Memphis basketball has signed Stephen F. Austin transfer big man Thierno Sylla, the school announced Aug. 18.
The 6-foot-11, 225-pound senior power forward − who also spent two seasons at UCF − provides an injection of depth at a position of need for coach Penny Hardaway’s remade roster. While Sylla is the 14th acquisition of the 2025 offseason, the native of Conkary, Guinea −also former Memphis center Moussa Cisse’s hometown − is just the third player with a listed height above 6-8.
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Hardaway has loaded up on guards and wings, but Aaron Bradshaw (7-1) and Simon Majok (7-1) are the only true big men − and Majok (who spent the past three seasons playing in Serbia) has not yet arrived on campus. Majok has a student visa appointment scheduled for Aug. 21, he told The Commercial Appeal. Once approved, the next step for Majok is “to take off (for Memphis) as soon as possible,” he said.
On Aug. 7, Hardaway said he intended to sign two more big men. Sylla is the first to join the Tigers since then. Division I schools are permitted to put up to 15 players on scholarship, currently leaving Hardaway with one open scholarship.
Hasan Abdul-Hakim, William Whorton, Mason Matthews and Ashton Hardaway were each listed at 6-8 in 2024-25, although each player (with the exception of Whorton) has played primarily along the perimeter in their careers.
What Thierno Sylla brings to Memphis basketball
Sylla put up modest numbers (averaging just 3.1 points and 2.6 rebounds in 25 games, all off the bench) with the Lumberjacks in 2024-25. He averaged 9.6 minutes per game.
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Before that, though, Sylla showed flashes of a bit more productivity and got more playing time with the Knights. In 32 games (10 starts) during the 2023-24 season at UCF, Sylla averaged 4.3 points and 3.9 rebounds a game. He logged a double-double that season − 20 points and 11 rebounds against Jacksonville − and finished 13 games with five or more boards. He also had 14 blocks and 10 steals at UCF in 2023-24.
Sylla is also a capable scorer with solid range, as a career 29.2% 3-point shooter. While he shot 24.1% (7 of 29) from the 3-point line at Stephen F. Austin, Sylla had better numbers beyond the arc at UCF. As a freshman, he was 12-for-33 (36.4%) there. The next season, he was 17-of-61 (27.9%).
In two games against Memphis during the 2022-23 season (Sylla’s freshman campaign), he scored two points and had four rebounds against the Tigers.
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Sylla finished his prep career at Royal Crown Academy (Ontario, Canada), where he garnered Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association defensive player of the year honors for the 2021-22 season.
The rest of Memphis’ incoming crop of newcomers (in addition to Majok, Bradshaw, Abdul-Hakim, Matthews, Whorton and Ashton Hardaway) includes Dug McDaniel, Curtis Givens III, Zachary Davis, Julius Thedford, Sincere Parker, Quante Berry and Daniel Vieira-Tuck.
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com, follow him @munzly on X.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis basketball lands Thierno Sylla, Stephen F. Austin transfer
