What to watch as Memphis opens American Conference Tournament with Tulane rematch
Memphis Tigers forward Aaron Bradshaw (11) handles the ball against the Charlotte 49ers during the game at FedExForum on Feb. 8, 2026. (Wes Hale/Special to The Daily Memphian)
The Memphis Tigers’ first leg toward the improbable is a rematch of Sunday’s 1-point overtime win over Tulane in New Orleans.
After clinching the 10th and final seed in the American Conference Tournament, Memphis (13-18, 8-10 American) will open the postseason with a first-round matchup against the No. 9-seeded Green Wave (17-14, 8-10) on Wednesday (6 p.m., ESPNEWS) at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.
Coach Penny Hardaway’s Tigers will have to win five games in five days — one each from Wednesday through Sunday — to defend their conference title from a season ago and make it back to the NCAA Tournament.
This is an excerpt of this story. To read more, please click here and subscribe.
Topics
Memphis Tigers Basketball Penny Hardaway Subscriber Only 2026 American Conference Tournament College BasketballThank you for being a subscriber to The Daily Memphian. Your support is critical.
Did you know we are a 501(c)3 nonprofit news organization? We rely on a mix of revenue from subscriptions (50%), advertising, events and other earned income (25%) and fundraising (25%).
Please consider making a fully tax-deductible donation or other contribution to The Daily Memphian today.
👉🏽 Your subscription pays for you to read all our journalism.
👉🏽 Your donation powers the work we do to reach everyone else with the news.
We believe an informed Memphis is a better Memphis. If you agree, join our growing list of donors now.
Parth Upadhyaya
Parth Upadhyaya covers the Memphis Tigers men’s basketball team. A Raleigh, N.C., native and a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill’s Hussman School of Media and Journalism, Upadhyaya is a longtime college hoops junkie. Prior to joining The Daily Memphian in 2022, he covered high school sports in western Pennsylvania for the Beaver County Times and Penn State football for the Centre Daily Times.
Comments
Want to comment on our stories or respond to others? Join the conversation by subscribing now. Only paid subscribers can add their thoughts or upvote/downvote comments. Our commenting policy can be viewed here.