Memphis basketball is back at FedExForum on Saturday, and the Tigers will try to build on their season-opening win when they host VCU in the home opener.
The game tips at 2 p.m. on Nov. 7 and will stream nationally on ESPN+. Greg Gaston and Trey Draper will handle the broadcast.
Memphis comes in at 1-0 after knocking off Iowa State 80-74 on Nov. 2 in South Dakota to open the season. VCU is also 1-0 after an 82-72 win over Little Rock on Nov. 2, a game in which the Rams went to the line 48 times.
Saturday’s matchup is the first home game of the year for Memphis, and it arrives with a packed schedule ahead. The Tigers return to action Nov. 10 at Vanderbilt on SEC Network+, then face Louisville on Nov. 15 on ESPN.
Later in November, Memphis will play Evansville, Penn State and a TBD opponent in the Bahamas during Battle 4 Atlantis, before meeting Dayton in Columbus, Ohio, on Nov. 29.
The nonconference slate continues into December with games against Jackson State, Baylor, Grand Canyon, Texas and Arkansas-Little Rock. Memphis also has home dates with East Carolina, Rice, Wichita State, North Texas, UAB, Charlotte, Utah State, Tulsa and South Florida still to come, along with road trips to South Florida, FAU, UAB, Charlotte, Wichita State, Tulane, UTSA, North Texas and Temple.
The Tigers’ conference stretch runs through March 7 against Tulane, with the regular-season schedule set to close March 10-14.
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Memphis Faces An Early Test That Could Say A Lot
Saturdays slate brings an early-season measuring stick to Memphis, where VCU comes in for a matchup that should tell a little more about where the Tigers stand right now. The broader schedule around the country has its own intrigue, from Marylands trip to Georgetown to Morehead State at Louisville and Colgate against Drexel, but this one has a particular edge because it puts Memphis in a game with real tone-setting value this early.
For a Tigers team trying to establish itself in November, the challenge is less about the calendar and more about what kind of response it gets when tested at home. The rest of the days board offers plenty of other watchable spots, and broadcast details will make it easy for fans to keep tabs on the action, but Memphis-VCU feels like the one that could reveal the most about how quickly this group is coming together. [Read more 🡒]
Jayden Reid Just Gave Memphis Fans A Reason To Believe
Jayden Reid gave Memphis exactly the kind of late-game lift it has been searching for, pouring in 32 points in an 89-88 win over VCU that had the Tigers hanging on until the final seconds. It was a night when Memphis did not shoot free throws well overall, but the Tigers found enough poise at the line when it mattered most to survive a game that could have easily slipped away.
Rihards Vavers also gave the offense a needed boost, knocking down four of five shots from beyond the arc and helping stretch the floor against a tough opponent. For Memphis, the bigger takeaway may be what this kind of finish can mean going forward: a tight win over a quality team, a guard who can take over late, and enough perimeter production to suggest there is more to build on than just one encouraging result. [Read more 🡒]