The American Basketball Conference had 12 of 14 programs participating on opening day of the 2026-26 season, with nine of them getting victories. That includes an early signature win against a top-25 opponent, along with an overtime thriller.
Here’s a look at the biggest takeaways that occurred with the American.
1. Memphis gets massive victory over Iowa State
Despite not having projected starting center Nemanja Popovic available, Memphis was able to find a way to beat No. 18 Iowa State, 80-78. The backcourt led the way, with Northwestern transfer Jayden Reid leading all scorers with 26 points, with 12 coming from the free throw line. Luka Almodovar (18) and Rihards Vavers (15) also gave Memphis a big lift in the win. We’ve seen Coach Penny Hardaway find ways to get big wins in the non-con and they get off to a quality start to the season.
2. Krystian Lewis drops 40 points to lift Tulane over UT-Martin
One of the biggest thrillers from yesterday was Tulane holding on to win 100-98 over UT-Martin in double-overtime. They were led by Lewis, who scored 40 points, including 17/18 from the free throw line in the win. He put up 18.4 ppg at Louisiana-Monroe in the year prior and projected to be a focal point in the Green Wave’s offense this year. But no one thought a 40-point outing was in the cards.
3. Wes Miller era off to a good start at Charlotte
Former Cincy head coach Miller put folks on notice after nearly beating North Carolina in a public exhibition game. Indiana State isn’t at the same level but is still a respected MVC program. After trailing at the half, the 49ers scored 51 points in the second half to get the 78-70 road win. Keyshaun Tillery led all scorers with 29 points, showing that he’s a legit focal point for the offense. Even without Jizzle James on the roster, Charlotte seems to have enough firepower to make some noise come league play in the American.
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