The University of Memphis men's basketball program is headed back to paradise this Thanksgiving. Event promoter bdG Sports announced that the Tigers will participate in the 2025 Baha Mar Championship, a premier early-season tournament set for November 20-21 at the Baha Mar Convention, Arts & Entertainment Center in Nassau, Bahamas.
The Tigers are part of a loaded four-team bracket that includes preseason top-10 powers Purdue and Texas Tech, and an experienced ACC squad in Wake Forest.
The tournament will be televised nationally on CBS Sports Network, with all four contests broadcast live.
The action tips off on Thursday, Nov. 20, when the Tigers face off against Purdue at 5 p.m. CT, followed by Texas Tech taking on Wake Forest at 7:30 p.m. Friday's schedule features the consolation game at 6 p.m., with the championship game set for 8:30 p.m.
"We're excited to be part of the 2025 Baha Mar Championship — this is exactly the kind of stage we want to be on," said Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway, entering his eighth season at the helm. "We've got a brand-new group this year, and going up against some of the top teams in the country early will be a monster test, but that's how you find out what you're made of. I've always believed in challenging our guys right out of the gate, and this tournament gives us the perfect opportunity to grow, compete, and show what Memphis basketball is all about."
Memphis enters the 2025-26 campaign fresh off its best season under Coach Hardaway, having swept both the American Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament titles, earning a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament and finishing with a 29-6 overall record.
With zero players returning from last season's roster, Hardaway reloaded through the transfer portal, landing 12 newcomers. Among the headline additions are Dug McDaniel (Kansas State), Zachary Davis (South Carolina), Sincere Parker (McNeese State), Curtis Givens III (LSU), Aaron Bradshaw (Ohio State) and Julius Thedford (Western Kentucky).
The Baha Mar Championship adds to a growing list of high-profile events Memphis has participated in under Hardaway, including the Maui Invitational and Battle 4 Atlantis, which have helped bolster the Tigers' national profile and postseason resume.
SCOUTING THE FIELD
Purdue enters the 2025-26 season as the preseason No. 4 team in the nation per CBSSports.com. The Boilermakers return Big Ten Player of the Year Braden Smith, First-Team All-Big Ten forward Trey Kaufman-Renn, and sniper Fletcher Loyer. Coach Matt Painter's squad finished as the 2024 national runner-up and has reached the Sweet 16 in six of the past eight seasons.
Texas Tech, ranked No. 7 in the preseason, is coming off an Elite Eight run and a 28-win season. Coach Grant McCasland returns Big 12 Player of the Year JT Toppin and All-Freshman standout Christian Anderson, along with key transfers Le Juan Watts (Washington State) and Donovan Atwell (UNCG).
Wake Forest is also on the rise, coming off a 21-win season and their best ACC finish since 2008-09. Under Coach Steve Forbes, the Demon Deacons bring back top rebounder Tre'Von Spillers, emerging guard Juke Harris, and add key portal pieces like Cooper Schwieger, Mekhi Mason and Nate Calmese.
ABOUT THE BAHA MAR CHAMPIONSHIP
Baha Mar annually plays host to one of the largest regular-season events in the sport of college basketball. Each November around the Thanksgiving holiday, 20 NCAA Division I men's and women's teams visit the stunning resort to compete in three basketball tournaments. In total, 20 games will be played over an 11-day span. Past champions include Louisville (2021), UCF (2022), Miami (2023), and Tennessee (2024).
Each August, the resort also holds the Baha Mar Hoops Summer League, offering NCAA teams exhibition games against international competition as part of a foreign tour. The resort has welcomed men's basketball teams from Kentucky, Louisville, Penn State, Rhode Island and Xavier for summer exhibition tours in recent years.
