University of Memphis Athletics
Saturday, November 7
Memphis, Tenn.
2 p.m.
University of Memphis
vs
(RV) VCU
Nov 06, 2026 | Men's Basketball
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Looking to win its home opener for the 25th consecutive year, the Memphis men's basketball program will make its first appearance in FedExForum this season at 2 p.m. Saturday against RV VCU.
The Tigers (1-0) have not lost a home opener since Nov. 22, 2002, against Austin Peay 81-80 in overtime. Memphis is 75-30 (.714) all-time in home openers.
The Tigers opened the season with an 80-76 victory Monday over No. 18 Iowa State in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. It was the highest ranked opponent Memphis has ever beaten on opening day.
Senior Jayden Reid, a Preseason All-Conference First-Team selection, poured in a game-high 26 points, while senior Luke Almodovar tallied 18 points, eight rebounds and a pair of steals. Almodovar recorded the SportsCenter No. 1 Top Play on Monday night with a posterizing dunk to beat the buzzer at the end of the first half.
Head coach Penny Hardaway improved to 9-0 in season openers, including a 3-0 mark against Power 4 opponents. Hardaway also upped his record against Power 4 opponents to 22-10 with upcoming games against Vanderbilt, Louisville, Penn State, Baylor, Texas and either Mississippi State or Wake Forest.
VCU (1-0) received 12 votes in the first AP Top 25 released last week. The Rams opened the season with an 82-72 home win over Little Rock.
VCU was predicted to win the Atlantic 10 in the Preseason Poll. The Rams won both the A10 Regular Season and Conference Tournament crowns last year, advanced to the NCAA Tournament and beat North Carolina 82-78 in the first round before falling to Illinois 76-55.
Saturday's game can be watched on ESPN+ with Greg Gaston and Trey Draper on the call. It can be heard on 98.9 The Roar with Dave Woloshin and Ken Moody.
NOTES
- Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway is 8-0 in home openers with victories over Tennessee Tech (twice), South Carolina State, Arkansas State, VCU, Jackson State, Missouri and San Francisco. The 62-47 win over VCU came on Nov. 20, 2022.
- Memphis is looking to start 2-0 for the fifth time under Hardaway.
- The Tigers are 6-3 all-time against VCU including a 5-0 mark at home. Hardaway is 2-1 against the Rams and won the last meeting 85-80 (OT) on the road in 2023-24. Hardaway also beat VCU as a player as the Tigers won 85-58 at home in 1991-92.
- Reid is 19 points away from 1,000 in his career as he's scored 981 points over four Division I seasons. It includes 613 points over two seasons at South Florida, 342 last year at Northwestern and 26 this season.
- Memphis is 1115-298 all-time at home, 287-51 at FedExForum and 105-21 under Hardaway.
- The Tigers' nonconference schedule boasts an average opponent NET of 96.7, based on the final 2025-26 rankings, and adds to Hardaway's long-standing philosophy of playing elite opponents.
- Senior Nemanja Popovic was cleared by the NCAA for two years of eligibility. However, the NCAA notified Memphis that Popovic must serve a six-game withholding period to begin the 2026-27 season due to previous international competition. Saturday will mark the second of six games he must sit. Popovic started at center in the team's exhibition games against Mississippi State and Arkansas and was 11-of-16 (.688) from the field and averaged 14.0 points per game.
How to follow the Tigers: For complete information on Memphis Tigers Men's Basketball, visit http://www.GoTigersGo.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter and Instagram.
The Tigers (1-0) have not lost a home opener since Nov. 22, 2002, against Austin Peay 81-80 in overtime. Memphis is 75-30 (.714) all-time in home openers.
The Tigers opened the season with an 80-76 victory Monday over No. 18 Iowa State in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. It was the highest ranked opponent Memphis has ever beaten on opening day.
Senior Jayden Reid, a Preseason All-Conference First-Team selection, poured in a game-high 26 points, while senior Luke Almodovar tallied 18 points, eight rebounds and a pair of steals. Almodovar recorded the SportsCenter No. 1 Top Play on Monday night with a posterizing dunk to beat the buzzer at the end of the first half.
Head coach Penny Hardaway improved to 9-0 in season openers, including a 3-0 mark against Power 4 opponents. Hardaway also upped his record against Power 4 opponents to 22-10 with upcoming games against Vanderbilt, Louisville, Penn State, Baylor, Texas and either Mississippi State or Wake Forest.
VCU (1-0) received 12 votes in the first AP Top 25 released last week. The Rams opened the season with an 82-72 home win over Little Rock.
VCU was predicted to win the Atlantic 10 in the Preseason Poll. The Rams won both the A10 Regular Season and Conference Tournament crowns last year, advanced to the NCAA Tournament and beat North Carolina 82-78 in the first round before falling to Illinois 76-55.
Saturday's game can be watched on ESPN+ with Greg Gaston and Trey Draper on the call. It can be heard on 98.9 The Roar with Dave Woloshin and Ken Moody.
NOTES
- Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway is 8-0 in home openers with victories over Tennessee Tech (twice), South Carolina State, Arkansas State, VCU, Jackson State, Missouri and San Francisco. The 62-47 win over VCU came on Nov. 20, 2022.
- Memphis is looking to start 2-0 for the fifth time under Hardaway.
- The Tigers are 6-3 all-time against VCU including a 5-0 mark at home. Hardaway is 2-1 against the Rams and won the last meeting 85-80 (OT) on the road in 2023-24. Hardaway also beat VCU as a player as the Tigers won 85-58 at home in 1991-92.
- Reid is 19 points away from 1,000 in his career as he's scored 981 points over four Division I seasons. It includes 613 points over two seasons at South Florida, 342 last year at Northwestern and 26 this season.
- Memphis is 1115-298 all-time at home, 287-51 at FedExForum and 105-21 under Hardaway.
- The Tigers' nonconference schedule boasts an average opponent NET of 96.7, based on the final 2025-26 rankings, and adds to Hardaway's long-standing philosophy of playing elite opponents.
- Senior Nemanja Popovic was cleared by the NCAA for two years of eligibility. However, the NCAA notified Memphis that Popovic must serve a six-game withholding period to begin the 2026-27 season due to previous international competition. Saturday will mark the second of six games he must sit. Popovic started at center in the team's exhibition games against Mississippi State and Arkansas and was 11-of-16 (.688) from the field and averaged 14.0 points per game.
SPORTSCENTER TOP 10 ⭐️ Coming in at No. 1, @lukealmo https://t.co/JkSkBqCxxQ
— Memphis Basketball (@Memphis_MBB) November 3, 2026
How to follow the Tigers: For complete information on Memphis Tigers Men's Basketball, visit http://www.GoTigersGo.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
Tuesday, November 03
Tuesday, November 03
Friday, October 30
Friday, October 30