The most important offseason of Penny Hardaway's tenure as Memphis basketball coach arrived earlier than most would have predicted two months ago.

But, when the Tigers' season ended last week (and even before it ended), Hardaway alluded to some of the things he might prioritize in the coming days, weeks and months. Speaking with reporters on March 11, just three days before Memphis' loss to Wichita State in its first game of the AAC tournament, Hardaway reiterated the importance of something he had identified on multiple occasions as a big factor in the derailment of the season.

"When you're putting teams together, 12-13 guys every year, you never know when that's gonna jell," he said. "I'm the first to say, we had some really bad losses at home and didn't take care of business. But the chemistry has to be there. It's not just about talent."

With that in mind, let's address some of Tiger fans' biggest questions in this week's mailbag:

Do you expect David Jones to come back? − Adewale Adeleke, via Tiger Basketball Insider text group

Hardaway, you may remember, gave himself a better than 50-50 chance of convincing David Jones to put off pro basketball and return to Memphis for his final season of eligibility.

"60-40, 70-30 us," were Hardaway's exact words when The Commercial Appeal asked him about it on March 7.

Jones, a first-team all-conference selection, led the AAC in scoring and was top-10 in the league in rebounding in 2023-24. Which makes it profusely evident that the prospect of him coming back to play for Hardaway could be an even bigger coup than landing him.

Jones hasn't said much publicly about it − other than he likes Hardaway as a coach and "we're going to see."

I have thought for a while that Jones' prospective return to the Tigers is not as far-fetched as some would have you believe. There have been some signs in recent weeks that make me feel even more confident than before.

But, until Jones goes through the process of testing the NBA draft waters (he has not declared yet, but he is expected to do so), there is no definitive answer. That's not what most want to hear, but it's the truth.

One thing to keep in mind, this could take a little while. The deadline to withdraw from NBA draft consideration and still maintain collegiate eligibility is May 29.

What is Carl Cherenfant's status for next year? − Brandon Echols, via Tiger Basketball Insider text group

The athletic, sturdy freshman guard played sparingly this season, leading to plenty of speculation that his Tigers career could end after just one season.

Three days after the transfer portal opened, Cherenfant's name has not been entered. Last week, when Hardaway most recently spoke to the media, he indicated he wanted to build next season's roster around more defensive-minded players. If that's the case, between that and an increased desire for decreased turnover, it makes sense Hardaway would want Cherenfant back for another season.

After all, Steve Allen III, who coached Cherenfant in Florida and remains a mentor, spoke glowingly about the 6-foot-5 player's defensive skill.

“Him on the defensive end is special,” Allen told The Commercial Appeal in 2022. “He loves playing defense. Most guys don’t love defense, because you can’t chart that. But the things he can do as far as blocking shots, rebounding, creating more possessions for teams makes him invaluable.”

As we sit here today, the Tigers like their chances with Cherenfant returning to the fold.

Any known transfer targets? − Finley Stubbs, via Tiger Basketball Insider text group

There have been a few already that Memphis has had some form of contact with, including: Belmont guard Ja'Kobi Gillespie, Southeastern Louisiana guard Roger McFarlane, FIU guard Arturo Dean and Texas State forward Brandon Love.

The Tigers' current interest level in this group seems modest. But the portal is extremely fluid.

Any whispers on possible coaching staff changes? − Brigman Bell, via Tiger Basketball Insider text group

Hardaway has never not had coaching staff changes since taking over at Memphis in 2018.

This offseason will almost certainly be no different. Nothing official has happened yet. But, based on some of things being said and done behind the scenes so far this week, there won't be just one or two changes.

Would it be worth it for Caleb Mills to try for a hardship deal? − Phillip Lee, via Tiger Basketball Insider text group

No.

Mills' collegiate eligibility has expired. Despite the fact that he played in just 14 games this season before going down with a fractured kneecap, because he played in more than 30% of the Tigers' games, he is not eligible for a medical waiver. And even though he only played in four games his sophomore year at Houston, because he left voluntarily, he is not eligible for a hardship waiver.

MEMPHIS BASKETBALL: Penny Hardaway has AD's support but 'we were all disappointed'

What are some of the non-conference games for next season? − Marcus Holmes, via Tiger Basketball Insider text group

The non-conference schedule has not been finalized. But there are already quite a few slots that have been spoken for.

The Tigers will travel to San Francisco, where they will face the Dons on Nov. 21 for the third time in program history. That trip precedes Memphis' Thanksgiving Week trek to Hawaii for the Maui Invitational. That is the multi team event where the Tigers will play three games against some combination of UConn, Auburn, North Carolina, Michigan State, Iowa State, Dayton and Colorado.

Memphis is also due for road games against Virginia and Clemson, but the dates for those games have not yet been announced.

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 mailbag: David Jones, transfer portal targets