Penny Hardaway continues to build quite the team in Memphis, and now he’s added one of the top recruits in the country.
Jalen Duren, the consensus top player in the 2022 recruiting class, announced Friday that he was reclassifying to 2021 and committed to the Memphis Tigers. Duren’s announcement was accompanied by a special film confirming the decision.
Breaking: Jalen Duren, the No. 2 overall prospect in the class of 2022, has reclassified into the class of 2021 and committed to Memphis, according to @PaulBiancardi.
( via @jaydoefilms) pic.twitter.com/5jQDHBOX8K
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 6, 2021
Memphis already had a top 15 recruiting class incoming even before Duren’s announcement. Duren’s decision could push that ranking into the top five, and the Tigers are finalists for Emoni Bates, another highly-touted recruit, as well.
Duren, a 6-10 center, comes from Montverde Academy in Florida. He has all the traits to be a dominant post player, and is regarded as one of a handful of players with a legitimate chance to go No. 1 overall in the 2022 NBA Draft.
It’s the second straight summer that Hardaway has landed a top recruit, though Moussa Cisse has since transferred to Oklahoma State. Duren profiles as a one-and-done player anyway, and should help spark high expectations for the Tigers.
