Penny Hardaway is involved in yet another scandal at the University of Memphis. This is the third different investigation into his college basketball program in six years as the head coach of the Tigers.
And it comes with terrible timing.
Memphis is set to host FAU on Sunday after losing to Dusty May’s program in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament last year. The Owls went on to reach the Final Four after barely beating the Tigers by one point last March.
Hardaway and company are out for vengeance. However, they will be without one of their best defenders. Bluff City Media first reported that fifth-year senior Malcolm Dandridge will not play.
His absence allegedly stems from an academic issue that is currently under investigation by the university’s compliance department. The staff was informed of the probe earlier this week. Hardaway and his assistants have been fully cooperative thus far.
As of now, Dandridge is the only player involved with the ongoing investigation. The exact root cause of the inquiry is unclear at this time, but it stems from his studies— or perhaps a lack thereof.
Fortunately, his absence from the floor will not make or break the team’s ability to win on Sunday. While Dandridge is a crucial piece of Memphis’ formula for success, he is averaging just eight points and five rebounds in 18.8 minutes per game this season.
Being without Dandridge is a bummer. It would be an even bigger problem if David Jones or Jahvon Quinerly was unable to suit up. The Tigers are not without their biggest stars.
Penny Hardaway is in trouble at Memphis, again.
Regardless of what comes from the alleged issue with Dandridge’s academics, this is yet another impropriety that may have occurred under Hardaway’s watch. Should it escalate to the NCAA level, it would be his third NCAA investigation in six years.
Memphis played five-star freshman James Wiseman in 2019 and was later charged with three Level I violations. Hardaway received a lack of institutional control. He was later suspended for three games earlier this season due to a recruiting violation in 2022.
This current matter is being handled internally at the moment. If it becomes an NCAA incident, there is a chance that it could be the nail in the coffin for Penny Hardaway in a year where his team is currently projected to miss the NCAA Tournament. No athletic director wants its head basketball coach to be in this much trouble this often without winning…