How Memphis, Penny Hardaway helped Aaron Bradshaw shed the ‘Old A.B.’
Memphis Tigers forward Aaron Bradshaw (11) dunks the ball against the Charlotte 49ers during the game at FedExForum on Feb. 8, 2026. (Wes Hale/Special to The Daily Memphian)
Penny Hardaway has never shied away from taking on projects when it comes to player development through his time as Memphis’ coach.
Just look at Dain Dainja, who ended last season playing at an All-American level after being merely a role player at Illinois. Or David Jones, who went from being an inefficient shot-chucker at St. John’s and DePaul to one of the most electric scorers in the country two seasons ago. Or even DeAndre Williams, who was solid in his lone season at Evansville but blossomed into a Tiger great by the end of his third and final year with the program three seasons ago.
So, it’s easy to see why Hardaway bet on himself once again when he realized he had a chance to land Aaron Bradshaw from the NCAA transfer portal last offseason.
This is an excerpt of this story. To read more, please click here and subscribe.
Topics
Memphis Tigers Basketball Aaron Bradshaw Subscriber OnlyThank you for being a subscriber to The Daily Memphian. Your support is critical.
As a 501(c)3 nonprofit news organization with a hybrid business model, we rely on a mix of revenue from subscriptions (50%), advertising, events and miscellaneous earned income (25%) and fundraising (25%).
Please consider making a fully tax-deductible donation or other contribution to The Daily Memphian today.
👉 Your subscription pays for you to read all our journalism.
👉 Your donation powers the work we do to reach everyone else with the news.
We believe an informed Memphis is a better Memphis. If you agree, join our growing list of donors now.
Parth Upadhyaya
Parth Upadhyaya covers the Memphis Tigers men’s basketball team. A Raleigh, N.C., native and a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill’s Hussman School of Media and Journalism, Upadhyaya is a longtime college hoops junkie. Prior to joining The Daily Memphian in 2022, he covered high school sports in western Pennsylvania for the Beaver County Times and Penn State football for the Centre Daily Times.
Comments
Want to comment on our stories or respond to others? Join the conversation by subscribing now. Only paid subscribers can add their thoughts or upvote/downvote comments. Our commenting policy can be viewed here.