December Grind Continues for Tigers with Two-Game Set in Three Days

Saturday, December 20

Starkville, Miss.

3:00 PM

University of Memphis

Mississippi State

MEMPHIS, TN: DECEMBER 17

Vanderbilt Commordores @ Memphis Tigers - FedExForum

Photo by: Joe Murphy 2025

December Grind Continues for Tigers with Two-Game Set in Three Days

Dec 19, 2025 | Men's Basketball

Live Stats Watch Listen Memphis Game Notes (PDF)Miss State Game Notes (PDF)

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Memphis continues a demanding stretch of December basketball on Saturday, traveling to Starkville, Mississippi, for a 3 p.m. tip against Mississippi State inside Humphrey Coliseum. The matchup will air nationally on ESPN. The Tigers will then have little time to regroup afterward, returning home with just one day between games to host Alabama State on Monday night at 7 p.m. inside FedExForum.

The Tigers enter the weekend searching for traction after back-to-back losses to top-15 opponents. Memphis (4-6) fell on the road to No. 11 Louisville before suffering a frustrating 77-70 overtime loss to No. 13 Vanderbilt on Wednesday. In that contest, the Tigers erased an 11-point second-half deficit and briefly seized control before Vanderbilt closed the game at the free-throw line in overtime.

Head coach Penny Hardaway expects a motivated opponent waiting in Starkville.

"Everybody's going to be up for us when we come to town," Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway said. "I expect for them to be on a high and waiting on a wounded team to come into their building."

Mississippi State was projected as an NCAA Tournament team after earning a No. 8 seed last season under head coach Chris Jans - the Bulldogs' third-straight trip to the Big Dance - but results have been uneven through the first month and a half. Losses to San Francisco, New Mexico and Kansas State have slowed their momentum.

The two teams share several common opponents. Memphis defeated San Francisco in its season opener, while Mississippi State fell to the Dons earlier this month. Both teams also beat New Orleans, though the Tigers cruised to an 86-70 win at FedExForum while the Bulldogs needed overtime to escape in Starkville.

Mississippi State is led offensively by junior guard Josh Hubbard, who has been one of the nation's most productive scorers. The 2024-25 All-SEC selection is averaging 21.6 points, 3.9 assists and 2.7 rebounds while shooting 35.6 percent from three-point range. Hubbard - the nation's 10^th-leading scorer - has topped 20 points seven times this season, while eclipsing 25 points on six occasions, and is coming off a 34-point performance Tuesday night against Long Island.

For Memphis, one of the season's biggest challenges has been role clarity. Dug McDaniel has firmly cemented himself as the team's leading scorer (14.5 points) and primary ball handler (5.5 assists), but production behind him has fluctuated from game to game. Sincere Parker has provided the steadiest presence of late, averaging 12.8 points over the past four games and coming off an 18-point, 7-rebound effort against Vanderbilt.

Support has come in flashes from elsewhere in the lineup. Zach Davis (23 points, 13 rebounds) and Aaron Bradshaw (17 points, seven rebounds) powered the victory over Baylor, while Hasan Abdul Hakim produced an 18-point showing at Louisville, highlighting the depth and potential Memphis continues to search for consistency from.

Turnovers and fouling have plagued Memphis throughout the early season and both areas will be under the microscope Saturday.

The Tigers rank No. 253 nationally in offensive turnover percentage and are coming off a season-high 20 turnovers against Vanderbilt, which resulted in 21 Commodore points. That said, Mississippi State may offer some relief. The Bulldogs rank near the bottom of Division I in defensive ball pressure, sitting No. 353 (out of 365 teams) in defensive turnover percentage and No. 344 in turnovers forced per game.

At the other end of the floor, discipline on defense remains a point of emphasis for Memphis. The Tigers were whistled for a season-high 28 fouls against Vanderbilt, including seven in the overtime period alone, allowing the Commodores 40 trips to the free-throw line. That total marked the most free throws attempted by a Memphis opponent in more than three years, dating back to Alabama on Dec. 13, 2022.

GAME DETAILS vs. MISSISSIPPI STATE
Memphis Tigers (4-6) at Mississippi State (6-5)
Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 | 3 p.m. CT
Humphrey Coliseum (9,100); Starkville, Mississippi
Television: ESPN (Chuckie Kempf, pxp; Rodney Terry, analyst)
Radio: 98.9 The Roar of Memphis (Dave Woloshin pxp; Ken Moody, analysis)
Live Stats: www.Memphis.StatBroadcast.com

GAME DETAILS vs. ALABAMA STATE
Memphis Tigers (4-6) at Alabama State (3-8)
Monday, Dec. 22, 2025 | 7 p.m. CT
FedExForum (18,400); Memphis, Tennessee
Television: ESPN+ (Greg Gaston, pxp; Trey Draper, analyst)
Radio: 98.9 The Roar of Memphis (Dave Woloshin pxp; Ken Moody, analysis)
Live Stats: www.Memphis.StatBroadcast.com

BY THE NUMBERS

2: Memphis guard Dug McDaniel is one of just two Division I players to rank top three in their conference in APG (5.5; 1st), SPG (2.0; 1st) and FT% (91.9, 2nd). The other is SMU's Boopie Miller.
3: The number of Division I teams with zero returning players on the roster this season. Memphis is joined by Baylor and Miami. Only Memphis and Southern Miss have 14 or more transfers in D-I.
7.0: Memphis features eight players averaging at least 7.0 points per game this season, tied for the 3rd-most in Division I. Only Alabama (9) and Eastern Kentucky (9) have more.
10: Since the 2022-23 season, Memphis owns the most nonconference wins against SEC opponents of any Division I program, posting a 10-6 record in those matchups.
12.8: Over the last four games, Sincere Parker is second on the team averaging 12.8 points per game, while also adding 4.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists. He's reached double figures in all four.
24: Memphis has grabbed at least nine offensive rebounds in 24-straight games, tied with St. John's for the longest active streak in Division I. It marks the Tigers' longest run since a 29-game streak that concluded in November 2007.
44-23: Under Penny Hardaway (since 2018-19), Memphis owns a 44-23 (.657) record in games following a loss. It's the 2nd-best mark among current American Conference programs in that span, trailing only UAB (52-23).
51: Memphis has produced at least one 15-point scorer in 51 consecutive games. The last time the Tigers fell short was Feb. 15, 2024 at North Texas, when David Jones led the team with 14 points.

SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS

In his fourth season at the helm, head coach Chris Jans has Mississippi State off to a 6-5 start, including a strong 4-1 mark at home.
Three Bulldogs are averaging double figures, led by explosive scorer Josh Hubbard, who ranks 10th nationally at 21.6 points per game. He also leads the team in assists (3.9) and is second in steals (1.1).
Hubbard sets the pace from beyond the arc with 32 made three-pointers, shooting 35.6 percent. His 183 field-goal attempts rank eighth nationally, and his next closest teammate has 21 triples.
Jayden Epps ranks second on the team in scoring at 16.7 points per game, while UAB transfer Ja'borri McGhee adds 10.2 points to round out the group in double figures.
Wichita State transfer Quincy Ballard anchors the interior, leading the Bulldogs in rebounds (6.8 per game) while averaging 7.0 points. His 13 blocked shots rank second on the team.
Defensively, Mississippi State ranks 23rd nationally in defensive rebounds per game (29.0) and 34th in fouls per game (15.2).
The Bulldogs are averaging 79.5 points per game while allowing 78.6 to opponents.

SCOUTING THE HORNETS

The Hornets are led by head coach Tony Madlock, a former Memphis standout and longtime assistant under Penny Hardaway.
Madlock (1988-92) formed Memphis' backcourt alongside Hardaway during the Tigers' 1992 Elite Eight run. He played on four postseason teams at Memphis (two NCAA Tournaments, two NITs) and later spent three seasons (2018-21) as an assistant under Hardaway, helping secure the nation's No. 1 recruiting class in 2019.
Alabama State enters Monday's matchup with a 3-8 record, having dropped five straight games since a 101-80 win over IU Indy on Nov. 21 at the Air Force Classic.
Asjon Anderson leads the Hornets in scoring at 17.5 points per game and ranks second on the team in assists (3.8).
Micah Simpson adds 15.9 points per contest while averaging 3.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.2 steals. He leads the team in three-point shooting with 29 makes at a 37.7 percent clip.
Monday marks a homecoming of sorts, as four Hornets hail from Memphis or the surrounding area, including former Tiger Damarien "Dink" Yates. Other local products include Tyler Byrd, Damion Cox Jr. and R'Chaun King.
The Hornets are averaging 76.6 points per game while allowing 82.4.
Nationally, Alabama State ranks 55th in fastbreak points (15.5 per game) and 89th in three-point percentage (36.1).

UP NEXT
Memphis will get some time off for Christmas before returning on New Year's Eve (Dec. 31) to start American Conference play when North Texas makes the journey to FedExForum for a 3 p.m. tip on ESPN2 or ESPNU. The Tigers will then hit the road to Houston, Texas to face Rice on Saturday, January 3 at 2 p.m.

HOW TO FOLLOW THE TIGERS:
For complete information on Memphis Tiger Men's Basketball, visit www.GoTigersGo.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.