The value of a first impression is timeless.
And the 2026-27 Memphis basketball team — still a mystery to many — wants to make this one count, even if the game doesn’t.
When Penny Hardaway and his Tigers take the floor against Mississippi State (7 p.m., CT, Oct. 23) at Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville, Mississippi, it will be for only an exhibition. It won’t affect either team’s record. It will neither help nor hurt their March Madness chances.
But it matters to Memphis, which is desperately trying to recover from its worst season in 56 years. It matters to Hardaway, who wants to set the tone for an increasingly restless fan base.
“You’ve got to put a product on the floor that people want to see,” Hardaway said in an exclusive interview with The
Commercial Appeal on Oct. 12. “I’m an easy target right now, (but) I’m hoping they fall in love with this team.”
Here is what Hardaway and his players say fans can expect to see when the Tigers face off against the Bulldogs.
Who will start for Memphis basketball, how will the rotation shake out?
The most likely starting five for the Tigers goes like this: Jayden Reid, Luke Almodovar, Rihards Vavers, Tylik Weeks and Nemanja Popović.
Will it be the same group when Memphis faces Arkansas in its final exhibition game (7 p.m. CT, Oct. 28, ESPN+)? Possibly. While it's unlikely, Hardaway could stick with that group all season long. We just don't know.
As far as the bench goes, Josh Holloway will primarily serve as Reid's backup at point guard and is the driver's seat for the team's sixth man. Maxim Logue has a slight edge over Corneilous Williams at backup center. Julius Thedford will be a sizable factor coming off the bench behind Vavers. Brandin Cummings (who may eventually become a starter) will back up Almodovar. Jerry Deng is expected to get minutes as the backup 4.
Cello Jackson, Williams and William Whorton will also get playing time.
Will high-scoring offense be Memphis basketball's identity?
Memphis showed glimpses of what it wants the offense to look like during a late-September intrasquad scrimmage.
Eight players scored in double-figures that day, a by-product of the intrasquad format. But it’s also evidence of what they are capable of and what the team’s overall identity might be.
“What you saw, I know that’s what fans are gonna see,” Hardaway said. “High speed, energetic team that can really shoot. That are gonna play together. We’re getting better and better every week on sharing the basketball and getting the ball up the court.”
Point guard Jayden Reid led all scorers in that particular scrimmage with 26 points.
“It just showed our talent,” he told The Commercial Appeal. “How we like to get up and down. Pressure the ball. A lot of (3-pointers) — we’ve got a lot of good shooters, a lot of good scorers. Obviously, (6-foor-9 center Popovic) down low, we have a low post presence.
“I feel like we just have a lot of guards, wings and bigs. We’ve just got to put it together when the lights come on.”
Will teams be 'surprised' by Memphis basketball's defense?
If Memphis expects to be a higher-scoring offense, what will that mean for the team’s defense?
Hardaway has long been a staunch proponent of defense bearing the torch for the Tigers. Some are leery of that holding true for this group, particularly due to a general lack of length in the backcourt and a slight lack of rim protection in the frontcourt.
Tylik Weeks, a 6-7 wing, believes there are achievable ways the team can make up for those things.
“A lot of teams are going to be surprised when they see us, how much energy we bring on the defensive end,” he told The Commercial Appeal. “That’s the main thing Penny’s focusing on right now. We’ve got a lot of scorers, but it’s all about everybody buying in and getting stops.”
Mississippi State basketball scouting report
Josh Hubbard — the fourth-leading scorer in Bulldogs history and a three-time All-SEC performer — did not play in Mississippi State's 77-73 exhibition loss to NC State.
He is expected to be available against Memphis, and he represents an enormous challenge for the Tigers' defense right off the bat, especially coupled with Seton Hall transfer Tajuan Simpkins (who scored 20 points against NC State).
Naturally, the Bulldogs struggled in certain areas without Hubbard, including sharing the ball (eight assists and nine turnovers) and free-throw shooting (six of their nine misses came in the second half).
KenPom's preseason rankings have Mississippi State's offense at No. 66 and its defense at No. 76.
Memphis basketball vs Mississippi State score prediction
Memphis 83, Mississippi State 74. Pace equals points, and the Tigers are aiming to score a lot of points this season. How effective they are at pushing tempo will determine a lot.
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 lineup, rotation look like vs Mississippi State?
