Coach Hardaway: Guards will be emphasis in 2018-19 season

There is still mystery surrounding what the Memphis men's basketball team will look like on the court this season, with a new coach and eight new players.

But Penny Hardaway offered another clue Wednesday morning about the Tigers when he addressed a crowd of business leaders at “The Game Plan of Memphis Basketball” event.

"We have really good guards," Hardaway said. "They are explosive, they are exciting and they are fast. Our offense is going to be centered around our guards."

He meant no disrespect to his forwards. Hardaway pointed out that senior Kyvon Davenport was the team's second-leading scorer last year and players like Mike Parks and Raynere Thornton put in hard work to lose weight this offseason.

But the team has more depth at the guard position this season with the addition of local freshmen Alex Lomax and Tyler Harris. Two of the Tigers' best offensive weapons from a year ago, seniors Jeremiah Martin and Kareem Brewton, also return to the backcourt.

"(The guards) make everybody better," Hardaway said. "We will go as far as our guards take us."

Injuries lead to PG experiment

There is a possibility, however, the Tigers could start the preseason without their top guard.

When Memphis announced last week that Jeremiah Martin had undergone surgery to repair a hernia, the school stated the Memphis native "will be out four to six weeks." But Hardaway is not concerned with how quickly Martin returns at this point.

"I don't want to put a timetable on it. I just want him to get healthy," Hardaway said Wednesday. "Once he gets healthy and comes back and lets me know he's ready, then we'll go. I'm not going to rush him back."

Hardaway doesn't see Martin's injury as an opportunity for the team's younger players to earn more playing time.

"The play itself is going to dictate that," Hardaway said.

But Hardaway did reveal that another previously undisclosed injury allowed him to experiment with his backcourt during offseason workouts.

Hardaway said Lomax suffered a "minor ankle injury" that put him on the shelf for "two to three weeks," and it forced Harris and Brewton to be used more at point guard.

"It's going to help a lot because (Harris and Brewton) had to guard each other every day 94 feet, run the offense, (and) these are two scoring guards," Hardaway said. "To be playing the point guard spot really helped them out a lot."

Respect for the youth

Freshman Antwann Jones is one of the Tigers' highest-ranked incoming recruits this year, and Hardaway hopes he can play multiple roles for this team. But the coach admitted Jones had trouble initially adapting to what is being asked of him.

Hardaway said he considers Jones, who is listed at 6-foot-5, to be one of the team's options at guard.

"He struggled a little bit early because it was different," Hardaway said. "But we understand he is going to bring a lot to the table. He's a big guard, and he understands how to play the game."

Overall, Hardaway is impressed with the way the experience and youth on his team gelled in recent months. The coach said the freshman class "came in with a bang" that exposed the returning players to their abilities.

"I think (the older guys) respected that these freshmen can play," Hardaway said. "If they couldn't play at all, they probably wouldn't have that same respect."

Lance Thomas' quest to get eligible

Sophomore forward Lance Thomas continues to seek immediate eligibility from the NCAA after transferring from Louisville based on the firing of Cardinals coach Rick Pitino. There's still no answer to that request as of now, but Memphis is hopeful Thomas will avoid sitting out his first season with the Tigers.

"I have been asking compliance (about Thomas' eligibility) and they are still working on it," Hardaway said. "I hope he is going to be eligible."

Waiver for Karim Azab?

Memphis center Karim Sameh Azab continues to undergo treatment for leukemia, and the school will likely apply for a waiver from the NCAA so that he does not count toward the team's scholarship limit this season.

The Tigers currently have 14 scholarship players for the 2018-19 campaign, one more than the NCAA limit. Hardaway indicated Memphis has not applied for the waiver yet.

"We haven't even got to that point yet," Hardaway said. "We are just really praying for his health, man. He is fighting hard."