Memphis is stepping straight into the deep end to open the season.
The Tigers face Iowa State on Monday at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, a neutral-site matchup that gives Penny Hardaway exactly the kind of early test he wanted. There’s no easing in here, no warm-up act. Memphis opens against a team expected to sit near the top of the Big 12, and that makes the night an instant barometer.
Hardaway made that clear when the game was announced, calling it a chance to measure his team against a perennial top-10 program.
Iowa State brings its own early-season pressure into the building. The Cyclones are No. 18 in the preseason AP poll, and even with the neutral-site label, this is the kind of opener that asks a team to prove it belongs in the rankings right away. It’s an early road-like setting, an early test of poise, and an early chance to make a statement.
The matchup also comes with a little history, even if the rosters have long since changed. The teams have met only once before, and Iowa State handled Memphis 78-59 in the 2021 NIT Season Tip-Off in Brooklyn. Monday doesn’t carry over from that game, but it does give Memphis a fresh shot at the same opponent.
The Sanford Pentagon adds a different feel to the night, too. Memphis has been there before, and both teams will be opening a new season in front of a Sioux Falls crowd getting an early look at high-level college basketball.
For Memphis, the payoff is simple: play well, and the decision to schedule such a demanding opener looks even smarter. For Iowa State, it’s the first chance to show that its preseason ranking is more than a number.
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Iowa State Gets Another Early Test To Prove Its Momentum Is Real
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For Iowa State, the timing adds another layer to a season that already looks different under first-year coach Jimmy Rogers after Matt Campbells departure. The Cyclones just upset Oklahoma State, and now theyll get another chance to back that up against a Baylor team coming off a convincing performance of its own, in a game that should tell a lot about where both programs stand in the Big 12 race. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State May Have Found The Spark Its Offense Needed
Iowa State needed a jolt, and it got one in Stillwater. The Cyclones outlasted Oklahoma State 51-49 on a last-second field goal, but the bigger takeaway for a team trying to piece together its passing game was the emergence of freshman wide receiver Jamal Polite Jr., who led Iowa State with six catches for 171 yards and gave the offense a much-needed burst.
With the receiver room already thinned by multiple season-ending injuries, Polite Jr.s performance came at exactly the right time. Iowa State has been searching for stability on that side of the ball, and a showing like this at least gives the Cyclones a reason to believe they may have found a new spark, even if the long-term answer is still taking shape. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State May Have Found The Perfect Frontcourt Fit For Lipsey
Iowa States roster will look different by the time the 2026-27 season arrives, but the pieces still point toward a team built in the same image T.J. Otzelberger has emphasized for years. With Milan Momcilovic and Joshua Jefferson moving on, the Cyclones will have to replace major production, yet the return of Tamin Lipsey for a fifth season gives them a familiar anchor in the backcourt and a veteran presence to keep the defense organized.
Blake Buchanan is the name that stands out as the frontcourt piece that could make the whole thing click. His value shows up in the places Iowa State tends to prize most, especially on the defensive end, where his size and mobility could let the Cyclones stay aggressive and versatile without sacrificing depth. If he settles into a prominent role, he could give Lipsey the kind of frontcourt partner that helps maximize what Iowa State wants to do on both ends. [Read more 🡒]