PJ Haggerty was the third main scorer in males’s school basketball this previous season in a breakout sophomore yr for the Memphis Tigers. Haggerty averaged 21.7 factors per recreation by splashing photographs from all three ranges and constantly attending to the free throw line. Solely Villanova’s Eric Dixon and Northern Arizona’s Trenton McLaughlin averaged extra factors in the course of the 2024-2025 season, and each of them are out of eligibility for subsequent yr.
Haggerty is the newest stunning addition to the switch portal, getting into his title on Thursday afternoon simply forward of the April 22 deadline. He instantly turns into one of many prime out there gamers within the portal, and he is likely to be the most effective title on the checklist by way of gamers with a number of years of eligibility remaining.
This can be a devastating blow for Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway, who’s coming off his greatest season but at 29-6 general, but didn’t win a recreation within the 2025 NCAA match. There’s going to be an extended checklist of suitors for a participant with this sort of manufacturing. He went into the switch portal with a “don’t contact” tag, which suggests he might have his subsequent vacation spot already picked out.
Haggerty averaged 21.7 factors, 5.8 boards and three.7 assists and went into the portal with a “don’t contact” tag. https://t.co/Y8gMF0Z1mw
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) April 17, 2025
We ranked Haggerty at No. 9 on our checklist of the 50 greatest gamers getting into March Insanity. The eight gamers ranked above him are all both returning to their authentic college or getting into the 2025 NBA Draft.
The NBA doesn’t have a lot curiosity in Haggerty as a result of he’s a bit of small for a scoring guard (6’3, 191 kilos) and doesn’t have a lot athletic explosion — he completed the season with zero dunks. Nonetheless, that is precisely the kind of guard that nice school groups want in March as an instant-offense ingredient who can create off the dribble.
Haggerty was an absolute workhorse for Memphis this previous yr, ending No. 9 in whole minutes performed throughout DI whereas rating No. 2 in each free throws made and free throw makes an attempt. He’s not a excessive quantity three-point shooter, making an attempt solely three photographs from deep per recreation, however he’s nonetheless an environment friendly scorer due to his potential to get to the foul line. His 58.3 p.c true taking pictures was above-average, and is much more spectacular when blended together with his 20 p.c help charge and 28 p.c utilization charge.
Haggerty possible stands to money in large time within the portal. Title a school staff that wants a beginning guard: Haggerty needs to be their prime choice. North Carolina figures to a be severe suitor for Haggerty. St. John’s nonetheless wants a guard because it targets former UNC freshman Ian Jackson. Will an SEC college like Alabama or Kentucky attempt to get into the combo? A college like Indiana might actually use him within the backcourt to compete within the Large Ten.
Haggerty may very well be a Preseason First-Group All-American when he reviews to campus for the 2025-2026 season. Gamers with this stage of manufacturing, expertise, and two years of remaining eligibility don’t come round typically. Memphis’ loss will likely be a blueblood’s achieve almost definitely.
