Memphis adds four-star senior Damion Baugh
The rebuilding and rebranding of Memphis basketball under Penny Hardaway continued on Wednesday when four-star senior guard Damion Baugh committed to the Tigers.
A native of Nashville who has spent his last two years of high school at Memphis (Tenn.) Tennessee Prep, the 6-foot-4 point guard decided that continuing on in Memphis would be best for him and his future.
"Really after my visit my dad told me to look at the fact that Penny played my position in the NBA and he can help me get there," Baugh told Rivals.com. "I can pick his brain every day about playing the point guard and also Mike Miller is there and he played in the NBA too. To be around those guys every day could be great for my future.
"We have a good relationship."
While Memphis has a pair of freshman point guards in Alex Lomax and Tyler Harris who have shown flashes of excellence, they are both sub six footers and the lack of size has been exposed at times. Not only does Baugh -- who starred for Team Thad in the Under Armour Association during grassroots play -- give the Tigers another ball handler, he gives them much needed size in the backcourt.
He's at his best pushing tempo and perhaps more importantly for what will be a young team next year, Baugh has the tools to be a high level perimeter defender in college.
"I think he can do big things at Memphis," said Team Thad director Norton Hurd. " I saw him do some special things in the summer. I don't think there's many point guards out there who are 6-foot-4 or 6-foot-5 like him who can defend, do everything you need to win. He's a triple double threat every time he plays."
The fourth member of a strong class for Hardaway in his first full season on the job, Baugh joins 2019's No. 3 ranked player James Wiseman (who like Baugh is from Nashville and attends high school in Memphis) along with four-star swingman D.J. Jeffries and four-star big man Malcolm Dandridge. As a group, the Tigers class now ranks No. 7 overall in the 2019 team rankings.
"I'm very excited, I've played with D.J. in the summer for some games and that was good to get a taste. He and James and him were all texting me and on me to come play with them," said Baugh. "First we want to win the conference and then try and win a National Championship."