Memphis men’s and women’s basketball fans on Friday were treated to some end-of-summer glimpses of what the fall could bring.
Tigers coaches Penny Hardaway and Alex Simmons put their largely new-look rosters on display in front of hundreds of fans at Elma Roane Fieldhouse for the Blue and Gray Showcase.
“It was fun,” said Hardaway. “I think the guys were really trying to not get injured. But we had some good stuff out there. Some lobs and dunks. And that’s what you really want the crowd to see – some threes, lobs and dunks.”
Here are three of the more significant observations from the preseason pep rally.
Tyrese Hunter showing off his bounce
On Thursday, at the Tigers’ annual pro day workout, Hardaway’s new point guard, Tyrese Hunter, raised a few eyebrows.
According to the players’ athletic testing numbers, the former Texas and Iowa State standout had the best standing vertical jump at 39.5 inches. This coming from the player who is listed as the shortest on the roster at 6 feet.
Hunter backed those numbers up during Friday’s half-speed scrimmage, which consisted of two 10-minute periods. He scored a game-high 16 points, but his explosiveness showed up in the second half. Hunter capped off a series of wow-worthy slams with a 360-degree dunk to give his Gray team a 49-39 win.
“Being his height and being able to get up there and dunk it like that, I’m sure he shocked a bunch of people,” said Hardaway. “I know we have Ja (Morant) with the Grizzlies. He’s not really a tall guy and can fly. Tyrese is not getting that high, but he’s getting high for his height.”
Nicholas Jourdain, Jared Harris and Tyreek Smith each took flight multiple times, much to the delight of the crowd. But, Hunter believes he won the unofficial dunk contest.
“I keep having to tell them, I can really do all that, (but) I’m just getting older now,” said Hunter. “I tell them to go back and look on my Instagram – I’ve got some dunks on there. But they’re starting to see now.”
Dain Dainja is Memphis’ do-it-all big man
There has been a bit of an air of mystery surrounding new Memphis big man Dain Dainja.
In two seasons at Illinois, his playing time was limited and his role wasn’t exactly suited for his ability, making him a relative unknown coming into Hardaway’s system.
But at pro day and then Friday Dainja showed what he can bring to the table. The 6-9, 255-pounder showed off a high level of physicality in the post and nice touch around the rim. But Dainja also showed he can be an effective initiator away from the basket, a strong ball-handler and a skilled facilitator.
“We haven’t really had a big like Dain before,” said Hardaway. “He’s highly skilled down on that block and can make plays and can score it. And he handles the ball like a guard. When we do ball-handling drills in practice, he’s probably one of the top two or three ball-handlers on the team.”
Dainja had six points and eight rebounds.
First look at DeeDee Hagemann
Memphis’ women’s team made a splash in August landing Michigan State transfer guard DeeDee Hagemann, who was second-team All-Big Ten last season.
Friday was the first time for many to see her in a Tigers uniform, and she did not disappoint.
MEMPHIS BASKETBALL PRO DAY: Penny Hardaway's possible lineup, standouts, concerns
Hagemann scored eight points, made a pair of 3-pointers and showed the ability to get to the rim as well.
“DeeDee is somebody who’s obviously very special, as everybody saw tonight,” said Simmons. “But she has brought a different mentality to the team, (too). She’s definitely upped the ante when it comes to competitiveness on the court. And she stays in the gym and all the sudden now other players are in the gym (more).”
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or follow him @munzly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: What stood out at Memphis basketball showcase from Tyrese Hunter bounce to DeeDee Hagemann impact
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