Memphis left Bud Walton Arena with a clear picture of what still needs cleaning up before the regular season begins. In its final exhibition tune-up Wednesday, the Tigers fell 93-81 to No. 12 Arkansas, undone by turnovers, shaky defense and a Razorbacks attack that kept finding easy points.
Arkansas did most of its damage in the lane, piling up 54 points in the paint and turning 15 Memphis turnovers into 26 points. The Tigers never fully recovered after Arkansas ripped off an 11-0 run to erase an early Memphis lead and seize control for good.
Memphis got 16 points apiece from Nemanja Popovic and Luke Almodovar, with Tylik Weeks adding 12. Popovic went 5-for-7 from the field and also finished with six rebounds and three assists.
The Tigers briefly looked settled when Almodovar finished a three-point play to put Memphis ahead 7-5 with 17:05 left in the first half. Arkansas answered immediately and from there the Razorbacks never gave the lead back. Memphis trailed by as many as 21 as the game tilted further and further toward the home side.
Jayden Reid had a rough night trying to handle Arkansas’ pressure. He scored seven points on 2-for-8 shooting and committed five turnovers, all before halftime.
Memphis also struggled to get stops in transition, with Arkansas repeatedly turning made baskets and turnovers into quick offense. The Tigers’ defense never found the right answer to the Razorbacks’ pace and physicality.
Fouls added another layer to the problem. Memphis was whistled 22 times, and Arkansas went to the free throw line 27 times, making 15.
The result leaves Memphis at 1-1 in public exhibitions after Friday’s 75-58 win at Mississippi State. Arkansas, meanwhile, added another preseason win after also beating No. 15 Gonzaga.
The Tigers now turn to the regular season opener against No. 18 Iowa State on Monday, Nov. 2, at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. on FS1.
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The focus inside the building, at least publicly, has stayed on the task at hand. Huff has leaned into the challenge Army presents, while quarterback Marcus Stokes pointed to the importance of controlling tempo and matching the opponent's style with a full-team effort after a strong recent showing. For Memphis, the stakes are straightforward enough: stay locked in, handle the pace, and keep the outside chatter from becoming part of the storyline. [Read more 🡒]
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Arkansas is coming off a win over Gonzaga and is expected to be one of the stronger teams in the SEC, which makes this a good chance to see how far Memphis has come and how much of Reids early buzz can carry against a tougher opponent. For a team trying to sort out its identity before the games start counting, it is the kind of matchup that can reveal a lot without officially meaning anything in the standings. [Read more 🡒]
Arkansas Gets One More Frontcourt Test As Memphis Waits On Key Big Man
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For Memphis, the broader issue is less about one exhibition and more about what the roster will look like when the regular season arrives. Popovic is dealing with an NCAA eligibility dispute that could affect his availability, and the Tigers are still sorting through a group that includes several new pieces and possible absences. So while Arkansas gets a clean evaluation of its interior defense, Memphis gets one more chance to see how its frontcourt holds up while the larger picture remains unsettled. [Read more 🡒]