Arkansas gets one more tune-up Wednesday night before the games start counting, and the matchup brings Memphis back to Bud Walton Arena for the first time since 2003.
Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. in Fayetteville, where the Razorbacks will face a Tigers team that is also working through its second preseason exhibition. Arkansas beat Gonzaga 76-72 on Saturday, while Memphis handled Mississippi State 75-58 on Friday in Starkville.
This one also carries a familiar coaching thread. John Calipari, now in his third season at Arkansas, owns a 50-23 record with the Razorbacks and is 905-286 in 35 seasons overall. On the other side, Penny Hardaway is 175-87 in his ninth season at Memphis.
The series is dead even at 11-11, and the recent results have already tilted in Arkansas’ direction in exhibition play. The Razorbacks beat Memphis 99-75 in an exhibition on Oct. 27, 2025, at FedEx Forum. The teams’ most recent regular-season meeting came Nov. 23, 2023, in Paradise Island, Bahamas, where Memphis won 84-79.
Fans can watch the game on SEC Network+ and ESPN+, both available through WatchESPN.com and the ESPN app with subscriber login required. Brett Dolan will handle play-by-play with Manuale Watkins on analysis. On the radio side, Chuck Barrett and Matt Zimmerman will call the action on the Razorback Sports Network through local FM and AM affiliates and the Varsity Network app, though blackouts may apply.
The starting lineups from the last exhibition showed how much both teams are still sorting through new faces. Arkansas started Jordan Smith, Jeremiah Wilkinson, Billy Richmond, Miikka Muurinen and Cooper Bowser. Memphis opened with Jayden Reid, Namanja Popovic, Luke Almodovar, Rihards Vavers and Tylik Weeks.
A few key notes from Saturday’s win over Gonzaga still matter heading into this one. Bowser, Muurinen and Smith were all helped off the floor at different points in the second half. Muurinen and Smith returned, while Bowser did not, though Arkansas says all three are expected to play.
Memphis comes in with a completely new roster from last season, a year that ended at 13-19 and marked the only time Hardaway’s Tigers finished below 20 wins during his tenure at his alma mater. Arkansas, meanwhile, returns only Billy Richmond from last season’s rotation and brought in 10 newcomers, including eight freshmen. Per RotoWire, the Razorbacks have the youngest team in the power conferences and the fifth-youngest in Division I men’s basketball.
After Wednesday, Arkansas opens the season against Arkansas-Pine Bluff at 7 p.m. on Nov. 3 in Fayetteville. Memphis starts the regular season against No. 18 Iowa State on Nov. 2 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
In Other News...
Arkansas Still Has One Offensive Problem It Can't Shake
Arkansas has found a little rhythm coming out of halftime, scoring touchdowns on the opening drive of the second half in consecutive games. The opening possession of games, though, has been a different story entirely, and that has remained one of the more frustrating blind spots for an offense trying to build momentum early instead of chasing it.
Offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey has pointed to the basics as the fix, stressing the need to cut down on penalties, negative plays and sacks that can derail a drive before it gets started. There was also a notable development up front against Vanderbilt, where backup center Kash Courtney filled in for injured captain Caden Kitler and earned SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week honors, even as Kitler stayed listed as the starter on the depth chart. [Read more 🡒]
Arkansas Gets A Real Opening Against Missouri In A Brutal SEC Test
Missouri comes into its matchup with Arkansas trying to clean up the kind of red-zone problems that can turn a tough SEC stretch into a real grind. Eli Drinkwitz singled out that inefficiency as one of the biggest issues for his team lately, while Ryan Silverfield spent part of the buildup talking through Arkansas injuries and also giving Missouris defense its due.
On the personnel front, the Tigers at least got a useful sign from Ahmad Hardy, who has returned to full practice after dealing with an injury. There still isnt a timetable for when he might be back in a game, which leaves one more layer of uncertainty for Missouri as it tries to steady itself before facing an Arkansas team looking for any opening it can find. [Read more 🡒]
Arkansas Gets One More Frontcourt Test As Memphis Waits On Key Big Man
Arkansas gets one more chance to sharpen its frontcourt before the games start counting, and the exhibition against Memphis should offer a useful look at how the Razorbacks handle size, length and physical play in the paint. For a team still sorting out its early identity, these tune-up games matter because they expose problems that can be hidden in practice, especially on the glass and around the rim.
Memphis brings its own uncertainty into the matchup, with forward Nemanja Popovic at the center of an NCAA eligibility dispute that could affect his availability when the regular season arrives. He just turned in a strong showing in an exhibition, which only adds to the intrigue for Arkansas as it tries to evaluate its interior defense against a frontcourt that may look different from one week to the next. [Read more 🡒]