Anfernee Hardaway

Penny Hardaway was a two-time Great Midwest Conference MVP who led Memphis State to the 1992 Elite Eight.

Anfernee Deon Hardaway was born in Memphis, Tennessee in 1972. He grew up in poverty in Memphis and attended Memphis State University — now the University of Memphis — a programme that was not regarded as a national power at the time. Across two seasons he averaged 17.4 points and 6.8 assists per game and transformed Memphis State's national profile. He was the Metro Conference Player of the Year and a consensus All-American. His combination of 6ft 7in height with point guard skills — the physical profile that would define the modern multi-position guard — was unprecedented at the college level. Golden State Warriors selected him third overall in the 1993 NBA Draft and immediately traded his rights to Orlando Magic in the Chris Webber deal. His Memphis State career is now recalled with particular significance because Hardaway later returned to his hometown as head coach of the University of Memphis — creating one of sport's more complete full-circle stories. His early NBA peak with the Magic — four All-Star appearances before knee injuries — fulfilled the promise his college career at Memphis demonstrated.

Hardaway was a versatile point guard with exceptional size at 6'7", allowing him to see over defenses and create mismatches. He possessed outstanding ball-handling skills, court vision, and the ability to score from anywhere on the court, combining the playmaking of a traditional point guard with the scoring ability of a shooting guard.

Hardaway helped revolutionize the point guard position by demonstrating how a tall, athletic player could effectively run an offense while maintaining elite ball-handling skills.

• Consensus first-team All-American 1993
• Great Midwest Conference MVP 1992, 1993