Memphis basketball upsets No. 18 Iowa State 80-76 in 2026-27 season opener
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MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The University of Memphis men’s basketball team delivered one of the biggest surprises of college basketball’s opening night Monday, defeating No. 18 Iowa State 80-76 in a neutral-site matchup in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
The Tigers opened their 2026-27 campaign with a statement victory over a nationally ranked Big 12 opponent at the Sanford Pentagon.
The win marked Memphis’ first victory over an Associated Press Top 25 opponent since defeating No. 16 Ole Miss 87-80 on Dec. 28, 2024.
It also extended head coach Penny Hardaway’s unbeaten record in regular-season openers to 9-0 since taking over the program in 2018.
Memphis entered Monday’s contest as a significant underdog against an Iowa State program that reached the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 last season.
The Cyclones entered the season ranked No. 18 nationally after finishing the 2025-26 campaign with a 29-8 record.
Iowa State was also picked to finish fourth in the Big 12 preseason poll.
For Memphis, the victory provides an early boost to a program looking to rebound from a disappointing 2025-26 season.
Hardaway rebuilt much of the team through the transfer portal, adding experienced players such as Northwestern transfer Jayden Reid and former Southern Miss standout Tylik Weeks.
Reid earned preseason All-American Conference first-team honors, while Weeks was selected to the conference’s preseason second team.
The Tigers were picked to finish second in the American Conference preseason coaches’ poll, receiving four first-place votes.
Monday’s result offers an early indication of the team’s potential against nationally competitive opponents.
The win also carries historical significance for Memphis.
According to the university’s pregame notes, the Tigers had not defeated a ranked opponent in a season opener since Nov. 25, 1995, when No. 12 Memphis beat No. 24 Purdue 91-76 in Kansas City, Missouri.
Monday’s victory ends that 31-year drought.
It also marks Memphis’ first victory over a ranked opponent on a neutral court since its 99-97 overtime win against No. 2 UConn at the Maui Invitational on Nov. 25, 2024.
The Tigers had previously faced Iowa State just once, losing 78-59 in November 2021.
Monday’s victory evens the all-time series between the programs at one win apiece.
The result also gives Hardaway a victory over Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger, whose Cyclones entered the season with one of the nation’s longest active streaks of appearances in the AP Top 25.
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