Penny Hardaway teased it with a bold declaration just days earlier.
The Memphis basketball coach told a small group of reporters on Wednesday that the latest crop of players he has assembled is more tightly knit than any other he has had since he became coach in 2018.
On Saturday, some of those same players reinforced Hardaway’s point. Even though Tyreek Smith and Moussa Cisse are the only Tigers who have ever been part of the same team, Colby Rogers said one of the first things fans will notice is how much closer this group is — especially compared to last season’s bunch, which finished 22-10 (11-7 AAC).
And he should know, having played against Memphis three times in 2023-24.
“Talent-wise, you could argue it’s the same,” said Rogers, a transfer guard from Wichita State. “But watching Memphis basketball last year, you could tell there were rifts on the team. They just weren’t all on the same accord. That’ll be the biggest difference this year.”
Rogers was one of five Tigers who came out to TPC Southwind Saturday afternoon to sign autographs for fans attending the third round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship. Each player in the group — PJ Haggerty, Tyrese Hunter, Tyreek Smith, Dain Dainja and Rogers (potentially the leaders in the clubhouse to be the starting five on opening night against Missouri) — were in Memphis for eight weeks of summer workouts from June to August.
“With this group, it doesn’t matter who gets the most points or who’s at the forefront,” Rogers said. “We’re not a selfish team. We’re not trying to take bad shots. We’re gonna try to kick it to the open guy, try to make plays for each other. I think that’ll result in a lot more wins and consistency throughout the year.”
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Nicholas Jourdain, Baraka Okojie, Jared Harris and Cisse were also on campus for the duration, while PJ Carter came aboard about halfway through. That time together went a long way toward ensuring everyone was on the same page — a luxury no other team has had since Hardaway became coach.
“For the guys who were here since day one, we were rolling,” said Hunter, who added he expects to handle the majority of point guard duties. “PJ Carter came in late, but we got him rolling right away.”
Other strengths some Memphis newcomers are banking on are balance and depth. Hunter and Haggerty could form a dynamic 1-2 punch in the backcourt. Rogers — although at 6-foot-4, 190 pounds is possibly undersized for the position — gives the Tigers a strong deep threat. Smith and Dainja project to be an interchangeable pair at power forward and center.
“One through five, we’re loaded,” Dainja said. “I feel like we’ve got one of the best front and backcourts in college basketball.”
Hunter agrees. The former Iowa State and Texas standout has had plenty of success with high-profile programs in the Big 12, one of the strongest basketball conferences in the country in recent years.
“I came from schools that were more high-major. I’ve seen a lot of winning in my career, and I feel like I didn’t take a step down coming (to Memphis),” Hunter said. “I feel like we’ve got every piece that we need.”
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at [email protected] or follow him @munzly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: New Memphis basketball Tigers reveal top takeaways of summer workouts
