Announcing his intentions to relocate schools for the third time, former UIC Flames standout Damaria Franklin has now committed to Memphis out of the transfer portal.
A 6-foot-4 guard from Chicago, IL, Franklin’s career began at State Fair Community College in Missouri averaging 16.5 PPG across his two seasons with the Roadrunners. He’d follow this up by receiving his first Division One opportunity with Tennessee Tech where Franklin would find success as the team’s second-leading scorer averaging 13.PPG, 5 RPG, and 1.2 APG.
Opting to return home to UIC for his senior year, Franklin would put together his most commanding campaign yet managing 17.8 PPG, 6.9 RPG, and 2.5 APG as a 26-game starter and the leading scorer for the Flames on his way to a 2021-22 All-Horizon League Third Team selection.
The veteran guard will join the Tigers’ program with one year of eligibility remaining and while he doesn’t bolster a massive resume with tournament experience, Franklin has much to offer at the Division I level as a crafty ball handler and highly efficient scorer.
For this late into this offseason, Franklin will represent a considerable pickup for Penny Hardaway’s squad. Ultimately, Franklin will be an athletic guard who can run the offense and easily break apart defenses with the ball but will struggle to score from three-point range.
On the flip side, he’s also become a very solid defender with Franklin averaging 1.3 STLPG over the past two seasons and also just shy of 1 BKPG last year as he physically dominated some of the undersized guards within the Horizon League.
He’s ready for the step up to a program like Memphis and with UIC losing a few key players in recent weeks as they switch to join the MVC ahead of next season, it makes sense for Frankin to offer his talents to the Tigers.
