Memphis basketball coach Penny Hardaway picks up George Mason transfer Baraka Okojie

Memphis basketball coach Penny Hardaway added to his retooled backcourt Monday with the addition of George Mason transfer guard Baraka Okojie.

Okojie's announcement followed that of Texas transfer Tyrese Hunter, a former Big 12 Freshman of the Year honoree.

The 6-foot-3 Okojie played 21 games (nine starts) for the Patriots as a freshman. Okojie scored 8.1 points per game, while averaging 2.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists.

Okojie, who will be 19 in June and is from Ontario, Canada, has three seasons of eligibility remaining.

Five transfers have given their commitments to the Tigers, including Okojie, Hunter, former Tulsa guard PJ Haggerty, former Wichita State guard Colby Rogers and former Illinois big man Dain Dainja. Memphis will also welcome incoming freshman guard Jared Harris.

Okojie's addition is another step toward filling out a roster that is short on returning players. Only forward Nicholas Jourdain and walk-on guards Joe Cooper and Noah Stansbury are presently expected to return. Leading scorer David Jones recently declared for the NBA Draft but announced he is also maintaining his collegiate eligibility, leaving the door open for a potential return.

Hardaway, determined to improve the Tigers' defense after struggling on that end of the court in 2023-24, has also brought in a potential defensive stalwart in Okojie. He averaged 1.9 steals per game at George Mason, while 50 of his 61 rebounds were of the defensive variety.

Okojie also showed an elite ability to get to the free throw line last season. He finished fifth in the nation in free throw rate (82.9%) and drew an average of five fouls per game. Haggerty, as a freshman at Tulsa, drew 7.9 fouls per game.

While not much of a 3-point threat (5-of-21 there last season), Okojie shot 53.4% inside the arc and hit on 73.3% of his free throw attempts.

Okojie came on strong at the end of the season, when he assumed primary starting responsibilities. He started the last eight games of the season, including wins over both Dayton and Richmond. During that span, Okojie averaged 10.8 points per game (on 47.5% shooting from the field) and 4.0 assists a game.

DAVID JONES: Memphis basketball star David Jones declares for NBA Draft, will keep college eligibility

The regular signing period is open and runs through May 15 but players are still eligible to sign after that. There are more than 1,000 names still in the transfer portal with more being added every day. The last day a player can enter the portal and still be eligible for the 2024-25 season is May 1, but players do not have to commit or sign by that date.

Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or follow him @munzly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis basketball picks up George Mason transfer Baraka Okojie