Zachary Davis — a 6-foot-7 defensive-minded wing — averaged 8.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.1 steals in 26.4 minutes per game as a junior for the Gamecocks in 2024-25.

Eight former Tigers, all of whom played for coach Penny Hardaway, logged minutes on NBA teams in the regular season.

Thedford, a 6-foot-4 combo guard, averaged 12.4 points and 3.8 rebounds per game while shooting 36.6% from 3-point range for the Hilltoppers as a freshman this past season.

Memphis basketball is putting some cushioning on what many expect to be another grueling nonconference schedule in the 2025-26 season.

The younger Hardaway is a former four-star recruit in the 2023 class who began his college career at Memphis as a true freshman in the 2023-24 season before transferring to Saint Mary’s ahead of this past season.

The Runnin’ Rebels hired former Tigers coach Josh Pastner on March 25, and his new UNLV team has a visit to Memphis scheduled in the season to come.

It’s not Penny Hardaway’s fault that the Tigers' offseason roster-building isn’t going well. The reason is simple: Everybody has money.

The success Tigers coach Penny Hardaway had in 2024-25 helped change the trajectory of the Memphis’ program one year after a disappointing season.

This marks the second time in the past three seasons that Memphis has been ranked in a final Associated Press Top 25 poll and the 18th time in program history.

An On3 report states that the point guard market in this offseason’s transfer portal ranges from $500,000 to $2.5 million.

Berry, a 6-foot-4 native of Cleveland, Tennessee, averaged 10.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.3 steals as a redshirt sophomore this past season for Temple.

The American Athletic Conference has been talking with other leagues about potential nonconference scheduling agreements.

Armed with a somewhat unique bid, Memphis could learn soon if it will again host the American Athletic Conference’s men’s basketball tournament. Memphis Tourism’s Kevin Kane helped make the city’s case.

With transfer portal recruits visiting, the fact Penny Hardaway is still admired by today’s NBA stars can only help the Tigers coach.

Although the department has historically covered the sales-tax cost for spectators, it is making this change ahead of the July 1 implementation of new NCAA rules allowing schools to share athletic department revenue with its athletes.

Yates, a 6-foot-5 forward who was named Tennessee Class 3A Mr. Basketball in 2023, averaged 1.2 points and 0.8 rebounds in 3.6 minutes per game for the Tigers this past season.

Memphis won’t get the chance to get closure in San Antonio for the 2008 title game. That doesn’t mean that there still isn’t something for Penny Hardaway and Memphis to take from the last four teams remaining. 

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Defined largely by triumph, but tainted too, the 1984-85 Memphis State Tigers basketball team was perfectly imperfect, a fun bunch that had faults but also had a blast.

Here’s a list of prospective transfers that Tigers coach Penny Hardaway and his staff have been in contact with, as reported by The Daily Memphian and national outlets.

Carter, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard, averaged 5.4 points and 1.5 rebounds per game while shooting 39.3% from 3-point range for the Tigers this season. 

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An up-to-date look at Tigers basketball’s 2025-26 roster rebuild

Parth Upadhyaya and John Martin grade the Tigers’ 2024-25 season.

Hardaway’s job this offseason won’t be easy, given the team’s challenges with its conference affiliation. Still, there are reasons to be optimistic about the offseason and beyond for Tiger basketball.

Williams originally committed to Memphis in November 2022, but he never played for the Tigers following an April 2023 arrest in connection to a shooting that occurred outside his San Diego-area home in March 2023.

If you’re looking for a live up-to-date look at Memphis’ latest roster rebuild heading into the 2025-26 season, The Daily Memphian has you covered.

A bit after the 2024 football season opened, the Tigers’ chance to exit the AAC arose. But AD Ed Scott said it was “a bad deal.” So the Tigers, who decided to stay in the AAC, continue to hold out.