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Memphis Basketball: Breaking down 2023-24 non-conference schedule

By Holden Walter-Warner

Mar 17, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Memphis Tigers head coach Penny Hardaway talks to his team during the first round of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament against the Florida Atlantic Owls at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-The Columbus DispatchBasketball Ncaa Men S Basketball TournamentSyndication The Columbus Dispatch
Mar 17, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Memphis Tigers head coach Penny Hardaway talks to his team during the first round of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament against the Florida Atlantic Owls at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-The Columbus DispatchBasketball Ncaa Men S Basketball TournamentSyndication The Columbus Dispatch /
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Memphis Basketball
Memphis Basketball head coach Penny Hardaway Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports /

Memphis Basketball is the reigning American Athletic Conference champion. As the league changes around them, they plan on starting their title defense with a tough non-conference schedule.

There are a lot of challenging games on the slate for Penny Hardaway’s team. There are road games at SEC opponents, home games against more power conference foes, and one of the more prestigious tournaments of the holiday season.

Considering the state of the AAC – which lost the likes of Houston and Cincinnati to the Big 12 – Memphis would do well to win a lot during non-conference play.

How will Penny Hardaway and the Memphis Tigers handle a challenging non-conference schedule in 2023-24?

Memphis’ non-conference schedule includes seven guaranteed games against teams that played in either the NCAA Tournament or NIT a year ago. That number could grow, based on what happens in the Battle 4 Atlantis.

The Tigers have a lot of work to do during the offseason and early season after losing star Kendric Davis, as well as DeAndre Williams and Alex Lomax. The status of incoming freshman Mikey Williams remains unclear after he was arrested on charges of assault with a deadly weapon.

Hardaway cleaned up in the transfer portal, though, bringing in Jordan Brown from Louisiana and Caleb Mills from Florida State. Just when it seemed like the reloading was over, Memphis nabbed Jahvon Quinerly from Alabama, too.

Will Memphis take home another AAC crown? Will they go to the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive year?

It all starts with the non-conference schedule. Let’s take a closer look.