TAMPA — Memphis basketball coach Penny Hardaway was in the running for Oklahoma State big man Andrija Vuković.
But he did not have enough money. Vuković signed with George Washington for more than what the Tigers could offer at the time.
"George Washington," Hardaway deadpanned during an exclusive interview with The Commercial Appeal at American Conference media day on Oct. 12. "That was hurtful."
So, Hardaway wrote a check for $2.6 million, he said. And the next time he had a chance to land a Serbian center, he didn't miss. By closing the financial gap with his contribution, Hardaway landed Nemanja Popović and also sealed the deal with FAU transfer big Maxim Logue.
(Vuković's) agent said, 'We have another kid that’s even better, (and) that’s when
I had to go into my own money. (I said) ‘We can’t let this kid pass,' " Hardaway said. "To finish those (deals), I had to go where I needed to go. Because I knew we needed both."
Hardaway's contribution is in addition to what Memphis athletic director Ed Scott allocated to men's basketball and brings the total for 2026-27 to $9 million.
The motivation behind his decision was two-fold.
"They didn’t ask me to do it, they were saying if you want more money you have to put your money in. So I did," he said. "I didn’t want to fail two years in a row, because I already know what that means for me. Because it’s already like the death sentence for me from so many different people, which is hilarious."
Hardaway only wishes he would have moved sooner than mid-June.
"For us to get to that number, I wish I would’ve had it in the beginning (of the offseason)," he said. "Then, I would’ve definitely constructed the roster way differently. If I had $9 million in the beginning and not $5 (million), it would’ve just been a different mindset.
"It probably would’ve been, you go after one of the top-five guys in the portal. Go hard after him, and say, 'Hey, we have this money. Go and get a superstar, that would bring people to the stadium. He’s playing in the NCAA tournament. Played in Final Fours.' "
Memphis is set to host a secret scrimmage against Jacksonville State on Oct. 18, then will travel for exhibition games against Mississippi State (Oct. 23) and Arkansas (Oct. 28). The regular-season opener is set for Nov. 2 against Iowa State at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com, follow him @munzly on X.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Why Memphis basketball coach Penny Hardaway put $2.6 million toward revenue sharing
