When Penny Hardaway sat down with Baraka Okojie and his father, Ojie, last month, the Memphis basketball coach leveled with them.

Hardaway was already deep into a roster rebuild in an offseason likely more crucial than any since he took the Tigers job six years ago. He had commitments from a potential superstar-in-the-making in guard PJ Haggerty, an experienced big man brimming with promise in Dain Dainja, and one of the top 3-point shooters available in the transfer portal in Colby Rogers.

Hardaway even had the point guard position addressed in the form of Tyrese Hunter, and he had a sneaking suspicion that pledges from Tyreek Smith and Moussa Cisse weren’t far off.

But in this moment, sitting across from Ojie and Okojie — a soon-to-be 19-year-old, 6-foot-3 point guard from Canada who’d recently finished his freshman season at George Mason — Hardaway laid his cards on the table.

“(He said), ‘We have pieces, but we don’t have what Baraka can do,’ ” said Ojie, who emigrated to Ontario from Nigeria in 2005. “ ’We have every piece that we think we need, but he’s different.’ ”

The sentiment Hardaway shared with Okojie and his family that day in April points a bright shining beam at perhaps the least buzzed-about newcomer Memphis has added. Before now, that’s something that might have made Okojie a little uncomfortable.

Not anymore.

“I wanted a bigger stage,” Okojie said. “I’m ready to showcase myself.”

Unheralded by choice?

Okojie is from Brampton, the same suburb of Toronto that has produced NBA talent such as Tristan Thompson, Tyler Ennis and former No. 1 draft pick Anthony Bennett.

He began his high school career at St. Margaret Catholic School, then enrolled at J. Addison School in nearby Markham, Ontario. It was clear then that Okojie needed more of a challenge to help propel his basketball career. He had multiple offers from prep schools like Christ School (in Arden, North Carolina) and Montverde Academy (in Florida) — both of which traditionally boast elite-level basketball programs.

Instead, Okojie opted for DME Academy — which was founded in 2015 in Daytona Beach, Florida, and less visible by comparison — in 2022. The decision initially confounded Ojie.

“I was mad,” Ojie said, partially in jest. “I asked him why and he was like, ‘Dad, I want to go somewhere to make a difference. Montverde will win anyway.’ ”

Okojie, who played for Canada Elite on the AAU circuit and represented his home country in the FIBA Americas and FIBA World Cup, blossomed at DME Academy, averaging 14 points, five assists and five rebounds. As the team captain, he led DME to what coach Matt Panaggio calls the biggest win in program history, putting up 22 points in a road victory against IMG Academy.

“I tell people all the time, that was one of the best decisions I ever made,” Okojie said. “Going somewhere where it’s just me and I’ve got to figure it out. And that’s what I did.”

A low-key Memphis basketball fan

As much as he enjoyed his time at DME Academy, Okojie was ready to take the next step. So he bypassed his senior year and enrolled at George Mason.

As an 18-year-old, Okojie played in 32 games last season, making 10 starts. He averaged 8.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists, earning a spot on the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie team.

His showing drew strong interest when he entered the transfer portal. Suitors from the ACC, Big East, A-10 and AAC tried to make inroads. But Okojie liked what he saw (and heard) from Memphis.

In fact, he’d had his eye on the Tigers for a while — and one player in particular.

“I always knew about Coach Penny and the way he likes to run his teams, especially when Kendric Davis was here,” he said. “That was one of my favorite players to watch that season. Just his demeanor and the way he got into people.”

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Okojie admits he borrows bits and pieces of many point guards’ games. But Davis (who became an All-American at Memphis in 2022-23, and now plays for the Golden State Warriors’ G League affiliate) speaks to him.

“His confidence. His ability to lead the team,” Okojie said. “His toughness. I would like to be close to that.”

What Baraka Okojie brings to the table

Okojie has spent the past several weeks working out with his personal trainer, Jordan Cox, who singles out his pupil's speed, agility and competitiveness as his primary strengths.

"Baraka has the 'it' factor you almost can't describe," Cox said. "I would call him a prototype point guard."

They spend four hours in the gym, twice a day, seven days a week. Cox said he never suggested Okojie dedicate that much time.

“He wanted something more aggressive,” Cox said. “He’s not one of these kids who gets successful and gets content. I think he’s just hungrier to do more than he did last year.”

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: Why Penny Hardaway wanted Baraka Okojie for Memphis basketball