Columnist
There are 292 articles by John Martin :
Dusty May and Penny Hardaway will always be inextricably linked. The outcome of their meeting in the NCAA Tournament three years ago charted a path for them both; one led to the NBA, and one that may yet lead to an unceremonious divorce.
With less than a week to go before the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft, here are some of John Martin’s thoughts on the class and who he most believes in.
There’s a loud message that Scott is trying to send when he says the Tigers are at full revenue sharing, and that message is simple: Memphis is moving like it’s in the big leagues — even if it isn’t yet.
Penny Hardaway said he used a behavioral assessment to help assemble this year’s roster. The Daily Memphian reached out to the CEO of the company that administered the test to get further insight.
Memphis basketball summer workouts start June 2. Prized Briarcrest product Fred Smith Jr. will indeed be among the participants, his father told The Daily Memphian. On June 1, Memphis announced Smith Jr.’s signing, confirming his father’s text last week to The Daily Memphian.
Mike Miller drew the Let It Fly Barn on a napkin for 15 years. Now that it’s finally built, he has brought some of the NBA Draft’s top prospects to Memphis.
After a disastrous 2025-26 season, Penny Hardaway has to lead the Tigers back to the NCAA Tournament. Has he put together a roster that’s capable of doing that? Let’s take a look.
Maxim Logue, a 6-foot-9 FAU big man transfer who initially committed to North Carolina several weeks ago, has picked the Memphis Tigers.Related content:
Corneilous Williams averaged 12.2 points and 9.3 rebounds last season. He ranked in the 90th percentile nationally for offensive rebounding percentage at 12.9%.Related content:
New Tiger Tylik Weeks, a 6-foot-7 Southern Miss transfer, ranked in the top 40 of scoring nationally last season at 19.7 points per game.Related content:
Holloway, a Memphis native, picked the Tigers over Missouri and West Virginia. The 6-foot-1 guard averaged 4.6 points and 1.8 assists per game.Related content:
Penny Hardaway adds his fifth portal transfer, picking up a guard from Southeast Missouri State University. Related content:
On Monday afternoon, Northwestern guard Jayden Reid became the highest-ranked transfer to commit to the Tigers. He spoke with The Daily Memphian on why he chose Memphis and what fans can expect next season.
Scorer from Northwestern figures to be a leading scorer candidate for the Tigers next season and should see his percentages go back up against lesser competition in the American Conference.Related content:
Aaron Bradshaw, a 7-foot-1 center, averaged 8.6 points and 4.2 rebounds in his one season for the Tigers, while battling an injury for much of the second half.Related content:
New Memphis commit Rihards Vavers spoke to The Daily Memphian about his decision and what he plans to bring to the Tigers next season.
Jerry Deng, a 6-9 transfer from N.C. State, committed to the Memphis Tigers on Thursday night, according to a report from League Ready.Related content:
Brandin Cummings on Tuesday became the latest player to commit to Memphis from the transfer portal. He spoke to The Daily Memphian on Wednesday about that decision, his game, and what he plans to bring to Penny Hardaway’s team.Related content:
Penny Hardaway has landed his first official commitment of the transfer portal season: Washington State sharpshooter Rihards Vavers.
Penny Hardaway was busy working the NCAA transfer portal Tuesday afternoon.
The four-star prospect committed to Penny Hardaway and the Tigers, giving the Memphis basketball program some much-needed momentum after the worst on-court season since the 1970s. Memphis made: Briarcrest standout Fred Smith Jr. says yes to TigersRelated content:
Among nearly 2,000 players who have entered the transfer portal, Penny Hardaway will likely need to find 11 to assemble his make-or-break team. So who might they be?
As we near the truly busy season, i.e., the transfer portal window opening, here are just a few things I’m hearing at the local and national level in college basketball.
Now that the decision has been made to bring Penny Hardaway back, everyone in Memphis hopes he’ll be successful — and that his ninth year will be the charm. The task before him is immense.
“It’s March, and Penny Hardaway and the Tigers have a chip and a chair.” Bracket set for American Conference Tournament American Conference Tournament berth A tumultuous regular season complete, Tigers excited to enter ‘new season’Related content:
Memphis escapes in OT against Tulane to clinch