D1 · American Conference

Memphis Men’s Basketball Recruiting: Roster & Openings

KenPom #129 · 13–19 · 2025–26 · Division 1 · American Conference · Memphis, TN

Memphis finished 13–19 (American 5th, KenPom #129) in 2025–26. 15 players hold the 2026–27 roster; 13 are new this season.

Roster data through 2026–27

Roster15 players
New this season13
Transfer additions9
Clearest projected openingGuards and Forwards · 2028
Most common home stateTN (7)

Where the door opens

our roster projection · your arrival year

Guards and Forwards: open from 2028 — 3 ahead.

Centers: blocked until 2030.

2026
Gbalanced6 ahead
Fcrowded4 ahead
Cbalanced2 ahead
2027
Gbalanced6 ahead
Fcrowded6 ahead
Cbalanced2 ahead
2028
Gopening3 ahead
Fopening4 ahead
Cbalanced1 ahead · multi-yr
2029
Gopen2 ahead
Fopen1 ahead
Cbalanced1 ahead · multi-yr
2030
Gopen0 ahead
Fopen0 ahead
Copen1 ahead

Projections for 2029, 2030 are low-confidence reads.

Guards in that room (7)
Cello Jackson Jr.6′4″Fr
Julius Thedford6′4″So
Luke Almodovar6′3″Sr
Josh Holloway6′2″Sr
Parker Pounds6′5″Fr
Jayden Reid5′10″Sr
Brandin Cummings6′3″Jr
Forwards in that room (8)
Fred Smith Jr.6′7″Fr
Corneilous Williams6′9″Fifth Year
Nemanja Popovic6′9″Freshman
William Whorton6′8″So
Tylik Weeks6′7″Sr
Maxim Logue6′9″Jr
Rihards Vavers6′7″Fifth Year
Jerry Deng6′9″Sr
Those openings are for the roster in general. See whether your position, size and profile fit them →

If you want to play at Memphis

How to get recruited here

For 2026 arrivals the roster projection reads: G balanced (6 ahead), F crowded (4 ahead), C balanced (2 ahead).

Of the latest cycle's 13 arrivals, 4 came straight from high school and 9 from the transfer portal.

Most arrivals come from TN, NY, PA.

3 of 15 recent arrivals held a national ranking — 3 of 15 appear in our cross-checked rankings ledger; players absent from the ledger are not necessarily unranked.

12% of last season's scoring returns.

The roster, as a depth chart

2026–27 · 15 players

Guards 7 of 15

Parker Pounds6′5″Fr
Cello Jackson Jr.6′4″Fr
Julius Thedford6′4″So8.4 PPG
Luke Almodovar6′3″Sr · final yr
Brandin Cummings6′3″Jr
Josh Holloway6′2″Sr · final yr
Jayden Reid5′10″Sr · final yr

Frontcourt 8 of 15 · forwards + centers

Corneilous Williams6′9″Fifth Year · F
Nemanja Popovic6′9″Freshman · F
Maxim Logue6′9″Jr · F
Jerry Deng6′9″Sr · F · final yr
William Whorton6′8″So · F1.8 PPG
Fred Smith Jr.6′7″Fr · F
Tylik Weeks6′7″Sr · F · final yr
Rihards Vavers6′7″Fifth Year · F
freshman final year — spot opens returning

Returning production

12%of recorded scoring returns
1 of 5top scorers returning
Top returning scorers
Julius Thedford8.4 PPG in 2025–26 · returning
William Whorton1.8 PPG in 2025–26 · returning

Computed from 14 of 14 players on the 2025–26 roster with recorded stats; "returning" means listed on the 2026–27 roster.

Who actually gets onto this roster?

How players arrive

4from high school9via the portal

6 of 15 roster spots were filled out of high school or held over.

Rankings

3 of 15

3 of 15 appear in our cross-checked rankings ledger; players absent from the ledger are not necessarily unranked.

Best-ranked: Brandin Cummings #155.

Where from

TN 7 · NY 3 · PA 2 · AR 1 · CA 1 · DC 1

5 international: Lyon; Akak; Conakry; Adaži and 1 more

High schools: Briarcrest Christian School ×2; Rufus King HS; Cordova HS and 2 more

Transfer flow

named arrivals and departures

2025–26 → 2026–27 · in

→Corneilous Williams
→Luke Almodovar
→Tylik Weeks
→Josh Holloway
→Maxim Logue
→Rihards Vavers
→Jerry Deng
→Jayden Reid
→Brandin Cummings

2025–26 → 2026–27 · out

←Quante Berry
←Aaron Bradshaw
←Curtis Givens III
←Simon Majok
←Arop Arop
←Ashton Hardaway

How this roster compares

American Conference (13 programs, 2025–26 medians)
MeasureMemphisConference
Average guard height6′3″6′4″−1″
Average frontcourt height6′8″6′9″−1″
Roster size1515
Freshman share27%21%+6pp

The five-year arc

kenpom rank · wins · conference finish
#172021–22#162022–23#902023–24#632024–25#1292025–26
22–11 · American 2nd26–9 · American 2nd22–10 · American 5th29–6 · American 1st13–19 · American 5th

Coaching staff

Penny HardawayHead coach / @Iam1Cent
Tony MadlockAssociate head coach
Trevor DeLoachAssistant coach
Sean MockAssistant coach
Steve WrightAssistant coach
Staff changes10 on-court staff changes in 4 offseasons — 2 before 2023–24, 2 before 2024–25, 6 before 2025–26.

Academics

published admissions data
Acceptance rate72%
SAT midpoint1088

How this page is made: Rosters: official Memphis rosters, 2025–26 and 2026–27, read from the athletic department's own site · Season: Memphis's 2026–27 roster is posted, so this page reads it; the conference comparison uses 2025–26, the newest season every program has on file. · Stats: 2025–26, the last season played — the 2026–27 season has no games yet. · New this season: players not listed on the 2025–26 roster; a newcomer who is not a freshman counts as a transfer addition · Ratings: KenPom, five seasons; conference finish computed among same-conference teams by rating · Openings: Depth Chart's roster projection from listed class years; confidence stated per year · Sample: among players who made a college roster — the data cannot see who didn't. Among players who made a college roster. Model judgments describe positions and cohorts, never a named player's future. Refreshed automatically when the rosters change. Corrections: research@mydepthchart.com.

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