranking the top 25 team backcourts for 2022-23 season

The Tigers have had some good wings and shooting guards in the past but haven’t had the best point guard play. They changed that this offseason, landing arguably the best PG transfer in the entire portal in Kendric Davis. He’s put up big numbers in the past three years at SMU and last season was named AAC Player of the Year.

Davis averaged 19.4 ppg and 4.4 apg last season while shooting 44% from the field and 37% from deep. He had an AAC-high 27 points versus his current team Memphis, along with 33 points against New Mexico in the non-conference. He’s a consistently good scorer and gets his teammates involved as well.

Although he’s likely to go from starter to backup, Alex Lomax did average 4.0 apg in each of the last two seasons and is a veteran guard in the rotation as a point guard as well. He’ll still get minutes, along with the trio of newcomers onto the team as well.

Keonte Kennedy is a 6’6 transfer guard from UTEP, averaging 14.1 ppg and 6.1 rpg in 19 games played. Elijah McCadden started 71 games in four years at Georgia Southern, averaging double figures in each season he was a starter. And Boise State guard Emmanuel Akot led the team with 2.8 apg last season, along with putting up 10.6 ppg. He’s a 6’8 guard with plenty of size and shot 39% from three-point range, allowing the Tigers to utilize some bigger lineups next season.

Memphis has a lead guard in Davis and solid complementary pieces. They may still be a clear second in the AAC in terms of collective backcourts (more on No. 1 later) but this group easily could be the best in the Penny Hardaway era if they fit next year.