The Memphis Tigers and UAB Blazers enter Thursday night’s American Conference showdown at Bartow Arena with identical 5-4 conference records and mirrored problems, the Tigers can’t win on the road, and the Blazers can’t win at home.
Our Memphis vs. UAB prediction includes projected starting lineups, a full score forecast, and analysis for this midweek American Conference showdown, where something has to give.
Memphis vs. UAB Projected Lineups and Key Matchups
Memphis Tigers Starting Lineup
- G Dug McDaniel
- G Quante Berry
- G/F Curtis Givens III
- F Hasan Abdul Hakim
- C Aaron Bradshaw
UAB Blazers Starting Lineup
- G Chance Westry
- G/F KyeRon Lindsay-Martin
- G/F Daniel Rivera
- F Ahmad Robinson
- C Evan Chatman
Memphis vs. UAB Prediction and Preview
UAB is 14-8 overall and playing some of its best basketball on the road, riding a five-game conference road winning streak that ties a program record set in 1981-82. Andy Kennedy’s group ranks eighth nationally with just 9.1 turnovers per game, first in the American in assist-to-turnover ratio, and 14th in rebounding at 41.3 boards per contest.
Chance Westry leads the offense at 14.9 points and 4.5 assists per game, and Evan Chatman has been a force on the glass at 8.3 rebounds per game.
The problem? UAB is 0-4 in home conference games. That number is staggering for a team this talented, and it makes the Blazers’ home-court advantage almost nonexistent.
Memphis, meanwhile, arrives in Birmingham at 10-11 after dropping a 78-76 heartbreaker to Tulane on Feb. 1, a loss that snapped an 18-game home winning streak against league opponents. Penny Hardaway’s team is just 1-6 on the road this season.
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Dug McDaniel remains the engine, averaging 13.9 points and 4.8 assists while carrying the longest active streak in Division I with at least three assists and a steal in 12 straight games. The bench has been the Tigers’ saving grace, pouring in 33.2 points per game, best in the conference and on pace for the highest mark in American Conference history.
UAB’s rebounding edge should be the defining factor. The Blazers attack the offensive glass hard, with KyeRon Lindsay-Martin ranking 46th nationally in offensive rebounds.
Memphis can be disruptive with 9.4 steals per game, but if UAB controls the boards and limits live-ball turnovers, the Tigers’ press-and-gamble defense won’t generate enough easy looks to keep pace with an offense averaging 81.9 points per game.
Prediction: Memphis 73, UAB 77
How To Watch Memphis vs. UAB
- Date: Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026
- Time: 9 p.m. ET
- Location: Birmingham, AL
- Arena: Bartow Arena
- TV Channel: ESPN2
- Streaming: ESPN+, ESPN App
