Penny Hardaway and Memphis basketball need a win.
The Tigers (1-4), who have lost four in a row for the first time since January 2024, have a chance to get it when Southern Illinois (3-3) comes to FedExForum on Nov. 26 (7 p.m. CT, ESPN+).
And if they beat the Salukis, Memphis point guard Dug McDaniel says it will correlate partially to the team’s two tough losses to No. 1 Purdue and Wake Forest at the Baha Mar Championship in the Bahamas. He also believes it will be the first win of many.
“If we’re all thinking alike, we’re going to use it as extra motivation — just use these two games as motivation and take it out on (SIU),” the Tigers’ leading scorer (at 14.8 points per game) said. “At some point, we’re going to win and we’re going to take off from there.”
Here are three things we’re thinking about ahead of tip-off against the Salukis (whose game at Memphis will be their third in four days).
Memphis basketball cleanup must start now
The Tigers’ biggest issues through five games seem clear, and it starts with Aaron Bradshaw.
It’s early, of course — there is plenty of time for him for turn things around — but the 7-foot-1 forward has been a bust so far. Availability might be his biggest problem. Out of a possible 200 regular-season minutes, he has played just 55, mostly because he has been in constant foul trouble.
Bradshaw has committed 20 fouls and fouled out three times. Making matters worse, even when he’s in the game, he is having difficulty producing. The former five-star recruit and McDonald’s All-American in high school has scored 22 points (4.4 per game) and has only six rebounds. He got his first (and only) defensive rebound of the season against Wake Forest on Nov. 21.
To put Bradshaw’s start to the season in perspective, let’s look at another former five-star and McDonald’s All-American big man who played for the Tigers in 2023-24. Jordan Brown, in his first five games in a Memphis uniform, scored 40 points, had 21 rebounds and committed 10 fouls (in 79 minutes).
Memphis simply needs more from Bradshaw.
The Tigers also need to curb the turnover trend. That spotlight shone bright on Ashton Hardaway in the Bahamas. The junior, who is tied for second on the team in scoring (8.8 points per game) and has played the second-most minutes (23.2 per game), committed five turnovers in each game of the tournament.
McDaniel leads the team with 17 turnovers, while Zach Davis has nine.
It’s important to start working on these things now, because after SIU and New Orleans (Dec. 3), Memphis’ next four games go like this: Baylor (Dec. 6); at Louisville (Dec. 13); Vanderbilt (Dec. 17); and at Mississippi State (Dec. 20).
When will Memphis basketball be at full strength?
Speaking of availability, the Tigers’ depth was tested in the Baha Mar Championship.
While they managed things rather well — with the help of Simon Majok, Tariq Ingraham, William Whorton, Julius Thedford and Davis — the team could stand to be closer to full strength than it is now.
So where do things stand on that front?
Thierno Sylla did not make the trip to the Bahamas for personal reasons. But Hardaway said he expects the big man, who started the first three games of the season, to be back on the floor against SIU.
Forward Hasan Abdul Hakim sat out the first three games with a quad injury, but Hardaway said the athletic playmaker had recovered and was set to make his debut against Purdue. Abdul Hakim got sick, however, and could not play. The expectation is he will be available for the SIU game.
Guards Curtis Givens III and Sincere Parker both exited the game against Wake Forest with thigh and hand injuries, respectively, according to Hardaway. Whether they will play or not against the Salukis is unclear.
SIU basketball scouting report
The Salukis have had an up-and-down first month. Their only Division I wins have come against teams ranked outside the KenPom top 200 (Delaware and Kansas City). All three losses came away from home at the hands of teams ranked inside the top 200 (UAB, Nevada and North Dakota State).
Two of SIU’s most significant trouble spots have been its 3-point shooting and its turnover creation.
Six games in, the Salukis are shooting just 23.2% beyond the arc, which ranks as one of the 10 worst marks in the country. And they don’t exactly apply much pressure defensively. Opponents are averaging just 12.3 turnovers against them.
Quel’Ron House (6-0 sophomore guard transfer from Jacksonville State) leads the team in scoring with 18.1 points per game. Brothers Prince and Rolyns Aligbe each average more than five rebounds a game.
Memphis basketball score prediction vs. SIU
Memphis 79, SIU 72: The Tigers will get the win they desperately need.
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com, follow him @munzly on X.
