CDR epilogue
Another player who has been working out hard recently is Chris Douglas-Roberts, who is using renowned NBA trainer Tim Grover to prepare for the draft. Grover's client list is off the charts -- his most famous was Michael Jordan -- and according to ESPN.com, Douglas-Roberts is currently working out at his Chicago gym with fellow probable first-round picks O.J. Mayo, Brandon Rush, Bill Walker and Donte Green.
Most projections have Douglas-Roberts going anywhere from No. 10 to No. 22 in the draft.
In other words, for any fans still holding out hope that Douglas-Roberts might come back to school -- and yes, those sentiments still pop up on Internet message boards from time to time -- please move on.
If his former roommate and sidekick Antonio Anderson can, so can you.
"That's what we all come here for, to get the opportunity to play at the next level," Anderson said. "His chance came, and I told him, he's got to go get it. He had a terrific three years here, and I'm going to miss him, but he's going to be making a lot of money."
Assistant update
Former Memphis assistant Chuck Martin, who became the head coach at Marist last month, was back in town Friday to see his family -- Martin is living in a hotel in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., until his wife and children can move -- and observe the pre-China practice with a member of his new coaching staff.
Since taking the job, Martin has already signed four players, which isn't a surprise since he has plenty to sell on the recruiting trail. Not only is Martin going to run Memphis' dribble-drive motion offense, but he's also in a league with a history of success in the NCAA Tournament with schools such as Iona, Manhattan and Siena, which beat Vanderbilt this year in the first round.
Martin also has a campus that offers a quaint private school setting just an hour from his recruiting wheelhouse in New York City.
"The campus is beautiful," Martin said. "The dorms overlook the Hudson River. It's ridiculous."
Cal's camp
The John Calipari Basketball School will include four different camps this year, beginning June 2-5 with the "Spring into Hoops" session. Mike Miller's shooting camp is June 9-11. On June 23-26, Memphis will hold its elite camp, dubbed the "Serious Skills Session." The final session is July 28-31. All camps are $200 and run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on their respective days. Register online at coachcalipari.com.
Etc.
Memphis ranked 10th in attendance for the 2007-08 season at 16,748 fans per game. Kentucky led the way with average crowds of 22,554. ... Rivals.com ranked Memphis' four-man recruiting class No. 5 in the country behind UCLA, Kansas, Wake Forest and Louisville. The Tigers could add one more player in athletic 6-7 forward Emmanuel Negedu, who initially signed with Arizona but was released from his letter of intent last week. Negedu, ranked No. 40 overall, has a close relationship with Memphis assistant Josh Pastner, who recruited him last year when he worked at Arizona. Tennessee, Georgia Tech and Indiana are also on Negedu's list. ... Calipari still has one more assistant coach to hire but said Friday that probably wouldn't happen until he returns from China. Though the team comes back June 2, the coaches are staying until June 8 to conduct coaching clinics.
To reach Dan Wolken, call 529-2365; e-mail: wolken@commercialappeal.com.
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