Memphis basketball has not visited Arkansas' Bud Walton Arena in nearly 24 years.
But that's about to change. Even if it is a preseason exhibition game, coach Penny Hardaway and the Tigers will face the Razorbacks and familiar face John Calipari on Oct. 28 (7 p.m. CT, ESPN+). It's a rematch of an exhibition game at FedExForum in 2025, which Arkansas won 99-75.
It marks both the final tune-up before the 2026-27 regular season begins (vs. Iowa State on Nov. 2) and another test for a Memphis team that has passed its first two. After taking down Jacksonville State in a closed scrimmage, the Tigers overwhelmed Mississippi State 75-58 in Starkville, Mississippi.
Encouraging results, to be sure. But it only goes so far, according to Hardaway, because
of these Tigers' frame of mind.
"We're not going to overhype ourselves, because we feel like we belong," he said. "When you feel like you belong, you go into every game like, 'It's another opportunity for us to show that we belong.' "
Jayden Reid paved the way against Mississippi State, piling up 26 points, four assists (zero turnovers), three rebounds and three steals in 34 minutes.
"We can't have this type of performance and then go to Arkansas and, you know, it's the other way. We've got to keep taking steps in the right direction," Reid said.
Here are three things we're thinking about ahead of tip-off between the Tigers and Razorbacks, along with a score prediction.
Tylik Weeks 'can get a bucket any day'
Many view Tylik Weeks as the crown jewel of Hardaway's roster rebuild. The 6-foot-7 forward was a top-35 scorer in the country at Southern Miss last season, averaging more than 19 points per game to lead the Sun Belt.
But he managed just five points on 1-of-9 shooting against Mississippi State in his first outing in a Tigers uniform that wasn't behind closed doors. Weeks made up for it by hauling in nine rebounds and collecting three assists, one steal and one block.
Weeks also drew four fouls (more than any player in the game) and attempted five free throws more than any other player. That's an aspect of his game that flies under the radar a bit. Last season, he averaged 7.8 free-throw attempts per game, which was tied for eighth-best among all players in Division I.
And his teammates are confident the scoring will come.
"He can get a bucket any day," senior wing Rihards Vavers said. "It wasn't his night, but he can get to the rim, he can shoot a pull-up, he can shoot 3's. His game is not defined just by scoring. He can affect the game in (many) other aspects."
Memphis basketball's second unit
The Tigers got strong early returns from the starting lineup against Mississippi State, as four members (Reid, Vavers, Luke Almodovar and Nemanja Popović) all reached double figures in scoring.
Josh Holloway and Brandin Cummings played the most minutes of any reserve, with six and five points, respectively.
Hardaway played four others — Jerry Deng, Maxim Logue, Corneilous Williams and William Whorton. Those four combined for zero points and one rebound.
Memphis has touted its depth all offseason. How those players perform coming off the bench against Arkansas is worth monitoring.
Arkansas basketball scouting report
The Razorbacks are very young — but very talented. That combination can lead to dramatic ups and downs.
Such was the case on Oct. 24, when Arkansas gutted out a 76-72 exhibition win over Gonzaga.
Calipari's team trailed by as many as 10 points late in the first half, then led by 11 with 6:46 left in the game, but had to hold on as the game got tight late.
The Razorbacks shot just 37% against the Zags and hit on only 57% of their free throws. But they connected on 46% of their 3-pointers, while holding Gonzaga to 36% from the field, 26% beyond the arc and 71% at the free-throw line.
Memphis native Billy Richmond III led Arkansas with 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
Memphis basketball vs Arkansas score prediction
Memphis 72, Arkansas 67. Another opportunity for the Tigers to prove themselves.
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com, follow him @munzly on X.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: What will Memphis basketball do for an encore at Arkansas? Our prediction
