Memphis Tigers Basketball

Memphis fifth-year senior forward Tyreek Smith is reportedly on the move once again.

Smith entered the transfer portal ahead of the Tigers' season opener against Missouri, the university confirmed in a statement to The Commercial Appeal.

"Tyreek informed the staff that he would like to explore other opportunities," the Memphis athletic department stated (h/t Cameron Salerno of CBS Sports). "We would like to thank Tyreek for his hard work and dedication while at the University of Memphis and wish him the best of luck."

Smith transferred to Memphis from SMU and also had stops at Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. During the 2023-24 season with the Mustangs, he averaged 8.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.7 blocks.

Per Grant Grubbs of On3.com, Smith informed Tigers head coach Penny Hardaway that he was stepping away from the team on Oct. 20.

"I think that in this era, you have to understand that these young men will have situations where they're going to need some time," Hardaway said last month. "There's so much pressure with playing time, with family members, with all kinds of stuff happening and [Tyreek] came to me and asked for a couple of personal days, and I gave them to him. He never once told me that he was quitting."

Smith's representative with Young Money Sports then alleged that the university "had not paid the transfer forward in the four months that he'd been with the team and had broken other promises" to him, per Grubbs.

However, Gary Parrish of CBS Sports reported that Memphis paid Smith $175,000, which he said would have been equivalent to a third of what he agreed to receive as part of his NIL deal.

Memphis won its season opener without Smith, defeating Missouri 83-75. The team will look to improve to 2-0 when it meets UNLV (1-0) on Saturday.

Former Villanova, Alabama and Memphis guard Jahvon Quinerly announced Saturday he's retiring from basketball.

"I made the decision to let go of the game of basketball, which has greatly shaped who I am since I could remember," he wrote on Instagram. "This game has opened a plethora of doors for me and for that I will forever be grateful, but God has chosen a different path for me.

"Even while I've accomplished some incredible things, had priceless experiences, and formed friendships for life, on the other side of that I've experienced some of my lowest moments. And as much as it pains me to type this, I can't continue this fight with something I am no longer in love with."

Quinerly averaged 13.5 points and 4.9 assists in 32 games with Memphis after transferring in ahead of the 2023-24 season.

A 5-star recruit in the 2018 high school class, Quinerly originally enrolled at Villanova.

He left for Alabama after one season and sat out the 2019-20 campaign to satisfy NCAA rules since his transfer came before the rule granting transfers immediate eligibility.

The 6'1" guard became a valuable contributor for the Crimson Tide in a supporting role. He put up 11.7 points and 3.7 per contest over 98 appearances. He was the co-Sixth Man of the Year with Kentucky's Antonio Reeves in 2022-23 and won MVP of the SEC tournament in 2021 as Alabama outlasted LSU 80-79 in the final.

Quinerly went undrafted this summer and didn't land an NBA contract as a free agent. While the odds of him carving out a career in the Association looked remote, going abroad and playing in an international league was a possibility.

Instead, the New Jersey native is walking away from the game for good. He noted he earned more than seven figures in NIL money, so his time at Alabama and Memphis proved lucrative.

An anonymous letter has accused Memphis men's basketball head coach Penny Hardaway of major NCAA infractions, according to ESPN's Jeff Borzello.

"The University of Memphis is aware of the anonymous letter, and it has been shared with the NCAA," university spokesperson Michele Ehrhart told ESPN.

The confirmation of the letter comes a day after Hardaway announced he was firing assistant coaches Rick Stansbury, Faragi Phillips and Jamie Rosser and special adviser Demetrius Dyson.

Borzello noted that it was unclear whether the letter and those dismissals were in any way connected—though the timing is certainly suspect—and that none of the fired coaches were named in the letter. A number of the allegations also predated two of the relieved assistants.

The letter alleged "Hardaway's personal involvement in potential recruiting and academic violations."

It isn't the first time Hardaway and the Tigers have come under scrutiny.

The head coach was suspended three games last season for both recruiting and head-coaching responsibility violations, while senior Malcolm Dandridge was held out of the final five games of the regular season amidst an internal investigation into his eligibility.

In 2022, Memphis was investigated by the NCAA for a number of potential recruiting violations, though Hardaway was ultimately cleared of any wrongdoing. The school was not, however, and faced three years of probation, a $5,000 fine and a 0.25 percent reduction of their men's basketball budget after the Independent Accountability Resolution Process found them guilty of committing four Level II violations and five Level III violations.

"The hearing panel concluded that the head coach's philanthropic involvement in the Memphis community began prior to becoming an athletics booster in 2008 and before he was hired by Memphis as its head coach in 2018," the IARP said in a statement at the time.

"Based on the case record and information developed at the hearing, the hearing panel found that the benefits provided by the head coach to the three prospective student-athletes were not recruiting inducements," the statement added. "According to the hearing panel, it was established that the head coach had a long-standing philanthropic commitment, particularly to youth in the economically disadvantaged Memphis community, even prior to becoming an athletics booster."

Memphis men's basketball head coach Penny Hardaway removed three members of his coaching staff, according to Jason Munz of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.

Per Munz, Hardaway removed director of analytics Jermaine Johnson, director of player development Jamie Rosser and head coaching advisor Faragi Phillips from the team's staff. Memphis' coaching staff has now experienced eight departures during the 2024 offseason.

The Tigers finished with a 22-10 record during their 2023-24 campaign.

Memphis was unable to make a March Madness appearance after earning NCAA tournament berths in the previous two years under Hardaway.

The Tigers started off the 2023-24 season strong, winning 15 of their first 17 games. However, they couldn't keep the momentum going and ended up dropping eight of their final 15 contests.

In addition to the coaching staff turnover, Memphis' roster will also look vastly different next season. Forward Nicolas Jourdain is the only returning scholarship player after David Jones, last year's leading scorer, joined the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-way contract in June.

Hardaway was active in the transfer portal, with the Tigers adding several new faces over the offseason. Memphis' incoming transfer group ranked No. 11 in the country, per 247Sports.

The new-look roster is headlined by PJ Haggerty, who averaged 21.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game with Tulsa during his 2023-24 campaign.

Colby Rogers will also be joining the Tigers after averaging 16.4 points per game and shooting 39.1 percent from three on Wichita State last season.

Hardaway's revamped roster and coaching staff will debut on Nov. 4, as Memphis is set to host Missouri at FedExForum.

A 42-year-old man has been charged with theft of property after allegedly swiping exclusive shoes off the front porch of Memphis men's basketball head coach Penny Hardaway's home on Aug. 8.

Per Megan Fayard of WREG, CBS' Memphis affiliate, Ronald James is accused of stealing 26 pairs of shoes. Hardaway previously told WREG that they were "one-of-a-kind" Foamposites plus a "family and friend exclusive."

Per a police report obtained by ESPN's Myron Medcalf, camera footage showed a man with a shopping cart piled with packages traveling down an East Memphis street close to Hardaway's home.

Bond has not yet been set for James, per WREG.

Medcalf provided more information on the shoes.

"Nike's Foamposite line, made famous by Hardaway when he starred for the Orlando Magic in the 1990s, is still popular today. Hardaway and Nike still have a lucrative partnership years after the former NBA All-Star last played in the league.

"Last year, Nike released the Nike Air Max Penny 1 Lester Middle School editions to honor Hardaway's Memphis middle school."

Hardaway, a four-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA player, starred for the Orlando Magic in the 1990s, notably helping lead the team to the 1995 NBA Finals alongside Shaquille O'Neal. He ultimately played 14 NBA seasons for the Magic, Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks and Miami Heat, averaging 15.2 points, 5.0 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game.

Hardaway now coaches Memphis, where he once starred before leaving for the NBA in 1993. He has led the Tigers since 2018.

Memphis center Malcolm Dandridge will be held out of action for the time being due to potential academic misconduct.

The school issued a statement on Saturday announcing Dandridge is being withheld "from competition until further notice" while it gathers and reviews information related to his eligibility:

Jason Munz of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reported the issue stems from potential academic misconduct by Dandridge.

Memphis is currently in a three-year probation period in a September 2022 ruling from the Independent Accountability Resolution Process. The punishment stemmed from NCAA rules violations regarding James Wiseman's recruitment.

Hardaway wasn't disciplined from the investigation, nor was the program banned from participating in postseason tournaments.

The Tigers were also issued an additional year of probation in December 2022 stemming from recruiting violations that occurred during the 2021-22 academic year.

Memphis has made the NCAA tournament in each of the past two seasons, losing in the first two rounds both times. This year's team is currently 19-8 with four games remaining in the regular season, including Saturday's matchup with Florida Atlantic.

B/R's Kerry Miller doesn't have Memphis included in the 68-team field for the NCAA tournament in his most recent projection from Feb. 19.

Dandridge is in his fifth season at Memphis. He played high school basketball for Tigers head coach Penny Hardaway when he was in charge of the team from 2017-18 at East High School in Memphis.

After Hardaway was hired by the Tigers in March 2018, Dandridge joined him the following year. The 23-year-old has moved into the starting lineup this season after playing primarily off the bench in the previous four years.

Dandridge is averaging career-highs in points (8.0) and rebounds (5.0) per game in 27 appearances. His 19 starts are five more than he had in the previous four seasons combined.

Memphis guard Mikey Williams is entering the transfer portal, according to 247Sports' Eric Bossi.

Williams was the No. 51 overall player in 247Sports' composite rankings for the 2023 recruiting class.

The true freshman has yet to suit up for the Tigers after he was arrested last April in connection to a March shooting that took place in Southern California. In November, he pleaded guilty to a felony charge of making criminal threats.

While it looked like the development would help set the stage for Williams' Memphis debut, the Commercial Appeal's Jason Munz reported on Dec. 2 the school "will soon begin the process of sorting through the full scope of the latest circumstances."

Head coach Penny Hardaway admitted he was "not sure on that," when it came to the possibility of the 19-year-old playing at all this season.

"You know, obviously, you know, Mikey's a part of our team," he said, per Munz. "I just have to get back with the AD. His status hasn't changed, as of yet, with the school. I have to get with the AD and, you know, talk about it."

Entering the portal doesn't guarantee Williams' Memphis career is already over, but the situation is trending that way. If nothing else, making this decision now would seemingly reflect a slim likelihood of him playing in 2023-24 even if he returns to the Tigers.

Memphis basketball signee Mikey Williams pleaded guilty to one count of making criminal threats in connection to a March shooting, according to Amber Coakley of Fox 5 San Diego.

As part of his plea, Williams has to complete courses on gun safety and anger management before he's due in court again on Aug. 12, 2024, to be sentenced. Doing so can see his charge reduced to a misdemeanor.

Authorities in San Diego County arrested Williams in April after receiving a report of a shooting outside his home on March 27. There had allegedly been an argument, which prompted a group of five people to leave. Police said multiple gunshots were fired at the group's car as it was driving away.

Williams was initially charged with five counts of assault with a weapon and one count of firing into an occupied vehicle, with prosecutors filing three more charges in October. He pleaded not guilty when the charges were first levied in April.

Williams was a 4-star recruit coming out of high school and the No. 51 overall player in 247Sports' composite rankings for the 2023 class.

The 19-year-old has enrolled in classes at Memphis and is listed on the Tigers' official roster. The school said in September, however, he would remain away from the team and wouldn't have access to the basketball facilities until his legal proceedings concluded.

Memphis is 5-1 to open the 2023-24 season.

The NCAA denied Memphis forward DeAndre Williams' request for an extra year of college eligibility for a second time.

Memphis announced Friday that Williams, 27, had been denied 2023-24 eligibility on appeal.

The NCAA initially denied Williams' waiver request on October 1 before Memphis resubmitted the claim with additional documents, per BVM Sports.

"We are extremely disappointed a waiver for an additional year of eligibility for DeAndre Williams was denied, which came following a request for reconsideration of the initial denial and then an appeal," Memphis said in a statement.

The school added that it had provided the NCAA with "evidence of academic misadvisement prior to his initial collegiate enrollment." Williams' lawyer had previously alleged his client was misadvised to push back his first year of college to 2018, according to the Daily Memphian's Parth Upadhyaya.

Williams was seeking a fourth season in Memphis, where he started all 35 games last season as an All-American Athletic Conference player.

During his 2022-23 campaign as the oldest active men's player in college basketball, Williams averaged a career-high 17.7 points and 8.2 rebounds per game as he helped lead the Tigers to their second NCAA Tournament appearance in as many seasons.

Before transferring to Memphis, Williams played the 2019-20 season at Evansville.

He first enrolled there in 2018, but was not able to play during the 2018-19 due to academic reasons. The NCAA still counted that "year-in-residence" season against his eligibility.

That meant that Williams had to use his fifth and final year of eligibility granted by COVID-19 rules in order to play for the Tigers in 2022-23.

Williams' waiver centered around the claim that had he not been misadvised, he would not have used up one year of eligibility on the 2018-19 season he did not play.

The forward initially announced his intention to seek a waiver on May 31, beginning a process Memphis described as "multiple months of back-and-forth."

Williams' Tigers career will end with 1,153 points, 558 rebounds, 219 assists and 22 double-doubles in 82 games played.

Without Williams, only Jayden Hardaway and Malcolm Dandridge are expected to return from last year's Tigers team for Monday's season-opening tipoff against Jackson State.