Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway
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Former NBA star Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway was a shock rent as the pinnacle coach of the Memphis Tigers basketball crew in 2018, coming right into a prime NCAA program with no teaching expertise outdoors of the highschool degree.
4 years in, Hardaway has landed a lot of prime recruits, however hasn’t produced the kind of successful file one would anticipate contemplating the pedigree. Memphis gained the NIT event in 2021, however hasn’t been to the NCAA event below Hardaway and has sputtered to a 9-8 file to start out this season.
After shedding but once more to SMU, 70-62, on Thursday night time, Hardaway was requested if he thinks he can ever get the job achieved. His response was to launch right into a minute-long tirade towards the media.
“I feel the one factor I can say to this media, as a result of this media will get type of f–ked up typically, with regards to me – we don’t have our full roster,” Hardaway stated. “Y’all know we don’t have our full roster. Cease asking me silly f–king questions on if I really feel like I can do one thing. If I had my roster like they did, then I really feel like I may do no matter I wish to do.
“I’m teaching actually exhausting. My boys are enjoying actually exhausting. I’m not embarassed about nothing. Now we have 4 freshmen beginning. Y’all have to act prefer it. Act like we now have 17 and 18-year olds making an attempt to learn to play towards 22, 23 and 24-year-old guys. Cease disrespecting me, bro. Don’t do this. I work manner too f–king exhausting.”
That may be all nicely and good if not for the truth that Hardaway has intentionally stacked his roster with prime recruits. Hardaway landed each Emoni Bates and Jalen Duren, thought of among the many prime recruits within the 2022 class, with the expectation that he may win immediately – and sure lose them rapidly to the NBA. (Bates, who's 17, isn't eligible to be drafted till 2023.)
Bates has struggled, taking pictures 39 p.c from the ground to this point this season. Duren has performed nicely, however like Bates has been pressured to play enormous minutes for his age. Memphis is presently lacking DeAndre Williams, their main scorer, however he has performed in 12 video games this season.
Memphis was pegged as not solely a NCAA Event crew, however as a possible championship contender, ranked No. 12 within the AP Prime 25 earlier than the season began. Now, they’re one recreation over .500 general and 3-4 within the convention, with even the NIT seeming like a stretch.
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