The transfer portal has been open for three weeks, and Penny Hardaway’s roster is starting to take shape. After adding a pair of guards on Monday, the Tigers now have 10 players committed to next season’s team.
All college basketball teams are allowed to carry 15 players per season, and it’s unclear if Hardaway will elect to fill all 15 spots. He currently has five spots available, and the staff is still waiting on decisions from several players who visited the campus.
While the Tigers have filled multiple holes, there are still some weaknesses on the roster, and it’ll be interesting to see if the staff can fill those needs over the next few days.
Guards:
Julius Thedford
Thedford returns for another season at Memphis, and he’ll look to be a leader as one of only two players returning from last year’s team. Thedford averaged 8.4 points, five rebounds and shot 49 percent from the field.
Brandin Cummings
Cummings transferred to Memphis after two seasons with Pittsburgh. The guard saw a larger role as a sophomore and averaged 12.5 points, but he only appeared in 19 games due to injury.
Luke Almodovar
Almodovar is the most recent addition to the roster. He joins the team after spending a year at Southeastern Missouri State, where he averaged 14.1 points, 3.7 rebounds and a steal per game.
Jayden Reid
Reid started his career at South Florida before transferring to Northwestern for his junior season. The point guard averaged 10.1 points, five assists and 1.4 rebounds, and has shot 36.8 percent from deep over the last three seasons.
Forwards:
William Whorton
Whorton is the other player returning to Memphis’ roster next year, and it’ll be interesting to see if he sees a larger role in 2026. The forward appeared in 19 games last season, and he averaged 1.8 points and 1.5 rebounds in 8.8 minutes per game.
Rihards Vavers
Rihards Vavers was the first player to commit to Memphis out of the transfer portal, and he’ll look to play a big role next season. The forward spent the last two seasons at Washington State where he averaged 11.5 points, four rebounds and shot better than 40 percent from deep both seasons.
Jerry Deng
Deng started his career at Hampton before spending time at Florida State and NC State. With the Wolfpack, Deng only appeared in eight games before taking a redshirt.
He has averaged 8.3 points, three rebounds and shot 37.3 percent from deep over the last three seasons.
Fred Smith Jr.
Smith committed to Memphis as a four-star recruit, and it’ll be interesting to see what type of role he plays as a true freshman. Smith is ranked as the No. 88 player in the class of 2026, and he’s won Tennessee’s Mr. Basketball in back-to-back seasons.
Cello Jackson
Jackson was the first high school recruit in the class of 2026 to commit to Memphis, and he’ll look to return home to start his collegiate career. Jackson started his high school career at FACS before moving down to Columbus High School in Miami.
Parker Pounds
Pounds committed to Memphis after his high school teammate, Smith Jr., announced his decision. The sharpshooter was originally committed to Air Force before reopening his recruitment after a coaching change.
Centers:
Memphis has yet to sign a center to next year’s roster, but they’ve shown interest in a handful of players. The Tigers still need a rebounder and a rim protector, and it’s unclear if that will be two different players or one player who can do both.
North Alabama’s Corneilous Williams, who finished the season as a top 20 rebounder in the country, visited Memphis last week, and Hardaway and his staff continue to wait on his decision.