Memphis Hosts North Texas Wednesday to Open American Slate
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Memphis looks to build momentum and string together consecutive wins Wednesday when North Texas visits FedExForum for an American Conference showdown.
Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. on ESPN2 as Memphis opens league play on New Year’s Eve.
Memphis enters the matchup coming off an emphatic 88-67 victory over Alabama State on Monday night. Dug McDaniel paced the Tigers with 23 points, while Curtis Givens III added 18 and Ashton Hardaway finished with 15. Julius Thedford controlled the glass with a game-high 10 rebounds.
The 21-point win marked Memphis’ largest margin of victory since an 83-71 decision over Tulsa on Feb. 5, 2025.
Wednesday’s contest looks to continue a familiar New Year’s tradition for the Tigers, who enter the game winners in three-straight conference openers. They are also hoping to win their fifth-straight home opener in league play.
Memphis returns to a venue where it has consistently thrived under head coach Penny Hardaway. In his eighth season, Hardaway has guided the Tigers to a 100-17 record inside FedExForum and Memphis has not suffered three home losses in a season since the 2019-20 campaign. The Tigers are 5-2 at home this year.
The matchup renews a long-standing series that dates back to 1959. Wednesday will mark the 26th all-time meeting between Memphis and North Texas, with the Tigers holding an 18-7 advantage. Despite the lengthy history, the two programs have met in the Bluff City just once since Nov. 26, 1983, with both schools previously sharing membership in the Missouri Valley Conference from 1966-74.
Memphis has been particularly strong at home in the series, owning an 11-3 record and outscoring North Texas by an average of 84.1 to 72.6 in those contests. The Tigers also claimed last season’s lone meeting, a 68-64 victory at FedExForum in the teams’ second matchup as American Conference opponents.
GAME DETAILS
Memphis Tigers (5-7, 0-0 American) vs. North Texas (9-4, 0-0 American)
Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025 | 3 p.m. CT
FedExForum (18,400); Memphis, Tennessee
Television: ESPN2 (John Schriffen, pxp; Perry Clark, analyst)
BY THE NUMBERS
2: Memphis guard Dug McDaniel is one of just two Division I players to rank top three in their conference in APG (5.3; 1st), SPG (2.2; 1st) and FT% (89.7, 3rd). The other is SMU’s Boopie Miller. 3: The number of Division I teams with zero returning players on the roster this season. Memphis is joined by Baylor and Miami. Only Memphis and Southern Miss have 14 or more transfers in D-I. 6: Dug McDaniel is only of only six players across Division I to have posted at least 175 points, 60 assists and 25 steals this season.9.0: In the last two games since returning from injury, Julius Thedford has averaged a team-high 9.0 rebounds per game. He leads the Tigers this season with 6.0 RPG and has grabbed at least 5+ in 7-of-9 games. 18: Curtis Givens III is the first Tiger since Landers Nolley II in December 2020 to score 18+ points in consecutive games off the bench. The last Memphis player to reach that mark in 3-straight bench appearances was Michael Dixon Jr. in 2014. 26: Memphis has grabbed at least nine offensive rebounds in 26-straight games, one game behind St. John's for the longest active streak in Division I (27). It marks the Tigers’ longest run since a 29-game streak that concluded in November 2007. 30: Memphis has limited opponents to under 30.0% shooting from 3-point range in seven games this season, the 2nd-most such performances among American Conference teams. North Texas leads the way with nine. 54: Memphis has had at least one 15-point scorer in 54 consecutive games, which is the 7th-longest active streak in Division I. The last time they didn't was Feb. 15, 2024 at North Texas when David Jones led the team with 14 points.
SCOUTING NORTH TEXAS
North Texas is under the leadership of new head coach Daniyal Robinson who took over the Mean Green program after leading Cleveland State to three straight 20-win seasons from 2022-25.
The Mean Green bring a 9-4 overall record into Memphis after defeating University of Science and Arts, 109-56, on Dec. 22 in Denton.
UNT has had six games this year decided by three points or less. No team in the nation has had more games decided by one possession or less. The Mean Green are 4-2 in such games. UNT has won four games this year by three points or less. No team in the nation has won more games by one possession or less.
Je’Shawn Stevenson leads a trio of Mean Green in double figures, averaging 16.1 points per game. He’s also putting up 3.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals each time out.
UNT freshman guard EJ Horton on Monday was named the American Conference Freshman of the Week. Horton matched his single game season high with 12 points and added a season high three assists in the Mean Green's 109-56 win.
North Texas forward Dylan Arnett enters Wednesday as the only player in the American Conference averaging 8.0+ points per game, 6.0+ rebounds per game, 1.0+ assists per game, 1.0+ blocks per game and 1.0+ steals per game.
UNT's defense this year has been better on the road than at home. In road and neutral site games (5 games), UNT's defense is holding opponents to .957 points per possession whereas home contests (7 games) they are giving up 1.02 points per possession. UNT's defensive efficiency in road/neutral site games ranks 24th in the nation whereas at home it ranks 133rd. UNT's defense on the road is holding opponents to 29.1% shooting from 3 (ranks 33rd in the nation) and 47.1 percent from 2 (ranks 35th in the nation.
UP NEXT
Memphis heads to Houston, Texas, next to face Rice on Saturday, Jan. 2, with tipoff set for 2 p.m. on ESPN+. The Tigers will then have a brief break before returning to action at Florida Atlantic on Jan. 11.