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Memphis basketball head coach Penny Hardaway gave an emotional message on star guard PJ Haggerty after the Tigers' Senior Day win over South Florida. Memphis basketball clinched the American Athletic Conference regular season title with the 84-68 victory. The No. 16 team in the country closed the five-game winning streak largely thanks to its superstar guard.
Haggerty, who transferred over from Tulsa last off-season, has been nothing short of spectacular this season. And in potentially his last home game, the sophomore was serenaded with “one more year” chants by Memphis basketball fans throughout the contest. Hardaway heard the chants loud and clear and expressed his gratitude for both Haggerty and the Tigers' fanbase in the postgame interview.
“I loved every minute of it. Because that’s how you want to feel as a player. Because we all understand that teams are going to be calling him. They’re probably calling him now. And it’s so enticing, right, dangling carrot, like ‘You could come here and be even bigger than you were at Memphis.’ But how could you get bigger than First team All-American? That’s what I think he is. I think he’s the MVP of the league. So he'll have to make decisions at the end of the day. But for the fans to do that, that makes me proud to be from Memphis because that’s what we want. That’s who we are.”
PJ Haggerty has helped propel Memphis basketball to its best season under Penny Hardaway
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The 20-year-old stats this season have been staggering. In his first year with Memphis basketball, Haggerty is averaging 21.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game on 49.1% from the field and 40.9% from three-point range. Those are First team All-American caliber numbers, and it's not surprising why this year has been Penny Hardaway's best season leading his alma mater. The Tigers finished the regular season 26-5 overall and 16-2 in conference play. Some signature victories include wins over UConn, Michigan State, and Clemson, adding to a very impressive resume.
In ESPN's latest bracket projection, Memphis basketball is currently projected as a No. 7 seed. If the Tigers hold that position, that's a very dangerous predicament for the No. 2 seed in this bracket. The Tigers are way better than a No. 7 seed and are led by a player with the talent to carry them deep into March. There's a lot of work left to do.
PJ Haggerty has elevated this program to the point where it can dream big again. It's been a while since Memphis basketball could realistically believe it could make it to the second weekend and beyond in the NCAA Tournament. But fans can now. The next few weeks might go a long way toward deciding whether Haggerty decides to return to the Tigers or consider other options.
