The Memphis Tigers will face the UAB Blazers in American Athletic Conference play on Thursday evening. Both teams enter the game tied for sixth place with identical conference records. Memphis has struggled recently, while UAB rides a two-game winning streak.
BIRMINGHAM, AL — The University of Memphis men's basketball team heads to Bartow Arena for a pivotal conference game against the University of Alabama at Birmingham on February 5 at 8 p.m. CT. Broadcast on ESPN2 with John Schriffen handling play-by-play and Chris Spatola as analyst, the matchup can also be streamed on ESPN+ or heard on 98.9-FM The Roar, featuring Dave Woloshin and Ken Moody.
Memphis, coached by Penny Hardaway, holds a 10-11 overall record and 5-4 in conference, matching UAB's 14-8 overall and 5-4 mark under Andy Kennedy. Last season, the Tigers swept the Blazers in three meetings, but this year's squads find themselves lower in the standings with nine regular-season games left. The Tigers have dropped three of their last four contests, contrasting UAB's recent victories over UTSA and North Texas.
Injuries plague Memphis, with guard Curtis Givens III sidelined by a knee issue and forward Hasan Abdul Hakim out due to illness, both missing the previous two games. Betting odds from BetMGM list UAB as a 1.5-point favorite, with an over/under of 150.5 points and money line odds of Memphis +118 and UAB -142. A prediction suggests a close affair, with UAB edging out 77-76.
This game caps a challenging stretch for Memphis, following losses to Tulane and others in their 2025-26 schedule, which includes notable wins over Baylor and FAU. For UAB, it's a chance to build momentum in the tied standings position.
