It feels like an annual tradition in the Penny Hardaway era to mention roster turnover, and this year is no different.
Usually, a few players are retained from one season to another, but not many. This year, however, there are none. All 15 players on the 2025-26 Memphis Tigers transferred to the Bluff City from another university, with the lone exception of freshman big man Simon Majok. With all this new talent coming in and out of the door, it can be a challenge for fans following the team to connect with the players each year.
“It’s very difficult,” Hardaway said in a press conference on Oct 7. “There’s no ifs, ands or buts about it, you know that when you get a new team every year, it’s just very difficult. It’s the main gripe that fans are having right now, they don’t know any of the players, and it’s a new team every year; they really haven’t been able to get engaged.”
Despite the massive roster reconstruction, Hardaway said this team is one of the most cohesive and team-oriented groups he has ever coached. As Memphis gets ready to rerun its nonconference gauntlet, here are the players that fans should keep their eyes on for this season.
Aaron Bradshaw
While there is no word on who will or won’t be in the starting lineup come Nov. 8, many expect that the junior transfer from Ohio State will play his way into that position.
The Tigers had a depth problem in the frontcourt last season, which was easily solved by the acquisitions of Arop Arop, Thierno Sylla and Majok. Bradshaw, who is 7-foot-1, stands out amongst the trees as Memphis’ premier force down low in a breakout year.
Dug McDaniel
Hardaway summarizes the immense depth at guard perfectly when he said, “Right now, my leaders are my point guards.” Between Dug McDaniel (Kansas State), Curtis Givens III (LSU) and Quante Berry (Temple), Memphis has plenty of options to lead its hustle-and-flow offense that finished last season in the top 100 for offensive rating and pace, according to Warren Nolan.
But it is McDaniel who has a slight edge over the other two guards — more experience.
In the seasons before coming to Memphis, he started for Power Four programs in Michigan and Kansas State, which is something he will need to draw on early and often during the regular season and at the NCAA Tournament.
Hasan Abdul Hakim
The last piece to the puzzle is the 6-foot-8 wing from UTRGV, who might come in and surprise a lot of people. Though Hasan Abdul Hakim is currently nursing a quad injury, Hardaway said that “the practices he’s been in, he’s been very dominant.”
Hakim averaged 13.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 12 games last season before falling to a groin injury. When he’s on the floor, he’s the type of player who can change the game on both sides of the ball, but staying healthy enough to put together a full season might prove to be difficult.
