Former SMU guard Kendric Davis, the No. 1 men’s basketball transfer in the country, announced his commitment to Memphis on Friday night.
Davis, who initially heard from more than 30 schools after entering the portal, ultimately chose the Tigers from a final list that also included Texas, Kansas, Texas Tech, Gonzaga, Houston and TCU.
A 6-foot point guard from Houston, Davis immediately took over the No. 1 spot in ESPN’s transfer rankings after entering the portal earlier this month. He earned American Athletic Conference Player of the Year honors this past season after averaging 19.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists while shooting 37.2% from 3-point range.
After starting his career at TCU in 2018-19, Davis became one of the most productive guards in the country over the past three seasons. He averaged 14.2 points and 6.7 assists in his first season at SMU in 2019-20, then averaged 19 points, 4.2 rebounds and 7.6 assists in 2020-21. During that junior campaign, Davis ranked fourth in the country in assists and was the only player in the country to lead his league in scoring and assists.
After guiding Memphis to one of the more impressive in-season turnarounds in the country, Penny Hardaway now faces a rebuilding effort with the Tigers. But Hardaway now has an elite player as his anchor. Given his proven productivity in the league and Memphis’ need for a go-to scorer, Davis will likely open the season as the preseason AAC Player of the Year.
The Tigers had three seniors on last season’s roster, and also lost six players to the transfer portal, including part-time starters Landers Nolley and Earl Timberlake, and one-time No. 1 recruit Emoni Bates. Jalen Duren and Josh Minott also entered the NBA draft.
Expect Hardaway to build around Davis, returning starter Lester Quinones and Georgia Southern transfer Elijah McCadden moving forward this offseason.