C-USA good for just one bid?
By Jim Masilak
January 10, 2007
There is good news and there is bad news for Conference USA men's basketball at the midway point of this second post-schism season.
The good news?
The league's Ratings Percentage Index ranking, according to Ken Pomeroy's figures at kenpom.com, is two places higher than it was a year ago.
C-USA, which was rated 11th as of Tuesday, has surpassed the Atlantic 10 Conference and the Colonial Athletic Association in terms of overall league RPI.
The bad news?
Despite that apparent improvement, it's doubtful whether C-USA will send more than one team to this year's NCAA Tournament, something it's done every year since its 1995 inception.
While eight of the league's 12 teams boast winning records as non-conference play gives way to the league portion of the schedule, only one of them -- No. 20-ranked University of Memphis -- can be considered an NCAA lock.
UAB, which joined the Tigers in the tournament a year ago, is 8-7 and has lost four of its last six games.
Houston, which thought it should have joined the Tigers in last year's NCAAs, is a disappointing 5-7 and has lost point guard Lanny Smith for the season to a toe injury.
Central Florida, SMU, Southern Miss and Tulsa have won 10 or more games, but they did so against non-league schedules ranking between 203rd and 330th in the country.
"You certainly don't want to get labeled a one-bid league," CSTV analyst and former Virginia coach Pete Gillen said. "But this year it could be a one-bid league."
Gillen, however, thinks such an occurrence would prove in the long term to be an aberration.
"It's easy to take shots at the league right now," he said. "When you lose the teams they lost to the Big East, sure, that hurt. They're still feeling the reverberations of that now. But it will come back strong.
"The league has taken a tiny step back, but I think next year, its third year, it's gonna be really good. In the fourth year, it's gonna be one of the top seven leagues in the country."
Memphis coach John Calipari, who at times has bemoaned the reconfigured league's negative effect on the Tigers' RPI ranking, says he is convinced it is on the right track.
Calipari points to high-profile coaching hirings at SMU (Matt Doherty) and UAB (Mike Davis) and new, multimillion-dollar facilities at Central Florida, Southern Miss, SMU and UTEP as evidence of a commitment to leaguewide improvement.
Calipari also says C-USA will eventually be as much of a NCAA Tournament factor as it was before Charlotte, Cincinnati, DePaul, Louisville, Marquette, St. Louis, South Florida and TCU left for supposedly greener pastures.
"This is a multiple-bid league," Calipari said. "... You watch. Within the next two to three years ... we'll be a three- or four-bid league ... which is what we were before the breakup."
Southern Miss coach Larry Eustachy, whose Golden Eagles are off to a 10-3 start after winning just 10 games in 2005-06, senses that even if there are few standout clubs at the moment, C-USA is improving as a whole.
"I've been in leagues with some Hall of Fame coaches, and I think it's as well-coached a league as I've been in," Eustachy said. "It's terrific overall, and I think it's gonna continue to be on the rise from top to bottom."
But with six of the league's coaches in just their first or second seasons, Marshall coach Ron Jirsa said such general improvement is bound to take some time.
"It is year two for the format, but we've had a lot of coaching changes," Jirsa said. "There are some very good coaches coming into the league. Their teams have adjusted quickly and I think these other (teams) will as well."
One of those adjustments, first-year UTEP coach and former Memphis assistant Tony Barbee said, has been in scheduling.
"You talk about league RPIs and where your league falls, and the biggest part of that is winning games outside of your league and being creative in your scheduling," Barbee said. "Coaches this year were creative in scheduling, which helped us build non-conference resumes with a lot of wins."
The only problem is that few of those victories came against quality opponents.
Calipari cited his own team's lackluster play in losses to Georgia Tech, Tennessee and Arizona as being part of the league's collective problem.
"We haven't exactly lit it up either," Calipari said, "so I think we're all kind of looking at it and saying, 'OK, let's get this thing rolling.'"
-- Jim Masilak: 529-2311
--------------------
Next for No. 20 Tigers
Opponent: Houston
When, where: Thursday, 8 p.m., at Houston
TV: ESPN
Conference RPI rankings
According to collegerpi.com
1. Pac-10
2. Missouri Valley
3. ACC
4. SEC
5. Big Ten
6. Big 12
7. Big East
8. Mountain West
9. WAC
10. West Coast
11. Conference USA
12. Atlantic 10
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Bryan Leonard: NCAA Hoops: Match-up Madness!
Bryan Leonard: NCAA Hoops: Match-up Madness!
Posted on January 8, 2007
College basketball picks is largely about match-ups. My concerns when analyzing games and the point spread are: Can this team defend the three-pointer? Is emotion a part of a match-up? Does the home team have a dominant inside game that the opponent won’t be able to contain? Is one team soft on defense?
Analyzing questions like this can identify excellent wagering opportunities. I used several match-up angles in two recent college hoops games. When New Mexico played at TCU it occurred to me that perhaps the Lobos wouldn’t be as focused for the game because they had just played an emotional contest, taking Bobby Knight and Texas Tech to the wire on national television just two days prior.
New Mexico is also not the kind of team to back as road favorites. They are 0-4 straight up on the road this year and 2-13 in that role the past two seasons. In three previous road games they had been outshot from the free throw line 83 to 57! In fact, they didn’t make a single shot from the charity stripe against the Red Raiders.
New Mexico lives and dies by the 3-pointer, hitting 36% on the season with no balance. And what does TCU do well? Defend the three-pointer! TCU allows just 29.7% from three-point land at home and are a much better rebounding team than the Lobos. TCU ended up winning the game as a home dog.
Depth is another important match-up angle. A team that runs the court well all game facing a team with little depth can be a big mismatch. Memphis plays a wide-open, street ball style under John Calipari. Disciplined defensive teams can give them some trouble, forcing turnovers for instance, but many teams can struggle because Memphis runs the court all game long.
Cincinnati just played at Memphis and the shorthanded Bearcats are a team that doesn’t have a lot of depth. Memphis makes an opponent expend a great deal of energy running the court, and Cincy is a team lacking depth and not in great shape athletically.
Making matters worst, Cincinnati played its first true road game of the season on an opponent’s home court at Memphis. I expected Memphis to pressure the ball and be too much for the Bearcats. As the Tigers jumped out to an 11-0 lead within the first three minutes, the Bearcats looked stunned and helpless.
The Tigers won by 33 as 15-point home favorites. Memphis outshot UC 59 percent to 37 and outrebounded the Bearcats 42-23. “When we’re outmanned like that and the other team shoots the 3 that way and we’re outmanned in the post, there’s really nothing we can do,” Bearcat coach Mike Cronin said afterward. I could have told him that before the game, as I did my clients! It’s the job of successful handicappers to identify those mismatch match-ups before each game.
Posted on January 8, 2007
College basketball picks is largely about match-ups. My concerns when analyzing games and the point spread are: Can this team defend the three-pointer? Is emotion a part of a match-up? Does the home team have a dominant inside game that the opponent won’t be able to contain? Is one team soft on defense?
Analyzing questions like this can identify excellent wagering opportunities. I used several match-up angles in two recent college hoops games. When New Mexico played at TCU it occurred to me that perhaps the Lobos wouldn’t be as focused for the game because they had just played an emotional contest, taking Bobby Knight and Texas Tech to the wire on national television just two days prior.
New Mexico is also not the kind of team to back as road favorites. They are 0-4 straight up on the road this year and 2-13 in that role the past two seasons. In three previous road games they had been outshot from the free throw line 83 to 57! In fact, they didn’t make a single shot from the charity stripe against the Red Raiders.
New Mexico lives and dies by the 3-pointer, hitting 36% on the season with no balance. And what does TCU do well? Defend the three-pointer! TCU allows just 29.7% from three-point land at home and are a much better rebounding team than the Lobos. TCU ended up winning the game as a home dog.
Depth is another important match-up angle. A team that runs the court well all game facing a team with little depth can be a big mismatch. Memphis plays a wide-open, street ball style under John Calipari. Disciplined defensive teams can give them some trouble, forcing turnovers for instance, but many teams can struggle because Memphis runs the court all game long.
Cincinnati just played at Memphis and the shorthanded Bearcats are a team that doesn’t have a lot of depth. Memphis makes an opponent expend a great deal of energy running the court, and Cincy is a team lacking depth and not in great shape athletically.
Making matters worst, Cincinnati played its first true road game of the season on an opponent’s home court at Memphis. I expected Memphis to pressure the ball and be too much for the Bearcats. As the Tigers jumped out to an 11-0 lead within the first three minutes, the Bearcats looked stunned and helpless.
The Tigers won by 33 as 15-point home favorites. Memphis outshot UC 59 percent to 37 and outrebounded the Bearcats 42-23. “When we’re outmanned like that and the other team shoots the 3 that way and we’re outmanned in the post, there’s really nothing we can do,” Bearcat coach Mike Cronin said afterward. I could have told him that before the game, as I did my clients! It’s the job of successful handicappers to identify those mismatch match-ups before each game.
C-USA Preview Charleston (WV) Gazette
Doug Smock
Will C-USA’s hoops hierarchy remain intact?
The split in Conference USA basketball was painfully clear last season, the league’s first in its 12-school, all-sports format.
There was Memphis, Alabama-Birmingham, Texas-El Paso and Houston. Then there was everybody else.
The demarcation was so great, the league so top-heavy, that 7-7 merited a fifth-place finish and a clear-cut “championship” of the “Little Eight.” Congratulations to the University of Central Florida.
Accordingly, the entire “Little Eight” was drop-kicked out of the Conference USA tournament on day two. It was one of the least suspenseful league tourneys, with the seedings holding to form in nine of 11 games.
It was so bad, the “Big Four” went a combined 23-1 at home in conference games. Those teams lost exactly two games to the other eight, home or away.
Is it more of the same this time around? With conference play firing up this week, here’s a one-man January poll.
1. Memphis (11-3 overall, 1-0 C-USA): Rodney Carney is gone. Shawne Williams is gone. The Tigers’ ranking is top-25 instead of top-five. So what? The Tigers are still the playground bullies and their fans are still the league boss. The conference tournament is back at the FedEx Forum on Beale Street, with few complaints.
Coach John Calipari still has players, and still brings them in waves. You may remember Chris Douglas-Roberts and Robert Dozier from the Tigers’ sold-out visit to Marshall, but several newcomers have made a splash and Jeremy Hunt returned after a season’s absence.
2. UAB (8-7, 0-1): After the Blazers were thumped 76-63 Saturday night at UTEP, this becomes a shaky pick. Missing Carldell “Squeaky” Johnson, they have suffered some stinkers, the worst being 53-44 and 56-42 losses at Virginia Commonwealth and Old Dominion, respectively. No truth to the rumor that they bused to Appomattox and surrendered.
Ex-Indiana coach Mike Davis will be a well-scrutinized hire. With Paul Delaney III running the point, Wen Mukubu raining 3-pointers and 6-foot-10 Jeremy Mayfield emerging underneath, the Blazers should survive. Beware: Davis has transfers from Mississippi State, Georgia and Indiana stashed away for 2007-08.
3. UTEP (9-6, 1-0): With big man John Tofi gone and Calipari protégé Tony Barbee beginning his head coaching career, the Miners are running more — and they all but ran UAB out of El Paso Saturday night. When Marshall comes to town Wednesday night, I guarantee there will be no repeat of the 53-51 chess match last year in Huntington.
Stefon Jackson (19.8 average) has taken on the scoring duties, and has plenty of help from Saint Louis transfer Darren Clarke and energetic freshman Malik Allen. But home losses to Chicago State and Jackson State, plus a two-game sweep by New Mexico State, indicate that the Miners will lose games they shouldn’t.
4. SMU (10-3): Let the guessing game begin. If you think Houston is going to slip, somebody has to rise. With the Mustangs pulling off the best coaching hire in the league, this is a decent candidate. Matt Doherty spent a year figuring out where he failed at North Carolina, dipped his feet back in the water at Florida Atlantic and has perked up the troops in Dallas.
There isn’t a surefire scorer, but Jon Killen is coming on at point guard and the inside duo of Donatus Rackauskas and Bamba Fall should be daunting. On the other hand, Kansas State transfer Dez Willingham has been a disappointment and the non-league schedule was a bit fluffy.
5. Houston (5-7): The Cougars have had a bumpy ride against a decent schedule, and point guard Lanny Smith will miss the rest of the season after figuring out he hasn’t recovered from surgery on his big toe. But they still have good scorers in Robert McKiver, Oliver Lafayette and Dion Dowell, a 6-7 transfer from Texas.
We’ll get a better read on this team this week, as it plays host to Memphis and SMU.
6. UCF (11-3): The Golden Knights fattened up on cupcakes in November but took a few lumps in a creative schedule afterward. With Jermaine Taylor, Josh Peppers and Mike O’Donnell back, this team is the hottest-shooting from 3-point range at 43.4 percent. A hard early test awaits — if the Knights are 3-4 by the end of the month, they’ll be a factor.
7. Marshall (5-9): It’s like watching the Chicago Cubs, only in green shorts. These guys show glimmers of promise, then blow 20-point leads instantly. But hey, the Herd can erase deficits, too.
So, I’ll play the semi-optimistic homer. In exchange, I want progress — no worse than 7-9 in the league and a first-round victory in the C-USA tournament. A third win in a row over West Virginia wouldn’t hurt.
I figured this team would take some knocks, but it shouldn’t be 5-9. Surely, Darryl Merthie shot better at some point in his life. And Robbie Jackson could be dangerous some day — at times, he plays like a 7-foot center on defense but a 6-foot center on offense. And Travis Aikens ... oh, just hits the boards when he shoots the 3-pointer.
8. Tulsa (10-3): This is the shakiest pick. Coach Doug Wojcik’s team has been pretty good, except perhaps for a 65-63 loss at North Texas. But with freshmen Ben Uzoh, Mark Hill and Jamel McLean in key roles, this team could be a year away from a good C-USA run.
9. Southern Miss (10-3): I would have nominated this team for Fraud of the Year, but the Golden Eagles lost Saturday 54-52 at Savannah State. Yes, the Eagles played home-and-home with the Tigers, which gives you an idea what kind of schedule Larry Eustachy cooked up. Ten of the first 12 were in Hattiesburg, which translates into visits by Belhaven, Spring Hill and Reinhardt.
With Courtney Beasley back and a good freshman scorer in Jeremy Wise, the Eagles won’t be an easy out, however.
10. Rice (6-7): The Owls have the nation’s leading scorer in Morris Almond, but part of the reason he’s pouring in 30 per game is because he has to. He has no supporting cast.
To illustrate that, consider the Owls’ visit Saturday to Princeton. The Tigers held Almond to eight points, which resulted in a 51-28 smothering.
11. Tulane (7-5): As Memphis bolted out to a 41-12 lead in the second round of last year’s C-USA tournament, this much was clear: Marshall should never have lost twice to the Green Wave. David Gomez is a good enough player, but without Quincy Davis, this team is cellar-dwelling material.
12. East Carolina (4-8): The only thing worse than scheduling Morgan State home-and-home is splitting those games. Perhaps Ricky Stokes and top assistant Mack McCarthy can do something with this program, but I don’t see it this year.
The Pirates might go 4-4 at home, but will equal its number of conference road wins last season — none.
To contact staff writer Doug Smock, use e-mail or call 348-5130.
Will C-USA’s hoops hierarchy remain intact?
The split in Conference USA basketball was painfully clear last season, the league’s first in its 12-school, all-sports format.
There was Memphis, Alabama-Birmingham, Texas-El Paso and Houston. Then there was everybody else.
The demarcation was so great, the league so top-heavy, that 7-7 merited a fifth-place finish and a clear-cut “championship” of the “Little Eight.” Congratulations to the University of Central Florida.
Accordingly, the entire “Little Eight” was drop-kicked out of the Conference USA tournament on day two. It was one of the least suspenseful league tourneys, with the seedings holding to form in nine of 11 games.
It was so bad, the “Big Four” went a combined 23-1 at home in conference games. Those teams lost exactly two games to the other eight, home or away.
Is it more of the same this time around? With conference play firing up this week, here’s a one-man January poll.
1. Memphis (11-3 overall, 1-0 C-USA): Rodney Carney is gone. Shawne Williams is gone. The Tigers’ ranking is top-25 instead of top-five. So what? The Tigers are still the playground bullies and their fans are still the league boss. The conference tournament is back at the FedEx Forum on Beale Street, with few complaints.
Coach John Calipari still has players, and still brings them in waves. You may remember Chris Douglas-Roberts and Robert Dozier from the Tigers’ sold-out visit to Marshall, but several newcomers have made a splash and Jeremy Hunt returned after a season’s absence.
2. UAB (8-7, 0-1): After the Blazers were thumped 76-63 Saturday night at UTEP, this becomes a shaky pick. Missing Carldell “Squeaky” Johnson, they have suffered some stinkers, the worst being 53-44 and 56-42 losses at Virginia Commonwealth and Old Dominion, respectively. No truth to the rumor that they bused to Appomattox and surrendered.
Ex-Indiana coach Mike Davis will be a well-scrutinized hire. With Paul Delaney III running the point, Wen Mukubu raining 3-pointers and 6-foot-10 Jeremy Mayfield emerging underneath, the Blazers should survive. Beware: Davis has transfers from Mississippi State, Georgia and Indiana stashed away for 2007-08.
3. UTEP (9-6, 1-0): With big man John Tofi gone and Calipari protégé Tony Barbee beginning his head coaching career, the Miners are running more — and they all but ran UAB out of El Paso Saturday night. When Marshall comes to town Wednesday night, I guarantee there will be no repeat of the 53-51 chess match last year in Huntington.
Stefon Jackson (19.8 average) has taken on the scoring duties, and has plenty of help from Saint Louis transfer Darren Clarke and energetic freshman Malik Allen. But home losses to Chicago State and Jackson State, plus a two-game sweep by New Mexico State, indicate that the Miners will lose games they shouldn’t.
4. SMU (10-3): Let the guessing game begin. If you think Houston is going to slip, somebody has to rise. With the Mustangs pulling off the best coaching hire in the league, this is a decent candidate. Matt Doherty spent a year figuring out where he failed at North Carolina, dipped his feet back in the water at Florida Atlantic and has perked up the troops in Dallas.
There isn’t a surefire scorer, but Jon Killen is coming on at point guard and the inside duo of Donatus Rackauskas and Bamba Fall should be daunting. On the other hand, Kansas State transfer Dez Willingham has been a disappointment and the non-league schedule was a bit fluffy.
5. Houston (5-7): The Cougars have had a bumpy ride against a decent schedule, and point guard Lanny Smith will miss the rest of the season after figuring out he hasn’t recovered from surgery on his big toe. But they still have good scorers in Robert McKiver, Oliver Lafayette and Dion Dowell, a 6-7 transfer from Texas.
We’ll get a better read on this team this week, as it plays host to Memphis and SMU.
6. UCF (11-3): The Golden Knights fattened up on cupcakes in November but took a few lumps in a creative schedule afterward. With Jermaine Taylor, Josh Peppers and Mike O’Donnell back, this team is the hottest-shooting from 3-point range at 43.4 percent. A hard early test awaits — if the Knights are 3-4 by the end of the month, they’ll be a factor.
7. Marshall (5-9): It’s like watching the Chicago Cubs, only in green shorts. These guys show glimmers of promise, then blow 20-point leads instantly. But hey, the Herd can erase deficits, too.
So, I’ll play the semi-optimistic homer. In exchange, I want progress — no worse than 7-9 in the league and a first-round victory in the C-USA tournament. A third win in a row over West Virginia wouldn’t hurt.
I figured this team would take some knocks, but it shouldn’t be 5-9. Surely, Darryl Merthie shot better at some point in his life. And Robbie Jackson could be dangerous some day — at times, he plays like a 7-foot center on defense but a 6-foot center on offense. And Travis Aikens ... oh, just hits the boards when he shoots the 3-pointer.
8. Tulsa (10-3): This is the shakiest pick. Coach Doug Wojcik’s team has been pretty good, except perhaps for a 65-63 loss at North Texas. But with freshmen Ben Uzoh, Mark Hill and Jamel McLean in key roles, this team could be a year away from a good C-USA run.
9. Southern Miss (10-3): I would have nominated this team for Fraud of the Year, but the Golden Eagles lost Saturday 54-52 at Savannah State. Yes, the Eagles played home-and-home with the Tigers, which gives you an idea what kind of schedule Larry Eustachy cooked up. Ten of the first 12 were in Hattiesburg, which translates into visits by Belhaven, Spring Hill and Reinhardt.
With Courtney Beasley back and a good freshman scorer in Jeremy Wise, the Eagles won’t be an easy out, however.
10. Rice (6-7): The Owls have the nation’s leading scorer in Morris Almond, but part of the reason he’s pouring in 30 per game is because he has to. He has no supporting cast.
To illustrate that, consider the Owls’ visit Saturday to Princeton. The Tigers held Almond to eight points, which resulted in a 51-28 smothering.
11. Tulane (7-5): As Memphis bolted out to a 41-12 lead in the second round of last year’s C-USA tournament, this much was clear: Marshall should never have lost twice to the Green Wave. David Gomez is a good enough player, but without Quincy Davis, this team is cellar-dwelling material.
12. East Carolina (4-8): The only thing worse than scheduling Morgan State home-and-home is splitting those games. Perhaps Ricky Stokes and top assistant Mack McCarthy can do something with this program, but I don’t see it this year.
The Pirates might go 4-4 at home, but will equal its number of conference road wins last season — none.
To contact staff writer Doug Smock, use e-mail or call 348-5130.
Tigers On Roll With C-USA Looming
Tigers on roll with C-USA looming
By Dan Wolken
January 8, 2007
On Dec. 6, University of Memphis players dressed silently inside a locker room at Thompson-Boling Arena, so bewildered and frustrated at a 76-58 loss to Tennessee, their explanations barely stretched beyond a sentence.
Exactly 29 days later, the Tigers appeared to be a team transformed, closing their non-conference season with an 88-55 victory over Cincinnati that couldn't have been more efficient or dominant.
The Tigers, ranked No. 22 in the Associated Press poll, begin their Conference USA schedule in earnest Thursday at Houston feeling as good about themselves as they have at any point this season.
But the six-week lead-up was far from perfect. As Memphis compiled an 11-3 record, it displayed endless potential and athleticism, but also suffered from perplexing shooting slumps and struggled on the road in losses at Tennessee and Arizona.
Though Memphis probably isn't on track to receive a second consecutive No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, the Tigers are more or less where coach John Calipari expected with just one senior and two juniors among their top 12 players.
What Calipari didn't anticipate was the way he's had to coach this team, eschewing "cerebral" practices for competitive, scrimmage-based sessions, something he figured out after the Tennessee debacle.
"This team, we need to scrimmage," Calipari said. "We're doing things we need to work on, some defensive things, and then we throw it up. What happened to us is, you get stuck. You think, the best thing to do is cerebral. This team is proving, you don't need to go long. Go a half-hour, but go hard. You can't say, let's talk our way through this. You can't do it. You might as well go 30 minutes and compete."
Senior Jeremy Hunt, who gave Memphis an A-grade for its home performance so far but a D-minus on the road, said the Tigers still can position themselves for a deep NCAA run, especially given the parity in college basketball.
"Everybody's losing to everybody, all over the country and it happens really when league play starts," Hunt said. "It shows that if we're on our P's and Q's and playing real good as a team, we can make a run for it. Everybody from the top 25 has had upsets, has lost to somebody. Nobody's dominating."
Here are the highs and lows from Memphis' non-conference season:
Best victory: Given lack of opportunity for big wins in C-USA, it was more crucial for Memphis to go 2-1 at the EA Sports Maui Invitational than any team there.
With those high stakes, Memphis dominated Kentucky in the third-place game, 80-63, making 16-of-27 field goals in the second half. Though Kentucky isn't in the top-25, the Wildcats haven't lost since and currently rank seventh in the RPI.
Worst victory: Memphis had little trouble beating Austin Peay 88-63 on Dec. 14, but the sloppy 23-turnover performance left a lot to be desired. Memphis sprinted out to a 22-2 lead in the first 6:30, but over the next 22 minutes, Austin Peay outscored the Tigers 39-36. Though another Memphis run put the game out of reach, it never should have come to that.
Best loss: The Tigers felt they wasted an opportunity Dec. 20 at Arizona, losing 79-71. But Memphis certainly didn't embarrass itself, leading 38-33 at halftime and playing well except for a five-minute stretch to start the second half. It certainly didn't help that leading scorer Chris Douglas-Roberts was suffering from a stomach virus, limiting him to seven points in 23 minutes.
Worst loss: Memphis was awful in almost all phases Dec. 6 at Tennessee in a 76-58 loss. Though the teams played even through the first 11 minutes, UT finished the first half on a 25-5 run fueled by Chris Lofton, who scored 34 points. Memphis couldn't make any kind of shot to stop the run, finishing 22-of-77 from the field.
Best player: After averaging 8.5 points as a freshman, Douglas-Roberts has developed well in his second year, scoring 15.1 points and shooting 55 percent from the field. He's had several big games, scoring 26 in a loss to Georgia Tech, 17 against Ole Miss and 28 against Austin Peay, showcasing his tremendous skills close to the basket. In C-USA play, "Buckets" will have plenty of opportunity to prove that he's a "go-to" scorer late in close games.
Most surprising player: Hunt's emergence as Memphis' second-leading scorer this season has been an unexpected development, especially given that he was "permanently dismissed" from the program at this time last year for off-court issues. Hunt has been a model citizen away from basketball since his reinstatement, and he's been tremendous on the court, averaging 13.8 points off the bench. His 3-point shooting (42.2 percent) and relentless hustle have made him a fan favorite once again.
Biggest disappointment: Only two of the five freshmen in a highly-touted recruiting class -- point guard Willie Kemp and shooting guard Doneal Mack -- are in the regular playing rotation, and they've had their struggles. Kemp is still adjusting to the college game, and Mack is 27.3 percent on 3-pointers. Calipari called 6-8 forward Pierre Niles the team's "X factor" before the season, but he's yet to catch up from an early knee injury.
-- Dan Wolken: 529-2365
By Dan Wolken
January 8, 2007
On Dec. 6, University of Memphis players dressed silently inside a locker room at Thompson-Boling Arena, so bewildered and frustrated at a 76-58 loss to Tennessee, their explanations barely stretched beyond a sentence.
Exactly 29 days later, the Tigers appeared to be a team transformed, closing their non-conference season with an 88-55 victory over Cincinnati that couldn't have been more efficient or dominant.
The Tigers, ranked No. 22 in the Associated Press poll, begin their Conference USA schedule in earnest Thursday at Houston feeling as good about themselves as they have at any point this season.
But the six-week lead-up was far from perfect. As Memphis compiled an 11-3 record, it displayed endless potential and athleticism, but also suffered from perplexing shooting slumps and struggled on the road in losses at Tennessee and Arizona.
Though Memphis probably isn't on track to receive a second consecutive No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, the Tigers are more or less where coach John Calipari expected with just one senior and two juniors among their top 12 players.
What Calipari didn't anticipate was the way he's had to coach this team, eschewing "cerebral" practices for competitive, scrimmage-based sessions, something he figured out after the Tennessee debacle.
"This team, we need to scrimmage," Calipari said. "We're doing things we need to work on, some defensive things, and then we throw it up. What happened to us is, you get stuck. You think, the best thing to do is cerebral. This team is proving, you don't need to go long. Go a half-hour, but go hard. You can't say, let's talk our way through this. You can't do it. You might as well go 30 minutes and compete."
Senior Jeremy Hunt, who gave Memphis an A-grade for its home performance so far but a D-minus on the road, said the Tigers still can position themselves for a deep NCAA run, especially given the parity in college basketball.
"Everybody's losing to everybody, all over the country and it happens really when league play starts," Hunt said. "It shows that if we're on our P's and Q's and playing real good as a team, we can make a run for it. Everybody from the top 25 has had upsets, has lost to somebody. Nobody's dominating."
Here are the highs and lows from Memphis' non-conference season:
Best victory: Given lack of opportunity for big wins in C-USA, it was more crucial for Memphis to go 2-1 at the EA Sports Maui Invitational than any team there.
With those high stakes, Memphis dominated Kentucky in the third-place game, 80-63, making 16-of-27 field goals in the second half. Though Kentucky isn't in the top-25, the Wildcats haven't lost since and currently rank seventh in the RPI.
Worst victory: Memphis had little trouble beating Austin Peay 88-63 on Dec. 14, but the sloppy 23-turnover performance left a lot to be desired. Memphis sprinted out to a 22-2 lead in the first 6:30, but over the next 22 minutes, Austin Peay outscored the Tigers 39-36. Though another Memphis run put the game out of reach, it never should have come to that.
Best loss: The Tigers felt they wasted an opportunity Dec. 20 at Arizona, losing 79-71. But Memphis certainly didn't embarrass itself, leading 38-33 at halftime and playing well except for a five-minute stretch to start the second half. It certainly didn't help that leading scorer Chris Douglas-Roberts was suffering from a stomach virus, limiting him to seven points in 23 minutes.
Worst loss: Memphis was awful in almost all phases Dec. 6 at Tennessee in a 76-58 loss. Though the teams played even through the first 11 minutes, UT finished the first half on a 25-5 run fueled by Chris Lofton, who scored 34 points. Memphis couldn't make any kind of shot to stop the run, finishing 22-of-77 from the field.
Best player: After averaging 8.5 points as a freshman, Douglas-Roberts has developed well in his second year, scoring 15.1 points and shooting 55 percent from the field. He's had several big games, scoring 26 in a loss to Georgia Tech, 17 against Ole Miss and 28 against Austin Peay, showcasing his tremendous skills close to the basket. In C-USA play, "Buckets" will have plenty of opportunity to prove that he's a "go-to" scorer late in close games.
Most surprising player: Hunt's emergence as Memphis' second-leading scorer this season has been an unexpected development, especially given that he was "permanently dismissed" from the program at this time last year for off-court issues. Hunt has been a model citizen away from basketball since his reinstatement, and he's been tremendous on the court, averaging 13.8 points off the bench. His 3-point shooting (42.2 percent) and relentless hustle have made him a fan favorite once again.
Biggest disappointment: Only two of the five freshmen in a highly-touted recruiting class -- point guard Willie Kemp and shooting guard Doneal Mack -- are in the regular playing rotation, and they've had their struggles. Kemp is still adjusting to the college game, and Mack is 27.3 percent on 3-pointers. Calipari called 6-8 forward Pierre Niles the team's "X factor" before the season, but he's yet to catch up from an early knee injury.
-- Dan Wolken: 529-2365
"Memphis Could Get A Surprise" (Hah!) From the Cincinnati Inquirer
UC: Memphis could get surprise
BY BILL KOCH | BKOCH@ENQUIRER.COM
MEMPHIS - University of Cincinnati basketball coach Mick Cronin told his Bearcats that many teams would view this season as a chance to register a victory over a UC program that has beaten up on them over the years.
Already, Alabama-Birmingham took its shot and won. So did Ohio. Now it's Memphis' turn.
"I've watched Cincinnati beat a lot of teams," said UC guard Jamual Warren, "especially Memphis. They've been going at it and Memphis does not like Cincinnati. I know that for a fact. They think we're soft right now and they're going to sneak a couple of wins, but we ain't laying down. I know that."
The Bearcats (9-4) take on No. 22 Memphis (10-3) today at the FedExForum.
It's the renewal of a rivalry that has extended through four leagues before UC left Conference USA for the Big East Conference last year. The Bearcats own a 36-28 advantage and have won 20 of the past 28 meetings between the two schools.
But the Tigers beat UC by 10 points last season at Fifth Third Arena and are expected to win rather handily again against a Bearcats team loaded with first-year players.
This will be UC's first true road game of the season. The Bearcats have played three games away from Cincinnati on neutral courts - winning one and losing two - but have yet to play in front of a hostile crowd.
"It'll be interesting," Cronin said, "because Cincinnati has not always been the favorite team to Memphis fans. That's Coach (Bob) Huggins' fault. He won a lot of games down there. I told the guys nobody thinks we can win but us."
Unlike the Bearcats, the Tigers are extremely deep, with 10 players averaging 10 minutes or more per game and no player logging more than 28 minutes per game. Their three losses were to Georgia Tech 92-85 in Maui; at Tennessee 76-58; and at Arizona 79-71. They're 8-0 at home.
Led by guard Chris Douglas-Roberts (15.8 average points per game), Memphis averages 82.0 points per game. The Tigers will run at every opportunity and will attack the basket relentlessly. They also pound the boards, averaging 5.7 more rebounds per game than their opponents.
"They're really good at driving to the basket," said UC center Marcus Sikes. "In the past few days we've just been working on defense so we don't allow that."
Memphis also has a formidable low-post presence in 6-foot-9, 265-pound Joey Dorsey, who averages 9.4 rebounds per game.
"We've got to take care of the basketball, limit their transition baskets and try to keep them to one shot and out," Cronin said. "We've got to keep the kid Dorsey off the glass."
It all adds up to a another hefty challenge for UC and a preview of what awaits when Big East play begins Sunday at Fifth Third Arena against Rutgers.
But the UC players say they're looking forward to it.
Warren is especially eager to play this game. Not only does he like playing on the road, he grew up in Springfield, Mass., and followed Massachusetts when Memphis coach John Calipari was the coach there.
"We're going to try to put the pressure on them," Warren said, "bring it to them at their own home. Come on, that's Calipari. I'm not coaching against him, but to beat one of his teams, why not? He was the coach at UMass. That would be good."
Memphis fans feel the same way about beating UC. They gladly will take any opportunity to win a game over the hated Bearcats, regardless of the circumstances.
"Everybody we play against this year is going to think this is the year to beat Cincinnati," Cronin said. "That's a direct disrespect to me as a first-year coach and to them as mostly first-year players. You have to take it that way. You have to use it as motivation."
BY BILL KOCH | BKOCH@ENQUIRER.COM
MEMPHIS - University of Cincinnati basketball coach Mick Cronin told his Bearcats that many teams would view this season as a chance to register a victory over a UC program that has beaten up on them over the years.
Already, Alabama-Birmingham took its shot and won. So did Ohio. Now it's Memphis' turn.
"I've watched Cincinnati beat a lot of teams," said UC guard Jamual Warren, "especially Memphis. They've been going at it and Memphis does not like Cincinnati. I know that for a fact. They think we're soft right now and they're going to sneak a couple of wins, but we ain't laying down. I know that."
The Bearcats (9-4) take on No. 22 Memphis (10-3) today at the FedExForum.
It's the renewal of a rivalry that has extended through four leagues before UC left Conference USA for the Big East Conference last year. The Bearcats own a 36-28 advantage and have won 20 of the past 28 meetings between the two schools.
But the Tigers beat UC by 10 points last season at Fifth Third Arena and are expected to win rather handily again against a Bearcats team loaded with first-year players.
This will be UC's first true road game of the season. The Bearcats have played three games away from Cincinnati on neutral courts - winning one and losing two - but have yet to play in front of a hostile crowd.
"It'll be interesting," Cronin said, "because Cincinnati has not always been the favorite team to Memphis fans. That's Coach (Bob) Huggins' fault. He won a lot of games down there. I told the guys nobody thinks we can win but us."
Unlike the Bearcats, the Tigers are extremely deep, with 10 players averaging 10 minutes or more per game and no player logging more than 28 minutes per game. Their three losses were to Georgia Tech 92-85 in Maui; at Tennessee 76-58; and at Arizona 79-71. They're 8-0 at home.
Led by guard Chris Douglas-Roberts (15.8 average points per game), Memphis averages 82.0 points per game. The Tigers will run at every opportunity and will attack the basket relentlessly. They also pound the boards, averaging 5.7 more rebounds per game than their opponents.
"They're really good at driving to the basket," said UC center Marcus Sikes. "In the past few days we've just been working on defense so we don't allow that."
Memphis also has a formidable low-post presence in 6-foot-9, 265-pound Joey Dorsey, who averages 9.4 rebounds per game.
"We've got to take care of the basketball, limit their transition baskets and try to keep them to one shot and out," Cronin said. "We've got to keep the kid Dorsey off the glass."
It all adds up to a another hefty challenge for UC and a preview of what awaits when Big East play begins Sunday at Fifth Third Arena against Rutgers.
But the UC players say they're looking forward to it.
Warren is especially eager to play this game. Not only does he like playing on the road, he grew up in Springfield, Mass., and followed Massachusetts when Memphis coach John Calipari was the coach there.
"We're going to try to put the pressure on them," Warren said, "bring it to them at their own home. Come on, that's Calipari. I'm not coaching against him, but to beat one of his teams, why not? He was the coach at UMass. That would be good."
Memphis fans feel the same way about beating UC. They gladly will take any opportunity to win a game over the hated Bearcats, regardless of the circumstances.
"Everybody we play against this year is going to think this is the year to beat Cincinnati," Cronin said. "That's a direct disrespect to me as a first-year coach and to them as mostly first-year players. You have to take it that way. You have to use it as motivation."
"The Tigers Wowed 'em" From the Memphis Edge
It's been roughly 24 hours since Memphis' 88-55 mauling of Cincinnati, and I'm still trying to figure out exactly what I saw.
Were the Tigers really that good? And, more importantly, can they duplicate that effort over the next two months?
I'll be honest. I thought Cincinnati would give Memphis a very competitive game. Cincinnati isn't a top-8 team in the Big East, but the Bearcats had beaten Xavier earlier this year, and they will notch a couple impressive league wins.
But the Tigers simply overwhelmed them with their most complete performance of the year. The only game that comes close was the Kentucky win in Maui, though in my opinion, this game was more impressive simply because of how well the Tigers executed their offense.
The one thing coach John Calipari always stresses is to make easy plays, and the Tigers did that all night against Cincinnati. It's taken awhile for that message to get through, but the Tigers, with maybe two or three exceptions, stuck to the plan. I think that shows remarkable growth and maturity.
A couple things that stood out to me from the game. 1) Point guard Willie Kemp shot the ball incredibly well, but he wasn't running the team. Antonio Anderson was. I think that's a development worth following as the season wears on. Anderson is 6-6, but he has point guard skills, and in the past two games he's recorded 14 assists and no turnovers. 2) Robert Dozier finally played the way the coaching staff wants him to play. He was tough inside, he stood up to physical play, and he didn't float on the perimeter looking for jumpers. If Dozier continues to do all those things, Memphis will be a much more dangerous team over the next few months.
Posted in Tiger Basketball by Dan Wolken
Were the Tigers really that good? And, more importantly, can they duplicate that effort over the next two months?
I'll be honest. I thought Cincinnati would give Memphis a very competitive game. Cincinnati isn't a top-8 team in the Big East, but the Bearcats had beaten Xavier earlier this year, and they will notch a couple impressive league wins.
But the Tigers simply overwhelmed them with their most complete performance of the year. The only game that comes close was the Kentucky win in Maui, though in my opinion, this game was more impressive simply because of how well the Tigers executed their offense.
The one thing coach John Calipari always stresses is to make easy plays, and the Tigers did that all night against Cincinnati. It's taken awhile for that message to get through, but the Tigers, with maybe two or three exceptions, stuck to the plan. I think that shows remarkable growth and maturity.
A couple things that stood out to me from the game. 1) Point guard Willie Kemp shot the ball incredibly well, but he wasn't running the team. Antonio Anderson was. I think that's a development worth following as the season wears on. Anderson is 6-6, but he has point guard skills, and in the past two games he's recorded 14 assists and no turnovers. 2) Robert Dozier finally played the way the coaching staff wants him to play. He was tough inside, he stood up to physical play, and he didn't float on the perimeter looking for jumpers. If Dozier continues to do all those things, Memphis will be a much more dangerous team over the next few months.
Posted in Tiger Basketball by Dan Wolken
Houston Chronicle C-USA Preview
Jan. 7, 2007, 1:44AM
It's Memphis and everybody else
Rest of field have much to prove entering conference play
By MOISEKAPENDA BOWER
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle
CONFERENCE USA BREAKDOWN
• Most overrated team: Houston. The Cougars (5-7) may ultimately live up to their preseason billing as the second-best team in C-USA, but a four-game losing streak, four double-digit setbacks and the recent news of Lanny Smith opting to redshirt makes UH anything but a sure-fire NCAA Tournament team.
• Anticipated matchup: Memphis at UAB, Feb. 8. The Tigers dropped just one C-USA game last season, falling 80-74 at Bartow Arena on March 2, 2006. Memphis should carry a 9-0 conference record to Birmingham, and the Blazers might be the only team standing between the Tigers and a 16-0 C-USA run.
• Player to watch: UAB guard Paul Delaney III. Rice's Morris Almond, the nation's leading scorer at 31.4 ppg, is C-USA's top player, but Delaney has doubled his scoring (8.7 to 17.6 ppg) from last season, is averaging 5.3 rebounds and 5.2 assists and is key to the Blazers' NCAA Tournament hopes.
Somewhere off in the distance, almost out of sight from the rest of Conference USA, the Memphis Tigers run alone, carrying the C-USA banner both literally and figuratively.
After posting a 16-1 record en route to claiming last season's C-USA regular-season and tournament titles, Memphis represented its conference mates with an impressive charge to the Elite Eight.
However, while riding roughshod over the rest of C-USA does wonders for the job security of Memphis coach John Calipari, the league would be better served if a few more programs elevated their level of play to match that of the Tigers'.
With UAB serving as the only other C-USA representative to participate in the NCAA Tournament, that scenario didn't play out last season. And with No. 22 Memphis alone in the Top 25 rankings and the lone C-USA program with an RPI worthy of consideration for an NCAA at-large berth, there appears to be scant hope for improvement this season.
"At the end of the day," Rice coach Willis Wilson said, "you've got to win games."
One-horse league
As a handful of C-USA teams ramp up for the opening of league play this weekend, the stark reality is that, outside of Memphis, few quality wins have been amassed.
Heading into the weekend, only four C-USA teams (Memphis, Southern Miss, Central Florida and SMU) have reached double digits in victories, and only three — Memphis (21), UAB (69) and SMU (81) — have RPIs in the top 100.
Houston (5-7), which was tabbed by league coaches to finish second, is mired in a four-game skid.
Rice (6-6) and UTEP (8-6) were picked to finish tied for fourth behind UAB (8-6), but with bloated RPIs (Rice, 187; UTEP, 230), neither has a chance to reach the Big Dance outside of the automatic bid.
"None of the three of us have won as many games as we would have hoped," Wilson said of the Owls, Cougars and Miners. "And that's not good for the league."
A disastrous, worst-case scenario would involve Memphis lapping the field, repeating as regular-season and tournament champs, and receiving the automatic — and lone — NCAA bid. Such a notion seemed implausible when Louisville, Marquette and Cincinnati called C-USA home, but the reconfigured league has struggled to muster even a modicum of respect.
"That would be disappointing for all of us if that were the case," second-year Tulsa coach Doug Wojcik said. "(It's scary to think that) the second-place team in our league can't get into the Tournament."
Improvement ahead
But there are signs the growing pains are temporary. Wojcik is one of six league coaches in the first or second season with their programs. Such transitions initially produce periods of inconsistency followed by improvement, with Tulsa (9-3), which was 11-17 last season, validating that theory via spirited scrapes against Oklahoma and Arkansas.
"Considering we've been here 20 months, from where it was to now I'm really pleased with our progress," Wojcik said. "Now what does that mean in terms of results in the conference at this stage of the game? I don't know, because I do think the conference is much improved."
Whether the other C-USA teams can provide the Tigers with some company in the NCAA Tournament remains to be seen. Merely closing the gap between Memphis and The Little 11 would qualify as a timely, and sorely needed, step forward for everyone.
mk.bower@chron.com
It's Memphis and everybody else
Rest of field have much to prove entering conference play
By MOISEKAPENDA BOWER
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle
CONFERENCE USA BREAKDOWN
• Most overrated team: Houston. The Cougars (5-7) may ultimately live up to their preseason billing as the second-best team in C-USA, but a four-game losing streak, four double-digit setbacks and the recent news of Lanny Smith opting to redshirt makes UH anything but a sure-fire NCAA Tournament team.
• Anticipated matchup: Memphis at UAB, Feb. 8. The Tigers dropped just one C-USA game last season, falling 80-74 at Bartow Arena on March 2, 2006. Memphis should carry a 9-0 conference record to Birmingham, and the Blazers might be the only team standing between the Tigers and a 16-0 C-USA run.
• Player to watch: UAB guard Paul Delaney III. Rice's Morris Almond, the nation's leading scorer at 31.4 ppg, is C-USA's top player, but Delaney has doubled his scoring (8.7 to 17.6 ppg) from last season, is averaging 5.3 rebounds and 5.2 assists and is key to the Blazers' NCAA Tournament hopes.
Somewhere off in the distance, almost out of sight from the rest of Conference USA, the Memphis Tigers run alone, carrying the C-USA banner both literally and figuratively.
After posting a 16-1 record en route to claiming last season's C-USA regular-season and tournament titles, Memphis represented its conference mates with an impressive charge to the Elite Eight.
However, while riding roughshod over the rest of C-USA does wonders for the job security of Memphis coach John Calipari, the league would be better served if a few more programs elevated their level of play to match that of the Tigers'.
With UAB serving as the only other C-USA representative to participate in the NCAA Tournament, that scenario didn't play out last season. And with No. 22 Memphis alone in the Top 25 rankings and the lone C-USA program with an RPI worthy of consideration for an NCAA at-large berth, there appears to be scant hope for improvement this season.
"At the end of the day," Rice coach Willis Wilson said, "you've got to win games."
One-horse league
As a handful of C-USA teams ramp up for the opening of league play this weekend, the stark reality is that, outside of Memphis, few quality wins have been amassed.
Heading into the weekend, only four C-USA teams (Memphis, Southern Miss, Central Florida and SMU) have reached double digits in victories, and only three — Memphis (21), UAB (69) and SMU (81) — have RPIs in the top 100.
Houston (5-7), which was tabbed by league coaches to finish second, is mired in a four-game skid.
Rice (6-6) and UTEP (8-6) were picked to finish tied for fourth behind UAB (8-6), but with bloated RPIs (Rice, 187; UTEP, 230), neither has a chance to reach the Big Dance outside of the automatic bid.
"None of the three of us have won as many games as we would have hoped," Wilson said of the Owls, Cougars and Miners. "And that's not good for the league."
A disastrous, worst-case scenario would involve Memphis lapping the field, repeating as regular-season and tournament champs, and receiving the automatic — and lone — NCAA bid. Such a notion seemed implausible when Louisville, Marquette and Cincinnati called C-USA home, but the reconfigured league has struggled to muster even a modicum of respect.
"That would be disappointing for all of us if that were the case," second-year Tulsa coach Doug Wojcik said. "(It's scary to think that) the second-place team in our league can't get into the Tournament."
Improvement ahead
But there are signs the growing pains are temporary. Wojcik is one of six league coaches in the first or second season with their programs. Such transitions initially produce periods of inconsistency followed by improvement, with Tulsa (9-3), which was 11-17 last season, validating that theory via spirited scrapes against Oklahoma and Arkansas.
"Considering we've been here 20 months, from where it was to now I'm really pleased with our progress," Wojcik said. "Now what does that mean in terms of results in the conference at this stage of the game? I don't know, because I do think the conference is much improved."
Whether the other C-USA teams can provide the Tigers with some company in the NCAA Tournament remains to be seen. Merely closing the gap between Memphis and The Little 11 would qualify as a timely, and sorely needed, step forward for everyone.
mk.bower@chron.com
Monday, January 08, 2007
My Commentary on the Cincinnati Game
Sorry for the late post. We got a new puppy on Saturday afternoon. I've barely slept since. Nice little guy, but cries ALL night.
Anyway..............wow what can you say? Memphis could almost do no wrong while the Bearcats really aren't very good. It was almost like watching the Tennessee vs. Memphis game from the other side. The only difference was Memphis was making wide open jumpers while Chris Lofton of Tennesssee made ridiciously hard shots while being fairly well guarded. I think teams get a bit shocked, and then it is really quite over. I think Cincinnati knew they weren't in the Tigers' league (no pun intended) and when they looked up and saw they were down by 20 they just said, "let's just get this over with and catch the next flight back to Cincy."
I was highly encouraged by the 3 point shooting of Kemp and Hunt. The two of them finished 12 of 16. However, not to be out done, the rest of the team was 0 of 12. Come on Tigers that's awful.
There were some great performances (Kemp, Hunt and Dozier). There were some solid efforts (Dorsey and Anderson). And there were some sub-par performances (Allen, Cooper).
Robert Dozier is certainly someone who has earned his wrath from me this season. I was thrilled by his complete game (5 of 7 FGs, 3 of 3 FTs, 8 RBs, 1 Ast, 1 TO and 1 BLK). He haD some really good post moves. Yes, Cincy is small, but I was very encouraged by Dozier. He is improving and I thought he was aggressive, which we need in the post.
I was ok with Joey Dorsey in this one. I'm concerned by 4 turnovers in 27 minutes, but 10 rebounds combined with 3 of 3 FGs will work. Unfortunately, Kareem Cooper looked very slow in this game. I'm surprised a guy with such good hands can get stripped of the ball like he does.
I know your all just waiting for my next comment and here it is...........Andre Allen is terrible. Excluding the driving lay up down the center lane he made after the Tigers whipped the ball around the horn a few times, he sucked. The guy is so volatile. 3 turnovers and 3 assists in 13 minutes. If he'd just quit shooting the jumpers I could accept him. If he doesn't take the 3 point shots in this game, he finishes 1 of 2 FGs, 1 of 2 FTs, 2 RBs, 3 Ast, 3 TOs. But, no he has to take three 3 pointers to finish 1 of 5.
You probably think I over react about Allen, but the numbers speak for themselves. For the season he is 21 of 64 (32.8%) from the field. It gets worse; 6 of 26 (23.1%)from 3 point range. That is worse than CDR, Hunt, Dozier, Kemp and Mack. Only Antonio Anderson is worse among the 9 man rotation. And the rest of Antonio Anderson's game is several steps above Allen's. Does he have energy, spark? Yes. Thank goodness he adds something.
Speaking of Antonio Anderson. Let's look at his season. I know the guy has been in a real shooting slump this season (actually, save the Cincy game from his freshman season and the guy has never shot the ball well since coming to Memphis), but he knows how to contribute in other ways.
Season Numbers - 14 games, 40-102 FGs (39.2%), 11-49 3 Pt FG (22.4%), 27-41 FTs (65.9%), 62 RBs (4.43/game), 55 Assists (3.93/game), 20 Turnovers (1.43/game) and 26 Steals (1.86/game).
He has a 2.75 Assist to Turnover ratio which easily leads the team. He also leads the team in game average at 3.93.
Anderson 55/20 - 2.75 ratio
Kemp 44/24 - 1.83 ratio
Allen 47/26 - 1.81 ratio
CDR 28/22 - 1.27 ratio
Hunt 25/21 - 1.19 ratio
Mack 10/10 - 1.00 ratio
While your wondering, here are the worst
Dorsey 4/32 - 0.125 ratio
Cooper 2/11 - 0.182 ratio
Dozier 17/28 - 0.607 ratio
In steals, Anderson leads the team at 1.86/game. That places him outside the nation's top 50 (2.2/game to make the top 50), but is very respectable. By the way, Oliver Lafayette leads C-USA with 2.4/game.
About a week ago, I said that Jeremy Hunt got the nod from my for team MVP for the first part of the season. His performance on Thursday clearly moved him even a bit higher than CDR for me.
Look at Jeremy's season shooting the ball.
62 of 133 FGs (46.6%)
35 of 83 3 Pt FGs (42.2%)
34 of 49 FTs (69.4%)
Jeremy is ranked #62 in 3 point FG percentage in the NCAA (minimum 2.5 per game).
See you next week.
Sunday, January 07, 2007
Tigers Move Down in RPI to #16, Still #10 in Pomeroy
Through Saturday, Memphis moved down once notch to #16 in the RPI while they remained #10 in Ken Pameroy's Ratings (#35 Offense, #7 Defense)
C-USA Conference RPI (11th)
16 - Memphis
77 - UAB
86 - SMU
104 - Tulsa
117 - Houston
127 - Marshall
157 - S. Miss
170 - Tulane
177 - UCF
216 - UTEP
223 - Rice
323 - ECU
C-USA Conference RPI (11th)
16 - Memphis
77 - UAB
86 - SMU
104 - Tulsa
117 - Houston
127 - Marshall
157 - S. Miss
170 - Tulane
177 - UCF
216 - UTEP
223 - Rice
323 - ECU
Memphis Fans Irked by Larry Finch Event at Cincy Game
U of M fans irked by Finch event
By Dan Wolken
January 6, 2007
The University of Memphis billed Thursday as "Larry Finch Appreciation Night" at FedExForum.
One day later, what exactly that meant was a point of contention among the Tigers' fan base, which bombarded Internet message boards with outrage about the lack of, well, appreciation for Larry Finch.
Though donation cards to contribute to a charitable fund for Finch's medical care were given out to the season-high crowd of 16,223, there was no real public acknowledgement of the former Tigers player and all-time winningest coach during the game, much less a ceremonial event to dedicate the game to him.
Friday, Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson said a public tribute to Finch was never the intention of "Larry Finch Appreciation Night."
"That wasn't our plan," Johnson said. "The plan was really just fiscally driven. And we have done things in the past and will probably continue to do things in the future to always acknowledge and express our appreciation for Larry and what he has done, because you can't ever do enough of that.
"The focus was really to try to generate dollars, and I'm not sure we won't do something again because it's ongoing. And we wouldn't do this for just anybody, but he certainly is worthy. At the end of the year, maybe we'll try another something to see if we can't try to help him. I think right now the dollars are more important than the recognition."
Though the UofM's athletic department only began promoting "Larry Finch Appreciation Night" on Tuesday when it sent out a press release dedicating the game to him, it had been in the works for months.
Johnson said he and Kenneth Moody, chairman of the Friends of Larry Finch Foundation, met "in the fall" and agreed on the Cincinnati game as an appropriate time to raise funds for Finch, who has been disabled by a heart attack and several strokes.
"We all picked the Cincinnati game because we thought that was kind of a tie-in and made sense with the great rivalry all those years, and we thought that would be one of our better crowds," Johnson said.
It was Memphis' best crowd of the year so far, promoting coach John Calipari to pay tribute to Finch and then joke that the next event to get people in the seats would be an Elliot Perry night, referencing another former Tiger great.
Fans who came for nostalgia, however, would have been sorely disappointed Thursday because there was no video highlight reel of Finch's playing or coaching career. No real organized opportunity, even, for fans to stand and cheer for perhaps the most beloved sports figure in Memphis history.
Bob Winn, Memphis' associate athletic director for external affairs, said the focus was instead placed on handing out the pledge cards and selling the replica Larry Finch jerseys for $100 apiece, with all proceeds going to the foundation.
"Our greatest hope is that fans walked out the door with that card so they can today do something for Larry that they really want to do," Winn said.
Moody, who said he could not attend the game due to a prior commitment, said it was too early to say how much money was raised for Finch on Thursday. He said he preferred not to comment on the lack of ceremonial activities at the game.
"The main thing was to hand out the pledge cards," Johnson said. "That was the key component. The main function of the whole evening was to raise money for him. That was our primary purpose. Our whole focus had been to get the pledge cards out. It was that more than retiring a jersey or anything like that."
-- Dan Wolken: 529-2365
--------------------
Next for No. 22 Tigers
Opponent: Houston
When, where: Thursday, 8 p.m., at Houston
TV: ESPN
Dozier Begins To Tap Into Huge Potential
Dozier begins to tap into huge potential
By Jim Masilak
January 7, 2007
John Calipari didn't mince words when assessing Robert Dozier's effort in the University of Memphis' victory over Cincinnati last Thursday.
"He played like we expected him to play," the Tigers' coach said. "It's the first time all year, to be honest."
Calipari's frustration with his outrageously talented but maddeningly ineffective sophomore forward had been growing with each ineffectual performance for the No. 22 Tigers (11-3).
Through the first 13 games of the season, Dozier struggled to produce the sort of impact performances expected of a player dripping with NBA potential.
While he entered last Thursday's game averaging 11.1 points and six rebounds per game, Dozier was a virtual no-show in losses to nationally ranked opponents like Arizona (two points) and Georgia Tech (none).
In Calipari's estimation, Dozier was all too willing to settle for jumpers instead of using his slashing ability and wingspan to get to the basket. As much as he struggled offensively, his defense suffered even more.
"I may have got a little overconfident," Dozier said of his uneven play during the first two months of the season.
Then came the UofM's week-long break for the new year, when the 6-9, 215-pounder from Lithonia, Ga., rediscovered himself both on the court and in the weight room.
While Dozier said he had been feeling physically weak in recent games, and that it had played a factor in his struggles, the opportunity to pump some iron coincided with a new approach from his coach.
Calipari's exaltation? To keep it simple.
"What I told Robert Dozier before the game was, 'All I want is four offensive rebounds and three blocks. Don't worry about anything else,'" Calipari said. "Instead of chasing three rabbits, just chase one."
It certainly seemed to work against the Bearcats.
Looking as carefree and playing as naturally as he has all season, Dozier scored 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds in 21 minutes before fouling out.
"Coach just made it real simple for him. He told him to get offensive rebounds and get a couple blocked shots," sophomore guard Chris Douglas-Roberts said. "He didn't say anything about offense. ... Once the defense comes around, the offense will come."
Dozier exceeded his coach's quota by grabbing five offensive rebounds and attacked the basket with renewed vigor.
"That's what he's been working on. He broke out of his little slump, and he's got to keep playing that way," sophomore guard Antonio Anderson said.
"He never argued with the coaches or anything. He just played through it and got better and it showed (against Cincinnati)."
Dozier said the Tigers' two-a-day practices during their mini-break, combined with some intensive weight-room sessions, had him feeling more robust than he had all season. He said it underlined the need to continue to add strength to his lithe frame.
"The practices were hell, and battling (forwards) Joey (Dorsey) and Kareem (Cooper) every day, it helped a lot," Dozier said. "When I finally got in a game, stuff came a lot easier."
Strength, or the lack thereof, hasn't been the only thing holding Dozier back in the early going.
Douglas-Roberts suspects Dozier may have initially put too much pressure on himself to replace NBA first-round draft choice Shawne Williams in the Tigers' lineup, adversely affecting his game in the process.
"I think Rob was thinking about taking Shawne's place instead of playing the way he plays," Douglas-Roberts said. "He's been really worrying about filling Shawne's shoes, but he and Shawne have two totally different games.
"He had to find his game and he found it. He played like a star (Thursday)."
While Dozier disagreed with that assessment, Calipari gave it some credence.
"That could be," he said. "But if that's the case, go back to being Rob. Fall in love with you."
-- Jim Masilak: 529-2311
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Next for No. 22 Tigers
Opponent: Houston
When, where: Thursday, 8 p.m., at Houston
TV: ESPN
By Jim Masilak
January 7, 2007
John Calipari didn't mince words when assessing Robert Dozier's effort in the University of Memphis' victory over Cincinnati last Thursday.
"He played like we expected him to play," the Tigers' coach said. "It's the first time all year, to be honest."
Calipari's frustration with his outrageously talented but maddeningly ineffective sophomore forward had been growing with each ineffectual performance for the No. 22 Tigers (11-3).
Through the first 13 games of the season, Dozier struggled to produce the sort of impact performances expected of a player dripping with NBA potential.
While he entered last Thursday's game averaging 11.1 points and six rebounds per game, Dozier was a virtual no-show in losses to nationally ranked opponents like Arizona (two points) and Georgia Tech (none).
In Calipari's estimation, Dozier was all too willing to settle for jumpers instead of using his slashing ability and wingspan to get to the basket. As much as he struggled offensively, his defense suffered even more.
"I may have got a little overconfident," Dozier said of his uneven play during the first two months of the season.
Then came the UofM's week-long break for the new year, when the 6-9, 215-pounder from Lithonia, Ga., rediscovered himself both on the court and in the weight room.
While Dozier said he had been feeling physically weak in recent games, and that it had played a factor in his struggles, the opportunity to pump some iron coincided with a new approach from his coach.
Calipari's exaltation? To keep it simple.
"What I told Robert Dozier before the game was, 'All I want is four offensive rebounds and three blocks. Don't worry about anything else,'" Calipari said. "Instead of chasing three rabbits, just chase one."
It certainly seemed to work against the Bearcats.
Looking as carefree and playing as naturally as he has all season, Dozier scored 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds in 21 minutes before fouling out.
"Coach just made it real simple for him. He told him to get offensive rebounds and get a couple blocked shots," sophomore guard Chris Douglas-Roberts said. "He didn't say anything about offense. ... Once the defense comes around, the offense will come."
Dozier exceeded his coach's quota by grabbing five offensive rebounds and attacked the basket with renewed vigor.
"That's what he's been working on. He broke out of his little slump, and he's got to keep playing that way," sophomore guard Antonio Anderson said.
"He never argued with the coaches or anything. He just played through it and got better and it showed (against Cincinnati)."
Dozier said the Tigers' two-a-day practices during their mini-break, combined with some intensive weight-room sessions, had him feeling more robust than he had all season. He said it underlined the need to continue to add strength to his lithe frame.
"The practices were hell, and battling (forwards) Joey (Dorsey) and Kareem (Cooper) every day, it helped a lot," Dozier said. "When I finally got in a game, stuff came a lot easier."
Strength, or the lack thereof, hasn't been the only thing holding Dozier back in the early going.
Douglas-Roberts suspects Dozier may have initially put too much pressure on himself to replace NBA first-round draft choice Shawne Williams in the Tigers' lineup, adversely affecting his game in the process.
"I think Rob was thinking about taking Shawne's place instead of playing the way he plays," Douglas-Roberts said. "He's been really worrying about filling Shawne's shoes, but he and Shawne have two totally different games.
"He had to find his game and he found it. He played like a star (Thursday)."
While Dozier disagreed with that assessment, Calipari gave it some credence.
"That could be," he said. "But if that's the case, go back to being Rob. Fall in love with you."
-- Jim Masilak: 529-2311
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Next for No. 22 Tigers
Opponent: Houston
When, where: Thursday, 8 p.m., at Houston
TV: ESPN
Friday, January 05, 2007
Tigers #17 in RPI, #10 in Pomeroy
The Tiger victory was very helpful in moving the Tigers down the rankings in Ken Pomeroy's ratings. Memphis moved from #17 to #10 overall as their offensive improved from #64 to #32 and their defense improved from #7 to #6.
More on the Tigers, Bearcats Game
Tigers replay
January 5, 2007
AS THE GAME TURNED
Memphis has never had it as easy against Cincinnati as it did Thursday night at FedExForum. As if scoring the game's first 11 points wasn't a clear enough statement of intent, four 3-pointers from senior guard Jeremy Hunt in a span of 3 minutes, 26 seconds gave the Tigers an improbable 20-point lead and ended the game as a competitive spectacle. Memphis eventually led by as many as 39 en route to its biggest victory over the Bearcats.
AS THE ROTATION TURNED
With forwards Joey Dorsey and Kareem Cooper managing to stay out of early foul trouble, Tigers coach John Calipari was able to continue his experiment of playing both big men at the same time. The pair dominated the vertically challenged Bearcats in the paint, helping Memphis to a 42-23 rebounding edge and accounting for seven of the Tigers' 10 blocked shots. While Calipari was able to play nine players in the first half alone, out-of-favor freshman forward Pierre Niles did not appear until the closing minutes of the game.
RIM GEMS
The Tigers' much-maligned big men were responsible for the team's slickest passing move of the night. With 13:10 left, Cooper received the ball at the top of the key and went up as if to shoot a 3-pointer. Instead, he flipped the ball down low to a wide-open Dorsey, who slammed home the gentlest of reverse dunks.
Seven minutes later, Willie Kemp followed up his own missed free throw and, after getting two Bearcats in the air, slung a no-look pass around them to a flashing Doneal Mack, who threw down an emphatic two-handed slam.
HIDE YOUR EYES
Cincinnati forward John Williamson, the Bearcats' leading rebounder with 8.2 per game, didn't manage to get a single defensive rebound in 32 minutes. Inexplicably, the 6-6 junior pulled down six boards on the offensive end.
SCORER'S TABLE
The Tigers' reserves outscored the Bearcats' bench players by a whopping 36-4 margin. Hunt accounted for 24 of the Tigers' bench points, hitting six 3-pointers.
LOCKERROOM CHATTER
"We shot the ball terribly well. It was incredible. I don't know if we'll be able to do that again the rest of the year." -- Sophomore forward Robert Dozier after the Tigers went 32 for 54 (59.3 percent) from the field and 12 for 28 (42.9 percent) from 3-point range.
ODDS AND ENDS
Is it possible to win too impressively on national TV? Perhaps. With the Tigers pummeling the Bearcats at halftime, ESPN cut away from FedExForum for a large chunk of the second half, opting to show a tighter finish between USC and Oregon.
"D'oh," Calipari said afterward. "They didn't?"
The Bearcats weren't the only ones who struggled to keep pace with the Tigers. Referee Ted Hillary suffered an apparent knee injury a few minutes before halftime. That forced Jim Burr and Tim Higgins to work a man short for the remainder of the first half. Hillary was able to resume his duties in the second half.
Grizzlies president Jerry West, forward Rudy Gay, and guards Kyle Lowry and Mike Miller were among the announced crowd of 16,223 on Larry Finch Appreciation Night at FedExForum, It was the Tigers' largest home crowd so far this season.
"The one thing I liked about today? We had people in the stands," Calipari said. "The fans were great and they had a great show.
"Every game we play should be like we had right there. That's what it should be if this is a college basketball city."
LOOKING AHEAD
Tigers at Houston, Thursday, 8 p.m.
-- Jim Masilak
January 5, 2007
AS THE GAME TURNED
Memphis has never had it as easy against Cincinnati as it did Thursday night at FedExForum. As if scoring the game's first 11 points wasn't a clear enough statement of intent, four 3-pointers from senior guard Jeremy Hunt in a span of 3 minutes, 26 seconds gave the Tigers an improbable 20-point lead and ended the game as a competitive spectacle. Memphis eventually led by as many as 39 en route to its biggest victory over the Bearcats.
AS THE ROTATION TURNED
With forwards Joey Dorsey and Kareem Cooper managing to stay out of early foul trouble, Tigers coach John Calipari was able to continue his experiment of playing both big men at the same time. The pair dominated the vertically challenged Bearcats in the paint, helping Memphis to a 42-23 rebounding edge and accounting for seven of the Tigers' 10 blocked shots. While Calipari was able to play nine players in the first half alone, out-of-favor freshman forward Pierre Niles did not appear until the closing minutes of the game.
RIM GEMS
The Tigers' much-maligned big men were responsible for the team's slickest passing move of the night. With 13:10 left, Cooper received the ball at the top of the key and went up as if to shoot a 3-pointer. Instead, he flipped the ball down low to a wide-open Dorsey, who slammed home the gentlest of reverse dunks.
Seven minutes later, Willie Kemp followed up his own missed free throw and, after getting two Bearcats in the air, slung a no-look pass around them to a flashing Doneal Mack, who threw down an emphatic two-handed slam.
HIDE YOUR EYES
Cincinnati forward John Williamson, the Bearcats' leading rebounder with 8.2 per game, didn't manage to get a single defensive rebound in 32 minutes. Inexplicably, the 6-6 junior pulled down six boards on the offensive end.
SCORER'S TABLE
The Tigers' reserves outscored the Bearcats' bench players by a whopping 36-4 margin. Hunt accounted for 24 of the Tigers' bench points, hitting six 3-pointers.
LOCKERROOM CHATTER
"We shot the ball terribly well. It was incredible. I don't know if we'll be able to do that again the rest of the year." -- Sophomore forward Robert Dozier after the Tigers went 32 for 54 (59.3 percent) from the field and 12 for 28 (42.9 percent) from 3-point range.
ODDS AND ENDS
Is it possible to win too impressively on national TV? Perhaps. With the Tigers pummeling the Bearcats at halftime, ESPN cut away from FedExForum for a large chunk of the second half, opting to show a tighter finish between USC and Oregon.
"D'oh," Calipari said afterward. "They didn't?"
The Bearcats weren't the only ones who struggled to keep pace with the Tigers. Referee Ted Hillary suffered an apparent knee injury a few minutes before halftime. That forced Jim Burr and Tim Higgins to work a man short for the remainder of the first half. Hillary was able to resume his duties in the second half.
Grizzlies president Jerry West, forward Rudy Gay, and guards Kyle Lowry and Mike Miller were among the announced crowd of 16,223 on Larry Finch Appreciation Night at FedExForum, It was the Tigers' largest home crowd so far this season.
"The one thing I liked about today? We had people in the stands," Calipari said. "The fans were great and they had a great show.
"Every game we play should be like we had right there. That's what it should be if this is a college basketball city."
LOOKING AHEAD
Tigers at Houston, Thursday, 8 p.m.
-- Jim Masilak
Geoff Calkins Column on Bearcat Game
They're still the Bearcats, so this victory was sweet
Geoff Calkins
January 5, 2007
Jeremy Hunt accepted the pass on the left wing, pulled up for a three, and the crowd start to roar even before he let it go.
They knew.
They knew, and Hunt knew, and poor Mick Cronin probably knew, too.
Swish.
Or maybe we should say swish swish swish swish.
That made four straight threes from Hunt, all from NBA range.
Cronin called a timeout. As if that could possibly stop the onslaught.
Memphis went on to obliterate the Bearcats, 88-55, on a night that was just about perfect.
It wasn't absolutely perfect because Hunt actually missed his fifth 3-pointer. And because of the absence of Bob Huggins, the glowering one, who took much of the pop out of this rivalry when he staggered off to Kansas State.
It's just harder to hate Mick Cronin. Or even to recognize Mick Cronin.
The Byrd brothers are two of the great hecklers at any Memphis game. They've gotten into it with Rick Pitino and Tommy Crean and Huggins and all of great ones.
Before this game, they were a little stumped.
"What do you think I should say?" said Harold Byrd.
Got me.
"I guess I'll have to wait and get a feel for him," he said.
Sounds reasonable enough.
And before long, all sorts of taunts were available. Like the ever-popular, "You're losing 11-0." Or, the equally-catchy "You realize the score is 27-7?" Or the positively-historic "This is the worst beating in the 65 meetings between these two teams."
It was fun, really. All that was missing was Nick Van Exel, and Steve Logan, and Danny Fortson, and Kenyon Martin and, oh, you probably still have nightmares about some of them.
But if you can't beat a great Cincinnati team, you might as well stomp on a crummy one.
Which the Tigers did, to the absolute delight of the 16,223 who showed up because they recognized the jerseys, anyway.
"I told Mick after that we're probably not as good as we played," said Memphis coach John Calipari. "They had to feel like we had six guys on the floor."
And all six were playing great, answering most of the the questions the Tigers had raised in the 2006 portion of this basketball season.
Were you worried that Robert Dozier wasn't tough enough?
He yanked down five offensive rebounds.
Did you wonder if Joey Dorsey could ever stay out of foul trouble?
He had no fouls, 10 rebounds and five blocks in 27 minutes.
Did you fret that Willie Kemp wasn't quite getting it?
He scored 21 points, played tenacious defense and afterward proclaimed it his best game of the season.
Had you come to accept that these Tigers just didn't have the shooters?
Kemp went 6-for-9 from beyond the arc. Hunt went 6-for-7 from deep to finish with 24.
"Every time it left his hand, everyone in the building knew it was going down," said Calipari of Hunt.
And here's the best part: None of this seems to have been an accident.
The Tigers played well because the Tigers practiced well during the holiday break.
"There was carryover," Calipari said. "I wrote on the board after the game, 'Perfect practice makes perfect.'"
OK, it's not as snappy as "Refuse to Lose." Or as cosmically profound as "It is what it is."
But Calipari's teams always seem to get better this time of year. If these Tigers want to make an impact in the NCAA Tournament, they have to go out and do the same.
"We did that tonight," said Calipari. "We went out and dominated."
Sounds like a taunt, almost.
To reach Geoff Calkins, call him at 529-2364 or e-mail.
Fans Love Blowout Win Over Cincy
Tigers treat boisterous home fans to blowout win over Cincy
They're still the Bearcats, so this victory was sweet
(22) Memphis 88, Cincinnati 55
By Dan Wolken
January 5, 2007
ESPN broadcast the University of Memphis in high definition on Thursday.
No wonder everything looked a little bit sharper.
For the first six weeks of this season, the No. 22-ranked Tigers' focus had been fuzzy, one thing or another always out of tune. And then, in an 88-55 victory over Cincinnati to launch 2007, the picture finally came through clear.
What was supposed to be a true test before Conference USA play was never a contest. With 12 3-pointers, near-perfect offensive execution and a 42-23 rebounding edge, the Tigers played their most complete game of the season and reduced their former league rivals to rubbish.
The Tigers got to share it with a raucous crowd of 16,223 at FedExForum, which witnessed Memphis' most lopsided victory ever over Cincinnati.
Even senior guard Jeremy Hunt, who tied his career high with 24 points and made 6-of-7 from 3-point range, wasn't sure if Memphis (11-3) could play much better.
"It's a new year, and we got off to a great start just by winning this game," Hunt said. "It's a big confidence builder for a lot of guys, and our team period. I was just happy to see everybody out there smiling and playing together.
"When we look good like that, it shows how really good we can be."
Nearly everything worked for the Tigers, who sprinted to an 11-0 lead in the first three minutes and never looked back, extending it to 18-5, then 27-7, burying the Bearcats on both ends of the floor.
By halftime, it was a 31-point lead, built on 20-of-33 field goal shooting and a lockdown defense that held Cincinnati (9-5) to 30 percent. By the end of the game, after yielding just 21-of-56 from the floor, coach John Calipari said it might have been the best defensive performance in his seven years at Memphis.
"What I liked was, what had happened in practice, there was carryover," Calipari said. "What I put on the board was, 'Perfect practice makes perfect.' What we'd done practicing defensively is what you saw in there."
Though the Tigers may have won the game with defense, they overwhelmed Cincinnati with their precision on offense, making easy plays, extra passes and plenty of long-range shots.
First, Hunt came out firing, making his first four 3-pointers and 6-of-7 overall. Then freshman Willie Kemp followed suit, making six of his first seven to score a career-high 21 points after entering the game 32.1 percent from 3-point range.
"I was taking the wide open shot," Kemp said. "Coach tells us, if we're wide open, take the shot. I think this is one of my best games by far. I think it's going to help me."
All the other parts of Memphis' game were seemingly in line.
Calipari challenged sophomore forward Robert Dozier to get four offensive rebounds Thursday. He got five, sparking a 13-point effort and his best overall game of the season.
Despite scoring just six points, sophomore guard Antonio Anderson had perhaps his most effective game of the year with six assists, five rebounds and no turnovers.
Memphis even had its high-low game working, with 6-11 Kareem Cooper feeding 6-9 Joey Dorsey for a dunk with 13:05 left to give Memphis a 68-33 lead.
That play punctuated a remarkable box score for Dorsey -- 10 rebounds, five blocked shots and, most shocking of all, no fouls.
The domination was so thorough, ESPN pulled away from the game for a while in the second half to show the end of USC's upset at Oregon.
But what the Tigers showed the nation Thursday wasn't as important as what they showed themselves.
"It shows us that if this is what we're capable of, we should do it every game, and I think collectively we realize that," sophomore guard Chris Douglas-Roberts said. "This is Memphis now. This is how we're playing, night in and night out. This is definitely a breakthrough."
-- Dan Wolken: 529-2365
They're still the Bearcats, so this victory was sweet
(22) Memphis 88, Cincinnati 55
By Dan Wolken
January 5, 2007
ESPN broadcast the University of Memphis in high definition on Thursday.
No wonder everything looked a little bit sharper.
For the first six weeks of this season, the No. 22-ranked Tigers' focus had been fuzzy, one thing or another always out of tune. And then, in an 88-55 victory over Cincinnati to launch 2007, the picture finally came through clear.
What was supposed to be a true test before Conference USA play was never a contest. With 12 3-pointers, near-perfect offensive execution and a 42-23 rebounding edge, the Tigers played their most complete game of the season and reduced their former league rivals to rubbish.
The Tigers got to share it with a raucous crowd of 16,223 at FedExForum, which witnessed Memphis' most lopsided victory ever over Cincinnati.
Even senior guard Jeremy Hunt, who tied his career high with 24 points and made 6-of-7 from 3-point range, wasn't sure if Memphis (11-3) could play much better.
"It's a new year, and we got off to a great start just by winning this game," Hunt said. "It's a big confidence builder for a lot of guys, and our team period. I was just happy to see everybody out there smiling and playing together.
"When we look good like that, it shows how really good we can be."
Nearly everything worked for the Tigers, who sprinted to an 11-0 lead in the first three minutes and never looked back, extending it to 18-5, then 27-7, burying the Bearcats on both ends of the floor.
By halftime, it was a 31-point lead, built on 20-of-33 field goal shooting and a lockdown defense that held Cincinnati (9-5) to 30 percent. By the end of the game, after yielding just 21-of-56 from the floor, coach John Calipari said it might have been the best defensive performance in his seven years at Memphis.
"What I liked was, what had happened in practice, there was carryover," Calipari said. "What I put on the board was, 'Perfect practice makes perfect.' What we'd done practicing defensively is what you saw in there."
Though the Tigers may have won the game with defense, they overwhelmed Cincinnati with their precision on offense, making easy plays, extra passes and plenty of long-range shots.
First, Hunt came out firing, making his first four 3-pointers and 6-of-7 overall. Then freshman Willie Kemp followed suit, making six of his first seven to score a career-high 21 points after entering the game 32.1 percent from 3-point range.
"I was taking the wide open shot," Kemp said. "Coach tells us, if we're wide open, take the shot. I think this is one of my best games by far. I think it's going to help me."
All the other parts of Memphis' game were seemingly in line.
Calipari challenged sophomore forward Robert Dozier to get four offensive rebounds Thursday. He got five, sparking a 13-point effort and his best overall game of the season.
Despite scoring just six points, sophomore guard Antonio Anderson had perhaps his most effective game of the year with six assists, five rebounds and no turnovers.
Memphis even had its high-low game working, with 6-11 Kareem Cooper feeding 6-9 Joey Dorsey for a dunk with 13:05 left to give Memphis a 68-33 lead.
That play punctuated a remarkable box score for Dorsey -- 10 rebounds, five blocked shots and, most shocking of all, no fouls.
The domination was so thorough, ESPN pulled away from the game for a while in the second half to show the end of USC's upset at Oregon.
But what the Tigers showed the nation Thursday wasn't as important as what they showed themselves.
"It shows us that if this is what we're capable of, we should do it every game, and I think collectively we realize that," sophomore guard Chris Douglas-Roberts said. "This is Memphis now. This is how we're playing, night in and night out. This is definitely a breakthrough."
-- Dan Wolken: 529-2365
Effects of C-USA Split Still Being Felt
Effects of C-USA split still being felt
Bearcats struggling in expanded Big East
By Dan Wolken
January 4, 2007
When the news came in September 2003 that the Big East had chosen to invite Cincinnati, Louisville, Marquette, South Florida and DePaul, leaving the University of Memphis in a depleted Conference USA, the outrage was shared among nearly everyone in the Tigers' universe, from the most casual fans to athletic director R.C. Johnson.
Coach John Calipari shrugged his shoulders.
"Things happen for a reason," Calipari said at the time. "I wasn't as hyped up (about the Big East) as some others."
More than three years later, there is an undercurrent of frustration within the UofM's athletic department at the state of C-USA, especially with regard to basketball. At the same time, of the eight programs that split for either the Big East, Atlantic 10 or Mountain West, only one -- Marquette -- is thriving.
The rest -- including Cincinnati, which visits FedExForum tonight -- have struggled to maintain the level they reached in the old league.
Cincinnati's move to the Big East, of course, has coincided with a rebuilding effort following the dismissal of Bob Huggins and then interim coach Andy Kennedy, who's now at Ole Miss.
Mick Cronin, who took over the program last March and has guided the team to a 9-4 record, said he feels good about the program's long-term future in the Big East.
"I think it's the best basketball league ever assembled," Cronin said. "That makes it tough to win in, but it helps recruiting, no question about that. Kids want to go to the best conference, and in kids' minds, the Big East is the best league.
"For the betterment of our program as well as our school and athletic department, we're better off where we're at for a multitude of reasons."
On one hand, things seem to be better than ever in the Big East, which thrived in football this season -- Cincinnati is playing in the International Bowl on Saturday -- and sent eight teams to last year's NCAA Tournament.
But the logistics of a 16-team behemoth basketball conference have been difficult to navigate, especially in forming an equitable conference schedule and workable conference tournament format.
And bubbling below the surface is the idea that the Big East is simply too big and too tough; with powerful programs like Connecticut, Villanova, Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Georgetown at the top, simply getting into the upper division is harder than ever. And next year, it will be even tougher, with teams playing 18 league games instead of 16.
Last year's Cincinnati team was a classic example of the conference's strength cutting in both directions. Though the Bearcats' 8-8 Big East record was mostly lauded, they still finished in eighth place and weren't invited to the NCAAs.
That begs the question, how does a coach explain that an eighth-place conference finish constitutes a good year? Or better yet, how long will Big East programs stand for it?
Cronin said he doesn't envision another shift anytime soon.
"From my one time going to the league meetings, everybody was elated with the first year," he said. "If you look at the football side, that only strengthens the situation
"Our fans are pretty knowledgeable. Somebody could finish sixth in our league and go to the Final Four. That's the type of league we have. It's an adjustment for most fans that just haven't been around that."
Cincinnati isn't the only former C-USA program going through tough times. Louisville and DePaul missed the NCAAs last year and have struggled to start this season. And South Florida was out of its element in the Big East, finishing 1-15 last year.
Charlotte, which was one of C-USA's most consistent winners, has struggled since joining the A-10 and enters conference play 6-6. TCU finished last in its first Mountain West season.
Meanwhile, as Calipari is happy to point out, Memphis' first year in the reconfigured C-USA yielded the program's first-ever No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. This year, the Tigers are again in the top 25, currently ranked No. 22. And just two months ago, Calipari signed point guard Derrick Rose, the highest-rated player he's ever recruited.
"My comment at the time was, be careful what you wish for," Calipari said. "As long as we're national, as long as we're on national television and as long as it hasn't affected recruiting -- and it hasn't -- the only reason we're in a league is to give us a schedule in January and February.
"If I had to do the whole schedule myself, it would be hard. But they give me a January and February schedule, and then we're preparing for the highest seed we can possibly get to advance as far as we can. The higher your seed, the farther you normally advance."
-- Dan Wolken: 529-2365
--------------------
No. 22 Tigers vs. Cincinnati
When, where: Today, 8 p.m., at FedExForum
TV, radio: ESPN, WREC-AM (600)
Bearcats struggling in expanded Big East
By Dan Wolken
January 4, 2007
When the news came in September 2003 that the Big East had chosen to invite Cincinnati, Louisville, Marquette, South Florida and DePaul, leaving the University of Memphis in a depleted Conference USA, the outrage was shared among nearly everyone in the Tigers' universe, from the most casual fans to athletic director R.C. Johnson.
Coach John Calipari shrugged his shoulders.
"Things happen for a reason," Calipari said at the time. "I wasn't as hyped up (about the Big East) as some others."
More than three years later, there is an undercurrent of frustration within the UofM's athletic department at the state of C-USA, especially with regard to basketball. At the same time, of the eight programs that split for either the Big East, Atlantic 10 or Mountain West, only one -- Marquette -- is thriving.
The rest -- including Cincinnati, which visits FedExForum tonight -- have struggled to maintain the level they reached in the old league.
Cincinnati's move to the Big East, of course, has coincided with a rebuilding effort following the dismissal of Bob Huggins and then interim coach Andy Kennedy, who's now at Ole Miss.
Mick Cronin, who took over the program last March and has guided the team to a 9-4 record, said he feels good about the program's long-term future in the Big East.
"I think it's the best basketball league ever assembled," Cronin said. "That makes it tough to win in, but it helps recruiting, no question about that. Kids want to go to the best conference, and in kids' minds, the Big East is the best league.
"For the betterment of our program as well as our school and athletic department, we're better off where we're at for a multitude of reasons."
On one hand, things seem to be better than ever in the Big East, which thrived in football this season -- Cincinnati is playing in the International Bowl on Saturday -- and sent eight teams to last year's NCAA Tournament.
But the logistics of a 16-team behemoth basketball conference have been difficult to navigate, especially in forming an equitable conference schedule and workable conference tournament format.
And bubbling below the surface is the idea that the Big East is simply too big and too tough; with powerful programs like Connecticut, Villanova, Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Georgetown at the top, simply getting into the upper division is harder than ever. And next year, it will be even tougher, with teams playing 18 league games instead of 16.
Last year's Cincinnati team was a classic example of the conference's strength cutting in both directions. Though the Bearcats' 8-8 Big East record was mostly lauded, they still finished in eighth place and weren't invited to the NCAAs.
That begs the question, how does a coach explain that an eighth-place conference finish constitutes a good year? Or better yet, how long will Big East programs stand for it?
Cronin said he doesn't envision another shift anytime soon.
"From my one time going to the league meetings, everybody was elated with the first year," he said. "If you look at the football side, that only strengthens the situation
"Our fans are pretty knowledgeable. Somebody could finish sixth in our league and go to the Final Four. That's the type of league we have. It's an adjustment for most fans that just haven't been around that."
Cincinnati isn't the only former C-USA program going through tough times. Louisville and DePaul missed the NCAAs last year and have struggled to start this season. And South Florida was out of its element in the Big East, finishing 1-15 last year.
Charlotte, which was one of C-USA's most consistent winners, has struggled since joining the A-10 and enters conference play 6-6. TCU finished last in its first Mountain West season.
Meanwhile, as Calipari is happy to point out, Memphis' first year in the reconfigured C-USA yielded the program's first-ever No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. This year, the Tigers are again in the top 25, currently ranked No. 22. And just two months ago, Calipari signed point guard Derrick Rose, the highest-rated player he's ever recruited.
"My comment at the time was, be careful what you wish for," Calipari said. "As long as we're national, as long as we're on national television and as long as it hasn't affected recruiting -- and it hasn't -- the only reason we're in a league is to give us a schedule in January and February.
"If I had to do the whole schedule myself, it would be hard. But they give me a January and February schedule, and then we're preparing for the highest seed we can possibly get to advance as far as we can. The higher your seed, the farther you normally advance."
-- Dan Wolken: 529-2365
--------------------
No. 22 Tigers vs. Cincinnati
When, where: Today, 8 p.m., at FedExForum
TV, radio: ESPN, WREC-AM (600)
Official Boxscore, #22 Memphis 88, Cincinnati 55
Official Basketball Box Score -- GAME TOTALS -- FINAL STATISTICS
Cincinnati vs Memphis
01/04/07 8:00 pm at Memphis, Tenn. (FedExForum)
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VISITORS: Cincinnati 9-5
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
10 SIKES, Marcus....... f 2-7 2-5 0-2 0 1 1 4 6 3 1 1 1 33
30 McGOWAN, Cedric..... f 7-9 2-2 4-4 3 3 6 3 20 0 1 0 0 31
45 WILLIAMSON, John.... f 4-13 0-1 3-5 6 0 6 4 11 0 3 0 3 32
05 VAUGHN, Deonta...... g 3-7 1-2 1-1 0 3 3 4 8 0 2 0 3 24
33 WARREN, Jamual...... g 3-10 0-1 0-1 0 4 4 2 6 3 3 0 1 25
01 GENTRY, Marvin...... 1-7 0-1 0-0 1 0 1 2 2 3 3 0 0 24
03 CROWELL, Timmy...... 1-3 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 16
20 MILLER, Branden..... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 15
TEAM................ 1 1 2
Totals.............. 21-56 5-13 8-13 11 12 23 20 55 9 14 1 9 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 9-30 30.0% 2nd Half: 12-26 46.2% Game: 37.5% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 2-8 25.0% 2nd Half: 3-5 60.0% Game: 38.5% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 3-6 50.0% 2nd Half: 5-7 71.4% Game: 61.5% 1
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HOME TEAM: Memphis 11-3
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
02 Dozier, Robert...... f 5-7 0-0 3-3 5 3 8 5 13 1 1 1 0 21
32 Dorsey, Joey........ f 3-3 0-0 0-2 2 8 10 0 6 1 4 5 1 27
01 Kemp, Willie........ g 7-10 6-9 1-2 1 1 2 2 21 2 2 0 0 24
12 Anderson, Antonio... g 2-3 0-1 2-4 0 5 5 0 6 6 0 0 2 27
14 DOUGLAS-ROBERTS, C.. g 3-6 0-2 0-0 0 1 1 2 6 1 1 0 1 17
00 Wade, Clyde......... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 4
03 Willis, Tre'Von..... 1-2 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 0 2 0 1 0 0 4
04 Niles, Pierre....... 1-1 0-0 0-0 1 1 2 0 2 0 1 0 0 4
05 Hunt, Jeremy........ 7-8 6-7 4-4 3 2 5 1 24 0 0 0 0 24
15 Allen, Andre........ 1-5 0-3 1-2 1 1 2 3 3 3 3 0 0 13
20 Mack, Doneal........ 2-6 0-4 1-1 0 0 0 2 5 2 0 2 1 19
42 Cooper, Kareem...... 0-3 0-1 0-0 0 3 3 1 0 1 3 2 0 16
TEAM................ 1 1 2
Totals.............. 32-54 12-28 12-18 14 28 42 16 88 17 16 10 5 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 20-33 60.6% 2nd Half: 12-21 57.1% Game: 59.3% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 9-19 47.4% 2nd Half: 3-9 33.3% Game: 42.9% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 5-7 71.4% 2nd Half: 7-11 63.6% Game: 66.7% 2
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Officials: Ted Hillary, Jim Burr, Tim Higgins
Technical fouls: Cincinnati-None. Memphis-None.
Attendance: 16223
Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total
Cincinnati.................... 23 32 - 55
Memphis....................... 54 34 - 88
Points in the paint-CIN 24,MEM 36. Points off turnovers-CIN 9,MEM 17.
2nd chance points-CIN 12,MEM 14. Fast break points-CIN 2,MEM 14.
Bench points-CIN 4,MEM 36. Score tied-0 times. Lead changed-0 times.
Last FG-CIN 2nd-00:57, MEM 2nd-00:26.
Largest lead-CIN None, MEM by 39 2nd-08:15.
Cincinnati vs Memphis
01/04/07 8:00 pm at Memphis, Tenn. (FedExForum)
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VISITORS: Cincinnati 9-5
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
10 SIKES, Marcus....... f 2-7 2-5 0-2 0 1 1 4 6 3 1 1 1 33
30 McGOWAN, Cedric..... f 7-9 2-2 4-4 3 3 6 3 20 0 1 0 0 31
45 WILLIAMSON, John.... f 4-13 0-1 3-5 6 0 6 4 11 0 3 0 3 32
05 VAUGHN, Deonta...... g 3-7 1-2 1-1 0 3 3 4 8 0 2 0 3 24
33 WARREN, Jamual...... g 3-10 0-1 0-1 0 4 4 2 6 3 3 0 1 25
01 GENTRY, Marvin...... 1-7 0-1 0-0 1 0 1 2 2 3 3 0 0 24
03 CROWELL, Timmy...... 1-3 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 16
20 MILLER, Branden..... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 15
TEAM................ 1 1 2
Totals.............. 21-56 5-13 8-13 11 12 23 20 55 9 14 1 9 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 9-30 30.0% 2nd Half: 12-26 46.2% Game: 37.5% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 2-8 25.0% 2nd Half: 3-5 60.0% Game: 38.5% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 3-6 50.0% 2nd Half: 5-7 71.4% Game: 61.5% 1
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HOME TEAM: Memphis 11-3
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
02 Dozier, Robert...... f 5-7 0-0 3-3 5 3 8 5 13 1 1 1 0 21
32 Dorsey, Joey........ f 3-3 0-0 0-2 2 8 10 0 6 1 4 5 1 27
01 Kemp, Willie........ g 7-10 6-9 1-2 1 1 2 2 21 2 2 0 0 24
12 Anderson, Antonio... g 2-3 0-1 2-4 0 5 5 0 6 6 0 0 2 27
14 DOUGLAS-ROBERTS, C.. g 3-6 0-2 0-0 0 1 1 2 6 1 1 0 1 17
00 Wade, Clyde......... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 4
03 Willis, Tre'Von..... 1-2 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 0 2 0 1 0 0 4
04 Niles, Pierre....... 1-1 0-0 0-0 1 1 2 0 2 0 1 0 0 4
05 Hunt, Jeremy........ 7-8 6-7 4-4 3 2 5 1 24 0 0 0 0 24
15 Allen, Andre........ 1-5 0-3 1-2 1 1 2 3 3 3 3 0 0 13
20 Mack, Doneal........ 2-6 0-4 1-1 0 0 0 2 5 2 0 2 1 19
42 Cooper, Kareem...... 0-3 0-1 0-0 0 3 3 1 0 1 3 2 0 16
TEAM................ 1 1 2
Totals.............. 32-54 12-28 12-18 14 28 42 16 88 17 16 10 5 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 20-33 60.6% 2nd Half: 12-21 57.1% Game: 59.3% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 9-19 47.4% 2nd Half: 3-9 33.3% Game: 42.9% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 5-7 71.4% 2nd Half: 7-11 63.6% Game: 66.7% 2
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Officials: Ted Hillary, Jim Burr, Tim Higgins
Technical fouls: Cincinnati-None. Memphis-None.
Attendance: 16223
Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total
Cincinnati.................... 23 32 - 55
Memphis....................... 54 34 - 88
Points in the paint-CIN 24,MEM 36. Points off turnovers-CIN 9,MEM 17.
2nd chance points-CIN 12,MEM 14. Fast break points-CIN 2,MEM 14.
Bench points-CIN 4,MEM 36. Score tied-0 times. Lead changed-0 times.
Last FG-CIN 2nd-00:57, MEM 2nd-00:26.
Largest lead-CIN None, MEM by 39 2nd-08:15.
#22 Memphis Dominates Cincinnati 88-55
No. 22 Memphis Dominates Cincinnati 88-55
Tigers improve to 11-3
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -Memphis coach John Calipari wants his 22nd-ranked Tigers to understand that the way they practice carries over to games.
The practices must have been very good leading up to Thursday night's 88-55 victory over Cincinnati.
"What happened in practice carried over which is the most important thing," Calipari said. "What I put on the board was: 'Perfect practice makes perfect.' What we had done practicing defensively was what you saw. That may have been the best defensive performance, where we covered for each other, since I've been here."
Senior Jeremy Hunt matched his career-high with 24 points, and freshman Willie Kemp added 21 to lead Memphis. Hunt and Kemp combined to go 12-of-16 from 3-point range for the Tigers (11-3), who won their third straight.
"If they shot the ball like that, we weren't going to be able to win," Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin said. "The worst nightmare happened. They made every shot to start the game."
Robert Dozier had 13 points for the Tigers, who scored the game's first 11 points and were up 31 at halftime. Dozier also had eight rebounds, including five offensive. Joey Dorsey had 10 rebounds and five blocks for the Tigers.
Memphis shot over 60 percent from the field for a good portion of the game and finished hitting 43 percent from 3-point range.
Cedric McGowan led Cincinnati (9-5) with 20 points, while John Williamson added 11.
The game was the Bearcats' first on an opponent's home floor as their other road games were on neutral courts.
"It's tough when you're down like that," Cronin said. "This was the first time on a real road game, and these guys were going through something like that. We got shell-shocked."
Memphis entered the game with an 8-0 record at home and no team had threatened to break the streak this season. All the wins were by double digits, and the average margin was 24.6 points. But those victories came against teams like Jackson State, Arkansas State, Lamar and Middle Tennessee.
Despite its tradition and Big East affiliation, Cincinnati quickly fell into the same category. The victory was the largest in the 65 games between the schools which used to share membership in conferences like the Missouri Valley, Metro, Great Midwest and Conference USA.
"And against a rivalry team," Hunt said emphasizing the satisfaction. "It makes a big difference. It's pretty much an exclamation point. It shows everybody that we're not backing down just because of the name on the jersey."
Memphis got out of the blocks quickly behind the 3-point shooting of Kemp and Hunt. They were a combined 9-of-11 outside the arc in the first half. Kemp led Memphis with 15 points while Hunt had 14 as the Tigers took a 54-23 halftime lead.
"(Hunt) knew because of how he practiced that he was making shots," Calipari said. "Every time it left his hand, everybody in the building thought it was down. He's (practiced) that way all week."
The early 3-point shooting contributed to Memphis connecting on 61 percent of its shots in the first half. The shooting also led to the Bearcats abandoning their zone defense after Hunt hit all four of his 3-pointers from the left wing near the 12-minute mark of the first half.
The 54 points matched Memphis' season-high in the first half.
"When we come out and play hard and jump on a team like that, teams start backing down," Kemp said.
McGowan had 11 points for the Bearcats, but despite hitting all of but one of his five first-half shots, Cincinnati shot 30 percent for the half. The Bearcats shot 38 percent for the game.
Memphis led by as many as 39 points, and Calipari again emphasized that it was the result of going hard in practice, even in the pregame shootaround.
"It doesn't guarantee you're going to play great," Calipari said of practicing hard, "but doing the other guarantees you're playing poorly."
Tigers improve to 11-3
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -Memphis coach John Calipari wants his 22nd-ranked Tigers to understand that the way they practice carries over to games.
The practices must have been very good leading up to Thursday night's 88-55 victory over Cincinnati.
"What happened in practice carried over which is the most important thing," Calipari said. "What I put on the board was: 'Perfect practice makes perfect.' What we had done practicing defensively was what you saw. That may have been the best defensive performance, where we covered for each other, since I've been here."
Senior Jeremy Hunt matched his career-high with 24 points, and freshman Willie Kemp added 21 to lead Memphis. Hunt and Kemp combined to go 12-of-16 from 3-point range for the Tigers (11-3), who won their third straight.
"If they shot the ball like that, we weren't going to be able to win," Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin said. "The worst nightmare happened. They made every shot to start the game."
Robert Dozier had 13 points for the Tigers, who scored the game's first 11 points and were up 31 at halftime. Dozier also had eight rebounds, including five offensive. Joey Dorsey had 10 rebounds and five blocks for the Tigers.
Memphis shot over 60 percent from the field for a good portion of the game and finished hitting 43 percent from 3-point range.
Cedric McGowan led Cincinnati (9-5) with 20 points, while John Williamson added 11.
The game was the Bearcats' first on an opponent's home floor as their other road games were on neutral courts.
"It's tough when you're down like that," Cronin said. "This was the first time on a real road game, and these guys were going through something like that. We got shell-shocked."
Memphis entered the game with an 8-0 record at home and no team had threatened to break the streak this season. All the wins were by double digits, and the average margin was 24.6 points. But those victories came against teams like Jackson State, Arkansas State, Lamar and Middle Tennessee.
Despite its tradition and Big East affiliation, Cincinnati quickly fell into the same category. The victory was the largest in the 65 games between the schools which used to share membership in conferences like the Missouri Valley, Metro, Great Midwest and Conference USA.
"And against a rivalry team," Hunt said emphasizing the satisfaction. "It makes a big difference. It's pretty much an exclamation point. It shows everybody that we're not backing down just because of the name on the jersey."
Memphis got out of the blocks quickly behind the 3-point shooting of Kemp and Hunt. They were a combined 9-of-11 outside the arc in the first half. Kemp led Memphis with 15 points while Hunt had 14 as the Tigers took a 54-23 halftime lead.
"(Hunt) knew because of how he practiced that he was making shots," Calipari said. "Every time it left his hand, everybody in the building thought it was down. He's (practiced) that way all week."
The early 3-point shooting contributed to Memphis connecting on 61 percent of its shots in the first half. The shooting also led to the Bearcats abandoning their zone defense after Hunt hit all four of his 3-pointers from the left wing near the 12-minute mark of the first half.
The 54 points matched Memphis' season-high in the first half.
"When we come out and play hard and jump on a team like that, teams start backing down," Kemp said.
McGowan had 11 points for the Bearcats, but despite hitting all of but one of his five first-half shots, Cincinnati shot 30 percent for the half. The Bearcats shot 38 percent for the game.
Memphis led by as many as 39 points, and Calipari again emphasized that it was the result of going hard in practice, even in the pregame shootaround.
"It doesn't guarantee you're going to play great," Calipari said of practicing hard, "but doing the other guarantees you're playing poorly."
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
My Tiger MVP So Far This Season
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It was interesting to read other people's opinion on who or even if the Tigers have an MVP on this team.
I'm an analytical guy, so I tend to look at the numbers a lot (the science), but I also think you have to watch how a guy leads his team, makes smart, heads-up plays, provides energy or a spark when the team needs it (the art).
The obviously selections are either CDR or Jeremy Hunt. Noone else is really even close. To me a very distant 3rd would be Antonio Anderson, but I personally think he is having a sub-par year. Dozier might even be ahead of Anderson (but I'm still so disturbed that Robert was Missing In Action in Tucson for the Arizona game).
Anyway, to me the race between CDR and Jeremy is so close that it seems like a virtual tie. But, I'll go ahead and give my vote to Jeremy for the first 13 games of the season.
CDR leads in minutes 28.2 vs. 22.9, but that is understandable since Jeremy is the Tiger's 6th man. Once you time adjust all of the statistics, it appears to give Jeremy a slight edge over CDR and I believe Jeremy provides leadership, energy, intensity and better defense than sophomore CDR.
CDR leads in FG% 55.2% vs. 44.0%, but Jeremy is first on the team in 3 point FG% at 38.2% (29 3's). FT% edge goes to CDR 70.4% vs. 66.7%, Rebounds goes to CDR 4.6/rpg vs. 3.2/rpg, Assists are basically a tie, CDR 27, Hunt 25, but with less minutes. Turnovers are tied 21 to 21, but again CDR has played 69 more minutes. Blocks are even 6 to 5. Jeremy Hunt leads in steals 22 to 11. CDR leads in points per game, 15.8 vs. 13.0.
Rebounding Is the Tiger Crystal Ball
Telling statistic
When Memphis outrebounds their opponent they are 9-0,
When Memphis is outrebounded, they are 0-3
When it is tied they are 1-0
Tigers #7 in Total Defense, #17 Overall
Per Ken Pomeroy's (www.kenpom.com) January 2nd rankings the Tigers rank #7 in total defense and #17 overall. The Tigers are #64 in offense.
Defensive Top 10 (Overall Rank)
1. Duke (5)
2. Oklahoma (18)
3. Texas A&M (1)
4. Connecticut (6)
5. Kansas (8)
6. Maryland (15)
7. Memphis (17)
8. UCLA (3)
9. West Virginia (10)
10. North Carolina (2)
Defensive Top 10 (Overall Rank)
1. Duke (5)
2. Oklahoma (18)
3. Texas A&M (1)
4. Connecticut (6)
5. Kansas (8)
6. Maryland (15)
7. Memphis (17)
8. UCLA (3)
9. West Virginia (10)
10. North Carolina (2)
C-USA Conference Performance
Marshall (RPI #186) posted their second straight victory over a lower rated RPI team defeating Ohio (#68) tonight. Over the weekend, Marshall upset Virginia Tech (#64). Look for Marshall to move down in the RPI after tonight. Also hope for a victory when the Thundering Herd go to Washington, D.C. this weekend to take on George Washington (#92).
Unfortunately on this night, Houston (#118) lost to Kentucky (#7) and Central Florida (#137) was beat by lowly Colorado (#289)
Larry Finch Appreciation Night Set for Thursday vs. Cincinnati
Larry Finch Appreciation Night Is Set For Thursday January 4th Against Cincinnati
The University of Memphis Athletic Department is dedicating the Tigers’ Jan. 4 basketball game against the University of Cincinnati as “Larry Finch Appreciation Night.” Finch, who starred as a player for the Tigers in the 1970s and later served as an assistant coach and head coach for Memphis from 1979 to 1997, has been disabled by a series of strokes and a heart attack and continues to undergo extensive rehabilitation.
“Larry Finch has given so much to this University throughout his life and we want to make sure that we do everything possible in order for him to continue his recovery process,” said Tiger Athletic Director R.C. Johnson. “Larry was a battler on the court as a player and a coach and we know he will keep battling to regain his health. All Tigers everywhere wish him a continued and speedy recovery.”
Pledge cards will be handed out to those in attendance at Thursday night’s game against the Bearcats. Tiger fans will be asked go give whatever donation they can to the Friends of Larry Finch Foundation and return the pledge card to drop-boxes as they leave FedExForum. No cash donations will be accepted. In addition, Champion Awards, the Tigers’ official merchandiser of licensed products, has produced replica Larry Finch jerseys that will be sold at the Champion Award kiosks inside FedExForum. The jerseys will be sold for $100 each with all of the proceeds going to the Finch Foundation.
Champion Awards will also continue to sell the recently produced Memphis music CD recorded in honor of Finch. Eye of the Tiger: A Tribute to Larry Finch was produced by Select-O-Hits president Johnny Phillips and features such artists as Al Green, the Bo-Keys, John Kilzer, Al Kapone and Jimi Jamison. All proceeds from the CD go directly to the foundation.
The University of Memphis Athletic Department is dedicating the Tigers’ Jan. 4 basketball game against the University of Cincinnati as “Larry Finch Appreciation Night.” Finch, who starred as a player for the Tigers in the 1970s and later served as an assistant coach and head coach for Memphis from 1979 to 1997, has been disabled by a series of strokes and a heart attack and continues to undergo extensive rehabilitation.
“Larry Finch has given so much to this University throughout his life and we want to make sure that we do everything possible in order for him to continue his recovery process,” said Tiger Athletic Director R.C. Johnson. “Larry was a battler on the court as a player and a coach and we know he will keep battling to regain his health. All Tigers everywhere wish him a continued and speedy recovery.”
Pledge cards will be handed out to those in attendance at Thursday night’s game against the Bearcats. Tiger fans will be asked go give whatever donation they can to the Friends of Larry Finch Foundation and return the pledge card to drop-boxes as they leave FedExForum. No cash donations will be accepted. In addition, Champion Awards, the Tigers’ official merchandiser of licensed products, has produced replica Larry Finch jerseys that will be sold at the Champion Award kiosks inside FedExForum. The jerseys will be sold for $100 each with all of the proceeds going to the Finch Foundation.
Champion Awards will also continue to sell the recently produced Memphis music CD recorded in honor of Finch. Eye of the Tiger: A Tribute to Larry Finch was produced by Select-O-Hits president Johnny Phillips and features such artists as Al Green, the Bo-Keys, John Kilzer, Al Kapone and Jimi Jamison. All proceeds from the CD go directly to the foundation.
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
SI.com's Seth Davis' Stock Report: Who to Buy and Sell
Stock Report
Who to buy and sell? We have all the answers
Posted: Tuesday January 2, 2007 3:59PM; Updated: Tuesday January 2, 2007 5:14PM
Happy New Year, Hoopheads. As we all know, the new year signifies a new season in college hoops as conference play finally gets underway. That means teams are going to have to board real buses and airplanes to play real games against real teams.
So it is my pleasure to once again issue my fourth annual turn-of-the-calendar reality check for college basketball in a Stock Report. My purpose here is not to rank the teams or figure out who will go furthest into March. Instead, I have assessed the current value of 20 teams as reflected in their records, rankings and standing in the mysterious land of conventional wisdom. Then I have projected whether those values will rise, fall or hold steady for the foreseeable future. In other words, just because I rate one team a Buy and another team a Sell does not mean that I think the first team is better than the second. It's all relative in this market.
Here, then, is my report (no need to send me commissions):
Arizona: Buy
Everything is falling into place for the Wildcats to make a legitimate run at the national championship. Chase Budinger is as good as advertised, and don't look now but Mustafa Shakur is demonstrating a deft shooting touch (53.1 percent from the floor and 42.3 percent from three, up from 42.3 and 33.3 as a junior). I also think J.P. Prince's decision to transfer eliminates a potential chemistry problem. Some people might see Zona's lack of depth as a concern, but that will be only be a problem if someone else gets into foul trouble, gets injured or falls ill. If you can only watch two more games this season, I'd recommend both meetings between Arizona and UCLA.
Clemson: Sell
I'd think even the most diehard Tigers fans would have to agree with me on this one. Clemson does have some decent wins during its 14-0 start, including a four-point victory at Old Dominion and a 15-point home win over a pretty good Georgia squad, but what have the Tigers done to merit Top 25 consideration (23rd in the AP poll, 18th in the coaches poll). Perhaps Clemson will prove me wrong and go on a tear in the ACC, but if the Tigers don't, their non-conference slate is so weak that even a .500 record in the ACC won't guarantee an NCAA bid. Clemson is very athletic and has an emerging player in vastly improved sophomore swingman K.C. Rivers, but with three of its first four ACC games on the road and home games against Georgia Tech, North Carolina and Boston College coming up, Clemson could very well be 3-5 in the ACC midway through conference play.
Duke: Sell
With just one junior and no seniors, this is the youngest Duke team since World War II, so you have to give the Blue Devils credit for making it this far with just one loss. But if you've followed them closely, do you really believe this is the fifth-best team in the country? Greg Paulus played the best game of his career against Gonzaga and Josh McRoberts seems to be realizing he needs to play more like a center than a shooting guard, but this young group will certainly stumble once it gets into the teeth of ACC play. If last year's J.J. Redick-Shelden Williams-led group couldn't get past the Sweet 16, it's hard to imagine this one will.
Florida: Buy
When evaluating the Gators, you have to keep your eye on the big picture. They might struggle in tough road environments like Florida State or take too long to wake up and beat weaker foes like UAB. But as they showed in dismantling Ohio State, the Gators know how to play their best when their best is required (as John Wooden likes to say). This is still the best passing team in the country, so the only question from game to game is how healthy they are, how inspired they are defensively and how effectively Taurean Green, Lee Humphrey and Walter Hodge shoot from the outside. While I expect Florida to lose a few more games and possibly fail to win the SEC tournament, this team will still be on the short list of championship favorites come March.
Gonzaga: Hold
The Zags have now lost four of their last five games and have fallen out of the rankings. How much further can they fall, though? They will probably go undefeated again in a weak West Coast Conference, though the flip side is it will be hard to notch any noticeable wins and thus climb back into the Top 25. (The one exception comes Feb. 17, when Gonzaga hosts Memphis.)
Kansas: Buy
With a lethal combination of talent and experience, Brandon Rush and Kansas are an overwhelming favorite to repeat as Big 12 champion. It seems like every time I say or write something positive about the Jayhawks, they go out and lose to a team they should beat. (You may want to buy short on South Carolina before it hosts KU this weekend.) But remember that Kansas also started off slow last season before getting hot and surging to the Big 12 title, so it's logical to guess the same thing is about to happen -- especially with the league having a bit of a down year. I still think this Jayhawks team has the best combination of talent and experience in the country, and as long as Brandon Rush doesn't have another protracted cold shooting spell, the wins will keep on coming.
Maryland: Sell
Even though the Terps aren't ranked in the Top 25, they are off to a 13-2 start and won the NIT tipoff tournament, so I sense people think of them as a squad ready to challenge North Carolina for the ACC championship. But I see Maryland's early success as a product of its athleticism and defense being ahead of other teams' offenses early in the season. As the Terps get into league play, their difficulty scoring in the halfcourt and propensity to turn the ball over will hurt them. The league schedule favors Maryland at the start, so if you want to hold onto this stock for another week or two, be my guest. Just be ready to pull the trigger at a moment's notice.
Memphis: Buy
The Tigers have had a pretty rough start to the season, blowing a big first-half lead against Georgia Tech in Maui and getting embarrassed by 18 points to their cross-state rivals in Knoxville. But they're starting to show the progress you'd expect from such a young team. (I especially like the steady improvement of 6-foot-11 sophomore Kareem Cooper.) Given how down Conference USA is right now, Memphis might not lose a game in league play. If that's the case, they could go into the NCAA tournament with only five losses and earn a high seed.
Michigan State: Sell
Few coaches can get more out of what they have than Tom Izzo, but the rubber is about to seriously burn the pavement in East Lansing. Despite losing a ton of talent from last year and suffering injuries to two of its top four scorers (freshman forward Raymar Morgan and sophomore guard Maurice Joseph), the Spartans are 13-2 and ranked 24th in the coaches' poll. Yet, outside of a two-point victory over an extremely young Texas team playing its third game, Michigan State does not have a single quality win. It will be a lot harder for this team to score points against other Big Ten teams, and defensively the Spartans will really miss Matt Trannon, the football player who opted not to come out for hoops this year.
Nevada: Buy
The Wolf Pack are 12-1 and just knocked off Gonzaga in Seattle on Saturday, yet they're only 21st in the AP poll. (The coaches have this one right for once, putting Nevada at No. 15.) I suppose Nevada's lack of national TV exposure will make it hard for this team to generate a lot of buzz until the tournament, but make no mistake -- this is a veteran, talented squad, anchored by (but not limited to) 6-11 senior forward Nick Fazekas, who is ranked first in the nation in rebounding (12.8 per game) and 22nd in scoring (20.6).
Oklahoma State: Hold
I like this team, but with the Cowboys 13-1 and ranked 12th in both polls, how much higher can they go? Their two best victories were a four-point win over a middling Syracuse team in Madison Square garden and a double overtime victory over Pittsburgh in Oklahoma City. To be sure, there's plenty of reason to believe the winning will continue. The Pokes play typical Suttonesque defense (though they are without one of their most athletic defenders, 6-5 freshman Obi Muonelo, who is out after having surgery on his leg). They are also very efficient on offense despite getting spotty production from sophomore point guard Byron Eaton. I don't see Oklahoma State losing games to teams it should beat, but I do wonder just how high its ceiling is. Next week's date at Kansas should give a pretty good indication.
Oregon: Sell
The Ducks are 13-0 for the first time in 69 years, they're ranked 16th and 17th in the writers and coaches' polls, respectively, and they play UCLA at home on Saturday. There may never be a better time to sell them off. Their lone impressive nonconference win came Nov. 29 at Georgetown. Otherwise, it's been mostly home dates with the likes of Lehigh, Bethune-Cookman and the mighty Mercer Bears. I still like this team to make the NCAA tournament, but with no interior defensive presence to speak of, you can expect plenty of tough nights in the resurgent Pac-10.
Pittsburgh: Buy
I liked Pittsburgh a lot at the start of the year, but this rating is more a reflection on the relative weakness of the Big East than on what the Panthers have shown thus far. They lost their only two tough road tests, including getting embarrassed at Wisconsin, and despite their reputation for playing suffocating defense they are only creating 5.1 steals per game. Still, Aaron Gray's size and poise will serve this team well in a conference where toughness in the paint is a must. I also like the offensive dimension East Carolina transfer Mike Cook has added to this team.
Syracuse: Sell
I like to Buy young teams that appear to be getting better, and Sell veteran teams that look like they're headed in the wrong direction. Demetris Nichols has been fabulous for the Orange, but Eric Devendorf, perhaps the team's most important player, has lost his starting position because of a long shooting slump. Freshman sensation Paul Harris is having trouble creating offense in the halfcourt, and I've given up on expecting Darryl Watkins and Terrence Roberts to be consistent inside scorers. The Orange have a great chance to improve their value against Pittsburgh in the Carrier Dome on Thursday night, but they do not look like a team poised to make a run at the Big East title.
Texas: Buy
Freshmen Kevin Durant and D.J. Augustin have been impressive, but fellow frosh Justin Mason has been the 'Horns' biggest surprise. This could be the easiest call on the board. If Texas had won at Tennessee instead of blowing a 17-point first-half lead and losing in overtime, its stock might reflect its real value. As it stands, the Longhorns remain unranked yet absolutely loaded with young talent that gets better with each game. You know about Kevin Durant and D.J. Augustin, but 6-2 freshman Justin Mason has been on a tear of late, averaging 13.5 points over his last four games. The Longhorns still need to develop more of an inside game, but they are doing a better job playing defense and getting to the foul line. They'll stub their toe here and there during Big 12 play, but believe me, nobody will want to play this team in the NCAA tournament.
Texas A&M: Buy
For a team currently ranked 11th in both polls, the Aggies don't seem to be generating much discussion. That's partly because they lost two games against highly-ranked teams (LSU and UCLA) and partly because they play a distinctly unglamorous style predicated on toughness and defense. But nobody played UCLA as well as the Aggies did, and they should be able to plow through the Big 12 without losing games they should win. If A&M can continue to get consistent outside shooting from sophomore guard Josh Carter, it will pose a serious threat to Kansas' hopes of winning the regular season league title.
UCLA: Buy
To give the No. 1 team in the country a Buy, I'd have to be saying they're a virtual shoo-in to reach the Final Four. That is what I'm saying. More than any other team in the country, the Bruins are capable of winning a game against a quality opponent in the NCAA tournament even when they're having an off night. Their only weakness is a lack of a Ryan Hollins-type big man, but if Arron Afflalo and Darren Collison keep shooting the way they have (51.5 percent combined, 43.6 percent from three-point range), it's hard to envision anyone preventing UCLA from getting to Atlanta.
UConn: Sell
As I said, I love to buy young teams this time of year, but I can't shake the nagging sense that this team is going to have a hard time growing up fast during Big East play. Even more than last year's veteran squad, these Huskies could have used some early road tests, but of course that is just not Jim Calhoun's scheduling philosophy. Freshman center Hasheem Thabeet is incredibly raw and susceptible to foul trouble. The best outside shooter, sophomore A.J. Price, is also the point guard. And as a team, UConn is ranked next to last in the Big East in free throw shooting (65.2 percent). I'm surprised UConn only dropped to 14th in the coaches' poll and 18th in the AP poll after its loss at West Virginia. I think the Huskies have much further to fall before beginning their rise.
Washington: Hold
My quibble with Washington isn't its youth. My larger concern is this team's dearth of playmaking scorers on the perimeter. The Huskies' best long-range shooter, Ryan Appleby, requires choreographed screens and sets to get open, and as a team they're committing almost 18 turnovers a game. I was tempted to rate them a Sell, but after opening league play with losses at USC and UCLA last weekend, I think this stock's value took a hit (20th coaches' poll, 24th AP) and is probably going to stay where it is for a while.
Wichita State: Buy
The Shockers are in the midst of a bubble-bursting four-game losing streak that has dropped them out of the rankings. You know what that means: Scoop 'em up! Perhaps they were overvalued as a top-10 team, but I do think they expended a lot of emotional energy starting off 9-0 against a difficult schedule, and that has caught up with them. (Also keep in mind that Wichita State's most important player, P.J. Cousinard, did not play during the loss to New Mexico because of a stomach virus.) The Shockers are a good shooting team, but if they're not making outside shots they don't have a great Plan B. Still, they will be toughened during conference play and will be at least as well-prepared for the NCAA tournament as last year's Sweet 16 crew was.
Five stocks to dump (if you haven't already)
Utah
Iona
Rutgers
Minnesota
Arizona State
Five sleeper stocks
Georgia
Drexel
Southern Illinois
USC
UNLV
Who to buy and sell? We have all the answers
Posted: Tuesday January 2, 2007 3:59PM; Updated: Tuesday January 2, 2007 5:14PM
Happy New Year, Hoopheads. As we all know, the new year signifies a new season in college hoops as conference play finally gets underway. That means teams are going to have to board real buses and airplanes to play real games against real teams.
So it is my pleasure to once again issue my fourth annual turn-of-the-calendar reality check for college basketball in a Stock Report. My purpose here is not to rank the teams or figure out who will go furthest into March. Instead, I have assessed the current value of 20 teams as reflected in their records, rankings and standing in the mysterious land of conventional wisdom. Then I have projected whether those values will rise, fall or hold steady for the foreseeable future. In other words, just because I rate one team a Buy and another team a Sell does not mean that I think the first team is better than the second. It's all relative in this market.
Here, then, is my report (no need to send me commissions):
Arizona: Buy
Everything is falling into place for the Wildcats to make a legitimate run at the national championship. Chase Budinger is as good as advertised, and don't look now but Mustafa Shakur is demonstrating a deft shooting touch (53.1 percent from the floor and 42.3 percent from three, up from 42.3 and 33.3 as a junior). I also think J.P. Prince's decision to transfer eliminates a potential chemistry problem. Some people might see Zona's lack of depth as a concern, but that will be only be a problem if someone else gets into foul trouble, gets injured or falls ill. If you can only watch two more games this season, I'd recommend both meetings between Arizona and UCLA.
Clemson: Sell
I'd think even the most diehard Tigers fans would have to agree with me on this one. Clemson does have some decent wins during its 14-0 start, including a four-point victory at Old Dominion and a 15-point home win over a pretty good Georgia squad, but what have the Tigers done to merit Top 25 consideration (23rd in the AP poll, 18th in the coaches poll). Perhaps Clemson will prove me wrong and go on a tear in the ACC, but if the Tigers don't, their non-conference slate is so weak that even a .500 record in the ACC won't guarantee an NCAA bid. Clemson is very athletic and has an emerging player in vastly improved sophomore swingman K.C. Rivers, but with three of its first four ACC games on the road and home games against Georgia Tech, North Carolina and Boston College coming up, Clemson could very well be 3-5 in the ACC midway through conference play.
Duke: Sell
With just one junior and no seniors, this is the youngest Duke team since World War II, so you have to give the Blue Devils credit for making it this far with just one loss. But if you've followed them closely, do you really believe this is the fifth-best team in the country? Greg Paulus played the best game of his career against Gonzaga and Josh McRoberts seems to be realizing he needs to play more like a center than a shooting guard, but this young group will certainly stumble once it gets into the teeth of ACC play. If last year's J.J. Redick-Shelden Williams-led group couldn't get past the Sweet 16, it's hard to imagine this one will.
Florida: Buy
When evaluating the Gators, you have to keep your eye on the big picture. They might struggle in tough road environments like Florida State or take too long to wake up and beat weaker foes like UAB. But as they showed in dismantling Ohio State, the Gators know how to play their best when their best is required (as John Wooden likes to say). This is still the best passing team in the country, so the only question from game to game is how healthy they are, how inspired they are defensively and how effectively Taurean Green, Lee Humphrey and Walter Hodge shoot from the outside. While I expect Florida to lose a few more games and possibly fail to win the SEC tournament, this team will still be on the short list of championship favorites come March.
Gonzaga: Hold
The Zags have now lost four of their last five games and have fallen out of the rankings. How much further can they fall, though? They will probably go undefeated again in a weak West Coast Conference, though the flip side is it will be hard to notch any noticeable wins and thus climb back into the Top 25. (The one exception comes Feb. 17, when Gonzaga hosts Memphis.)
Kansas: Buy
With a lethal combination of talent and experience, Brandon Rush and Kansas are an overwhelming favorite to repeat as Big 12 champion. It seems like every time I say or write something positive about the Jayhawks, they go out and lose to a team they should beat. (You may want to buy short on South Carolina before it hosts KU this weekend.) But remember that Kansas also started off slow last season before getting hot and surging to the Big 12 title, so it's logical to guess the same thing is about to happen -- especially with the league having a bit of a down year. I still think this Jayhawks team has the best combination of talent and experience in the country, and as long as Brandon Rush doesn't have another protracted cold shooting spell, the wins will keep on coming.
Maryland: Sell
Even though the Terps aren't ranked in the Top 25, they are off to a 13-2 start and won the NIT tipoff tournament, so I sense people think of them as a squad ready to challenge North Carolina for the ACC championship. But I see Maryland's early success as a product of its athleticism and defense being ahead of other teams' offenses early in the season. As the Terps get into league play, their difficulty scoring in the halfcourt and propensity to turn the ball over will hurt them. The league schedule favors Maryland at the start, so if you want to hold onto this stock for another week or two, be my guest. Just be ready to pull the trigger at a moment's notice.
Memphis: Buy
The Tigers have had a pretty rough start to the season, blowing a big first-half lead against Georgia Tech in Maui and getting embarrassed by 18 points to their cross-state rivals in Knoxville. But they're starting to show the progress you'd expect from such a young team. (I especially like the steady improvement of 6-foot-11 sophomore Kareem Cooper.) Given how down Conference USA is right now, Memphis might not lose a game in league play. If that's the case, they could go into the NCAA tournament with only five losses and earn a high seed.
Michigan State: Sell
Few coaches can get more out of what they have than Tom Izzo, but the rubber is about to seriously burn the pavement in East Lansing. Despite losing a ton of talent from last year and suffering injuries to two of its top four scorers (freshman forward Raymar Morgan and sophomore guard Maurice Joseph), the Spartans are 13-2 and ranked 24th in the coaches' poll. Yet, outside of a two-point victory over an extremely young Texas team playing its third game, Michigan State does not have a single quality win. It will be a lot harder for this team to score points against other Big Ten teams, and defensively the Spartans will really miss Matt Trannon, the football player who opted not to come out for hoops this year.
Nevada: Buy
The Wolf Pack are 12-1 and just knocked off Gonzaga in Seattle on Saturday, yet they're only 21st in the AP poll. (The coaches have this one right for once, putting Nevada at No. 15.) I suppose Nevada's lack of national TV exposure will make it hard for this team to generate a lot of buzz until the tournament, but make no mistake -- this is a veteran, talented squad, anchored by (but not limited to) 6-11 senior forward Nick Fazekas, who is ranked first in the nation in rebounding (12.8 per game) and 22nd in scoring (20.6).
Oklahoma State: Hold
I like this team, but with the Cowboys 13-1 and ranked 12th in both polls, how much higher can they go? Their two best victories were a four-point win over a middling Syracuse team in Madison Square garden and a double overtime victory over Pittsburgh in Oklahoma City. To be sure, there's plenty of reason to believe the winning will continue. The Pokes play typical Suttonesque defense (though they are without one of their most athletic defenders, 6-5 freshman Obi Muonelo, who is out after having surgery on his leg). They are also very efficient on offense despite getting spotty production from sophomore point guard Byron Eaton. I don't see Oklahoma State losing games to teams it should beat, but I do wonder just how high its ceiling is. Next week's date at Kansas should give a pretty good indication.
Oregon: Sell
The Ducks are 13-0 for the first time in 69 years, they're ranked 16th and 17th in the writers and coaches' polls, respectively, and they play UCLA at home on Saturday. There may never be a better time to sell them off. Their lone impressive nonconference win came Nov. 29 at Georgetown. Otherwise, it's been mostly home dates with the likes of Lehigh, Bethune-Cookman and the mighty Mercer Bears. I still like this team to make the NCAA tournament, but with no interior defensive presence to speak of, you can expect plenty of tough nights in the resurgent Pac-10.
Pittsburgh: Buy
I liked Pittsburgh a lot at the start of the year, but this rating is more a reflection on the relative weakness of the Big East than on what the Panthers have shown thus far. They lost their only two tough road tests, including getting embarrassed at Wisconsin, and despite their reputation for playing suffocating defense they are only creating 5.1 steals per game. Still, Aaron Gray's size and poise will serve this team well in a conference where toughness in the paint is a must. I also like the offensive dimension East Carolina transfer Mike Cook has added to this team.
Syracuse: Sell
I like to Buy young teams that appear to be getting better, and Sell veteran teams that look like they're headed in the wrong direction. Demetris Nichols has been fabulous for the Orange, but Eric Devendorf, perhaps the team's most important player, has lost his starting position because of a long shooting slump. Freshman sensation Paul Harris is having trouble creating offense in the halfcourt, and I've given up on expecting Darryl Watkins and Terrence Roberts to be consistent inside scorers. The Orange have a great chance to improve their value against Pittsburgh in the Carrier Dome on Thursday night, but they do not look like a team poised to make a run at the Big East title.
Texas: Buy
Freshmen Kevin Durant and D.J. Augustin have been impressive, but fellow frosh Justin Mason has been the 'Horns' biggest surprise. This could be the easiest call on the board. If Texas had won at Tennessee instead of blowing a 17-point first-half lead and losing in overtime, its stock might reflect its real value. As it stands, the Longhorns remain unranked yet absolutely loaded with young talent that gets better with each game. You know about Kevin Durant and D.J. Augustin, but 6-2 freshman Justin Mason has been on a tear of late, averaging 13.5 points over his last four games. The Longhorns still need to develop more of an inside game, but they are doing a better job playing defense and getting to the foul line. They'll stub their toe here and there during Big 12 play, but believe me, nobody will want to play this team in the NCAA tournament.
Texas A&M: Buy
For a team currently ranked 11th in both polls, the Aggies don't seem to be generating much discussion. That's partly because they lost two games against highly-ranked teams (LSU and UCLA) and partly because they play a distinctly unglamorous style predicated on toughness and defense. But nobody played UCLA as well as the Aggies did, and they should be able to plow through the Big 12 without losing games they should win. If A&M can continue to get consistent outside shooting from sophomore guard Josh Carter, it will pose a serious threat to Kansas' hopes of winning the regular season league title.
UCLA: Buy
To give the No. 1 team in the country a Buy, I'd have to be saying they're a virtual shoo-in to reach the Final Four. That is what I'm saying. More than any other team in the country, the Bruins are capable of winning a game against a quality opponent in the NCAA tournament even when they're having an off night. Their only weakness is a lack of a Ryan Hollins-type big man, but if Arron Afflalo and Darren Collison keep shooting the way they have (51.5 percent combined, 43.6 percent from three-point range), it's hard to envision anyone preventing UCLA from getting to Atlanta.
UConn: Sell
As I said, I love to buy young teams this time of year, but I can't shake the nagging sense that this team is going to have a hard time growing up fast during Big East play. Even more than last year's veteran squad, these Huskies could have used some early road tests, but of course that is just not Jim Calhoun's scheduling philosophy. Freshman center Hasheem Thabeet is incredibly raw and susceptible to foul trouble. The best outside shooter, sophomore A.J. Price, is also the point guard. And as a team, UConn is ranked next to last in the Big East in free throw shooting (65.2 percent). I'm surprised UConn only dropped to 14th in the coaches' poll and 18th in the AP poll after its loss at West Virginia. I think the Huskies have much further to fall before beginning their rise.
Washington: Hold
My quibble with Washington isn't its youth. My larger concern is this team's dearth of playmaking scorers on the perimeter. The Huskies' best long-range shooter, Ryan Appleby, requires choreographed screens and sets to get open, and as a team they're committing almost 18 turnovers a game. I was tempted to rate them a Sell, but after opening league play with losses at USC and UCLA last weekend, I think this stock's value took a hit (20th coaches' poll, 24th AP) and is probably going to stay where it is for a while.
Wichita State: Buy
The Shockers are in the midst of a bubble-bursting four-game losing streak that has dropped them out of the rankings. You know what that means: Scoop 'em up! Perhaps they were overvalued as a top-10 team, but I do think they expended a lot of emotional energy starting off 9-0 against a difficult schedule, and that has caught up with them. (Also keep in mind that Wichita State's most important player, P.J. Cousinard, did not play during the loss to New Mexico because of a stomach virus.) The Shockers are a good shooting team, but if they're not making outside shots they don't have a great Plan B. Still, they will be toughened during conference play and will be at least as well-prepared for the NCAA tournament as last year's Sweet 16 crew was.
Five stocks to dump (if you haven't already)
Utah
Iona
Rutgers
Minnesota
Arizona State
Five sleeper stocks
Georgia
Drexel
Southern Illinois
USC
UNLV
Tigers' Dorsey Overcoming Early Problems With Fouls
Tigers' Dorsey overcoming early problems with fouls
By Dan Wolken
January 2, 2007
He had been called out by his coach and criticized by his teammates, but it was in the Department of Motor Vehicles, of all places, that University of Memphis junior Joey Dorsey heard it the loudest.
"I was in the DMV to get my license," Dorsey said, "and one of the fans came up to me and said, 'You're Joey Dorsey. Why don't you stay out of foul trouble? You're killing us.'"
Though it may have been an odd setting for such a confrontation, nothing in Dorsey's orbit lately has been quite what it appears.
After No. 22 Memphis' meltdown at Tennessee on Dec. 6 -- a loss Dorsey absorbed much of the blame for -- he's arguably been the Tigers' most consistent force, playing some of his best basketball in a very under-the-radar manner heading into Thursday's game against Cincinnati.
Over the past five games, Dorsey is averaging 7.2 points and 9.2 rebounds, but more than the statistics, he's been on the floor 23 minutes per game and has largely avoided the foul trouble that, until now, characterized his career.
In many ways, it has been a remarkable turnaround given how desperate the situation seemed at Tennessee, when coach John Calipari threatened to bench Dorsey after he committed two fouls in the first 2:09.
The most plausible explanation, according to Calipari, is the return of sophomore backup Kareem Cooper, who was suspended through the Tennessee game. Ever since then, Dorsey has had a legitimate competitor for his spot in the starting lineup.
"I think Kareem coming back with a really solid attitude to this point and then a solid game kind of puts pressure on him," Calipari said. "So if you're playing poorly, you don't play."
Another key, Dorsey said, is that he hasn't tried to force the issue offensively, embracing his role as a rebounder and shot-blocker. Though Dorsey is on track for career-high scoring numbers -- he scored 6.9 points per game last year -- it's been because of his defense and transition opportunities, not his post-up game. With Cooper averaging 9.8 points off the bench, Dorsey said he feels no pressure to score.
"I've been trying not to score the ball as much and let the game come to me, so I won't pick up fouls and leave my team hanging out there on the floor," Dorsey said. "Just rebounding. ... I'm helping my team by just thinking about rebounding."
Calipari has encouraged his players in recent weeks to embrace their strengths, a message targeted to Dorsey as much as anyone.
"He knows if he worries about scoring and plays that way, I'm putting (Cooper) in," Calipari said. "It's like, 'Oh my gosh, he could start him, and he's a better offensive player, so I've got to prove that I'm the best defender and best rebounder."
Cooper's presence has also given Dorsey more freedom to play aggressively, knowing that if he does encounter foul trouble, it won't be as disastrous as it was early in the season.
A prime example was at Arizona on Dec. 20, the only game in this recent stretch when Dorsey has been in foul trouble. Despite picking up two in the first half, the impact was barely noticeable. Dorsey played effectively in his 18 minutes, scoring eight points with 11 rebounds, while Cooper scored 11 points in 22 minutes.
"He's comfortable," Cooper said. "He knows if he gets two (fouls), he knows the guy behind him is still going to provide a presence in the paint. As long as he keeps playing the way he's playing and I play the way I play, we should be able to win games."
-- Dan Wolken: 529-2365
By Dan Wolken
January 2, 2007
He had been called out by his coach and criticized by his teammates, but it was in the Department of Motor Vehicles, of all places, that University of Memphis junior Joey Dorsey heard it the loudest.
"I was in the DMV to get my license," Dorsey said, "and one of the fans came up to me and said, 'You're Joey Dorsey. Why don't you stay out of foul trouble? You're killing us.'"
Though it may have been an odd setting for such a confrontation, nothing in Dorsey's orbit lately has been quite what it appears.
After No. 22 Memphis' meltdown at Tennessee on Dec. 6 -- a loss Dorsey absorbed much of the blame for -- he's arguably been the Tigers' most consistent force, playing some of his best basketball in a very under-the-radar manner heading into Thursday's game against Cincinnati.
Over the past five games, Dorsey is averaging 7.2 points and 9.2 rebounds, but more than the statistics, he's been on the floor 23 minutes per game and has largely avoided the foul trouble that, until now, characterized his career.
In many ways, it has been a remarkable turnaround given how desperate the situation seemed at Tennessee, when coach John Calipari threatened to bench Dorsey after he committed two fouls in the first 2:09.
The most plausible explanation, according to Calipari, is the return of sophomore backup Kareem Cooper, who was suspended through the Tennessee game. Ever since then, Dorsey has had a legitimate competitor for his spot in the starting lineup.
"I think Kareem coming back with a really solid attitude to this point and then a solid game kind of puts pressure on him," Calipari said. "So if you're playing poorly, you don't play."
Another key, Dorsey said, is that he hasn't tried to force the issue offensively, embracing his role as a rebounder and shot-blocker. Though Dorsey is on track for career-high scoring numbers -- he scored 6.9 points per game last year -- it's been because of his defense and transition opportunities, not his post-up game. With Cooper averaging 9.8 points off the bench, Dorsey said he feels no pressure to score.
"I've been trying not to score the ball as much and let the game come to me, so I won't pick up fouls and leave my team hanging out there on the floor," Dorsey said. "Just rebounding. ... I'm helping my team by just thinking about rebounding."
Calipari has encouraged his players in recent weeks to embrace their strengths, a message targeted to Dorsey as much as anyone.
"He knows if he worries about scoring and plays that way, I'm putting (Cooper) in," Calipari said. "It's like, 'Oh my gosh, he could start him, and he's a better offensive player, so I've got to prove that I'm the best defender and best rebounder."
Cooper's presence has also given Dorsey more freedom to play aggressively, knowing that if he does encounter foul trouble, it won't be as disastrous as it was early in the season.
A prime example was at Arizona on Dec. 20, the only game in this recent stretch when Dorsey has been in foul trouble. Despite picking up two in the first half, the impact was barely noticeable. Dorsey played effectively in his 18 minutes, scoring eight points with 11 rebounds, while Cooper scored 11 points in 22 minutes.
"He's comfortable," Cooper said. "He knows if he gets two (fouls), he knows the guy behind him is still going to provide a presence in the paint. As long as he keeps playing the way he's playing and I play the way I play, we should be able to win games."
-- Dan Wolken: 529-2365
Monday, January 01, 2007
Antonio Anderson Seeking to Regain Shooting Eye
Anderson seeking to regain shooting eye
Sophomore still finding ways to help Tigers win
By Dan Wolken
December 31, 2006
Antonio Anderson has never been through anything like this. He doesn't know how it started, and he doesn't know when it will end.
But now, for the first time in his University of Memphis basketball career, the sophomore guard knows what it feels like to be in a scoring slump that has lingered insidiously for weeks.
"It's miserable," Anderson said Saturday.
Of all the tiny transformations coach John Calipari hopes to inspire before Thursday's matchup with Cincinnati, there is no higher priority than getting Anderson back on track.
Though Anderson still shied away from shooting in last Thursday's 87-62 victory over Lamar, he did have eight assists and four steals with no turnovers. Calipari's message to Anderson has been that his offense will eventually come around if he can continue filling the stat sheet.
"He's doing all the other stuff," Calipari said. "He's assisting, he's stealing, he's rebounding, he's playing great defense. I told him, 'What I would do if I were you is to take all my good stuff up another notch.' Do that, and let's see if the other stuff starts coming along."
It's difficult to say when Anderson began to struggle offensively because the 6-6 sophomore isn't always a primary scoring option for 22nd-ranked Memphis.
But there has been a clear delineation in Anderson's play since Nov. 29, when he had 17 points against Arkansas State. In the first five games of the year, including the EA Sports Maui Invitational, Anderson had the look of a scorer, averaging 12.4 points and hitting huge 3-pointers in games against Oklahoma and Georgia Tech.
Since then, Anderson has averaged 7.0 points and made just 3-of-25 from beyond the 3-point line with only one double-figure scoring game (14 points against Ole Miss).
In the early part of the slump, Anderson tried to shoot himself out of it, going 13-for-42 over a four-game stretch. In the four games since then, Anderson has shot the ball just 20 times, even passing up open looks.
"I've got to do other things to help my team, and that's what I'm trying to do," Anderson said. "There's definitely going to be that point (when it clicks), and when it does, I'll have a better feeling. But for now, I'm still happy. I'm helping the team. We're winning, and even though I'm not making shots, it's not a big concern to me. When they start falling, they start falling."
Until last week, it appeared Anderson's lack of scoring was hurting some other parts of his game, but Calipari challenged him to be the best defensive player in the country and to collect points by rebounding aggressively and drawing fouls.
Though Anderson only had five shots against Lamar -- he made two layups -- he didn't force any of them, and his eight-assist performance could ultimately be the turning point in his season.
"That's Tone," sophomore guard Chris Douglas-Roberts said. "That's what he does for us. He doesn't necessarily have to score because he'll get eight assists or four steals. He's Mr. Versatility. When he plays like that, we're a great team."
The next step is getting Anderson's jump shot going, which is why Calipari is encouraging him to step in from the 3-point line and take more mid-range jumpers if he doesn't feel comfortable shooting.
Or perhaps merely the sight of Memphis' next opponent will be enough to bring Anderson out of his slump. Last year, he scored 32 points and made 7-of-9 from the 3-point line against Cincinnati.
"He should be a double-figure scorer just based on running, rebounds, layups," Calipari said. "He'll get two or three layups a game, and with free throws, he should be in double figures easily, not even trying."
-- Dan Wolken: 529-2365
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