Memphis basketball hosting bigs Ibrahim Souare, Maper Maker for visits
Memphis hopes to round out its roster with two more frontcourt pieces. (Image Credit: Syracuse University Athletics)
Memphis basketball, desperately in need of frontcourt depth, is hosting two big men on campus Thursday.
Syracuse transfer Ibrahim Souare and former 4-star high school recruit Maper Maker are both currently visiting the Tigers, a source confirms to Bluff City Media.
Souare played sparingly for Syracuse last season, averaging 0.9 points, 1.9 rebounds and 8.3 minutes across 29 appearances. He never recorded more than 6 points or 7 boards in a game for the Orange.
The 6-foot-9 forward spent his freshman season at Georgia Tech, where he tallied 2.8 points and 3.6 rebounds per game on 59.7% shooting. He started 14 of his 30 outings for the Yellow Jackets.
Maker was the No. 103 prospect in the Class of 2025, according to On3, and held offers from power conference schools like Arizona State and Oregon. But the 7-foot center instead played for AUNZ Prep in Australia last year. He will visit Arkansas after Memphis, multiple reports say.
Souare, who hails from Conakry, Guinea, like former Tigers Moussa Cisse and Thierno Sylla, enters 2026-27 with two seasons of eligibility remaining. Maker, a Phoenix native, has all four years left.
Penny Hardaway’s club has filled 13 of its 15 roster spots, mostly via the transfer portal.
The Tigers lack any real presence down low besides North Alabama forward Corneilous Williams (12.2 points and 9.3 rebounds per game) and rising junior forward William Whorton (1.8 points and 1.5 rebounds). Both Souare and Maker would aid them there. But they’re considering other options as well, according to the source.
Memphis’ backcourt, meanwhile, is likely set with Northwestern point guard Jayden Reid (10.1 points and 5 assists), Pitt guard Brandin Cummings (12.5 points per game), Southeast Missouri State guard Luke Almodovar (14.1 points and 3.7 rebounds), rising junior guard Julius Thedford (8.4 points, 5 rebounds and 1.1 steals) and Texas A&M point guard Josh Holloway (4.6 and 1.8 assists).
The Tigers also boast tremendous wing depth with Southern Miss forward Tylik Weeks (19.7 points and 5.4 rebounds), Washington State forward Rihards Vavers (11.5 points, 4 rebounds and 41.2% on 3-pointers) and NC State forward Jerry Deng (6.1 points and 2.1 rebounds). High school recruits Cello Jackson, Fred Smith Jr. and Parker Pounds—each Memphis natives—are on board, too.
Memphis replaces outgoing transfers such as junior forward Aaron Bradshaw (Tennessee State), sophomore guard Curtis Givens III (Ohio State), junior guard Quante Berry (Lamar), freshman center Simon Majok (Nevada), junior forward Ashton Hardaway (uncommitted) and junior forward Arop Arop (uncommitted).
Memphis has reportedly contacted the following portal entrants:
North Carolina A&T guard Lureon Walker
Sam Houston State forward Isaiah Manning
St. Bonaventure forward Daniel Egbuniwe
Sacramento State guard Prophet Johnson
Campbell guard Jeremiah Johnson