"That's our 1-2 punch": Penny Hardaway praises Memphis duo PJ Haggerty and Dain Dainja after beating Tulsa
Coach Penny Hardaway highlighted the duo of Dain Dainja and PJ Haggerty after the No. 17 Memphis defeated Tulsa 83-71 on Wednesday. Sophomore Haggerty led the Tigers with 23 points, three assists and two steals on 10 of 16 shooting while senior Dainja added 21 points, four assists, four blocks and three steals on 10 of 14 shooting.
Hardaway expressed the importance of the duo in the team's success. He also pointed out how the entire cast compliments their skillset during the post-game conference.
"I mean that's our 1-2 punch, we got a lot of pieces but that's that's the biggest 1-2 punch because that's inside outside and they just have to make the right decisions," he said (at 0:55). "But we're blessed to have both of those young men.
"That's something that a lot of teams don't have around the country and then when you have shooters that you can put around them, if they make mistakes they can knock down shots that makes you really deadly. So, I started calling that a lot more and those guys just have to make the right decision."
PJ Haggerty and Dain Dainja have improved their production across the last five games. Dainja has matched his season-high assist twice, posted a double-double and notched his only 20-point games of the season in the stretch. Haggerty, averaging 20 points per game in his last five, has shot better 56% four times.
Penny Hardaway checked up on PJ Haggerty before the contest
Penny Hardaway made sure that the best scorer on his team was up for the contest against Tulsa due to his connection with the opposing program. Before coming to Memphis, PJ Haggerty played one year for the Golden Hurricane.
The coach ensured that his guard did not let the pressure of facing his former teammates get to his head:
"I actually went to him before the game and asked him was he okay, just let the game come to him and he was okay," he said (at 1:35).
"I felt like I had to go to PJ and just kind of check his temperature on where he was because you know how it is, playing your old team they're mad that he left and they were going to try to take him out of the out of the game and I just wanted to make sure he was good."
Penny Hardaway said he did not check up on Colby Rogers before the contest against his former team, Wichita State, on Jan. 23, expressing that it led to a poor 1 of 10 shooting outcome from Rogers.