Hardaway, Tigers Set for Hoops for St. Jude Showdown with No. 14 Arkansas

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Memphis men's basketball team will host No. 14/15 Arkansas Monday at FedExForum in the Hoops for St. Jude Tip-Off Classic presented by Bad Boy Mowers, benefiting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

The game marks the first exhibition of the season for the Tigers and the return of former Memphis head coach John Calipari to the FedExForum sidelines for the first time since 2009. Note: Calipari did lead Kentucky into the 2017 Elite Eight at FedExForum, falling to eventual national champion North Carolina on a Luke Maye buzzer beater.

The event will feature a doubleheader, as the Memphis women's team faces Vanderbilt in the opening game. Tipoff for the men's matchup between the Tigers and Razorbacks is scheduled for 8 p.m. on ESPNU.

"The Tip Off Classic is more than a game. It's a powerful expression of what can happen when a community unites to hoop for hope," said Ike Anand, President and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. "It's deeply meaningful to witness these incredible college programs take the court not just to compete, but to champion the mission of St. Jude. The energy in FedExForum, the pride of Memphis, Arkansas, and Vanderbilt, and the generosity of fans fuel the work St. Jude does for children with catastrophic diseases both here and around the world."

As part of Calipari's reunion to Memphis, more than 30 of his former Tigers will be in attendance and the group will be welcomed on the court in a pregame ceremony just before the 8 p.m. tipoff.

Memphis has won at least 20 games in all seven seasons under head coach Penny Hardaway. Entering his eighth year, the Memphis native faces one of his biggest challenges yet after replacing every player from last season's 29-6 team that swept both the American Conference regular season and tournament titles.

Reigning American Coach of the Year Hardaway and his staff retooled the roster with 15 newcomers, including 13 Division I transfers. The group's talent and depth helped Memphis earn the preseason favorite nod from the league's head coaches, receiving 143 total points and 11-of-13 first-place votes. (Teams could not vote for themselves.)

Last season, the Tigers recorded three victories over Associated Press Top 25 opponents, including wins against No. 2 UConn (99–97) in the Maui Invitational, at No. 16 Clemson (87–82) and at home versus No. 16 Ole Miss (87–70). Memphis also collected nonconference wins over Missouri (83–75), Michigan State (71–63) and Virginia (64–62).

Hardaway has assembled another challenging schedule for 2025-26. Memphis will play two exhibition games against AP Top 20 opponents - No. 14 Arkansas and No. 20 Auburn - before road matchups at Ole Miss (Nov. 11), No. 11 Louisville (Dec. 13) and Mississippi State (Dec. 20). The Tigers will also host Baylor (Dec. 6) and Vanderbilt (Dec. 17), and compete in the Baha Mar Championships against preseason No. 1 Purdue (Nov. 20) with a potential meeting against No. 10 Texas Tech.
Fans can experience Memphis basketball in a variety of ways this season with several ticket options available. Packages can be purchased at GoTigersGoTix.com or by calling the Memphis Ticket Office at (901) 678-2331.

GAME DETAILS
Memphis Tigers vs. No. 14 Arkansas Razorbacks
Monday, Oct. 27, 2025 | 8 p.m. CT
FedExForum (18,400); Memphis, Tenn.
Television: ESPNU (Mike Corey, pxp; Mark Wise, color)
Radio: 98.9 The Roar of Memphis (Dave Woloshin, pxp; Trey Draper, analysis)
Live Stats: www.Memphis.StatBroadcast.com

BY THE NUMBERS

0: Returning players for Memphis from the 29-6 American Championship squad last season. The Tigers are one of only nine programs in the country that don't return a single player from 2024-25.
1: Memphis is the ony program in the country to have produced one of the nation's top-10 leading scorer in each of the last three seasons: Kendric Davis (21.9 - 8th), David Jones (21.8 - 6th), PJ Haggerty (21.7 - 3rd).
3: Programs in the nation that have won at least 18 games in each of the last 24 seasons starting in 2000-01 (Memphis, Kansas, Gonzaga).
14: The number of wins against SEC opponents in seven seasons under Penny Hardaway. In that span, the Tigers are 14-10 against SEC opponents, but are 10-4 in such games over the last three seasons.
15: The number of newcomer additions to the roster this season, 13 of which were transfers brought in from Division I programs.
739: The combined number of games of Division I experience the Tigers have amongst 15 players. Five guys have played 80+ games: Tariq Ingrham (98), Zach Davis (95), Dug McDaniel (92), Thierno Sylla (84) and Sincere Parker (83).
64-3: Memphis' record under Penny Hardaway when shooting 50% in a game.

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.

University of Memphis Athletics

Hardaway, Tigers Set for Hoops for St. Jude Showdown with No. 14 Arkansas

Players Mentioned

Kendric Davis

Zach Davis

PJ Haggerty

Dug McDaniel

Sincere Parker

Thierno Sylla

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