The transfer portal has been open for more than a month, and teams around the country are trying to complete their rosters for the 2026-27 season. Memphis has landed eight players from the transfer portal, and its roster currently sits at 13 players.
With two roster spots open, Penny Hardaway said in an interview with Dave Woloshin that he’s looking to add one more frontcourt player. While a lot of players have already committed to programs, there are still some intriguing frontcourt options in the portal.
Here are five options that the Tigers could pursue to fill their roster.
Emeka Opurum
Opurum started his career at Butler Community College before transferring to Auburn for his sophomore season. Opurum only played in six games with the Tigers before being sidelined with a “medical condition”.
“Our priority is Emeka’s health and well-being,” Auburn head coach Steven Pearl said earlier this season. “We look forward to Emeka making a full recovery and returning next season.”
While he was limited at Auburn, Opurum averaged 9.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game in the JUCO ranks. While he didn’t play much last season, he could be a nice addition to the Tigers’ frontcourt for the 2026-27 season.
Melian Martinez
Martinez averaged 4.2 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game last season for Louisiana Tech. He appeared in 30 games, including 19 starts, and he averaged 15.4 minutes per game.
Martinez ranked in the 99th percentile in percentage of points in the paint and in the 99th percentile in blocks per game. While he only averaged 4.2 points per contest, he shot 74.7 percent from the field and didn’t attempt a single three-pointer last season.
Hitmen Hoops reported that Memphis has shown interest in Martinez, and the 7-footer would make an impact as a rim protector for Hardaway’s team. The Tigers currently have a massive hole in the frontcourt, and the Dominican Republic native could help to fill that role.
Emmanuel Stephen
Stephen missed the first part of the season with an injury, and he struggled to find a consistent role throughout the season. He appeared in 24 games, making 13 starts, and he averaged 3.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 0.7 blocks per game.
Stephen finished the season with a 15.1 offensive rebounding percentage, ranking in the 97th percentile, and he averaged 1.7 blocks per 40 minutes, ranking in the 76th percentile.
Stephen has shown that he can play a role on the boards and as a rim protector, but it’s unclear if he could be a consistent option for a team. The 7-footer was a four-star out of high school, but he’s struggled to stay on the court through two seasons.
David Fuchs
After two seasons with Rhode Island, Fuchs transferred to San Francisco and averaged 12.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game for the Dons.
The 6-foot-9 forward finished the season with an 11.3 offensive rebound percentage, ranking in the 81st percentile, and he ended the season with a 0.5 defensive regularized adjusted plus-minus.
Fuchs wouldn’t play the role of a rim protector, but he would give the Tigers more rebounding and could be more of a facilitating big.
Peyton Marshall
Marshall has struggled to find a role through his first two seasons at the collegiate level. After averaging 4.4 minutes in 22 games as a freshman at Missouri, the 7-foot center transferred to Georgia Tech, but he only appeared in 18 games due to injuries.
In 18 games, Marshall averaged 3.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 0.8 blocks in 10.6 minutes per game. While he didn’t play much, he showed that he can play a massive role on the defensive end of the court, and he finished the season with a 2.8 defensive regularized adjusted plus-minus.
The big man also averaged 3.2 blocks per 40 minutes, ranking in the 95th percentile, and 9.1 defensive rebounds per 40 minutes, ranking in the 98th percentile.
It’s unclear if Memphis has shown interest in the Georgia Tech transfer, but he could be a player who would thrive under Hardaway and in the American.