Memphis Basketball: Takeaways from Penny Hardaway contract extension

Memphis Basketball: 3 takeaways from Penny Hardaway contract extension

MEMPHIS, TN - DECEMBER 2: Penny Hardaway, head coach of the Memphis Tigers points from the sideline against the Arkansas State Red Wolves during a game on December 2, 2020 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. Memphis defeated Arkansas State 83-54. (Photo by Joe Murphy/Getty Images) /

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Jalen Duren Penny Hardaway Memphis Basketball (Photo by Joe Murphy/Getty Images) /

2) Belief that recruiting victories will eventually lead to on-court success

Let’s be honest, the most discussed parts of Hardaway’s four years don’t have to do with what’s happening on the basketball floor. Hardaway deserves credit for turning a program stuck in the mud with Tubby Smith into an annual 20-win team. But the recruiting classes suggest the on-court product probably should have been better than it was.

In his first season, the Tigers won 22 games and finished 56th at KenPom with a roster largely built by the previous regime. It featured two local area guards in Tyler Harris and Alex Lomax that were added late in the recruiting cycle, but the talent was not that of the following three seasons.

The 2019-20 season was defined by James Wiseman’s very brief stint with the program before he was declared ineligible and left to prepare for the draft. Precious Achiuwa was the other five-star prospect on that roster alongside four stars Boogie Ellis, DJ Jeffries, and Lester Quinones. That team underperformed in several ways with their best win coming against Houston in the last game of the season.

Moussa Cisse and Jalen Duren have also made their way through the program in the last two years with Duren being one of the better freshmen in the country in 2021-22. Last year’s team finished 24th at KenPom.

But the reality of the situation is, the Tigers still haven’t finished in the top two of the AAC. That’s likely to change this year based on what the conference features outside of Houston, but the Wes Miller era in Cincinnati is full steam ahead and Ron Hunter’s Tulane team will be sneaky tough in 2022-23. That’s not good enough in a not-so-deep league.

At some point, as Hardaway gets more and more college experience under his belt, the recruiting capabilities will have to turn into on-court success in conference and on the national stage. Even at Memphis, Hardaway’s ability to recruit will only get him so far and there has to be believed he’ll win at a higher level with the Tigers.