Story by
Why Luke Almodovar is a name to watch ahead of the 2026 season
- Story by
- Why Luke Almodovar is a name to watch ahead of the 2026 season
(© Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal)
Memphis basketball brought in 13 new players over the offseason, including SEMO transfer Luke Almodovar. There wasn't a lot of talk about Almodovar after he committed to the program until an open practice earlier this week.
The Tigers opened their practice to the media, and one of the biggest takeaways from the media was the showing from Almodovar.
Advertisement
Almodovar is entering his senior season in 2026, and Memphis will be the third program he's played for. The Noblesville, Indiana, native started his collegiate career at NAIA St. Francis in Indiana before transferring to SEMO ahead of his junior season.
Almodovar might not be one of the flashiest additions by Hardaway, but he has the qualities to be an important piece for the Tigers' roster.
Shooting
One of the biggest talking points about Almodovar after the open practice was his shooting.
Almodovar shot only 29.5 percent from deep during his lone season at SEMO, but he was a much better shooter at the NAIA level. At Saint Francis University, he shot 41.3 percent from deep as a freshman and 41.4 percent on 162 attempts as a sophomore.
Advertisement
While he shot under 30 percent from deep last year, he still showed off an impressive jumper and has shown the potential to score off the dribble or as a catch-and-shoot option.
If he can return to being a 40 percent three-point shooter for the Tigers, he will become a key part of the rotation and factor into the team's success.
Attacking
While he struggled to knock down shots last season, he shot 57.2 percent inside the three-point line, and he scored a lot of his points around the rim. He scored 0.98 points per possession on rim attacks, which ranked in the 84th percentile across college basketball, and he scored 1.43 points per possession on transition attempts.
The 6-foot-3 guard has a lot of bounce, and several of his dunks went viral last season, including a posterizing dunk against Southern Indiana. Almodovar's versatility as a shooter and an attacker could give defenses fits.
Advertisement
Defense/Rebounding
Almodovar has also shown that he can be a plus defender and help in the rebounding department.
He averaged 3.7 rebounds per game for SEMO last year, but he finished the season with five or more rebounds in 10 games. At 6-foot-3, nobody is going to ask him to be the leading rebounder for the Tigers, but he will help by grabbing rebounds here and there.
Defensively, he averaged a steal a game, and he finished the year with a positive defensive regularized plus-minus and a positive defensive win shares per 40. Both are good indications that he can make a positive impact on the defensive end.
