Memphis Tigers men’s basketball takes second overall prospect Jalen Duren

Jalen Duren, one of the best basketball players in high school, announced his engagement in Memphis on Friday night. He will move back into the 2021 class and adjust to Penny Hardaway’s schedule for the coming season.

Duren picked the Tigers from a final roster that also included Miami, Kentucky, the NBA G League, and the NBL in Australia.

“The developmental aspect drew me to Memphis,” Duren told ESPN. “I think their plan for me on and off the pitch suits me the best – to help me as a versatile player on the pitch and with the commercial side off the pitch. I’ve built a great relationship with l ‘Coach Penny Hardaway. He was a great NBA player and developed others to make it happen. We had good conversations and I trust him. I have observed the way he interacts with others, it is a very humble guy. “

Hardaway recently added Hall of Famer Larry Brown to his squad as an assistant coach, a hiring that Duren liked. “I spoke to him several times,” said Duren. “He was a very successful NBA head coach and he did it all. I can’t wait to pick his brain, work with him and the rest of the staff.”

A 6-foot-10 tall man from Delaware who played at Montverde Academy in Florida last season, Duren was ranked No. 2 in the 2022 class. He is coming out of a July in which he led his Nike Peach Jam Championship team grassroots program. Duren had 17 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks in the title game win over Brad Beal Elite.

In 15 games with the tag team final in July, Duren averaged 13.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.3 blocks.

Duren also helped lead Montverde Academy to the 2021 High School Nationals Championship, the school’s fifth national championship in nine years. Duren had nine points and nine rebounds in the title game and averaged 12.7 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in three games at the domestic tournament.

He also won a gold medal representing USA Basketball in 2019, helping them win the 2019 FIBA ​​Americas U16 Championship. Duren averaged 10.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in six games. in Brazil.

Duren was the most dominant player this season from a power standpoint. No one could match his physique. It starts on the glass as it bounces with an NBA-ready frame creating space with girth, tremendous strength, broad shoulders, and sure hands. He’s a two-handed rebounder and has an explosive rebound to fend off duds with thunderous dunks. He also blocks hits with an intimidating character.

On the boulder he gets a deep position and can move on to a drop step or jump hook. Duren is a powerful and highly efficient sieve and can finish bead sieves. His shot touch is reliable from 12 feet, and he displayed a nice flipping shot on the block. He also underestimated the vision and precision of his passing game.

As a traditional center or power forward, his offensive range and repertoire will need to be addressed during the offseason, but look for Duren to be a potential double-double player in Memphis, a unique prospect and a first-round pick.

Duren is Memphis’ top-ranked entry since No.1 prospect James Wiseman selected the Tigers in 2019. Hardaway landed three five-star prospects in the 2019 class, one five-star in the 2020 class and now has a other five stars. in class 2021.

Hardaway’s 2021 class now includes three ESPN 100 prospects, with Duren joining Johnathan Lawson and Josh Minott, as well as Sam Onu and John Camden. The Tigers also brought three major transfers: Earl Timberlake (9.3 PPG in Miami), Tyler Harris (7.5 PPG at Iowa State) and Chandler Lawson (4.4 PPG at Oregon).

This group of newcomers join three returning starters – Landers Nolley II, DeAndre Williams, Lester Quinones – from a group that beat Mississippi State to win the NIT Championship.

The addition of Duren puts Memphis firmly in the top 25 of the preseason. The Tigers also remain in the mix for Emoni Bates, the No. 1 prospect in the 2022 class who announced earlier this week that he plans to retire in 2021.