Memphis Native, Western Kentucky Guard Julius Thedford Transfers Back Home
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Memphis men’s basketball program has announced the signing of 6-foot-4 guard Julius Thedford, a Memphis native and former Western Kentucky standout, for the 2025-26 season. Full coverage of the Memphis Tigers transfer portal acquisitions live on 92.9 FM ESPN.
Thedford transfers to the Tigers after an impressive freshman campaign with Western Kentucky University, where he earned Conference USA All-Freshman honors despite an injury-shortened season.
In 18 games and 21.9 minutes per contest, Thedford averaged 12.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, and shot 36.6% from three-point range, starting in six contests before suffering a dislocated kneecap and torn ligament in a January 18 road game against Middle Tennessee.
Before his season was cut short, Thedford was proving to be one of the top freshmen in C-USA, earning conference freshman of the week honors twice. He shot 42.8% from the field (71-of-166) and reached double figures in 13 games, including a season-high 19 points against Marshall. He also had standout performances with 18 points at Kentucky and 11-point outings versus Michigan and Wichita State.
Thedford’s commitment marks a homecoming for the versatile guard, who starred at Cordova High School as a senior and at Whitehaven as a junior, where he was a consensus top-five prospect in Tennessee for the 2024 recruiting class.
In his senior year, he led Cordova to a 29-4 record, averaging 21 points and seven rebounds per game. Prior to his time at Cordova, he averaged 23.8 points per game as a junior at Whitehaven.
Thedford was the No. 62 shooting guard in the country and the fifth-best player in the state in the Class of 2024, according to 247Sports.
Thedford becomes the sixth player head coach Penny Hardaway has signed to the 2025 recruiting class, joining Daniel Vieira-Tuck, Felipe Patino, Quante Berry (Temple), Dug McDaniel (Kansas State) and Aaron Bradshaw (Ohio State).