If Penny Hardaway is finished at East, he's leaving memorable legacy

MURFREESBORO — If Saturday is indeed Penny Hardaway's final game at East before moving on to the University of Memphis, he plans on making sure his players go out with something he never got as a player: A state championship.

Despite some shaky moments Friday at Murphy Center, the Mustangs pulled away in the final moments and defeated Bearden, 72-60. In Saturday's 1 p.m. Class AAA final, they'll take on district rival Whitehaven for the fifth time this season.

A fifth victory would give East its third consecutive championship but would technically be Hardaway's first as head coach. Although he still did the bulk of the in-game coaching, he was listed as an assistant the past two years due to TSSAA rules.

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"Actually, I'm a little jealous because I never got a chance to win a ring in high school," said Hardaway, who starred at now-closed Treadwell High.

"I wanted to win a championship so bad and I still think about it to this day because we lost to a team that year (1989) that beat us three times, Bolton High School  .... that's what drives me to want to get these guys rings (and) championships."

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On Thursday, The Commercial Appeal reported that Hardaway's move to his alma mater would be announced early next week, according to sources with direct knowledge of the situation. The 46-year-old would replace Tubby Smith, who was fired on Wednesday after two seasons on the job and a 40-24 record.

Hardaway declined to discuss the Memphis job on Wednesday and Friday again put the spotlight on his players, who trailed Bearden 38-30 but used a 14-1 run in the third quarter to take a lead they never relinquished.

Although the Mustangs are tournament-tested, the speculation surrounding their coach has to have been a distraction at least on some level. But with one game remaining in the season, everything appears to be on track.

"You read  it, but you don't let it get into the locker room," Hardaway said. "We have a goal and that goal is to win the third gold ball in a row. And if you can't focus enough for that, you shouldn't be here."

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A state title in high school was one of the few things that escaped Hardaway the player. Since turning to coaching — first at Lester Middle School and then at East — that success has carried forward. That track record, along with his status as a local icon, are two of the reasons he'd make a nice fit at Memphis.

But if Saturday's game is his swan song, he'll certainly be missed. Both in the way that he molded them as players and as solid citizens.

"Everything I do positive and good, he taught me," said Wichita State signee Alex Lomax, who led East with 18 points on Friday.

"He helped me with my ball-handling, my passing (just) helped me to be the best PG I could be. He taught me the ins-and-outs, the angles ... I just try to do it to the best of my ability."

Added junior Chandler Lawson, who finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds, "He's just like another father to me. He's helped many of us out with our lives ... if we're down, he'll help us out."

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James Wiseman, the nation's top junior in the class of 2019, missed all but two minutes of the first half after picking up two quick fouls but ended with 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting.

All in all then, it was a good performance against a determined but ultimately outmanned opponent. East fans are asking for just one more Saturday.

"I think he'll do great (at Memphis)," said fan Cheryl Garner. "But we'll always have his back."

Reach John Varlas at john.varlas@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @johnvarlas