5 things we learned as Memphis basketball routs Tennessee Tech behind Emoni Bates' debut

Larry Brown smiled and shook hands with Memphis-based Nike executive Willie Gregory.

Emoni Bates closed his eyes during the national anthem, apparently calming his nerves before his much-anticipated debut.

Rasheed Wallace waved his arms, willing the crowd inside FedExForum to its feet after the newest Memphis basketball intro video – accompanied by NBA YoungBoy’s “Make No Sense” – set the stage.

Then, the Tigers took off. Penny Hardaway’s team, as if it was shot out of a cannon, came out screaming. And scoring. And flexing. And fist-pumping. And winning. Memphis put five players in double-figures en route to a 89-65 rout of Tennessee Tech in the opening act of a season those around the program have dubbed “The Show.”

At times sloppy, Memphis was too deep, too athletic, too talented for the scrappy, veteran Tennessee Tech.

Here are five things we learned in the Tigers' win' season-opening win:

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Tigers come out hot

The Tigers, with a starting lineup of Bates, Alex Lomax, Lester Quinones, DeAndre Williams and Jalen Duren, came out clicking.

Back-to-back layups from DeAndre Williams sparked a 13-0 run to open the game, which featured a 3-point make from Bates on his first collegiate field goal attempt and the first dunk of Duren’s career – which came on a lob pass from Lomax.

Bates led all scorers with 17 points. Duren and Quinones finished with 15 apiece.

Landers Nolley off the bench

Hardaway’s decision to bring Nolley, last season’s leading scorer, off the bench Tuesday raised some eyebrows pregame. He also came off the bench in last week’s exhibition win over Lane College.

It suits him, apparently. After scoring 18 points in his only preseason appearance, Nolley scored 10 against Tennessee Tech. He also affected the game in other areas, with three rebounds and four assists.

After last week’s exhibition game, Nolley said it doesn’t matter to him whether he starts or fills the role of ace reserve.

“Me coming off the bench doesn’t affect me or how I play or what I’m focused on,” he said. “I’m coming in the game no matter what, at any point, with energy. Just trying to help my team win a ball game.”

Chandler Lawson makes Memphis debut

The Bluff City native transferred to the Tigers after two seasons at Oregon, expected to provide depth and versatility as a 6-foot-7 veteran forward.

But Lawson missed both exhibition games. Hardaway classified his absence as Lawson having to wait on an unspecified decision from Oregon, declining to offer much more detail than that.

"I'm thankful that the NCAA saw the appeal was good and that they allowed him to play, because he deserves to," Hardaway said after Tuesday's game.

Just more than 24 hours prior to tip-off, Memphis received word that Lawson had been cleared for participation and available to play against Tennessee Tech. Lawson played sparingly, logging just three minutes without scoring or collecting any rebounds.

Where Tennessee Tech gave Memphis trouble

The Golden Eagles, under third-year coach John Pelphrey, returned a number of key pieces, including Jr. Clay and Keishawn Davidson. The team also welcomed a handful of transfers, most notably former South Alabama guard John Pettway and former Cincinnati forward Mamoudou Diarra.

While the Tigers were the superior team Tuesday in many offensive categories, Tennessee Tech held its own. The Golden Eagles had more offensive rebounds than the Tigers (13-10), scored more bench points (36-30) and won the turnover battle, committing 15 to Memphis' 17.

Stat-sheet highlights

One of Memphis' points of emphasis in the buildup to the season is sharing the ball. The Tigers had a nice showing there against Tennessee Tech, with 21 assists on 35 field goals. Bates, Nolley and Williams led the way with four each.

Williams also scored 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting. Quinones led the rebounding effort with seven boards.

Memphis shot 50% from deep, led by Bates' 4-for-7 effort, and 59.3% from the field. The school record for field goal percentage in a single game is 65.9, which came against Ole Miss on Dec. 22, 1979.

Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @munzly.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis basketball: Emoni Bates leads Tigers to win in season opener