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How Penny Hardaway as Memphis Tigers coach could help the Tennessee Vols

By Caleb Calhoun

NEW ORLEANS, LA - FEBRUARY 15: Penny Hardaway attends the Sears Shooting Stars Competition 2014 as part of the 2014 NBA All-Star Weekend at the Smoothie King Center on February 15, 2014 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - FEBRUARY 15: Penny Hardaway attends the Sears Shooting Stars Competition 2014 as part of the 2014 NBA All-Star Weekend at the Smoothie King Center on February 15, 2014 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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Anfernee Penny Hardaway just became the head coach for University of Memphis basketball. Here’s how that can actually help the Tennessee Volunteers.

On the surface, Tennessee basketball already appears to be in trouble. By taking over as Memphis Tigers head coach, Penny Hardaway has already made an impact on two of the three guys Rick Barnes is targeting this offseason: five-star Anfernee Simons and three-star Cordova prospect Tyler Harris.

Going forward, Hardaway is likely to continue to make things harder on the Vols when it comes to recruiting. But that’s a minor issue compared to all the ways his hire can help the Vols. And there are indeed plenty of ways.

For starters, Tennessee under Barnes doesn’t target too many top-notch guys anyway, particularly in AAU. Barnes goes after overlooked guys who have the potential to develop into solid players.

As a result, Penny Hardaway is likely to steal a recruit from Tennessee once every five years. Meanwhile, he’s going to help the Vols in SEC competition a lot more.

Hardaway’s biggest recruiting competition is likely to be John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats. Given his AAU connections, he may be the only guy in the South who can compete with Calipari and take recruits away from him.

If Penny Hardaway begins to succeed with the Tigers, he will start taking more and more players from Kentucky. He could also take players away from Bruce Pearl and the Auburn Tigers, Cuonzo Martin and the Missouri Tigers, Ben Howland and the Mississippi State Bulldogs, and Avery Johnson and the Alabama Crimson Tide.

In case you’re wondering, yes, I’m naming coaches in the SEC who compete with the Vols. Any given year, at least two of those coaches could lose a top recruit to the Tigers.

As a result, there are major beneficiaries from Penny Hardaway going to Memphis. Tennessee is one of them. Two others are the Texas A&M Aggies under Billy Kennedy and the South Carolina Gamecocks under Frank Martin.

Both of those coaches rely on solid players who aren’t five-stars to succeed with their programs. They won’t have near the recruiting battles that the other schools have.

Hardaway going to Memphis also helps in another way. Perhaps the Vols and Tigers can renew their rivalry now, and Barnes against Hardaway would be great for national attention.

Remember when Pearl and Calipari coached Tennessee and Memphis respectively? Those are the two best media personalities in the country. Their rivalry promoted both programs and generated enough buzz for both to keep getting top-notch recruits.

It obviously culminated with a No. 1 vs. No. 2 match-up in 2008. Barnes and Hardaway aren’t as colorful of personalities, but they have big enough names that if they face each other each year, there would be lots of national attention.

And that could help both when it comes to recruiting. Simply put, the competition with Memphis in basketball is good for the Vols. It always has been.

Josh Pastner recognized this, which is why he cancelled the series. But bringing it back with Penny Hardaway facing Rick Barnes each year would be a huge boost for the state. As a result, while they may lose out on a recruit every few years thanks to Hardaway in Memphis, his success will be a huge net positive for Tennessee basketball.

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