“Todd was at Syracuse when they won a national championship with Carmelo Anthony”: HC Penny Hardaway emphasises on Memphis coach’s importance
From starting the 2024-25 season unranked on the AP poll, Penny Hardaway has elevated the Memphis Tigers to the 21st spot in seven weeks. The program handed the defending champions, the UConn Huskies, their first loss of the season in Maui and defeated the 25th-ranked Clemson Tigers in its latest matchup.
Hardaway had high praise for his assistant coaches, recruiters, trainers and the entire coaching staff in the episode of the "Penny Hardaway Show" released on Sunday. The coach shed light on the contributions and experience of his strength and conditioning coach, Todd Forcier.
"Todd has been some phenomenal places," Hardaway said (5:22). "He was at Syracuse when they won a national championship with Carmelo Anthony. He was at Kentucky, he's also been in the NBA for a long time."
"He was with the Seattle SuperSonics when they were successful and then the Portland Trailblazers for like the last few 10, 12 years or whatever. And now he is with us, so he brings all that knowledge to our team."
Penny Hardaway added Todd Forcier to his coaching staff this summer after Darby Rich left Memphis for the same role with Texas.
Forcier spent 13 seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers as the head strength coach. He also has significant college basketball experience, starting from the Dayton Flyers (1998-2002), Syracuse Orange (2002-07) and Kentucky (2007-10).
Carmelo Anthony names Penny Hardaway as one of Kiyan Anthony's comparisons
In an interview with Overtime Mikey, Carmelo Anthony revealed Kiyan Anthony’s comps. He named the 17-year-old’s favorite player, Paul George, alongside Penny Hardaway, Tyrese Haliburton and Shaun Livingston.
"I'll try to be very honest about his comp because I know his game," Anthony said. "His comp is Paul George, Haliburton, Penny. He's Penny with a great jump shot. That would be my comp. Shaun Livingston with a crazy jumper, that's the mold."
As a player, Hardaway was known for his slippery footwork, playmaking and athleticism. With the handles, speed and skills to go coast to coast as a guard, Hardaway could also battle for defensive rebounds and score at will.
Kiyan Anthony committed to the Syracuse Orange in November over USC Trojans, Rutgers, Auburn and other notable programs.