Shortly after Memphis won the NIT and finished 31st at KenPom, four of the top nine players, including two starters, entered the transfer portal, at which point fans started asking an obvious question: Can Penny Hardaway replace what he just lost with newcomers who can keep the Tigers nationally relevant in the 2021-22 season?
The answer is a resounding YES.
Literally no program has overhauled and upgraded its roster so dramatically this offseason — especially in recent weeks. Earlier this month, Memphis secured a commitment from five-star center Jalen Duren — which was enough to launch the Tigers into the CBS Sports Top 25 And 1. That development was followed by even bigger news that came Wednesday — when Emoni Bates, another five-star prospect, announced his decision to also play for Memphis.
"I will be taking my talents to Memphis," Bates said on Instagram Live.
Emoni Bates is going to Memphis. What does it mean? Listen and subscribe below to the latest episode of Eye on College Basketball.
So now the Tigers are really loaded.
They're returning the the top three players in minutes-per-game from last season's team (Landers Nolley, Lester Quinones, DeAndre Williams) and adding two consensus top-five prospects who project as future lottery picks (Bates, Duren), a transfer from Miami some also project as a future first-round pick (Earl Timberlake), a transfer from Oregon who just helped the Ducks win back-to-back outright Pac-12 titles (Chandler Lawson), and another freshman wing who was a consensus top-50 prospect in the Class of 2021 (Josh Minott). That blend of talent and experience is why Memphis has moved up to No. 7 in Version 24.0 of the 2021-22 CBS Sports Preseason Top 25 And 1.
Is success guaranteed?
Of course not.
Duke and Kentucky were both preseason top-10 teams with heralded recruiting classes last season; neither made the NCAA Tournament. So things are always at risk of going sideways. But, that acknowledged, it's hard to imagine a roster this talented and experienced being anything other than really, really good. And my prediction is that this will clearly be Hardaway's best team to date and, perhaps, one of the greatest teams in the history of the school.
Top 25 And 1 rankings
Biggest Movers
10
Memphis
1
Duke
Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | The Zags are expected to bring back Drew Timme and Andrew Nembhard, both of whom started for a team that finished 31-1. They'll combine with a star-studded recruiting class - highlighted by five-star prospects Chet Holmgren and Hunter Sallis - and allow Gonzaga to enter the season as the favorite to win the national title. | -- | 5-0 |
| 2 |  | Every player who helped the Bruins make the Final Four is returning - among them NCAA Tournament star Johnny Juzang. UCLA will add five-star prospect Peyton Watson and Rutgers transfer Myles Johnson to that core and have all of the pieces necessary to compete for the national title. | -- | 5-1 |
| 3 |  | Chris Beard has used the transfer portal to add five players who averaged double-figures in points last season -- namely Marcus Carr (Minnesota), Tre Mitchell (UMass), Timmy Allen (Utah), Christian Bishop (Creighton) and Dylan Disu (Vanderbilt). As a result, he appears to have enough experienced talent to compete for a national championship in his first year at Texas. | -- | 5-1 |
| 4 |  | The Jayhawks are expected to return four of the top five scorers from a team that beat Baylor in February and finished second in the Big 12. The addition of high-level transfers Remy Martin (Arizona State) and Joseph Yesefu (Drake) should make Kansas the favorite to win what would be the 20th conference championship of Bill Self's career. | -- | 5-0 |
| 5 |  | The return of Collin Gillispie and Jermaine Samuels means the Wildcats will return four of the top five scorers from a team that won the Big East title by multiple games. So Jay Wright will have the pieces necessary to compete for his third national championship. | -- | 3-4 |
| 6 |  | The return of Hunter Dickinson and Eli Brooks provides Juwan Howard with high-level experienced pieces to pair with the nation's second-ranked recruiting class that features five-star prospect Caleb Houstan, five-star prospect Moussa Diabate and reigning Sun Belt Player of the Year DeVante' Jones. The Wolverines should be the favorite to win what would be a second straight Big Ten title. | -- | 5-1 |
| 7 |  | The return of DeAndre Williams, Landers Nolley and Lester Quinones provides Penny Hardaway with an experienced core that led the Tigers to 2021 NIT championship. They'll be joined by the top-ranked recruiting class in the country - one highlighted by five-star freshmen Emoni Bates and Jalen Duren, both of whom project as future lottery picks capable of helping Memphis pursue a Final Four. | 10 | 5-0 |
| 8 |  | Duke is the only program expected to add three five-star prospects from the Class of 2021 - among them Paolo Banchero and AJ Griffin, both of whom project as one-and-done top-10 NBA Draft picks. So even with Matthew Hurt and DJ Steward both leaving school early, Mike Krzyzewski should have enough talent to take the Blue Devils back to the top of the sport. | 1 | 4-1 |
| 9 |  | The Bears are losing Davion Mitchell and Jared Butler to the NBA Draft. But with a returning core of Adam Flagler, Matthew Mayer and Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua, and a top-10 recruiting class highlighted by five-star wing Kendall Brown and Arizona transfer James Akinjo, Scott Drew has the pieces to make another run at a national title. | 1 | 4-2 |
| 10 |  | The Razorbacks are losing a lot - including projected first-round pick Moses Moody. But JD Notae is returning as a double-digit scorer, and Eric Musselman is adding at least four other experienced double-digit scorers via the transfer market, most notably Chris Lykes (Miami) and Au'Diese Toney (Pitt). | 1 | 5-1 |
| 11 |  | The Boilermakers are returning the top eight scorers from a team that received a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The star is Trevion Williams, who averaged 15.5 points and 9.1 rebounds as a junior while setting himself up to be a possible First Team All-American next season. | 1 | 5-1 |
| 12 |  | Alabama is losing three of the top five scorers from a team that won the SEC regular-season title and SEC Tournament - most notably Herb Jones and John Petty Jr. But the enrollment of a top-10 recruiting class highlighted by five-star point guard JD Davison, four-star big Charles Bediako, and transfers Nimari Burnett (Texas Tech) and Noah Gurley (Furman) should give Nate Oats a chance to compete for back-to-back conference championships. | 1 | 4-1 |
| 13 |  | As long as Kelvin Sampson remains the coach, Houston will likely be a mainstay in the Top 25 And 1. The early loss of Quentin Grimes hurts, but probably not too much with Marcus Sasser and Tramon Mark set to return and be joined by Texas Tech transfer Kyler Edwards. | 1 | 3-1 |
| 14 |  | John Calipari has solved Kentucky's point guard problems by enrolling five-star prospect TyTy Washington and Georgia transfer Sahvir Wheeler. Combine that with the return of Davion Mintz and Keion Brooks, and the additions of transfers Kellan Grady (Davidson), Oscar Tshiebwe (West Virginia) and CJ Frederick (Iowa), and the Wildcats look like a team set to have the biggest year-over-year turnaround in the sport. | 1 | 5-0 |
| 15 |  | The return of Armando Bacot and Caleb Love will give Hubert Davis a chance to keep the Tar Heels nationally relevant in his first season after replacing Roy Williams. They'll be joined by a couple of proven transfers - namely forwards Brady Manek (Oklahoma) and Dawson Garcia (Marquette) - who will make UNC's frontcourt one of the sport's best. | 1 | 4-1 |
| 16 |  | Dana Altman has been among the best at reloading his roster each offseason via the transfer market -- and now he's doing it again. The additions of Oklahoma transfer De'Vion Harmon, Syracuse transfer Quincy Guerrier and Rutgers transfer Jacob Young to an experienced core of Will Richardson, Eric Williams and N'Faly Dante should make the Ducks the biggest threat to UCLA in the Pac-12. | 1 | 5-0 |
| 17 |  | The return of Kofi Cockburn allows Illinois to return four of its top six scorers from a team that earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. So even with the massive loss of Ayo Dosunmu to the NBA Draft, Brad Underwood's team shouldn't slip too much in the Big Ten standings. | 1 | 5-1 |
| 18 |  | Duane Washington's decision to remain in the NBA Draft (despite the possibility that he'll go unselected) is an obvious blow to Ohio State's roster. But Chris Holtmann is still returning six of the top eight scorers from a team that earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and the addition of Louisiana transfer Cedric Russell will provide the Buckeyes with another proven shooter. | -- | 5-1 |
| 19 |  | The Seminoles should be good again despite losing four of their top five scorers - among them projected lottery pick Scottie Barnes. A veteran core of Anthony Polite and Malik Osborne will be joined by a top-five recruiting class highlighted by former Houston standout Caleb Mills and five-star wing Matthew Cleveland. | -- | 6-1 |
| 20 |  | John Fulkerson's decision to return for another season means Tennessee is bringing back five of the top eight scorers from a team that earned a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament. That experienced core will pair nicely with a recruiting class highlighted by one of the best point guards in the Class of 2021 (Kennedy Chandler) and another newcomer who just averaged 11.7 points while shooting 44.2% from 3-point range at Auburn (Justin Powell). | -- | 6-0 |
| 21 |  | Mark Turgeon has used the transfer market to add a quality guard (Fatts Russell) and big (Qudus Wahab). That should help offset the losses of Aaron Wiggins and Darryl Morsell and get the Terrapins to the Big Dance for the sixth time in a span of seven NCAA Tournaments. | -- | 5-1 |
| 22 |  | Auburn's frontcourt of Jabari Smith and Walker Kessler might end up being the best frontcourt in the SEC. That's two bigs who were five-star prospects in high school joining a roster returning two double-digit scorers, most notably Allen Flanigan, who averaged 14.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists last season. | -- | 5-0 |
| 23 |  | Dan Hurley has rebuilt UConn to the point where it should be a consistent challenger to Villanova in the Big East. Even the early loss of James Bouknight, a projected first-round NBA Draft pick, shouldn't change that - especially with Tyler Polley set to return for a fifth season. | -- | 4-1 |
| 24 |  | Aaron Henry is following Joshua Langford and Rocket Watts out the door. But the arrival of five-star guard Max Christie and Northeastern transfer Tyson Walker should have Tom Izzo in his 24th straight NCAA Tournament. | -- | 5-1 |
| 25 |  | All five starters from a team that won the Atlantic 10 regular-season title and Atlantic 10 Tournament are expected back - most notably Kyle Lofton, who averaged 14.4 points and 5.5 assists as a junior. Wake Forest transfer Quadry Adams will provide depth. | -- | 6-0 |
| 26 |  | Trey Murphy left school early for the NBA Draft, which means Virginia is losing its top three scorers. But Kihei Clark will provide Tony Bennett with an experienced point guard capable of keeping the Cavaliers near the top of the ACC, and the addition of East Carolina transfer Jayden Gardner could be a big boost. | -- | 3-2 |
Roster breakdowns
1. Gonzaga
Coach: Mark Few | 2020-21 record: 31-1
- Notable players gone: Corey Kispert, Jalen Suggs, Joel Ayayi, Aaron Cook, Oumar Ballo, Pavel Zakharov
- Notable players returning: Drew Timme, Andrew Nembhard, Anton Watson, Julian Strawther, Dominick Harris, Ben Gregg
- Newcomers: Chet Holmgren, Hunter Sallis, Nolan Hickman, Rasir Bolton, Kaden Perry
2. UCLA
Coach: Mick Cronin | 2020-21 record: 22-10
- Notable players gone: Chris Smith
- Notable players returning: Johnny Juzang, Jaime Jaquez, Jules Bernard, Tyger Campbell, Cody Riley, David Singleton, Jake Kyman, Mac Etienne, Jaylen Clark, Kenneth Nwuba
- Newcomers: Peyton Watson, Will McClendon, Myles Johnson
3. Texas
Coach: Chris Beard | 2020-21 record: 19-8
- Notable players gone: Matt Coleman, Greg Brown, Jericho Sims, Kai Jones, Donovan Williams, Kamaka Hepa, Royce Hamm Jr.
- Notable players returning: Andrew Jones, Courtney Ramey, Jase Febres, Brock Cunningham
- Newcomers: Marcus Carr, Tre Mitchell, Timmy Allen, Dylan Disu, Devin Askew, Christian Bishop, Jaylon Tyson, Avery Benson
4. Kansas
Coach: Bill Self | 2020-21 record: 21-9
- Notable players gone: Marcus Garrett, Bryce Thompson, Tyon Grant-Foster, Tristan Enaruna, Gethro Muscadin
- Notable players returning: Ochai Agbaji, David McCormack, Jalen Wilson, Christian Braun, Mitch Lightfoot, Dajuan Harris, Chris Teahan
- Newcomers: Remy Martin, Joseph Yesufu, Cam Martin, Jalen Coleman-Lands, Zach Clemence, KJ Adams, Bobby Pettiford
5. Villanova
Coach: Jay Wright | 2020-21 record: 18-7
- Notable players gone: Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Cole Swider
- Notable players returning: Collin Gillespie, Jermaine Samuels, Justin Moore, Caleb Daniels, Brandon Slater, Eric Dixon, Bryan Antoine, Chris Arcidiacono, Trey Patterson
- Newcomers: Jordan Longino, Nnanna Njoku, Angelo Brizzi
6. Michigan
Coach: Juwan Howard | 2020-21 record: 23-5
- Notable players gone: Isaiah Livers, Franz Wagner, Mike Smith, Chaundee Brown, Austin Davis
- Notable players returning: Hunter Dickinson, Eli Brooks, Brandon Johns, Terrence Williams, Zeb Jackson, Jace Howard, Adrien Nunez, Jaron Faulds.
- Newcomers: DeVante' Jones, Caleb Houstan, Moussa Diabate, Kobe Bufkin, Frankie Collins, Isaiah Barnes, Will Tschetter
7. Memphis
Coach: Penny Hardaway | 2020-21 record: 20-8
- Notable players gone: DJ Jeffries, Boogie Ellis, Moussa Cisse, Damion Baugh
- Notable players returning: DeAndre Williams, Landers Nolley, Lester Quinones, Alex Lomax, Malcolm Dandridge, Jayden Hardaway
- Expected additions: Emoni Bates, Jalen Duren, Earl Timberlake, Chandler Lawson, Josh Minott, Johnathan Lawson, Tyler Harris, Sam Onu, John Camden
8. Duke
Coach: Mike Krzyzewski | 2020-21 record: 13-11
- Notable players gone: Matthew Hurt, DJ Steward, Jordan Goldwire, Jaemyn Brakefield, Patrick Tape, Henry Coleman
- Notable players returning: Wendell Moore, Jeremy Roach, Mark Williams, Joey Baker
- Newcomers: Paolo Banchero, AJ Griffin, Trevor Keels, Theo John, Jaylen Blakes
9. Baylor
Coach: Scott Drew | 2020-21 record: 28-2
- Notable players gone: Jared Butler, Davion Mitchell, MaCio Teague, Mark Vital
- Notable players returning: Adam Flagler, Matthew Mayer, Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchouwa, L.J. Cryer, Flo Thamba, Zach Loveday, Jordan Turner
- Newcomers: James Akinjo, Kendall Brown, Langston Love, Jeremy Sochan, Dain Dainja, Dale Bonner
10. Arkansas
Coach: Eric Musselman | 2020-21 record: 25-7
- Notable players gone: Moses Moody, Justin Smith, Jalen Tate, Desi Sills, Vance Jackson, Ethan Henderson
- Notable players returning: JD Notae, Davonte Davis, Connor Vanover, Jaylin Williams, Khalen Robinson
- Newcomers: Au'Diese Toney, Chris Lykes, Stanley Umode, Kamani Johnson, Trey Wade, Chance Moore, Jaxson Robinson
11. Purdue
Coach: Matt Painter | 2020-21 record: 18-10
- Notable players gone: Aaron Wheeler, Emmanuel Dowuona
- Notable players returning: Trevion Williams, Jaden Ivey, Sasha Stefanovic, Zach Edey, Eric Hunter Jr., Brandon Newman, Mason Gillis, Isaiah Thompson, Ethan Morton.
- Newcomers: Trey Kaufman, Caleb Furst
12. Alabama
Coach: Nate Oats | 2020-21 record: 26-7
- Notable players gone: John Petty, Herb Jones, Joshua Primo, Jordan Bruner, Alex Reese
- Notable players returning: Jaden Shackelford, Jahvon Quinerly, Keon Ellis, Juwan Gary, James Rojas, Darius Miles, Keon Ambrose-Hylton
- Newcomers: Noah Gurley, JD Davison, Charles Bediako, Jusaun Holt, Nimari Burnett, Alex Tchikou
13. Houston
Coach: Kelvin Sampson | 2020-21 record: 28-4
- Notable players gone: Quentin Grimes, Dejon Jarreau, Justin Gorham, Bryson Gresham, Cameron Tyson
- Notable players returning: Marcus Sasser, Tramon Mark, Fabian White, Reggie Chaney, Jamal Shead, Kiyron Powell, J'Wan Roberts
- Newcomers: Kyler Edwards, Ja'Vier Francis, Taze Moore, Ramon Walker, Robbie Armbrester, Josh Carlton
14. Kentucky
Coach: John Calipari | 2020-21 record: 9-16
- Notable players gone: Brandon Boston, Olivier Sarr, Terrence Clarke, Isaiah Jackson, Devin Askew, Cam'Ron Fletcher
- Notable players returning: Davion Mintz, Keion Brooks, Dontaie Allen, Jacob Toppin, Lance Ware
- Newcomers: TyTy Washington, Kellan Grady, Oscar Tshiebwe, Sahvir Wheeler, C.J. Frederick, Daimion Collins, Bryce Hopkins
15. North Carolina
Coach: Hubert Davis | 2020-21 record: 18-11
- Notable players gone: Garrison Brooks, Day'Ron Sharpe, Walker Kessler, Andrew Playtek, Sterling Manley
- Notable players returning: Armando Bacot, Caleb Love, R.J. Davis, Kerwin Walton, Leaky Black, Anthony Harris, Puff Johnson.
- Newcomers: Dawson Garcia, Brady Manek, Dontrez Styles, D'Marco Dunn, Justin McKoy
16. Oregon
Coach: Dana Altman | 2020-21 record: 21-7
- Notable players gone: Eugene Omoruyi, Chris Duarte, LJ Figueroa, Chandler Lawson, Amauri Hardy, Will Johnson, Jalen Terry
- Notable players returning: Will Richardson, Eric Williams, N'Faly Dante, Aaron Estrada, Franck Kepnang, Lok Wur
- Newcomers: Quincy Guerrier, De'Vion Harmon, Jacob Young, Rivaldo Soarez, Nathan Bittle, Isaac Johnson
17. Illinois
Coach: Brad Underwood | 2020-21 record: 24-7
- Notable players gone: Ayo Dosunmu, Adam Miller, Giorgi Bezhanishvili
- Notable players returning: Kofi Cockburn, Trent Frazier, Andre Curbelo, Da'Monte Williams, Jacob Grandison, Coleman Hawkins, Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk, Austin Hutcherson
- Newcomers: Omar Payne, Alfonso Plummer, Luke Goode, Ramses Melendeez, Brandin Podziemski
18. Ohio State
Coach: Chris Holtmann | 2020-21 record: 21-10
- Notable players gone: Duane Washington, CJ Walker, Musa Jallow, Jimmy Sotos
- Notable players returning: E.J. Liddell, Justice Sueing, Kyle Young, Justin Ahrens, Zed Key, Seth Towns, Meechie Johnson, Eugene Brown
- Newcomers: Cedric Russell, Malaki Branham, Kalen Etzler, Jamari Wheeler, Joey Brunk
19. Florida State
Coach: Leonard Hamilton | 2020-21 record: 18-7
- Notable players gone: MJ Walker, RaiQuan Gray, Scottie Barnes, Balsa Koprivica, RayQuan Evans, Sardaar Calhoun, Nathaniel Jack, Tanor Ngom
- Notable players returning: Anthony Polite, Malik Osborne, Wyatt Wilkes, Quincy Ballard
- Newcomers: Caleb Mills, Cam'Ron Fletcher, Matthew Cleveland, Jalen Warley, John Butler, Naheem McLeod
20. Tennessee
Coach: Rick Barnes | 2020-21 record: 18-9
- Notable players gone: Jaden Springer, Keon Johnson, Yves Pons, EJ Anosiki, Davonte Gaines, Drew Pember
- Notable players returning: Victor Bailey, John Fulkerson, Santiago Vescovi, Josiah-Jordan James, Olivier Nkamhoua, Uros Plavsic
- Newcomers: Kennedy Chandler, Justin Powell, Brandon Huntley-Hatfield, Jonas Aidoo, Jahmai Mashack, Quentin Diboundje
21. Maryland
Coach: Mark Turgeon | 2020-21 record: 17-14
- Notable players gone: Aaron Wiggins, Darryl Morsell, Galin Smith, Chol Marial, Aquan Smart, Reese Mona, Jairus Hamilton
- Notable players returning: Eric Ayala, Donta Scott, Hakim Hart, James Graham III, Marcus Dockery
- Newcomers: Qudus Wahab, Fatts Russell, Julian Reese, Ike Cornish, Ian Martinez, Pavlo Dziuba
22. Auburn
Coach: Bruce Pearl | 2020-21 record: 13-14
- Notable players gone: Sharife Cooper, Justin Powell, JT Thor, Jamal Johnson, Javon Franklin
- Notable players returning: Allen Flanigan, Jaylin Williams, Devan Cambridge, Dylan Cardwell, Chris Moore, Babatunde Akingbola
- Newcomers: Walker Kessler, K.D. Johnson, Jabari Smith, Zeb Jasper, Wendell Green
23. UConn
Coach: Dan Hurley | 2020-21 record: 15-8
- Notable players gone: James Bouknight, Brendan Adams, Josh Carlton
- Notable players returning: R.J. Cole, Tyrese Martin, Isaiah Whaley, Tyler Polley, Adama Sanogo, Jalen Gaffney, Andre Jackson, Akok Akok, Richie Springs
- Newcomers: Rahsool Diggins, Jordan Hawkins, Samson Johnson, Corey Floyd Jr.
24. Michigan State
Coach: Tom Izzo | 2020-21 record: 15-13
- Notable players gone: Aaron Henry, Joshua Langford, Rocket Watts, Foster Loyer, Thomas Kithier
- Notable players returning: Joey Hauser, Gabe Brown, Malik Hall, Julius Marble, Marcus Bingham, AJ Hoggard, Mady Sissoko
- Newcomers: Tyson Walker, Max Christie, Jaden Akins, Pierre Brooks
25. St. Bonaventure
Coach: Mark Schmidt | 2020-21 record: 16-5
- Notable players gone: Alejandro Vasquez, Jalen Shaw, Jermaine Taggart
- Notable players returning: Kyle Lofton, Jaren Holmes, Jalen Adaway, Dominick Welch, Osun Osunniyi, Alpha Okoli, Eddie Creal
- Newcomers: Linton Brown, Justin Ndjock, Quadry Adams, Abdoul Karim, Coulibaly, Oluwasegun Durosinmi
26. Virginia
Coach: Tony Bennett | 2020-21 record: 18-17
- Notable players gone: Sam Hauser, Jay Huff, Trey Murphy, Tomas Woldentensae, Jabri Abdur-Rahim, Casey Morsell, Justin McKoy
- Notable players returning: Kihei Clark, Reece Beekman, Kody Stattman, Kadin Shedrick, Francisco Caffaro, Carson McCorkle, Chase Coleman, Malachi Poindexter
- Newcomers: Armaan Franklin, Jayden Gardner, Taine Murray
