"An unbelievable weapon": Penny Hardaway drops ultimate praise for Memphis star PJ Carter after nail biting Rice win

Much to the delight of coach Penny Hardaway, the Memphis Tigers secured their eighth conference victory of the season and 18th overall on Sunday, Feb. 2. The 19th-ranked team in the nation edged out a nail-biting 86-83 win against the Rice Owls in front of a hostile away crowd, in a game that almost went into overtime.

Junior PJ Haggerty led the team with a game-high 26 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and two steals. However, it was UTSA transfer PJ Carter who proved to be the catalyst for the AAC triumph. In 25 minutes off the bench, Carter scored 19 points on an efficient 6-for-9 shooting, including five three-pointers, two assists and a steal.

During the post-game press conference, Hardaway expressed how valuable it is to have a specialist like Carter coming off the bench, highlighting his talent and impact against Rice.

"He did (unlock himself). I think the teammates starting to believe in his game, and trying to find him as well. But, he's gotten into a comfort zone where he fits in with this team. He is an unbelievable weapon. This is who we knew he could be when we brought him here because he did that at the end of the game last year, the end of the season, for UTSA," Hardaway said. (1:20)

"He's doing it on a big level. He's not afraid of the moment," he then concluded.

Memphis is Carter's third collegiate team, following his first two years with the Campbell Fighting Camels and last season with the UTSA Roadrunners. Hardaway recruited the fourth-year guard from their conference opponent, impressed by his perimeter skillset.

While Carter's statistical numbers have declined, the Atlanta native seems to have found a new home in the Tigers program, taking on a more significant role with the top team in the AAC. This season, he is averaging 5.5 points and 1.5 rebounds per game in approximately 13.5 minutes.

Penny Hardaway shares what PJ Carter told him when they met pre-season

Later in the press conference, Penny Hardaway reminisced about a meeting he had months ago with PJ Carter. The NBA legend felt that Carter wasn't taking his new role seriously enough. With Carter's recent string of successes, Hardaway shared what Carter said in appreciation of the reality check:

"He said to me these words, 'Coach, I'm so appreciative of this moment. I've never had anything that's good on everything that I don't appreciate it, and you'll never see that again.' And then, it just moved forward from there...You can arguably say (he is the) MVP or co-MVP of the last two games," Hardaway shared (2:10).

The Memphis Tigers now turn their attention to the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, whom they will face on their home floor on Wednesday, Feb. 5. PJ Carter will be looking for more minutes of action under Hardaway's system.