The Memphis Tigers' basketball squad is shoring up its roster with some strategic moves in the off-season, most notably acquiring the talents of Quante Berry, a transfer from Temple. As per an announcement on WREG, Berry, who averaged a commendable 10.3 points and 4.3 rebounds last season, will don the Tigers' jersey after Memphis claimed both the AAC regular-season and tournament titles.
Despite the high number of season wins, Memphis faced a quick exit in the NCAA Tournament, which means it's time to retool, and Hardaway isn't wasting any time beefing up his squad. It's not just the numbers that make Berry an exciting catch for Memphis; when playing against the Tigers last season, he averaged an impressive 17.5 points, as highlighted by WREG's coverage of the player's stats.
Moreover, Berry's decision to join Memphis was shared on his personal Instagram account, which marks him as the first transfer to commit to the Tigers' coach Penny Hardaway this offseason, reported The Commercial Appeal. Hardaway, no stranger to plucking talent from within the AAC, now has at least seven scholarships to fill for the season starting in 2025-26. The article also notes that Berry, a native of Cleveland, Tennessee, has two seasons of eligibility remaining after redshirting at Providence and playing for Temple.
The push to strengthen the Tigers' roster comes as Hardaway aims to return his team to the NCAA Tournament glory. According to Temple News, Berry was the fourth leading scorer this past season with Temple and the main ball-handler for the Owls. However, there is some intrigue, as Berry's time with Temple ended sourly when he unexpectedly did not suit up for Temple's AAC tournament game against Tulsa on March 13. His transfer to the Tigers will see him play against his former team at least once in the upcoming season and place him closer to his hometown.
