Memphis Tigers Rank 85th in KenPom Preseason Ratings

Memphis enters the 2026-27 college basketball season with a No. 85 preseason ranking from KenPom and the highest rating among American Conference teams, according to Roundtable.io on October 12, 2026. Coach Penny Hardaway has rebuilt the roster after a 13-19 campaign, with the Tigers projected to finish 18-13 overall and 12-6 in conference play.

KenPom's preseason assessment places Memphis 72nd nationally in offensive efficiency and 87th in defensive efficiency among 365 Division I programs. The Tigers finished No. 133 in the rankings last season, their lowest position during Hardaway's tenure, according to Roundtable.io.

The projections arrive as Memphis prepares for a season-opening matchup against Iowa State on November 6 in South Dakota, according to the latest Roundtable.io report. The Tigers also face a challenging nonconference schedule featuring eight opponents ranked among KenPom's top 60, including Iowa State, which opens at No. 6, and Texas, ranked No. 10.

Memphis also received strong recognition in the American Conference coaches' preseason poll announced October 9. According to the conference's official results, the Tigers finished second with 131 points and four first-place votes, behind Wichita State, which received nine first-place votes and 140 points.

The complete men's preseason standings placed South Florida third with 118 points, Tulsa fourth with 99, and Charlotte fifth with 95. UAB ranked sixth with 89 points, followed by North Texas with 84, Florida Atlantic with 75, Temple with 61, Tulane with 52, East Carolina with 34, Rice with 22, and UTSA with 14.

Despite Memphis' second-place position in the coaches' poll, KenPom rates Wichita State five places behind the Tigers at No. 90. South Florida, the defending American Conference champion, is the only other league team in KenPom's national top 100, opening at No. 94. KenPom also places the American Conference ninth nationally in its preseason conference ratings.

Hardaway has assembled a largely new team after retaining only two players from last season's roster, according to Roundtable.io. William Whorton and Julius Thedford are the returning players, while 13 newcomers have joined the program.

The incoming group includes nine transfers, three high school recruits, and one international signee. Serbian addition Nemanja Popovic had not yet received NCAA clearance as of the October 12 report, although expectations within the program and the wider college basketball community were that he would be cleared before the season began.

Memphis' transfer additions include senior guard Jayden Reid from Northwestern and senior forward Tylik Weeks from Southern Miss. Their preseason recognition reflects the coaching staff's extensive roster changes following the team's disappointing previous season.

According to the American Conference's preseason selections, Reid earned a place on the first-team all-conference roster, while Weeks was named to the second team. Reid averaged 10.1 points and 5.0 assists per game at Northwestern, while Weeks averaged 19.7 points and 5.4 rebounds per game at Southern Miss.

North Texas junior guard Je'Shawn Stevenson was selected as the conference's preseason Player of the Year after averaging 17.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game last season. Florida Atlantic guard Felipe Quinones received the preseason Freshman of the Year honor.

The Tigers are scheduled to play preseason exhibition games before opening the regular season against Iowa State. The matchup will provide an early test for a roster expected to compete for a conference title despite last season's 13-19 record.