The dawn of the Penny Hardaway era officially kicks off Thursday as the Tigers face the LeMoyne-Owen Magicians in exhibition play. While fans will certainly be excited for the return of regular season play, the Tigers will be looking to get on the right track before the games become more meaningful.
"First of all, I'm excited because [Thursday is] the first exhibition game," Hardaway said. "I'm sure the guys are ready to get after someone else besides ourselves. You know how it is in practice when you are preparing for the season to start. You get [tired] of beating up on your teammates everyday. It's time to beat up on someone else."
Hardaway told reporters at Wednesday's press conference the Tigers will be without senior forward Mike Parks Jr. An official time line has not been announced yet, but sources told The Daily Helmsman Parks could be out two to four weeks. Sources close to him say he hopes to return by Nov. 6.
Parks looks to play a major role in this year’s squad after starting all 34 games for the team last year and averaging 8.1 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.
Hardaway also said they may have to go without freshman David Wingett, who took a hard elbow between his eyes during practice and is currently going through the concussion protocol.
As they prepare to open their regular season, the Tigers must accept that the addition of Hardaway to the bench has raised expectations of their performance. The team will get the chance to show what they’re made of in front of their crowd that is begging for a winner Thursday night. Hardaway knows this, saying it will be worth everyone's time to come out and support the Tigers.
"We want it to be an experience when you come into the building," Hardaway said. "We want it to be fast-paced on offense and mayhem on defense. We want it to be energetic. When people leave the game, we want them to say 'Hey, I enjoyed that game.'"
Hardaway said he doesn't have a starting five at this point, but he hopes to play around with his rotations against LeMoyne-Owen. He said this team is prepared, even without Parks, and knows it is the next-man-up mentality. Although he knows how much Parks wants to be on the court, Hardaway decided to err on the side of caution for Parks' health.
Last season, Memphis topped LeMoyne-Owen 101-78 in their opening contest at FedEx Forum and are looking for a repeat result this time around. However the expectations are much higher this year. After this year's Memphis Madness, complete with a raucous crowd from start to finish, the home crowd will certainly be amped up, leaving it up the the coaches and players to maintain the excitement that rejuvenated an entire city and program.
The Magicians will have five returning seniors, and their level of veteran experience may be able to cause some havoc when the Tigers turn to some of their freshmen. Tory Mason Jr., the top rebounder from junior college a season ago, prepares to play for LeMoyne-Owen, and his presence has the potential to cause some problems with the absence of Parks in the lineup.
The Tigers and the Magicians will play their exhibition game at FedEx Forum on Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. Access is free for U of M students with student IDs.
Head men's basketball coach Penny Hardaway speaks to media about the team's upcoming game and gives updates heading into the start of the season.
