Will Memphis get DeAndre Williams back? Penny Hardaway thinks there's 'a good chance'
DeAndre Williams wants to play another season for Memphis basketball coach Penny Hardaway.
On Monday, Hardaway said he's all for it and likes Williams' chances.
“I feel really good about it,” said Hardaway. “I think it’s a good chance for him to get that year back. The city loves DeAndre. We know what he brings to the table. It would be a blessing not only for him but for us if he could come back one more year.”
Last week, Williams publicly acknowledged he is open to a return to the Tigers – something he was under the impression was not possible until recently.
The 26-year-old all-AAC forward played the last three seasons at Memphis after transferring from Evansville. He played one season for the Purple Aces but was forced to sit out the season before that (2018-19) as a penalty for delayed enrollment. That season counted against his NCAA clock, which he and others thought meant he was out of eligibility.
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But sports attorney Don Jackson told Williams recently that he can appeal to the NCAA for reconsideration of their initial decision. Jackson represented Hardaway during the NCAA infractions case that was resolved in 2022 by the Independent Accountability Resolution Process.
Hardaway admits having to keep a scholarship open in the event Williams, who averaged 17.7 points and 8.2 rebounds for the Tigers last season, is permitted to return is tricky.
“(But) it’s DeAndre. It’s family, so it’s worth it,” he said. “If it doesn’t (work out) for him to have another year of eligibility, you might lose out on other guys. But it’s worth it for him.”
In 2015, according to Williams, he was advised to leave Klein Forest (Texas) High School and enroll at Sports Association of Texas for Christian Homeschoolers (or SATCH, which is now Houston Homeschool Athletics). He said he was told by someone in a position of authority that his grades weren’t good enough to get into a Division I school. But SATCH was not an NCAA-approved institution, and none of Williams’ three months’ worth of schoolwork counted toward his Division I academic requirements.
“That’s a classic case of misadvisement,” said Jackson, who represented an athlete in 2018 that was granted an additional year of eligibility based on similar circumstances. That player's waiver was granted based on Division I eligibility guidelines.
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @munzly.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Will DeAndre Williams be back at Memphis? Penny Hardaway thinks so
