Memphis Basketball Season Preview 2024-25: Biggest games, key players to watch, predictions and more 

Memphis starts its 2024-25 college basketball season determined to make an NCAA Tournament comeback after it failed to punch a ticket last year.

With this goal in mind, Tigers coach Penny Hardaway assembled a transfer-heavy roster, hoping to improve its 22-10 record and be one of the American Athletic Conference's representatives to the March Madness.

Here's a closer look into the team's upcoming campaign, from its biggest games to the key players to watch out for this season:

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Memphis' biggest games in 2024-25 season

Memphis will have a challenging non-conference schedule, starting with a clash against SEC foe Missouri on Nov. 4. Three weeks later, the Tigers head to Hawaii for the 2024 Maui Invitational and meet defending national champion UConn at Lahaina Civic Center on Nov. 25.

Another non-conference clash that fans should look forward to is Memphis' game against Mississippi State on Dec. 21. They've met 16 times since December 1959 and the Tigers hold a 10-6 edge in their overall head-to-head, including a 77-64 victory over the Bulldogs on March 28, 2021.

Meanwhile, Hardaway's men start their conference regular season games in late December, with home-and-away games against UAB, South Florida, Temple, Wichita State and Rice.

Memphis will also play North Texas, East Carolina and Tulsa inside FedEx Forum while visiting Charlotte Tulane and UTSA.

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Top Memphis players to watch out for in 2024-25 season

Memphis assembled an 11-man roster consisting of two holdovers, eight transfers and one freshman. The transfer commitments secured by the Tigers ranked No. 11 in the nation, as per 24Sports, revealing the team's serious intentions of returning to March Madness.

Here are the three Memphis players that fans should watch out for in this year's campaign:

#1. PJ Haggerty

Memphis guard PJ Haggerty (Image Source: IMAGN)

PJ Haggerty is coming off a breakout season with Tulsa, averaging 21.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.9 steals per game. The 6-foot-3 guard shot 49.3% from the field and connected on 76.7% of his attempts from the free throw line.

Haggerty's aggressiveness helped him draw fouls, resulting in more attempts from the 15-foot line. He is expected to be the team's top playmaker as the season goes along.

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#2. Tyrese Hunter

Memphis guard Tyrese Hunter (Image Source: IMAGN)

Tyrese Hunter averaged double figures in the three seasons he had with Iowa State and Texas. Last season, Hunter started in 33 games for the Longhorns and tallied 11.1 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 4.1 apg and 1.3 spg in 32.2 minutes of action each contest.

The 6-foot incoming senior could form a pesky backcourt partnership with Haggerty that would pose headaches for opponents this coming season.

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#3. Colby Rogers

Memphis transfer guard Colby Rogers (Image Source: IMAGN)

After stints with Cal Poly, Siena and Wichita State, Colby Rogers transferred to Memphis this offseason. This is the fourth school that Rogers transferred in five years.

The 6-foot-3 Covington, Georgia native is coming off a great season with the Shockers, tallying 16.4 ppg. 3.4 rpg, 1.9 apg and 1.0 spg. Rogers is a threat from deep, making almost three 3-pointers per contest, and is accurate on free throws with an 82.8% clip.

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Memphis' prediction for 2024-25 season

Memphis brings in a transfer-heavy roster that could either benefit or harm them. The lineup would stun everyone with its unpredictability as coach Hardaway can mix and match his rotation with reckless abandon.

In contrast, the unfamiliarity with each other would cause teamwork-related issues, such as increased turnover rate, missed plays and forgotten defensive assignments. Hardaway should limit these issues to produce a positive start for the season, as its non-conference schedule will be crucial in the team's campaign.

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Will Memphis excel in the American Athletic Conference despite parading a transfer-heavy lineup? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.