Great question here and it could not have come at a better time where, while the AAC has become stronger from top to bottom in recent years. the upcoming year brings more questions than answers. How does Dan Hurley fair at UConn? Does Wichita State remain sturdy despite its recent departures? What about Temple and the final year of Fran Dunphy in Philly? Most of all, does Penny Hardaway become a success story at his alma mater?

Hardaway has had no worries going after the very best on the recruiting trail. There was no question that he was going to get his within the Memphis city limits, but what about those from outside of his home base? While he has yet to land them, the fact that, in July, he was front and center for five-star prospects Trendon Watford, Matt Hurt, Jaden McDaniels and Jalen Green, shows that Hardaway’s mission is to go big, as in for the best that the nation has to provide.

How this impacts the rest of the conference remains to be seen but if Hardaway is capable of landing such heavily lauded prospects, the league’s cache improves immensely. It becomes an even more visible league that can be sold to the best of prospects nationally and not be thought of as just a fringe power league.

Another Q&A in the same article predicts Memphis will have a Top 10 recruiting class for 2019, and could be Top 5.

I think our class will be (using 247's rankings):

James Wiseman, #1

Trendon Watford, #14

DJ Jeffries, #37

CJ Walker, #46

Malcolm Dandridge, #152

If any of those fall through, we also have a good shot with Jaykwon Walton (#60) and Chandler Lawson (#63).

https://247sports.com/college/memphis/Se...l/Targets/

Yep. During the Q/A he said Memphis could have a top 5 class. He also said UConn could be up there as well.

(08-07-2018 10:22 AM)cscottl1981 Wrote:  Yep. During the Q/A he said Memphis could have a top 5 class. He also said UConn could be up there as well.

Yeah, great point about UConn. That's good for all of us, as well. This conference needs Memphis and UConn to both be great, as well as Cincy and Wichita. And Houston, Temple, UCF and SMU to be good, at least.

With all 8 up, that is one helluva basketball conference. And no slight intended to any other AAC school that builds up. The more the merrier.

The guy hasn't coached a game yet. Recruiting doesn't mean anything if you can't win. This feels way too early to be making speculations like this

(08-07-2018 10:16 AM)TripleA Wrote:  Another Q&A in the same article predicts Memphis will have a Top 10 recruiting class for 2019, and could be Top 5.

I think our class will be (using 247's rankings):

James Wiseman, #1

Trendon Watford, #14

DJ Jeffries, #37

CJ Walker, #46

Malcolm Dandridge, #152

If any of those fall through, we also have a good shot with Jaykwon Walton (#60) and Chandler Lawson (#63).

https://247sports.com/college/memphis/Se...l/Targets/

We are not recruiting Chandler. Nor his brother. That's been stated by daddy himself. Penny is distancing himself from that family.

Yet another Penny thread.

(08-07-2018 11:41 AM)Def Berkkat Wrote:  Yet another Penny thread.

Yet you opened it and posted in it.

(08-07-2018 11:49 AM)Tigergary Wrote:  

(08-07-2018 11:41 AM)Def Berkkat Wrote:  Yet another Penny thread.

Yet you opened it and posted in it.

Just warning everyone that there's nothing to see here, move along.

I hope Penny can immensely improve the AAC's cash.

(08-07-2018 11:59 AM)Chappy Wrote:  I hope Penny can immensely improve the AAC's cash.

If only he still had Nichols on the team.

(08-07-2018 11:41 AM)Def Berkkat Wrote:  Yet another Penny thread.

The national accolades just don't seem to stop.

As a 100% unbiased spectator, I absolutely endorse Penny recruiting at the highest level for the good of the conference.

(08-07-2018 12:12 PM)cotton1991 Wrote:  

(08-07-2018 11:41 AM)Def Berkkat Wrote:  Yet another Penny thread.

The national accolades just don't seem to stop.

Start the countdown. He's only 1018 wins behind Krzyzewski.

(08-07-2018 12:21 PM)I_LUV_MEMPHISTIGERS Wrote:  As a 100% unbiased spectator, I absolutely endorse Penny recruiting at the highest level for the good of the conference.

*Looks at Username* ... Seems like a legit claim

The last team to have this much hype before an AAC season? Wichita State last year. We did not live up to expectations ... Penny wont either. Expectations were way too high for WSU and are way too high for Penny.

(08-07-2018 12:26 PM)Stickboy46 Wrote:  The last team to have this much hype before an AAC season? Wichita State last year. We did not live up to expectations ... Penny wont either. Expectations were way too high for WSU and are way too high for Penny.

The article only refers to Penny's recruiting which has been exceptional by most measures including I would guess yours. The article was not a prediction of next year's record.

Expectations by Tigers fans on this board for next year seem to be somewhere around 3rd in the conference and making the tourney. That's a big improvement on the recent past and not entirely unreasonable. Some sportswriters have put the Tigers as low as 8th and as high as 1st.

Wichita's expectations last year were running away with the conference championship and making a run at the national championship.

This conference could definitely turn into CUSA 1.0 or better.

(08-07-2018 11:08 AM)Kruciff Wrote:  The guy hasn't coached a game yet. Recruiting doesn't mean anything if you can't win. This feels way too early to be making speculations like this

Shh. Don’t pee on the parade.

(08-07-2018 11:41 AM)Def Berkkat Wrote:  Yet another Penny thread.

If I had a penny for every Penny thread in this place.