Less than 100 days separate the Memphis basketball team and the official start of preseason training.
Both work and coach Penny Hardaway has been done since the beginning of the Tigers’ offseason, there is still a lot of business to resolve. The list – although most are already on campus for summer workouts – is incomplete. The same goes for the coaching staff. The non-conference schedule still has a gap or two.
With these things (and others) in mind, let’s try to sort out what we can in this week’s mailbag.
Who is the Tigers’ most likely next transfer portal target? – Archie Williams, via Tiger Basketball Insider Group Text
Many believed Memphis was a virtual lock to land Kansas State transfer guard Arthur Kaluma. While Kaluma is apparently still available, it was always (and still is) unlikely that he would join the Tigers.
Hardaway and his staff have expressed interest in Cal State Northridge transfer guard De’Sean Allen-Eikens (6-foot-6, 215 pounds), but he needs a medical exemption. They looked into UNLV transfer guard Keylan Boone (6-6, 175), but there appears to be some confusion about whether a recent NCAA rules change (which would grant him an extra year of eligibility) applies to him or not.
Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports reports that St. John’s transfer guard Glenn Taylor Jr. is scheduled to visit Memphis this week. But according to a source familiar with the situation, Taylor’s visit isn’t exactly set in stone and the Tigers could welcome someone else.
Stay tuned.
Here’s what we know: Rick Stansbury is returning as an assistant coach.
Mike Davis (who has been a head coach for more than 20 years, primarily at Indiana) has been hired as an assistant coach, according to multiple sources. The sources requested anonymity as no official announcement has been made.
Faragi Phillips, an assistant for the past two seasons, will remain with the team but take on a new role.
Jeremy Kipness (director of recruitment) and Jamie Rosser (director of player development) are expected to remain in their respective roles. Jordan VerHulst (former director of scouting) is expected to assume the duties of director of basketball operations, a title held by Garrett Kelly for the past two seasons.
Jermaine Johnson, who has won several titles at Memphis since 2020, will be part of the team, but will not be an assistant. Demetrius Dyson (special advisor to the head coach last season) has been hired but is expected to have a new title.
Memphis legend and former Lane College coach Andre Turner is expected to move into a support staff role, but his hiring has not yet been made official.
Two vacancies remain: a third assistant coach and the strength and conditioning position.
Will Baraka Okojie be ready to play when the season starts? – Carlo Avant, via Tiger Basketball Insider Group Text
Baraka Okojie underwent surgery on his injured left shoulder on June 11. The injury is expected to sideline the George Mason transfer guard for at least four months.
If Okojie is out for a full four months, that means a potential mid-October return. The regular season opener against Missouri at FedExForum is scheduled for November 4th.
Any injury is complicated, especially those with relatively long recovery times. The team is optimistic that Okojie will be released before the first game, but there are no guarantees.
MEMPHIS BASKETBALL: Walk-on Joe Cooper is no longer on the show
What do you think of who will be in the starting lineup at the start of the 2024-2025 season? – George Snyder, via Tiger Basketball Insider Group Text
For me, three of the five spots are practically defined: point guard (Tyrese Hunter), point guard (PJ Haggerty) and center (Dain Dainja).
If the season started tomorrow, I think Colby Rogers and Nicholas Jourdain would be in the starting five.
But Memphis is still working to fill open roster spots. If they land a starting-caliber wing, Rogers will likely come off the bench.
What happened to the Malcolm Dandridge investigation? – Rich Willard, via Tiger Basketball Insider Group Text
The short answer: it remains an ongoing process.
Having checked the status of the investigation — which, if you recall, stems from possible academic misconduct and cost Dandridge the final games of his college career — with multiple sources, there is no timeline. It could end this week or it could last for more months.
Contact sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or follow him @munzly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on the Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis Basketball Mailbag: Prospects Transfer, Coaching Staff Change
