Emoni Bates returns as Memphis secures Penny Hardaway's first NCAA tournament win

For a half on Thursday, the Memphis Tigers looked like world beaters against Boise State.

In the end, they settled for a stressful NCAA tournament win and a second-round matchup with tournament favorite Gonzaga. Memphis, a No. 9 seed, opened a 39-18 halftime lead over the No. 8 seed Broncos before fending off a second-half rally in a 64-53 victory for the first NCAA tournament win of Hardaway's coaching career. In the process it saw the surprise return of much-hyped freshman Emoni Bates.

The five-star recruit who drew comparisons to LeBron James and Kevin Durant as a prospect made a brief appearance on Thursday after missing 12 games with a back injury. He joined the Memphis lineup late in the first half and immediately hit a 3-pointer before heading back to the bench on a minutes restriction. He did not return to the game.

For much of the game, the Tigers looked a lot more like the team that opened the season ranked No. 12 in the preseason Associated Press poll than the one that got off to a 9-8 start. They shot 57.1% from the field in the first half while holding the Broncos to a 29.2% shooting clip.

A 5:02 scoring drought in the second half against against an aggressive Broncos defense allowed Boise State back in the game. But the Tigers countered with their own smothering defense to ensure that Boise State wouldn't get within striking distance.

Can Memphis mount a challenge to Gonzaga?

Bates enrolled early at Memphis at 17 years old and largely failed to live up to the hype before a back injury sidelined him on Jan. 27. At the time, the Tigers were 11-8 with Bates and Hardaway both facing scrutiny.

From that point, the Tigers finished the season 10-2 to ensure Hardaway's first NCAA tournament berth in his fourth season coaching his alma mater. Bates remained sidelined, prompting questions about whether Memphis was actually better off without him. Thursday's appearance was his first game action since the injury.

How much he plays moving forward is a mystery.

"He had a huge impact," Hardaway told TNT of Bates' brief appearance that ended with just his 3-pointer registering in the box score. "That's why he put the uniform on. He's on a minutes restriction right now because of his back. But he's gonna give us all he has."

His potential availability adds a new layer of intrigue to a second-round matchup against Gonzaga, which overcame a slow start to run away from No. 16 seed Georgia State on Thursday afternoon.

With or without Bates, Memphis has enough talent to keep things interesting on Saturday, starting with freshman forward and projected NBA lottery pick Jalen Duren, who finished Thursday with 10 points, 11 rebounds, one steal and one block.

But keeping things interesting is one thing. Actually mounting a challenge to Gonzaga is another.