Aaron Bradshaw will enter the transfer portal after spending one year with the Tigers. The big man entered his name into the portal on Monday ahead of the transfer portal deadline.
Bradshaw struggled early in the season and was even benched by Penny Hardaway in a non-conference game in December, but he played better throughout conference play. The big man averaged 8.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 0.6 blocks in 29 games, including 22 starts.
Bradshaw missed the Dec. 3 game against New Orleans, and Hardaway called it a coach’s decision. While he didn’t call the forward out by name, Hardaway made a point to talk about players not being on the floor due to effort.
“I mean, I think it’s a multitude of things,” Hardaway said after the game. “But, yeah, if guys aren’t on the floor, that means they’re not giving everything. If they’re not starting, they’re not giving everything.”
A few games later, ESPN commentators made a note that Hardaway was fining players, including Bradshaw, for missing meetings and showing up late. It appeared that the forward received the message and started playing better over the second half of the season.
Bradshaw scored 10 or more points in 10 conference games, and he grabbed five or more rebounds in eight conference games. While he stood at 7-foot-1, Bradshaw was not a physical big man, and he struggled to make an impact on the glass even against smaller teams in the American.
Late in the season, Bradshaw spoke highly about Hardaway and even tried to play through an injury late in the season.
The big man will enter the transfer portal for the third time in his career, and he’ll look for his fourth school in four years.
Bradshaw is the sixth player with eligibility remaining to enter the portal from last year’s team, and it appears that it was back-and-forth on what his decision would ultimately be. Hardaway gave all eight players the opportunity to return for the 2026-27 season, but only Julius Thedford and William Whorton are set to return next year.
Early in the offseason, it appeared there was momentum for the big man to return for a second season, but ultimately, he decided to hit the transfer portal. Memphis will now be tasked with replacing its entire frontcourt, and it’ll be interesting to see what type of big men the program will be linked to in the portal.
As of Monday, Memphis has eight players committed to next season's roster, including three transfer commits and three high school commits. The Tigers are currently hosting Southern Miss forward Tylik Weeks on an official visit and will host North Alabama forward Corneilous Williams on Wednesday.