When Memphis basketball and No. 11 Clemson tip off at FedExForum, it will be the first ever meeting between the two sets of Tigers.
But coach Penny Hardaway's Tigers (7-2) might have an edge in the familiarity department. And his name is Caleb Mills. Memphis' senior shooting guard spent the past two seasons at Florida State, where he faced Clemson four times.
So, when The Commercial Appeal asked him Thursday if he knows Brad Brownell's undefeated Tigers (9-0) better than anyone at Memphis, he didn't miss a beat.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah − I know exactly what they're going to do," said Mills.
So far, Mills hasn't felt the need to speak up as Memphis has gone through its preparations for the game on Saturday (2 p.m., ESPN+). That's because every part of Hardaway's game plan is exactly how he would draw it up if he were the coach.
"They had it to a T," said Mills, who is averaging 9.8 points and 3.7 rebounds a game. "The things we've been doing (in preparation) is how I've known to attack it. We're going to pressure (their) guards and do different things. Use different schemes. We've already gone over it a couple times, and it's going to work well."
Mills is even well acquainted with Clemson's star newcomer, Joseph Girard III. The team's second-leading scorer, Girard is a Syracuse transfer, which Mills has also faced four times over the past two seasons in the ACC. He said Girard and Clemson's leading scorer PJ Hall make up the engine that makes the visiting Tigers go.
"They've always had dynamic wings, but I think (Girard has) been the best shooter of the dynamic wings they've had," Mills said. "(But) it's a good team. They don't beat themselves. Physical team."
Jordan Brown news?
Hardaway also met with members of the media Thursday. He was asked whether there has been any change to the status quo on the Jordan Brown front.
"His status, as far as I know, is sick. That's all I know," Hardaway said.
Brown started five games of the seven games he's played at Memphis this season. But he has struggled, averaging 6.1 points and 3.9 rebounds. Last week, Brown did not travel with the Tigers for wins at VCU or Texas A&M. Hardaway has said repeatedly that Brown is out due to illness.
Despite reports from anonymous social media presences, citing anonymous sources, that Brown's time at Memphis is finished, Hardaway maintains that Brown is simply sick without going into any more specifics than that.
"I mean, we're just trying to support him from afar," Hardaway said. "That's all we're doing as a team and as a staff. He's not at practice, but he's still with the program."
Penny Hardaway still feels disrespected
Hardaway admitted Thursday he thought Memphis would at least be ranked ahead of Texas A&M in the AP Top 25 poll.
But the Tigers aren't. They received only enough votes to garner 56 points, while the Aggies accumulated 58 points.
PENNY HARDAWAY:Sellout crowd vs Clemson would be best welcome home for Memphis basketball
"You're seeing all these teams losing in the top 25. You're seeing teams jump, (from) out of the top 25, 10, 11, 12, 14 spots, winning one game," Hardaway said. "We have the 13th-hardest schedule. We can cry all we want, but just watching that, it just makes you wonder. Like, what it is really all about?
"When we win those games, it seems like we don't move the needle and we don't get the respect. It's no other way to look at it, because: 13th-hardest schedule, we beat a really good team (on the road) and they're still ahead of us. If we're not in the top 25, we're definitely supposed to be, at least, ahead of Texas A&M for now."
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or follow him @munzly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.
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December 15, 2023 at 03:33AM
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Why Caleb Mills is confident Memphis basketball's game plan for No. 11 Clemson is sound - Commercial Appeal
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