It is late September, and the Memphis Tigers basketball team has just completed its second preseason practice.

Coach Penny Hardaway is done speaking with reporters, and when a team publicist says, “We’ve got Malcolm coming,” Hardaway is quick to quip, “You sure on that?”

Malcolm Dandridge, that is — the experienced Tigers big man who earlier this year entered the NCAA transfer portal and spent the summer waffling over where he’d play in the season to come.

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Hardaway’s humor, evidently, is fully intact; his mood, seemingly as upbeat as can be.

It’s little wonder why: Hardaway likes his team.

A lot.

The tell came when he was asked the dreaded science question.

“Chemistry,” he said in response, “is going well because guys are holding each other accountable. That’s when you know you have a good team.”

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It’s one that’s been quietly working all summer, adding piece by piece ever since its 2022-23 season ended with an American Athletic Conference Tournament title-game upset win over then-No. 1 Houston, followed by an opening NCAA Tournament loss to No. 25 Florida Atlantic.

Most of its members had time to bond during a three-game exhibition trip to the Dominican Republic in August.

By now, no name tags are needed.

At least not for the teammates. For onlookers getting their first look stateside at Hardaway’s 2023-24 Tigers, however, it’s another matter.

The Tigers have just two returnees, Jayden Hardaway — the elder of the Memphis coach’s two sons currently on the team — and Dandridge.

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Beyond that, it’s a team full of new faces. Tons of questions facing it, too.

Will Dandridge’s old-man knees hold up well enough that he can make it through one more season with his hometown Tigers?

Well, he didn’t have a brace on either knee Wednesday. That’s a good thing for Dandridge, who flirted with Saint Louis University and Gonzaga, among others, over the summer.

Will Alabama transfer guard Jahvon Quinerly be as good for the Tigers as one-and-done SMU transfer Kendric Davis was?

That’s unknown.

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But uncertain as well was the impact Davis would have when he came to Memphis as the reigning AAC Player of the Year, so there’s ample reason to suspect Quinerly can pick up where his predecessor at the point left off.

Will freshman combo guard Mikey Williams, who is facing six felony gun charges in California stemming from an alleged incident at his San Diego-area home, actually play for the Tigers this season?

It’s looking increasingly unlikely.

Maybe next season?

“We’ll get to that bridge when we have to,” Penny Hardaway said. “However it goes, I’m gonna have his back.”

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Will veteran big man DeAndre Williams, who is seeking an additional year of NCAA eligibility, ever play for Memphis again?

His chance seems to be fading with every passing minute, but Hardaway is by no means pessimistic.

Just the opposite, in fact.

“We’re hopeful we’ll get him here soon,” Hardaway said.

So much faith.

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So little doubt that something special could be brewing, especially if DeAndre Williams somehow returns, and it’s not just Hardaway feeling it.

“So much talent,” said Jaykwon Walton, a transfer guard from Wichita State.

“You never know who’s going to have a big night, and that’s crazy. That’s the scary part about it.”

Hardaway’s Memphis teams typically have hung their hats on defense.

This season is different.

“So much talent. You never know who’s going to have a big night, and that’s crazy. That’s the scary part about it.”

Jaykwon Walton
transfer guard from Wichita State

Sure, defense in general still will be stressed and — as the Tigers learned in the Dominican Republic — improved transition defense in particular will be a huge point of emphasis in the weeks to come.

However …

“You’ve got a veteran team that can score the basketball,” said Hardaway, who opens his sixth season when Jackson State visits FedExForum on Nov. 6. “We’ve never had that. That’s gonna be the identity.”

The Tigers are long, and large – Hardaway’s biggest team to date, he said, “by far.” There are guys who can get into the paint, which will open things up elsewhere. There are shot creators, and — dare to say it — maybe even actual shot makers.

Strong-rebounder David Jones averaged 13.2 last season at Big East member St. John’s, where he had 25 double-digit scoring games including three with 20-plus points, and guard Caleb Mills averaged 13 in 2022-23 for Florida State of the ACC.

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Walton, an athletic wing, averaged a team-high 13.9 points for the AAC’s Shockers last season. Quinerly, a facilitator first, averaged 4.2 assists and 13.8 points per game for the SEC’s Crimson Tide in 2021-22, the last season he was truly healthy.

And big man Jordan Brown averaged 19.3 points last season at Louisiana, shooting a conference-best 57.1% from the field for a Ragin’ Cajuns team that won the Sun Belt Tournament.

“Everyone is so versatile. Everyone can do everything,” Temple transfer forward Nick Jourdain said. “There’s not one player that’s one-dimensional, so it’s super cool to play with those guys and get to gel with those guys.”

Strength in numbers helps make Hardaway open-minded to the notion of a deep rotation, especially early in the season.

“It’s not about the new faces, per se,” he said. “It’s about we’ve got enough players that can go out there and contribute.”

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That may be what most excites Dandridge, who shed some light on what may have been Memphis’ Achilles heel in seasons gone by.

“Having some of these people here, and seeing the way they work versus people that I’ve had experiences with the last couple years, it’s a whole new program,” said Dandridge, who was Hardaway’s first Tigers commit back in March 2018.

“It’s very, like, surreal for me to get this feeling every time I walk in the gym, but it’s a blessing to have these teammates I have.”

Last season, Dandridge’s efforts to return from a lingering ankle injury lasted longer than some in the program liked. This year, his energy — at least so far — feels rather refreshed.

He likes this team too. A lot. And that’s no joke.