What Penny Hardaway said when asked about Memphis basketball job after Tubby Smith fired

MURFREESBORO — Penny Hardaway was tight-lipped Wednesday about speculation that he will soon be the next men's basketball coach at the University of Memphis. But at least one rival thinks it's a good idea.

"I think he'll be a phenomenal coach," Whitehaven coach Faragi Phillips said at the TSSAA boys state basketball tournament. "Obviously he's a good friend of mine and I think he'll do well. His ability to prepare and have his kids (ready) to face their opponents is what's so, so impressive to me."

More: Memphis fires Tubby Smith after two seasons. Will Penny Hardaway be his successor?

Calkins: Now that Tubby Smith is gone, can Penny Hardaway save Memphis basketball?

Hardaway's team was certainly impressive as East, the two-time Class AAA champions, brushed aside previously undefeated Blackman, 52-33, to advance to Friday's semifinals.

But if Hardaway has any designs on replacing Tubby Smith, who was fired Wednesday after two seasons on the job and a 40-26 record, he wasn't saying.

"I can't," said Hardaway, who arrived in the interview room well after players Alex Lomax and James Wiseman, when asked if he was in talks to become the Tigers' next coach.

"Because I'm at East right now. I want to be able to focus on East right now ... I'm with these guys; I'm invested in them.

"We hear the noise (speculation); they hear the noise but they've never heard me bring anything up. They know what I'm about and that's this third gold ball. I'm not focusing on anything else outside of that."

Indeed, Hardaway was in the crowd scouting as Bearden defeated Mt. Juliet to set up an 11:30 a.m. game with his team Friday.

More: Penny Hardaway is leading candidate to replace Tubby Smith as Memphis basketball coach

More: Penny Hardaway to Memphis? Five things to know about the former NBA star

More: Tennessee high school boys basketball state tournament schedule

And his players didn't seem to be distracted against an opponent that headed into the game with a 32-0 record. East (27-3) trailed by three points after the first quarter, posted a shutout in the second quarter and gradually extended its lead after taking a 23-12 advantage into the locker room.

"It's the East High culture," said Lomax, who has signed with Wichita State. "We just stay within each other, stay within our circle and ignore anything that doesn't have to do with the family."

The 6-11 Wiseman, ranked as the No. 1 player in the class of 2019 according to ESPN, led East with 15 points and eight rebounds. Lomax, playing in his fourth state tournament, added 14.

Reach John Varlas at john.varlas@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @johnvarlas