Why Caleb Mills asked Memphis basketball's Penny Hardaway to take him out of starting lineup
RICHMOND, Va. — Caleb Mills looked up into the thundering-turned-muffled sellout crowd at the Siegel Center on Wednesday.
The Memphis basketball team, up 83-80 with three seconds left in overtime at VCU, was headed to the free-throw line with a chance to seal it. Mills called game. He raised his arms above his head and interlocked his index fingers to indicate David Jones was about to put it away.
Mills, as it turns out, is getting pretty good at seeing things before they happen.
Jones did put the game away, hitting both free throws to put the finishing touches on an 85-80 victory that helped the Tigers (6-2) avoid a three-game losing streak ahead of one of the most important stretches of the season. They are gearing up for another road game, this one against No. 19 Texas A&M on Sunday (3 p.m. CT, ESPN2).
That will be followed by a pair of home games against No. 20 Clemson (Dec. 16) and No. 23 Virginia (Dec. 19).
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Mills had as much to do with getting Memphis off its mini-schneid as anyone. As much as Jones, who dropped another 23 points (eclipsing 1,000 career points in the process). As much as Jahvon Quinerly and his season-high 20 points. As much as Malcolm Dandridge’s 10 points and season-high seven rebounds.
Mills enjoyed his best game with the Tigers. His 17 points easily topped his season high of 10. The two 3-pointers he hit (and the only two he attempted) were clutch, both keeping Memphis within striking distance in the second half. He also had four rebounds — all in the second half — two assists and a steal in 29 minutes.
All off the bench. As it happens, Mills had a feeling his and the Tigers’ luck might change if Penny Hardaway removed him from the starting lineup.
Before last week’s game at Ole Miss, the former Florida State and Houston star made the formal request of his head coach. Hardaway could not see Mills’ vision. He left him in the starting five and Memphis lost.
Mills brought it up again ahead of Wednesday’s game, and this time, Hardaway obliged.
“I was like, ‘OK, I got you,’ ” Hardaway said.
How did Mills arrive at the decision to approach his coach with the somewhat unusual solicitation?
“I know we were playing worse than we expect to play,” Mills said. “I’m not saying I was part of that reason, but I was open to a change (whether) it was me or not. I don’t necessarily have a huge ego when it comes to that. I just want to win.”
Hardaway deferred to Mills when asked whether this means the Tigers will stick with the alteration.
“I mean, it worked,” Mills said.
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The truth is that for Hardaway, who starts and who doesn’t is of little consequence.
“Y’all are so caught up in the starting,” he said. “If he wants to come off the bench, let him come off the bench. The best players sometimes come off the bench. Devin Booker came off the bench the whole year (he was) at Kentucky.
“It’s OK. Long as you play starter minutes and you’re in there when winning time happens, that’s all that matters.”
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or follow him @munzly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Why Memphis basketball's Caleb Mills wanted to come off the bench
