CBB Coaching Spotlight. Penny Hardaway.
Penny Hardaway has had a tough time in his tenure as Memphis Basketball’s Head Coach. This season, it feels different.
Coach Hardaway has a team built in his image. Strong guard play with and even stronger emphasis on the defensive end.
The expectations and hype around Memphis Basketball since he took over as head coach have in some cases been unfair. However his tournament success has shown signs of this to come.
This season it feels like it is all clicking, and at this moment, I feel like Memphis has to be a final four favorite. The Tigers are gearing up for conference play after having an amazing non-conference performance.
Penny Hardaway, Coaching Spotlight.
Coach Hardaway was as most of us know a NBA Superstar in the 90’s. One of the best point guards ever. In 2015 he started his coaching career at the high school level as an assistant at East HS in Memphis.
After two seasons as an assistant, he took over the head coaching job for the high school in 2017. Then after a season of being the head man in charge, he took his talents to the next level.
At the same college he once starred at, he took over the head coaching job in 2018. Ever since, he has faced an uphill battle due to expectations.
Penny Hardaway has led Memphis to 5 straight 20 win seasons and started this season off 10-2. He has recorded a winning percentage of 67% with a record of 120-54.
Memphis Tigers, This Season
As mentioned before, I think of this seasons Memphis Tigers as a final four team. So far they are 10-2 and playing incredible ball on both ends, with the defense standing out.
Memphis is 2-2 against Quad 1 opponents, only two losses to Villanova and undefeated Ole Miss.
The Tigers are ranked #3 in the RPI rankings, #38 in NET and #67 in RW. The offense efficiency is ranked 59th in the country, while the defensive efficiency is ranked 80th. Holding teams to under 1 point per possession.
The fact of the matter is Penny Hardaway might have his best team yet, and these Tigers are going to be one of the most talked about teams over the next three months. Memphis will be a hard out come tournament time.
Rowan Donaghey, Sports Reporter and Betting Analyst for Stare Down Sports. You can follow him on the X via @RowanDonaghey
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