The wait is nearly over.
No more conjecture. No more supposition. No more perception-fueled angst.
Reality — whatever form it will take — begins its return for Memphis basketball on Nov. 2. That's when the Tigers (in their ninth season under coach Penny Hardaway) are set to open the 2026-27 season against Iowa State at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
But between now and then, there are things Memphis would like to button up and iron out. Here are some of the more top-of-mind items the Tigers will try to tackle in the coming weeks.
Getting Nemanja Popović cleared for competition
One of the most discussed topics of the offseason has been the eligibility status of 24-year-old Serbian big man Nemanja Popović.
The 6-foot-9 center who last played professionally in Poland has been
with the team since July 3, fully participating in workouts and practices the whole time. He is listed on the Tigers' roster and is expected to be a starter.
But Memphis is still waiting on an official ruling from the NCAA declaring him eligible to compete in games.
The expectation has been (and remains) that it's only a matter of time before the NCAA delivers its final stamp of approval for Popović. Until then, though, you can forgive Memphis fans who maintain a certain level of skepticism.
The key to success for Memphis basketball is . . . versatility?
Hardaway built a roster this offseason that checked a lot of boxes.
He's got good shooters. He's got speed and athleticism. He's got experienced players. But he doesn't necessarily have a tried-and-true fallback option. An ace up his sleeve — like a takeover scorer (Kendric Davis or PJ Haggerty) or a keep-feeding-him handful in the post (Dain Dainja) — he can always pull out when nothing else is working.
On top of that, Memphis' schedule is as diverse as any program's in the country, spanning a gamut that runs from the likes of Iowa State, Louisville and Texas, to VCU, Vanderbilt and Baylor, to Wichita State, Temple and Rice.
So, it will be important for Hardaway to lean in to the versatility of the roster he has put together and accept that what may work against one team might not be a recipe that will work against others.
Can Penny Hardaway restore Memphis basketball's traditional identity?
Toughness has been a hallmark of the Tigers for as long as many can remember.
There have been exceptions — and last season was an example. Was it merely a blip on the overall radar? It has to be.
Hardaway and his coaching staff have gone to great lengths to emphasize all those things that have historically given other teams fits. Energy. Effort. In-your-face defense. Relentless rebounding. Winning the shot-margin/possession battle.
"All that stuff has been a major, major emphasis in practice," first-year assistant Sean Mock said. "Maybe even more so than like, 'Hey, we’re gonna run this set. We’re gonna run this play.'
"We’ve got to do these things and get back to playing that Memphis style of basketball."
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com, follow him @munzly on X.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: 3 things Memphis basketball has to address before the season starts
