Tigers Return Home to Face First-Place Temple

Wednesday, January 14

Memphis, Tenn.

7:00 PM

University of Memphis

Temple

Jan 13, 2026 | Men's Basketball

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MEMPHIS, Tenn. – A quick turnaround brings a fresh opportunity for Memphis men's basketball.

The Tigers return home Wednesday night to host Temple at FedExForum in a 7 p.m. tipoff on ESPN+, looking to reset after a road loss at Florida Atlantic and make a statement against one of the American Conference's early frontrunners.

Memphis (7-8, 2-1 American) faces a Temple team that has opened league play 3-0 and enters the night riding a seven-game winning streak. The Owls (11-5, 3-0) are tied with Tulane atop the conference standings, giving Wednesday's matchup an early-season tone-setter feel inside FedExForum.

The Tigers have been at their best at home under Penny Hardaway and Wednesday provides an immediate chance to channel urgency into performance. Memphis has shown it can compete with anyone defensively, ranking among the nation's better teams in forcing turnovers (14.1 per game) and limiting opponents from three-point range (30.6%), but consistency, especially on the offensive end, has been elusive through the season's first 15 games.

Hardaway's group has leaned heavily on its defense to generate scoring chances. Dug McDaniel continues to be the engine, averaging 14.3 points, 5.0 assists and 2.4 steals per game, while providing pressure at the point of attack. Fresh off a career-high 21-point performance at FAU, Aaron Bradshaw has also emerged as an important frontcourt option, showing touch around the rim and the ability to stretch defenses after going 3-for-3 from long distance on Sunday.

Wednesday also marks a reunion of sorts for Quante Berry, who spent two seasons in a Temple uniform before transferring to Memphis. Berry showed signs of rhythm late at FAU, playing his most minutes in nearly a month and scoring nine points. With extra motivation against his former team, his energy and production could be a swing factor.

GAME DETAILS
Memphis Tigers (7-8, 2-1 American) vs. Temple Owls (11-5, 3-0 American)
Wednesday Jan. 14, 2026 | 7:00 PM CT
FedExForum (18,400); Memphis, Tenn.
Television: ESPN+ (Greg Gaston, pxp; Trey Draper, analyst; Matt Infield, sideline)
Radio: 98.9 THE ROAR OF MEMPHIS (Dave Woloshin, pxp; Ken Moody, analyst)
Live Stats: www.Memphis.StatBroadcast.com

BY THE NUMBERS

2^nd: Aaron Bradshaw became just the second Memphis player in the last 30 seasons to post at least 20 points, five rebounds and a block while shooting perfect from three (minimum three attempts) in a single game. The only other Tiger to accomplish the feat was Rodney Carney on Nov. 18, 2004 vs. Saint Mary's.
4: Dug McDaniel has recorded at least four steals in three straight road games, the longest such streak by a Memphis player over the last 30 seasons. The only other American Conference player to match that feat was USF's Laquincy Rideau (Dec. 2018-Jan. 2019).
5-0: Memphis is 5-0 at home against Temple since Penny Hardaway took over in 2018-19. The Tigers also own unbeaten home records in that span against Wichita State (7-0), East Carolina (6-0) and UCF (6-0).
9: Memphis already has nine different players with at least 200 minutes played this season, tied for the second-most in the American Conference. Only Charlotte (10) has more players at the 200-minute mark. Over the last 30 seasons, the only other time the Tigers reached nine players with 200+ minutes through 15 games was the 2021-22 season.
50%: Memphis shot 50.0 percent (6-for-12) from 3-point range in the second half against FAU. That mark tied the Tigers' highest three-point percentage in any second half this season (also 7-for-14 vs. Alabama State).
140-50: Memphis has totaled 142 steals and 59 blocks through 15 games this season. The only other time in the last 10 seasons the Tigers reached at least 140 steals and 50 blocks at this point was in 2022-23 (145 steals, 80 blocks).

SCOUTING THE OWLS

Temple earned its seventh-consecutive victory Wednesday night with a 75-67 triumph over East Carolina at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia.
The win extended Temple's winning streak to seven, its longest since the 2014-15 season, and improved the Owls to 3-0 in conference play for the first time since the 2022-23 campaign.
Temple is among the most careful teams with the basketball in the country, ranking third nationally in fewest turnovers per game (8.8).
Point guard Jordan Mason orchestrates the offense with efficiency, while averaging 11.8 points and 4.9 assists per game.
- He also brings a unique storyline back to Memphis: Mason is the grandson of Larry Kenon, a Memphis State legend whose No. 35 jersey hangs in the rafters.
Around Mason, the Owls have reliable perimeter shooting. Derrian Ford, Aiden Tobiason and Gavin Griffiths all average double figures and Temple as a team shoots 38.0 percent from three-point range (22^nd in DI).
Griffiths adds another dimension as an elite shot blocker (2.3 bpg), giving Temple rim protection to match its perimeter firepower.

UP NEXT
Memphis closes out the week Sunday evening at home against UTSA. The Tigers and Roadrunners will tip off at 5 p.m. on ESPN2 for the MLK Day Celebration 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.