Memphis left Humphrey Coliseum with a pretty clean showcase on Oct. 23, and the Tigers had plenty to like in a 75-58 exhibition win over Mississippi State.
For a program that finished last season at 13-19 - the worst record for a Memphis team in 56 years - this was the kind of start Penny Hardaway could only have wanted. The Tigers showed a sharper edge, more shot-making and a few new pieces that already look ready to matter when the 2026-27 season gets rolling.
Jayden Reid set the tone from the jump. The point guard looked every bit like a preseason all-conference first-team pick, and he was the best player on the floor in the opening half on both ends.
Reid scored 14 points before halftime on 6-of-8 shooting, hit 2 of 3 from deep and added an assist without a turnover as Memphis went into the break up 39-35. He also picked off two first-half steals and turned both into baskets.
By the end of the night, Reid had 26 points, four assists, three rebounds and three steals.
Nemanja Popović made sure the Tigers had another new name worth watching. The 6-foot-9 Serbian big man arrived with plenty of curiosity around him after never playing college basketball and spending recent years overseas, where he earned first-team all-league honors in Poland last season.
Against Mississippi State, he showed why Memphis took the chance. Popović handled the ball well, created off the dribble, worked out of double teams, blocked shots and made smart reads.
All of that came early, too. He finished with 12 points, four rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block.
Rihards Vavers also kept making his case as a key connector piece. After putting up 21 points in last week’s closed scrimmage, the former Washington State wing followed with another useful performance.
Vavers scored 10 points, grabbed five rebounds and helped Memphis stretch the floor and keep the offense organized. He and Reid finished with the team’s best plus-minus, both at plus-26.
The shooting numbers backed up what the eye test suggested. Memphis had spent the offseason working to improve from 3-point range, and the Tigers wasted little time showing progress.
They made three of their first four attempts from deep and five of their first seven. By the middle of the second half, they were 8 of 16 from beyond the arc.
Vavers, Reid, Luke Almodovar and Josh Holloway all knocked down multiple threes, and Memphis finished 9 of 20 from long range.
Tylik Weeks didn’t have the cleanest scoring night, but he still left his mark. The former Southern Miss standout, who led the Sun Belt in scoring last season, went just 1 of 9 from the field and finished with five points.
Even so, he was all over the glass and in the middle of the action. Weeks led all players with nine rebounds, added three assists, one steal and one block, and posted a plus-21 in 31 minutes despite picking up his fourth foul with more than 10 minutes left.
In Other News...
Memphis May Have Found The Response Fans Needed Most
Down 16-3 and coming off a loss to Tulane, Memphis needed a jolt more than a box-score win, and it got one in a 41-34 overtime escape against East Carolina. The Tigers dug in after a rough start, kept playing through the kind of game that can spiral on a team, and found enough offense to stay alive long enough to force the extra period.
Charles Huff called out the resilience and fight afterward, which matters for a group trying to steady itself and build some momentum. Stokes helped supply the spark with multiple touchdown passes, including two to Jemyri Davis, giving Memphis a much-needed reminder that even when things start badly, this team still has a way to respond. [Read more 🡒]
Memphis Fans Have A New Reason To Watch Hoops For St. Jude
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The event featured both the Memphis mens and womens teams in 2024 and 2025, but it will not be held in 2026 as the format gets reworked. Ike Anand, president and CEO of ALSAC, said the long-term goal is to expand the event so it can draw more teams and more fans while continuing to support St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital. [Read more 🡒]
Marcus Stokes Just Turned Memphis Season Into An Awards Race
Marcus Stokes season at Memphis has already done plenty of talking, and now it has earned him a spot on the Manning Award Watch List. The honor, which tracks college footballs top quarterbacks and even factors in bowl performances, adds another layer to a year that has put Stokes among the most productive passers in the country. He ranks second in the FBS in passing yards and touchdowns, numbers that have helped turn Memphis into one of the more interesting offenses to follow down the stretch.
The Tigers also needed Stokes at his best to keep momentum rolling after an overtime win against East Carolina pushed them to bowl eligibility. With Army coming to Memphis on October 31, the spotlight figures to stay bright, and so does the conversation around what the rest of this season might mean for Stokes individually. For Memphis, the broader picture is simple: a quarterback playing at an award-level pace can change the feel of an entire season. [Read more 🡒]