Memphis freshman JJ Taylor enters NCAA Transfer Portal

Memphis freshman JJ Taylor has entered the NCAA transfer portal, On3 has learned. Taylor played in three games this past season, pulling down two rebounds across six minutes of action.

The Chicago native was ranked as a four-star recruit and the No. 95 overall player in the country in the class of 2023, according to the On3 Industry rankings.

Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway was fired up about the addition of JJ Taylor after he signed with Memphis in November of 2022.

“We are ecstatic to have JJ join the Memphis Tiger Family,” Hardaway said in a statement. “He is uniquely talented with every offensive skill you can think of. He is a true mismatch problem with a terrific blend of length, explosiveness, skill and shot-making ability.”

JJ Taylor chose Memphis over offers from Kansas, Kentucky, Duke, North Carolina and several other top programs in the country.

Memphis finished with a 22-10 record in 2023-24. The Tigers got off to a strong start to the season, opening with a 15-2 record and being ranked in the top 15. However, they struggled the second half of the season and missed out on the NCAA Tournament.

JJ Taylor could have been a potential piece to build around next season. However, now he is off to a new school.

Tom Crean passionately condemns teams for declining NIT invitation

Memphis had an opportunity to continue play in the NIT but chose not to.

Among the teams that turned down NIT invitations were Indiana, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Memphis, St. John’s and Pittsburgh. The sheer number left one former coach and current college basketball analyst fuming: Tom Crean.

“There’s no question about it,” Crean said on ESPN. “I would want to coach, I would want to develop my team. You’ve got bigger staffs than you’ve ever had. There’s plenty of time for the portal. There’s plenty of time to talk to recruits. There’s plenty of time to negotiate NIL deals.

“There’s not plenty of time to play. There’s not plenty of time to get your players on the floor and give them a chance to get better. There’s not plenty of time for guys to continue to play that may never get to play again. And that to me is absolutely ridiculous.”

That’s not to say that every decision is made equally. Each team has different circumstances.

Take Ole Miss, for example. The Rebels currently have a player, Jamarion Sharp, whose mother is in critical condition. Sharp has taken some time away from the team already to be with his mother, but surely it was taxing trying to play college basketball games knowing she was fighting for her life.

Still, the proliferation of teams declining NIT bids citing a focus on the transfer portal could easily become a trend. There are several teams this year who opted to cut their postseasons short.