Days after PJ Haggerty's transfer, Penny Hardaway's Memphis set to host Big 12 standout

NCAA Basketball: NCAA Tournament First Round-Colorado State at Memphis - Source: Imagn

The Memphis Tigers are wasting no time trying to replace star guard PJ Haggerty, who entered the transfer portal Thursday. The Tigers coach, Penny Hardaway, is looking to replace his starting five from 2024-25, with the remaining four out of eligibility.

Colby Rogers, Dain Dainja, Tyrese Hunter and Nick Jourdain are out of eligibility, and the team is moving swiftly to find replacements.

On Monday, college basketball insider Jon Rothstein reported that Kansas State guard Dug McDaniel will visit Memphis.

"Kansas State transfer Dug McDaniel tells me that he will visit Memphis today," Rothstein wrote on X.

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McDaniel entered the portal on Monday after one season with K-State.

McDaniel has one year of college eligibility, having already played two years with the Wolverines and one at K-State.

Last season, the 5-foot-11 guard averaged 11.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game. However, his shooting accuracy was at an all-time low, 25.8% from beyond the arc and 37.8% from the field.

McDaniel enjoyed his best performance as a sophomore at Michigan, averaging 16.3 ppg and 3.7 rpg, while he shot 41.0% from the field and 36.8% from the 3-point line.

Replacing Haggerty will require more, given that the former Memphis guard ranked third in the country for scoring (21.7 ppg), while averaging 5.8 rpg and 3.7 apg.

He also shot a career-best 36.4% of his 3-pointers in his one season with the Tigers, while making 47.6% of his shots from the field. Haggerty’s performance in 2024-25 earned him a consensus second-team All-American selection.

Memphis lands commitment from South Carolina guard Zachary Davis

NCAA Basketball: Georgia at South Carolina - Source: Imagn

Zachary Davis became the Tigers' fourth transfer in the offseason last Thursday. Saint Mary's wing Ashton Hardaway, Temple guard Quante Berry and Western Kentucky guard Julius Thedford have already committed to Memphis.

Davis spent three years with the Gamecocks and has one year of eligibility. He averaged 8.2 ppg in his final season with South Carolina.

About the author

Babatunde Kolawole is a college sports journalist at Sportskeeda with over eight years of experience in the field with Canoncrested.com, Garbersports.com, LiveScore Bet Nigeria and Pulse Sports Nigeria.

Kolawole studied Agricultural Economics on the tertiary level but delved into sports writing after school. Over half a decade later, the experience garnered helped him land this role.

Historically, the Alabama Crimson Tide stands out as Kolawole's favorite team as he was drawn to their rich history.

As for basketball, JuJu Watkins is Kolawole's favorite current player due to how much diversity she has in her game, while Kareem Abdul-Jabbar gets the nod for past players because of how he dominated with UCLA.

Kolawole has appeared on several TV and Radio shows as a guest analyst, and in his spare time, likes to watch movies (a sucker for the Marvel Cinematic Universe) and listen to a lot of music. He also loves to travel.

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Edited by Ribin Peter