Penny Hardaway returns, Memphis squares off vs. Michigan

One commonality for Memphis and Michigan this season: operating in missing coach formation.Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway was suspended for the first three games for recruiting violations, while Michigan head coach Juwan Howard is continuing to recover from an offseason heart procedure.Howard is still out and Hardaway will return to the bench when the Tigers and Wolverines meet on Wednesday in a first round Battle 4 Atlantis contest in Nassau, Bahamas.Memphis is 3-0 on the season. The latest win was a 92-75 triumph at home over Alabama State on Friday.”I’m yelling at the TV because I know what’s supposed to happen,” Hardaway said. “It’s hard and I’ve never had to do that, but it’s also been good for me to see it from that view.”In addition to enduring life without Hardaway in November, Memphis has had to adjust to having nearly a new roster from last year’s NCAA Tournament team.With just two returning players, the Tigers are relying heavily on transfers and freshmen.The most notable transfer is point guard Jahvon Quinerly, a standout for an Alabama that spent parts of last season ranked No. 1.

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