The University of Memphis Women’s basketball team will host Mississippi Valley State University at the Elma Roane Field House on Monday at 11 a.m. to open their season.
Here’s my season preview for an incredibly talented Memphis women’s basketball team featuring SEC and Big 10 transfers.
Led by 2004 Tennesee Miss Basketball, former Lady Volunteer and two-time national champion head coach Alex Simmons, the Tigers had their way on the recruiting trail, bringing in players with NCAA tournament and power-conference experience.
FedEx announced its NIL partnership with the University of Memphis in April, pledging $5M annually for the next five years. The program is “initially centered around football, men’s and women’s basketball, and additional women’s sports.”
Undoubtedly, FedEx’s initiative helped the Lady Tigers attract some top talent. So let’s meet that talent.
Impact transfers:
-Tilly Boler, 6’1, Guard: Boler, a Jackson State transfer, has plenty of championship pedigree to help Memphis reach the promised land. In her four years as a Blue Bengal, Boler and JSU won the SWAC three times, leading to three March Madness births. Notably, Boler exploded for a 25-point performance against three-seeded UCONN. Boler, a wiry, tough-shot-maker, led Memphis in scoring in the Hoops for St. Jude Classic exhibition matchup against defending national champions South Carolina with 16 points.
-Elauna Eaton, 6’, Wing: After two separate SEC stops, including Arkansas and Ole Miss, Eaton, a lefty sharpshooter with size, finds a home in the 901. Eaton did not suit up in Memphis’ exhibition contest against South Carolina because of a concussion suffered in practice but will play a significant role for the Tigers, likely off the bench.
-DeeDee Hagemann, 5’7, Point Guard: Just months removed from an appearance on the all-Big-10 second team at Michigan State after averaging over 12 points and 5 assists, Hagemann committed to Memphis in August. Hagemann, who was named to the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year watch list earlier this month, will not be eligible to play immediately for the Tigers because of a lingering academic eligibility issue. Hagemann will return, at the latest, December 18th, for the Memphis’ in-state matchup against Tennesee at the FedEx Forum. Whenever Hagemann does see the court for the first time, expect a considerable mid-season jolt for the Tigers.
Impact Returnees:
-Alasia Smith, 5’10, Forward: Smith became the first player in program history to average 2+ steals and 1+ blocks per game last season. Smith, who enters her fifth collegiate basketball season, has spent all five seasons with Coach Simmons. This dynamic is displayed on and off the court, as Simmons ultimately trusts Smith as a player and leader. Smith finished the 2023-2024 season averaging 9.8 points and 9.5 rebounds.
-Hannah Riddick, 6’1, Forward: Riddick is not the biggest player in stature, but my goodness, is she intense. Her efficiency (51.1 FG% in 2023) and rebounding (6.6 RPG in 2022) make her a pivotal piece to the Tigers' rotation.
-Tanyuel Welch, 5’10, Guard: With DeeDee Hagemann missing up to nine games, the Tigers will heavily rely on Welch to run the point guard position. Luckily for Memphis, she does it well. After playing a minimal role in her freshman year in 2022-23 and missing all of the following season due to a torn ACL, Welch enters 2024 as a starter with big expectations. Welch is an athletic guard who can finish at an elite level around the rim. If she can manage an average three-point shot, she will be hard to gameplan for.
-Raven Sims, 5’9, Guard: Sims, a former Bartlett Panther, is the lone local talent for the Tigers. Sims is a plus athlete who excels downhill or in transition and is developing a mid-range shot. She will be relied upon off the bench to contribute to the deep guard rotation.
Starting five
In the Hoops for St. Jude Classic, the Tigers only had 10 players dressed to play. All 10 found the hardwood in the first quarter of play. Here’s what the starters looked like for the Tigers in their scrimmage against South Carolina:
G, Boler, Tilly
G, Welch, Tanyuel
F, Riddick, Hannah
F, Smith, Alasia
C, Fulmore, Quinzia
Injuries:
-Ally Hollifield, Guard: Hollifield suffered a torn ACL in preseason practice and will be out for the season. Hollifeild appeared in 13 games for the Tigers in her freshman campaign in 2023-24.
-Destyne Jackson, Guard: Jackson has played a lot of quality reserve minutes for the Tigers in her two years in Memphis. I saw her back in September at the Sissy’s Log Cabin donor event, and she was in a boot, and she remained in the same boot until I last saw her at the Hoops for St Jude Classic in mid-October. I'm unsure of her status at the start of the season, but it's fair to assume she will miss time.
-Taylor Barner, Guard: Barner, the Tiger's prized recruit from the 2024 high school class, suffered a torn ACL in her state championship tournament and will miss the season rehabbing.
Home Schedule:
November
4, MSVU, 11 am, Monday
10, Samford, 2 p.m., Sunday
19, SE Louisiana, 7 pm, Tuesday
23, Murray St, 2 pm, Saturday
December
18, Tennesee (FedExForum), 7:30 pm, Wednesday
21, Louisville (FedExForum), 4 pm, Saturday
January
1, Wichita, 3 pm, Wednesday
4, UNT, 2 pm, Saturday
15, UTSA, 7 pm, Wednesday
29, Charlotte, 7 pm, Wednesday
February
1, ECU, 2 pm, Saturday
8, FAU, 2 pm, Saturday
19, UAB, 7 pm, Wednesday
25, Temple, 7 pm, Tuesday
March
1, Tulsa, 2 pm, Saturday
