After a mediocre season in which the Tigers went 21-13, fans have high hopes for a breakthrough this season with the hiring of former University of Memphis standout and retired NBA star Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway.

“I think it is a good move,” freshman Cooper Haney said. “It is smart. It will make them do better.”

Haney thinks a new coaching staff will help the Tigers men’s basketball program succeed next season.

“I think they will win 24 or 25 games, because they are better coached and they will play smarter as a team,” Haney said.

Spencer Reynolds thinks the coaching changes will result in even more wins.

“I think they will get a solid 25 to 28 wins, because the players can not do it all,” the sophomore said. “They need a coach to lead them in the right direction.”

Laine Crabb said the changes won’t happen immediately.

“It will take a couple of years for Hardaway’s recruits to come in, since they are young,” the 10th-grader said, adding that the hires of Hardaway, who used to play for the Orlando Magic, and former Memphis Grizzlies star Mike Miller are good moves. “They have spent a lot of time in Memphis. It will be good for recruiting.”

Even though fans might have to wait for more wins, “I really think that it is a step in the right direction,” Reynolds said. “I think it is pretty obvious that this next season will be more enlightening than the last season.”