Memphis Heads to Boca Riding Momentum

Sunday, January 11

Boca Raton, Fla.

12:00 PM

University of Memphis

Florida Atlantic

Jan 09, 2026 | Men's Basketball

Watch Live Stats Listen Memphis Game Notes (PDF)

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Winners of three straight, the Memphis men's basketball team heads south Sunday for a pivotal American Conference road test at Florida Atlantic. Tipoff is set for noon CT at Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena, with national coverage on ESPN2. Memphis enters the matchup at 7-7 overall and 2-0 in conference play, while FAU stands 10-6 and 2-1, setting up an early measuring stick in league action.

The Tigers arrive in Boca Raton riding momentum after a 76-70 road win at Rice last Saturday, their first victory away from FedExForum this season and the third straight overall during a stretch that has shown improvement following a 4-7 start.

Over the that stretch, Memphis has paired efficiency with defensive disruption. The Tigers are averaging 73.7 points per game while shooting 48.5 percent from the field and 36.1 percent from three, winning by an average of 12.0 points. Opponents have been held to just 61.7 points per contest and 36.3 percent shooting overall, as Memphis has forced 12.3 steals per game and an average of 16.0 turnovers (48 total).

Defense continues to be the Tigers' calling card, as they lead the American Conference in field-goal percentage defense (40.7) and rank among the nation's best in steals (9.5; 25^th in DI). Memphis has produced at least 11 steals and four blocks in three straight games, one of its longest such streaks this century, but ball security remains a focal point. The Tigers are averaging 14.8 turnovers per game (16^th-most in DI) and against Rice, 12 of the Owls' first 17 points came off giveaways as Memphis had to rally from a 13-point deficit. Falling behind again Sunday could be costly against a Florida Atlantic team that is more efficient offensively and does a strong job limiting opponent turnovers.

Sunday's contest will be just the seventh all-time meeting between the programs, with Memphis holding a 4-2 edge after sweeping both matchups a year ago, including a 90-62 win in Boca Raton. As the Tigers look to extend their season-long win streak and continue climbing in the American standings, execution, tempo and ball security will be key against a balanced FAU squad on its home floor.

GAME DETAILS
Memphis Tigers (7-7, 2-0 American) at Florida Atlantic Owls (10-6, 2-1 American)
Sunday Jan. 11, 2026 | Noon CT
Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena (2,900); Boca Raton, Florida
Television: ESPN2 (Ted Emrich, pxp; Chris Spatola, analyst)
Radio: 98.9 THE ROAR OF MEMPHIS (Dave Woloshin, pxp; Ken Moody, analyst)
Live Stats: www.Memphis.StatBroadcast.com

BY THE NUMBERS

2: Memphis guard Dug McDaniel is one of just two Division I players to rank top three in their conference in SPG (2.3; 1st), FT% (91.3, 1st) and APG (5.1; 2nd), The other is SMU's Boopie Miller.
2-0: Memphis has opened conference play 2-0 for the third straight season, marking the
program's longest such streak since a six-year run from 2004-05 through 2009-10.
3: The Tigers have produced at least 11 steals and four blocks in three straight games, tied for the second-longest such streak this century for Memphis, trailing only a five-game run in February 2007.
4: Ashton Hardaway has recorded a block, an offensive rebound and a made three-pointer in four straight games. The only Memphis players in the last 20 seasons with longer streaks are Nae'Qwan Tomlin (seven, Feb.-Mar. 2024) and Dedric Lawson (five, Dec. 2016).
28: Memphis has grabbed at least nine offensive rebounds in 28-straight games, the longest active streak in Division I (28). It marks the Tigers' longest run since a 29-game streak that concluded in November 2007.
30-1: Dug McDaniel has logged 30+ minutes and at least one steal in all 14 games this season. He is one of only two Division I players to accomplish the feat in every team game in 2025-26, alongside Delaware's Christian Bliss.
79: Since Penny Hardaway took over in 2018-19, Memphis has consistently delivered in tight finishes, ranking 4th nationally with 79 wins in games decided by nine points or fewer.

SCOUTING THE OWLS

Head Coach John Jakus is in his second season at the helm of the program. In his debut campaign in 2024-25, he was a finalist for the Joe B. Hall Award, given to the nation's top first-year head coach.
Under Jakus' watch, the Owls participated in their fourth straight year of postseason play, selected to the 2025 National Invitational Tournament.
In 2025-26, Florida Atlantic boasts one of the top scoring offenses in the conference, averaging 83.1 points per game behind Devin Vanterpool (16.6 ppg) and Kanaan Carlyle (15.1), with Isaiah Elohim (11.7 ppg) and Xander Pintelon (7.9 ppg) providing consistent perimeter threats as the duo has combined to hit 46 three-pointers.
The Owls also feature one of the nation's elite shot blockers in Devin Williams, who ranks fifth nationally with 44 blocks this season.
Vanterpool not only leads FAU in points per game, but also in rebounding (6.5) and steals (1.6), while ranking second on the squad in total blocks (11) and third in assists (38).
As a team, the Owls rank 11^th in the country in blocked shots per game (5.8) and are top-60 in rebounds per game (39.7), rebounding margin (6.4) and fastbreak points per game (15.1).

UP NEXT
Memphis has a busy slate next week as the Tigers return home to host a pair of conference tilts. They will first welcome Temple on Wednesday (Jan. 14) at 7 p.m. on ESPN+ before hosting UTSA next Sunday (Jan. 18) at 5 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.