Issues are mounting for Memphis basketball, Penny Hardaway. Here's how they can fix them

Just as the winter weather rolled into Memphis, the Tigers basketball team hit an icy patch. Coach Penny Hardaway and company are reeling after back-to-back losses in American Athletic Conference play, leading to plenty of hand-wringing in recent days.

So how does Memphis get its season back on track? With no midweek game ahead of Sunday’s road matchup at UAB, Commercial Appeal sports columnist Mark Giannotto and Tigers basketball beat writer Jason Munz came together to answer five burning questions about Memphis basketball.

What is the biggest concern facing Memphis basketball?

Munz: My biggest concern is the large number of concerns. Poor defense. Team chemistry. Rotations. Inconsistency. Injuries and illnesses. Probably in that order. That’s a staggering amount of things to be worried about with one week left before the calendar flips to February.

Giannotto: It’s the defense, because that’s tied to a lot of the other issues mentioned above. Playing solid defense is largely about effort and buy-in, and this team doesn’t seem to have enough of either at the moment. This doesn’t need to be Hardaway’s best defensive team at Memphis. But with the experience and personnel available, this shouldn’t be his worst defensive team like it is at the moment.

Why is Memphis having chemistry issues?

Giannotto: Simply put: There are so many new players on the roster, several key additions have never been part of an NCAA Tournament team, and not enough are willing to accept a role yet. Last season, when Hardaway brought in a bunch of transfers, it was obvious Kendric Davis and DeAndre Williams would lead the charge and everybody fell in line behind them. That’s perhaps the biggest reason the loss of Caleb Mills hurts. He set an example coming off the bench and becoming a defensive stopper at the expense of his stats. Point guard Jahvon Quinerly has shown signs of being the leader this team needs, but he must bounce back from an awful performance at Tulane.

Munz: I’m not sure there’s only one reason. But I think Hardaway is right when he says (and he has said it numerous times lately) almost every new player he added in the offseason is wired the same way: score first. Because there are only so many scoring opportunities to go around, players tend to become disgruntled if they don’t feel like they are getting the same scoring opportunities as others.

What’s an adjustment Penny Hardaway can make this week?

Munz: There are a couple of easily identifiable (albeit minor) things I believe he could do.

First, I think we’re in for a starting lineup change. Not because the usual group isn’t made up of the five best options. But sometimes an alteration as slight as that can shake things up enough that it yields positive results. Maybe that’s Nae’Qwan Tomlin starting over Nicholas Jourdain. Or maybe, if Hardaway wants to go small to start, it’s Jayhlon Young getting the nod over Jaykwon Walton.

Second, I’m sure Jordan Brown will get back on the court at UAB. Just him being back in the mix counts as an adjustment.

Giannotto: Play Young and maybe even freshman Carl Cherenfant more and use Jayden and Ashton Hardaway less. Or just shorten the rotation to seven or eight players. That’s what the advanced metrics suggest, particularly for the sake of the team’s struggling defense.

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How worried are you about the Tigers’ NCAA Tournament outlook?

Giannotto: If we’re talking about getting a top-four seed — very worried. But in terms of making a third straight NCAA Tournament appearance — not all that worried. Yes, some of those nonconference wins Memphis got don’t look as good now as they did then. But it’s still January. A lot can (and will) happen the rest of this season. As long as this team doesn’t fall off a cliff, the guess here is the Tigers' body of work will hold up well come Selection Sunday.

Munz: I still believe Memphis winds up with a better seed than the past couple of seasons. It’s still relatively early (there are 12 regular-season games left). The Tigers almost certainly have two Quad 1 opportunities ahead and could have as many as four, depending on how things shake out. Even though they’re not on the bubble right now, they could be if they can’t snap out of this funk.

Who’s the most important player the rest of the season?

Munz: Quinerly, obviously. He has been the key all year. When he plays well, Memphis does well. If not, it’s a lot less certain. In the Tigers’ four losses, Quinerly is averaging 11.3 points, 3.8 assists, 0.5 steals and 3.0 turnovers per game. When they win, Quinerly averages 14.7 points, 5.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.0 turnovers.

Giannotto: You’re right on Quinerly. For the sake of being different, I’ll go with Walton. He has shown signs of emerging from his shooting slump and he’s especially important with Mills out. There’s some history here to consider. Last year at Wichita State, Walton went 0-for-18 from 3-point range in a five-game span in December and January. He then proceeded to average 16.1 points on 43.5% shooting from beyond the arc in the final 13 games. That version of Walton could be just the jolt this team needs.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis basketball: Penny Hardaway's March Madness concerns mounting