The Memphis Tigers officially announced their five new additions on Monday — players who reflect how coach Penny Hardaway has grown and modified his recruiting approach as he has gained more experience.

With Earl Timberlake and Davion Warren coming from the transfer portal and freshmen Josh Minott, Sam Onu and John Camden, Hardaway says the Tigers have filled most of their needs.

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Memphis also is pursuing Johnathan and Chandler Lawson, and if they get on board, that would be four incoming freshmen and three transfers. A perfect balance, one could say.

“Really feel like we have a talented group coming in,” Hardaway said. “Josh Minott is a point forward, a pass-first guard, athletic that has high promise. John Camden to me is like a Tyler Herro player that shoots it really, really well. You can always use shooting and he’s 6-foot-8, 6-foot-9.”

Minott is a Top 50 prospect, while Camden is rated No. 132 in the class of 2021 by 247Sports. Onu, ranked No. 113, arguably fills the biggest need out of the three.

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“Big Sam is a kid that is very hungry. Power, a bruiser on the inside that’s athletic enough and that can run the lane. He has good footwork,” Hardaway said. “We felt like in our future, we needed a shooter, we needed another playmaker and we needed a big. Not knowing Moussa Cisse’s future when it came to the NBA, we knew we were going to need a backup.”

Hardaway said landing Onu was a blessing as the Tigers wait to see if Cisse withdraws from the NBA draft.

As it stands, Memphis has two scholarships open — three, if Cisse opts to stay in the draft. Hardaway has a clear idea of what type of players he wants to bring in.

“Obviously you want players that can fit the system, players that want to come in and do what it takes to win ballgames,” Hardaway said. “That’s first and foremost. You don’t want to get guys that are needy, that need 20 shots or 30 minutes, that’s not our style of how we play.

“The biggest thing about the next two spots is getting guys that understand what this is all about. It’s about sacrifice, it’s about joining a group of guys that are pretty good and adding their talents to that to have a common goal of winning championships. Whether it’s conference or NCAA or whatever it is.”

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Warren and Timberlake checks those boxes and should slide right into the roles that Boogie Ellis and D.J. Jeffries manned last season. Ellis is transferring to USC, and Jeffries announced his commitment to Mississippi State on Monday.

“Davion is a really good player, we did our research on him,” Hardaway said. “We talked to a lot of coaches in that conference about him. He finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting and won Player of the Year. I think he led the conference in steals, points and assists.”

Hardaway has made Memphis one of the best defensive programs in the country, so it was imperative to find not only scorers, but also willing defenders.

Timberlake, who has NBA first-round draft potential, earned some of the highest praise from Hardaway.

“What can you say about Earl? He’s a promising point forward that’s a two-way player. He might be the best two-way player in college,” he said. “He has toughness, also being a mismatch problem on the offensive end. For us, we wanted to go after tougher (guys). Kind of like how our system is with pressing, we wanted hard-nosed tough kids and I think we got that in these five kids.”

Finding players who could create their own shot, but most importantly create for others, was huge for Hardaway.

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Memphis has just one “traditional” point guard on the roster with Alex Lomax, but with these signings, Hardaway brought in three more players who can initiate the offense at different times.

“Being around college basketball for a while, you start understanding that you need veterans. You need older guys, that’s why I went after Landers (Nolley II) and DeAndre (Williams), and then going after Davion and Earl,” Hardaway said. 

With the NCAA recently passing the one-time transfer waiver, Hardaway recognizes that he’ll need talented freshmen and older, experienced players now. It’s a new reality and one he’s ready to embrace.

“My mindset has gone from not just younger guys, because you still need some, but older guys that fit the system and the culture I’m putting together here,” he said.

With the right pieces in the mix, including a core of Williams, Lomax, Nolley and Lester Quinones, Hardaway has one clear goal for the 2021 season.

“The NCAA Tournament is where it is,” he said. “That’s what you play for. We have not made it yet . . . It’s time to get over the hump.”