Tigers Host League-Leading Florida Atlantic Thursday Night

Thursday, January 29

Memphis, Tenn.

7:00 PM

University of Memphis

Florida Atlantic

Tigers Host League-Leading Florida Atlantic Thursday Night

Jan 28, 2026 | Men's Basketball

Watch Live Stats Listen Memphis Notes (PDF)Florida Atlantic Notes (PDF)

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Memphis returns to FedExForum Thursday night for a pivotal American Conference matchup, hosting league-leading Florida Atlantic at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.

The Tigers (9-10, 4-3 American) are back home after a tough road swing at Tulsa and Wichita State last week and now face an opportunity to quickly change the tone of their season. A win over the Owls would not only provide a boost of momentum, but also tighten the conference race with March positioning already coming into focus.

One encouraging development for Memphis has been the emergence of Aaron Bradshaw over the last several games. Over the past five contests, Bradshaw has been the Tigers' leading scorer and rebounder, averaging 11.8 points and 6.3 boards while shooting an efficient 55.6 percent from the floor. His growing presence around the rim and on the glass has added a needed interior dimension for Memphis at both ends of the floor.

Florida Atlantic (14-7, 6-2) handed Memphis an 89-78 loss earlier this month in Boca Raton, a game defined by second-chance points and rim protection. The Owls controlled the glass and blocked nine shots, led by Devin Williams' seven rejections. Memphis will look to be sharper on the boards and more efficient offensively this time around.

FAU is paced by Devin Vanterpool (15.9 ppg), with Kanaan Carlyle (14.7 ppg) providing another consistent scoring option. The Owls come to town following an 89-75 loss at South Florida, despite a 22-point outing from Vanterpool.

At home, Memphis has been a different team, posting an 8-2 record at FedExForum. The Tigers average 14.1 assists per game in league play, with Dug McDaniel leading the way at 4.8 assists per contest while also contributing 13.4 points and 2.2 steals. Curtis Givens III has added 9.2 points per game over the last 10 outings.

Statistically, Thursday's matchup features a tight perimeter battle. Memphis averages 7.1 made threes per game, while FAU allows 7.6. Conversely, the Owls average 8.8 made threes, with Memphis allowing 7.8 per contest.

With conference standings tightening and the calendar turning toward February, both teams enter with urgency and FedExForum sets the stage for a high-stakes American Conference showdown.

GAME DETAILS
Memphis Tigers (9-10, 4-3 American) vs. Florida Atlantic (14-7, 6-2 American)
Thursday, January 29, 2026 | 7 p.m.
FedExForum (18,400); Memphis, Tenn.
Television: ESPN2 (Rich Hollenberg, pxp; Jon Crispin, analysis)
Radio: 98.9 THE ROAR OF MEMPHIS (Dave Woloshin, pxp; Matt Dillon, analysis)

BY THE NUMBERS

2: Aaron Bradshaw has put up at least 10 points and eight rebounds in 25 or fewer minutes in each of his last two games. The last Memphis player to reach those marks in such few minutes in back-to-back games was DeAndre Williams on November 19-24, 2021.
2^nd: Dug McDaniel carries the 2nd-longest active streak in Division I having recorded at least three steals and a steal in 10-straight contests. It's the 3rd-longest streak by a Memphis Tiger in the last 30 seasons.
4-0: Memphis is looking to start 4-0 at home in conference play for the second straight season. The last time the Tigers did that in consecutive seasons was 2011-12 and 2012-13.
10: Memphis is averaging 9.71 steals and 4.57 blocks per game in conference play. The only DI team over the last 10 seasons to finish a regular season of conference games with those marks was Prairie View A&M in 2020-21 (10.62, 4.62).
33.2: Memphis' bench is averaging 33.2 points per game, on pace for the highest bench scoring average in American Conference history — topping the league's all-time mark (UTSA, 32.2 in 2023-24).
50.0: The Tigers shot 50.0 percent from the field in the second half against Wichita State. That is tied for their highest field-goal percentage in any half this season away from home (2nd half at Ole Miss, 2nd half at FAU).

UP NEXT
The Tigers close out the week on Sunday when they host the Tulane Green Wave 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.