FEATURE STORY
nating win (77 to 64) over Mississippi State. It was the school’s first NIT title since 2002 – and only the second na- tional basketball championship in school history. Hardaway and his gritty bunch of players deserve credit for overcom- ing tremendous adversity during the season – including several postponed and canceled games due to a COVID outbreak among the team. Even then, they came together as the season wound down – and very nearly earned a trip to the Big Dance. As to how Hardaway ended up with three members of Kappa Alpha Psi, Inc. as coaches, Hardaway explained, “When I got the head coaching job, Tony Madlock, who had been working in the college business for 20 plus years - he has always done a great job recruiting, so when I became the head coach at Memphis, which is both of our alma ma- ter - we played in the backcourt together back in the early 90s - I thought it was a great idea to bring him in. We pledged Kappa at the University of Memphis, so it was like it was destined to happen for us to work together as coaches because I saw how hard he worked. And then Jer- maine Johnson came along. I’ve known him for at least 20 plus years as well. And he was available at the right time and at the right place. That’s how three members of Kappa Alpha Psi ended up working together.” Johnson, who serves as an assistant coach, said that it was an unbelievable experience winning a championship with his fraternity brothers. He noted that the key to winning is having a championship mindset. “It’s all about collective sacrifices,” Johnson (Kappa Beta 2000) stressed, before adding, “Coach Hardaway has laid the foundation and the culture of winning every day. Champions are not going to get down on themselves dur- ing times of adversity. You have to have a one-agenda mindset, and that one agenda is to win the NCAA national championship.”
Johnson went on to reveal that his primary role as an assistant coach is to be a gatekeeper for Hardaway. “He is the ultimate leader for this program, so my job is to help him do things the right way, to stay loyal to him, and to carry out his vision - not my vi- sion, but his vision, and do it every day.” Madlock (Kappa Beta 1989), who recently accepted the position of Head Coach for South Carolina State Univer- sity Men’s Basketball Team, said it feels great to win a championship with Kappa men. “Anytime you talk about winning the championship on any level, especially at the college level, and to do it with two of my frat brothers - Penny and JJ – that makes it extra special,” Madlock said. As for advice for Kappa men in overcoming adversity, Madlock said, “One thing about us Kappa men is that we know about achievement, and we know what it takes to achieve, so what I would tell all Kappa men is to don’t let anything stop you.” Hardaway agreed with Madlock’s sentiments, adding, “When adversity hits, you have to buckle down and do whatever it takes to get over those humps. You have to always know that it is okay to be the bigger person. That’s actually something that my players learned this year - that it is not totally about you all the time. Sometimes you have to make it about other people to achieve at the highest level.”
the 2018-19 season, Hardaway’s 63 wins in three seasons are the third-most. Hardaway was introduced as Uni- versity of Memphis men's basketball coach during a March 20, 2018 press conference at the Laurie-Walton Family Basketball Center on the Park Avenue Campus. Hardaway became the school's 19th coach and the third former Tiger player in the modern era (since World War II) to lead the program, following Wayne Yates (1974-79) and Larry Finch (1986-97). The 2020-21 Tigers were one of the most exciting teams in the second half of the season and finished the year win- ning 11-of-13 games and securing a 20-8 record, including the 2021 NIT title over Mississippi State. The Tigers dis- patched Dayton, Boise State, Colorado State and Mississippi State en route to the NIT championship. A two-time All-American and two- time Great Midwest Conference Player of the Year, Hardaway averaged 22.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 2.4 steals in 1992-93. After his junior year, Hardaway declared for the NBA Draft and began a 14-year pro career with the Orlando Magic (1993-99), Phoenix Suns (1999-2004), New York Knicks (2004- 06) and Miami Heat (2007). The No. 3 pick in the 1993 NBA Draft, Hardaway quickly rose to star- dom with the Magic. He averaged 16.6
Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway
In three seasons since returning to his alma mater as head coach, Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway, a two-time All-Amer- ican, four-time NBA All-Star and United States Gold Medalist during his playing days, has led the Tigers to a 63-32 re- cord, three-straight 20-win seasons and the 2021 National Invitation Tourna- ment championship. Of over 50 head coaches hired before
36 | WINTER 2020-SPRING 2021 ♦ THE JOURNAL
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