By Brett Dawson, Louisville Courier-Journal
More from Maui, Day Three
A few odds and ends from UK’s loss to Memphis in the Maui Invitational thid-place game:
-Got a guy who can beat his defender off the dribble? You’ve got a shot against UK. You could blame fatigue for some of the Cats’ shortcomings against Memphis if not for UK’s consistent struggle to keep anyone out of the land. Three opponents here combined for 146 points in the paint.
-Memphis is all over the map. Great for a one half against Georgia Tech, miserable the next. But they wore UK down in the second half the way a great team wears down a good one. The Tigers aren’t great yet, but they’ve got a lot of potential.
-Tubby Smith declared himself “not happy” with his point guard play in Maui. We’ll examine Ramel Bradley and Derrick Jasper in more detail later this week in the C-J.
-Smith talked at length about UK’s defensive struggles, so much so that not all the quotes would fit in a single game story. Here’s an extra: “When you go up to guard the ball, you need to take something away from them. We weren’t doing that. We were stopping five or six feet from the ballhandler. There was some confusion on our players’ part about what we wanted done. That was a miscommunication, probably, on our part.”
posted by Brett Dawson at 9:27 PM
Monday, November 27, 2006
Tigers Blow 19 Point Lead, Lose to Yellow Jackets
Tigers' 19-point lead disappears
Michael Conroy/Associated Press
By Dan Wolken
November 22, 2006
LAHAINA, Hawaii -- The Thaddeus Young vs. University of Memphis storyline never developed Tuesday.
But the Meltdown in Maui did.
Ahead by 19 points early and seemingly cruising toward the championship game of the EA Sports Maui Invitational, the No. 12-ranked Tigers imploded in a 92-85 loss to No. 19 Georgia Tech that sends them to today's consolation game at Lahaina Civic Center against the loser of the late game between Kentucky and UCLA.
And surprisingly, Young barely played a role.
Plagued by foul trouble, the former Mitchell High star, who chose Georgia Tech over Memphis after a highly-publicized recruiting battle last year, played just 14 minutes and mostly watched his teammates make key free throws, out-hustle the Tigers for loose balls and dominate Memphis on the boards, 29-9 in the second half.
"The way we rebounded and the way we played in the second half, this is what we deserve, honestly," sophomore guard Chris Douglas-Roberts, who scored 26 points, said. "We deserve this, and this should be a wake-up call for the team because the first half, we played great and then it's like, we let up as a team."
For 20 minutes, the Tigers could hardly have played better, making 15-of-30 shots and defending out of their minds to forge 46-30 lead.
They couldn't have imagined the disaster that was about to follow.
Poor shoot selection. Empty trips to the free-throw line. And most of all, allowing Georgia Tech to grab 13 offensive rebounds in the second half that led to 24 points.
Memphis' 16-point lead was reduced to four in a matter of 7:45 to start the second half, was gone with 8:28 remaining and was an 8-point deficit 2:43 later. It happened that quick.
"I just felt like, the first half we came out and it was outstanding," senior guard Jeremy Hunt, who scored 16 and had six steals, said. "If we had come out the second half and played the same way, it would have been a different ballgame ... but we failed to come up with rebounds, loose balls. It seemed like they wanted it more."
Without 6-9 sophomore Robert Dozier, who was whistled for five fouls in eight minutes and was never a factor, the Tigers were forced to use a smaller lineup, and it cost them dearly on the boards.
But even when Dozier was in the game, the Yellow Jackets simply fought harder.
With 13:43 to go, Young (11 points) tipped-in a miss by Ra'Sean Dickey and drew Dozier's fourth foul, hitting the free throw to draw Tech within 55-48.
The most crushing sequence started with 9:23 left when Young missed a 3-pointer, Tech forward Jeremis Smith got the rebound, drew a foul and hit two free throws to close the deficit to 62-60.
Then, Memphis point guard Andre Allen missed a front-end free throw on the ensuing possession, junior forward Joey Dorsey missed a wide-open layup seconds later, and then with 8:28 remaining Dickey out-fought everybody for a loose ball on the floor, laid it in and drew Dorsey's fourth foul. Dickey's free throw gave Tech its first lead, and a shaken Tigers team never recovered.
"They didn't box out, so you've got to take advantage of that," Smith said.
They did, and outscored Memphis 62-39 in the second half, a remarkable turnaround given how thoroughly the Tigers dominated early.
"It was not pretty," Memphis coach John Calipari said. "Robert Dozier being out really hurt us because he's our other big man.
"(Freshman) Pierre Niles isn't ready for this kind of game and couldn't get to a ball. But you have to give Tech credit. They wanted the game worse than us. When I go back, I'm going to look at 23 offensive rebounds and I'm going to look at about 12 loose balls."
-- Dan Wolken: 529-2365
Michael Conroy/Associated Press
By Dan Wolken
November 22, 2006
LAHAINA, Hawaii -- The Thaddeus Young vs. University of Memphis storyline never developed Tuesday.
But the Meltdown in Maui did.
Ahead by 19 points early and seemingly cruising toward the championship game of the EA Sports Maui Invitational, the No. 12-ranked Tigers imploded in a 92-85 loss to No. 19 Georgia Tech that sends them to today's consolation game at Lahaina Civic Center against the loser of the late game between Kentucky and UCLA.
And surprisingly, Young barely played a role.
Plagued by foul trouble, the former Mitchell High star, who chose Georgia Tech over Memphis after a highly-publicized recruiting battle last year, played just 14 minutes and mostly watched his teammates make key free throws, out-hustle the Tigers for loose balls and dominate Memphis on the boards, 29-9 in the second half.
"The way we rebounded and the way we played in the second half, this is what we deserve, honestly," sophomore guard Chris Douglas-Roberts, who scored 26 points, said. "We deserve this, and this should be a wake-up call for the team because the first half, we played great and then it's like, we let up as a team."
For 20 minutes, the Tigers could hardly have played better, making 15-of-30 shots and defending out of their minds to forge 46-30 lead.
They couldn't have imagined the disaster that was about to follow.
Poor shoot selection. Empty trips to the free-throw line. And most of all, allowing Georgia Tech to grab 13 offensive rebounds in the second half that led to 24 points.
Memphis' 16-point lead was reduced to four in a matter of 7:45 to start the second half, was gone with 8:28 remaining and was an 8-point deficit 2:43 later. It happened that quick.
"I just felt like, the first half we came out and it was outstanding," senior guard Jeremy Hunt, who scored 16 and had six steals, said. "If we had come out the second half and played the same way, it would have been a different ballgame ... but we failed to come up with rebounds, loose balls. It seemed like they wanted it more."
Without 6-9 sophomore Robert Dozier, who was whistled for five fouls in eight minutes and was never a factor, the Tigers were forced to use a smaller lineup, and it cost them dearly on the boards.
But even when Dozier was in the game, the Yellow Jackets simply fought harder.
With 13:43 to go, Young (11 points) tipped-in a miss by Ra'Sean Dickey and drew Dozier's fourth foul, hitting the free throw to draw Tech within 55-48.
The most crushing sequence started with 9:23 left when Young missed a 3-pointer, Tech forward Jeremis Smith got the rebound, drew a foul and hit two free throws to close the deficit to 62-60.
Then, Memphis point guard Andre Allen missed a front-end free throw on the ensuing possession, junior forward Joey Dorsey missed a wide-open layup seconds later, and then with 8:28 remaining Dickey out-fought everybody for a loose ball on the floor, laid it in and drew Dorsey's fourth foul. Dickey's free throw gave Tech its first lead, and a shaken Tigers team never recovered.
"They didn't box out, so you've got to take advantage of that," Smith said.
They did, and outscored Memphis 62-39 in the second half, a remarkable turnaround given how thoroughly the Tigers dominated early.
"It was not pretty," Memphis coach John Calipari said. "Robert Dozier being out really hurt us because he's our other big man.
"(Freshman) Pierre Niles isn't ready for this kind of game and couldn't get to a ball. But you have to give Tech credit. They wanted the game worse than us. When I go back, I'm going to look at 23 offensive rebounds and I'm going to look at about 12 loose balls."
-- Dan Wolken: 529-2365
#19 Georgia Tech 92, #12 Memphis 85
No. 19 Georgia Tech 92, No. 12 Memphis 85
By Jim O'connell
ASSOCIATED PRESS
6:49 p.m. November 21, 2006
LAHAINA, Hawaii – Jeremis Smith and Ra'Sean Dickey, two junior big men on a team known for its freshmen stars, dominated the boards in the second half and No. 19 Georgia Tech overcame a 16-point deficit for a 92-85 victory over No. 12 Memphis on Tuesday in the semifinals of the EA Sports Maui Invitational.
The Yellow Jackets (5-0) will play in the championship game Wednesday night against the winner of the late semifinal between No. 5 UCLA and No. 20 Kentucky.
Memphis (2-1) took a 46-30 halftime lead using its speed and tenacious defense to go up by as many as 19 points. The 6-foot-8 Smith, who had 21 points and nine rebounds, and the 6-10 Dickey, who had 14 points and 10 rebounds, then took over the boards in the second half, especially on the offensive end.
The Yellow Jackets held Memphis to one field goal during an 8½-minute stretch that started with 14 minutes to play. During that span, Georgia Tech had six field goals on offensive rebounds, two of which were part of three-point plays. Smith and Dickey each had two of the rebound baskets.
Georgia Tech went on an 11-0 run to take a 68-62 lead and the last points of it were a tip-in by Mouhammad Faye. Eight of the points in the spurt came on offensive rebounds.
Chris Douglas-Roberts had 26 points for Memphis, which was outrebounded 29-9 over the final 20 minutes. Smith and Dickey had two more rebounds than the Tigers managed in the second half.
The Yellow Jackets went on to lead by as many as 13 points, 83-70, on a three-point play by Smith with 2:22 to go. It wasn't an offensive rebound, just a strong dunk ahead of the field with Memphis' Jeremy Hunt draped over his back.
Georgia Tech's heralded freshman trio of Thaddeus Young, Javaris Crittenton and Zach Peacock came into the game averaging a combined 42.1 points per game. They had a total of nine in the first half. Young finished with 11 against Memphis, while Crittenton had 10 and Peacock two.
Robert Dozier, Memphis' leading scorer at 13 points per game, was in foul trouble throughout the game and didn't score. He played eight minutes, fouling out with 10:09 to play.
Memphis went ahead 22-9 halfway through the first half as Georgia Tech missed 10 of its first 11 shots from the field and 14 of its first 17.
Memphis, meanwhile, was hitting at a 60 percent clip (9-of-15) to take the 13-point lead. The Tigers led by as many as 19 points, the second time at 32-13 with 7:19 to go on a drive by Douglas-Roberts.
Whenever it seemed as though the Yellow Jackets could be ready to make some kind of run, Memphis had an answer, including two 3-pointers by freshman Doneal Mack in the final 2:09 of the half as the Tigers went up 46-30.
By Jim O'connell
ASSOCIATED PRESS
6:49 p.m. November 21, 2006
LAHAINA, Hawaii – Jeremis Smith and Ra'Sean Dickey, two junior big men on a team known for its freshmen stars, dominated the boards in the second half and No. 19 Georgia Tech overcame a 16-point deficit for a 92-85 victory over No. 12 Memphis on Tuesday in the semifinals of the EA Sports Maui Invitational.
The Yellow Jackets (5-0) will play in the championship game Wednesday night against the winner of the late semifinal between No. 5 UCLA and No. 20 Kentucky.
Memphis (2-1) took a 46-30 halftime lead using its speed and tenacious defense to go up by as many as 19 points. The 6-foot-8 Smith, who had 21 points and nine rebounds, and the 6-10 Dickey, who had 14 points and 10 rebounds, then took over the boards in the second half, especially on the offensive end.
The Yellow Jackets held Memphis to one field goal during an 8½-minute stretch that started with 14 minutes to play. During that span, Georgia Tech had six field goals on offensive rebounds, two of which were part of three-point plays. Smith and Dickey each had two of the rebound baskets.
Georgia Tech went on an 11-0 run to take a 68-62 lead and the last points of it were a tip-in by Mouhammad Faye. Eight of the points in the spurt came on offensive rebounds.
Chris Douglas-Roberts had 26 points for Memphis, which was outrebounded 29-9 over the final 20 minutes. Smith and Dickey had two more rebounds than the Tigers managed in the second half.
The Yellow Jackets went on to lead by as many as 13 points, 83-70, on a three-point play by Smith with 2:22 to go. It wasn't an offensive rebound, just a strong dunk ahead of the field with Memphis' Jeremy Hunt draped over his back.
Georgia Tech's heralded freshman trio of Thaddeus Young, Javaris Crittenton and Zach Peacock came into the game averaging a combined 42.1 points per game. They had a total of nine in the first half. Young finished with 11 against Memphis, while Crittenton had 10 and Peacock two.
Robert Dozier, Memphis' leading scorer at 13 points per game, was in foul trouble throughout the game and didn't score. He played eight minutes, fouling out with 10:09 to play.
Memphis went ahead 22-9 halfway through the first half as Georgia Tech missed 10 of its first 11 shots from the field and 14 of its first 17.
Memphis, meanwhile, was hitting at a 60 percent clip (9-of-15) to take the 13-point lead. The Tigers led by as many as 19 points, the second time at 32-13 with 7:19 to go on a drive by Douglas-Roberts.
Whenever it seemed as though the Yellow Jackets could be ready to make some kind of run, Memphis had an answer, including two 3-pointers by freshman Doneal Mack in the final 2:09 of the half as the Tigers went up 46-30.
Tigers Wowed by Beauty on Maui
Tigers wowed by beauty on Maui
By Dan Wolken
November 19, 2006
LAHAINA, Hawaii -- The University of Memphis basketball team had been in paradise for about 19 hours, all of which had been consumed by work, work, work.
After arriving here Friday afternoon, the Tigers immediately bussed off to practice, followed by dinner, sleep and another practice at 8 Saturday morning.
But finally, after that was over, there was free time to enjoy this lush island and Kaanapali Beach, which fronts the resort where the Tigers are staying.
"I know we came down here to play ball, but now we're going to have a good time," freshman forward Pierre Niles said. "We're going to take care of business when we get on the court. When we're off the court, we're gonna have fun."
Because after all, isn't fun what the EA Sports Maui Invitational is all about?
Though No. 13-ranked Memphis will be all-business beginning at 1:30 p.m. CST Monday, when it tips off against Oklahoma, there's a reason Tigers coach John Calipari scheduled an arrival in Maui one day before several of the other participating schools.
By getting some work out of the way early, the Tigers could have ample free time to experience the beach and the other sights of Lahaina, an old whaling town with a lively downtown strip that several players went to check out Saturday before an evening party for the teams.
Others simply stayed by the expansive pool area or walked out the landmark Black Rock of Kaanapali, which juts from the side of Memphis' resort and provides a natural diving board into the Pacific Ocean.
"It's beautiful," junior center Joey Dorsey said. "I've been taking pictures since I got here. When I went to the Bahamas this summer it wasn't that good. But when I see the palm trees and everything, I love it out here. We're going to go swimming and go downtown and see what's poppin' down there."
The free time was a reward for a long, tiring trip that began in Memphis just before 9 Friday morning when their chartered 757 roared toward the West with the team in front and a large contingent of fans in the back.
Almost 12 hours later, after a short refueling stop in Las Vegas, the Tigers landed in Maui. But their day still wasn't over. Wanting to keep his team's energy up and let players get their legs under them after the long flight, Calipari put the Tigers through a short workout.
"It was definitely a long plane ride, and we had to jump out of the plane and go straight to practice," sophomore forward Robert Dozier said. "It was tough on us (Friday). We were kind of upset about that, but we got through it and we rested up last night.
"We just came out here to play basketball. I'm hoping we can get this thing started Monday and get it rolling."
The Tigers practiced at a local high school Friday, but Saturday, they got their first look at Lahaina Civic Center, the 2,400-seat gym which, for a few days every November, becomes the capital of college basketball.
Players said the humidity inside the gym was so intense, even the playing surface was sweating.
"It was super hot," Dorsey said. "We had to have towels on the floor, players had to get towels every minute. It was hot in there."
Despite the lack of amenities inside, there are plenty everywhere else. That is, if you consider 80-degree temperatures, a luxury resort, world-class restaurants and a bright blue ocean as amenities.
"I knew it was going to be beautiful," Niles said, "but I didn't know it was going to be like this."
-- Dan Wolken: 529-2365
By Dan Wolken
November 19, 2006
LAHAINA, Hawaii -- The University of Memphis basketball team had been in paradise for about 19 hours, all of which had been consumed by work, work, work.
After arriving here Friday afternoon, the Tigers immediately bussed off to practice, followed by dinner, sleep and another practice at 8 Saturday morning.
But finally, after that was over, there was free time to enjoy this lush island and Kaanapali Beach, which fronts the resort where the Tigers are staying.
"I know we came down here to play ball, but now we're going to have a good time," freshman forward Pierre Niles said. "We're going to take care of business when we get on the court. When we're off the court, we're gonna have fun."
Because after all, isn't fun what the EA Sports Maui Invitational is all about?
Though No. 13-ranked Memphis will be all-business beginning at 1:30 p.m. CST Monday, when it tips off against Oklahoma, there's a reason Tigers coach John Calipari scheduled an arrival in Maui one day before several of the other participating schools.
By getting some work out of the way early, the Tigers could have ample free time to experience the beach and the other sights of Lahaina, an old whaling town with a lively downtown strip that several players went to check out Saturday before an evening party for the teams.
Others simply stayed by the expansive pool area or walked out the landmark Black Rock of Kaanapali, which juts from the side of Memphis' resort and provides a natural diving board into the Pacific Ocean.
"It's beautiful," junior center Joey Dorsey said. "I've been taking pictures since I got here. When I went to the Bahamas this summer it wasn't that good. But when I see the palm trees and everything, I love it out here. We're going to go swimming and go downtown and see what's poppin' down there."
The free time was a reward for a long, tiring trip that began in Memphis just before 9 Friday morning when their chartered 757 roared toward the West with the team in front and a large contingent of fans in the back.
Almost 12 hours later, after a short refueling stop in Las Vegas, the Tigers landed in Maui. But their day still wasn't over. Wanting to keep his team's energy up and let players get their legs under them after the long flight, Calipari put the Tigers through a short workout.
"It was definitely a long plane ride, and we had to jump out of the plane and go straight to practice," sophomore forward Robert Dozier said. "It was tough on us (Friday). We were kind of upset about that, but we got through it and we rested up last night.
"We just came out here to play basketball. I'm hoping we can get this thing started Monday and get it rolling."
The Tigers practiced at a local high school Friday, but Saturday, they got their first look at Lahaina Civic Center, the 2,400-seat gym which, for a few days every November, becomes the capital of college basketball.
Players said the humidity inside the gym was so intense, even the playing surface was sweating.
"It was super hot," Dorsey said. "We had to have towels on the floor, players had to get towels every minute. It was hot in there."
Despite the lack of amenities inside, there are plenty everywhere else. That is, if you consider 80-degree temperatures, a luxury resort, world-class restaurants and a bright blue ocean as amenities.
"I knew it was going to be beautiful," Niles said, "but I didn't know it was going to be like this."
-- Dan Wolken: 529-2365
Virginia Attorney Says Former Tiger Shawne Williams Accepted Cash and Gifts While in School
(Yes, I know, I'm way behind. Not really though, I'm just catching up on lots of stories over the past week. As has been my policy in the past, I accept the responsibity to report the good, bad and the ugly. Hopefully, for Memphis' sake this one is just dumb and not ugly. Stay tuned for comments from the NCAA in about April 2007 on this one. ed)
Attorney drops 1 of Williams suits
By Tim McGlone, Landmark News Service
NORFOLK -- A Norfolk attorney has dropped his lawsuit against Indiana Pacers rookie Shawne Williams, but questions remain about the more than $100,000 the attorney says he was owed by Williams and Atlanta Falcons cornerback Jimmy Williams.
Meanwhile, the NCAA said Thursday that it has launched an inquiry into the situation.
Attorney Carl La Mondue withdrew his suit against Williams late Wednesday, but a similar action against Jimmy Williams remains active.
Williams, a Hampton native and former Virginia Tech All-American, denied the allegations in the suit that he accepted about $55,000 in cash and gifts from La Mondue while playing at Tech.
"It's just a person trying to come back, who wants some money, to be perfectly honest with you," he told reporters at practice in Atlanta on Thursday.
"We do know the dude, but as far as me taking money from, I didn't take none. My dad hasn't taken any. It's just a claim," Williams continued. "He don't have no record of nothing."
La Mondue, has declined to comment. His Web site touts his firm's willingness to help athletes and entertainers with their contracts.
He filed suits earlier this month in Norfolk Circuit Court seeking repayment from each player, as well as Jimmy Williams' father. La Mondue claims he gave Jimmy Williams and his father $8,700 in merchandise, including clothes and shoes, phone service, hotel rooms and a tattoo, plus more than $46,000 in cash, the papers say.
The cash and merchandise were given between November 2004 and November 2005, when Jimmy Williams was a junior and senior at Tech, the suit says.
The NCAA prohibits its athletes, their family members or friends from receiving benefits while in school. Schools and players can be investigated and sanctioned for infractions. The NCAA has declined to comment on the Williams' cases.
"Today, I can confirm that we're working cooperatively with the institutions," said Jennifer Kearns, the assistant director of public and media relations for the NCAA.
But she stopped short of calling it an investigation.
"I don't know that an official investigation has been opened. It's still too early," she said.
Virginia Tech officials on Thursday said they have notified the NCAA of the Jimmy Williams' lawsuit and will consider the allegations internally as well.
"We're working in a cooperative measure with the NCAA to try to get to the bottom of this as quickly as we can, said Tech athletic director Jim Weaver.
He said he hoped that if the school was found to have had no prior notice of the alleged payments that it would be immune from sanctions.
"That would be my hope, but until we get through the process, it would simply be me speculating. To my knowledge at this point, no one had any prior knowledge of this," Weaver said.
He said he only became aware of the allegations Thursday morning.
"At this point, I'm not sure exactly what the investigative process will be. We've had a conversation with [NCAA officials] this afternoon and established a plan. That's as far I'll comment right now," he said.
Shawne Williams, who played collegiately at Memphis for one year before being drafted by the Pacers, is accused in the lawsuit of accepting from La Mondue about $9,700 in hotel rooms, airfare and cellphone service, plus $39,794 in cash, while playing for the Tigers in the 2005-06 season.
Williams' agent, Happy Walters of Los Angeles, denied the allegations and said the information in the suit, such as the dates, were wrong.
He declined to comment further Thursday.
Disputes such as these do not typically result in lawsuits. But they are indicative of a growing problem in college sports -- college athletes accepting gifts or payments from sports agents or boosters.
"It's the nature of the beast," said Ron Del Duca of Norfolk, a registered agent with the National Football League Players Association. "The last 3, 4, 5 years it's become a circus. Kids are asking for stuff. Kids not even that good, they want lines of credit."
Del Duca, who would not comment directly on the La Mondue lawsuits, said sports agents are regulated in some states, but not Virginia. North Carolina, for example, requires agents to register, and violations of rules of conduct can lead to criminal charges.
"What happens is -- and it happens a lot -- it's not just the fault of the agents. It's the faults of the players. They're asking for it; so are the parents," he said.
Attorney drops 1 of Williams suits
By Tim McGlone, Landmark News Service
NORFOLK -- A Norfolk attorney has dropped his lawsuit against Indiana Pacers rookie Shawne Williams, but questions remain about the more than $100,000 the attorney says he was owed by Williams and Atlanta Falcons cornerback Jimmy Williams.
Meanwhile, the NCAA said Thursday that it has launched an inquiry into the situation.
Attorney Carl La Mondue withdrew his suit against Williams late Wednesday, but a similar action against Jimmy Williams remains active.
Williams, a Hampton native and former Virginia Tech All-American, denied the allegations in the suit that he accepted about $55,000 in cash and gifts from La Mondue while playing at Tech.
"It's just a person trying to come back, who wants some money, to be perfectly honest with you," he told reporters at practice in Atlanta on Thursday.
"We do know the dude, but as far as me taking money from, I didn't take none. My dad hasn't taken any. It's just a claim," Williams continued. "He don't have no record of nothing."
La Mondue, has declined to comment. His Web site touts his firm's willingness to help athletes and entertainers with their contracts.
He filed suits earlier this month in Norfolk Circuit Court seeking repayment from each player, as well as Jimmy Williams' father. La Mondue claims he gave Jimmy Williams and his father $8,700 in merchandise, including clothes and shoes, phone service, hotel rooms and a tattoo, plus more than $46,000 in cash, the papers say.
The cash and merchandise were given between November 2004 and November 2005, when Jimmy Williams was a junior and senior at Tech, the suit says.
The NCAA prohibits its athletes, their family members or friends from receiving benefits while in school. Schools and players can be investigated and sanctioned for infractions. The NCAA has declined to comment on the Williams' cases.
"Today, I can confirm that we're working cooperatively with the institutions," said Jennifer Kearns, the assistant director of public and media relations for the NCAA.
But she stopped short of calling it an investigation.
"I don't know that an official investigation has been opened. It's still too early," she said.
Virginia Tech officials on Thursday said they have notified the NCAA of the Jimmy Williams' lawsuit and will consider the allegations internally as well.
"We're working in a cooperative measure with the NCAA to try to get to the bottom of this as quickly as we can, said Tech athletic director Jim Weaver.
He said he hoped that if the school was found to have had no prior notice of the alleged payments that it would be immune from sanctions.
"That would be my hope, but until we get through the process, it would simply be me speculating. To my knowledge at this point, no one had any prior knowledge of this," Weaver said.
He said he only became aware of the allegations Thursday morning.
"At this point, I'm not sure exactly what the investigative process will be. We've had a conversation with [NCAA officials] this afternoon and established a plan. That's as far I'll comment right now," he said.
Shawne Williams, who played collegiately at Memphis for one year before being drafted by the Pacers, is accused in the lawsuit of accepting from La Mondue about $9,700 in hotel rooms, airfare and cellphone service, plus $39,794 in cash, while playing for the Tigers in the 2005-06 season.
Williams' agent, Happy Walters of Los Angeles, denied the allegations and said the information in the suit, such as the dates, were wrong.
He declined to comment further Thursday.
Disputes such as these do not typically result in lawsuits. But they are indicative of a growing problem in college sports -- college athletes accepting gifts or payments from sports agents or boosters.
"It's the nature of the beast," said Ron Del Duca of Norfolk, a registered agent with the National Football League Players Association. "The last 3, 4, 5 years it's become a circus. Kids are asking for stuff. Kids not even that good, they want lines of credit."
Del Duca, who would not comment directly on the La Mondue lawsuits, said sports agents are regulated in some states, but not Virginia. North Carolina, for example, requires agents to register, and violations of rules of conduct can lead to criminal charges.
"What happens is -- and it happens a lot -- it's not just the fault of the agents. It's the faults of the players. They're asking for it; so are the parents," he said.
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Comments on Georgia Tech Game
Ok, I basically did not see this game. I listened to about 8 minutes of the second half on the radio and then saw about two minutes on the tube.
So, I don't have much add from an analysis perspective though I think the statistics are telling.
1) Robert Dozier - 1 FG attempt, 5 personal fouls in 8 minutes of play.
2) Joey Dorsey - 9 points and 6 boards (5 of 8 from the line) - looks pretty solid on paper, but I know the Tigers were destroyed on the boards in the second half. Six boards in 32 minutes is certainly under his normal work load.
3) Willie Kemp - 9 points, 2 assists, 2 turnovers (pretty good for a freshman).
4) Antonio Anderson - 15 points, but with FIVE turnovers and 3 of 7 from the charity stripe.
5) CDR (the workhorse) - 26 points, 8-12 FGs, 9-11 FTs and 7 RBs - Excellent !!
6) Pierre Niles - TWO boards in 8 minutes, 0-4 FTs !!!
7) Jeremy Hunt - Another solid effort - 16 points, 5 board, 4 assists
The two big numbers - they aren't secrets
Georgia Tech 52 rebounds, Memphis 31
Georgia Tech scored 62 points in the 2nd half shooting 56.7%
CDR and Antonio Anderson combined for 41 points or 48.2% of the offense
Kemp and Allen had 5 assists and only 3 turnovers - 1.67 ratio
Memphis beat GT on the intangibles (unless you add rebounds to the formula)
Memphis -1.5, GT -14.0
So, I don't have much add from an analysis perspective though I think the statistics are telling.
1) Robert Dozier - 1 FG attempt, 5 personal fouls in 8 minutes of play.
2) Joey Dorsey - 9 points and 6 boards (5 of 8 from the line) - looks pretty solid on paper, but I know the Tigers were destroyed on the boards in the second half. Six boards in 32 minutes is certainly under his normal work load.
3) Willie Kemp - 9 points, 2 assists, 2 turnovers (pretty good for a freshman).
4) Antonio Anderson - 15 points, but with FIVE turnovers and 3 of 7 from the charity stripe.
5) CDR (the workhorse) - 26 points, 8-12 FGs, 9-11 FTs and 7 RBs - Excellent !!
6) Pierre Niles - TWO boards in 8 minutes, 0-4 FTs !!!
7) Jeremy Hunt - Another solid effort - 16 points, 5 board, 4 assists
The two big numbers - they aren't secrets
Georgia Tech 52 rebounds, Memphis 31
Georgia Tech scored 62 points in the 2nd half shooting 56.7%
CDR and Antonio Anderson combined for 41 points or 48.2% of the offense
Kemp and Allen had 5 assists and only 3 turnovers - 1.67 ratio
Memphis beat GT on the intangibles (unless you add rebounds to the formula)
Memphis -1.5, GT -14.0
Memphis Drops 92-85 Decision to Georgia Tech
Memphis Drops 92-85 Decision Against Georgia Tech
Douglas-Roberts scores 26 points for Tigers in loss.
Nov. 21, 2006
Box Score
LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) - Jeremis Smith and Ra'Sean Dickey, two junior big men on a team known for its freshmen stars, dominated the boards in the second half and No. 19 Georgia Tech overcame a 16-point deficit for a 92-85 victory over No. 12 Memphis on Tuesday in the semifinals of the EA Sports Maui Invitational.
The Yellow Jackets (5-0) will play in the championship game Wednesday night against the winner of the late semifinal between No. 5 UCLA and No. 20 Kentucky.
Memphis (2-1) took a 46-30 halftime lead using its speed and tenacious defense to go up by as many as 19 points. The 6-foot-8 Smith, who had 21 points and nine rebounds, and the 6-10 Dickey, who had 14 points and 10 rebounds, then took over the boards in the second half, especially on the offensive end.
The Yellow Jackets held Memphis to one field goal during an 8 1/2-minute stretch that started with 14 minutes to play. During that span, Georgia Tech had six field goals on offensive rebounds, two of which were part of three-point plays. Smith and Dickey each had two of the rebound baskets.
Georgia Tech went on an 11-0 run to take a 68-62 lead and the last points of it were a tip-in by Mouhammad Faye. Eight of the points in the spurt came on offensive rebounds.
Chris Douglas-Roberts had 26 points for Memphis, which was outrebounded 29-9 over the final 20 minutes. Smith and Dickey had two more rebounds than the Tigers managed in the second half.
Douglas-Roberts scores 26 points for Tigers in loss.
Nov. 21, 2006
Box Score
LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) - Jeremis Smith and Ra'Sean Dickey, two junior big men on a team known for its freshmen stars, dominated the boards in the second half and No. 19 Georgia Tech overcame a 16-point deficit for a 92-85 victory over No. 12 Memphis on Tuesday in the semifinals of the EA Sports Maui Invitational.
The Yellow Jackets (5-0) will play in the championship game Wednesday night against the winner of the late semifinal between No. 5 UCLA and No. 20 Kentucky.
Memphis (2-1) took a 46-30 halftime lead using its speed and tenacious defense to go up by as many as 19 points. The 6-foot-8 Smith, who had 21 points and nine rebounds, and the 6-10 Dickey, who had 14 points and 10 rebounds, then took over the boards in the second half, especially on the offensive end.
The Yellow Jackets held Memphis to one field goal during an 8 1/2-minute stretch that started with 14 minutes to play. During that span, Georgia Tech had six field goals on offensive rebounds, two of which were part of three-point plays. Smith and Dickey each had two of the rebound baskets.
Georgia Tech went on an 11-0 run to take a 68-62 lead and the last points of it were a tip-in by Mouhammad Faye. Eight of the points in the spurt came on offensive rebounds.
Chris Douglas-Roberts had 26 points for Memphis, which was outrebounded 29-9 over the final 20 minutes. Smith and Dickey had two more rebounds than the Tigers managed in the second half.
Tigers #17 in Sagarin Through Saturday
Notable Opponents Sagarin Ratings
Gonzaga #7
Georgia Tech #16
Tigers #17
Arizona #31
Tennessee #50
Kentucky #58
UAB #63
SMU #69
Oklahoma #78
Houston #83
Cincinnati #85
Gonzaga #7
Georgia Tech #16
Tigers #17
Arizona #31
Tennessee #50
Kentucky #58
UAB #63
SMU #69
Oklahoma #78
Houston #83
Cincinnati #85
My Summary of Memphis vs Oklahoma
Yeah, I know. I'm a bit hehind, but the holiday season is a busy time and I've got little kids to worry with. Anyway, I didn't watch the game film until early this morning (I woke up at 4 am and couldn't sleep).
Well, I thought it was an ugly, ugly game. Considering Robert Dozier offensively was pretty accurate, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. I think he had all five of turnovers in the first half. Memphis had like 14 turnovers in the first half, but amazingly shot 48% versus OU's 29% to take a seven point lead at half time. SEVEN OF FOURTEEN from the free throw line in the first half. That is awlful.
Anyway, I thought Willie Kemp looked pretty solid, but a little bit out of control in the first half. I was fairly happy with Andre Allen's play.
Now the second half was much, much better. The Tigers came out and hit two 3 pointers right out of the gate to seize the game. Even though the final tally was 12 points it seemed like an 18 point margin much of the second half. Even when OU made a 9-0 rally, the Tigers has great poise.
I think the Tigers went about 8 minutes before committing a TO in the second half, while their shooting was solid.
Pierre Niles and Joey Dorsey were solid enough (4 for 8 FGs, 12 boards, 8 personal fouls), though both committed a dumb foul each chasing an OU man 25 feet from the basket. You'd think Joey would know better as a junior.
While the team free throws were sickening, you can't really fault Joey Dorsey (6 of 8) or Andre Allen (5 of 8) - the usual suspects. Go figure? Robert Dozier 1 of 4?
So here is my evaluation formula for the intangibles. I score -1.0 for turnovers, -0.5 for personal fouls, +1.0 for assists and steals, and +0.5 for blocks.
The Tigers scored a -6.5 while the Sooners got a -22.0
CRD and Anderson scored 17 points (22.1% of total) on 6 of 15 shooting.
The point guards (Kemp and Allen) got 5 assists and 3 turnovers (1.67 ratio)
Well, I thought it was an ugly, ugly game. Considering Robert Dozier offensively was pretty accurate, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. I think he had all five of turnovers in the first half. Memphis had like 14 turnovers in the first half, but amazingly shot 48% versus OU's 29% to take a seven point lead at half time. SEVEN OF FOURTEEN from the free throw line in the first half. That is awlful.
Anyway, I thought Willie Kemp looked pretty solid, but a little bit out of control in the first half. I was fairly happy with Andre Allen's play.
Now the second half was much, much better. The Tigers came out and hit two 3 pointers right out of the gate to seize the game. Even though the final tally was 12 points it seemed like an 18 point margin much of the second half. Even when OU made a 9-0 rally, the Tigers has great poise.
I think the Tigers went about 8 minutes before committing a TO in the second half, while their shooting was solid.
Pierre Niles and Joey Dorsey were solid enough (4 for 8 FGs, 12 boards, 8 personal fouls), though both committed a dumb foul each chasing an OU man 25 feet from the basket. You'd think Joey would know better as a junior.
While the team free throws were sickening, you can't really fault Joey Dorsey (6 of 8) or Andre Allen (5 of 8) - the usual suspects. Go figure? Robert Dozier 1 of 4?
So here is my evaluation formula for the intangibles. I score -1.0 for turnovers, -0.5 for personal fouls, +1.0 for assists and steals, and +0.5 for blocks.
The Tigers scored a -6.5 while the Sooners got a -22.0
CRD and Anderson scored 17 points (22.1% of total) on 6 of 15 shooting.
The point guards (Kemp and Allen) got 5 assists and 3 turnovers (1.67 ratio)
#12 Tigers Sail Past Oklahoma, 77-65
No. 12 Tigers Sail Past Sooners, 77-65
Dozier drops in 13 points at EA Sports Maui Invitational.
Nov. 20, 2006
Box Score Photo Gallery
LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) - Memphis coach John Calipari doesn't hesitate to say what players love to hear.
"We're a team trying to play fast," he said.
The 12th-ranked Tigers did just that Monday in a 77-65 victory over Oklahoma in the opening-round of the EA Sports Maui Invitational.
The Tigers were far from perfect, committing 18 turnovers and missing 17 free throws, but their speed and balanced attack made life miserable for Oklahoma, which had 21 turnovers.
"Memphis did a great job of spreading the floor and driving. That's a very unselfish team," first-year Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel said. "Their pressure took us out of a lot of things we like to do."
Robert Dozier had 13 points to lead Memphis, which starts three sophomores and a freshman and had eight players score between 13 and six points.
"That's our style of play," sophomore guard Antonio Anderson said. "Coach makes a point that one of us doesn't have to be the star and that together with that equal balance we can do what we like to do."
The Tigers (2-0) will play in the semifinals Tuesday against the winner of the game between No. 19 Georgia Tech and Purdue.
Memphis took control at the start of the second half by hitting seven of its first 10 shots to lead 58-42 with 12:04 left.
Oklahoma (2-1) drew within 10 points twice, the last at 69-59 with 4:36 left on two free throws by Michael Neal. The Tigers, however, were able to improve their foul shooting and keep their lead over the final 2 1/2 minutes.
"We missed about 15 layups, too," Calipari said when asked about the early trouble at the foul line. "These kids made them when they mattered."
The Tigers missing 14 of their first 27 free throw attempts before finishing 20-for-37.
Neal, who missed the Sooners' first two games because of a suspension over playing in an unsanctioned summer league, finished with 18 points. Taylor Griffin added 16 points and 10 rebounds.
"We didn't handle the pressure well," Capel said. "We didn't attack it the way we wanted to to get easy shots. When they have success it ignites them and they came at us in waves."
Freshman Willie Kemp had 12 points for Memphis, while Anderson and Andre Allen had 10 each.
"Willie's a little nervous right now," Calipari said. "He had 12 points, one assist, two turnovers. That's not bad, but I'm telling him to let loose, be more reckless."
Oklahoma scored the opening basket of the second half to get within 39-34, but Anderson and Allen hit 3s on consecutive possessions to start Memphis' hot streak from the field.
"Those 3s gave us a lot of momentum," Anderson said. "We weren't shooting well in the first half and those got us back to the way we want to play to control the tempo."
The win was the 150th at Memphis for coach John Calipari, who is 150-59 in his seventh season there. His overall college record is 343-130.
Memphis improved to 5-0 all-time against Oklahoma.
This is Memphis' fourth appearance in Maui, with its best finish third in 1992. Oklahoma is in its third appearance and the Sooners lost in the championship game in 1988.
Dozier drops in 13 points at EA Sports Maui Invitational.
Nov. 20, 2006
Box Score Photo Gallery
LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) - Memphis coach John Calipari doesn't hesitate to say what players love to hear.
"We're a team trying to play fast," he said.
The 12th-ranked Tigers did just that Monday in a 77-65 victory over Oklahoma in the opening-round of the EA Sports Maui Invitational.
The Tigers were far from perfect, committing 18 turnovers and missing 17 free throws, but their speed and balanced attack made life miserable for Oklahoma, which had 21 turnovers.
"Memphis did a great job of spreading the floor and driving. That's a very unselfish team," first-year Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel said. "Their pressure took us out of a lot of things we like to do."
Robert Dozier had 13 points to lead Memphis, which starts three sophomores and a freshman and had eight players score between 13 and six points.
"That's our style of play," sophomore guard Antonio Anderson said. "Coach makes a point that one of us doesn't have to be the star and that together with that equal balance we can do what we like to do."
The Tigers (2-0) will play in the semifinals Tuesday against the winner of the game between No. 19 Georgia Tech and Purdue.
Memphis took control at the start of the second half by hitting seven of its first 10 shots to lead 58-42 with 12:04 left.
Oklahoma (2-1) drew within 10 points twice, the last at 69-59 with 4:36 left on two free throws by Michael Neal. The Tigers, however, were able to improve their foul shooting and keep their lead over the final 2 1/2 minutes.
"We missed about 15 layups, too," Calipari said when asked about the early trouble at the foul line. "These kids made them when they mattered."
The Tigers missing 14 of their first 27 free throw attempts before finishing 20-for-37.
Neal, who missed the Sooners' first two games because of a suspension over playing in an unsanctioned summer league, finished with 18 points. Taylor Griffin added 16 points and 10 rebounds.
"We didn't handle the pressure well," Capel said. "We didn't attack it the way we wanted to to get easy shots. When they have success it ignites them and they came at us in waves."
Freshman Willie Kemp had 12 points for Memphis, while Anderson and Andre Allen had 10 each.
"Willie's a little nervous right now," Calipari said. "He had 12 points, one assist, two turnovers. That's not bad, but I'm telling him to let loose, be more reckless."
Oklahoma scored the opening basket of the second half to get within 39-34, but Anderson and Allen hit 3s on consecutive possessions to start Memphis' hot streak from the field.
"Those 3s gave us a lot of momentum," Anderson said. "We weren't shooting well in the first half and those got us back to the way we want to play to control the tempo."
The win was the 150th at Memphis for coach John Calipari, who is 150-59 in his seventh season there. His overall college record is 343-130.
Memphis improved to 5-0 all-time against Oklahoma.
This is Memphis' fourth appearance in Maui, with its best finish third in 1992. Oklahoma is in its third appearance and the Sooners lost in the championship game in 1988.
Saturday, November 25, 2006
SI.com on Derrick Rose
The Well-Guarded Guard
It took three very tough and determined brothers to foster the talents of a young Derrick Rose and protect him from a miasma of Chicago gangs, dealers, hangers-on and, perhaps scariest of all, agents
By George Dohrmann
Chicago has a history of devouring its young basketball stars. Ben Wilson was the No. 1-ranked high school senior in the country in 1984 -- "Magic Johnson, but with a jump shot," said former NBA standout Nick Anderson -- but just before his final season Wilson was shot and killed while on his school lunch break. Ronnie Fields was a victim by different means. Illinois's Mr. Basketball in 1996 was a year behind Kevin Garnett at Farragut Academy and with his 40-inch vertical leap seemed destined to meet Garnett in the NBA. But street agents and other poachers moved in, and he made one bad decision after another until his career finally dwindled away in basketball's minor leagues.
Derrick Rose, who has heard the cautionary tales of Wilson, Fields and some of Chicago's other lost hoops prodigies, could easily have fallen too. Derrick was brought up in a single-parent home in one of the worst neighborhoods in Chicago, and agents and their middlemen were chasing him before he was in high school. Yet Derrick is thriving, a top five player in the class of 2007, a 6'3" guard who might be the best player to come out of Chicago in a decade.
He is the leader of the Simeon Career Academy basketball team, which is a defending state champion and seventh in SI's preseason national rankings. So why did Derrick blossom when so many others withered?
The answer was standing in the back of the room a few weeks ago when Derrick announced his decision to play next season for the University of Memphis. Derrick's older brothers -- Dwayne, Reggie and Allan -- built a wall around him the day they realized he had a special talent. They took control of every facet of his life, monitoring his friends, his schoolwork, even his coaches, in a manner that some find extreme. They have been accused of taking over the basketball program at Simeon and, even worse, of "pimping" him for their own gain. Their response to such criticism is a shrug. They know that when your brother is a basketball prodigy on Chicago's South Side, you can't trust the village to raise him. Not when the village is a big part of the problem. "People haven't liked some of what we've done," says Reggie, "but when it's your brother, you don't care what other people think."
The Englewood section of Chicago has a violent past and a violent present. In the 19th century it was home to serial killer H.H. Holmes, whose exploits were chronicled in Erik Larson's best seller The Devil in the White City. In 1998 the neighborhood made national headlines when two seven- and eight-year-old boys were falsely charged with murdering an 11-year-old girl. In 2003, after a seven-year-old girl was shot, a teacher at Englewood High had his students write letters to a Chicago Sun-Times columnist. "I have seen people get shot, stabbed and beat to death right before my eyes," wrote a student named Patrice. Another, Shanika, wrote, "The bad boys and girls are taking over."
A single mother raising children in Englewood has to contend with gangs, gutted schools and overwhelming poverty. Yet Brenda Rose reared her first three sons there without serious incident. All attended college, and each holds a steady job. Dwayne, 34, works at a shipping company; Reggie, 31, is a machine operator for Pepsi; Allan, 26, delivers computers. "My mom would walk down the street and drag us home if she heard we were getting into trouble," Dwayne says. "Even the drug dealers, when they saw her coming, would stop dealing and tell her where we were."
Yet Brenda's wisest bit of parenting might have come later, when strangers began calling the house, expressing interest in her youngest son, Derrick. When Brenda looked at her son, she saw a child, but those who knew basketball saw a rare package of abilities. With a basketball in his hands, Derrick could be explosive and efficient at the same time, blowing past defenders but never forcing the action. "His main asset is his strength," says Chris Monter, an NBA draft analyst. "He has the quickness and the leaping ability you want in a guard, but he really knows how to overpower other guards. A lot of people think he is a one and done player." In other words, he'll be in the NBA following his freshman year of college ball.
After Simeon's Class AA state finals victory last season, people marveled at how Derrick dominated the game -- which he did -- but few realized that he had scored only nine points. "He doesn't have to score to take over a game," Reggie says.
At a Las Vegas tournament in July, Derrick had 21 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists in a matchup with O.J. Mayo, widely considered the best guard in the class of '07. But that wasn't Derrick's most impressive performance of the summer. A month earlier, after he'd injured his right (shooting) hand in a fall, he played a game using only his left and still scored 12 points.
Derrick was skilled and tough and, from about eighth grade, a marked kid. Brenda saw the onslaught coming and knew what to do. "His brothers knew basketball, I didn't," she says. "I told them to handle it."
Dwayne, Reggie and Allan quickly formed a fatherly triune that, in their words, "smothered him." One of them always picked him up and dropped him off at school. At least one attended his practices and games. If he needed new shoes or clothes or if he acted out and needed to be punished, more often than not one of the brothers handled it. "We'd do good cop, bad cop on him all the time," Reggie says. They monitored the people he came into contact with, those who called the house or stopped him in the neighborhood for a chat. If he went somewhere when none of the brothers were free, "we'd have someone we trusted go and spy on him," Reggie says.
Early on they found it fairly easy to keep people away. But "then he got to high school, and everyone started to notice him," Dwayne says. "That's when things really picked up."
There are three murals in the Farragut Academy gym. Two are of Garnett; the other depicts Ronnie Fields soaring for a dunk: ronnie fields air show, 1992-96, it reads, and then his accomplishments are listed, including 372 dunks.
There are many theories for why Fields never made it, but the soundest one is this: His family provided him with little protection -- his mother was 15 when he was born -- so street agents and others took over. "They look for kids who don't have a support system, and then they come heavy," William Nelson, Fields's coach at Farragut, says of the poachers.
Imagine then the trepidation the brothers felt when some of the same people who had preyed on Fields cast their covetous gazes on Derrick after he led Simeon's freshman team to a city championship. Almost overnight the AAU team that Derrick had played on since the sixth grade took on a new look. "All of these people got put on staff, and I couldn't understand where they came from," Reggie says.
His response was to create his own AAU team and take nine of Derrick's 14 AAU teammates with him. That angered some parents and coaches the brothers had known for years, but Reggie believes it was the right move. "People were just beginning to really look at how they could make money off Derrick," he says. "If we hadn't kept those people away, he could have ended up like Ronnie Fields."
The better Derrick played, the more people pushed to get close to him. Once, Derrick's cellphone number got out, and in a 24-hour period he received nearly 40 text messages and more than 60 calls from strangers. "There was a message from this [AAU] coach from California trying to get me to play for him," Derrick recalls, "and someone from down south saying he'd help my family move so I could go to school there."
Derrick got a new number, and the brothers quickly instituted a policy: No one but family could get through to Derrick without going through Reggie. "When people asked Derrick for his number, he would just give them mine," Reggie says. "Then they'd call and I'd ask, 'So, what do you want with Derrick?'" The brothers got so good at "smothering" Derrick that agents accused them of exploiting him. "They'd say we were looking to make money off our brother," Reggie recalls. "I told them, 'No one is going to pimp Derrick. But if anybody is going to pimp him, it's going to be his family.'"
Fans of various colleges waited in front of Reggie's house, hoping for the chance to urge him to have Derrick pick their school. Big-name agents regularly called Reggie to say they were flying into Chicago and were willing to meet with him. Random men would approach Dwayne and ask him, "What kind of car does Derrick drive?" A question that was far from innocent, implying that there were people willing to give Derrick and his brothers gifts that would be anything but free.
"It's been crazy," Dwayne says, "but it's been crazy for us, not for Derrick."
Ben Wilson's death shook Chicago, and the Reverend Jesse Jackson and Mayor Harold Washington used Wilson (and the two teenagers who killed him) to show that the city had failed its children. "We have not heard their screams in the night," Washington said. He promised change, but have the screams stopped?
"In many ways it's worse for kids now," says Tamara Sterling, Simeon's principal. "The violence is the same, but kids now deal with issues that didn't exist before, like homelessness. We have kids who live on the streets, who don't have food."
Dwayne says, "When we were looking at high schools for Derrick, we looked at how many gang areas he'd have to go through to get to school. We looked at the neighborhoods around the school. We talked about how many friends he would have there who would look out for him." That they chose Simeon -- the same school Ben Wilson had attended -- wasn't a surprise. It has long been a bastion for Chicago's children. Industrial buildings around the school provide a buffer from the rough neighborhoods nearby. And an unwritten policy ensures that only in rare cases will children from nearby homes be admitted. "That way if something happens at school, a kid can't just call his brother or some friends who are a few blocks away," says Robert Smith, the basketball coach and dean of discipline for boys.
Kids feel safe at Simeon, especially since 2003, when the students moved into a new facility as polished as any suburban school. Last year more than 5,000 kids from all over the city applied for the 400 spots in the freshman class. Simeon's 94% attendance rate is 15 points higher than the average for Chicago public high schools. "Our kids have pride," says Sterling. "It's one reason you will rarely see a fight at Simeon."
Dwayne, Reggie and Allan trust Simeon to keep Derrick safe, but in basketball matters they still demand a lot of control. People pushed for Derrick to play varsity as a freshman, but the brothers insisted he play with his class. "We didn't want to single him out from the other freshmen," Reggie says. Derrick was also not allowed to speak to the media until the end of last season. "Kids start reading about themselves too much and get an ego," Reggie explains. The brothers let it be known that they weren't happy that longtime coach Bob Hambric insisted on controlling the college recruitment of his players. For instance, he wouldn't let players commit to a school until after their senior season. In a convenient stroke of fortune, Hambric retired after the 2003-04 season and was replaced by Smith, who is close to the Roses. "I don't know that Derrick would still be at Simeon if that hadn't happened," Reggie says of the coaching change. Ten of Simeon's 14 varsity players (including Nick Anderson's son) will play for Reggie in the summer, so the team seems as much his as Smith's.
Which is fine with Smith, who says, "The reality is that when you have a player like Derrick, you have to work with his family."
Working with the Roses has it benefits. When the shoe companies vied to get Derrick to their June camps, Reggie and Derrick used that interest as leverage to get five of Derrick's teammates invited as well. "That caused a lot of controversy. People were saying I got money to send Derrick to [Reebok's] ABCD camp," Reggie says. "What I got was more exposure for his friends." And when Derrick announced his decision to attend Memphis, he held a joint press conference with two teammates signing with Wisconsin-Milwaukee. "They deserve a press conference too," Derrick says.
"I think Simeon has been good for Derrick, and Derrick has been good for Simeon," says Sterling.
From the brothers' perspective, it has helped that Simeon preaches the cautionary tale of Ben Wilson to every student. Derrick was told the story as a freshman and was asked to draw a lesson from it. What he came up with ("Don't get in no trouble") was generic and the kind of answer most students give. But since he wears Wilson's number 25 jersey and plays in a gym named after the slain star -- and now that he finds himself at the same moment in his career that Wilson was when he was murdered -- his answer is much more knowing. "When you are that good, people come after you," Derrick says. "To deal with all that, you need help."
Issue date: November 27, 2006
It took three very tough and determined brothers to foster the talents of a young Derrick Rose and protect him from a miasma of Chicago gangs, dealers, hangers-on and, perhaps scariest of all, agents
By George Dohrmann
Chicago has a history of devouring its young basketball stars. Ben Wilson was the No. 1-ranked high school senior in the country in 1984 -- "Magic Johnson, but with a jump shot," said former NBA standout Nick Anderson -- but just before his final season Wilson was shot and killed while on his school lunch break. Ronnie Fields was a victim by different means. Illinois's Mr. Basketball in 1996 was a year behind Kevin Garnett at Farragut Academy and with his 40-inch vertical leap seemed destined to meet Garnett in the NBA. But street agents and other poachers moved in, and he made one bad decision after another until his career finally dwindled away in basketball's minor leagues.
Derrick Rose, who has heard the cautionary tales of Wilson, Fields and some of Chicago's other lost hoops prodigies, could easily have fallen too. Derrick was brought up in a single-parent home in one of the worst neighborhoods in Chicago, and agents and their middlemen were chasing him before he was in high school. Yet Derrick is thriving, a top five player in the class of 2007, a 6'3" guard who might be the best player to come out of Chicago in a decade.
He is the leader of the Simeon Career Academy basketball team, which is a defending state champion and seventh in SI's preseason national rankings. So why did Derrick blossom when so many others withered?
The answer was standing in the back of the room a few weeks ago when Derrick announced his decision to play next season for the University of Memphis. Derrick's older brothers -- Dwayne, Reggie and Allan -- built a wall around him the day they realized he had a special talent. They took control of every facet of his life, monitoring his friends, his schoolwork, even his coaches, in a manner that some find extreme. They have been accused of taking over the basketball program at Simeon and, even worse, of "pimping" him for their own gain. Their response to such criticism is a shrug. They know that when your brother is a basketball prodigy on Chicago's South Side, you can't trust the village to raise him. Not when the village is a big part of the problem. "People haven't liked some of what we've done," says Reggie, "but when it's your brother, you don't care what other people think."
The Englewood section of Chicago has a violent past and a violent present. In the 19th century it was home to serial killer H.H. Holmes, whose exploits were chronicled in Erik Larson's best seller The Devil in the White City. In 1998 the neighborhood made national headlines when two seven- and eight-year-old boys were falsely charged with murdering an 11-year-old girl. In 2003, after a seven-year-old girl was shot, a teacher at Englewood High had his students write letters to a Chicago Sun-Times columnist. "I have seen people get shot, stabbed and beat to death right before my eyes," wrote a student named Patrice. Another, Shanika, wrote, "The bad boys and girls are taking over."
A single mother raising children in Englewood has to contend with gangs, gutted schools and overwhelming poverty. Yet Brenda Rose reared her first three sons there without serious incident. All attended college, and each holds a steady job. Dwayne, 34, works at a shipping company; Reggie, 31, is a machine operator for Pepsi; Allan, 26, delivers computers. "My mom would walk down the street and drag us home if she heard we were getting into trouble," Dwayne says. "Even the drug dealers, when they saw her coming, would stop dealing and tell her where we were."
Yet Brenda's wisest bit of parenting might have come later, when strangers began calling the house, expressing interest in her youngest son, Derrick. When Brenda looked at her son, she saw a child, but those who knew basketball saw a rare package of abilities. With a basketball in his hands, Derrick could be explosive and efficient at the same time, blowing past defenders but never forcing the action. "His main asset is his strength," says Chris Monter, an NBA draft analyst. "He has the quickness and the leaping ability you want in a guard, but he really knows how to overpower other guards. A lot of people think he is a one and done player." In other words, he'll be in the NBA following his freshman year of college ball.
After Simeon's Class AA state finals victory last season, people marveled at how Derrick dominated the game -- which he did -- but few realized that he had scored only nine points. "He doesn't have to score to take over a game," Reggie says.
At a Las Vegas tournament in July, Derrick had 21 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists in a matchup with O.J. Mayo, widely considered the best guard in the class of '07. But that wasn't Derrick's most impressive performance of the summer. A month earlier, after he'd injured his right (shooting) hand in a fall, he played a game using only his left and still scored 12 points.
Derrick was skilled and tough and, from about eighth grade, a marked kid. Brenda saw the onslaught coming and knew what to do. "His brothers knew basketball, I didn't," she says. "I told them to handle it."
Dwayne, Reggie and Allan quickly formed a fatherly triune that, in their words, "smothered him." One of them always picked him up and dropped him off at school. At least one attended his practices and games. If he needed new shoes or clothes or if he acted out and needed to be punished, more often than not one of the brothers handled it. "We'd do good cop, bad cop on him all the time," Reggie says. They monitored the people he came into contact with, those who called the house or stopped him in the neighborhood for a chat. If he went somewhere when none of the brothers were free, "we'd have someone we trusted go and spy on him," Reggie says.
Early on they found it fairly easy to keep people away. But "then he got to high school, and everyone started to notice him," Dwayne says. "That's when things really picked up."
There are three murals in the Farragut Academy gym. Two are of Garnett; the other depicts Ronnie Fields soaring for a dunk: ronnie fields air show, 1992-96, it reads, and then his accomplishments are listed, including 372 dunks.
There are many theories for why Fields never made it, but the soundest one is this: His family provided him with little protection -- his mother was 15 when he was born -- so street agents and others took over. "They look for kids who don't have a support system, and then they come heavy," William Nelson, Fields's coach at Farragut, says of the poachers.
Imagine then the trepidation the brothers felt when some of the same people who had preyed on Fields cast their covetous gazes on Derrick after he led Simeon's freshman team to a city championship. Almost overnight the AAU team that Derrick had played on since the sixth grade took on a new look. "All of these people got put on staff, and I couldn't understand where they came from," Reggie says.
His response was to create his own AAU team and take nine of Derrick's 14 AAU teammates with him. That angered some parents and coaches the brothers had known for years, but Reggie believes it was the right move. "People were just beginning to really look at how they could make money off Derrick," he says. "If we hadn't kept those people away, he could have ended up like Ronnie Fields."
The better Derrick played, the more people pushed to get close to him. Once, Derrick's cellphone number got out, and in a 24-hour period he received nearly 40 text messages and more than 60 calls from strangers. "There was a message from this [AAU] coach from California trying to get me to play for him," Derrick recalls, "and someone from down south saying he'd help my family move so I could go to school there."
Derrick got a new number, and the brothers quickly instituted a policy: No one but family could get through to Derrick without going through Reggie. "When people asked Derrick for his number, he would just give them mine," Reggie says. "Then they'd call and I'd ask, 'So, what do you want with Derrick?'" The brothers got so good at "smothering" Derrick that agents accused them of exploiting him. "They'd say we were looking to make money off our brother," Reggie recalls. "I told them, 'No one is going to pimp Derrick. But if anybody is going to pimp him, it's going to be his family.'"
Fans of various colleges waited in front of Reggie's house, hoping for the chance to urge him to have Derrick pick their school. Big-name agents regularly called Reggie to say they were flying into Chicago and were willing to meet with him. Random men would approach Dwayne and ask him, "What kind of car does Derrick drive?" A question that was far from innocent, implying that there were people willing to give Derrick and his brothers gifts that would be anything but free.
"It's been crazy," Dwayne says, "but it's been crazy for us, not for Derrick."
Ben Wilson's death shook Chicago, and the Reverend Jesse Jackson and Mayor Harold Washington used Wilson (and the two teenagers who killed him) to show that the city had failed its children. "We have not heard their screams in the night," Washington said. He promised change, but have the screams stopped?
"In many ways it's worse for kids now," says Tamara Sterling, Simeon's principal. "The violence is the same, but kids now deal with issues that didn't exist before, like homelessness. We have kids who live on the streets, who don't have food."
Dwayne says, "When we were looking at high schools for Derrick, we looked at how many gang areas he'd have to go through to get to school. We looked at the neighborhoods around the school. We talked about how many friends he would have there who would look out for him." That they chose Simeon -- the same school Ben Wilson had attended -- wasn't a surprise. It has long been a bastion for Chicago's children. Industrial buildings around the school provide a buffer from the rough neighborhoods nearby. And an unwritten policy ensures that only in rare cases will children from nearby homes be admitted. "That way if something happens at school, a kid can't just call his brother or some friends who are a few blocks away," says Robert Smith, the basketball coach and dean of discipline for boys.
Kids feel safe at Simeon, especially since 2003, when the students moved into a new facility as polished as any suburban school. Last year more than 5,000 kids from all over the city applied for the 400 spots in the freshman class. Simeon's 94% attendance rate is 15 points higher than the average for Chicago public high schools. "Our kids have pride," says Sterling. "It's one reason you will rarely see a fight at Simeon."
Dwayne, Reggie and Allan trust Simeon to keep Derrick safe, but in basketball matters they still demand a lot of control. People pushed for Derrick to play varsity as a freshman, but the brothers insisted he play with his class. "We didn't want to single him out from the other freshmen," Reggie says. Derrick was also not allowed to speak to the media until the end of last season. "Kids start reading about themselves too much and get an ego," Reggie explains. The brothers let it be known that they weren't happy that longtime coach Bob Hambric insisted on controlling the college recruitment of his players. For instance, he wouldn't let players commit to a school until after their senior season. In a convenient stroke of fortune, Hambric retired after the 2003-04 season and was replaced by Smith, who is close to the Roses. "I don't know that Derrick would still be at Simeon if that hadn't happened," Reggie says of the coaching change. Ten of Simeon's 14 varsity players (including Nick Anderson's son) will play for Reggie in the summer, so the team seems as much his as Smith's.
Which is fine with Smith, who says, "The reality is that when you have a player like Derrick, you have to work with his family."
Working with the Roses has it benefits. When the shoe companies vied to get Derrick to their June camps, Reggie and Derrick used that interest as leverage to get five of Derrick's teammates invited as well. "That caused a lot of controversy. People were saying I got money to send Derrick to [Reebok's] ABCD camp," Reggie says. "What I got was more exposure for his friends." And when Derrick announced his decision to attend Memphis, he held a joint press conference with two teammates signing with Wisconsin-Milwaukee. "They deserve a press conference too," Derrick says.
"I think Simeon has been good for Derrick, and Derrick has been good for Simeon," says Sterling.
From the brothers' perspective, it has helped that Simeon preaches the cautionary tale of Ben Wilson to every student. Derrick was told the story as a freshman and was asked to draw a lesson from it. What he came up with ("Don't get in no trouble") was generic and the kind of answer most students give. But since he wears Wilson's number 25 jersey and plays in a gym named after the slain star -- and now that he finds himself at the same moment in his career that Wilson was when he was murdered -- his answer is much more knowing. "When you are that good, people come after you," Derrick says. "To deal with all that, you need help."
Issue date: November 27, 2006
Friday, November 17, 2006
HoopScoop Ranks Tiger Recruiting Class #7 Tied With Ohio State
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
It looks like Memphis head coach John Calipari's strong Northeast ties dating back to when he was the head coach the University of Massachusetts, the head coach of the New Jersey Nets, and an assistant coach with the Philadelphia 76ers continue to pay big dividends for him now that he is in the Mid-South. First, there was 6'2 Dajuan Wagner and Arthur Barclay from Camden (H.S.) NJ in 2001. Then, they landed 6'7 Sean Banks from Oradell (Bergen Catholic) NJ in 2003, 6'5 Antonio Anderson, who originally is from Lynn (Tech) MA, in 2005, and 6'5 Jeff Robinson from Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ earlier this year. And now our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin is telling us that 6'8 Marcus Morris from Philadelphia (Prep Charter) PA, who is ranked #43 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP, and 6'8 Markeiff Morris from Philadelphia (Prep Charter) PA, who is ranked #113 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP, both announced that they had signed with the Tigers at their 10:00 AM press conference earlier today. Marcus is a wing forward who can shoot the three, put it on the floor, and get to the basket and Markieff is a high/low post player who rebounds, blocks shots, and can score with both hands around the basket, which means they are are an excellent complement to one another. They are are an excellent complement to Memphis' recruiting class, which is now tied at #7, along with Ohio State on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2007 and also includes 6'3 Derrick Rose from Chicago (Simeon) IL, 6'5 Jeff Robinson from Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ, and 6'10 Will Bogan from Bell City (H.S.) MO. And this isn't the first time that Calipari and his staff have had the equivalent of a top 12-ranked recruiting class since he took over at Memphis in the spring of 2000. If you will recall, they had the #1-ranked recruiting class in 2001 when they landed 6'2 Dajuan Wagner from Camden (H.S.) NJ, 6'8 Chris Massey from Oxnard (JC) CA, 6'4 Anthony Rice from North Clayton (College Park) GA, 6'2 Antonio Burks from Hiwassee (JC) TN, and 6'9 Duane Erwin from Huntsville (Lee) AL; they had the #3-ranked recruiting class in 2004 when they landed 6'0 Darius Washington from Orlando (Edgewater) FL, 6'9 Shawne Williams from Laurinburg (Charter) NC, 6'9 Waki Williams from Mt. San Jacinto (JC) CA, 6'7 Richard Dorsey from Laurinburg (Institute) NC, 7'0 Kareem Cooper from Laurinburg (Institute) NC, 5'10 Andre Allen from Memphis (Hamilton) TN, and 6'1 Tanqueray Beavers from Athens (H.S.) AL; they had the #5-ranked recruiting class in 2005 when they landed 6'9 Shawne Williams from Laurinburg (Institute) NC, 6'5 Chris Douglas-Roberts from Detroit (Northwestern) MI, 6'5 Antonio Anderson from Laurinburg (Institute) NC, 7'0 Kareem Cooper from Laurinburg (Institute) NC, and 6'9 Robert Dozier from Laurinburg (Institute) NC; and they had the equivalent of the #12-ranked recruiting class this past year when they landed 6'1 Willie Kemp from Bolivar (Central) TN, 6'8 Pierre Niles from Lenoir (Patterson School) NC, 6'3 Tre'Von Willis from Fresno (Washington Union) CA, 6'10 Hashim Bailey from Lenoir (The Patterson School) NC, and 6'5 Doneal Mack from Statesboro (Christian) NC. Editor Note: Mack's commitment came too late to include with last year's recruiting class and, as a result, their recruiting class was ranked #19 in our Final Ranking of the Top Recruiting Classes for the Class of 2006. In other words, the Tigers are right up there, along with schools like Duke, North Carolina, Connecticut, Texas, and USC, as one of the programs that has recruiting the best in recent years. But they also have had as many players (i.e. Dujuan Wagner, Amare Stoudemire, Kendrick Perkins, Darius Washington, & Shawne Williams) as any program in the nation defect early for the NBA Draft or never show up at all in recent years. However, that appears to be about to change, as the only player in either the program or this year's current recruiting class who is likely to go to pro anytime soon is 6'3 Derrick Rose from Chicago (Simeon) IL, who is ranked #8 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP. And this is important, because Calipari will have the star in Rose that he needs to take his team to the highest level a year from now, plus he will have a great nucleus that is expected to be together intact for a span of several years.
It looks like Memphis head coach John Calipari's strong Northeast ties dating back to when he was the head coach the University of Massachusetts, the head coach of the New Jersey Nets, and an assistant coach with the Philadelphia 76ers continue to pay big dividends for him now that he is in the Mid-South. First, there was 6'2 Dajuan Wagner and Arthur Barclay from Camden (H.S.) NJ in 2001. Then, they landed 6'7 Sean Banks from Oradell (Bergen Catholic) NJ in 2003, 6'5 Antonio Anderson, who originally is from Lynn (Tech) MA, in 2005, and 6'5 Jeff Robinson from Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ earlier this year. And now our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin is telling us that 6'8 Marcus Morris from Philadelphia (Prep Charter) PA, who is ranked #43 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP, and 6'8 Markeiff Morris from Philadelphia (Prep Charter) PA, who is ranked #113 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP, both announced that they had signed with the Tigers at their 10:00 AM press conference earlier today. Marcus is a wing forward who can shoot the three, put it on the floor, and get to the basket and Markieff is a high/low post player who rebounds, blocks shots, and can score with both hands around the basket, which means they are are an excellent complement to one another. They are are an excellent complement to Memphis' recruiting class, which is now tied at #7, along with Ohio State on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2007 and also includes 6'3 Derrick Rose from Chicago (Simeon) IL, 6'5 Jeff Robinson from Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ, and 6'10 Will Bogan from Bell City (H.S.) MO. And this isn't the first time that Calipari and his staff have had the equivalent of a top 12-ranked recruiting class since he took over at Memphis in the spring of 2000. If you will recall, they had the #1-ranked recruiting class in 2001 when they landed 6'2 Dajuan Wagner from Camden (H.S.) NJ, 6'8 Chris Massey from Oxnard (JC) CA, 6'4 Anthony Rice from North Clayton (College Park) GA, 6'2 Antonio Burks from Hiwassee (JC) TN, and 6'9 Duane Erwin from Huntsville (Lee) AL; they had the #3-ranked recruiting class in 2004 when they landed 6'0 Darius Washington from Orlando (Edgewater) FL, 6'9 Shawne Williams from Laurinburg (Charter) NC, 6'9 Waki Williams from Mt. San Jacinto (JC) CA, 6'7 Richard Dorsey from Laurinburg (Institute) NC, 7'0 Kareem Cooper from Laurinburg (Institute) NC, 5'10 Andre Allen from Memphis (Hamilton) TN, and 6'1 Tanqueray Beavers from Athens (H.S.) AL; they had the #5-ranked recruiting class in 2005 when they landed 6'9 Shawne Williams from Laurinburg (Institute) NC, 6'5 Chris Douglas-Roberts from Detroit (Northwestern) MI, 6'5 Antonio Anderson from Laurinburg (Institute) NC, 7'0 Kareem Cooper from Laurinburg (Institute) NC, and 6'9 Robert Dozier from Laurinburg (Institute) NC; and they had the equivalent of the #12-ranked recruiting class this past year when they landed 6'1 Willie Kemp from Bolivar (Central) TN, 6'8 Pierre Niles from Lenoir (Patterson School) NC, 6'3 Tre'Von Willis from Fresno (Washington Union) CA, 6'10 Hashim Bailey from Lenoir (The Patterson School) NC, and 6'5 Doneal Mack from Statesboro (Christian) NC. Editor Note: Mack's commitment came too late to include with last year's recruiting class and, as a result, their recruiting class was ranked #19 in our Final Ranking of the Top Recruiting Classes for the Class of 2006. In other words, the Tigers are right up there, along with schools like Duke, North Carolina, Connecticut, Texas, and USC, as one of the programs that has recruiting the best in recent years. But they also have had as many players (i.e. Dujuan Wagner, Amare Stoudemire, Kendrick Perkins, Darius Washington, & Shawne Williams) as any program in the nation defect early for the NBA Draft or never show up at all in recent years. However, that appears to be about to change, as the only player in either the program or this year's current recruiting class who is likely to go to pro anytime soon is 6'3 Derrick Rose from Chicago (Simeon) IL, who is ranked #8 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP. And this is important, because Calipari will have the star in Rose that he needs to take his team to the highest level a year from now, plus he will have a great nucleus that is expected to be together intact for a span of several years.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Victory #1 or Subtitled Bailey 1, Jackson State 0
Well, it has finally arrived.
I started this blog after I watched Memphis lose to UCLA last Spring in the Oakland Regional Finals. I am entering my 29th season as a Tiger Fan - attending my first game at the age of nine.
So let's get to it.
Thoughts - Overall, games like this are a bit difficult to evaluate. I love the defensive intensity. And, I believe the Tigers will need the strong defense and the fast pace, fast break offense, because I see them struggling in a half court set.
I thought CDR was the key; however, Jeremy Hunt was the unsung hero - a very consistent quiet 16 points on 5 of 8 shooting including 3 of 5 from 3 point. Plus let's throw in 4 rebounds and 3 steals.
If your reading my blog on a consistent basis, you'll remember me saying I think CDR and Antonio Anderson need to average 30 points a game or 3/8th of the Tiger offense. In this game they had 33 points or 29.7% of the offense.
How about the point guard play - Andre Allen (sucks at the line) was ok with 5 assists and only 2 TOs in 14 minutes. I'll take those numbers from him. Willie Kemp was off from the field - only 2 of 13 (that stinks, but hey, first college game - I remember Penny Hardaway had a triple double in his first game against DePaul, unfortunately, 1/3rd of the triple was 10 TURNOVERS). Willie also had 5 assists and 2 TOs.
Are you kidding me? 10 assists and only 4 TOs from Allen and Kemp - that is a home run folks.
Joey Dorsey - Joey didn't seem to be hampered by the "Turf Toe", but Hank McDowell said he was estimated at 75%. I still see issues down the road with Joey - he can't buy a free throw (1 for 5) and he really has no offensive game outside of 2 feet (dunks and tip ins). Hey, Joey please practice a 5 footer and a 15 foot free throw.
Ok, Oklahoma on Monday. I'll be in New York for two days early next week, so my evaluations won't come until mid week.
I started this blog after I watched Memphis lose to UCLA last Spring in the Oakland Regional Finals. I am entering my 29th season as a Tiger Fan - attending my first game at the age of nine.
So let's get to it.
Thoughts - Overall, games like this are a bit difficult to evaluate. I love the defensive intensity. And, I believe the Tigers will need the strong defense and the fast pace, fast break offense, because I see them struggling in a half court set.
I thought CDR was the key; however, Jeremy Hunt was the unsung hero - a very consistent quiet 16 points on 5 of 8 shooting including 3 of 5 from 3 point. Plus let's throw in 4 rebounds and 3 steals.
If your reading my blog on a consistent basis, you'll remember me saying I think CDR and Antonio Anderson need to average 30 points a game or 3/8th of the Tiger offense. In this game they had 33 points or 29.7% of the offense.
How about the point guard play - Andre Allen (sucks at the line) was ok with 5 assists and only 2 TOs in 14 minutes. I'll take those numbers from him. Willie Kemp was off from the field - only 2 of 13 (that stinks, but hey, first college game - I remember Penny Hardaway had a triple double in his first game against DePaul, unfortunately, 1/3rd of the triple was 10 TURNOVERS). Willie also had 5 assists and 2 TOs.
Are you kidding me? 10 assists and only 4 TOs from Allen and Kemp - that is a home run folks.
Joey Dorsey - Joey didn't seem to be hampered by the "Turf Toe", but Hank McDowell said he was estimated at 75%. I still see issues down the road with Joey - he can't buy a free throw (1 for 5) and he really has no offensive game outside of 2 feet (dunks and tip ins). Hey, Joey please practice a 5 footer and a 15 foot free throw.
Ok, Oklahoma on Monday. I'll be in New York for two days early next week, so my evaluations won't come until mid week.
Memphis vs. Jackson State Box Score
Jackson State vs Memphis (11/16/06 at Memphis, Tenn. (FedExForum))
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Box Score
Play-by-Play
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Official Basketball Box Score
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Official Basketball Box Score
Jackson State vs Memphis
11/16/06 7:00 pm at Memphis, Tenn. (FedExForum)
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VISITORS: Jackson State 0-4
## Player Name FG-FGA 3FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
22 JARROW,Edwin........ f 1-3 0-0 0-0 1 4 5 3 2 0 1 0 0 21
44 CALDWELL,Jeremy..... c 1-3 0-0 0-0 1 2 3 4 2 0 0 1 0 9
03 GIVENS,Catraiva..... g 1-5 0-2 3-4 1 1 2 2 5 1 3 0 3 33
24 JOHNSON,Trey........ g 10-24 1-5 11-12 1 4 5 1 32 3 6 0 1 36
34 YOUNG,Julius........ g 2-8 0-1 7-8 2 4 6 2 11 3 2 1 1 31
00 JONES,Marcus........ 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
04 RUSSELL,Kenny....... 0-5 0-2 3-4 0 1 1 0 3 1 1 0 1 10
05 MARTINEZ, Kay....... 0-1 0-0 0-0 1 2 3 1 0 0 4 0 0 7
10 HENRY,Carl.......... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 5
12 GRIFFIN,Darrion..... 0-2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
32 MAXEY,Grant......... 4-7 0-0 2-2 2 4 6 5 10 1 2 0 0 19
33 JOHNSON,Garrison.... 1-2 0-0 2-3 0 1 1 2 4 0 1 1 0 6
40 TURNER,Stanley...... 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 3 3 3 0 0 1 1 0 17
TEAM................ 2 3 5 1
Totals.............. 20-61 1-10 28-33 11 29 40 23 69 10 22 4 6 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 10-28 35.7% 2nd Half: 10-33 30.3% Game: 32.8%
DEADB3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 0-2 0.0% 2nd Half: 1-8 12.5% Game: 10.0% REB
SF Throw % 1st Half: 13-15 86.7% 2nd Half: 15-18 83.3% Game: 84.8% 3,1
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HOME TEAM: Memphis 1-0
## Player Name FG-FGA 3FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
02 Dozier, Robert...... f 6-10 1-2 0-0 5 5 10 5 13 2 0 1 0 19
32 Dorsey, Joey........ f 5-7 0-0 1-5 8 5 13 3 11 0 3 4 2 23
01 Kemp, Willie........ g 2-13 1-7 0-0 2 0 2 0 5 5 2 0 1 24
12 Anderson, Antonio... g 4-7 1-3 3-3 1 3 4 3 12 1 1 0 1 21
14 DOUGLAS-ROBERTS, C.. g 8-17 2-4 3-5 5 4 9 2 21 4 0 1 1 24
00 Wade, Clyde......... 1-1 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 0 0 3
03 Willis, Tre'Von..... 1-3 1-2 1-2 0 1 1 1 4 0 0 0 0 5
04 Niles, Pierre....... 1-3 0-0 2-2 1 3 4 2 4 1 2 1 3 14
05 Hunt, Jeremy........ 5-8 3-5 3-6 1 4 5 1 16 2 0 0 3 25
15 Allen, Andre........ 2-4 2-4 0-2 0 2 2 3 6 5 2 0 1 14
20 Mack, Doneal........ 4-12 3-7 3-4 2 0 2 2 14 3 2 1 1 21
30 Sandridge, Jared.... 0-1 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
35 Bailey, Hashim...... 1-1 0-0 0-2 0 1 1 2 2 0 0 1 0 3
55 McGrady, Chance..... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 2
TEAM................ 1 2 3
Totals.............. 40-87 15-36 16-31 26 30 56 25 111 26 12 9 13 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 21-43 48.8% 2nd Half: 19-44 43.2% Game: 46.0%
DEADB3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 5-14 35.7% 2nd Half: 10-22 45.5% Game: 41.7%
REBSF Throw % 1st Half: 7-13 53.8% 2nd Half: 9-18 50.0% Game: 51.6% 6,2
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Officials: Steve Welmer, Dan Chrisman, Kevin Mathis
Technical fouls: Jackson State-None. Memphis-None.
Attendance: 10207
Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total
Jackson State................. 33 36 - 69
Memphis....................... 54 57 - 111
Points in the paint-JSU 24,MEM 46. Points off turnovers-JSU 8,MEM 27.
2nd chance points-JSU 10,MEM 34. Fast break points-JSU 12,MEM 27.
Bench points-JSU 17,MEM 49. Score tied-0 times. Lead changed-0 times.
Last FG-JSU 2nd-00:28, MEM 2nd-00:12.
Largest lead-JSU None, MEM by 46 2nd-06:02.
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Box Score
Play-by-Play
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Official Basketball Box Score
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Official Basketball Box Score
Jackson State vs Memphis
11/16/06 7:00 pm at Memphis, Tenn. (FedExForum)
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VISITORS: Jackson State 0-4
## Player Name FG-FGA 3FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
22 JARROW,Edwin........ f 1-3 0-0 0-0 1 4 5 3 2 0 1 0 0 21
44 CALDWELL,Jeremy..... c 1-3 0-0 0-0 1 2 3 4 2 0 0 1 0 9
03 GIVENS,Catraiva..... g 1-5 0-2 3-4 1 1 2 2 5 1 3 0 3 33
24 JOHNSON,Trey........ g 10-24 1-5 11-12 1 4 5 1 32 3 6 0 1 36
34 YOUNG,Julius........ g 2-8 0-1 7-8 2 4 6 2 11 3 2 1 1 31
00 JONES,Marcus........ 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
04 RUSSELL,Kenny....... 0-5 0-2 3-4 0 1 1 0 3 1 1 0 1 10
05 MARTINEZ, Kay....... 0-1 0-0 0-0 1 2 3 1 0 0 4 0 0 7
10 HENRY,Carl.......... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 5
12 GRIFFIN,Darrion..... 0-2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
32 MAXEY,Grant......... 4-7 0-0 2-2 2 4 6 5 10 1 2 0 0 19
33 JOHNSON,Garrison.... 1-2 0-0 2-3 0 1 1 2 4 0 1 1 0 6
40 TURNER,Stanley...... 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 3 3 3 0 0 1 1 0 17
TEAM................ 2 3 5 1
Totals.............. 20-61 1-10 28-33 11 29 40 23 69 10 22 4 6 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 10-28 35.7% 2nd Half: 10-33 30.3% Game: 32.8%
DEADB3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 0-2 0.0% 2nd Half: 1-8 12.5% Game: 10.0% REB
SF Throw % 1st Half: 13-15 86.7% 2nd Half: 15-18 83.3% Game: 84.8% 3,1
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HOME TEAM: Memphis 1-0
## Player Name FG-FGA 3FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
02 Dozier, Robert...... f 6-10 1-2 0-0 5 5 10 5 13 2 0 1 0 19
32 Dorsey, Joey........ f 5-7 0-0 1-5 8 5 13 3 11 0 3 4 2 23
01 Kemp, Willie........ g 2-13 1-7 0-0 2 0 2 0 5 5 2 0 1 24
12 Anderson, Antonio... g 4-7 1-3 3-3 1 3 4 3 12 1 1 0 1 21
14 DOUGLAS-ROBERTS, C.. g 8-17 2-4 3-5 5 4 9 2 21 4 0 1 1 24
00 Wade, Clyde......... 1-1 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 0 0 3
03 Willis, Tre'Von..... 1-3 1-2 1-2 0 1 1 1 4 0 0 0 0 5
04 Niles, Pierre....... 1-3 0-0 2-2 1 3 4 2 4 1 2 1 3 14
05 Hunt, Jeremy........ 5-8 3-5 3-6 1 4 5 1 16 2 0 0 3 25
15 Allen, Andre........ 2-4 2-4 0-2 0 2 2 3 6 5 2 0 1 14
20 Mack, Doneal........ 4-12 3-7 3-4 2 0 2 2 14 3 2 1 1 21
30 Sandridge, Jared.... 0-1 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
35 Bailey, Hashim...... 1-1 0-0 0-2 0 1 1 2 2 0 0 1 0 3
55 McGrady, Chance..... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 2
TEAM................ 1 2 3
Totals.............. 40-87 15-36 16-31 26 30 56 25 111 26 12 9 13 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 21-43 48.8% 2nd Half: 19-44 43.2% Game: 46.0%
DEADB3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 5-14 35.7% 2nd Half: 10-22 45.5% Game: 41.7%
REBSF Throw % 1st Half: 7-13 53.8% 2nd Half: 9-18 50.0% Game: 51.6% 6,2
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Officials: Steve Welmer, Dan Chrisman, Kevin Mathis
Technical fouls: Jackson State-None. Memphis-None.
Attendance: 10207
Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total
Jackson State................. 33 36 - 69
Memphis....................... 54 57 - 111
Points in the paint-JSU 24,MEM 46. Points off turnovers-JSU 8,MEM 27.
2nd chance points-JSU 10,MEM 34. Fast break points-JSU 12,MEM 27.
Bench points-JSU 17,MEM 49. Score tied-0 times. Lead changed-0 times.
Last FG-JSU 2nd-00:28, MEM 2nd-00:12.
Largest lead-JSU None, MEM by 46 2nd-06:02.
Post Game Quotes
Memphis Head Coach John Calipari
"I liked our effort. I liked the fact that we played fast and had 12 turnovers. There are still some things I'm sure I will see on the tape that I won't like. But, defensively we did some good things, and we broke down a few times. The biggest thing I saw was that we need to do a better job rebounding the ball. Against good teams, you can't give up two and three shots at the basket. That's what we did, especially in the first half.
At the end of the first half, I told them that we gave them too many opportunities to rebound the ball. I thought Jeremy Hunt played well. I thought Antonio does what he does, he goes out and plays. Poor Willie (Kemp) was 1-for-9 from the floor and missed like seven lay-ups, and I'm half laughing at him. But, he didn't stop. He tips a ball away and gets five assists in the first half. I could tell after shoot-around, he was feeling it.
I just told them it's a business trip. Last year, we had the same kind of trip and we took care of business. We put ourselves in a position so, that by the end of the year, we could do what we did. This is going to be harder. It's three days of games against three teams that all could beat us. These are teams that, if we play too fast and we can't get them playing fast, it becomes a bit of a UCLA (NCAA Tournament) game for us.
Jackson State Head Coach Tevester Anderson
"Memphis has a very outstanding basketball team. They play good offense and defense. When you get 56 rebounds and 26 are offensive rebounds, you are doing something right. Our guys hung in there and played hard. We did the best we could, but I have to tip my hat to the University of Memphis.
In the second half, Memphis really turned it on. John Calipari knew we played seven games (tough schedule) back-to-back and knew we were exhausted, and Memphis took advantage. Memphis shot the ball well tonight (they have good shooters) and our defense was not as good as it has been. "
"I liked our effort. I liked the fact that we played fast and had 12 turnovers. There are still some things I'm sure I will see on the tape that I won't like. But, defensively we did some good things, and we broke down a few times. The biggest thing I saw was that we need to do a better job rebounding the ball. Against good teams, you can't give up two and three shots at the basket. That's what we did, especially in the first half.
At the end of the first half, I told them that we gave them too many opportunities to rebound the ball. I thought Jeremy Hunt played well. I thought Antonio does what he does, he goes out and plays. Poor Willie (Kemp) was 1-for-9 from the floor and missed like seven lay-ups, and I'm half laughing at him. But, he didn't stop. He tips a ball away and gets five assists in the first half. I could tell after shoot-around, he was feeling it.
I just told them it's a business trip. Last year, we had the same kind of trip and we took care of business. We put ourselves in a position so, that by the end of the year, we could do what we did. This is going to be harder. It's three days of games against three teams that all could beat us. These are teams that, if we play too fast and we can't get them playing fast, it becomes a bit of a UCLA (NCAA Tournament) game for us.
Jackson State Head Coach Tevester Anderson
"Memphis has a very outstanding basketball team. They play good offense and defense. When you get 56 rebounds and 26 are offensive rebounds, you are doing something right. Our guys hung in there and played hard. We did the best we could, but I have to tip my hat to the University of Memphis.
In the second half, Memphis really turned it on. John Calipari knew we played seven games (tough schedule) back-to-back and knew we were exhausted, and Memphis took advantage. Memphis shot the ball well tonight (they have good shooters) and our defense was not as good as it has been. "
Memphis Dominates Jackson State 111-69
No. 13 Memphis Dominates Jackson State, 111-69
Chris Douglas-Roberts scores 21 points to lead six Memphis players in double figures.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Chris Douglas-Roberts scored 21 points to lead six Memphis players in double figures in the No. 13 Tigers' 111-69 rout over Jackson State on Thursday night.
Memphis (1-0) never trailed in the game, led by as many as 23 in the first half and continued to build the advantage after the break.
Jeremy Hunt scored 16 for Memphis, while Doneal Mack added 14, and Robert Dozier had 13 points before fouling out.
Trey Johnson, the preseason Southwestern Athletic Conference player of the year, scored 32 points to lead Jackson State (0-4). Julius Young added 11 and Grant Maxey had 10.
Memphis forced Jackson State into 21 turnovers and outrebounded them 56-40, including 26 on the offensive end.
Johnson scored 12 of his 16 first-half points in the first 11 minutes as Jackson State was able to stay close. But Memphis was able to extend its lead as Mack hit consecutive 3-pointers. The Tigers shot 49 percent in the first half and led 54-33 at the break.
Willie Kemp had a tough shooting night, going 2-for-13 from the field, including 1-for-7 from 3-point range. Memphis was 15-for-36 from behind the arc and 16-for-31 from the free throw line.
Jackson State was 28-for-33 from the foul line, but 1-for-10 from behind the arc.
Chris Douglas-Roberts scores 21 points to lead six Memphis players in double figures.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Chris Douglas-Roberts scored 21 points to lead six Memphis players in double figures in the No. 13 Tigers' 111-69 rout over Jackson State on Thursday night.
Memphis (1-0) never trailed in the game, led by as many as 23 in the first half and continued to build the advantage after the break.
Jeremy Hunt scored 16 for Memphis, while Doneal Mack added 14, and Robert Dozier had 13 points before fouling out.
Trey Johnson, the preseason Southwestern Athletic Conference player of the year, scored 32 points to lead Jackson State (0-4). Julius Young added 11 and Grant Maxey had 10.
Memphis forced Jackson State into 21 turnovers and outrebounded them 56-40, including 26 on the offensive end.
Johnson scored 12 of his 16 first-half points in the first 11 minutes as Jackson State was able to stay close. But Memphis was able to extend its lead as Mack hit consecutive 3-pointers. The Tigers shot 49 percent in the first half and led 54-33 at the break.
Willie Kemp had a tough shooting night, going 2-for-13 from the field, including 1-for-7 from 3-point range. Memphis was 15-for-36 from behind the arc and 16-for-31 from the free throw line.
Jackson State was 28-for-33 from the foul line, but 1-for-10 from behind the arc.
Memphis Announces 2007 Signing Class
Memphis Basketball Announces 2007 Signing Class
Morris twins, Robinson, Rose sign to play with the Tigers.
Memphis Head Coach John Calipari Comments:"We are announcing our complete signing class today that includes Jeff Robinson, Derrick Rose and Marcus and Markieff Morris. Now, we're done with signing players, and I can focus on this year's team.
We've had some good recruiting classes here, but you have to wait and see how it plays out (when they get to campus). All four kids are terrific young people and great players.
At this point, it's up in the air (whether the Morris twins will come to Memphis or go to prep school next year). If they want to go to prep school, I will tell them the pros and cons and support the decision they make. But that is down the road. We're happy they want to come here and we want them here. Their mom is the best, and when the family came on its visit, they all said they were comfortable here and felt at home in our city and on our campus. That made me feel good.
I believe Derrick is the best high school player in the country because he makes everyone he plays with better. Derrick has the size, athleticism and skill, but you add to that his competitiveness and attitude and `whoa.' I don't like to rate and compare players against each other, but if he's not the best, he's right there with the best."
Marcus Morris 6-7/215/ForwardPhiladelphia, Pa.Prep Charter
May attend prep school next year, along with his brother Markeiff ... A national top-100 recruit ... Rated the No. 47 player in the nation by Rivals.com (for the Class of 2008) ... Also rated the No. 18 power forward in the country by Rivals.com (for Class of 2008) ... Scout.com rated him the nation's No. 13 small forward ... Ranked the No. 71 player in the country by SI.com ... Averaged 15.0 points in 2005-06 for Prep Charter ... Named to the 2006 Associated Press Class AA second team ... Helped lead Prep Charter to a 28-5 record and the 2006 PIAA Class AA state crown ... The title is the first-ever state championship by a Philadelphia charter school in any sport ... Recorded 10 points, eight assists and four blocked shots in the state title win over Beaver Falls.
Markieff Morris 6-8/225/ForwardPhiladelphia, Pa.Prep Charter
May attend prep school next year, along with his brother Marcus ... A national top-100 recruit ... Ranked the No. 82 player in the country by SI.com ... Rated the No. 93 player in the nation by Rivals.com (for the Class of 2008) ... Also rated the No. 29 power forward in the country by Rivals.com (for Class of 2008) ... Helped lead Prep Charter to a 28-5 record and the 2006 PIAA Class AA state crown ... The title is the first-ever state championship by a Philadelphia charter school in any sport ... Recorded 10 points and nine rebounds in the state title win over Beaver Falls.
Jeff Robinson 6-5/205/ForwardElizabeth, N.J.St. Patrick HS
A national top-100 recruit ... Ranked the No. 65 player in the country by SI.com ... Rated the No. 94 player in the nation by Rivals.com ... Also rated the No. 24 small forward in the country by Rivals.com ... Scout.com ranked him the No. 15 small forward in the country ... Named to the 2006 Star-Ledger All-Union second team and the paper's All-Junior first team ... St. Patrick's was named the 2005-06 Star-Ledger Team of the Year ... St. Patrick's posted a 29-4 record in 2005-06 and finished the year ranked No. 1 in the Star-Ledger rankings ... Helped lead squad to third T of C title with a 61-54 win over Linden ... Rated the No. 7 player in the New York/New Jersey/Delaware area by metrohoops.com.
Derrick Rose 6-4/194/GuardChicago, Ill.Chicago Simeon HS
A consensus national top-10 recruit ... Rivals.com No. 3 player in the country ... Rivals.com No. 1 point guard ... As a junior in 2005-06, averaged 20 points, eight rebounds and eight assists ... Helped lead Simeon to the 2006 Illinois Class AA state title ... Rivals.com also rated him as the player with the most speed in the class of 2007 ... Scout.com rated him the country's No. 6 player and the nation's No. 2 point guard ... Ranked the nation's No. 5 player by SI.com.
Morris twins, Robinson, Rose sign to play with the Tigers.
Memphis Head Coach John Calipari Comments:"We are announcing our complete signing class today that includes Jeff Robinson, Derrick Rose and Marcus and Markieff Morris. Now, we're done with signing players, and I can focus on this year's team.
We've had some good recruiting classes here, but you have to wait and see how it plays out (when they get to campus). All four kids are terrific young people and great players.
At this point, it's up in the air (whether the Morris twins will come to Memphis or go to prep school next year). If they want to go to prep school, I will tell them the pros and cons and support the decision they make. But that is down the road. We're happy they want to come here and we want them here. Their mom is the best, and when the family came on its visit, they all said they were comfortable here and felt at home in our city and on our campus. That made me feel good.
I believe Derrick is the best high school player in the country because he makes everyone he plays with better. Derrick has the size, athleticism and skill, but you add to that his competitiveness and attitude and `whoa.' I don't like to rate and compare players against each other, but if he's not the best, he's right there with the best."
Marcus Morris 6-7/215/ForwardPhiladelphia, Pa.Prep Charter
May attend prep school next year, along with his brother Markeiff ... A national top-100 recruit ... Rated the No. 47 player in the nation by Rivals.com (for the Class of 2008) ... Also rated the No. 18 power forward in the country by Rivals.com (for Class of 2008) ... Scout.com rated him the nation's No. 13 small forward ... Ranked the No. 71 player in the country by SI.com ... Averaged 15.0 points in 2005-06 for Prep Charter ... Named to the 2006 Associated Press Class AA second team ... Helped lead Prep Charter to a 28-5 record and the 2006 PIAA Class AA state crown ... The title is the first-ever state championship by a Philadelphia charter school in any sport ... Recorded 10 points, eight assists and four blocked shots in the state title win over Beaver Falls.
Markieff Morris 6-8/225/ForwardPhiladelphia, Pa.Prep Charter
May attend prep school next year, along with his brother Marcus ... A national top-100 recruit ... Ranked the No. 82 player in the country by SI.com ... Rated the No. 93 player in the nation by Rivals.com (for the Class of 2008) ... Also rated the No. 29 power forward in the country by Rivals.com (for Class of 2008) ... Helped lead Prep Charter to a 28-5 record and the 2006 PIAA Class AA state crown ... The title is the first-ever state championship by a Philadelphia charter school in any sport ... Recorded 10 points and nine rebounds in the state title win over Beaver Falls.
Jeff Robinson 6-5/205/ForwardElizabeth, N.J.St. Patrick HS
A national top-100 recruit ... Ranked the No. 65 player in the country by SI.com ... Rated the No. 94 player in the nation by Rivals.com ... Also rated the No. 24 small forward in the country by Rivals.com ... Scout.com ranked him the No. 15 small forward in the country ... Named to the 2006 Star-Ledger All-Union second team and the paper's All-Junior first team ... St. Patrick's was named the 2005-06 Star-Ledger Team of the Year ... St. Patrick's posted a 29-4 record in 2005-06 and finished the year ranked No. 1 in the Star-Ledger rankings ... Helped lead squad to third T of C title with a 61-54 win over Linden ... Rated the No. 7 player in the New York/New Jersey/Delaware area by metrohoops.com.
Derrick Rose 6-4/194/GuardChicago, Ill.Chicago Simeon HS
A consensus national top-10 recruit ... Rivals.com No. 3 player in the country ... Rivals.com No. 1 point guard ... As a junior in 2005-06, averaged 20 points, eight rebounds and eight assists ... Helped lead Simeon to the 2006 Illinois Class AA state title ... Rivals.com also rated him as the player with the most speed in the class of 2007 ... Scout.com rated him the country's No. 6 player and the nation's No. 2 point guard ... Ranked the nation's No. 5 player by SI.com.
Ok Memphis Fans, Let's Not Start With the "Memphis Inferiority Complex" Again
Yes, Sports Illustrated screwed up.
Yes, it will be fun to poke fun at Luke Winn and staff all season long.
Let's just give them reason to regret their mistake.
Does Memphis not get the respect it deserves? Maybe. I seriously doubt leaving North Carolina or Kansas off of their field of 65 would have made it though the editor's staff, but leaving Memphis off the list did.
In some ways this is a function of the fan base. The Tiger Nation must demand to be recognized. It must grow and the fan base must be LOUD!!!!!!!!
I imagine if this had happened to Kansas, Luke Winn's computer would have shut down with email overload - so there is your goal Tiger fans.
Yes, it will be fun to poke fun at Luke Winn and staff all season long.
Let's just give them reason to regret their mistake.
Does Memphis not get the respect it deserves? Maybe. I seriously doubt leaving North Carolina or Kansas off of their field of 65 would have made it though the editor's staff, but leaving Memphis off the list did.
In some ways this is a function of the fan base. The Tiger Nation must demand to be recognized. It must grow and the fan base must be LOUD!!!!!!!!
I imagine if this had happened to Kansas, Luke Winn's computer would have shut down with email overload - so there is your goal Tiger fans.
Who Will Emerge as the Tigers Go-To Guy?
On deep, talented Tiger roster, go-to player must emerge
By Dan Wolken
November 16, 2006
Scan those preseason magazines for their list of the top 20 power forwards in the nation. Rest assured, University of Memphis sophomore Robert Dozier's name won't come up.
Go ahead and look for Joey Dorsey to be listed among the nation's elite centers or freshman Willie Kemp mentioned as one of the 25 best point guards. But it would be a waste of time.
Perhaps the most complimented player on this year's Tiger roster is sophomore guard Chris Douglas-Roberts. And that came by virtue of ESPN's Andy Katz, who listed him among the country's most underrated players. (If Douglas-Roberts was rated in the first place, he wouldn't have been on the list.)
And yet, as Memphis opens its season at FedExForum tonight against Jackson State, the Tigers are a consensus top-20 team, ranked No. 13 in the two major national polls.
But it's a bit of an anomaly that they enter the season ranked so highly without a player who is widely regarded as one of the country's best at his respective position.
So the question over the next four-plus months isn't whether Memphis has a signature star.
It's whether the Tigers will need one to meet the expectations that have been heaped on them locally and nationally.
"To be a good team, you have to have some guys that are considered stars," Douglas-Roberts said. "Whatever you want to call it, there has to be go-to guys on the team."
A number of times during the preseason, coach John Calipari has acknowledged that the defining issue for this team will be whether players who were in supporting roles last season can elevate their contributions and become stars.
Though it's been obvious in practice that Douglas-Roberts, Dozier and sophomore guard Antonio Anderson have separated themselves from the rest of the team in terms of star potential, the fact remains that none of them averaged 10 points per game last year.
Anderson, who Calipari has referred to in recent days as perhaps Memphis' best player, averaged 7.2 points and 3.4 rebounds as a freshman. He didn't get a sniff on Conference USA's preseason all-league team.
But there's been a feeling around the Finch Center that the lack of a marquee name could ultimately help the Tigers if they can define themselves as a team deep in very good players with different stars emerging depending on the opponent and the situation.
"We've got a lot of guys that are capable of going out and getting 20 on a given night," senior guard Jeremy Hunt said. "You never know where it's going to come from. If you've got one person on the team, the (opposition) is going to come in and focus on that one player.
"We've got a team full of guys that can score and can play. And it's hard to play a team like that. You never know who's going to get what that night. How are you going to hold everybody?"
It's a good question.
Last year, over Memphis' 37 games, six different players led Memphis in scoring, though Dorsey did it just once and Anderson twice.
This year, besides Memphis' starting five, it's easy to envision three or four reserves as potential leading scorers, including freshmen Pierre Niles and Doneal Mack.
"If there's numerous people that can score, it's a great thing," Douglas-Roberts said. "Teams that rely on one person -- if that person doesn't show up, they usually lose.
"So if I don't show up or if (Anderson) doesn't show up or (Dozier), we have Joey Dorsey, we have Pierre. So it's a great thing for us."
But who gets the ball at the end of the game when everything is on the line and making a clutch shot is the only option? Last year, it was Rodney Carney or Darius Washington, both of whom are now gone.
There's no obvious answer now.
"This is a totally different team, and that's fine," Calipari said. "I want them to take on their own personality."
Or perhaps it simply won't matter.
Perhaps Calipari's seventh Memphis team indeed is his deepest yet.
"We're all stars," Anderson said, "In Coach's eyes and in all of our eyes.
"We feel comfortable with everybody on the court. Everybody on this team is a superstar."
-- Dan Wolken: 529-2365
SI.com's Luke Winn's Mea Culpa - We Made a Mistake, We Left Memphis Off Our Field of 65
11/15/2006 12:03:00 AM
The Memphis Gaffe
Memphis fans: You're ticked. And I'm ticked too -- at myself. So I'm going to try to do the right thing and set the record straight: In the projected NCAA tournament field that appears in this week's SI preview issue, the Tigers were NOT intentionally left out of the Field of 65.
I, and everyone else in our college hoops gang, fully believe the Tigers are going to win the Conference USA. Handily win the C-USA. They were No. 13 in the Power Rankings I posted on the site in October, and were similarly ranked in the ballot I submitted this summer. (The rankings in the magazine are a collaborative effort, an internal poll of sorts -- they aren't solely my opinion.)
When I wrote the blurbs for the rest of the field, I mistakenly believed Memphis would be among the top 16 featured in our Scouting Reports ... and only put Houston, our No. 2 team from the C-USA, in the 17-65 section. I've spoken with our editors who read the piece and they too, confirmed that had the oversight been spotted, the Tigers would have been in the bracket. But this one is on me.
To recap: There is no SI conspiracy against Memphis. There was an honest mistake made (mine). And I'm sorry.
As an addendum, here are a few more specific replies to the hordes of irate e-mails that poured in tonight:
• No, I did not smoke crack and decide that Houston would win the C-USA.
• I'd appreciate it if you did not make good on your threat to use physical force if I ever set foot in FedEx Forum.
• I promise that hours and hours of work go into those tourney picks -- thorough research of each conference race, roster assessments, etc. -- and we do take them very seriously. And a mistake like this in SI is not acceptable. But I don't think being shot or banished from the college basketball world is a reasonable punishment.
The only bright side to this: You can brag to your less-informed friends that Memphis is your sleeper pick this year ... and when the Tigers make a Final Four run, claim to have known all along that, even though those "experts" at SI left them unranked, you knew Calipari and the boys had potential.
The Memphis Gaffe
Memphis fans: You're ticked. And I'm ticked too -- at myself. So I'm going to try to do the right thing and set the record straight: In the projected NCAA tournament field that appears in this week's SI preview issue, the Tigers were NOT intentionally left out of the Field of 65.
I, and everyone else in our college hoops gang, fully believe the Tigers are going to win the Conference USA. Handily win the C-USA. They were No. 13 in the Power Rankings I posted on the site in October, and were similarly ranked in the ballot I submitted this summer. (The rankings in the magazine are a collaborative effort, an internal poll of sorts -- they aren't solely my opinion.)
When I wrote the blurbs for the rest of the field, I mistakenly believed Memphis would be among the top 16 featured in our Scouting Reports ... and only put Houston, our No. 2 team from the C-USA, in the 17-65 section. I've spoken with our editors who read the piece and they too, confirmed that had the oversight been spotted, the Tigers would have been in the bracket. But this one is on me.
To recap: There is no SI conspiracy against Memphis. There was an honest mistake made (mine). And I'm sorry.
As an addendum, here are a few more specific replies to the hordes of irate e-mails that poured in tonight:
• No, I did not smoke crack and decide that Houston would win the C-USA.
• I'd appreciate it if you did not make good on your threat to use physical force if I ever set foot in FedEx Forum.
• I promise that hours and hours of work go into those tourney picks -- thorough research of each conference race, roster assessments, etc. -- and we do take them very seriously. And a mistake like this in SI is not acceptable. But I don't think being shot or banished from the college basketball world is a reasonable punishment.
The only bright side to this: You can brag to your less-informed friends that Memphis is your sleeper pick this year ... and when the Tigers make a Final Four run, claim to have known all along that, even though those "experts" at SI left them unranked, you knew Calipari and the boys had potential.
Illinois 76, Jackson State 55
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) -With just two regular starters eligible to play, Illinois had to reach deep on its bench and ask for big minutes from inexperienced players in a 76-55 win over visiting Jackson State on Wednesday night.
Warren Carter led the Illini (2-0) with a career-high 16 points. Carter also had 15 rebounds and two blocked shots, playing 37 minutes.
Illinois' top returner from 2005-06, Rich McBride , is suspended following a drunk driving arrest in September. Forward Brian Randle missed the game after aggravating a groin injury against Austin Peay on Monday, when guard Jamar Smith also suffered a high ankle sprain that will keep him benched for a month or more.
Jackson State's Trey Johnson led the Tigers (0-3), who controlled the game for the first 20 minutes. Johnson collected 27 points on 9-for-28 shooting, padding it by making seven of 10 free throws.
The Tigers jumped to a 10-0 lead before Carter, a 6-9 senior playing small forward thanks to Illinois' skinny lineup, sunk a jumper to put his team on the board. Jackson State answered by building an 18-4 lead just 5:34 into the game, and Illinois struggled to make up the difference.
With the Illini in bonus just seven minutes into the game, the home team made good use of its trips to the free-throw line, going 8-for-12 in the first half. But Illinois still needed the full 20 minutes to recover, slowly clawing back until Chester Frazier 's last-second layup brought the score to 34-34 going into halftime.
Frazier, who averaged 13.4 minutes per game last season, played the entire game, contributing a career-high 14 points for Illinois. The sophomore point guard continued to struggle with his free-throw shooting, but had nine assists and seven rebounds.
Illinois returned from halftime with renewed confidence and opened second-half scoring with a jumper from Calvin Brock . Jackson State's Jeremy Caldwell answered with a bucket two minutes later, but Illinois' next shot - a clean 3-pointer from Frazier - re-energized the crowd and put Illinois back in the lead.
While Jackson State stayed in the game, Illinois never again lost momentum, improving to 17-of-23 shooting in the second half.
Jackson State Working -- and Traveling -- Hard for the
Jackson State working -- and traveling -- hard for the money
Nov. 15, 2006
By Gary Parrish CBS SportsLine.com Senior Writer
Tell Gary your opinion!
Tevester Anderson received the message, returned the call, and when I told him what I wanted to write about, the Jackson State coach joked, "You must think we're some stupid SOBs."
Stupid is such a harsh word.
How about some foolish SOBs?
"OK," Anderson said with a laugh. "You can call us foolish SOBs."
Wonderful.
Here goes: Jackson State is some foolish SOBs.
Or crazy SOBs.
Or suicidal SOBs.
Either way, the JSU Tigers are some well-traveled SOBs, bouncing around the nation the past few days while opening the college basketball season with a schedule that is unmatched in difficulty, not to mention boxed lunches. It started last Thursday, when they bused from Jackson, Miss., to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to open Friday against the 10th-ranked Crimson Tide. Next morning, Jackson State bused to Atlanta, practiced for two days and played No. 23 Georgia Tech on Monday before Tuesday flying to Chicago, which is when I caught up with those foolish SOBs.
"We're in one of the longest layovers in history," said Marcus Jones, a freshman center from Houston. "We're going to be here in the airport like five hours."
To pass the time, the Tigers ate, slept and even held a study session right there in the terminal. Finally, they caught their connection to Champaign, Ill., where Jackson State was, on Wednesday night, to play Illinois, then shower, sleep for roughly two hours and catch a Thursday morning flight back to Chicago. There, it's another layover -- this one will be short, however -- followed by a connection to Memphis, where these presumably jet-lagged and worn-down Tigers will, on Thursday night, play John Calipari's 13th-ranked Tigers.
Memphis typically runs and presses to tire its opponent. In this instance, it will be completely unnecessary, if not plain cruel, considering JSU will be playing its fourth road game -- third against a ranked team -- in a matter of seven days.
"You should try coordinating all this travel sometime," joked JSU assistant Eric Strothers. "It's like we're an NBA team."
Yeah, except NBA teams don't have layovers, coach seats or study sessions. And they play back-to-backs because the NBA office requires it, not because of their own doing, which is a necessity for Jackson State, but not for RPI and strength-of-schedule purposes. Truth is, JSU is going through this nightmare for the same reason Florida Atlantic opened its football season with games at Clemson, Kansas State, Oklahoma State and South Carolina, for the same reason a single mother might work two jobs, for the same reason it appears O.J. Simpson is about to sorta-kinda admit he killed his ex-wife.
Money.
It's the root of all evil.
It's the cause of all scheduling woes.
"We're always going to have to play money games," Anderson acknowledged. "As long as we're at Jackson State, we're going to have to play a schedule like this."
According to Anderson, JSU is getting anywhere between $50,000 and 60,000 for each of these first four games, and because much of the travel was by bus, the net profit is significant. So though the Tigers took a 31-point beating at Alabama and 30-point loss at Georgia Tech, they were happy for the opportunity, and it's that opportunity -- that once-in-a-life-time/four-times-in-a-week opportunity -- that Anderson has turned into a motivator to help keep moral high despite the defeats and a road schedule that will, after Memphis, also take Jackson State to Rutgers (Nov. 21), Savannah State (Nov. 24), Southeast Louisiana (Nov. 28), UC Davis (Dec. 2) and Tulsa (Dec. 4) before the initial home game against Tougaloo (Dec. 18).
"I asked the players, 'Would you like to play a Georgia Tech? An Illinois? An Alabama? A Memphis? You want to play a good schedule. So let's go play them. Let's go compete against the big boys,'" Anderson said. "It can be a great experience for our guys, and as long as they don't get beat down -- and I don't think they will -- then it's only going to make us better. It's like they say, what doesn't kill you will make you stronger."
Which is true, of course.
But direct flights and first-class upgrades are also nice.
Even for a bunch of SOBs.
Nov. 15, 2006
By Gary Parrish CBS SportsLine.com Senior Writer
Tell Gary your opinion!
Tevester Anderson received the message, returned the call, and when I told him what I wanted to write about, the Jackson State coach joked, "You must think we're some stupid SOBs."
Stupid is such a harsh word.
How about some foolish SOBs?
"OK," Anderson said with a laugh. "You can call us foolish SOBs."
Wonderful.
Here goes: Jackson State is some foolish SOBs.
Or crazy SOBs.
Or suicidal SOBs.
Either way, the JSU Tigers are some well-traveled SOBs, bouncing around the nation the past few days while opening the college basketball season with a schedule that is unmatched in difficulty, not to mention boxed lunches. It started last Thursday, when they bused from Jackson, Miss., to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to open Friday against the 10th-ranked Crimson Tide. Next morning, Jackson State bused to Atlanta, practiced for two days and played No. 23 Georgia Tech on Monday before Tuesday flying to Chicago, which is when I caught up with those foolish SOBs.
"We're in one of the longest layovers in history," said Marcus Jones, a freshman center from Houston. "We're going to be here in the airport like five hours."
To pass the time, the Tigers ate, slept and even held a study session right there in the terminal. Finally, they caught their connection to Champaign, Ill., where Jackson State was, on Wednesday night, to play Illinois, then shower, sleep for roughly two hours and catch a Thursday morning flight back to Chicago. There, it's another layover -- this one will be short, however -- followed by a connection to Memphis, where these presumably jet-lagged and worn-down Tigers will, on Thursday night, play John Calipari's 13th-ranked Tigers.
Memphis typically runs and presses to tire its opponent. In this instance, it will be completely unnecessary, if not plain cruel, considering JSU will be playing its fourth road game -- third against a ranked team -- in a matter of seven days.
"You should try coordinating all this travel sometime," joked JSU assistant Eric Strothers. "It's like we're an NBA team."
Yeah, except NBA teams don't have layovers, coach seats or study sessions. And they play back-to-backs because the NBA office requires it, not because of their own doing, which is a necessity for Jackson State, but not for RPI and strength-of-schedule purposes. Truth is, JSU is going through this nightmare for the same reason Florida Atlantic opened its football season with games at Clemson, Kansas State, Oklahoma State and South Carolina, for the same reason a single mother might work two jobs, for the same reason it appears O.J. Simpson is about to sorta-kinda admit he killed his ex-wife.
Money.
It's the root of all evil.
It's the cause of all scheduling woes.
"We're always going to have to play money games," Anderson acknowledged. "As long as we're at Jackson State, we're going to have to play a schedule like this."
According to Anderson, JSU is getting anywhere between $50,000 and 60,000 for each of these first four games, and because much of the travel was by bus, the net profit is significant. So though the Tigers took a 31-point beating at Alabama and 30-point loss at Georgia Tech, they were happy for the opportunity, and it's that opportunity -- that once-in-a-life-time/four-times-in-a-week opportunity -- that Anderson has turned into a motivator to help keep moral high despite the defeats and a road schedule that will, after Memphis, also take Jackson State to Rutgers (Nov. 21), Savannah State (Nov. 24), Southeast Louisiana (Nov. 28), UC Davis (Dec. 2) and Tulsa (Dec. 4) before the initial home game against Tougaloo (Dec. 18).
"I asked the players, 'Would you like to play a Georgia Tech? An Illinois? An Alabama? A Memphis? You want to play a good schedule. So let's go play them. Let's go compete against the big boys,'" Anderson said. "It can be a great experience for our guys, and as long as they don't get beat down -- and I don't think they will -- then it's only going to make us better. It's like they say, what doesn't kill you will make you stronger."
Which is true, of course.
But direct flights and first-class upgrades are also nice.
Even for a bunch of SOBs.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Review of Cal's Interview on WHBQ 560 Radio Today
Cal was on with George Lapides and Jeff Caulkins on WHBQ 560 radio this morning. There were a couple of interesting comments made by the coach.
1) He stressed he wished the Tigers has already played a game. Many D1 programs have already played 2 or 3 games. The Tigers will only have 1 game under their belt when they start the Maui Classic on Monday.
2) Cal said that there is a greater separation between the "old" guys and the "new" guys this year. He noted that this year's new players are true freshman with the exception of Pierre Niles. Last year's crop of Freshman all had played a year of prep school ball except CDR. As such, I believe Cal thinks he will have play more minutes with Antonio, CDR, Dozier and Dorsey than he would like.
3) Cal praised Willie Kemp as a "great" all around kid, who is very coachable and always does what is asked of him. He also noted that Willie is probably shooting the ball better than everyone else on the team.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Jackson State Falls to Georgia Tech 100-70, Will Play at Illinois on Wednesday and Memphis on Thursday
Georgia Tech Jackets' trio overpowers Johnson & Co. (Jackson State)
The Associated Press
What: Jackson State at Illinois
When: Wednesday, 7 p.m.
ATLANTA — Jackson State's lone star was no match for Georgia Tech's "Fab Three" on Monday night.
The Yellow Jackets trio had another easy night in a 100-70 win over the Tigers. And they want to change their nickname.
"The Fab Three,"' Zach Peacock said, shaking his head, "isn't very original."
Peacock and fellow freshmen Thaddeus Young and Javaris Crittenton were among six players in double figures for the 23rd-ranked Yellow Jackets, who raced past Jackson State 100-70 at Alexander Memorial Coliseum.
Sophomore Lewis Clinch led Georgia Tech with 16 points.
Senior Trey Johnson was basically a one-man show for the Tigers (0-2), with 33 points, but he couldn't prevent his team from suffering its second blowout loss to start the season. The Tigers were coming off a 96-65 loss at No. 10 Alabama, starting a stretch of 10 straight road games to begin the season. JSU doesn't play at home until Dec. 18.
Georgia Tech, meanwhile, put all three of its star freshmen right in the lineup after going 11-17 last season. So far, so good.
The Yellow Jackets (2-0) have blown out two straight overmatched opponents, following up an 83-49 rout over Elon with another dominating performance. Young and Peacock each had 14 points, while Crittenton, the point guard, chipped in 12 points and 10 assists.
"Their athleticism showed up," JSU coach Tevester Anderson said. "They are very good athletes, they pound it inside a lot and they're just tough to spot up when they're pounding it inside."
The only tense moment for the Yellow Jackets came with about 7 1/2 minutes remaining. Crittenton went up for a dunk and was slammed to the court by Grant Maxey, who was called for an intentional foul.
Crittenton remained down for a few seconds, then hopped up to shoot two free throws.
"It was a little scary," he said. "I felt like a bus hit me."
Said Tech coach Paul Hewitt: "I'm not going to tell you what I was thinking. Let's just say I was glad he was OK."
The Associated Press
What: Jackson State at Illinois
When: Wednesday, 7 p.m.
ATLANTA — Jackson State's lone star was no match for Georgia Tech's "Fab Three" on Monday night.
The Yellow Jackets trio had another easy night in a 100-70 win over the Tigers. And they want to change their nickname.
"The Fab Three,"' Zach Peacock said, shaking his head, "isn't very original."
Peacock and fellow freshmen Thaddeus Young and Javaris Crittenton were among six players in double figures for the 23rd-ranked Yellow Jackets, who raced past Jackson State 100-70 at Alexander Memorial Coliseum.
Sophomore Lewis Clinch led Georgia Tech with 16 points.
Senior Trey Johnson was basically a one-man show for the Tigers (0-2), with 33 points, but he couldn't prevent his team from suffering its second blowout loss to start the season. The Tigers were coming off a 96-65 loss at No. 10 Alabama, starting a stretch of 10 straight road games to begin the season. JSU doesn't play at home until Dec. 18.
Georgia Tech, meanwhile, put all three of its star freshmen right in the lineup after going 11-17 last season. So far, so good.
The Yellow Jackets (2-0) have blown out two straight overmatched opponents, following up an 83-49 rout over Elon with another dominating performance. Young and Peacock each had 14 points, while Crittenton, the point guard, chipped in 12 points and 10 assists.
"Their athleticism showed up," JSU coach Tevester Anderson said. "They are very good athletes, they pound it inside a lot and they're just tough to spot up when they're pounding it inside."
The only tense moment for the Yellow Jackets came with about 7 1/2 minutes remaining. Crittenton went up for a dunk and was slammed to the court by Grant Maxey, who was called for an intentional foul.
Crittenton remained down for a few seconds, then hopped up to shoot two free throws.
"It was a little scary," he said. "I felt like a bus hit me."
Said Tech coach Paul Hewitt: "I'm not going to tell you what I was thinking. Let's just say I was glad he was OK."
Jackson (MS) Clarion Ledger Preview of the Jackson State Tigers
Jackson State Tigers put SWAC hopes on Johnson's shoulders
David Brandt, Jackson (MS) Clarion Ledger
It's the year of senior Trey Johnson, who will use his scoring prowess and all-around game to lead Jackson State in its quest for a Southwestern Athletic Conference title.
Johnson scored 23.5 points per game as a junior and is this season's SWAC preseason player of the year. But as a senior, Johnson said he's trying to become more than a scorer.
"It's my job to put points on the board - I realize that," Johnson said. "But I also want to be more of a playmaker and get my teammates involved. That's how I think we'll win games this season."
The 6-foot-5 shooting guard scored 36 points in Friday night's season opener against No. 11 Alabama. But the rest of the team scored just 29 points and the Tigers lost 96-65.
Johnson was 11-of-30 shooting from the field.
"This was not my best game," Johnson said in a statement released by the school. "It's not all about scoring. I could have done more."
Johnson should have plenty of scoring options around him, including senior Julius Young (9.1 points per game last season) and sophomore center Jeremy Caldwell (5.8).
JSU coach Tevester Anderson said the offense should run through Caldwell. At 6-foot-8, he's an active rebounder and the Tigers' best post-up option.
"Our goal is to get him as many touches as we can," Anderson said. "When we get him going that opens up the outside shooting for guys like Trey and Catraiva Givens."
The development of Givens will be of main concern this season. The 5-foot-8 point guard was handed the full-time starting job after Charlie White was kicked out of school last month because of weapons charges.
Givens averaged 3.8 points, but shot just 29.5 percent from the field while splitting time with White last season.
- David Brandt, Jackson (MS) Clarion Ledger
JACKSON STATE
05-06: 15-17 overall, 10-8 SWAC
Coach: Tevester Anderson, 41-49 in 4 seasons at JSU
Projected starting lineup ('05-06 statistics)
Player, Pos, Yr, Ht, Wt, PPG, RPG
Catraiva Givens, G, Jr., 5-8, 165, 3.8, 1.8
Trey Johnson, G, Sr., 6-5, 215, 23.5, 4.8
Julius Young, F, Sr., 6-6, 185, 9.1, 3.6
Edwin Jarrow, F, Jr., 6-6, 175, 0.8, 0.9
Jeremy Caldwell, C, So., 6-8, 200, 5.2, 4.5
Good Vibes
Jackson State has a true star in Trey Johnson, who will be good for around 25 points per night. The Tigers also bring back a decent amount of experience and height around him in Julius Young and Jeremy Caldwell. The bench is made up of mostly freshmen, but they give JSU plenty of athleticism, height and energy.
Bad Karma
Jackson State's point guard situation is still under development after Charlie White's dismissal from school. Catraiva Givens is quick and runs the offense well, but he'll have to play more than 30 minutes per night since the team doesn't have many backup options. Coach Tevester Anderson said Trey Johnson can run the point if needed.
The Muscle
The continuing progress of sophomore center Jeremy Caldwell is crucial to Jackson State's SWAC title hopes. Caldwell is a true low-post threat who should score more than 5.2 points per game like he did last season. An intriguing backup is junior Stanley Turner, a 6-foot-11 transfer from Meridian Community College. At nearly 300 pounds, Turner brings strength and a soft touch, but lacks speed.
The Spark
The freshman trio of Grant Maxey, Garrison Johnson and Kenny Russell gives Jackson State plenty of energy off the bench. Anderson is especially high on Maxey, who is 6-7 and one of the team's best leapers. Johnson, a 6-6 guard, brings height and ballhandling while Russell can play either guard position and could prove to be a valuable backup to Givens.
David Brandt, Jackson (MS) Clarion Ledger
It's the year of senior Trey Johnson, who will use his scoring prowess and all-around game to lead Jackson State in its quest for a Southwestern Athletic Conference title.
Johnson scored 23.5 points per game as a junior and is this season's SWAC preseason player of the year. But as a senior, Johnson said he's trying to become more than a scorer.
"It's my job to put points on the board - I realize that," Johnson said. "But I also want to be more of a playmaker and get my teammates involved. That's how I think we'll win games this season."
The 6-foot-5 shooting guard scored 36 points in Friday night's season opener against No. 11 Alabama. But the rest of the team scored just 29 points and the Tigers lost 96-65.
Johnson was 11-of-30 shooting from the field.
"This was not my best game," Johnson said in a statement released by the school. "It's not all about scoring. I could have done more."
Johnson should have plenty of scoring options around him, including senior Julius Young (9.1 points per game last season) and sophomore center Jeremy Caldwell (5.8).
JSU coach Tevester Anderson said the offense should run through Caldwell. At 6-foot-8, he's an active rebounder and the Tigers' best post-up option.
"Our goal is to get him as many touches as we can," Anderson said. "When we get him going that opens up the outside shooting for guys like Trey and Catraiva Givens."
The development of Givens will be of main concern this season. The 5-foot-8 point guard was handed the full-time starting job after Charlie White was kicked out of school last month because of weapons charges.
Givens averaged 3.8 points, but shot just 29.5 percent from the field while splitting time with White last season.
- David Brandt, Jackson (MS) Clarion Ledger
JACKSON STATE
05-06: 15-17 overall, 10-8 SWAC
Coach: Tevester Anderson, 41-49 in 4 seasons at JSU
Projected starting lineup ('05-06 statistics)
Player, Pos, Yr, Ht, Wt, PPG, RPG
Catraiva Givens, G, Jr., 5-8, 165, 3.8, 1.8
Trey Johnson, G, Sr., 6-5, 215, 23.5, 4.8
Julius Young, F, Sr., 6-6, 185, 9.1, 3.6
Edwin Jarrow, F, Jr., 6-6, 175, 0.8, 0.9
Jeremy Caldwell, C, So., 6-8, 200, 5.2, 4.5
Good Vibes
Jackson State has a true star in Trey Johnson, who will be good for around 25 points per night. The Tigers also bring back a decent amount of experience and height around him in Julius Young and Jeremy Caldwell. The bench is made up of mostly freshmen, but they give JSU plenty of athleticism, height and energy.
Bad Karma
Jackson State's point guard situation is still under development after Charlie White's dismissal from school. Catraiva Givens is quick and runs the offense well, but he'll have to play more than 30 minutes per night since the team doesn't have many backup options. Coach Tevester Anderson said Trey Johnson can run the point if needed.
The Muscle
The continuing progress of sophomore center Jeremy Caldwell is crucial to Jackson State's SWAC title hopes. Caldwell is a true low-post threat who should score more than 5.2 points per game like he did last season. An intriguing backup is junior Stanley Turner, a 6-foot-11 transfer from Meridian Community College. At nearly 300 pounds, Turner brings strength and a soft touch, but lacks speed.
The Spark
The freshman trio of Grant Maxey, Garrison Johnson and Kenny Russell gives Jackson State plenty of energy off the bench. Anderson is especially high on Maxey, who is 6-7 and one of the team's best leapers. Johnson, a 6-6 guard, brings height and ballhandling while Russell can play either guard position and could prove to be a valuable backup to Givens.
Game Week For Tiger Basketball
By Dan Wolken
It's been a month exactly since Memphis Madness. And though watching practice is great, I've got to admit: I'm ready to see some games.
I think the Tigers' coaching staff was feeling the same way this weekend, especially once the scores of Friday and Saturday's games started rolling in. John Calipari told me he kind of wished Memphis had been able to schedule a game for the weekend or Monday, but it didn't happen.
Instead, the Tigers got some good work in Saturday and Sunday, scrimmaging both days.
A few of my impressions from the last big tune-up before Jackson State on Thursday:
-- PG Willie Kemp is really coming along nicely. He's starting to figure out how to create scoring opportunities for himself, and he had a handful of drives that were simply jaw-dropping. He's also shooting extremely well, probably better than anyone on the team right now. We'll see if that carries over to FedExForum, where the entire team has shoot poorly from the outside in two exhibition games.
-- As I wrote about in today's paper, C Joey Dorsey is still struggling a little bit with that sprained toe. He's playing through it, but there's still some pain and swelling. I don't think the Tigers will need a big effort from him to beat Jackson State, but certainly they will need him at full speed for Maui. At this point, his ability to play three games in three days out there is a question mark.
-- Calipari said he was going to work on some things Tuesday and Wednesday that put Dorsey and Pierre Niles on the floor at the same time. That hasn't been possible yet since they haven't been healthy at the same time. Niles is making progress, but he's clearly a step behind everyone else in his conditioning, which is to be expected since he missed nearly three weeks following minor knee surgery.
-- The biggest thing for Niles is to get in the mindset of going all-out, all the time. As Calipari said yesterday, Niles would be great in a football game right now because he can make one play, then rest for 30 seconds and make another. In basketball, especially the way Memphis plays, you've got to keep going. And on about the third or fourth trip up the floor, something breaks down for him. But he's really, really trying, and Calipari has been encouraged by his attitude.
-- The staff was extremely excited for Tony Barbee, who got his first victory as a head coach Friday night when his UTEP team beat Penn. That's a huge win for Barbee. Penn is the favorite to win the Ivy League and will probably win 20-plus games, which makes it a very good RPI win for Conference USA.
Posted in Tiger Basketball by Dan Wolken
It's been a month exactly since Memphis Madness. And though watching practice is great, I've got to admit: I'm ready to see some games.
I think the Tigers' coaching staff was feeling the same way this weekend, especially once the scores of Friday and Saturday's games started rolling in. John Calipari told me he kind of wished Memphis had been able to schedule a game for the weekend or Monday, but it didn't happen.
Instead, the Tigers got some good work in Saturday and Sunday, scrimmaging both days.
A few of my impressions from the last big tune-up before Jackson State on Thursday:
-- PG Willie Kemp is really coming along nicely. He's starting to figure out how to create scoring opportunities for himself, and he had a handful of drives that were simply jaw-dropping. He's also shooting extremely well, probably better than anyone on the team right now. We'll see if that carries over to FedExForum, where the entire team has shoot poorly from the outside in two exhibition games.
-- As I wrote about in today's paper, C Joey Dorsey is still struggling a little bit with that sprained toe. He's playing through it, but there's still some pain and swelling. I don't think the Tigers will need a big effort from him to beat Jackson State, but certainly they will need him at full speed for Maui. At this point, his ability to play three games in three days out there is a question mark.
-- Calipari said he was going to work on some things Tuesday and Wednesday that put Dorsey and Pierre Niles on the floor at the same time. That hasn't been possible yet since they haven't been healthy at the same time. Niles is making progress, but he's clearly a step behind everyone else in his conditioning, which is to be expected since he missed nearly three weeks following minor knee surgery.
-- The biggest thing for Niles is to get in the mindset of going all-out, all the time. As Calipari said yesterday, Niles would be great in a football game right now because he can make one play, then rest for 30 seconds and make another. In basketball, especially the way Memphis plays, you've got to keep going. And on about the third or fourth trip up the floor, something breaks down for him. But he's really, really trying, and Calipari has been encouraged by his attitude.
-- The staff was extremely excited for Tony Barbee, who got his first victory as a head coach Friday night when his UTEP team beat Penn. That's a huge win for Barbee. Penn is the favorite to win the Ivy League and will probably win 20-plus games, which makes it a very good RPI win for Conference USA.
Posted in Tiger Basketball by Dan Wolken
Monday, November 13, 2006
Memphis #9 in Jeff Sagarin Ranking Through Sunday, Nov 12th
1 Duke = 92.75
2 Illinois = 91.95
3 North Carolina = 91.93
4 Florida = 90.55
5 Villanova = 89.95
6 Kansas = 89.85
7 Kentucky = 89.35
8 Ohio State = 89.32
9 Memphis = 89.01
10 Pittsburgh = 88.92
11 Syracuse = 88.38
12 Texas = 88.32
13 Washington St. = 88.14
14 LSU = 88.02
15 Louisville = 87.27
16 Boston College = 86.90
17 Maryland = 86.67
18 Oklahoma St. = 86.57
19 Clemson = 86.41
20 Oklahoma = 86.35
20
2 Illinois = 91.95
3 North Carolina = 91.93
4 Florida = 90.55
5 Villanova = 89.95
6 Kansas = 89.85
7 Kentucky = 89.35
8 Ohio State = 89.32
9 Memphis = 89.01
10 Pittsburgh = 88.92
11 Syracuse = 88.38
12 Texas = 88.32
13 Washington St. = 88.14
14 LSU = 88.02
15 Louisville = 87.27
16 Boston College = 86.90
17 Maryland = 86.67
18 Oklahoma St. = 86.57
19 Clemson = 86.41
20 Oklahoma = 86.35
20
Joey Dorsey's Toe Injury a Worry as Season Opens Thursday
A Big Question
Dorsey's toe injury has Tigers worried as team prepares for opener vs. Jackson State this week
By Dan Wolken
November 13, 2006
Joey Dorsey sat upright against the wall of the Finch Center training room after a scrimmage Sunday night, his legs stretched out and a bag of ice wrapped around his right foot.
It's become a familiar routine the past several days: Practice, pain, ice and the inevitable swelling in his big toe, followed by hope that he'll be better in the morning.
For now, it's the best the 6-9 University of Memphis center can do, trying to nurse along his sprained toe while preparing for the No. 14-ranked Tigers' season opener Thursday against Jackson State.
"I'm trying to play through it," Dorsey said. "I just need rest, and to keep icing it down. I'm getting a lot better."
Despite Memphis' depth, any limitation for Dorsey looms as a potentially serious situation. With sophomore Kareem Cooper suspended indefinitely for a violation of team rules and freshman backup Pierre Niles not yet ready to play starter's minutes because he's just coming back from knee surgery, Dorsey's health is of utmost importance for the Tigers.
He initially suffered the injury during a Nov. 3 practice, sat out the next day and has participated in about 60 percent -- that's coach John Calipari's estimate -- of Memphis' drills since then.
Dorsey has undergone two MRIs, which revealed nothing except a sprain. And though the natural instinct would be to rest Dorsey for a solid week and get him completely healthy, the Memphis training staff told Calipari that wasn't the case.
"It's a mild sprain, but it's in your toe and he feels it," Calipari said. "When I need him out there scrimmaging, he's out there. But he's stopping a lot because he's not practicing.
"At some point, you have to come back and there's going to be pain initially with it. When he starts to come back there's going to be pain and swelling and you just slowly bring him back through that, let him feel the pain. And he needed to take an anti-inflammatory, which he wasn't taking, so he's doing that for a couple weeks."
Saturday and Sunday, Dorsey spent the first portion of both practices on a stationary bike or a treadmill to keep the joint loose. Dorsey then jumped in for the scrimmage segments, wearing a custom-made orthodic in his shoe that adds cushion.
Though he played effectively and appeared to be moving well, the next step will be how his foot responds Tuesday when the Tigers return to practice after a day off.
Assuming Dorsey is able to play Thursday, he'll quickly face another big hurdle: Playing three games in three days at the EA Sports Maui Invitational, which begins a week from today.
"I'm worried because I don't know how my foot is going to react to the Jackson State game and then I'm not going to have much rest in Maui," Dorsey said. "I'll have to keep playing through it, and I'm going to play because I know my team needs me."
Nobody disputes that.
The Tigers played without Dorsey in their exhibition game last Monday against Christian Brothers. Early in the game, it was clear they missed his rebounding, his energy and his physical intimidation.
"When he's not there, we kind of miss that a little bit," junior forward Robert Dozier said. "We need him out there at all times. His presence is amazing for our team. For what his injury is, it seems like he's playing well."
-- Dan Wolken: 529-2365
FoxSports.com's Jeff Goodman Ranks Tigers #10
Top 25 preview: No. 10 Memphis
Second in C-USA? Mr. Goodman either still thinks Marquette is in C-USA or it is a typo. ed.
Jeff Goodman / FOXSports.com
Season outlook
There's no question that John Calipari's Memphis Tigers lost a ton from last year. Rodney Carney, his 17.2 points per game and senior leadership will be difficult to replace. So will Shawne Williams and his 13.2 points and 6.2 boards.
Darius Washington Jr., is also gone. But that's basically addition by subtraction.
Memphis still returns a trio of core players who started plenty of games a year ago. Junior Joey Dorsey is a 6-foot-9, 260-pound man-child who is an imposing force in the paint and on the glass.
Sophomore Chris Douglas-Roberts and Antonio Anderson are fairly similar in their games and their production a year ago. CDR averaged 8.3 points and 3.3 boards while Anderson, also about 6-foot-6 and 185 pounds, put up 7.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists.
"We've got a good group and we have a chance, but we're going to have to do it different than we did it last year," Calipari said. "Rodney could dominate a game athletically and both Shawne and Darius could dominate the game physically. We don't have anyone that can overwhelm you that way."
Both Douglas-Roberts and Anderson are versatile, tough wings who handle the ball well for their size — but don't shoot the ball exceptionally well from long distance.
That'll be one critical key for Calipari. To find someone who can light it up from 3-point land. Anderson's shot has improved and freshman shooting guard Doneal Mack, a late signee after he wasn't academically admitted into Florida, could fill that void.
The point guard situation will be much better than a year ago when Washington had more turnovers than assists. Stocky sophomore Andre Allen (5-10, 200) will battle freshman Willie Kemp (6-2, 170) and both will give the team more stability than when the ball was in Washington's hands.
"We had more turnovers than assists last year," Calipari said. "We've got to take better care of the ball."
Another player who could score points from the perimeter is 6-foot-9 skilled sophomore forward Robert Dozier, who has all the ability to replace Williams — but needs to become more assertive on the offensive end.
Jeremy Hunt, a 6-foot-5 senior who has endured numerous injuries and was kicked off the team a year ago for an off-the-court incident, is back and should get plenty of playing time.
Two freshman big men will be counted upon to contribute immediately. Pierre Niles, who has started to get his body in better shape, is recovering from minor knee surgery and may take some time to get into the rotation while 6-foot-10, 275-pound Hashim Bailey will give Calipari another big body to use off the bench.
"I think Pierre Niles could be the "X" Factor for us because he brings something unique," Calipari said. "He's huge and he can make nine straight free throws. He's got great hands and feet."
Breaking it down
Memphis 2006-07
Roster Schedule 2005-06 stats
Get inside Notes Roster report
Coach: John Calipari 148-59 (6 years), 341-130 (14 years)
Last Season: 33-4, 13-1 (Conference USA)
Postseason: Lost to UCLA, 50-45, in the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament
Why they'll make the Final Four: If a go-to guy develops and Calipari finds a reliable outside shooter.
Why they're getting bounced in the first round: Not enough perimeter scoring.
You don't know him ... yet: Robert Dozier —The 6-foot-9 sophomore was a role player a year ago, but he's as talented as Rodney Carney or Shawne Williams — two guys who were mid first-round picks.
Why you'll want to pay attention before March: Calipari continues to implement Vance Walberg's wide-open system in which the floor is spread and he can take advantage of guards and wings.
Games that will determine their season: Dec. 6 at Tennessee; Dec. 20 at Arizona; Feb. 17 at Gonzaga
Prediction: Second in CUSA; Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament
Second in C-USA? Mr. Goodman either still thinks Marquette is in C-USA or it is a typo. ed.
Jeff Goodman / FOXSports.com
Season outlook
There's no question that John Calipari's Memphis Tigers lost a ton from last year. Rodney Carney, his 17.2 points per game and senior leadership will be difficult to replace. So will Shawne Williams and his 13.2 points and 6.2 boards.
Darius Washington Jr., is also gone. But that's basically addition by subtraction.
Memphis still returns a trio of core players who started plenty of games a year ago. Junior Joey Dorsey is a 6-foot-9, 260-pound man-child who is an imposing force in the paint and on the glass.
Sophomore Chris Douglas-Roberts and Antonio Anderson are fairly similar in their games and their production a year ago. CDR averaged 8.3 points and 3.3 boards while Anderson, also about 6-foot-6 and 185 pounds, put up 7.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists.
"We've got a good group and we have a chance, but we're going to have to do it different than we did it last year," Calipari said. "Rodney could dominate a game athletically and both Shawne and Darius could dominate the game physically. We don't have anyone that can overwhelm you that way."
Both Douglas-Roberts and Anderson are versatile, tough wings who handle the ball well for their size — but don't shoot the ball exceptionally well from long distance.
That'll be one critical key for Calipari. To find someone who can light it up from 3-point land. Anderson's shot has improved and freshman shooting guard Doneal Mack, a late signee after he wasn't academically admitted into Florida, could fill that void.
The point guard situation will be much better than a year ago when Washington had more turnovers than assists. Stocky sophomore Andre Allen (5-10, 200) will battle freshman Willie Kemp (6-2, 170) and both will give the team more stability than when the ball was in Washington's hands.
"We had more turnovers than assists last year," Calipari said. "We've got to take better care of the ball."
Another player who could score points from the perimeter is 6-foot-9 skilled sophomore forward Robert Dozier, who has all the ability to replace Williams — but needs to become more assertive on the offensive end.
Jeremy Hunt, a 6-foot-5 senior who has endured numerous injuries and was kicked off the team a year ago for an off-the-court incident, is back and should get plenty of playing time.
Two freshman big men will be counted upon to contribute immediately. Pierre Niles, who has started to get his body in better shape, is recovering from minor knee surgery and may take some time to get into the rotation while 6-foot-10, 275-pound Hashim Bailey will give Calipari another big body to use off the bench.
"I think Pierre Niles could be the "X" Factor for us because he brings something unique," Calipari said. "He's huge and he can make nine straight free throws. He's got great hands and feet."
Breaking it down
Memphis 2006-07
Roster Schedule 2005-06 stats
Get inside Notes Roster report
Coach: John Calipari 148-59 (6 years), 341-130 (14 years)
Last Season: 33-4, 13-1 (Conference USA)
Postseason: Lost to UCLA, 50-45, in the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament
Why they'll make the Final Four: If a go-to guy develops and Calipari finds a reliable outside shooter.
Why they're getting bounced in the first round: Not enough perimeter scoring.
You don't know him ... yet: Robert Dozier —The 6-foot-9 sophomore was a role player a year ago, but he's as talented as Rodney Carney or Shawne Williams — two guys who were mid first-round picks.
Why you'll want to pay attention before March: Calipari continues to implement Vance Walberg's wide-open system in which the floor is spread and he can take advantage of guards and wings.
Games that will determine their season: Dec. 6 at Tennessee; Dec. 20 at Arizona; Feb. 17 at Gonzaga
Prediction: Second in CUSA; Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament
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