Memphis basketball adds Louisiana Tech to stout non-conference schedule
Memphis basketball has added a home game against Louisiana Tech to its 2024-25 non-conference schedule, multiple sources confirmed to The Commercial Appeal on Friday.
The sources requested anonymity since an official announcement has not yet been made.
The Tigers and Bulldogs will square off Dec. 4 at FedExForum, according to college basketball reporter Rocco Miller. It will be the first meeting between the schools since Dec. 1, 2015, and the sixth meeting all time. Memphis leads the series 3-2.
The matchup adds to an already daunting pre-AAC slate for Penny Hardaway's team. Memphis is also hosting Missouri (Nov. 4), Arkansas State (Dec. 8), Mississippi State (Dec. 21) and Ole Miss (TBA). The Tigers will face UNLV (TBA), Clemson (Dec. 14) and Virginia (Dec. 18) in true road games. They also have four neutral-site contests, including three at the Maui Invitational and versus San Francisco (Nov. 21 at the Chase Center in San Francisco).
The Maui Invitational features a loaded field: UConn (defending national champion), North Carolina, Iowa State, Auburn, Michigan State, Dayton and Colorado.
Louisiana Tech finished 22-10 last season and was runner-up in Conference USA with a 12-4 league record under coach Talvin Hester. First-team all-conference fifth-year center Daniel Batcho (the league's second-leading scorer and No. 1 rebounder − 15.2 and 9.8 per game) is one of two returning full-time starters.
The Bulldogs (who finished last season ranked 94th in KenPom) were second in the nation in 2-point field goal percentage defense last season and eighth in the country in overall effective field goal percentage defense. They were one of only four teams to beat Will Wade's McNeese State team last season.
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The Bulldogs added several key transfers this offseason, including Oklahoma guard Kaden Cooper (a former top-60 recruit), Georgia Tech guard Amaree Abram (who also spent a season at Ole Miss), and Pitt forward William Jeffress.
ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi's most recent projection has the Bulldogs making the NCAA Tournament as C-USA's automatic qualifier.
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or follow him @munzly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis basketball adds Louisiana Tech to non-conference schedule
