Photo by: Matthew A. Smith
Ashton Hardaway Returning to Memphis in 2025-26, Aims to Rewrite His Story
Apr 29, 2025 | Men's Basketball
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Ashton Hardaway is coming home.
The 6-foot-8 forward is rejoining the Memphis Tigers men's basketball program for the 2025-26 season, returning to play for his father and head coach, Penny Hardaway.
After a year away playing for Saint Mary's, Hardaway returns to the Bluff City with a renewed drive and a mission in mind: to rewrite his Memphis story.
Hardaway, a Carson, California native and former four-star recruit in the class of 2023, began his collegiate career at Memphis in the 2023-24 season. As a freshman, he averaged 2.3 points and 0.8 rebounds in 8.2 minutes per game, while shooting 33.3% from beyond the arc. He played alongside his brother, Jayden Hardaway, during a campaign that saw the Tigers reach as high as No. 10 in the AP Top 25 before finishing 22-10 and missing the postseason.
He made an early impact in his first season, notably scoring 17 points on five made 3-pointers in a breakout performance against Michigan at the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas. Despite that early highlight, Hardaway's production tapered off and he never scored more than eight points in a game for the remainder of the season.
After transferring to Saint Mary's for the 2024-25 season, Hardaway played a reserve role for a Gaels team that finished 29-6, claimed the West Coast Conference regular season championship and earned a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament. He appeared in 33 games as a sophomore and averaged 2.1 points and 1.2 rebounds in 9.5 minutes per game, connecting on 31% of his three-point attempts (13-of-42). His best outing came on January 29, when he tallied nine points in a road win over Santa Clara.
Coming out of high school, he was rated a 4-star recruit and the No. 94 player in the country by On3. He was listed as the 21st-best power forward in the nation and the 18th-best prospect out of the state of California.
Hardaway made headlines his senior year of high school when he moved to the West Coast to join powerhouse Sierra Canyon to play alongside Bronny James and Justin Pippen.
He played his junior season at Duncanville High School in Duncanville, Texas where he averaged 10.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.2 steals per game while leading his squad to a 35-1 overall record and a No. 1 ranking in the state of Texas. He helped the Panthers claim their third 6A state title in a row after defeating McKinney High School 69-49 in the championship match.
Hardaway's return adds depth and experience to the Tigers' frontcourt heading into the 2025-26 season as Memphis looks to build on its championship season.
He becomes the seventh player the program has signed to the 2025 recruiting class, joining Daniel Vieira-Tuck, Felipe Patino, Quante Berry (Temple), Dug McDaniel (Kansas State), Aaron Bradshaw (Ohio State) and Julius Thedford (Western Kentucky).
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.
The 6-foot-8 forward is rejoining the Memphis Tigers men's basketball program for the 2025-26 season, returning to play for his father and head coach, Penny Hardaway.
After a year away playing for Saint Mary's, Hardaway returns to the Bluff City with a renewed drive and a mission in mind: to rewrite his Memphis story.
Hardaway, a Carson, California native and former four-star recruit in the class of 2023, began his collegiate career at Memphis in the 2023-24 season. As a freshman, he averaged 2.3 points and 0.8 rebounds in 8.2 minutes per game, while shooting 33.3% from beyond the arc. He played alongside his brother, Jayden Hardaway, during a campaign that saw the Tigers reach as high as No. 10 in the AP Top 25 before finishing 22-10 and missing the postseason.
He made an early impact in his first season, notably scoring 17 points on five made 3-pointers in a breakout performance against Michigan at the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas. Despite that early highlight, Hardaway's production tapered off and he never scored more than eight points in a game for the remainder of the season.
After transferring to Saint Mary's for the 2024-25 season, Hardaway played a reserve role for a Gaels team that finished 29-6, claimed the West Coast Conference regular season championship and earned a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament. He appeared in 33 games as a sophomore and averaged 2.1 points and 1.2 rebounds in 9.5 minutes per game, connecting on 31% of his three-point attempts (13-of-42). His best outing came on January 29, when he tallied nine points in a road win over Santa Clara.
Coming out of high school, he was rated a 4-star recruit and the No. 94 player in the country by On3. He was listed as the 21st-best power forward in the nation and the 18th-best prospect out of the state of California.
Hardaway made headlines his senior year of high school when he moved to the West Coast to join powerhouse Sierra Canyon to play alongside Bronny James and Justin Pippen.
He played his junior season at Duncanville High School in Duncanville, Texas where he averaged 10.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.2 steals per game while leading his squad to a 35-1 overall record and a No. 1 ranking in the state of Texas. He helped the Panthers claim their third 6A state title in a row after defeating McKinney High School 69-49 in the championship match.
Hardaway's return adds depth and experience to the Tigers' frontcourt heading into the 2025-26 season as Memphis looks to build on its championship season.
He becomes the seventh player the program has signed to the 2025 recruiting class, joining Daniel Vieira-Tuck, Felipe Patino, Quante Berry (Temple), Dug McDaniel (Kansas State), Aaron Bradshaw (Ohio State) and Julius Thedford (Western Kentucky).
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.
Players Mentioned
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