Tag: Penny Hardaway

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Sports Tiger Blue

#13 Tigers 51, #19 Tennessee 47

CREDIT: Larry Kuzniewski

Down two starters (one of them the top freshman in the country), the Tigers crossed the state of Tennessee and earned their first win over a Top-20 team under coach Penny Hardaway by knocking off the 19th-ranked Tennessee Vols. Damion Baugh hit a three-pointer from the right wing with 1:40 left in the game for the sixth and final lead change of the contest’s final five minutes. Volunteer guard Yves Pons had a chance to tie the game with a pair of free throws with 21 seconds left on the clock, but he missed the front end of a one-and-one. Sophomore guard Alex Lomax buried a pair of free throws with eight seconds left to clinch the Tigers’ seventh straight win, all with James Wiseman serving his NCAA-mandated suspension. Larry Kuzniewski

Alex Lomax

The win is the Tigers’ first at Thompson-Boling arena since the 2012-13 season (the last time the teams played in Knoxville). Memphis improves to 9-1 on the season, the program’s best start since the 2010-11 campaign. With its first loss in 32 games at home, Tennessee falls to 7-2.

Both teams shot miserably to open the game, Tennessee missing 15 of its first 18 shots while the Tigers hit only one of their first 12. But a 20-7 run by Memphis — capped by a driving Tyler Harris layup as time expired — gave the Tigers a one-point lead (25-24) at halftime. Harris and Jeffries each hit a three-pointer midway through the second half to give Memphis a marginal lead, but UT jumped back in front on a field goal by Pons with just under six minutes remaining. But a steal and layup by Baugh put the Tigers back in front, setting up the punch-trading final stretch.

Jeffries and Harris led Memphis in the scoring column with 11 points and Baugh added 10. Precious Achiuwa pulled down 13 rebounds and just missed a double-double with eight points. Josiah-Jordan James led the Volunteers with 14 points.

The Tigers return to FedExForum for their next game, December 21st against Jackson State. They have five games remaining (including the American Athletic Conference opener) before Wiseman is eligible to return on January 12th (at USF).

Categories
Sports Tiger Blue

#15 Tigers 71, Bradley 56

CREDIT: Larry Kuzniewski

“It’s a mental thing. I’m back to myself.” — Alex Lomax

On a team dominated by its freshmen, sophomore guard Alex Lomax has seized the role of “glue guy,” the oft-celebrated player who does what’s necessary — regardless of circumstance — to make winning easier. The pride of East High School (and longtime protege of Tiger coach Penny Hardaway) came off the bench Tuesday night at FedExForum and led Memphis with 17 points, hitting four of seven shots from the field and nine of 12 from the free throw line to help his team to a fifth straight victory. Now 7-1, the 15th-ranked Tigers remain undefeated (5-0) since another former Mustang — freshman center James Wiseman — began an NCAA-mandated 12-game suspension last month.
Larry Kuzniewski

Alex Lomax

The win made ugly look pretty. The Bradley Braves had more offensive rebounds (23) than they did field goals (22). The visitors put up 21 more shots than did the Tigers and still lost by 15 points. Former Germantown High standout Darrell Brown entered the game averaging 14.0 points per game for Bradley and missed 15 of 16 shots in front of friends and family. The Tigers led big early (12-4), stretched the lead to 10 (29-19) by halftime, and never allowed the Braves (5-3) close enough to threaten the outcome. Nonetheless, it was not a game Hardaway, Lomax, or any member of the Memphis team will call upon for year-end highlights.

“Once we got a nice lead, we got a little complacent,” said Lomax, now shooting 62 percent from the field this season. “We’re a young team, still have a lot to learn. We learned some things not to do [tonight]. We gotta toughen up. This was a bad game for us.”

“This was almost like a trap game for us,” said Hardaway. “They are definitely capable of beating us. For us to come out and scrap through . . . it was ugly, because they kind of just hung around. It’s a little disappointing, but we’ll definitely take the win.” Hardaway acknowledged the handful Bradley forward Elijah Childs became, with 21 points and 14 rebounds. But holding Brown and Nate Kennell to a combined two field goals (on 24 shots) was the difference.

Precious Achiuwa pulled down 14 rebounds for the Tigers but fell short of a fourth consecutive double-double with only six points, as he missed 10 of 13 shots from the field. “They had his number,” said Hardaway. “They shrunk the paint and let him come to them. They didn’t foul him.” D.J. Jeffries scored 10 points and pulled down nine rebounds and fellow freshman Boogie Ellis added 12 points. Ellis took a hard fall on his back after being fouled on a dunk attempt in the second half, but continued to play.

Count Hardaway among the most grateful for Lomax’s emergence, and not just on a night in early December when he was needed in the scoring column. “What happened with Alex last year happens to a lot of freshmen,” said Hardaway. “They try to do more than what they’re supposed to do. They get away from their own game. Alex has always been an energy player, a great defender, get the team involved, get to the basket, get to the foul line. Last year he tried to become a jump-shooter. Now he’s letting the game come to him.”

The Tigers travel to Birmingham to face old rival UAB Saturday afternoon (tip-off scheduled for 4:30 p.m.). A week later, they cross the state to face Tennessee in Knoxville. They’ll return to FedExForum to host Jackson State on December 21st.

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Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Corky’s and Penny Go For “All the Smoke”

Corky’s Ribs & BBQ just announced a partnership and a co-branded barbeque sauce with University of Memphis head men’s basketball coach Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway.

According to the press release, “Penny’s All the Smoke BBQ Sauce” will be available at the four Memphis-area Corky’s locations for $4.99 per bottle and can be shipped nationally online in bundles of three for $24.99 or 12 for $59.99 at corkysbbq.com beginning Wednesday, Nov. 25th. The All the Smoke sauce will be available in Memphis-area grocery stores soon.

“Corky’s has been in Memphis serving barbecue to Memphians and visitors for over 35 years, and we believe there’s not a better spokesperson for the city, or for Corky’s, than Penny Hardaway,” said Barry Pelts, co-president of Corky’s BBQ, in the press release. “What Penny has done in a short period of time with the men’s basketball program is nothing short of exceptional. We couldn’t be prouder or more excited to have him working with Corky’s, and we are looking forward to a great partnership.”

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Opinion The Last Word

The NCAA is Wrong. The University of Memphis is Right.

CREDIT: Larry Kuzniewski

You knew it was bound to happen. Here in Memphis, we just can’t have nice things. Riding the high from a Tigers football victory over previously unbeaten SMU and an impressive debut on ESPN’s College GameDay straight into a new basketball season filled with high, yet totally reasonable expectations, things were looking up for the ole Blue and Gray.

Until Friday, when my ride Downtown to FedExForum was disrupted by news that the NCAA had once again changed its mind about something.

On one side, you have a mother who wanted to be close to both her kids. You have an NBA legend who came from nothing, happy to spend his “retirement” elevating youth the way he elevated himself. You have a boy — seven feet tall, but still a boy — born with a preternatural gift, who needed the protection of someone who has walked in those same huge sneakers. On the other side, you have an institution willing to throw two generations of college sports superstars under the bus to prove — well, I’m not sure what the NCAA aims to prove with this, exactly. All over two acts of generosity: one to a university, another to a family.

Larry Kuzniewski

James Wiseman

Eleven years ago, Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway, who began his Memphis State career academically ineligible and finished it an All-American with an Elite Eight and the first triple-double in program history, who became a perennial NBA All-Star and the face of an iconic Nike line — donated $1 million to the University of Memphis. It was an incredible act of charity at a critical time for the university. As you may recall, 2008 was not a great year, economy-wise.

This largesse is the sort of thing the NCAA should be hailing as a success story.
However, that donation, in their twisted view, “indefinitely” qualified Penny as a “booster” and therefore disqualified him from ever helping anyone again. When Penny signed that check, he had no idea he’d see his namesake building every day at work 10 years later. James Wiseman was in elementary school. When Penny helped Wiseman’s family move to Memphis in 2017, Tubby Smith was coach of the Tigers. Sorry to say it, but, uh, nobody was boosting that operation.

By that logic, any season ticket holder should be barred from passing out candy on Halloween. Next time you’re stopped at a red light and see a kid in football pads asking for donations, tell him “Sorry. I’d love to give you my cupholder change, but I don’t want to jeopardize your college career.” No former student-athlete, then, can make a monetary donation to their alma mater without this excessive scrutiny. I’m no expert, but I remember learning something about a “chilling effect” in my constitutional law classes. How convenient for those who see the tide turning.

They are scared. They see what Penny is doing at Memphis: bringing NBA swagger to college in an environment that prepares players for what they really want to do. They see public opinion turning in favor of athletes’ rights. They see universities resisting their arbitrary enforcement. They see the changing faces on the sidelines. So they punish … the athletes?

They say their mission is to “support student-athletes on and off the field, in the classroom and in life” and they keep getting caught in a lie. If they supported Wiseman — who is completely innocent in all of this — they wouldn’t have “likely” rescinded his eligibility five months after they granted it. Instead, they waited until he had already played a game and couldn’t just go somewhere else. Because of their transfer policies and one-and-done rules, he has no choice but to fight. The NCAA cannot come out of this looking like the good guy.

As an alumna, and, you know, a compassionate human, I’m proud to see the U of M stand up and say “that’s not fair, and we’re not going to do that.” Play Wiseman in every single game and take it all the way to the Supreme Court if it comes to that. Hang the 2008 banner, too, while we’re thinking about it. The rules may be the rules, but that doesn’t make them just. Universities like the U of M that don’t have the blue-blood prestige, monster TV deals, and big-conference paychecks can’t afford to sit back and shrug while the capricious NCAA clings to relevance. Let them vacate the entire season if this is the hill they want to die on. We’ll be there for the whole show.

Jen Clarke is an unapologetic Memphian and a digital marketing specialist.

Categories
Sports Tiger Blue

The Wiseman Case

CREDIT: Larry Kuzniewski

James Wiseman should be starting at center for Memphis. By this I mean James Wiseman should be starting at center for the Memphis Grizzlies.
Larry Kuzniewski

James Wiseman

The 7’1″ 18-year-old, merely months removed from East High School, was a giant among men — a god among mortals — in his college debut last Tuesday for the Memphis Tigers. In merely 22 minutes on the floor, Wiseman scored 28 points and pulled down 11 rebounds, delivering one thunderous dunk after another to answer any doubts about the hype that preceded his arrival under the FedExForum lights. Then Friday, surely playing in a complete mental fog, Wiseman contributed 17 points and nine rebounds in the Tigers’ victory over UIC. He did so a few hours after being declared ineligible by the NCAA for a payment his current coach, Penny Hardaway, made in 2017 to help Wiseman’s family move from Nashville to Memphis.

Here we are. A man clearly capable of playing in the NBA — and earning upwards of $10 million as a Rookie of the Year candidate — is not allowed to because he’s not yet 19 years old and a year removed from his high school graduation. And now, according to the NCAA, he’s not allowed to play college basketball because his family benefited from $11,500, courtesy of a college booster. This scenario is passed off as logical by those who run the basketball factory we know as the NBA and NCAA. Making money at one life stage: illegal. Making money at another life stage: legal, but only under factory conditions.

When I find myself attempting to process the NBA’s draft-eligibility requirement, I inevitably turn to rock-and-roll. Imagine if the music industry refused recording contracts to those too young, in the industry’s view, to handle it. No deal for you, Justin Bieber, until you’re old enough to legally toast your sales. Imagine if concert promoters froze out Greta Van Fleet until the boys are of an age where they can fully appreciate the millions they’re earning. Lunacy, right? But this is the way professional basketball works in these United States. James Wiseman would make the Memphis Grizzlies better today. But he’s not allowed to until he spends a winter as a “student-athlete,” dipping his toes in academia while posterizing over-matched competition to the benefit of a college program.

Which brings us to the case the University of Memphis — and notably, attorney Leslie Ballin — now has to manage. As hard as it may be, we must disconnect Hardaway and his current gig in evaluating the legality of the check he wrote for the Wiseman family’s move. As recently as 2017, Tubby Smith was under contract as the U of M basketball coach. The “recruiting” of James Wiseman by Hardaway went no further than the desire to see Wiseman in an East Mustangs jersey. (And this cannot be denied. It’s hard to envision Hardaway parting with so much as $11 for Wiseman’s move were he not the basketball player we know.) So was the transaction a violation of NCAA law?

Ballin’s case sill surely boil down to the definition of “booster.” The NCAA sees the million dollars Hardaway donated (a decade ago) for the Tiger Hall of Fame — a building that features Hardaway’s name above the entrance — as the act of a booster, and enough to classify Hardaway as a booster to the present day. Whether or not Wiseman enrolled at the U of M — and whether or not Hardaway became the Tiger coach — this would be a no-no. If Hardaway can be classified as a booster of the program he now leads. The more I consider, the more challenging I find that “fact” to prove.

A banner hangs in the rafters of FedExForum for the 1985 Tiger team that reached the Final Four, but had the appearance “vacated” retroactively as punishment for finanical impropriety under coach Dana Kirk. Another banner is missing, the one saluting the 2008 Tiger team that also reached the Final Four, punishment for the NCAA deciding Derrick Rose had cheated on a standardized test before declaring him eligible for the 2007-08 season. Now this? Why shouldn’t the university dig in its heels? What’s to lose? Basketball games? Fans watching Wiseman and his talented freshman classmates play will know what they see. They’ll know the results of every game. The young man is already an example of all that’s wrong with the NBA and college basketball. Should he be made a one-year pariah on top of that? Here’s the ball, Mr. Ballin. Take it to the rim. 

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Film/TV Film/TV/Etc. Blog

Indie Memphis Day 5: High Art, Music Videos, and Penny Hardaway

Shannon Walton in Sweet Knives video for ‘I Don’t Wanna Die’

You’re going to be hard pressed to see everything great on Indie Memphis Sunday, so some triage is in order. We’re here to help.

First thing in the morning is the Hometowner Rising Filmmaker Shorts bloc (11:00 a.m., Ballet Memphis), where you can see the latest in new Memphis talent, including “Ritual” by Juliet Mace and Maddie Dean, which features perhaps the most brutal audition process ever.

Indie Memphis Day 5: High Art, Music Videos, and Penny Hardaway

The retrospective of producer/director Sara Driver’s work continues with her new documentary Boom For Real: The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Micheal Basquiat (1:30 p.m., Studio on the Square). Driver was there in the early 80s when Basquiat was a rising star in the New York art scene, and she’s produced this look at the kid on his way to becoming a legend.

Indie Memphis Day 5: High Art, Music Videos, and Penny Hardaway (2)

The companion piece to Driver’s latest is Downtown 81 (4:00 p.m., Hattiloo Theatre). Edo Bertoglio’s documentary gives a real-time look at the art and music scene built from the ashes of 70s New York that would go on to conquer the world. Look for a cameo from Memphis punk legend Tav Falco.

Indie Memphis Day 5: High Art, Music Videos, and Penny Hardaway (4)

You can see another Memphis legend in action in William Friedkin’s 1994 Blue Chips (4:00 p.m., Studio on the Square). Penny Hardaway, then a star recruit for the Memphis Tigers, appears as a star recruit for volatile college basketball coach Pete Bell, played by Nick Nolte. It’s the current University of Memphis Tigers basketball coach’s only big screen appearance to date, until someone makes a documentary about this hometown hero’s eventful life.

Indie Memphis Day 5: High Art, Music Videos, and Penny Hardaway (5)

The Ballet Memphis venue hosts two selections of Memphis filmmakers screening out of the competition at 1:50 and 7:00 p.m., continuing the unprecedentedly awesome run of Hometowner shorts this year. There are a lot of gems to be found here, such as Clint Till’s nursing home comedy “Hangry” and Garrett Atkinson and Dalton Sides’ “Interview With A Dead Man.” To give you a taste of the good stuff, here’s Munirah Safiyah Jones’ instant classic viral hit “Fuckboy Defense 101.”

Indie Memphis Day 5: High Art, Music Videos, and Penny Hardaway (3)

At 9:00 p.m., the festivities move over to Black Lodge in Crosstown for the Music Video Party. 44 music videos from all over the world will be featured on the Lodge’s three screens, including works by Memphis groups KadyRoxz, A Weirdo From Memphis, Al Kapone, Nick Black, Uriah Mitchell, Louise Page, Joe Restivo, Jana Jana, Javi, NOTS, Mark Edgar Stuart, Jeff Hulett, Stephen Chopek, and Impala. Director and editor Laura Jean Hocking has the most videos in the festival this year, with works for John Kilzer, Bruce Newman, and this one for Sweet Knives.

Indie Memphis Day 5: High Art, Music Videos, and Penny Hardaway (6)

If experimental horror and sci fi is more your speed, check out the Hometowner After Dark Shorts (9:30 p.m., Playhouse on the Square), which features Isaac M. Erickson’s paranoid thriller “Home Video 1997.”

Indie Memphis Day 5: High Art, Music Videos, and Penny Hardaway (7)

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Cover Feature News

Hoop City! Season Previews for the Tigers and Grizz

First Class

Can the country’s top-ranked recruiting class take the Memphis Tigers to the promised land?

by Frank Murtaugh

Not since Penny Hardaway (an All-American guard) and four other starters departed after the 1992-93 season has the University of Memphis basketball program undergone what amounts to a roster flip. But there’s a significant catch this time. Hardaway — now the second-year head coach of the program — has filled that roster with the country’s top-ranked recruiting class, a septet that will not so much support returning rotation players like Alex Lomax and Tyler Harris (both sophomores), but shape the way those veterans impact the upcoming season. The Tigers will have a brand-new starting five on opening night (November 5th against South Carolina State at FedExForum), but they’ll take the floor with the highest expectations the program has seen in at least a decade.

Photographs by Larry Kuzniewski

Coach Penny Hardaway

A year ago at this time, excitement around the program was entirely Hardaway-generated. The first-year coach led the Tigers to a 22-14 record and postseason play for the first time in five years (albeit the NIT). All but three members of that team’s rotation — most notably Jeremiah Martin — exhausted their eligibility, making this year’s recruiting class critical for any hopes of a return to the NCAA tournament and/or national rankings. And what a class Hardaway has delivered: seven players from four states and three times zones, a group ranked tops in the country by those who specialize in such metrics.

The Magnificent Seven

• James Wiseman, C (East High School, Memphis) — The top-ranked recruit in the entire country, Wiseman won a Tennessee state championship (in 2018) as a junior at East, playing for Hardaway. He was the tipping point for this recruiting class, a primary factor in attracting new teammates from as far away as New York and California. The Gatorade National Player of the Year as a senior, Wiseman played in the McDonald’s All-American Game and could become the top pick in the 2020 NBA draft. But first things first. The 7’1″ center will aim to add a college championship to the high school hardware he earned alongside Alex Lomax, Malcolm Dandridge, and Ryan Boyce. Wiseman is the only Tiger on the AAC’s preseason all-conference team.

James Wiseman

• Precious Achiuwa, F (Bronx, New York) — Like Wiseman, a five-star recruit, top-10 national prospect, and participant in the 2019 McDonald’s All-American Game. Played with Lester Quinones at St. Benedict’s Prep in New Jersey (as well as AAU ball in New York). The last of the “magnificent seven” to sign with Memphis, Achiuwa’s addition clinched a No. 1 ranking for the recruiting class.

Precious Achiuwa

• Boogie Ellis, PG (San Diego) — A four-star playmaker, Ellis was ranked 32nd overall by 247Sports. Scored 51 points and 43 points in games as a senior at Mission Bay High School.

• Lester Quinones, G (Brentwood, New York) — Earned a four-star ranking during his single season at IMG Academy in Florida. The 12th-ranked shooting guard in the country according to 247Sports. Won a championship in 2018 alongside Achiuwa at St. Benedict’s Prep in New Jersey. Shot 38 percent from three-point range at IMG.

• D.J. Jeffries, F (Olive Branch High School) — A four-star prospect, Jeffries was the top-ranked player in Mississippi and the ninth-ranked power forward in the country. Averaged 23.3 points and 12.8 rebounds for the Conquistadors as a senior.

• Damion Baugh, G (Nashville) — Played two seasons at Tennessee Prep Academy in Memphis, averaging 23.5 points and 10 rebounds as a senior. A four-star prospect, Baugh was ranked fourth among Tennessee prospects by 247Sports.

• Malcolm Dandridge, F (East High School, Memphis) — Won a pair of state titles under Hardaway at East then became the new coach’s first commitment shortly after Hardaway was named Tiger coach in March 2018. A four-star prospect, Dandridge also played alongside Jeffries on the Bluff City Legends summer team.

Malcolm Dandridge and Alex Lomax

Talented But Inexperienced …

Hardaway hasn’t expressed — or shown outwardly — the slightest intimidation at the challenge he faces as Tiger coach, not since the March 2018 press conference in which he was reintroduced to a community of followers who already knew him better than they did their second cousins. To now be armed with a recruiting class that is the envy of every other coach in the country? “I’m excited,” he says. “Last year was a great learning experience. To come back with the No. 1 recruiting class. … I’m anxious to get ready.”

And the notion of a rotation built around freshmen? “They’re freshmen, but they’re talented,” emphasizes Hardaway. “They’re gonna lean on us, the coaching staff, and players from last year. Experience is the best teacher. They’ll get their feet wet and see what works, and what doesn’t work. If they stay within themselves, and listen to us, they’ll be okay. If five freshmen earn spots, I’d have no problem starting them. Who is going to be the best at their position for us to win? There’s no favoritism. They’ll battle it out in practice.”

Among the star-studded group of freshmen, Wiseman is almost certain to stand out. Players who can run the floor at 7’1″ tend to gain “unicorn” status in the modern basketball lexicon, and Wiseman qualifies. Already projected to be a top-five pick in the 2020 NBA draft, the Mandarin-speaking big man will aim to maximize his impact for what he hopes is one special winter of college. “He’s matured a lot,” says Hardaway. “James is really quiet. But he’s being active with his teammates. He’s asking a lot of questions. He’s hungry. He wants to play great while he’s here.”

Quinones has stepped forward as a face — and voice — of sorts for the Tiger rookies. He wears his game shorts higher than most, and flexes his Twitter muscles without reservation, recently firing away at Tennessee players as the Tiger-Vol rivalry regains some bite. “I love playing in front of huge crowds,” he says. “It gets me going better. It has a huge effect on us, how accepting the fans are. We’re just one huge basketball city.”

The new collection of talent has meant intense practices. As Hardaway puts it, “Iron sharpens iron.” Says Quinones, “The talent level on this team is amazing. Every day, someone is going to bring it more. The next day, the next person will do it.”

“These are the moments I’ve been waiting for my whole life,” adds Ellis, the freshman who’s made the longest trip to be part of this special class. “The bright lights, it’s an amazing feeling. Since I arrived in town, everybody wants to take pictures with us. It’s crazy. Great expectations come with great responsibility. We’ll live up to it if we continue to work hard and come together for one goal. We’ll put it all out there.”

While Ellis and Quinones are the premium guards among the freshman class, don’t sleep on Baugh, as there’s one element of a player’s game that earns playing-time love from Hardaway. “Damion is special,” notes Hardaway. “He picks up [defensively] 94 feet, maybe our best defensive guard besides Alex Lomax. Great rebounding guard. High IQ. And he can pass the ball really well.”

The Veterans

The only three players who can be classified as veterans this season are sophomore guards Harris (10.8 points per game as a freshman) and Lomax (5.1) and senior forward Isaiah Maurice (5.6 points and 3.1 rebounds). Hardaway is especially pleased with the development Lomax has shown over the offseason. Having coached A-Lo since his high school days at East, Hardaway feels an investment in the player’s rise. “He really struggled last year, shooting the ball,” says Hardaway. “He’s always been a great defensive player but kind of lost his way. This year, he came in understanding what he needs to do, and how he can affect the game for us. He understands what it takes for him to be successful on this level.”

Hardaway For the Defense

Amid all the flash, all those ranking stars (two fives and five fours, remember), Hardaway has his sights set on smothering opponents defensively. Good defense doesn’t slump. Particularly when playing away from FedExForum — where the Tigers’ various rankings will be held against them — Hardaway wants to see his team answer with defense. “With a young team, defense is gonna get it,” he says. “When we run into those teams that are senior-laden, physical . . . defense is going to come into play. Offensively, we’ll be okay. But defensively, we’ll have to shut people down.”

The Tigers’ nonconference schedule is gaining strength, both with regional rivals back (Ole Miss, UAB, Tennessee) and “power-five” opponents a long way from FedExForum (Oregon and North Carolina State, the latter in Brooklyn). “There are some points on the schedule where, if we’re not coming to play, we could lose two or three in a row,” says Hardaway. “Especially with a young team. We’ll see who can handle adversity. We’re not afraid to play anybody.”

Hardaway pays attention to the rankings, both for his recruiting class and for the team he’s built in two years. While some prognosticators have the Tigers in their top 20 — but not top 10 — Hardaway says top five wouldn’t surprise him. (AAC coaches picked Memphis to tie Houston for the conference championship.) He’s that confident in the talent he’s drawn to Memphis, and that convinced he and his coaching staff will max-out the treasure trove of skills. So raise your expectations as high as they’ll go. They’re not higher than those of the Memphis coach.

“The mood around the city — everywhere I go — they can’t wait for the season to start,” says Hardaway. “Everybody’s raring to go, to see what this team’s gonna do. We’re all anxious.”

A Fresh Start

Six key questions about this year’s new-edition Grizzlies.

By Aimee Stiegemeyer and Sharon Shy Brown

Gone are the days when the Memphis Grizzlies were a playoff staple in the NBA’s Western Conference — and often known as the team no one wanted to face in the post-season. A new chapter has commenced in Grind City. The Grizzlies traded franchise cornerstones — and two of the best players in franchise history — Marc Gasol and Mike Conley. Gasol was traded to the Toronto Raptors prior to the trade deadline, where he eventually went on to become an NBA champion. Conley was sent to the Utah Jazz ahead of the draft.

But the Grizzlies have quietly established a young core that could set the organization up for years to come. Second-year player Jaren Jackson Jr. and rookie point guard Ja Morant will be the key figures going forward.

Jaren Jackson Jr.

Will it work? Time will tell. Here are six key questions ahead of the upcoming NBA season:

The Grizzlies made a lot of major changes during the off season — changes in the front office, changes in the coaching staff, and changes to the roster. Do you think those changes will lead to success? 

Aimee Stiegemeyer: Eventually, yes. Although it could take more than one season to fully realize it. While they might not lead to immediate success, the changes made in the off season are a good starting point for getting there. 

There are some new decision-makers in the front office, and so far the choices they have made appear to be good ones. Ja Morant and Brandon Clarke were excellent pickups, and the Grizzlies also received a few usable pieces from Utah and Atlanta. Shedding the remainder of Chandler Parsons’ contract was one of the most impressive moves made.

Sharon Brown: In recent years, the Grizzlies have been a team plagued with instability and uncertainty. The team has been through four coaches since Robert Pera took controlling ownership of the franchise in 2012. For some reason or another, coaches haven’t worked out for Memphis. It is too early to predict how first-year coach Taylor Jenkins’ tenure will work out.

Confidence was lost in the front office, and former general manager Chris Wallace took the brunt of the criticism — rightfully so, since he was the one in front of the cameras. Changes were inevitable to appease the fan base. Grizzlies fans were used to being in the playoffs during the Grit ‘n Grind era with the Core Four (Gasol, Conley, Zach Randolph, and Tony Allen). Even though the team improved to 33 wins last season from 22 the previous season, fans still want and expect more. Success is relative, and time will tell if the changes made will be worthwhile.


Memphis appears to be at the starting point of an across-the-board rebuild. Do you think a complete rebuild was necessary?

AS: Yes, 100 percent. The Grizzlies went all in on Gasol and Conley three years ago, which I do think was the correct choice at the time. Overspending on Chandler Parsons was a gamble by the front office, and in hindsight it turned out to be a losing one. However, looking at the context of where the Grizzlies were as a team, I still believe they did the best they could with the cards they were dealt. It became apparent last year that the window to build around Conley and Gasol was pretty much closed, and a hard reset was the most logical way forward. 

It’s easy to look back now and criticize the albatross that ended up being Parsons’ contract, but top-tier free agents were not exactly clamoring to come to Memphis, and something that often goes unstated is that without signing Parsons (or a similar caliber player), there was a good chance that Conley wouldn’t have re-signed. 

It seems like a lifetime ago now, but there were plenty of reasons to believe that building around Gasol and Conley would lead to further success. With a quality center and a quality point guard on the roster, the addition of a top-tier wing like Parsons made perfect sense. On paper, it was a solid move. In practice, not so much. Paralyzed by three near-max contracts, the Grizzlies were not able to acquire the rest of the pieces needed to push the team to the next level. And thus, here we are. 

SB: Absolutely, it was necessary. As the saying goes, you can’t expect different results if you keep doing the same thing over and over. That’s the definition of insanity. The Grizzlies were never known for developing young talent. Players were getting older and restless.

It was time to move on from Gasol and Conley and allow them to pursue championship aspirations because, frankly, it wasn’t happening in Memphis any time soon.

It was long overdue. The icing on the cake was finally getting rid of Parsons’ massive contract. Getting rid of the three massive contracts of Gasol, Conley, and Parsons gave the Grizzlies room to maneuver for the future.

Who’ll have a breakout season, top of the roster?

AS: Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. are the obvious answers, provided the latter can learn to stay out of foul trouble. This could also be the season that Dillon Brooks unlocks his full potential and elevates his game to another level. I’m feeling pretty high on Brandon Clarke as well. 

Ja Morant

SB: Conventional wisdom would say Jaren Jackson Jr. However, Morant may give him a run for his money. Both have the potential to become superstars in this league.

Jackson is a great all-around player and the new face of the franchise, but he has had issues with rebounding and getting into foul trouble. He needs to understand that when the game is on the line, he needs to be out on the floor, not sitting on the bench with foul issues.

Morant is one of the best passing and explosive point guards to come out of college in a long time, and he will be in the conversation for Rookie of the Year. And he is hungry. With luck and hard work, Morant and Jackson could be an unstoppable duo in the NBA for years to come.

Who’ll have a breakout season from the bench?

AS: Jae Crowder and Solomon Hill are both giving me very strong veteran role-player vibes. And this is likely to be an unpopular opinion, but I don’t think we should sleep on Grayson Allen either. 

SB: There are several players who stand out on the bench, and it is hard to pick just one to have a breakout season. Clarke and Allen may be top-tier role players. Backup point guard Tyus Jones may be the most important bench player. He has an all-around game and has the ability to run the offense when Morant is catching a rest.

What does a successful season look like right now to this franchise?

AS: The Grizzlies need to consider the long game here and look beyond immediate results. What constitutes success is subjective, and one man’s ceiling is another man’s floor. I don’t expect them to be playoff contenders this year — and maybe not next year, either. They have put together a nice group of guys who are young, scrappy, and hungry, and the primary goal for this season should be about player development and building team chemistry.

Coach Taylor Jenkins

SB: Setting high expectations for this season doesn’t seem realistic. As we’ve seen elsewhere in the league, a youth movement doesn’t necessarily mean instant success. Continuity goes a long way as far as development is concerned with a young core. It might be a few years before the team’s hard work pays off. This is a game of chess, not checkers. It may be tough in terms of winning in the Western Conference, but fans will likely have other things to cheer for and become excited about. This team should be considered one of the better up-and-coming young teams in the West, one with a bright future.

How should the Grizzlies handle the situation with Andre Iguodala?

AS: This is another situation in which playing the long game is necessary. What they should absolutely not do, under any circumstances, is give Iguodala a buyout right now. I might feel differently if he were willing to accept something lower than his full $17.2 million salary, however it just does not make good business sense to subsidize his move to the Lakers or the Clippers for nothing in return. If nothing else, he will be a hot commodity as the trade deadline gets closer, and there’s a much better chance of getting some value out of his contract.  

SB: Right now, it’s a business decision for the Grizzlies. Memphis has every right to want something in return, instead of a buyout. Iguodala has over $17 million remaining on his contract. Neither the Grizzlies nor Iguodala appear to be in a rush to come to an agreement. The Grizzlies are vying for future assets via a trade while Iguodala wants to be traded to a contender or sign with a team of his choosing, if he’s bought out. Patience is key for both Memphis and Iguodala.

Aimee Stiegemeyer and Sharon Shy Brown are the founding editors and co-owners of the Memphis Grizzlies blog All Heart in Hoop City.

Categories
Film/TV Film/TV/Etc. Blog

Harriet, Mystery Train, and Frankie Lead Indie Memphis 2019 Lineup

Cynthia Ervino as Harriet Tubman in Harriet, the opening night film at Indie Memphis 2019

The Indie Memphis Film Festival has announced the lineup for the 22nd iteration of the home-grown cinephile celebration, which will run October 30-November 4, 2019. The opening night film will be Harriet, a biopic of abolitionist leader Harriet Tubman by director Kasi Lemmons.

(l to r) Bill Murray, Chloë Sevigny, and Adam Driver star in Jim Jarmusch’s The Dead Don’t Die.

Director Jim Jarmusch, who put Memphis on the arthouse map in 1989 with Mystery Train, will return for a 30th anniversary screening of the seminal independent film. Since the festival runs through Halloween this year, Jarmusch will also screen his latest film, zombie comedy The Dead Don’t Die.

Producer/director Sara Driver, Jarmusch’s longtime partner and sometimes co-creator, will be the subject of a retrospective, and present the “spooky inspirations” for her work, which critic Johnathan Rosenbaum called “a conflation of fantasy with surrealism, science fiction, comics, horror, sword-and-sorcery, and the supernatural that stretches all the way from art cinema to exploitation by way of Hollywood.”

William Marshall wants to have a drink on you in Blacula.

On Halloween itself, there will be a special screening of the cult classic Blacula starring William Marshall as a vampire loose in ’70s Los Angeles.

Memphis director Ira Sachs returns from France with his latest picture Frankie, starring Isabella Huppert as an ailing movie star who summons her family and friends for one last gathering.
 

Harriet, Mystery Train, and Frankie Lead Indie Memphis 2019 Lineup

The Hometowner category, which spotlights films made by Memphis artists, boasts a healthy six features this year, including Cold Feet, a bachelor party horror comedy by Indie Memphis stalwarts Brad Ellis and Allen C. Gardner, which just won the writing award at the New Orleans Horror Film Festival. Musician and artist Lawerence Matthews makes his feature film debut at the festival with vérité documentary The Hub. Cinematographer and producer Jordan Danelz presents his first feature documentary In the Absence, which deals with blight and gentrification in Memphis. Jookin’ is the subject of Louis Wallecan’s Lil Buck: Real Swan. Jim Hanon profiles Memphis saxophonist Kirk Whalum in Humanite: The Beloved Community. Director Jessica Chaney makes her premiere with the girl power drama This Can’t Be Life.

Penny Hardaway (right) stars with Shaquille O’Neil (center), Matt Nover (left), and Nick Nolte (bottom) in William Friedkin’s Blue Chips.

The celebrated director of The Exorcist, William Friedkin will have a mini-retrospective with two films. The first is Blue Chips, a 1995 film set in the world of college basketball starring Shaquille O’Neil, Nick Nolte, and University of Memphis basketball coach Penny Hardaway. The second is Sorcerer, a film Friedkin called his masterpiece, but which had the misfortune to be released in 1977 on the week Star Wars went wide.

Another sure-to-be-anticipated screening will be Varda by Agnes, an autobiographical film by the late, revered filmmaker Agnes Varda, made when she was 90 years old.

The great director says goodbye in Varda by Agnes.

The Narrative Feature competition will feature five films from as far abroad as the Dominican Republic, four of which are by women directors. The documentary competition will be between four features, including Best Before Death, director Paul Duane’s portrait of artist Bill Drummond, which was filmed partially in Memphis.

The Memphis Flyer will have full coverage of the festival in the weeks ahead. In the meantime, you can find more information, festival passes, and tickets to individual screenings on the Indie Memphis website. 

Categories
Sports Tiger Blue

Pennyspeak

I’m growing rather fluent in Pennyspeak. If you’ve been listening to Memphis Tiger basketball coach Penny Hardaway since he took over the program 15 months ago, you’re likely speaking the language, too. It’s a refreshing alternative to “coachspeak,” the more typical say-one-thing-but-mean-another form of phrasing we hear every winter from coaches too timid to intimidate or too skittish to scare.

Having secured the top-ranked recruiting class in the nation after his first season as a college coach, Hardaway met with a group of media types last month to discuss the extraordinary group of talent on its way to Memphis. You may have heard what he said, but let’s go a little further: What did Hardaway want us to hear?


“What we’ve been able to do this summer is amazing. It’s a blessing. I wanted this so badly. To do this in such a short period of time . . . I thank God for the opportunity.”

Hardaway is grateful, indeed, to be making a difference, you might say, in his hometown, and at his alma mater. He also knows he’s very good at this recruiting game. God didn’t convince the country’s top recruit (James Wiseman) to stay home and play for the Tigers, and He didn’t persuade another five-star recruit (Precious Achiuwa) to play a supporting role to Wiseman. That was the man in the fancy suit and custom sneakers.


“They’re saying they’re gonna sacrifice — for one another — so they can all achieve the bigger goal.”

This is going to be micro-analyzed until Opening Night in November, and rightfully so: With only one basketball and 200 player-minutes per game, can seven freshmen stars co-exist? Don’t discount the role social media plays in the gathering of a modern college basketball team, the connectedness that can be achieved — at least in the minds of young men — before a team first assembles on a court. Wiseman, Achiuwa, Lester Quinones, and Boogie Ellis were sharing thoughts and views in a group chat long before the commitment letters were signed. Before they agreed to become teammates and play for Hardaway, they had to agree on the idea of being teammates, sharing a uniform, and yes, sacrificing some minutes on the floor for the greater good, the bigger goal. And do you wonder if these players recognized the fan support, the desire in Memphis to see this super-class become reality? Well, they did.

“This is Memphis. We don’t bluff. We want all the smoke. We want everything to be about Memphis. That’s what this city wants. We want to win a national championship.”

Forget incremental program-building under Hardaway. The Tigers haven’t won so much as a conference championship since the 2012-13 season. It’s now been five years without an NCAA tournament appearance for the Tiger program. But Hardaway is about now. He’d be a great spokesman for the mindfulness movement, the notion that scars of the past or possibilities of the future only interfere with being the best you can be right now. Make the next breath you take your most important. Make your next decision one of impact. And shy away from nothing. Those who lower the bar of expectations tend to stumble over that lowered bar.

“I’m different. We’re different. We’re an NBA staff . . . in college.”

There’s an arrogance to this, no question. The fact is, Hardaway is not coaching an NBA team. His assistants aren’t sharpening the skills of NBA players. But to win in the world of college basketball on the scale Hardaway wants to win, you better sell your program as a connector to The League. We may soon see the end of the “one-and-done” absurdity, a new era in which high school superstars can leap straight to the NBA if they choose (and are chosen). But there are only 60 selections made each year in the NBA draft. Do the math on that, with 347 Division I college teams and thousands of high school programs. It’s still hard to reach the NBA. Elite college coaches must establish themselves as conduits.

“It’s been like daydreaming, just thinking about the matchups you can put on the floor.”

Get used to the words positionless basketball. They may as well have been copyrighted by the Golden State Warriors. Ellis will be the Tigers’ point guard next season, unless the ball is in the hands of Quinones, or Tyler Harris, or Alex Lomax. Malcolm Dandridge may look like a power forward in warm-ups, but what do we call him when he’s the largest Tiger on the floor, when “small ball” becomes the mode of attack? And call James Wiseman a “center” if you want to sound like it’s 1995. Hardaway has so many options in distributing those 200 player-minutes on game night. Expect his rotation — to say nothing of his starting five — to be as fluid as the body of water rolling south just a few blocks west of his team’s arena. Rivers were made for daydreaming, right?

Categories
From My Seat Sports

Precious! Memphis Secures Top Recruiting Class in the Country

CREDIT: Larry Kuzniewski

“We want to win a national title. I don’t think that’s far-fetched. That drives me.”

Penny Hardaway shared those sentiments with me before the start of his first season as basketball coach at the University of Memphis. The interview would inform a feature in which Memphis magazine named Hardaway its 2018 Memphian of the Year. (Yes, we named him MOY before he coached his first college game. Any questions about that now?) Hardaway did not say in that interview, “We want to win a national title in 2020.”
Larry Kuzniewski

Penny Hardaway, recruiting king.

He might say that today.

With Precious Achiuwa‘s announcement Friday (via social media) that he will play at the U of M, Hardaway has landed the top-ranked recruiting class in the country. Along with James Wiseman — the top-ranked player in the country, a center who starred at East High School for Hardaway — Achiuwa gives Memphis a pair of five-star recruits for the first time since Joe Jackson and Will Barton arrived on campus as part of Josh Pastner’s second recruiting class in 2010.

But the five-stars have a supporting cast. Forwards Malcolm Dandridge (another East product) and D.J. Jeffries have been signed for weeks, along with Tennessee Prep guard Damion Baugh. Guard Lester Quinones committed to Hardaway a week ago (which may have clinched Achiuwa, the two having played together for years) and Boogie Ellis signed on the blue-and-gray line earlier this week. All five players are considered four-star recruits by Rivals.

Achiuwa’s commitment pushes Memphis above Kentucky, Arizona, and Duke to number-one in the national rankings, according to 247Sports. When you add up the numbers, fully 10 percent of the country’s top 50 recruits (according to Rivals) are coming to play for Hardaway at Memphis. In order: Wiseman (1), Achiuwa (17), Ellis (37), Quinones (48), and Jeffries (50).

I recently asked someone close to Hardaway how he has reacted with the serial signings of superstars. Excitement? Delight? Does he consider this normal? The description I received: “Supreme confidence.”