How Memphis plans to move forward after Tyrese Hunter injury: 'The next guy's going to step up'
FORT WORTH, Texas — Memphis basketball beat Tulane on Saturday, but there's plenty of uncertainty for the Tigers because of what appeared to be a serious injury to starting point guard Tyrese Hunter.
Hunter left Memphis' AAC semifinal win over Tulane early in the second half and went back to the Tigers' locker room. He later emerged with a walking boot on his left foot and did not return to the game.
"We don't know what's going on with Tyrese," coach Penny Hardaway said postgame. "So hopefully it's not for the worst."
He's been Memphis' floor general this year and had been a massive part of a team that won the AAC regular season championship and is poised to go back to the NCAA tournament after missing it last season. Hunter, a senior, had previously been a starter at both Iowa State and Texas. He has more NCAA tournament experience than anyone else on the Memphis roster.
The Tigers eked past the Green Wave on Saturday thanks to double-doubles from Dain Dainja and Moussa Cisse and last-minute heroics from PJ Haggerty, who scored 10 points in the game's final 1:03 and created a critical turnover to help the Tigers seal the win. And they did it without Hunter for the final minutes.
"Our team is built one through 13 to be ready to play and be ready for war," Hardaway said. "So when one guy goes down, the next guy's going to step up."
Where Memphis goes without Tyrese Hunter
Hunter came in to Saturday's game averaging 13.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game this season. His impact goes well beyond those stats, too — he's been Memphis' floor general this season and has come up with critical shots down the stretch throughout the year, from wins over UConn and Michigan State in the Maui Invitational to Friday's AAC quarterfinal win over Wichita State.
The Tigers were already shorthanded at guard because Dante Harris suffered an ankle injury on March 4 and has not played since. Freshman guard Jared Harris has played sparingly this season, but he could be called into action moving forward if Hardaway runs out of options.
Hardaway can also shake some lineups around and lean more on PJ Haggerty as a primary ball-handler. That could mean more minutes for PJ Carter, too. Carter scored nine points in 23 minutes on Saturday.
Another obvious candidate for more minutes is guard Baraka Okojie, who played 17 minutes in Saturday's game and has impressed at times this season with his defense. He scored two points on Friday.
Assuming Hunter — who left the court on Saturday on crutches — can't play on Sunday, Carter or Okojie would be the two clear options to replace him in the starting lineup. Neither has started a game for the Tigers this season.
"Obviously, the concern is foul trouble," Hardaway said. "If you get into foul trouble, who do you go to? But at the end of the day, we have other guys that can substitute in and play the point guard. We're well-equipped. Dain can bring the ball up the floor and run the offense through the five-out. We'll make the adjustments, and the guys that are on the bench are going to be ready to play."
Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or on X @thejonahdylan.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: What Penny Hardaway said about Tyrese Hunter's injury after AAC semifinal
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