What James Wiseman, Jalen Duren said about Penny Hardaway, Memphis basketball struggles

James Wiseman leaned back on a dark blue folding chair at the Grizzlies’ practice facility Friday morning and smiled.

The kind of smile that conveys a sense of comfort. The kind that accompanies a homecoming.

“It’s always a great feeling being back home,” Wiseman told The Commercial Appeal.

Wiseman, the Detroit Pistons’ 7-foot center, has roots in Memphis, of course. Born and raised in Nashville, he moved here and became the No. 1 recruit in the country playing for Penny Hardaway at Memphis East. After that, Wiseman headlined Hardaway’s No. 1 recruiting class in 2019 at the University of Memphis.

Wiseman’s Pistons — including former Tigers center Jalen Duren — were in town to face the Grizzlies. Duren started, scored 17 points and had 10 rebounds. Wiseman came off the bench to grab three rebounds but did not score in 14-plus minutes of Detroit's 108-90 loss. On the same day the Tigers landed 6-10 Illinois transfer Dain Dainja, the two players most closely associated with Tigers big men during the Hardaway era reflected on their college careers, Hardaway’s impact on them and the future of Memphis basketball.

Duren, who was part of Hardaway’s other No. 1 recruiting class (2021), was a lottery pick after his only season with the Tigers, like Wiseman. The 6-10 Philadelphia native, in his second year with the Pistons, averaged 12.0 points and 8.1 rebounds a game en route to AAC Freshman of the Year honors.

Still just 20 years old, Duren (putting up 13.6 points and 11.7 rebounds a game this season) did not hold back when quantifying how much Hardaway helped him.

“Huge — huge, huge, huge impact,” Duren told The Commercial Appeal. “We talked a lot about being a pro. So, just by me watching Penny and observing how he moved and how he went about his business and his life and how he conducted himself, it was all professional.”

Duren also gave credit to all of the coaches on Hardaway’s staff of 2021-22, specifically mentioning former assistants Rasheed Wallace and Larry Brown. But he kept coming back to Hardaway.

“We all know Penny is one of the best basketball players-turned-businessmen,” Duren said. “So, just everything that he’s done with himself and his life, I feel like, is just the blueprint for all players. Not even just the guys he’s coached. But all players.”

Wiseman said he and Hardaway are still in touch. Neither he nor Duren had a chance to catch up with their former coach before Friday’s game, but they hoped to see him before wrapping up their stop in Memphis.

Wiseman, 22, is in his fourth year in the NBA. His career began with the Golden State Warriors, but injuries have hampered his development. Even this season, his first full one with the Pistons, he has had trouble consistently getting and staying on the court. But in the 15 games leading up to Friday, he averaged 10.4 points and 7.5 rebounds a game, giving him another reason to smile.

And another reason for Wiseman to smile still, Friday’s game marks the first time he will have played at FedExForum since Nov. 8, 2019. It was the day news broke that his eligibility at Memphis was being called into question. Wiseman showed up about 45 minutes before tipoff and had 17 points, nine rebounds and five blocks against Illinois-Chicago that night, thanks to a temporary restraining order.

Wiseman said preparing to play at FedExForum for the first time since then was giving him flashbacks.

“That’s crazy,” said Wiseman, who will be a first-time free agent this summer. “I mean, it seems like I’m in college, for real, just being back. I just can’t wait to play. That’s it.”

MEMPHIS BASKETBALL:Why Illinois transfer Dain Dainja said he picked the Tigers, Penny Hardaway

Both Wiseman and Duren still follow Hardaway and the Tigers, who struggled to finish strong after a 15-2 start to the 2023-24 season and missed the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2021. Duren, who helped Memphis to the only March Madness win the program has had since 2014, believes the Tigers are in for a bounce-back season with Hardaway leading the charge. And Wiseman agrees.

“I did see the year didn’t end how they wanted it to — it’s tough, man,” Duren said. “But Penny’s a great coach. I know he’s gonna get it done. He’s the type of guy — he’s a competitor, a warrior. The type of guy who’s gonna keep fighting until he gets it done and fixes it up.”

Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or follow him @munzly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.