- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 396,676
- Reaction score
- 43
FORT WORTH, Texas — It was time for Memphis basketball's coronation atop the AAC, and there was only one man to do it.
Minutes after the Tigers beat UAB to win the AAC title, the entire team crowded around Tyrese Hunter as he slotted Memphis' name onto the board and completed the tournament bracket.
Hunter had a walking boot on his left foot, and he'd just missed only the second game of his collegiate career after suffering what appeared to be a serious injury during Memphis' win over Tulane in Saturday's semifinal.
But that doesn't mean he didn't impact Sunday's game.
"Obviously it hurt me to see him go through that," Memphis coach Penny Hardaway said. "We understand that injuries happen in sports. But he's a leader. And that's what you saw today. Even coming back out on the court in a boot when we were in danger of losing that game yesterday, he came back out and used his voice with the guys and was still a leader."
The Tigers (29-5) learned their NCAA tournament matchup later on Sunday. They earned a No. 5 seed and will face No. 12 Colorado State in Seattle on Friday (1 p.m. CT, TBS). Hardaway said Sunday that he wasn't sure if Hunter would be available.
"We don't know what his future's going to hold for the rest of this year, but what we do know is he's with us 100 percent and he has his guys' back," Hardaway said. "And he can lead from the bench as well."
With Hunter unavailable and fellow guard Dante Harris still out with an ankle injury, Hardaway gave Baraka Okojie his first start as a Tiger on Sunday. Okojie played 28 minutes, tallying five points and four assists. Hunter's absence also meant minutes for a pair of players — Jared Harris and Damarien "Dink" Yates — who haven't played much recently.
It also affected normal player roles and meant more time on the ball for Colby Rogers and for All-American PJ Haggerty, who scored 23 points. Center Dain Dainja tied his career high with four assists to go with his 22 points.
And the Tigers still had Hunter available as a coach. He sat near the front of the bench with the rest of the coaches and routinely yelled instructions to players during the game.
"We just understand that we're together, we're united, we are as one," Hardaway said. "And it speaks to the character of all the young men. We want to win."
Hardaway knows the Tigers won't be able to replace everything Hunter did with one player. They'll need contributions from across the roster, whether it's the defensive intensity Okojie brought on Sunday or the extra scoring (15 points) from Rogers. If Memphis beats Colorado State on Friday, it'll be because of those types of performances.
Memphis also had an advantage over every other AAC team this week at Dickies Arena. The Tigers had far more fans than the Blazers on Sunday, and Haggerty noticed it.
"We had the most fans out of every team," Haggerty said. "And it means a lot, coming all the way from Memphis. It's a lot of support. I love the fans, they love me back."
They'll probably get that support in Seattle, too. Plus Hunter's, whether he's on the court or on the bench.
Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at [email protected] or on X @thejonahdylan.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: How Memphis coped without Tyrese Hunter, and how Tigers can do it next week
Continue reading...
Minutes after the Tigers beat UAB to win the AAC title, the entire team crowded around Tyrese Hunter as he slotted Memphis' name onto the board and completed the tournament bracket.
Hunter had a walking boot on his left foot, and he'd just missed only the second game of his collegiate career after suffering what appeared to be a serious injury during Memphis' win over Tulane in Saturday's semifinal.
But that doesn't mean he didn't impact Sunday's game.
"Obviously it hurt me to see him go through that," Memphis coach Penny Hardaway said. "We understand that injuries happen in sports. But he's a leader. And that's what you saw today. Even coming back out on the court in a boot when we were in danger of losing that game yesterday, he came back out and used his voice with the guys and was still a leader."
The Tigers (29-5) learned their NCAA tournament matchup later on Sunday. They earned a No. 5 seed and will face No. 12 Colorado State in Seattle on Friday (1 p.m. CT, TBS). Hardaway said Sunday that he wasn't sure if Hunter would be available.
"We don't know what his future's going to hold for the rest of this year, but what we do know is he's with us 100 percent and he has his guys' back," Hardaway said. "And he can lead from the bench as well."
How Memphis played without Tyrese Hunter on Sunday
With Hunter unavailable and fellow guard Dante Harris still out with an ankle injury, Hardaway gave Baraka Okojie his first start as a Tiger on Sunday. Okojie played 28 minutes, tallying five points and four assists. Hunter's absence also meant minutes for a pair of players — Jared Harris and Damarien "Dink" Yates — who haven't played much recently.
It also affected normal player roles and meant more time on the ball for Colby Rogers and for All-American PJ Haggerty, who scored 23 points. Center Dain Dainja tied his career high with four assists to go with his 22 points.
And the Tigers still had Hunter available as a coach. He sat near the front of the bench with the rest of the coaches and routinely yelled instructions to players during the game.
"We just understand that we're together, we're united, we are as one," Hardaway said. "And it speaks to the character of all the young men. We want to win."
Hardaway knows the Tigers won't be able to replace everything Hunter did with one player. They'll need contributions from across the roster, whether it's the defensive intensity Okojie brought on Sunday or the extra scoring (15 points) from Rogers. If Memphis beats Colorado State on Friday, it'll be because of those types of performances.
Memphis also had an advantage over every other AAC team this week at Dickies Arena. The Tigers had far more fans than the Blazers on Sunday, and Haggerty noticed it.
"We had the most fans out of every team," Haggerty said. "And it means a lot, coming all the way from Memphis. It's a lot of support. I love the fans, they love me back."
They'll probably get that support in Seattle, too. Plus Hunter's, whether he's on the court or on the bench.
Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at [email protected] or on X @thejonahdylan.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: How Memphis coped without Tyrese Hunter, and how Tigers can do it next week
Continue reading...
