Memphis basketball is hosting a pair of recruits today as Penny Hardaway looks to complete his roster for the 2026-27 season. The Tigers currently have 13 players committed for next season’s team, but they’re looking to solidify the frontcourt with the remaining two spots.
According to reports earlier today from the Commercial Appeal’s Jason Munz, Memphis is hosting Maper Maker, who spent the last season at a post-graduate prep school, and Syracuse transfer Ibrahim Souare on Thursday. Both players would give the Tigers frontcourt depth, and they would fill the final two spots if Memphis lands both.
Souare started his collegiate career at Georgia Tech before transferring to Syracuse ahead of last season. With the Yellow Jackets, Souare appeared in 30 games, making 14 starts, and he averaged 2.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 0.6 blocks per game.
He shot 59.7 percent from the field, but he averaged only 17 minutes per game. After his freshman season, he transferred to Syracuse, where he appeared in 29 games but averaged only 8.3 minutes per contest.
The 6-foot-9 forward averaged 0.9 points and 1.9 rebounds last year, and he had a season-high seven boards in a February matchup against Duke.
Maker was a four-star center in the class of 2025 and ranked the No. 27 player in the class, but he decided to spend a post-graduate year at AUNZ Prep in Australia. The 7-foot center has a ton of length and would give the Tigers a boost as a shot blocker.
In 2023, he played for Arizona Unity EYBL and averaged 2.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and 0.5 blocks per game through seven games.
Earlier this year, AUNZ Prep travelled to Arizona to play in a tournament, and Maker helped lead the team to a 4-0 record. Maker scored 35 points in a two-point win over AZ Compass Grind, including 17 of his 35 points in the last nine minutes.
The 7-footer boasts a ton of length, and he moves well at his size. It appears he is still very raw as a prospect, but he has flashed nice touch around the rim.
With only two spots remaining on the roster, it will be interesting to see what role either of these prospects would play if they commit to Memphis. Last season, Hardaway added several bigs late in the portal who served more end-of-the-bench roles.