Take a deep breath, Memphis Tigers fans. You made it.

After yet another dramatic offseason with storylines — some still ongoing — that included freshman phenom Mikey Williams’ shooting case, DeAndre Williams’ eligibility battle, reported NIL troubles, players in and out of the transfer portal and a nearly complete roster overhaul, it’s time to talk some actual basketball.

Coach Penny Hardaway’s team takes on Division II Lane College in an exhibition game at 2 p.m. Sunday at FedExForum. It will be the first of the Tigers’ two exhibitions before they open their season Nov. 6 against Jackson State.

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Lane College is led by third-year coach Andre Turner, the legendary Memphis point guard dubbed “The Little General” who led the Tigers to the 1985 Final Four.

Hardaway said earlier this week that it was “special” to have the opportunity to host Turner’s Dragons for the third straight year in an exhibition.

But, that reunion aside, there are plenty of things to keep an eye on in what will be the first public, game-setting display for a new-look Memphis squad with plenty of intrigue surrounding it.

Here are three things to look for when the Tigers face the Dragons.

Lineups/rotations

Memphis brought in a ton of talent from the transfer portal this offseason.

Eight highly sought-after scholarship transfers joined the program. Jahvon Quinerly (Alabama), Caleb Mills (Florida State), Jaykwon Walton (Wichita State), David Jones (St. John’s), Jordan Brown (Louisiana), Nick Jourdain (Temple), Jayhlon Young (UCF) and Jonathan Pierre (D-II Nova Southeastern) were added to the roster.

Mills, Walton, Jones and Brown all were double-digit scorers at their previous stops.

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Having that sort of offensive firepower is one thing. But getting all players to buy into roles and gel on and off the court? Well, that may be the challenge that defines this season.

Hardaway told reporters Wednesday that he’ll likely trot out of a starting five of Quinerly, Mills, Walton, Jones and Brown on Sunday afternoon.

That may be the group fans see first, but all 13 of the Tigers’ scholarship players should get at least some playing time. It’ll be interesting to see how effective certain lineups are over others, which players assert themselves on the court and the way in which all these puzzle pieces fit.

Tigers’ defensive ability

While Hardaway doesn’t have many questions about what his team can do offensively, he has expressed a bit of concern this offseason about the group’s defensive ability.

The fifth-year coach said late last month after an open practice that his new players were still “trying to find their footing” on that end of the floor. Hardaway even went as far as to say he might adjust his defense-first mentality and lean into the fact that this version of the Tigers will likely be able to score the ball as well as any team in the country.

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But Hardaway’s tone seemed to have changed significantly when he met with reporters Wednesday. He noted the improvement he’s seen from his squad and suggested that it may be stronger defensively than it was last season.

“Looking at this team with the size and the length and the guys that can play multiple positions, this year’s team is better defensively,” Hardaway said.

The Tigers finished last season ranked 38th in adjusted defensive efficiency, according to KenPom. An improvement in that department would go a long way toward putting together a successful campaign.

Backcourt tandem of Quinerly and Mills

This one might sound familiar. 

Around this time last season, a major discussion point surrounding the Tigers was the backcourt pairing of Kendric Davis and Alex Lomax. Now, fans will be looking to see how Quinerly and Mills mesh.

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Quinerly, a 6-foot-1 Alabama transfer guard, averaged 8.7 points and 3.6 assists last season for the Crimson Tide. Mills, a 6-5 Florida State transfer guard, averaged 13 points and 3.4 assists last season for the Seminoles.

Both players have spent a significant amount of time throughout their college careers with the ball in their hands.

Quinerly, who was named to the Bob Cousy Award (accolade given to the nation’s best point guard) preseason watch list on Monday, will almost certainly handle lead guard duties for much of the season. But how well Mills plays off of him will be something to watch, as will how often Quinerly defers to Mills to be the orchestrator.

“I don’t really care what position I play,” Mills said. “It’s fun to run the 1; it’s fun to play with JQ on the floor, too.”