Transfer waivers and NIL offers have players bouncing from one campus to the next at previously unrealized rates, making situations where players are competing against their former coaches and teammates pretty commonplace.
On Wednesday, it was PJ Haggerty’s turn.
And, as has been the case in most games he’s played this season, the 6-foot-3 guard was the best player on the court while leading Memphis to an 83-71 win over Tulsa, which is where Haggerty played last season. Now, he’s the Tigers’ leading scorer and an obvious All-American candidate who took 16 shots against his former school, made 10 of them and finished with a game-high 23 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals.
“It was a friendly game to me,” Haggerty said, making it clear he has no issues with his ex-coaches, ex-teammates or previous school. “I know some of the players, still cool with them. So it’s fun to play against them.”
Haggerty is now averaging 21.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.1 steals in 36.4 minutes per game for a Memphis team that’s No. 11 in Thursday morning’s updated CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 daily college basketball rankings thanks to a 19-4 record highlighted by victories over the teams ranked 12th (Michigan State), 13th (Ole Miss) and (14th) (Missouri).
There are no guarantees, of course. But Haggerty, the reigning AAC Freshman of the Year, at least has a chance to eventually join Duke’s Cooper Flagg and Auburn’s Johni Broome as consensus First Team All-Americans. If that were to happen, Haggerty would become just the fourth Memphis player to ever be a consensus First Team All-American — joining a list featuring Keith Lee (1983, 1985), Penny Hardaway (1993) and Chris Douglas-Roberts (2008).
Top 25 And 1 rankings
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Saint Mary’s
In: Saint Mary’s
Out: Illinois
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