Which Memphis basketball players could come back for 2026-27 season?
· Yahoo Sports
Memphis basketball's 2025-26 season is over.
The Tigers (13-19) fell to Tulane 81-69 in the first round of the American Conference Tournament on March 11 in Birmingham, Alabama. That ended a miserable season for Penny Hardaway's team, which lost seven straight games before the regular-season finale and never rebounded from a rough nonconference portion of the schedule.
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Memphis went into the season with zero returning players from the 2024-25 team that won the American Conference regular season and tournament titles and earned a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament. While the Tigers undoubtedly need major reinforcements ahead of next season, they do have several players who could return.
Here's a quick look at who could return to Memphis for the 2026-27 season.
Three seasons remaining
C Simon Majok
Majok oozed potential in limited action this season but still needs time to develop. He was in and out of the lineup and averaged 2.9 points and 2.4 rebounds per game.
The 7-foot-1, 210-pounder could be a building block if he chooses to stay with the Tigers long term.
Two seasons remaining
G Curtis Givens III
A Memphis native, Givens was a four-star recruit out of high school who started his collegiate career at LSU. He transferred to Memphis after his freshman season and averaged 9.4 points per game. He started the majority of the games he was available as well.
G Julius Thedford
Also a Memphis native, Thedford transferred to Memphis after an impressive freshman season at Western Kentucky. He drew praise from fans for his work ethic and defensive ability, and he was also Memphis' leading rebounder. Thedford could be a fit with multiple different types of players around him.
F William Whorton
Whorton spent two seasons as South Dakota State (including a redshirt year) before transferring to Memphis. He played sporadically for the Tigers this season and averaged 1.8 points per game.
One season remaining
F Aaron Bradshaw
One of Memphis' top portal additions, Bradshaw had an up-and-down year. While he still hasn't reached the potential he had as a McDonalds All-American coming out of high school, he carved out a consistent role with the Tigers and played well when he was healthy down the stretch.
He started his career with one season at Kentucky and one season at Ohio State.
G Quante Berry
Berry's role fluctuated through the season, but he played a critical role down the stretch to get Memphis to the postseason. His 22-point performance in the 96-95 overtime win March 8 over Tulane — including the game-winning free throws — helped the Tigers snap their seven-game losing streak and secure a spot in the American Conference Tournament.
He redshirted at Providence before starting his career with two seasons at Temple.
F Ashton Hardaway
Hardaway started his career at Memphis before transferring to Saint Mary's, then returned to the Tigers. He averaged 5.6 points and 2.5 rebounds per game this season.
F Arop Arop
Arop transferred to Memphis after spending two seasons at Columbia. He was out of the rotation for the Tigers and appeared in nine games during the 2025-26 season.
Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at [email protected] or on X @thejonahdylan.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Which Memphis basketball players could come back for 2026-27 season