Tigers Look to Bounce Back at Wichita State on ESPN2

Saturday, January 24

Wichita, Kan.

3:00 PM

University of Memphis

Wichita State

Tigers Look to Bounce Back at Wichita State on ESPN2

Jan 23, 2026 | Men's Basketball

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

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Memphis returns to the road Saturday looking for a response.

The Tigers (9-9, 4-2 American) travel to Wichita, Kansas, to face Wichita State at 3 p.m. inside Charles Koch Arena, with the matchup airing nationally on ESPN2. It's a quick turnaround after Wednesday's 83-66 setback at Tulsa and it comes against a Shockers team that has quietly built momentum over the past week.

Despite the loss at Tulsa, Memphis remains tied for second in the American Conference standings. The challenge, once again, is translating home success to road consistency. The Tigers are 8-2 at FedExForum but just 1-5 away from home this season, making Saturday's game an important opportunity to flip that narrative.

Dug McDaniel remains the engine for Memphis. The senior guard leads the team at 13.9 points per game while adding 4.9 assists and 2.2 steals, shooting nearly 37 percent from three-point range and better than 88 percent at the free throw line. His ability to control tempo will be critical in a physical road environment.

Curtis Givens III (9.1 ppg) and Aaron Bradshaw (8.4 ppg) give the Tigers balance, while Julius Thedford has emerged as a steady presence on the glass, averaging a team-high 5.2 rebounds per game. Memphis is averaging 74.0 points per game as a team and holding opponents to 73.3, with its defensive field goal percentage (.410) ranking second in the conference and top-50 in the country.

Wichita State (12-8, 4-3) presents a physical test, particularly around the rim. The Shockers are one of the nation's elite offensive rebounding teams, creating extra possessions through relentless effort on the glass. That emphasis puts a spotlight on Memphis' ability to finish defensive possessions, an area that has been inconsistent at times this season.

The Shockers feature size and strength across the frontcourt, led by 7-foot-2 center Will Berg, along with Karon Boyd and Emmanuel Okorafor. Few players in the country are as efficient or as dangerous from deep as Kenyon Giles. The senior out of Chesapeake, Virginia ranks third in the conference in scoring at 18.4 points per game, while his 70 made threes rank third nationally. He is also ninth in the country in three-pointers per game (3.50) and 30th in three-point percentage (42.2%).

Memphis has shown throughout the season that its ceiling is high when it defends with discipline. The Tigers are 25th in Division I averaging 9.3 steals per game and are at their best when turnovers turn into transition opportunities and easy offense.

Saturday's matchup offers a chance to reestablish that identity, pick up a quality road win and stay near the top of the American Conference race as the calendar turns toward the heart of league play.

BY THE NUMBERS

5: Ashton Hardaway became just the fifth player in the last eight seasons since Coach Penny Hardaway took over to make at least five three-pointers in a game while shooting 80.0 percent or better. Nae'Qwan Tomlin against FAU (March 9, 2024) was the last Tiger to do so.
9.3: The Tigers are averaging 9.3 steals per game this season, the 25th best total in the country. They have swiped 10+ thefts in 4-of-6 games against American opponents.
11: Memphis has held opponents under 30% from three in 11 games this season, ranking 10th nationally. The Tigers are holding American Conference opponents to 24.8% shooting from 3-point range overall.
12: Memphis is 12-3 (.800) vs. Wichita State under Hardaway, tied for the most wins against any opponent in his tenure (Tulane).
47.1: After a 5-for-6 shooting night from long range at Tulsa, Ashton Hardaway is now shooting a team-high 47.1 percent from three-point distance in conference play, a number that would rank first in The American if he qualified.
62.5: Over the last five games, Aaron Bradshaw is shooting a team-high 62.5% from the field (20-32), while averaging 12.3 points and 5.0 rebounds – both totals are second best on the team in that span.
80: Since Penny Hardaway took over prior to the 2018-19 season, Memphis has consistently delivered in tight finishes. The Tigers rank 4th nationally with 80 wins in games decided by nine points or fewer, trailing only Kansas (83), Virginia (82) and Drake (81).

SCOUTING THE SHOCKERS

Wichita State brings a 12-8 record into Saturday, including a 4-3 mark in league play.
The Shockers are 9-2 at home this season with their two losses coming to DePaul (61-58) on Dec. 13 and Rice (66-64) on Jan. 7.
Only two players are averaging double figures for WSU, but its leading scorer Kenyon Giles (18.4 PPG) is a walking bucket. His 70 made threes rank third nationally. He is also ninth in the country in three-pointers per game (3.50) and 30th in three-point percentage (42.2%).
In conference play, he's even better at 21.4 points per game and has scored 20+ points in five of the team's seven games.
When Giles misses, WSU rebounds 45.2% of those shots, a rate that would be best in the nation if it were a team. The rest of the roster rebounds at 37% on their misses.
Over 45% of Giles' misses extend possessions and more than 21% directly lead to second-chance points, making his attempts valuable even when they don't fall.
Karon Boyd is second on the squad at 11.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.
Big man Will Berg leads the team in rebounding at 8.2 per game to go along with 8.3 points each time out.
The Shockers rank fourth in Division I with 15.2 offensive rebounds per game, 23rd with 41.2 total rebounds per game and 26th with a +8.1 rebounding margin.

UP NEXT
Memphis returns home next week for a pair of matches against top American teams. The Tigers welcome Florida Atlantic to FedExForum on Thursday for a 7 p.m. tip on ESPNU, before Tulane comes to town on Sunday at 2 p.m. on ESPN2.

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.