NBA Draft: PJ Haggerty Continue Prolific Scoring for No. 21 Memphis

The 6-foot-3 guard is 5th in the nation in scoring and helping Memphis inch their way up the national rankings.

Jan 5, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Tigers guard PJ Haggerty (4) drives to the basket against the North Texas Mean Green during the first half at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Wesley Hale-Imagn Images / Wesley Hale-Imagn Images

On Sunday night, PJ Haggerty propelled the Memphis Tigers to their fifth win in their last six games putting up 27 points, five rebounds and three steals against North Texas. This marked Haggerty's 10th game scoring over 20 points through the team's first 15 contests. The sophomore guard has been scoring the cover off the ball this season and will be garnering more attention as Memphis continues to win games.

A transfer from Tulsa, Haggerty has exploded onto the scene for Memphis quicker than anyone would have thought. Although there was familiarity transferring to a conference opponent, he has exceeded his production and efficiency despite transferring to a better program. Haggerty is averaging 22.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.0 steals on a ridiculous 50% from the field and 44.7% from three.

The scoring guard has a unique offensive skillset that has proven to be highly effective at the college level. Although not super athletic, Haggerty has a quickness and shiftiness that allows him to get to the rim and past defenders with ease. He is a great finisher despite being a below the rim player and gets to his spots at will. Haggerty has an impressive floater and midrange game that he pairs with his finishing to make him a lethal inside-the-arc threat. He often uses his speed to blow by defenders in transition and beat teams down the court. One of his most impressive traits, Haggerty gets to the free throw line at an incredible rate. He has taken 8.9 free throws per game this season (3rd in the nation) while shooting 82.1% from the stripe. Getting to the line has been his forte in college as he attempted 10 free throws per game last season at Tulsa.

Despite having a smaller stature at 6-foot-3 and 191 pounds, Haggerty has scored the ball as well as anyone in the country thus far but has flown relatively under the radar. It is yet to be seen if his production will translate into NBA Draft discussions as he has rarely been found on mock drafts as Memphis enters into the thick of conference play. Haggerty is not a typical prospect NBA teams covet for a few reasons. The modern NBA is searching for high volume three-point shooters with size. Haggerty only attempts 3.1 threes per game even with his high scoring output and is a small off-guard at the NBA level. To accompany that, he is a below-the-rim player and has not shown a leaping ability many smaller NBA guards possess that makes up for lack of three-point shooting.

With that being said, Haggerty is still only 19 years old and has a scoring ability rarely found in the college game. He has had strong performances against top competition as well including a 27-point outburst against 4th ranked Auburn. If he is able to continue his play as Memphis wins games, Haggerty will gain more NBA attention as the season progresses.

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