The exhibition games are finished. Memphis basketball starts its season officially a week from today on the road at Vanderbilt. So, with the season about to get underway, what do we know about the Tigers? Let’s dive in.

1.) The Emmanuel Akot transfer in September still stings. Akot, who committed to Memphis but enrolled at Western Kentucky in September, would’ve certainly been the Tigers’ most consistent 3-point shooter. Based on what we’ve seen through two exhibition games, he might’ve been their only consistent 3-point shooter. Losing him so late in the game was a major blow to the Tigers’ shooting ability, and it’s shown through.

In their two exhibition games, the Tigers shot a combined 6-of-39 from distance. That comes out to about 15%. If 15% is the number, I’d definitely take the over on Memphis’ 3-point percentage when the season starts, but that’s about as bad as it gets in college basketball. The Tigers lost three premier shooters from a year ago in Lester Quinones, Landers Nolley, and Tyler Harris — with two of those departures being facilitated by Penny Hardaway himself. So far, it doesn’t look like he replaced the outgoing shooting touch. If Memphis gets off to another slow start, it will almost certainly be due to teams zoning them into oblivion.

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“We have these guys getting up 1,000 shots a week,” Hardaway said Sunday. “They want to make shots. We just have to do so. You go 2-for-19 and 4-for-20, you’re gonna be begging teams to zone you or shrink the court. We’re gonna have to make them at some point.”

2.) Memphis is just going to have to make its own buzz this season. Last year, the team was headlined by incoming five-star freshmen Emoni Bates and Jalen Duren. Hardaway boasted the top recruiting class in the country. The team was ranked in the preseason.

None of that applies to this year’s team. It’s not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, I’d argue easily that this team is more built to win in college basketball than a season ago. But the fact remains that people just aren’t as excited about this iteration.

The good news for Hardaway is that they can generate excitement quickly. The Tigers play five SEC teams before the new year, and if they can find a way to go 3-2 in those games, they’ll be on track to make the NCAA Tournament. It’s all about results this season, and Hardaway seems to understand that.

“We want the fans to come to the games because we’re fighting. We’re a representation of them. We’re the city’s team,” Hardaway said. “Secondly, you have to win. If you win, they’ll come. In the past get 5-stars and they know the names they wanna come out and watch. This group has a lot to prove. We haven’t done anything yet.”

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3.) Keonte Kennedy has the look of a second-leading scorer. The transfer guard from UTEP averaged 12.5 in the two exhibition games and without clarity on IUC transfer Damaria Franklin seems to be the only other reliable scorer on the wing. DeAndre Williams is a candidate, but his impact at Memphis historically has come outside of scoring at a high clip. It seems like the volume will be there for Kennedy.

4.) It isn’t as talented as last season, but Memphis’ interior depth may actually be a highlight this season. Between Williams, Chandler Lawson, Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu, and Malcolm Dandridge, the Tigers have one of the more experienced front courts in the conference. Each of them brings a little something different for the Tigers, and Hardaway will probably utilize them appropriately. Lawson finished with 10 points and 15 rebounds against Lane.

Akobundu-Ehiogu had seven blocks in 20 minutes and feels like the kind of player Moussa Cisse could’ve been if his circle wasn’t so focused on being featured offensively. Dandridge, who had 18 points yesterday, can give the Tigers a scoring punch.

So, no, there’s no Jalen Duren on this roster. There probably isn’t even a true full-time starter. But it’s a quality group of big men that Hardaway has at his disposal.

5.) They seem to like each other. Kendric Davis and Alex Lomax can’t stop talking about playing next to each other, as an example. Last season went off the rails because it became a tug of war between the freshmen and the returning veterans. The dynamic is vastly different this season. These are mostly college seniors who are on their final stops and haven’t made the NCAA Tournament. They want to win and get a taste of March. That’s not to guarantee there won’t be drama at some point in the season, because it does seem to be a recurring theme at Memphis, but it shouldn’t be anything like last season.