Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway is one of the greatest “what if” stories and most underrated talents in the history of the National Basketball Association, and so far his career as Memphis Tigers head coach has been a rousing success.
Memphis has gone 63-32 since Hardaway began coaching his alma mater, notching three straight 20 win seasons as well as a 2021 NIT title.
The Tigers have a long way to go to reach college basketball’s elite the way they did under Derrick Rose, Chris Douglas-Roberts, John Calipari, Joey Dorsey and company, however, and are in desperate need of a superstar to put them over the top.
Now, it appears as if they might have a chance to land their man: the number two recruit in all the land, Jalen Duren, who appeared to be a strong Kentucky or G-League lean but now could be in the process of changing his mind.
Tigers Land Visit From #1 Recruit Jalen Duren
If you haven’t seen the highlights from Mr. Duren yet, you’re missing out.
A thunderous dunker and PF/C hybrid, Duren has a little bit of Shawn Kemp, Kevin Garnett and Zion Williamson in his game, with the range to step out and hit jumpers to keep the defense honest.
ESPN no.2 in 2022 Jalen Duren is the best power big man in the high school game. Virtually unstoppable in the paint, on the glass and at the rim at #GEICONationals. Terrific passing post too. @tedemrich “What is the next step in his development?” @MVABasketball @WhosNextHS pic.twitter.com/2HLZg0EDxW
— Paul Biancardi (@PaulBiancardi) April 5, 2021
Duren is currently listed as the #2 prospect for the class of 2022 behind Ypsilanti, Michigan’s Emoni Bates, although there has been some debate about who really deserves the top spot.
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He also could reclassify to the 2021 class.
Duren recently was offered a seven figure contract from the NBA’s G-League to skip college, but now appears headed for Tennessee to visit with Coach Hardaway, according to a report from WMC-5 in Memphis.
According to 247Sports.com, Hardaway “(has) developed a great relationship with Duren which could pay dividends moving forward.”
The visit is expected to last through Thursday, with a trip to Kentucky scheduled for this weekend to meet with John Calipari and co.
While the powerful junior forward could turn Memphis into a national power overnight, Kentucky and the G-League are believed to be the front-runners.
Jalen Duren, the nation's No. 2 ranked prospect, will be taking an official visit to Memphis from Wednesday-Thursday, sources tell ZAGSBLOG.
He is also expected to visit Kentucky this weekend. pic.twitter.com/fRsoKbN15d
— Jacob Polacheck (@JacobPolacheck) June 22, 2021
Currently, Hardaway and Memphis have two four-star commits in the fold for 2021: Josh Minott and Sam Ayomide.
Duren’s decision could shift the future of how players are recruited in the future, considering his $1,000,000 G-League offer, along with the future of Hardaway’s program.
Regardless of how the Duren saga plays out, one thing’s for sure: Hardaway and Memphis have put the rest of the college basketball world on notice as a force to be reckoned in the recruiting world.
