The NCAA has denied Memphis forward Dain Dainja’s request for an additional season of eligibility, the school confirmed on Thursday.
This marks the third offseason in a row in which the NCAA has not granted a Memphis player a waiver for eligibility. In 2023, the NCAA denied DeAndre Williams’ request after it came out that he received “academic misadvisement prior to his initial collegiate enrollment,” according to the University of Memphis. Caleb Mills suffered a similar fate after sustaining a season-ending injury in a January game against Tulsa in 2024.
In a statement, Penny Hardaway said, “We’re obviously disappointed with the NCAA’s decision because we know what this opportunity meant to him, but that doesn’t take away from the impact he had here. Dain’s future is incredibly bright.” Dainja also responded to the news in a post on X, writing, “Thank you Memphis.”
This leaves the Memphis roster with more questions than answers as the summer moves along. Dainja, a unanimous All-AAC first-team selection last year, would have anchored the paint for the Tigers this season. The news leaves Memphis with a glaring weakness in its frontcourt for now.
As of now, the only player who can realistically play down low is 7-foot-1 Aaron Bradshaw, as the rest of the players are perimeter-oriented wings and guards.
During a June 24 appearance at the Tigers on Tour event, Hardaway hinted that more roster additions are on the way, saying, “We do have other guys that are coming, we just haven’t announced them yet.”
