Memphis Basketball Releases 2023-24 AAC Schedule

Memphis basketball’s full 2023-24 slate is officially set.

The American Athletic Conference released its men’s basketball schedule earlier today, including the 18 conference games the Tigers will play this season. Memphis will face every AAC school at least once, with four being home-exclusive matchups, four others being away-exclusive and five being both home and away.

Notable Matchups

This will be the first AAC slate Memphis will go through without the presence of UCF, Cincinnati or Houston. All three schools joined the Big 12 on July 1. So, admittedly, Memphis’ conference schedule looks quite underwhelming to the average fan, especially compared to the Tigers’ star-studded non-conference slate.

Still, there are some games fans can take note of in the second half of the season.

Memphis opens the conference season at Tulsa on Jan. 4. The Tigers have had trouble with the Golden Hurricane throughout the Penny Hardaway era, going 4-4 in eight matchups since Hardaway’s hiring. Memphis, however, has won the last three showdowns after a 1-4 start.

The Tigers’ first conference home game will be against SMU on Jan. 7. The Mustangs, led by star guard Zhuric Phelps, have a chance to be a top 3 team in the AAC this season. Memphis also faces SMU in Dallas on Feb. 18.

Memphis also has two games against Wichita State, which is wing Jaykwon Walton’s former school. Walton averaged 13.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game while shooting 53.5% from the field and 40% from three-point range last season for the Shockers. Wichita State could also see improvement under new head coach Paul Mills. The first game is at Wichita on Jan. 14 and the rematch at FedExForum will be on Feb. 3. The latter game will air at noon on CBS.

Tulane is another AAC contender this season, even after guard Jalen Cook transferred to LSU. That’s because the Green Wave and head coach Ron Hunter still return guards Jaylen Forbes and Sion James and wing Kevin Cross. Tulane swept Memphis in the regular season last season before the Tigers got revenge in a 94-54 blowout in the AAC tournament. Memphis first faces Tulane in New Orleans on Jan. 21 and then hosts it at FedExForum on Feb. 11.

The Battle for the Bones is back. The Tigers and longtime rival UAB are conference foes once again. Memphis first faces the Blazers in Birmingham on Jan. 28 and will then play them at FedExForum on March 3. UAB isn’t the most challenging opponent on paper, but the element of a renewed rivalry could present a different challenge for the Tigers.

The highlights of the conference schedule, however, are the two matchups against head coach Dusty May and Florida Atlantic. The Owls, a C-USA school at the time, beat the Tigers 66-65 in the Round of 64 of the NCAA Tournament last season. The two programs are now AAC foes and the favorites to win the league.

The Owls return all five starters from a team that made the Final 4 last season, including guards Johnell Davis and Alijah Martin. The Tigers, meanwhile, have reloaded via the transfer portal and now just might have what it takes to topple Florida Atlantic.

Memphis and FAU’s two faceoffs will likely determine the American’s regular season champion in 2023-24. A third matchup in the AAC Tournament, which will be played at Dickies Arena from March 13-17, is also likely. Memphis will host the first game on Feb. 25 inside FedExForum, with the Owls hosting the March 9 rematch on CBS. The latter game is the regular season finale for both programs.