LSU’s Tremont Waters doesn’t know much about Memphis, one of the more storied programs in college basketball, but he does know about the school’s new basketball head coach — Penny Hardaway.
Hardaway leads his team into Baton Rouge to play No. 22 LSU at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center Tuesday night in what could be a résumé booster for both teams come tournament time in March.
A four-time NBA All-Star and two-time All-NBA First-Team selection, Hardaway was one of the NBA’s most iconic point guards in the 1990s. He teamed up with LSU-great Shaquille O’Neal to help guide the Orlando Magic to the 1995 NBA Finals.
Now in his first year as Memphis coach, Hardaway was known for his extreme athleticism and play-making ability before a series of devastating knee injuries derailed his career. And even though Hardaway’s peak came before Waters was born, it didn’t stop LSU’s sophomore point guard from watching his highlights growing up.
“To now see him at the college level, it’s still like an eye-opener,” said Waters, who first encountered Hardaway when he coached at an AAU tournament years ago, describing the former NBA star’s ascension from coaching youth basketball to major college basketball as “dope.”
“He was a great player, so to see him here — it’s kind of overwhelming — and I can only imagine how his players feel,” Waters said. “But at the end of the day, your idols become your rivals at some point.”
Waters was a thorn in Memphis’ side during LSU’s 71-61 win in December 2017. He led all scorers with 18 points and added eight assists and four steals.
He is obviously going to be one of the focal points of Hardaway’s defensive game plan, and the first-year coach is definitely familiar with LSU after watching its games against Southeastern and UNC-Greensboro three times each.
“I’d say that’s a humbling feeling,” said Waters, who averages 15 points, six assists and over five steals through LSU’s first two games. “I grew up watching Penny Hardaway, and to have him game-planning for me, that is like a ‘wow’ feeling. But at the end of the day, I can’t look at it like that. I have to look at it like he’s just another opponent. He’s not Penny Hardaway when we’re playing on the court and I’m playing against his team. I want him to look at me like, ‘Wow, that’s Tremont Waters.'”