Memphis basketball is off to a strong start this offseason. What will the Tigers do next?

Penny Hardaway made a welcomed splash last week when the Memphis basketball coach officially began this year's great roster rebuild.

The Tigers reeled in potential superstar-in-the-making PJ Haggerty and skilled 6-foot-10 big man Dain Dainja on back-to-back days, putting a dent in the work Hardaway has cut out for himself. Things quieted down in the days that followed as an NCAA-mandated dead period (no in-person contact and no official or unofficial visits) began April 4.

But the current dead period ends Thursday, and Memphis has a long way to go.

Here is a look at where Hardaway's roster stands and what could be on the horizon.

What they've done

Division I teams are allowed to have up to 13 players on scholarship each season. The Tigers currently have four that have been claimed and one that may or may not be in first-team all-AAC performer David Jones.

But two of those represent what are possibly the biggest needs Memphis has: a front-line point guard and and a proven big man.

First, there's Haggerty − an explosive, young playmaker who was the On3.com's No. 2 available player in the transfer portal and has three seasons of eligibility remaining. He was named the Kyle Macy National Freshman of the Year after a remarkable redshirt freshman season at Tulsa that saw him put up 21.2 points (the 15th-highest average in the country), 5.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game.

Dainja is a skilled, veteran center who spent the past two seasons at Illinois after redshirting at Baylor. He played a little more than 10 minutes per game this season, averaging 6.1 points and 3.6 rebounds. However, he averaged 9.5 points and 5.5 rebounds during his first season in the Big Ten. Dainja also ranked eighth in the league with 1.2 blocks per game, slightly behind the likes of Zach Edey, Cliff Omoruyi and Hunter Dickinson.

The Tigers are also in line to welcome Nicholas Jourdain back for a second season. The 6-9 forward, who was solid at Memphis with 6.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists a game, spoke publicly about his desire to return.

Another newcomer set to join the mix is four-star Silsbee (Texas) guard Jared Harris, who averaged 21.4 points per game (on 53% shooting from the field) as a senior.

What's left to do

Simply because Jourdain has openly discussed his desire to remain at Memphis, that does not mean he will definitely be back. Things can change. So, the finish line still hasn't been crossed there.

Then, there is also Jones' situation. While the 6-6 wing still has not officially declared for the NBA Draft, the expectation is he will. But that does not mean he won't return to the Tigers. He has said multiple times that he will wait before making a final decision.

In the meantime, Memphis still has plenty of needs to address. Perhaps most notably is an athletic wing with a penchant for strong defense and a legitimate perimeter threat. The Tigers could also be in the market for a face-up big capable of guarding multiple positions.

Picking up players who fit those descriptions would take some of the pressure off of Hardaway moving forward.

Who could be next?

So, which players currently in the transfer portal could Memphis soon be zeroing in on?

Some Tigers fans have pegged North Texas wing Aaron Scott as a candidate to play the 3-and-D role for Hardaway. The 6-7 Scott averaged 10.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.1 steals per game for the Mean Green as a junior.

MEMPHIS BASKETBALL: How Penny Hardaway sold Illinois transfer Dain Dainja − and his mom − on Memphis basketball

Wichita State's Colby Rogers fits the sharpshooter mold. This season the 6-4 Rogers, who has also played at Cal Poly and Siena, hit the 15th-most 3-pointers in the country (99) and was 25th in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage (40.9%).

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 starts offseason strong. What's next for Tigers?