Tigers replay
February 9, 2007
AS THE GAME TURNED
Pick any of Jeremy Hunt's six 3-pointers in the first half, and that would probably do. But the last two were truly emotional daggers, giving Memphis a 37-25 halftime lead. The first, with 39 seconds left, came from NBA range at the top of the key. Then, after two free-throws by Lawrence Kinnard with six seconds left, the Tigers simply got the ball quickly over the halfcourt line and let Hunt fire away. Standing 30 feet away from the basket, Hunt never had any doubt. And as the ball rattled through the net, he fell to the floor and laid flat on the ground as a stunned Bartow Arena fell quiet.
AS THE ROTATION TURNED
As a 6-6 wing who plays primarily at shooting guard but can man the point if necessary, sophomore Antonio Anderson gives coach John Calipari a plethora of lineup options. But when Anderson went to the bench just 3:49 into the game, the Tigers suddenly got a lot smaller. With forward Joey Dorsey picking up a foul in the game's first minute, Calipari rotated Dorsey and sophomore Kareem Cooper throughout the first half instead of playing them together. So whenever sophomore forward Robert Dozier needed a rest, the Tigers used point guards Willie Kemp and Andre Allen together and had the 6-4 Hunt playing in Dozier's spot.
RIM GEMS
On a night when both teams missed several dunks and both teams shot less than 40 percent, a simple defensive play by Dorsey kick-started one of Memphis' best sequences of the night. With 7:39 left in the first half, Dorsey got in the face of UAB freshman Jeremy Mayfield, who was holding the ball above his head in front of the Memphis bench. Trying to pass out of trouble, Dorsey simply jumped up and stripped the ball from him, then kept his balance to stay in bounds. Fifteen seconds later, a Hunt 3-pointer gave Memphis a 21-14 lead and helped the Tigers start to establish control of the game.
HIDE YOUR EYES
UAB senior Wen Mukubu is a good player, but apparently, not a good dunker. Mukubu got stuffed by the rim on two straight dunk attempts early in the first half. The first was understandable, since Mukubu was trying to finish a difficult alley-oop pass. The second, however, was inexcusable. With 13:55 left in the half, Mukubu had a fairly open path to the basket but simply didn't get up high enough and caught the underside of the rim. In fairness, Mukubu came back with 7:04 left in the half for a nice jam over Allen.
SCORER'S TABLE
Hunt could have stopped at halftime and had a box score most players dream about. In 20 minutes, Hunt scored 25 points on 8-of-13 from the field and had two steals. Hunt made 6-of-9 from the 3-point line and 3-of-4 free throws. Hunt had 25 of Memphis' 37 points. The second-high scorer was Dozier with four points. Four players had two points.
LOCKERROOM CHATTER
"I mean, I shot it like it was going in. I wanted it to go in. I'm pretty sure Gilbert Arenas doesn't think he's going to miss. It was a good shot, I made it, and we went into the second half feeling confidence and we pulled away." -- Hunt on his 30-footer to beat the buzzer at halftime.
ODDS AND ENDS
The game, which was supposed to tip off at 8 p.m., didn't get underway until roughly 8:35. due to a malfunction with the basket in front of UAB's bench. According to UAB's public relations staff, players were dunking in pre-game warm-ups, which bent the rim. When the operations staff lowered the backboard to change it, an electronic mechanism shorted out, and the backboard wouldn't go back up. Eventually, an entire new basket had to be brought in.
UAB's football team was honored at halftime for beating Memphis this past season and winning the "Battle for the Bones." The game's brand new trophy, which is basically a large rack of bronzed ribs, was brought to center court with two members of Memphis' "Blue Crew" student group and two members of the UAB student spirit group.
Former Raleigh-Egypt standout Kinnard, who had 13 points in the first meeting with Memphis this season, scored 10 points and had 12 rebounds Thursday.
LOOKING AHEAD
Tigers vs. Tulane, Saturday, 7 p.m., at FedExForum
-- Dan Wolken
Friday, February 09, 2007
Jeremy Hunt Has Hot Hand As Tigers Handle Blazers
Hunt has hot hand from 3-point range as Tigers handle Blazers
8) Tigers 70, UAB 56
By Dan Wolken
February 9, 2007
BIRMINGHAM -- Given that senior Jeremy Hunt was the only University of Memphis player who had experienced a win in Bartow Arena before Thursday, it only made sense for him to show the rest of the Tigers the way.
Sometimes picking up his teammates, but mostly dragging them through a tough first half against UAB, Hunt scored a career-high 25 points in the first 20 minutes of No. 8-ranked Memphis' 70-56 victory.
And though there were other storylines here, including another Conference USA player of the year-type performance from forward Joey Dorsey and another brave road effort by backup point guard Andre Allen, Memphis' 20th victory was mostly about Hunt.
In an arena where Memphis hasn't won since 2002-03 -- Hunt's freshman season -- he scored 30 points on 10-of-19 shooting and simply willed the Tigers to a 12-point halftime lead they wouldn't have had without him.
Driving to the basket relentlessly and firing 3-pointers at every open opportunity, Hunt tied UAB all by himself in the first half, 25-25.
And at the end, after he made a 30-foot shot to beat the buzzer, he laid flat on his back at center court; appropriately, right where UAB's dragon logo spits out a stream of fire.
"It was a great experience," Hunt said. "I've never done that as a Tiger before. I've made shots, but never like that in the first half. It felt good to keep my team in it. We were up by 12, and a lot of guys were not making shots, and it was tough on them but we wanted to fight it out. We went off in the first five minutes of the second half and went on a good run and never looked back."
For Memphis, which improved to 20-3 overall and 10-0 in C-USA, Hunt's performance was absolutely necessary because the Tigers had trouble getting out quickly against a UAB team that matched Memphis for the first 10 minutes in front of an announced crowd of 7,453.
Sophomore Chris Douglas-Roberts (10 points on 4-of-13 field goals) missed shots he normally makes. Sophomore forward Robert Dozier, who finished with four points, couldn't get enough touches close to the basket. And freshman point guard Willie Kemp struggled, playing just 14 minutes.
The early troubles were compounded by the absence of sophomore guard Antonio Anderson, who hobbled off the court just 3:49 in with what coach John Calipari said was a sprained right ankle.
But Hunt saved the day, with three of his six 3-pointers coming from well beyond NBA range.
"The last couple bombs were like, what in the world?" Calipari said. "There were three of them at the end of shot clocks where we had nothing and he bombed them.
"If Jeremy Hunt doesn't go crazy, this is like a two-point ballgame at halftime, and he was out of his mind. But we've got guys that can do that at times."
Though Hunt scored just five points in the second half -- he made a runner with fewer than three minutes to go and a 3-pointer with a minute left -- the Tigers had enough to extend their lead to 22 points and hold on during a stress-free second half.
The credit for that belonged mostly to Dorsey, who had 13 rebounds and four blocks in 26 minutes for a defense that forced 20 turnovers and held UAB to 30.8 percent shooting.
And Allen, who played 15 second-half minutes in relief of Kemp, had two key driving layups when Memphis hit an offense live. Freshman guard Doneal Mack, who made a 3-pointer early in the second half, then made three free throws, adding to Memphis' 50-0 edge in bench points.
UAB, which handed Memphis its only conference loss here last season, fell to 11-12 on the season and 3-6 in C-USA.
"Great defensive effort by our team," Calipari said. "We matched their intensity."
-- Dan Wolken: 529-2365
8) Tigers 70, UAB 56
By Dan Wolken
February 9, 2007
BIRMINGHAM -- Given that senior Jeremy Hunt was the only University of Memphis player who had experienced a win in Bartow Arena before Thursday, it only made sense for him to show the rest of the Tigers the way.
Sometimes picking up his teammates, but mostly dragging them through a tough first half against UAB, Hunt scored a career-high 25 points in the first 20 minutes of No. 8-ranked Memphis' 70-56 victory.
And though there were other storylines here, including another Conference USA player of the year-type performance from forward Joey Dorsey and another brave road effort by backup point guard Andre Allen, Memphis' 20th victory was mostly about Hunt.
In an arena where Memphis hasn't won since 2002-03 -- Hunt's freshman season -- he scored 30 points on 10-of-19 shooting and simply willed the Tigers to a 12-point halftime lead they wouldn't have had without him.
Driving to the basket relentlessly and firing 3-pointers at every open opportunity, Hunt tied UAB all by himself in the first half, 25-25.
And at the end, after he made a 30-foot shot to beat the buzzer, he laid flat on his back at center court; appropriately, right where UAB's dragon logo spits out a stream of fire.
"It was a great experience," Hunt said. "I've never done that as a Tiger before. I've made shots, but never like that in the first half. It felt good to keep my team in it. We were up by 12, and a lot of guys were not making shots, and it was tough on them but we wanted to fight it out. We went off in the first five minutes of the second half and went on a good run and never looked back."
For Memphis, which improved to 20-3 overall and 10-0 in C-USA, Hunt's performance was absolutely necessary because the Tigers had trouble getting out quickly against a UAB team that matched Memphis for the first 10 minutes in front of an announced crowd of 7,453.
Sophomore Chris Douglas-Roberts (10 points on 4-of-13 field goals) missed shots he normally makes. Sophomore forward Robert Dozier, who finished with four points, couldn't get enough touches close to the basket. And freshman point guard Willie Kemp struggled, playing just 14 minutes.
The early troubles were compounded by the absence of sophomore guard Antonio Anderson, who hobbled off the court just 3:49 in with what coach John Calipari said was a sprained right ankle.
But Hunt saved the day, with three of his six 3-pointers coming from well beyond NBA range.
"The last couple bombs were like, what in the world?" Calipari said. "There were three of them at the end of shot clocks where we had nothing and he bombed them.
"If Jeremy Hunt doesn't go crazy, this is like a two-point ballgame at halftime, and he was out of his mind. But we've got guys that can do that at times."
Though Hunt scored just five points in the second half -- he made a runner with fewer than three minutes to go and a 3-pointer with a minute left -- the Tigers had enough to extend their lead to 22 points and hold on during a stress-free second half.
The credit for that belonged mostly to Dorsey, who had 13 rebounds and four blocks in 26 minutes for a defense that forced 20 turnovers and held UAB to 30.8 percent shooting.
And Allen, who played 15 second-half minutes in relief of Kemp, had two key driving layups when Memphis hit an offense live. Freshman guard Doneal Mack, who made a 3-pointer early in the second half, then made three free throws, adding to Memphis' 50-0 edge in bench points.
UAB, which handed Memphis its only conference loss here last season, fell to 11-12 on the season and 3-6 in C-USA.
"Great defensive effort by our team," Calipari said. "We matched their intensity."
-- Dan Wolken: 529-2365
Official Box Score - Memphis 70, UAB 56
Official Basketball Box Score -- GAME TOTALS -- FINAL STATISTICS
Memphis vs UAB
02/08/07 8:00 p.m. at Birmingham, Ala. (Bartow Arena)
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VISITORS: Memphis 20-3, 10-0
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 2-5 0-1 0-0 1 1 2 3 4 1 4 0 0 30
32 Dorsey, Joey........ f 2-6 0-0 2-7 8 5 13 5 6 0 1 4 3 26
01 Kemp, Willie........ g 0-3 0-2 0-0 0 2 2 3 0 1 1 0 0 14
12 Anderson, Antonio... g 0-1 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 4
14 DOUGLAS-ROBERTS, C.. g 4-13 0-1 2-2 1 3 4 4 10 3 0 1 3 35
05 Hunt, Jeremy........ 10-19 7-13 3-4 0 1 1 1 30 0 1 0 3 30
15 Allen, Andre........ 3-8 0-2 2-2 0 2 2 3 8 3 1 0 2 28
20 Mack, Doneal........ 1-4 1-3 7-7 0 3 3 3 10 0 0 0 0 19
42 Cooper, Kareem...... 1-3 0-0 0-1 3 4 7 2 2 0 0 2 0 14
TEAM................ 2 2
Totals.............. 23-62 8-23 16-23 15 22 37 24 70 8 8 7 11 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 13-34 38.2% 2nd Half: 10-28 35.7% Game: 37.1% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 6-15 40.0% 2nd Half: 2-8 25.0% Game: 34.8% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 5-8 62.5% 2nd Half: 11-15 73.3% Game: 69.6% 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOME TEAM: UAB 11-12, 3-6
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
15 HOLMES, Frank....... f 6-9 0-0 2-3 8 2 10 3 14 1 1 1 0 24
21 KINNARD, Lawrence... f 3-8 2-5 2-4 3 9 12 1 10 0 3 1 0 37
04 DELANEY III, Paul... g 3-13 0-1 12-14 3 4 7 3 18 2 5 0 1 32
22 DAVIS JR, Mike...... g 0-3 0-2 2-4 0 2 2 1 2 1 1 0 1 26
24 MUKUBU, Wen......... g 4-11 0-3 4-5 2 8 10 3 12 1 2 0 0 38
01 GIBBS, Maurice...... 0-2 0-1 0-0 1 4 5 5 0 0 2 0 0 12
23 DORTCH, Taurus...... 0-4 0-3 0-0 0 1 1 3 0 0 1 0 0 18
31 MAYFIELD, Jeremy.... 0-1 0-0 0-2 0 0 0 2 0 0 5 0 1 11
35 CRAWFORD, Howard.... 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2
TEAM................ 3 3
Totals.............. 16-52 2-15 22-32 20 30 50 21 56 5 20 3 3 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 6-25 24.0% 2nd Half: 10-27 37.0% Game: 30.8% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 1-7 14.3% 2nd Half: 1-8 12.5% Game: 13.3% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 12-15 80.0% 2nd Half: 10-17 58.8% Game: 68.8% 4
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Officials: Curtis Shaw, Mike Wood, Tony Greene
Technical fouls: Memphis-TEAM. UAB-TEAM.
Attendance: 7453
Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total
Memphis....................... 37 33 - 70
UAB........................... 25 31 - 56
Points in the paint-MEM 26,UAB 26. Points off turnovers-MEM 25,UAB 7.
2nd chance points-MEM 11,UAB 15. Fast break points-MEM 2,UAB 2.
Bench points-MEM 50,UAB 0. Score tied-2 times. Lead changed-3 times.
Last FG-MEM 2nd-00:22, UAB 2nd-00:14.
Largest lead-MEM by 23 2nd-09:08, UAB by 3 1st-16:52.
Memphis vs UAB
02/08/07 8:00 p.m. at Birmingham, Ala. (Bartow Arena)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VISITORS: Memphis 20-3, 10-0
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 2-5 0-1 0-0 1 1 2 3 4 1 4 0 0 30
32 Dorsey, Joey........ f 2-6 0-0 2-7 8 5 13 5 6 0 1 4 3 26
01 Kemp, Willie........ g 0-3 0-2 0-0 0 2 2 3 0 1 1 0 0 14
12 Anderson, Antonio... g 0-1 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 4
14 DOUGLAS-ROBERTS, C.. g 4-13 0-1 2-2 1 3 4 4 10 3 0 1 3 35
05 Hunt, Jeremy........ 10-19 7-13 3-4 0 1 1 1 30 0 1 0 3 30
15 Allen, Andre........ 3-8 0-2 2-2 0 2 2 3 8 3 1 0 2 28
20 Mack, Doneal........ 1-4 1-3 7-7 0 3 3 3 10 0 0 0 0 19
42 Cooper, Kareem...... 1-3 0-0 0-1 3 4 7 2 2 0 0 2 0 14
TEAM................ 2 2
Totals.............. 23-62 8-23 16-23 15 22 37 24 70 8 8 7 11 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 13-34 38.2% 2nd Half: 10-28 35.7% Game: 37.1% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 6-15 40.0% 2nd Half: 2-8 25.0% Game: 34.8% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 5-8 62.5% 2nd Half: 11-15 73.3% Game: 69.6% 1
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HOME TEAM: UAB 11-12, 3-6
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
15 HOLMES, Frank....... f 6-9 0-0 2-3 8 2 10 3 14 1 1 1 0 24
21 KINNARD, Lawrence... f 3-8 2-5 2-4 3 9 12 1 10 0 3 1 0 37
04 DELANEY III, Paul... g 3-13 0-1 12-14 3 4 7 3 18 2 5 0 1 32
22 DAVIS JR, Mike...... g 0-3 0-2 2-4 0 2 2 1 2 1 1 0 1 26
24 MUKUBU, Wen......... g 4-11 0-3 4-5 2 8 10 3 12 1 2 0 0 38
01 GIBBS, Maurice...... 0-2 0-1 0-0 1 4 5 5 0 0 2 0 0 12
23 DORTCH, Taurus...... 0-4 0-3 0-0 0 1 1 3 0 0 1 0 0 18
31 MAYFIELD, Jeremy.... 0-1 0-0 0-2 0 0 0 2 0 0 5 0 1 11
35 CRAWFORD, Howard.... 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2
TEAM................ 3 3
Totals.............. 16-52 2-15 22-32 20 30 50 21 56 5 20 3 3 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 6-25 24.0% 2nd Half: 10-27 37.0% Game: 30.8% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 1-7 14.3% 2nd Half: 1-8 12.5% Game: 13.3% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 12-15 80.0% 2nd Half: 10-17 58.8% Game: 68.8% 4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Officials: Curtis Shaw, Mike Wood, Tony Greene
Technical fouls: Memphis-TEAM. UAB-TEAM.
Attendance: 7453
Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total
Memphis....................... 37 33 - 70
UAB........................... 25 31 - 56
Points in the paint-MEM 26,UAB 26. Points off turnovers-MEM 25,UAB 7.
2nd chance points-MEM 11,UAB 15. Fast break points-MEM 2,UAB 2.
Bench points-MEM 50,UAB 0. Score tied-2 times. Lead changed-3 times.
Last FG-MEM 2nd-00:22, UAB 2nd-00:14.
Largest lead-MEM by 23 2nd-09:08, UAB by 3 1st-16:52.
Jeremy Hunt Leads #8 Memphis Over UAB 70-56
Hunt's 30 Lead No. 8 Memphis to 12th Straight Win
Tigers stifle UAB in 70-56 decision.
Feb. 8, 2007
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) - Jeremy Hunt's hot shooting and a smothering defensive effort gave No. 8 Memphis a comfortable victory.
Hunt scored a career-high 30 points, including 25 and some long 3-pointers before halftime, and the Tigers limited UAB to 31 percent shooting in a 70-56 victory Thursday night.
It made for a no-sweat win even when nobody else was producing many points.
"If Jeremy Hunt didn't go crazy, this is a two-point game," Memphis coach John Calipari said. "But we have guys who can do that for us.
"Jeremy had 25 points at halftime and he hit three shots at the end of the shot clock when we had nothing going."
The Tigers (20-3, 10-0 Conference USA) blew the game open by going on a 24-5 run starting late in the first half for their 12th consecutive victory.
Hunt made six 3-pointers before the half, bettering his previous scoring high by a point in 15 minutes action. He didn't score again until managing a short jumper and a seventh 3 over the final 3 minutes.
But Memphis' defense never let UAB (11-12, 3-6) muster much of a scoring spurt.
The Blazers committed 20 turnovers, many of them careless mistakes. They also made just 2-of-15 3-pointers and 16-of-52 shots.
"We gave a great effort," UAB coach Mike Davis said. "We turned the ball over too much and missed too many close shots, but our guys fought like crazy.
"We did a better job of getting it inside tonight but we must have missed at least six shots from point-blank range. If we just hit three of those, it's a totally different game."
Hunt was the only Memphis player to do much scoring in the dominant defensive effort. Top scorer Chris Douglas-Roberts and Doneal Mack scored 10 points apiece and Robert Dozier had 13 rebounds, four blocks and three steals along with six points before fouling out.
"Jeremy Hunt was hitting from everywhere, but when we executed our defense they had trouble scoring," Davis said.
The Blazers dominated the boards, 50-37, but forced only eight turnovers.
Paul Delaney led UAB with 18 points, but made just 3-of-13 shots. He was 12-of-14 from the free throw line.
The Blazers did have three players record double-doubles. Frank Holmes had 14 points and 10 rebounds. Lawrence Kinnard had 10 points and 12 boards and Wen Mukubu had 12 points and 10 rebounds.
The Tigers built a 37-25 halftime lead with Hunt taking care of most of the scoring. He made 6-of-9 3-pointers in the half while the rest of the team was 0-for-6.
"I was just feeling it," Hunt said. "It was unbelievable. I just felt like a lot of my teammates weren't scoring in the first half, so I tried to carry the team as much as I could.
"I knew they'd pick it up in the second half."
The Blazers climbed back to within 25-22 on Mukubu's drive with 3:15 left before Hunt widened the lead. He quickly drilled a 3-pointer, hit a free throw a few seconds later and added two more 3s in the final 38 seconds, including a buzzer-beater from the top of the key before falling on his back.
"That shot at the end of the first half, you could call that luck," Hunt admitted.
But it still deflated the Blazers going into the locker room.
"We let Hunt get in a rhythm," Mukubu said. "He got comfortable and it became hard to stop him. The shot Hunt hit right before halftime was a big one. You never want to give up a big shot like that that gives them momentum."
The Blazers had just four baskets and 10 turnovers in the first 15 minutes but were still close until Hunt's fast finish.
UAB had won the last two meetings with Memphis at Bartow Arena.
"This has been a tough place for us to play," Calipari said. "UAB played hard, but I thought we matched their intensity."
The game's start was delayed about 30 minutes when one of the baskets had to be repaired after a Memphis player dunked during pre-game warmups.
Tigers stifle UAB in 70-56 decision.
Feb. 8, 2007
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) - Jeremy Hunt's hot shooting and a smothering defensive effort gave No. 8 Memphis a comfortable victory.
Hunt scored a career-high 30 points, including 25 and some long 3-pointers before halftime, and the Tigers limited UAB to 31 percent shooting in a 70-56 victory Thursday night.
It made for a no-sweat win even when nobody else was producing many points.
"If Jeremy Hunt didn't go crazy, this is a two-point game," Memphis coach John Calipari said. "But we have guys who can do that for us.
"Jeremy had 25 points at halftime and he hit three shots at the end of the shot clock when we had nothing going."
The Tigers (20-3, 10-0 Conference USA) blew the game open by going on a 24-5 run starting late in the first half for their 12th consecutive victory.
Hunt made six 3-pointers before the half, bettering his previous scoring high by a point in 15 minutes action. He didn't score again until managing a short jumper and a seventh 3 over the final 3 minutes.
But Memphis' defense never let UAB (11-12, 3-6) muster much of a scoring spurt.
The Blazers committed 20 turnovers, many of them careless mistakes. They also made just 2-of-15 3-pointers and 16-of-52 shots.
"We gave a great effort," UAB coach Mike Davis said. "We turned the ball over too much and missed too many close shots, but our guys fought like crazy.
"We did a better job of getting it inside tonight but we must have missed at least six shots from point-blank range. If we just hit three of those, it's a totally different game."
Hunt was the only Memphis player to do much scoring in the dominant defensive effort. Top scorer Chris Douglas-Roberts and Doneal Mack scored 10 points apiece and Robert Dozier had 13 rebounds, four blocks and three steals along with six points before fouling out.
"Jeremy Hunt was hitting from everywhere, but when we executed our defense they had trouble scoring," Davis said.
The Blazers dominated the boards, 50-37, but forced only eight turnovers.
Paul Delaney led UAB with 18 points, but made just 3-of-13 shots. He was 12-of-14 from the free throw line.
The Blazers did have three players record double-doubles. Frank Holmes had 14 points and 10 rebounds. Lawrence Kinnard had 10 points and 12 boards and Wen Mukubu had 12 points and 10 rebounds.
The Tigers built a 37-25 halftime lead with Hunt taking care of most of the scoring. He made 6-of-9 3-pointers in the half while the rest of the team was 0-for-6.
"I was just feeling it," Hunt said. "It was unbelievable. I just felt like a lot of my teammates weren't scoring in the first half, so I tried to carry the team as much as I could.
"I knew they'd pick it up in the second half."
The Blazers climbed back to within 25-22 on Mukubu's drive with 3:15 left before Hunt widened the lead. He quickly drilled a 3-pointer, hit a free throw a few seconds later and added two more 3s in the final 38 seconds, including a buzzer-beater from the top of the key before falling on his back.
"That shot at the end of the first half, you could call that luck," Hunt admitted.
But it still deflated the Blazers going into the locker room.
"We let Hunt get in a rhythm," Mukubu said. "He got comfortable and it became hard to stop him. The shot Hunt hit right before halftime was a big one. You never want to give up a big shot like that that gives them momentum."
The Blazers had just four baskets and 10 turnovers in the first 15 minutes but were still close until Hunt's fast finish.
UAB had won the last two meetings with Memphis at Bartow Arena.
"This has been a tough place for us to play," Calipari said. "UAB played hard, but I thought we matched their intensity."
The game's start was delayed about 30 minutes when one of the baskets had to be repaired after a Memphis player dunked during pre-game warmups.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
UAB Blazers Nearest to Tiger Rivalry
Blazers nearest to Tiger rivalry
No. 8 Tigers at UAB
Calipari says it takes time for heat to build
By Dan Wolken
February 8, 2007
BIRMINGHAM -- ESPN has promoted tonight's game between the University of Memphis and UAB as part of its "Rivalry Week" package.
But is it a rivalry?
Though Memphis-UAB has certainly been a competitive, highly interesting series in recent years, to call it a rivalry would only be for the sake of convenience. Because for the Tigers, who are ranked No. 8 and ripping through Conference USA, the Blazers are the closest thing to a league rival Memphis has had since Louisville left for the Big East.
"I think it's UAB right now," Memphis junior Andre Allen said.
In the past, no qualifying phrases were needed to define Memphis' most intense series. But when C-USA broke up two years ago and the annual rivalries with Louisville, Cincinnati and Charlotte went away, the Tigers were left in a league with mostly unfamiliar foes.
Though Southern Miss and UAB have always been important opponents for Memphis, they have never ranked higher than third or fourth on the list. And even the UAB series has lost some of its sizzle, given that the Blazers enter tonight's game 11-11 under first-year coach Mike Davis rather than in NCAA Tournament contention, as they were the previous three years under Mike Anderson.
But Tigers coach John Calipari said it's too early in the evolution of C-USA to discount the potential for rivalries to develop and cited his experience at UMass, where a rivalry developed with Temple simply because those two teams were battling annually for conference supremacy.
"When you're in a new league, you're building," Calipari said. "And so is Louisville Who's their rival now? Cincinnati? You know, the position we're in, it's only the second year and the first year of playing 16 (conference) games. You have to have this thing together five years, and then it will develop. I don't think it will be right away."
So who are the prime candidates to develop a rivalry that, well, rivals the one Memphis used to have with Louisville?
It certainly could be UAB; after all, the Blazers gave Memphis its only C-USA loss last season. Another obvious choice would be UTEP, where former Tigers assistant Tony Barbee is now the head coach. Or perhaps Tulsa, which was one of Memphis' foes in the Missouri Valley Conference during the 1960s and 1970s.
"It's whoever pops up where it becomes 'The Game,'" Calipari said. "When we were at Mass, Temple was built into a big rival. Temple was never a Massachusetts rival. And over five years, it became enormous."
Memphis players appear to be buying into the idea that UAB is currently the most intense rival, simply because of the Blazers' 80-74 victory at Bartow Arena last season. Senior Jeremy Hunt is the only current Tiger to experience a victory in Birmingham, way back during his freshman season of 2002-03.
"They rushed the floor on us, and things like that hurt," sophomore guard Antonio Anderson said. "You remember things like that, so you want to go back there and try to get a win."
Allen said the atmosphere in Birmingham last season is the reason UAB is at the top of his list.
"It was crazy," Allen said. "There were people sleeping outside in weather like this, sleeping in tents. We know what to expect, and we know what we've got to do. They're playing Memphis, so they'll be up for us."
-- Dan Wolken: 529-2365
No. 8 Tigers at UAB
When, where: Today, 8 p.m., at Birmingham, Ala.
TV, radio: ESPN, WREC-AM (600)
No. 8 Tigers at UAB
Calipari says it takes time for heat to build
By Dan Wolken
February 8, 2007
BIRMINGHAM -- ESPN has promoted tonight's game between the University of Memphis and UAB as part of its "Rivalry Week" package.
But is it a rivalry?
Though Memphis-UAB has certainly been a competitive, highly interesting series in recent years, to call it a rivalry would only be for the sake of convenience. Because for the Tigers, who are ranked No. 8 and ripping through Conference USA, the Blazers are the closest thing to a league rival Memphis has had since Louisville left for the Big East.
"I think it's UAB right now," Memphis junior Andre Allen said.
In the past, no qualifying phrases were needed to define Memphis' most intense series. But when C-USA broke up two years ago and the annual rivalries with Louisville, Cincinnati and Charlotte went away, the Tigers were left in a league with mostly unfamiliar foes.
Though Southern Miss and UAB have always been important opponents for Memphis, they have never ranked higher than third or fourth on the list. And even the UAB series has lost some of its sizzle, given that the Blazers enter tonight's game 11-11 under first-year coach Mike Davis rather than in NCAA Tournament contention, as they were the previous three years under Mike Anderson.
But Tigers coach John Calipari said it's too early in the evolution of C-USA to discount the potential for rivalries to develop and cited his experience at UMass, where a rivalry developed with Temple simply because those two teams were battling annually for conference supremacy.
"When you're in a new league, you're building," Calipari said. "And so is Louisville Who's their rival now? Cincinnati? You know, the position we're in, it's only the second year and the first year of playing 16 (conference) games. You have to have this thing together five years, and then it will develop. I don't think it will be right away."
So who are the prime candidates to develop a rivalry that, well, rivals the one Memphis used to have with Louisville?
It certainly could be UAB; after all, the Blazers gave Memphis its only C-USA loss last season. Another obvious choice would be UTEP, where former Tigers assistant Tony Barbee is now the head coach. Or perhaps Tulsa, which was one of Memphis' foes in the Missouri Valley Conference during the 1960s and 1970s.
"It's whoever pops up where it becomes 'The Game,'" Calipari said. "When we were at Mass, Temple was built into a big rival. Temple was never a Massachusetts rival. And over five years, it became enormous."
Memphis players appear to be buying into the idea that UAB is currently the most intense rival, simply because of the Blazers' 80-74 victory at Bartow Arena last season. Senior Jeremy Hunt is the only current Tiger to experience a victory in Birmingham, way back during his freshman season of 2002-03.
"They rushed the floor on us, and things like that hurt," sophomore guard Antonio Anderson said. "You remember things like that, so you want to go back there and try to get a win."
Allen said the atmosphere in Birmingham last season is the reason UAB is at the top of his list.
"It was crazy," Allen said. "There were people sleeping outside in weather like this, sleeping in tents. We know what to expect, and we know what we've got to do. They're playing Memphis, so they'll be up for us."
-- Dan Wolken: 529-2365
No. 8 Tigers at UAB
When, where: Today, 8 p.m., at Birmingham, Ala.
TV, radio: ESPN, WREC-AM (600)
Memphis-UAB Preview from the Tuscaloosa (AL) News
Memphis-UAB Preview
By CHRIS ALTRUDA, Tuscaloosa (AL) News
STATS Editor
February 07, 2007
Memphis returns to the scene of its lone conference defeat since the start of last season Thursday when it plays at UAB.
Since Cincinnati, DePaul, Louisville, Marquette and South Florida defected to the Big East from Conference USA following the 2004-05 season, the eighth-ranked Tigers (19-3, 9-0 C-USA) have had few, if any, challengers to their league supremacy.
Coach John Calipari's team has compiled a 22-1 conference mark since realignment, outscoring opponents by nearly 17 points per game and recording double-digit victories on 18 occasions.
While the Tigers chase a potential No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament for the second straight year, the gap between themselves and the rest of the conference is more pronounced this season. Every other C-USA team has at least three conference losses.
Memphis has won its nine league games by an average of 17.5 points and limited C-USA rivals to 58.7 points per game.
Last season's bid for a perfect record in Conference USA was stopped with an 80-74 loss at UAB (11-11, 3-5) on March 2 that ended a 15-game winning streak. The Tigers went nearly eight minutes without a point in the second half, were held to 36 percent from the field and committed 17 turnovers.
It was a much different story when these teams met in Memphis this season, with the Tigers taking a 16-point lead by halftime en route to a 79-54 victory on Jan. 16. The Blazers were outrebounded 42-22, and failed to get close in the second half despite Memphis being without leading scorer Chris Douglas-Roberts for most of the game because of an ankle injury.
Douglas-Roberts is averaging 15.2 points, and he's led Memphis to outstanding performances in its last two games while totaling 38 points and shooting 16-of-23 from the field.
The Tigers matched a season high with 15 3-pointers in their 88-52 rout of SMU on Saturday, extending their current winning streak to 11 games.
Freshman Doneal Mack made all five of his 3-point attempts and finished with 17 points as Memphis picked apart SMU's zone defense.
``We just run and skip the ball and do a lot of things to disrupt their zone because we don't want them to get set and get comfortable,'' said Tigers guard Chris Douglas-Roberts, who added 15 points. ``Our man (offense) is the reason they went to a zone because we were driving so much and spaced out. When they go to a zone now, we are still spaced out, and we're getting shots we want.''
Memphis shot a season-high 60.7 percent from the field Saturday after hitting 57.9 percent in an 87-65 win over Central Florida last Wednesday. The team was held under 40 percent in each of its previous three games.
UAB is starting a three-game homestand trying to end a funk that has seen it lose four of five.
The Blazers are coming off a 61-54 defeat at Marshall on Saturday in which they nearly rallied from a 14-point deficit, only to be done in by 33 percent shooting.
``Defensively, to hold Marshall to 61 points on its home floor is exactly what we want to do and should be good enough to win ball games,'' UAB coach Mike Davis said. ``But our problem is we are not a good shooting team. We have too many mental lapses during the game and it always comes back to hurt us in the end. That's exactly what happened tonight.''
The Blazers likely need point guard and leading scorer Paul Delaney to find his offensive rhythm to have any chance of an upset. Delaney averages a team-high 16.2 points, but has failed to reach double figures in his last three games.
Delaney was held to 12 points in the first meeting with Memphis.
The Tigers lead the all-time series 23-10.
By CHRIS ALTRUDA, Tuscaloosa (AL) News
STATS Editor
February 07, 2007
Memphis returns to the scene of its lone conference defeat since the start of last season Thursday when it plays at UAB.
Since Cincinnati, DePaul, Louisville, Marquette and South Florida defected to the Big East from Conference USA following the 2004-05 season, the eighth-ranked Tigers (19-3, 9-0 C-USA) have had few, if any, challengers to their league supremacy.
Coach John Calipari's team has compiled a 22-1 conference mark since realignment, outscoring opponents by nearly 17 points per game and recording double-digit victories on 18 occasions.
While the Tigers chase a potential No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament for the second straight year, the gap between themselves and the rest of the conference is more pronounced this season. Every other C-USA team has at least three conference losses.
Memphis has won its nine league games by an average of 17.5 points and limited C-USA rivals to 58.7 points per game.
Last season's bid for a perfect record in Conference USA was stopped with an 80-74 loss at UAB (11-11, 3-5) on March 2 that ended a 15-game winning streak. The Tigers went nearly eight minutes without a point in the second half, were held to 36 percent from the field and committed 17 turnovers.
It was a much different story when these teams met in Memphis this season, with the Tigers taking a 16-point lead by halftime en route to a 79-54 victory on Jan. 16. The Blazers were outrebounded 42-22, and failed to get close in the second half despite Memphis being without leading scorer Chris Douglas-Roberts for most of the game because of an ankle injury.
Douglas-Roberts is averaging 15.2 points, and he's led Memphis to outstanding performances in its last two games while totaling 38 points and shooting 16-of-23 from the field.
The Tigers matched a season high with 15 3-pointers in their 88-52 rout of SMU on Saturday, extending their current winning streak to 11 games.
Freshman Doneal Mack made all five of his 3-point attempts and finished with 17 points as Memphis picked apart SMU's zone defense.
``We just run and skip the ball and do a lot of things to disrupt their zone because we don't want them to get set and get comfortable,'' said Tigers guard Chris Douglas-Roberts, who added 15 points. ``Our man (offense) is the reason they went to a zone because we were driving so much and spaced out. When they go to a zone now, we are still spaced out, and we're getting shots we want.''
Memphis shot a season-high 60.7 percent from the field Saturday after hitting 57.9 percent in an 87-65 win over Central Florida last Wednesday. The team was held under 40 percent in each of its previous three games.
UAB is starting a three-game homestand trying to end a funk that has seen it lose four of five.
The Blazers are coming off a 61-54 defeat at Marshall on Saturday in which they nearly rallied from a 14-point deficit, only to be done in by 33 percent shooting.
``Defensively, to hold Marshall to 61 points on its home floor is exactly what we want to do and should be good enough to win ball games,'' UAB coach Mike Davis said. ``But our problem is we are not a good shooting team. We have too many mental lapses during the game and it always comes back to hurt us in the end. That's exactly what happened tonight.''
The Blazers likely need point guard and leading scorer Paul Delaney to find his offensive rhythm to have any chance of an upset. Delaney averages a team-high 16.2 points, but has failed to reach double figures in his last three games.
Delaney was held to 12 points in the first meeting with Memphis.
The Tigers lead the all-time series 23-10.
From Covers.com "Memphis: Top Talent, Bad Bet?"
Memphis: Top talent, bad bet?
Wed, Feb 7, 2007By Jason Logan
Last week the Memphis Tigers complained about the lack of respect they were getting from college basketball analysts. This week, their demands were appeased with a spot in the nation’s Top 10.
Now all the Tigers have to do is prove they deserve it. They’ll get their first chance Thursday night when they visit the UAB Blazers.
"It's a good feeling," freshman Doneal Mack told the Memphis Commercial Appeal. "We thought we should have been Top 10 a long time ago, but we're taking it one day at a time. We're not letting it get to our heads, because we've got a lot of games to play."
The biggest knock against Memphis is its soft Conference USA schedule, in which it has gone a perfect 9-0 this season. Many skeptics think the Tigers' 19-3 season record is misleading because of the lack of real competition they have faced this year.
Those three losses have come at the hands of high-caliber programs outside of C-USA such as Tennessee, Georgia Tech and Arizona, while Memphis’ most impressive wins have been against teams like Kentucky and Cincinnati, which were struggling to find their identities at the time.
“The Tigers are legitimate Top 20, but not Top 10 yet,” says David Malinsky of Covers Experts. “The talent is good enough to be in the higher grouping, but unfortunately the conference play does not push them hard enough to develop.”
During the first 13 games of the season the Tigers, who had lost three starters from last season, were a dismal 4-7 against the spread when odds were available.
While some pointed to the missing bodies in the starting rotation, sharp basketball bettors like Malinsky said Memphis’ inability to cover early in the season was due to a lack of killer instinct from head coach John Calipari.
“Sometimes beating up a weak opponent creates bad habits, and Calipari is savvy enough to understand that,” says Malinsky. “Those pointspreads were certainly there for the taking, but there was not particular reason to be running up the scores.”
Since their Dec. 20 loss to Arizona, the Tigers have strung together 11-straight wins and have gone 6-3-1 ATS, with two of those failed paydays coming without leading scorer Chris Douglas-Roberts in the lineup due to injury.
Currently on this run, Memphis has beaten its opponents by a margin of 21.5 points per game but has also seen pointspreads that reflect its dominance over the rest of the C-USA. Books have tagged the Tigers with double-figure handicaps in eight of the last 11 contests, with spreads getting as high as -20 ½.
“I’m not a big fan of playing on Memphis against 18 and 20-point spreads,” says Robert Ferringo of Doc’s Sports. “The lines are only going to get thicker and thicker the more the Tigers win. But all it takes is one slow half or one hot-shooting opponent to blow your bet.”
Oddsmakers have set the Tigers as 10-point favorites for Thursday’s game against UAB. Tip-off is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on ESPN from the Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.
Wed, Feb 7, 2007By Jason Logan
Last week the Memphis Tigers complained about the lack of respect they were getting from college basketball analysts. This week, their demands were appeased with a spot in the nation’s Top 10.
Now all the Tigers have to do is prove they deserve it. They’ll get their first chance Thursday night when they visit the UAB Blazers.
"It's a good feeling," freshman Doneal Mack told the Memphis Commercial Appeal. "We thought we should have been Top 10 a long time ago, but we're taking it one day at a time. We're not letting it get to our heads, because we've got a lot of games to play."
The biggest knock against Memphis is its soft Conference USA schedule, in which it has gone a perfect 9-0 this season. Many skeptics think the Tigers' 19-3 season record is misleading because of the lack of real competition they have faced this year.
Those three losses have come at the hands of high-caliber programs outside of C-USA such as Tennessee, Georgia Tech and Arizona, while Memphis’ most impressive wins have been against teams like Kentucky and Cincinnati, which were struggling to find their identities at the time.
“The Tigers are legitimate Top 20, but not Top 10 yet,” says David Malinsky of Covers Experts. “The talent is good enough to be in the higher grouping, but unfortunately the conference play does not push them hard enough to develop.”
During the first 13 games of the season the Tigers, who had lost three starters from last season, were a dismal 4-7 against the spread when odds were available.
While some pointed to the missing bodies in the starting rotation, sharp basketball bettors like Malinsky said Memphis’ inability to cover early in the season was due to a lack of killer instinct from head coach John Calipari.
“Sometimes beating up a weak opponent creates bad habits, and Calipari is savvy enough to understand that,” says Malinsky. “Those pointspreads were certainly there for the taking, but there was not particular reason to be running up the scores.”
Since their Dec. 20 loss to Arizona, the Tigers have strung together 11-straight wins and have gone 6-3-1 ATS, with two of those failed paydays coming without leading scorer Chris Douglas-Roberts in the lineup due to injury.
Currently on this run, Memphis has beaten its opponents by a margin of 21.5 points per game but has also seen pointspreads that reflect its dominance over the rest of the C-USA. Books have tagged the Tigers with double-figure handicaps in eight of the last 11 contests, with spreads getting as high as -20 ½.
“I’m not a big fan of playing on Memphis against 18 and 20-point spreads,” says Robert Ferringo of Doc’s Sports. “The lines are only going to get thicker and thicker the more the Tigers win. But all it takes is one slow half or one hot-shooting opponent to blow your bet.”
Oddsmakers have set the Tigers as 10-point favorites for Thursday’s game against UAB. Tip-off is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on ESPN from the Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.
Article on Transfer Shawn Taggart
Taggart works to be ready for Tigers
By Dan Wolken
February 7, 2007
Shawn Taggart comes to the Finch Center every day with his University of Memphis teammates and wears the same blue-and-white mesh jerseys. He even spends 20 minutes shooting before the players gather for a film session.
But that's where Taggart's practice ends.
On Nov. 7, Taggart, a 6-10 sophomore, underwent surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his right knee. Since then, Taggart's focus has been on getting ready for the 2007-08 season.
The great irony, of course, is that Taggart's preparation would have been geared for 2007-08 even if he hadn't suffered the season-ending injury during a pick-up game in early October. After coming to Memphis from Iowa State last summer, Taggart was already slated to sit out one year due to NCAA transfer rules.
But that fact hasn't made this year any easier for Taggart, who is still four or five months away from being cleared to play basketball.
"It's a long time, and I hate sitting out, but whatever I've got to do to get it better," Taggart said. "It's real hard. Sometimes I'm just like, man, I wish I could just practice. I get mad, but I understand. During the games, I get so mad. I wish I could get out there, but I can't."
Though Taggart has had to watch Memphis rise to No. 8 in the Associated Press poll and compile a 19-3 record heading into Thursday's game at UAB, there's little doubt the Tigers miss him.
Memphis was hoping a healthy Taggart would have been a key practice player this season, challenging sophomore Robert Dozier every day at the power forward position and readying himself for next year.
Instead, Taggart has spent very little time on the court and countless hours in the weight room, where he's bulked up to 233 pounds from 218 when he arrived.
"I was mad" when the injury occurred, Taggart said. "I told myself I was going to cry when I got home, but I really didn't cry. I was mad, but I looked at it like, God did this for a reason. I'm going to be in the weight room more and get stronger because that's the only thing I need right now, the weights. My game's good, but I have to get stronger."
Athletic trainer Chris Simmons said Taggart's rehab is on schedule, meaning he should be ready to go by next fall.
"He's doing great. He's doing everything we've asked of him," Simmons said. "He's bringing great energy every day, and he's doing everything to get back on the court. He's got to get stronger in his lower body. Everything we're doing is based on him stabilizing his lower body and being able to accelerate when he gets on the court."
Though point guard Derrick Rose is clearly expected to be a high-impact addition to next year's Tigers, a healthy Taggart could be another significant piece. When Taggart signed with Iowa State out of Mt. Zion Christian Academy in North Carolina, Rivals.com rated him the nation's 35th-best high school prospect.
Memphis, in fact, recruited Taggart out of high school and was happy to take him last summer when he was looking for a new school after Iowa State fired coach Wayne Morgan.
Though Taggart didn't have a standout freshman year, averaging 5.6 points, it can in part be blamed on an illness that sapped his strength and bothered him most of the season.
"He gives us another 6-11, athletic kid who can play multiple positions," Memphis assistant Derek Kellogg, who recruited Taggart initially, said. "It will be interesting to see if he can carry over what he did early in his freshman year at Iowa State, when he was playing really well before he got sick. If he can get on that path and continue to get bigger, stronger and improve, it gives us another frontcourt option."
Even completely healthy, Taggart knows he'll have to compete hard for playing time next year. In his best-case scenario, he'll have to supplant Dozier for a starting spot.
And unless one of Memphis' big men leaves for the professional ranks or transfers, the Tigers will have a glut of players at the center and power forward positions, including Joey Dorsey, Kareem Cooper and Pierre Niles.
"If everybody stays, it's really going to be a dynasty," Taggart said. "I can't wait. Coach told me the sky's the limit. I could start, I could take somebody's spot, I could get a lot of minutes but I don't care as long as we're winning."
-- Dan Wolken: 529-2365
Next for No. 8 Tigers
Opponent: UAB
When, where: Thursday, 8 p.m., at Birmingham
TV: ESPN
By Dan Wolken
February 7, 2007
Shawn Taggart comes to the Finch Center every day with his University of Memphis teammates and wears the same blue-and-white mesh jerseys. He even spends 20 minutes shooting before the players gather for a film session.
But that's where Taggart's practice ends.
On Nov. 7, Taggart, a 6-10 sophomore, underwent surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his right knee. Since then, Taggart's focus has been on getting ready for the 2007-08 season.
The great irony, of course, is that Taggart's preparation would have been geared for 2007-08 even if he hadn't suffered the season-ending injury during a pick-up game in early October. After coming to Memphis from Iowa State last summer, Taggart was already slated to sit out one year due to NCAA transfer rules.
But that fact hasn't made this year any easier for Taggart, who is still four or five months away from being cleared to play basketball.
"It's a long time, and I hate sitting out, but whatever I've got to do to get it better," Taggart said. "It's real hard. Sometimes I'm just like, man, I wish I could just practice. I get mad, but I understand. During the games, I get so mad. I wish I could get out there, but I can't."
Though Taggart has had to watch Memphis rise to No. 8 in the Associated Press poll and compile a 19-3 record heading into Thursday's game at UAB, there's little doubt the Tigers miss him.
Memphis was hoping a healthy Taggart would have been a key practice player this season, challenging sophomore Robert Dozier every day at the power forward position and readying himself for next year.
Instead, Taggart has spent very little time on the court and countless hours in the weight room, where he's bulked up to 233 pounds from 218 when he arrived.
"I was mad" when the injury occurred, Taggart said. "I told myself I was going to cry when I got home, but I really didn't cry. I was mad, but I looked at it like, God did this for a reason. I'm going to be in the weight room more and get stronger because that's the only thing I need right now, the weights. My game's good, but I have to get stronger."
Athletic trainer Chris Simmons said Taggart's rehab is on schedule, meaning he should be ready to go by next fall.
"He's doing great. He's doing everything we've asked of him," Simmons said. "He's bringing great energy every day, and he's doing everything to get back on the court. He's got to get stronger in his lower body. Everything we're doing is based on him stabilizing his lower body and being able to accelerate when he gets on the court."
Though point guard Derrick Rose is clearly expected to be a high-impact addition to next year's Tigers, a healthy Taggart could be another significant piece. When Taggart signed with Iowa State out of Mt. Zion Christian Academy in North Carolina, Rivals.com rated him the nation's 35th-best high school prospect.
Memphis, in fact, recruited Taggart out of high school and was happy to take him last summer when he was looking for a new school after Iowa State fired coach Wayne Morgan.
Though Taggart didn't have a standout freshman year, averaging 5.6 points, it can in part be blamed on an illness that sapped his strength and bothered him most of the season.
"He gives us another 6-11, athletic kid who can play multiple positions," Memphis assistant Derek Kellogg, who recruited Taggart initially, said. "It will be interesting to see if he can carry over what he did early in his freshman year at Iowa State, when he was playing really well before he got sick. If he can get on that path and continue to get bigger, stronger and improve, it gives us another frontcourt option."
Even completely healthy, Taggart knows he'll have to compete hard for playing time next year. In his best-case scenario, he'll have to supplant Dozier for a starting spot.
And unless one of Memphis' big men leaves for the professional ranks or transfers, the Tigers will have a glut of players at the center and power forward positions, including Joey Dorsey, Kareem Cooper and Pierre Niles.
"If everybody stays, it's really going to be a dynasty," Taggart said. "I can't wait. Coach told me the sky's the limit. I could start, I could take somebody's spot, I could get a lot of minutes but I don't care as long as we're winning."
-- Dan Wolken: 529-2365
Next for No. 8 Tigers
Opponent: UAB
When, where: Thursday, 8 p.m., at Birmingham
TV: ESPN
From SMUDailyCampus.com "Men's Hoops Fall to Ranked Tigers"
Men's hoops fall to ranked Tigers
SMU couldn't stop high-powered Memphis offense
Jordan Hofeditz, Sports Editor, jhofedit@smu.edu
Issue date: 2/6/07 Section: Sports
Saturday morning the Memphis Tigers proved why they are the No. 11 team in the nation and are undefeated in Conference USA.
The Mustangs were able to stay with the dominating Memphis through the first 14 minutes of the game. The Tigers' lead did not reach double digits until there were six minutes left in the half.
But when the Tigers started shooting, and making, three-point shots the Mustangs couldn't keep up. Memphis shot 60 percent from the three-point line for the game including a 5-5 game from Doneal Mack.
Ike Ofoegbu led the Mustangs with 17 points, but the rest of the team couldn't pick up the slack. SMU got points out of all seven players who played, but other than Ofoegbu no one scored more than eight points.
On the other side of the court, the Tigers used 15 players and got double digits from four players.
Turnovers were not the problem (the Mustangs only had 12); it was shooting percentages for both teams.
SMU could only manage 36 percent from the floor, and against a 61-percent performance from Memphis the Mustangs didn't stand a chance. SMU also lost the rebounding battle 35-22, giving Memphis a second chance points advantage by nine points.
The Mustangs will return home for a short two-game home stand with a rematch against Houston, to be shown on CSTV, and SMU's first look at the Rice Owls.
Tip-off will be at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at Moody Coliseum.
SMU couldn't stop high-powered Memphis offense
Jordan Hofeditz, Sports Editor, jhofedit@smu.edu
Issue date: 2/6/07 Section: Sports
Saturday morning the Memphis Tigers proved why they are the No. 11 team in the nation and are undefeated in Conference USA.
The Mustangs were able to stay with the dominating Memphis through the first 14 minutes of the game. The Tigers' lead did not reach double digits until there were six minutes left in the half.
But when the Tigers started shooting, and making, three-point shots the Mustangs couldn't keep up. Memphis shot 60 percent from the three-point line for the game including a 5-5 game from Doneal Mack.
Ike Ofoegbu led the Mustangs with 17 points, but the rest of the team couldn't pick up the slack. SMU got points out of all seven players who played, but other than Ofoegbu no one scored more than eight points.
On the other side of the court, the Tigers used 15 players and got double digits from four players.
Turnovers were not the problem (the Mustangs only had 12); it was shooting percentages for both teams.
SMU could only manage 36 percent from the floor, and against a 61-percent performance from Memphis the Mustangs didn't stand a chance. SMU also lost the rebounding battle 35-22, giving Memphis a second chance points advantage by nine points.
The Mustangs will return home for a short two-game home stand with a rematch against Houston, to be shown on CSTV, and SMU's first look at the Rice Owls.
Tip-off will be at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at Moody Coliseum.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Tigers Expected to Play Southern Cal in Next Year's Jimmy V Classic
Tigers-Southern Cal Expected To Meet'
In Jimmy V Classic In NYC Next Season
Would Pit Derrick Rose Vs. O.J. Mayo
In Jimmy V Classic In NYC Next Season
Would Pit Derrick Rose Vs. O.J. Mayo
My Commentary on the SMU Game
I know, I haven't had a commentary in quite some time. I've been traveling a ton and haven't had time to even watch the games, much less write a commentary. I was able to attend the SMU game live (albeit with my 7 and 5 year old daughters).
I was very impressed with the Tigers' defensive work, very crisp passing around the floor to the open man and the general command of the game. We arrived with the score about 15 to 12 Tigers (of course we had to get snow cones and dipping dots prior to sitting down). SMU stayed in the game for about 4 more minutes then the separation started.
SMU's defense on three point shots was not very good, but much of that was because the Tigers did a fine job rotating the ball around the horn or going cross court to the open man. But all of that goes for nothing if the Tigers miss the shots. Doneal Mack was fabulous adn you can just see his confidence level increasing every game.
While Joey Dorsey's offensive production was down from the Central Florida game (of which I've only watched about five minutes of so far), heis defensive and hustle was strong.
CDR was outstanding. SMU's players just could keep up with Chris on his cuts to the basket. At one point, Matt Doherty jumped up off the bench in disgust after CDR has just scored on back to back baskets. He quickly jerked out the defensive player and attempted to substitute someone who could defend CDR.
CDR's size appears to cause match up difficulties. He is 6-6, but plays much faster than a typical college 3 man. He is more like a small guard with long arms.
I plan on attending the Tulane game on Saturday night, so hopefully I can add some valuable analysis on Sunday afternoon.
I was very impressed with the Tigers' defensive work, very crisp passing around the floor to the open man and the general command of the game. We arrived with the score about 15 to 12 Tigers (of course we had to get snow cones and dipping dots prior to sitting down). SMU stayed in the game for about 4 more minutes then the separation started.
SMU's defense on three point shots was not very good, but much of that was because the Tigers did a fine job rotating the ball around the horn or going cross court to the open man. But all of that goes for nothing if the Tigers miss the shots. Doneal Mack was fabulous adn you can just see his confidence level increasing every game.
While Joey Dorsey's offensive production was down from the Central Florida game (of which I've only watched about five minutes of so far), heis defensive and hustle was strong.
CDR was outstanding. SMU's players just could keep up with Chris on his cuts to the basket. At one point, Matt Doherty jumped up off the bench in disgust after CDR has just scored on back to back baskets. He quickly jerked out the defensive player and attempted to substitute someone who could defend CDR.
CDR's size appears to cause match up difficulties. He is 6-6, but plays much faster than a typical college 3 man. He is more like a small guard with long arms.
I plan on attending the Tulane game on Saturday night, so hopefully I can add some valuable analysis on Sunday afternoon.
C-USA #11 in RPI Conference Rankings
RPI Ranking by Team
#10 Memphis
#77 Houston
#112 UAB
#115 Central Florida
#124 Tulsa
#132 SMU
#136 Southern Mississippi
#158 Marshall
#164 UTEP
#196 Rice
#242 Tulane
#312 East Carolina
#10 Memphis
#77 Houston
#112 UAB
#115 Central Florida
#124 Tulsa
#132 SMU
#136 Southern Mississippi
#158 Marshall
#164 UTEP
#196 Rice
#242 Tulane
#312 East Carolina
Tigers #9 in RPI, #10 in Ken Pomeroy
RPI Through Sunday, Feb 4
1) UCLA
2) North Carolina
3) Pittsburgh
4) Wisconsin
5) Ohio State
6) Kentucky
7) Arizona
8) Duke
9) Southern Illinois
10) Memphis
11) UNLV
12) Florida
13) Texas A&M
14) Air Force
15) Marquette
16) Tennessee
17) Oregon
18) Florida State
19) Indiana
20) Villanova
1) UCLA
2) North Carolina
3) Pittsburgh
4) Wisconsin
5) Ohio State
6) Kentucky
7) Arizona
8) Duke
9) Southern Illinois
10) Memphis
11) UNLV
12) Florida
13) Texas A&M
14) Air Force
15) Marquette
16) Tennessee
17) Oregon
18) Florida State
19) Indiana
20) Villanova
Tigers Crack Top 10 at #8 in AP Poll, and #10 in ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll
Win streak pays off as Tigers land in top 10
By Dan Wolken
February 6, 2007
Unable to do anything about the quality of its Conference USA opponents, the University of Memphis simply kept winning.
On Monday, Memphis' 11-game winning streak was rewarded when the Tigers landed in the top 10 of both major college basketball polls, coming in at No. 8 in The Associated Press poll and No. 10 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll.
Though critics would argue that Memphis, at 19-3, has only beaten one top-25 caliber team -- Kentucky on Nov. 22 -- the improving Tigers have apparently done enough to convince voters they are one of the nation's elite teams.
"It's a good feeling," freshman guard Doneal Mack said. "We thought we should have been top 10 a long time ago, but we're taking it one day at a time. We're not letting it get to our heads, because we've got a lot of games to play."
Staying in the top 10 will probably be even harder than getting there. Including Thursday's matchup at UAB, Memphis has eight games remaining before the C-USA Tournament. Should the Tigers lose any of those, they might find it difficult to climb back up as high as they are currently.
"What it becomes is a bigger target," coach John Calipari said. "You don't want it to be an albatross around your neck. You want to be prideful that people have enough respect for this program to pick us that high. But who knows who's where? We just happen to be winning, so we're moving by some people."
Though polls aren't necessarily a factor in NCAA Tournament seeding, the Tigers appear to be in good shape despite their early season losses at Tennessee, at Arizona and to Georgia Tech in the Maui Invitational. Memphis began the season at No. 14 in both polls and was ranked as low as No. 23 on New Year's Day.
Memphis was No. 10 in the RPI ratings as of Monday, according to Ken Pomeroy's calculations on kenpom.com. If the Tigers can stay in the top 10 in both polls and the RPI, they would likely lock up a top-four seed in the NCAAs.
Though polls aren't always significant, especially in February, sophomore guard Antonio Anderson said there was "definitely" something special about being in the top 10.
"It's knowing you're one of the best teams in the country, and everything you work for is paying off," Anderson said.
-- Dan Wolken: 529-2365
By Dan Wolken
February 6, 2007
Unable to do anything about the quality of its Conference USA opponents, the University of Memphis simply kept winning.
On Monday, Memphis' 11-game winning streak was rewarded when the Tigers landed in the top 10 of both major college basketball polls, coming in at No. 8 in The Associated Press poll and No. 10 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll.
Though critics would argue that Memphis, at 19-3, has only beaten one top-25 caliber team -- Kentucky on Nov. 22 -- the improving Tigers have apparently done enough to convince voters they are one of the nation's elite teams.
"It's a good feeling," freshman guard Doneal Mack said. "We thought we should have been top 10 a long time ago, but we're taking it one day at a time. We're not letting it get to our heads, because we've got a lot of games to play."
Staying in the top 10 will probably be even harder than getting there. Including Thursday's matchup at UAB, Memphis has eight games remaining before the C-USA Tournament. Should the Tigers lose any of those, they might find it difficult to climb back up as high as they are currently.
"What it becomes is a bigger target," coach John Calipari said. "You don't want it to be an albatross around your neck. You want to be prideful that people have enough respect for this program to pick us that high. But who knows who's where? We just happen to be winning, so we're moving by some people."
Though polls aren't necessarily a factor in NCAA Tournament seeding, the Tigers appear to be in good shape despite their early season losses at Tennessee, at Arizona and to Georgia Tech in the Maui Invitational. Memphis began the season at No. 14 in both polls and was ranked as low as No. 23 on New Year's Day.
Memphis was No. 10 in the RPI ratings as of Monday, according to Ken Pomeroy's calculations on kenpom.com. If the Tigers can stay in the top 10 in both polls and the RPI, they would likely lock up a top-four seed in the NCAAs.
Though polls aren't always significant, especially in February, sophomore guard Antonio Anderson said there was "definitely" something special about being in the top 10.
"It's knowing you're one of the best teams in the country, and everything you work for is paying off," Anderson said.
-- Dan Wolken: 529-2365
Tigers Have Two Candidates for C-USA Top Player
Tigers have two candidates for C-USA's top player
By Dan Wolken
February 6, 2007
Joey Dorsey or Chris Douglas-Roberts?
Halfway through the Conference USA season, the race for the league's player of the year appears to be between the two University of Memphis stars. And here's the funny part: While an informal poll of the league's coaches on Monday indicated that Douglas-Roberts is the front-runner, the in-house Memphis opinion is that Dorsey should get the award if the season ended today.
"It's definitely Joey," sophomore guard Antonio Anderson said. "Chris is doing a heck of a job scoring the ball, but Joey is just so important to the team. He's blocking shots, making free throws, doing so much. Joey's role is more important than anybody on the team including the point guard, me, anybody. Without Joey, we'd have problems."
It's an interesting argument because the 6-9 Dorsey and 6-6 Douglas-Roberts fill such different roles. Dorsey, who was named C-USA's co-player of the week on Monday, leads the league in rebounding (11.8 in conference games), is third in field-goal percentage (58.7), second in blocked shots (2.78) and third in steals (2.22).
And though Douglas-Roberts doesn't have overwhelming numbers -- he's fifth in scoring (15.1) and second in field-goal percentage (63.0) -- he's clearly the offensive catalyst for the league's dominant team.
"Dorsey is really coming on, but the guy you really fear is when it's in Douglas-Roberts' hand," Southern Miss coach Larry Eustachy said. "You take him off their team, and obviously they slip. He's the one factor that they can just clear the side and let him get a basket."
Though preseason player of the year Morris Almond is still in clearly in contention, scoring 23.6 points per game, he's doing it on a disappointing Rice team. Houston coach Tom Penders said he always votes for the players with the biggest impact on winning.
"The hardest thing about Memphis is, who's the key guy?" Penders said. "To me, their best player is Chris Douglas-Roberts, but then you've got guys like Jeremy Hunt off the bench and Dorsey and with Morris Almond, you have to see how (Rice's) season shakes out. My pick at this point would be Chris Douglas-Roberts."
Memphis coach John Calipari has been pumping up Dorsey in recent days as the pick, though he said Monday that it could fluctuate.
"I just saw a tape without Chris, when we played UAB the last time, and there were times we didn't have an answer where to go," Calipari said. "But I also know, without Joey, we're not nearly the same team."
Promotion time
Calipari caused a minor stir last week when he criticized the Orlando Sentinel for failing to put the advance story of the Memphis-Central Florida game on the front page of the sports section.
The Sentinel's public editor, Manning Pynn, wrote a column in Sunday's edition saying he would have pushed the advance to the sports front. UCF coach Kirk Speraw said he agreed with Calipari's comments but acknowledged the importance of not relying on newspapers to promote the program.
The biggest issue is that UCF is still an afterthought on the Orlando sports scene, but that could change quickly now that the Golden Knights have moved up to C-USA from the low-major Atlantic Sun Conference.
"I really appreciated Cal's comments. I think they were right on the money, and it did cause a little bit of a stir I think," Speraw said. "We thought it was a significant enough game to be on the front page of the paper."
Adjusting focus
Houston's focus coming into this season was making the NCAA Tournament, but with an injury to point guard Lanny Smith and a string of disappointing non-conference results, the Cougars' only hope for a bid is to win the C-USA Tournament.
With five straight wins before a setback at UTEP on Saturday, Houston is serving notice that it's the kind of team that might be dangerous at the FedExForum in March.
"We just came off a pretty good run of five straight and now we have to get a streak going again," Penders said. "I try to be positive and talk in those terms."
Game of the week
Tulsa at Southern Miss, Saturday: With seven teams at either 5-3 or 4-4 in the league, the race for a top-four seed and first-round bye in the C-USA Tournament will be hotly contested to the season's final week.
Stat of the week
Only 1,543 fans showed up at Rice on Saturday to watch Morris Almond score 34 points on 10-of-16 shooting. You'd think at least a few Houstonians would be curious to see a potential first-round NBA draft pick.
By Dan Wolken
February 6, 2007
Joey Dorsey or Chris Douglas-Roberts?
Halfway through the Conference USA season, the race for the league's player of the year appears to be between the two University of Memphis stars. And here's the funny part: While an informal poll of the league's coaches on Monday indicated that Douglas-Roberts is the front-runner, the in-house Memphis opinion is that Dorsey should get the award if the season ended today.
"It's definitely Joey," sophomore guard Antonio Anderson said. "Chris is doing a heck of a job scoring the ball, but Joey is just so important to the team. He's blocking shots, making free throws, doing so much. Joey's role is more important than anybody on the team including the point guard, me, anybody. Without Joey, we'd have problems."
It's an interesting argument because the 6-9 Dorsey and 6-6 Douglas-Roberts fill such different roles. Dorsey, who was named C-USA's co-player of the week on Monday, leads the league in rebounding (11.8 in conference games), is third in field-goal percentage (58.7), second in blocked shots (2.78) and third in steals (2.22).
And though Douglas-Roberts doesn't have overwhelming numbers -- he's fifth in scoring (15.1) and second in field-goal percentage (63.0) -- he's clearly the offensive catalyst for the league's dominant team.
"Dorsey is really coming on, but the guy you really fear is when it's in Douglas-Roberts' hand," Southern Miss coach Larry Eustachy said. "You take him off their team, and obviously they slip. He's the one factor that they can just clear the side and let him get a basket."
Though preseason player of the year Morris Almond is still in clearly in contention, scoring 23.6 points per game, he's doing it on a disappointing Rice team. Houston coach Tom Penders said he always votes for the players with the biggest impact on winning.
"The hardest thing about Memphis is, who's the key guy?" Penders said. "To me, their best player is Chris Douglas-Roberts, but then you've got guys like Jeremy Hunt off the bench and Dorsey and with Morris Almond, you have to see how (Rice's) season shakes out. My pick at this point would be Chris Douglas-Roberts."
Memphis coach John Calipari has been pumping up Dorsey in recent days as the pick, though he said Monday that it could fluctuate.
"I just saw a tape without Chris, when we played UAB the last time, and there were times we didn't have an answer where to go," Calipari said. "But I also know, without Joey, we're not nearly the same team."
Promotion time
Calipari caused a minor stir last week when he criticized the Orlando Sentinel for failing to put the advance story of the Memphis-Central Florida game on the front page of the sports section.
The Sentinel's public editor, Manning Pynn, wrote a column in Sunday's edition saying he would have pushed the advance to the sports front. UCF coach Kirk Speraw said he agreed with Calipari's comments but acknowledged the importance of not relying on newspapers to promote the program.
The biggest issue is that UCF is still an afterthought on the Orlando sports scene, but that could change quickly now that the Golden Knights have moved up to C-USA from the low-major Atlantic Sun Conference.
"I really appreciated Cal's comments. I think they were right on the money, and it did cause a little bit of a stir I think," Speraw said. "We thought it was a significant enough game to be on the front page of the paper."
Adjusting focus
Houston's focus coming into this season was making the NCAA Tournament, but with an injury to point guard Lanny Smith and a string of disappointing non-conference results, the Cougars' only hope for a bid is to win the C-USA Tournament.
With five straight wins before a setback at UTEP on Saturday, Houston is serving notice that it's the kind of team that might be dangerous at the FedExForum in March.
"We just came off a pretty good run of five straight and now we have to get a streak going again," Penders said. "I try to be positive and talk in those terms."
Game of the week
Tulsa at Southern Miss, Saturday: With seven teams at either 5-3 or 4-4 in the league, the race for a top-four seed and first-round bye in the C-USA Tournament will be hotly contested to the season's final week.
Stat of the week
Only 1,543 fans showed up at Rice on Saturday to watch Morris Almond score 34 points on 10-of-16 shooting. You'd think at least a few Houstonians would be curious to see a potential first-round NBA draft pick.
Joey Dorsey Named C-USA Co-Player of the Week
Dorsey Named Conference USA Co-Player Of The Week
The Tiger forward scored a career-high 22 points versus UCF.
Feb. 5, 2007
IRVING, Texas - University of Memphis junior Joey Dorsey was named Conference USA co-Player of the Week for his performances from Jan. 29-Feb. 4, the league office announced Monday. Dorsey shared the honor with UTEP's Stefon Jackson.
This is the first time in his career that Dorsey has earned C-USA's weekly honor. He is the third Tiger this season to be recognized, as Chris Douglas-Roberts took home the award in mid-December and Jeremy Hunt received the honor in early January.
Last week, the 6-foot-9 forward helped lead the No. 11/12 Tigers to a 2-0 mark with victories over UCF 87-65 and SMU 88-52. Dorsey nearly averaged a double-double with 14.5 points and 9.0 rebounds in the two wins. He shot 75 percent from the field in the two games.
In the win over UCF Jan. 31, the Baltimore, Md., native scored a career-high 22 points and had four spectacular, highlight-reel dunks. He also hit a career-best 10 field goals and posted a career-high five steals against the Golden Knights. Against SMU Feb. 3, Dorsey had seven points, nine rebounds, four steals and two blocks.
Dorsey leads Conference USA in rebounding with a 10.2 average. He also is second in C-USA in field goal percentage (.639), second in blocked shots (2.41) and eighth in steals (1.59). Dorsey leads the Tigers with 53 blocks this year and now has 162 swats for his career. He is in the No. 6 spot on the Tiger career blocked shots list.
Memphis (19-3, 9-0 C-USA) returns to action Thursday, Feb. 8 when they travel to Birmingham, Ala., to play UAB (11-11, 3-5 C-USA) in an 8:00 p.m. (CT) game. The contest will be televised by ESPN as part of Rivalry Week on the network.
The Tiger forward scored a career-high 22 points versus UCF.
Feb. 5, 2007
IRVING, Texas - University of Memphis junior Joey Dorsey was named Conference USA co-Player of the Week for his performances from Jan. 29-Feb. 4, the league office announced Monday. Dorsey shared the honor with UTEP's Stefon Jackson.
This is the first time in his career that Dorsey has earned C-USA's weekly honor. He is the third Tiger this season to be recognized, as Chris Douglas-Roberts took home the award in mid-December and Jeremy Hunt received the honor in early January.
Last week, the 6-foot-9 forward helped lead the No. 11/12 Tigers to a 2-0 mark with victories over UCF 87-65 and SMU 88-52. Dorsey nearly averaged a double-double with 14.5 points and 9.0 rebounds in the two wins. He shot 75 percent from the field in the two games.
In the win over UCF Jan. 31, the Baltimore, Md., native scored a career-high 22 points and had four spectacular, highlight-reel dunks. He also hit a career-best 10 field goals and posted a career-high five steals against the Golden Knights. Against SMU Feb. 3, Dorsey had seven points, nine rebounds, four steals and two blocks.
Dorsey leads Conference USA in rebounding with a 10.2 average. He also is second in C-USA in field goal percentage (.639), second in blocked shots (2.41) and eighth in steals (1.59). Dorsey leads the Tigers with 53 blocks this year and now has 162 swats for his career. He is in the No. 6 spot on the Tiger career blocked shots list.
Memphis (19-3, 9-0 C-USA) returns to action Thursday, Feb. 8 when they travel to Birmingham, Ala., to play UAB (11-11, 3-5 C-USA) in an 8:00 p.m. (CT) game. The contest will be televised by ESPN as part of Rivalry Week on the network.
Technology Helps Douglas-Roberts
Technology helps Douglas-Roberts
By Dan Wolken
February 5, 2007
When the University of Memphis went to Orlando last week to play Central Florida, sophomore guard Chris Douglas-Roberts accidentally left the brace he's been wearing around his right ankle in his locker.
With the help of a certain local shipping company, the brace was summoned and arrived in time for Memphis' 87-65 win. Good thing, too. Because for the first time since suffering a high ankle sprain on Jan. 11, the Tigers' leading scorer was back to elevating for highlight-reel layups and making almost everything within 15 feet of the basket.
"I feel stable," Douglas-Roberts said. "I only feel (pain) at the beginning of the game and at the beginning of the second half, but when it loosens up, I'm good."
Though Douglas-Roberts' toughness is obviously a huge factor in his relatively quick recovery from a sometimes problematic injury, technology played a role as well.
The kind of brace Douglas-Roberts wears, made by DonJoy, has only been on the market for a few months. It's called the "Velocity," and Memphis athletic trainer Chris Simmons said the comfort of it combined with the protection it offers has helped Douglas-Roberts appear to be healthy.
"It's not letting the ligaments, and all the bones in my ankle, it's not letting them move around and get worse," Douglas-Roberts said. "It's really helping."
Though a high ankle sprain can sometimes be a lingering injury, Douglas-Roberts was determined not to let it keep him out too long. So after missing three games, he came back against Southern Miss, and though clearly not himself, scored 15 points
Since then, however, he's played some of his best basketball. Against Central Flordia, Douglas-Roberts scored 23 points on 9-of-13 from the field. In Memphis' 88-52 win over SMU on Saturday, he scored 15 on 7-of-10 shooting.
"It's late in the year," Douglas-Roberts said. "It's winning time. We call it money time, and that's how I feel. I feel that my team relies on me to set the pace, and that's all I'm doing."
Douglas-Roberts' numbers the past two games surely would please the folks at DonJoy, who advertise the Velocity on the company's Web site as "an evolution in ankle brace technology" with a "combination of soft goods with a rigid, hinged foot plate and calf cuff (which) provides unsurpassed levels of control, fit and support."
It also has given Douglas-Roberts a sense of security that he won't worsen the injury.
"He feels comfortable playing in (the brace), so we just let him roll with it," Simmons said. "External rotation is what causes a high ankle sprain, so it prevents it from external rotation. Not much, but just enough to protect that ligament so we can let it heal. Over time, hopefully by the NCAA Tournament, he can get out of it."
Douglas-Roberts' strong comeback has been a big relief for the Tigers, who struggled to score at times when he was out of the lineup against East Carolina and Tulsa.
"I knew he was going to eventually come back and do what he does all the time," senior guard Jeremy Hunt said. "Actually he came back faster than we thought, and I'm happy for him. He's given us a big boost, and we look to him to score when we get in trouble sometimes and hopefully everybody's following his lead."
-- Dan Wolken: 529-2365
By Dan Wolken
February 5, 2007
When the University of Memphis went to Orlando last week to play Central Florida, sophomore guard Chris Douglas-Roberts accidentally left the brace he's been wearing around his right ankle in his locker.
With the help of a certain local shipping company, the brace was summoned and arrived in time for Memphis' 87-65 win. Good thing, too. Because for the first time since suffering a high ankle sprain on Jan. 11, the Tigers' leading scorer was back to elevating for highlight-reel layups and making almost everything within 15 feet of the basket.
"I feel stable," Douglas-Roberts said. "I only feel (pain) at the beginning of the game and at the beginning of the second half, but when it loosens up, I'm good."
Though Douglas-Roberts' toughness is obviously a huge factor in his relatively quick recovery from a sometimes problematic injury, technology played a role as well.
The kind of brace Douglas-Roberts wears, made by DonJoy, has only been on the market for a few months. It's called the "Velocity," and Memphis athletic trainer Chris Simmons said the comfort of it combined with the protection it offers has helped Douglas-Roberts appear to be healthy.
"It's not letting the ligaments, and all the bones in my ankle, it's not letting them move around and get worse," Douglas-Roberts said. "It's really helping."
Though a high ankle sprain can sometimes be a lingering injury, Douglas-Roberts was determined not to let it keep him out too long. So after missing three games, he came back against Southern Miss, and though clearly not himself, scored 15 points
Since then, however, he's played some of his best basketball. Against Central Flordia, Douglas-Roberts scored 23 points on 9-of-13 from the field. In Memphis' 88-52 win over SMU on Saturday, he scored 15 on 7-of-10 shooting.
"It's late in the year," Douglas-Roberts said. "It's winning time. We call it money time, and that's how I feel. I feel that my team relies on me to set the pace, and that's all I'm doing."
Douglas-Roberts' numbers the past two games surely would please the folks at DonJoy, who advertise the Velocity on the company's Web site as "an evolution in ankle brace technology" with a "combination of soft goods with a rigid, hinged foot plate and calf cuff (which) provides unsurpassed levels of control, fit and support."
It also has given Douglas-Roberts a sense of security that he won't worsen the injury.
"He feels comfortable playing in (the brace), so we just let him roll with it," Simmons said. "External rotation is what causes a high ankle sprain, so it prevents it from external rotation. Not much, but just enough to protect that ligament so we can let it heal. Over time, hopefully by the NCAA Tournament, he can get out of it."
Douglas-Roberts' strong comeback has been a big relief for the Tigers, who struggled to score at times when he was out of the lineup against East Carolina and Tulsa.
"I knew he was going to eventually come back and do what he does all the time," senior guard Jeremy Hunt said. "Actually he came back faster than we thought, and I'm happy for him. He's given us a big boost, and we look to him to score when we get in trouble sometimes and hopefully everybody's following his lead."
-- Dan Wolken: 529-2365
From the Sporting News "Memphis Finding Little Resistance in C-USA"
Memphis finding little resistance in C-USA
Time will tell if Tigers' soft schedule will help or hurt in NCAA tourney
By Mike DeCourcy
Sporting News
Updated: 7:43 p.m. CT Feb 3, 2007
Well, it was another day in the gulag for the Memphis Tigers.
Hard labor, I'm telling you.
The Tigers only beat Southern Methodist by 36 points Saturday afternoon, and it's impossible to fathom how they could handle the pressure.
Since leaving Arizona prior to Christmas with a defeat, Memphis has played 11 times and won those games by an average of 21.5 points. Only Southern Mississippi managed to make a game of it. The rest disintegrated against the swarms of Memphis press defenders.
The Tigers are one of six Division I teams yet to lose a conference game, but the rest are actually being required to regularly prove themselves. We've all seen the number of close games and comebacks Florida has endured. Winthrop won three single-possession games in a row.
There is both good news and bad news for Memphis in all this. The good part, the part too many will overlook, is this is a young team managing to maintain its focus and intensity even though it enters games with a fairly good idea the conference opposition will provide minimal resistance. Coach John Calipari started two freshmen and two sophomores against SMU. At a lot of programs, keeping the heat on when the lead already is 20 points -- as it was at halftime -- is difficult to achieve.
The bad news mostly regards where the Tigers will end up in the postseason. There's a common belief teams playing in less powerful conferences find themselves not as "prepared" for what the NCAA Tournament has in store. That's not really the issue, and everyone should understand this clearly based on what occurred last March.
The presence in the 2006 Sweet 16 of two Missouri Valley teams, one squad from the Colonial and the Tigers themselves out of Conference USA reminded everyone it's not necessary to play in a big-money league to prepare for a deep NCAA run. However, the difference with what George Mason accomplished and what Memphis now is planning is the CAA included a number of teams at or near the Patriots' level, which forced them to conquer or disguise their flaws and polish their strengths to championship level.
As it stands, Memphis has addressed many of the issues apparent in losses to Georgia Tech, Tennessee and Arizona.
Perimeter defense. Chris Lofton embarrassed the Tigers with his ability to score from behind the 3-point line, although, to be fair, he can embarrass a lot of teams when healthy. Hitting at a 31.8-percent clip, Memphis' conference opponents have made only 48 3-pointers in nine games, which is about what Lofton got in 40 minutes.
Joey Dorsey's consistency. An athletic, rugged power forward, Dorsey got punked by Georgia Tech and played just 15 minutes against Tennessee because of fouls. He's collected nine or more rebounds in every game since New Year's and is shooting 64 percent in that stretch.
Robert Dozier's effort. He essentially surrendered in the Arizona and Georgia Tech losses, but has scored in double figures in nine of the past 11 games. His finishing at the rim has advanced from haphazard to efficient.
The question remains whether this improvement is real, and whether it can stick when the competition level is heightened. That's to say nothing of how Memphis will be seeded, given its gaudy record, a top 10 RPI ranking -- and just one victory against an opponent rated 70th or better.
Man, life in Conference USA can be brutal.
© 2007 The Sporting News
Time will tell if Tigers' soft schedule will help or hurt in NCAA tourney
By Mike DeCourcy
Sporting News
Updated: 7:43 p.m. CT Feb 3, 2007
Well, it was another day in the gulag for the Memphis Tigers.
Hard labor, I'm telling you.
The Tigers only beat Southern Methodist by 36 points Saturday afternoon, and it's impossible to fathom how they could handle the pressure.
Since leaving Arizona prior to Christmas with a defeat, Memphis has played 11 times and won those games by an average of 21.5 points. Only Southern Mississippi managed to make a game of it. The rest disintegrated against the swarms of Memphis press defenders.
The Tigers are one of six Division I teams yet to lose a conference game, but the rest are actually being required to regularly prove themselves. We've all seen the number of close games and comebacks Florida has endured. Winthrop won three single-possession games in a row.
There is both good news and bad news for Memphis in all this. The good part, the part too many will overlook, is this is a young team managing to maintain its focus and intensity even though it enters games with a fairly good idea the conference opposition will provide minimal resistance. Coach John Calipari started two freshmen and two sophomores against SMU. At a lot of programs, keeping the heat on when the lead already is 20 points -- as it was at halftime -- is difficult to achieve.
The bad news mostly regards where the Tigers will end up in the postseason. There's a common belief teams playing in less powerful conferences find themselves not as "prepared" for what the NCAA Tournament has in store. That's not really the issue, and everyone should understand this clearly based on what occurred last March.
The presence in the 2006 Sweet 16 of two Missouri Valley teams, one squad from the Colonial and the Tigers themselves out of Conference USA reminded everyone it's not necessary to play in a big-money league to prepare for a deep NCAA run. However, the difference with what George Mason accomplished and what Memphis now is planning is the CAA included a number of teams at or near the Patriots' level, which forced them to conquer or disguise their flaws and polish their strengths to championship level.
As it stands, Memphis has addressed many of the issues apparent in losses to Georgia Tech, Tennessee and Arizona.
Perimeter defense. Chris Lofton embarrassed the Tigers with his ability to score from behind the 3-point line, although, to be fair, he can embarrass a lot of teams when healthy. Hitting at a 31.8-percent clip, Memphis' conference opponents have made only 48 3-pointers in nine games, which is about what Lofton got in 40 minutes.
Joey Dorsey's consistency. An athletic, rugged power forward, Dorsey got punked by Georgia Tech and played just 15 minutes against Tennessee because of fouls. He's collected nine or more rebounds in every game since New Year's and is shooting 64 percent in that stretch.
Robert Dozier's effort. He essentially surrendered in the Arizona and Georgia Tech losses, but has scored in double figures in nine of the past 11 games. His finishing at the rim has advanced from haphazard to efficient.
The question remains whether this improvement is real, and whether it can stick when the competition level is heightened. That's to say nothing of how Memphis will be seeded, given its gaudy record, a top 10 RPI ranking -- and just one victory against an opponent rated 70th or better.
Man, life in Conference USA can be brutal.
© 2007 The Sporting News
From the AP "Mustangs Fall to #11 Tigers"
Mustangs Fall To No. 11 Tigers
Ike Ofoegbu pours in 17 points.
Feb. 3, 2007
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -Doneal Mack scored 17 points, and went 5-for-5 on 3-point shots, as No. 11 Memphis remained undefeated in Conference USA with an 88-52 victory over SMU on Saturday.
Memphis finished 15-for-25 on 3-pointers, and the Tigers shot 61 percent.
Memphis (19-3, 9-0) won its 26th consecutive home game, and 11th straight overall. It was the most points allowed by the Mustangs (13-9, 2-6), who entered the game with the conference's best defense against 3-pointers, holding opponents to 31 percent on the season.
Chris Douglas-Roberts scored 15 for Memphis, while Willie Kemp had 11 points and six assists.
Ike Ofoegbu was the only Mustang in double figures, finishing with 17 points. SMU shot 36 percent for the game.
Memphis built its lead midway through the first half when the Tigers began connecting from outside the arc and added drives to the basket. The margin reached double digits about 6 minutes before halftime, and SMU never got close in the second half.
In the first half, Douglas-Roberts scored 13 points, while Mack had 12, hitting all four of his 3-pointers as Memphis took a 46-26 lead. The Tigers shot 54 percent on 7-of-13 shots from outside the arc.
Ofoegbu had 11 points in the first half.
SMU stayed close early as Ofoegbu hit his first four shots and had 11 of the Mustangs' first 14 points. That combined with Memphis initially misfiring over the SMU zone defense allowed the Mustangs to stay close until the midpoint of the first half.
But Memphis got a couple of turnovers off its pressure defense and began connecting from 3-point range to build the lead to 34-21 when Kemp hit a 3-pointer with just under 5 minutes left before halftime.
Douglas-Roberts drove for three baskets, the last capping a 15-2 run as SMU went more than 4 minutes without a field goal. The streak gave Memphis a 38-21 advantage.
Ike Ofoegbu pours in 17 points.
Feb. 3, 2007
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -Doneal Mack scored 17 points, and went 5-for-5 on 3-point shots, as No. 11 Memphis remained undefeated in Conference USA with an 88-52 victory over SMU on Saturday.
Memphis finished 15-for-25 on 3-pointers, and the Tigers shot 61 percent.
Memphis (19-3, 9-0) won its 26th consecutive home game, and 11th straight overall. It was the most points allowed by the Mustangs (13-9, 2-6), who entered the game with the conference's best defense against 3-pointers, holding opponents to 31 percent on the season.
Chris Douglas-Roberts scored 15 for Memphis, while Willie Kemp had 11 points and six assists.
Ike Ofoegbu was the only Mustang in double figures, finishing with 17 points. SMU shot 36 percent for the game.
Memphis built its lead midway through the first half when the Tigers began connecting from outside the arc and added drives to the basket. The margin reached double digits about 6 minutes before halftime, and SMU never got close in the second half.
In the first half, Douglas-Roberts scored 13 points, while Mack had 12, hitting all four of his 3-pointers as Memphis took a 46-26 lead. The Tigers shot 54 percent on 7-of-13 shots from outside the arc.
Ofoegbu had 11 points in the first half.
SMU stayed close early as Ofoegbu hit his first four shots and had 11 of the Mustangs' first 14 points. That combined with Memphis initially misfiring over the SMU zone defense allowed the Mustangs to stay close until the midpoint of the first half.
But Memphis got a couple of turnovers off its pressure defense and began connecting from 3-point range to build the lead to 34-21 when Kemp hit a 3-pointer with just under 5 minutes left before halftime.
Douglas-Roberts drove for three baskets, the last capping a 15-2 run as SMU went more than 4 minutes without a field goal. The streak gave Memphis a 38-21 advantage.
Tigers Make Mustangs Pay
Tigers make Mustangs pay
By Dan Wolken
February 4, 2007
The outcome had long since been decided, but University of Memphis freshman Doneal Mack had his own decision to make.
Take a wide-open 3-pointer against SMU's zone defense with eight minutes, 50 seconds remaining or shovel the ball to fellow rookie Tre'Von Willis for an even more wide-open shot?
Mack passed it. Willis made it. And though it was only a small moment in Memphis' 88-52 victory, it illustrated all the things that have put the No. 11-ranked Tigers on the brink of The Associated Press Top 10, where they will likely land on Monday.
Unselfishness. Execution. Adaptability. Improvement.
And apparently, opponents still haven't gotten the message. At least, that's the only explanation for SMU coach Matt Doherty stubbornly playing a 2-3 zone defense against the Tigers, who ripped that to shreds by making 15-of-25 from 3-point range and collecting 25 assists on 34 field goals.
Memphis' offense was so efficient, it spent much of the second half flirting with a 27-year-old school record of 65.9 percent shooting. Instead, the Tigers (19-3, 9-0 Conference USA) missed a few down the stretch and settled for 60.7 percent. Not that anybody among the announced FedExForum crowd of 15,748 was complaining.
"We knew the zone was coming, so we knew we had to hit 3s and drive the gaps, but when we see zone now it's kind of like a smack in the face," Mack said. "They're trying to say, 'You can't shoot.' I guess that's the rumor around the nation, that Memphis isn't a good shooting team. But we've been proving people wrong."
Especially Mack, who scored a team-high 17 points by making 5-of-5 from the 3-point line. He also added a dunk and two assists and was a key figure in Memphis' 23-7 run over a span of 7:29 to end the first half, giving the Tigers a 46-26 lead.
But Mack was far from the only shooting star. Sophomore guard Chris Douglas-Roberts repeatedly blew by SMU's defense scored 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting. Freshman point guard Willie Kemp went 3-for-6 from the 3-point line and scored 11 points with six assists. And sophomore forward Robert Dozier worked the middle of the zone for 10 points.
"Memphis is not considered a great 3-point shooting team, but they shot 60 percent," said Doherty, whose team fell to 13-9 overall and 2-6 in C-USA. "Once they started shooting that well from the 3-point line, our game plan fell apart."
Or maybe Doherty simply got some bad information. Though the Tigers don't always make 3-pointers, they don't have to, even against a zone. The Tigers have become such proficient passers -- "There's no question we're one of the best passing teams in the game today," senior guard Jeremy Hunt said -- they've gotten two different kinds of shots against zone defenses recently: good looks and great looks.
"They want to see zone," coach John Calipari said. "They know they get easier shots. There's not as much bumping and grinding. When a team plays us man, it's bump-and-grind, and it wears you down. When you're playing against zone, if you make the extra pass and make hard cuts, you're going to get something."
What the Tigers didn't get this week was much of a challenge. After dispatching Central Florida on Wednesday, 87-65, they were even more dominant against SMU.
SMU could only hang with Memphis for about 12 minutes, trailing 23-19. But a Hunt 3-pointer a few seconds later and another by Mack broke the game open. Though the Tigers could practically name the final margin -- they led by more than 30 points for the final 12 minutes -- they didn't get sloppy, indicating they've accepted the idea they're playing against their own standards as much as the opponent.
"I've just been talking to them about incremental improvement," Calipari said. "A small improvement makes a big difference. Water boils at 212 (degrees). We were at 211. We were hot, but at 212 , we're boiling."
-- Dan Wolken: 529-2365
By Dan Wolken
February 4, 2007
The outcome had long since been decided, but University of Memphis freshman Doneal Mack had his own decision to make.
Take a wide-open 3-pointer against SMU's zone defense with eight minutes, 50 seconds remaining or shovel the ball to fellow rookie Tre'Von Willis for an even more wide-open shot?
Mack passed it. Willis made it. And though it was only a small moment in Memphis' 88-52 victory, it illustrated all the things that have put the No. 11-ranked Tigers on the brink of The Associated Press Top 10, where they will likely land on Monday.
Unselfishness. Execution. Adaptability. Improvement.
And apparently, opponents still haven't gotten the message. At least, that's the only explanation for SMU coach Matt Doherty stubbornly playing a 2-3 zone defense against the Tigers, who ripped that to shreds by making 15-of-25 from 3-point range and collecting 25 assists on 34 field goals.
Memphis' offense was so efficient, it spent much of the second half flirting with a 27-year-old school record of 65.9 percent shooting. Instead, the Tigers (19-3, 9-0 Conference USA) missed a few down the stretch and settled for 60.7 percent. Not that anybody among the announced FedExForum crowd of 15,748 was complaining.
"We knew the zone was coming, so we knew we had to hit 3s and drive the gaps, but when we see zone now it's kind of like a smack in the face," Mack said. "They're trying to say, 'You can't shoot.' I guess that's the rumor around the nation, that Memphis isn't a good shooting team. But we've been proving people wrong."
Especially Mack, who scored a team-high 17 points by making 5-of-5 from the 3-point line. He also added a dunk and two assists and was a key figure in Memphis' 23-7 run over a span of 7:29 to end the first half, giving the Tigers a 46-26 lead.
But Mack was far from the only shooting star. Sophomore guard Chris Douglas-Roberts repeatedly blew by SMU's defense scored 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting. Freshman point guard Willie Kemp went 3-for-6 from the 3-point line and scored 11 points with six assists. And sophomore forward Robert Dozier worked the middle of the zone for 10 points.
"Memphis is not considered a great 3-point shooting team, but they shot 60 percent," said Doherty, whose team fell to 13-9 overall and 2-6 in C-USA. "Once they started shooting that well from the 3-point line, our game plan fell apart."
Or maybe Doherty simply got some bad information. Though the Tigers don't always make 3-pointers, they don't have to, even against a zone. The Tigers have become such proficient passers -- "There's no question we're one of the best passing teams in the game today," senior guard Jeremy Hunt said -- they've gotten two different kinds of shots against zone defenses recently: good looks and great looks.
"They want to see zone," coach John Calipari said. "They know they get easier shots. There's not as much bumping and grinding. When a team plays us man, it's bump-and-grind, and it wears you down. When you're playing against zone, if you make the extra pass and make hard cuts, you're going to get something."
What the Tigers didn't get this week was much of a challenge. After dispatching Central Florida on Wednesday, 87-65, they were even more dominant against SMU.
SMU could only hang with Memphis for about 12 minutes, trailing 23-19. But a Hunt 3-pointer a few seconds later and another by Mack broke the game open. Though the Tigers could practically name the final margin -- they led by more than 30 points for the final 12 minutes -- they didn't get sloppy, indicating they've accepted the idea they're playing against their own standards as much as the opponent.
"I've just been talking to them about incremental improvement," Calipari said. "A small improvement makes a big difference. Water boils at 212 (degrees). We were at 211. We were hot, but at 212 , we're boiling."
-- Dan Wolken: 529-2365
Turning Up Defensive Pressure Sparks Tigers Over SMU Mustangs
Turning up defensive pressure sparks Tigers
By Jim Masilak
February 4, 2007
There were 23 seconds left on the shot clock when the whistle was finally blown.
SMU was still marooned in its own backcourt, a full 12 seconds -- or two more than permitted -- after inbounding the ball against the University of Memphis' revamped pressure defense.
"It was 12, wasn't it?" Tigers senior guard Jeremy Hunt said with slight annoyance. "When you work so hard to keep them in the backcourt, you don't want them to get the ball over with one second left. We just wanted to put pressure on them real early and get a big lead. We wanted to come out fighting."
Although Memphis coach John Calipari said the Tigers "didn't need to press," they did so to great effect.
Memphis harried SMU into 12 turnovers -- including a 10-second violation, a five-second violation and five turnovers in the space of three first-half minutes -- during an 88-52 romp Saturday afternoon at FedExForum.
While the 11th-ranked Tigers (19-3, 9-0 in Conference USA) employed their press often during the non-conference portion of their schedule, they haven't used it too often over the past month. Instead, their focus has been on beefing up the halfcourt defense they'll need in March.
"We need to be able to shut teams down come tournament time," sophomore guard Antonio Anderson said. "In order to do that, we've got to (work on the halfcourt) now."
At the same time, though, the Tigers have been working assiduously at expanding their options when defending the full 94 feet.
Sophomore guard Chris Douglas-Roberts said that, whereas in December the Tigers employed one basic look on the press, they now have as many as six variations with which to torment opponents.
"We're using a lot of different pressure now. When a team figures out one, we go to another," Douglas-Roberts said. "When they see one press (on film) and then we come out in a different one, and then another one after that, that confuses teams."
As many problems as the Tigers' 1-3-1 and 1-2-2 presses present for opponents, Anderson said the original version was often good enough by itself.
"People couldn't even break that one," he said.
The Tigers began ramping up the pressure Wednesday in an 87-65 thumping of Central Florida in Orlando, forcing the Golden Knights into 22 turnovers.
They continued to force the tempo Saturday against the Mustangs (13-9, 2-6), but Calipari said that was more about giving his team a jolt than any urgent need to disrupt the opponent.
"I backed up the press, and I waited because I'm worried about my team," he said. "I know we didn't need to keeping pressing, but I'm worried about us and our conditioning and intensity. When we backed off, I think we did pretty well in the halfcourt."
Memphis limited SMU to 36.4-percent shooting from the field. That the Mustangs connected on just 3-of-16 3-point attempts could be attributed in large part to the Tigers' tight perimeter defense.
Hunt said the Tigers were determined not to let the 11 a.m. start -- or, more to the point, their 6:45 a.m. wakeup call -- affect their performance.
"We didn't want to come in and be sluggish," he said. "We wanted to come in and be on top of them."
Jim Masilak, 529-2311
By Jim Masilak
February 4, 2007
There were 23 seconds left on the shot clock when the whistle was finally blown.
SMU was still marooned in its own backcourt, a full 12 seconds -- or two more than permitted -- after inbounding the ball against the University of Memphis' revamped pressure defense.
"It was 12, wasn't it?" Tigers senior guard Jeremy Hunt said with slight annoyance. "When you work so hard to keep them in the backcourt, you don't want them to get the ball over with one second left. We just wanted to put pressure on them real early and get a big lead. We wanted to come out fighting."
Although Memphis coach John Calipari said the Tigers "didn't need to press," they did so to great effect.
Memphis harried SMU into 12 turnovers -- including a 10-second violation, a five-second violation and five turnovers in the space of three first-half minutes -- during an 88-52 romp Saturday afternoon at FedExForum.
While the 11th-ranked Tigers (19-3, 9-0 in Conference USA) employed their press often during the non-conference portion of their schedule, they haven't used it too often over the past month. Instead, their focus has been on beefing up the halfcourt defense they'll need in March.
"We need to be able to shut teams down come tournament time," sophomore guard Antonio Anderson said. "In order to do that, we've got to (work on the halfcourt) now."
At the same time, though, the Tigers have been working assiduously at expanding their options when defending the full 94 feet.
Sophomore guard Chris Douglas-Roberts said that, whereas in December the Tigers employed one basic look on the press, they now have as many as six variations with which to torment opponents.
"We're using a lot of different pressure now. When a team figures out one, we go to another," Douglas-Roberts said. "When they see one press (on film) and then we come out in a different one, and then another one after that, that confuses teams."
As many problems as the Tigers' 1-3-1 and 1-2-2 presses present for opponents, Anderson said the original version was often good enough by itself.
"People couldn't even break that one," he said.
The Tigers began ramping up the pressure Wednesday in an 87-65 thumping of Central Florida in Orlando, forcing the Golden Knights into 22 turnovers.
They continued to force the tempo Saturday against the Mustangs (13-9, 2-6), but Calipari said that was more about giving his team a jolt than any urgent need to disrupt the opponent.
"I backed up the press, and I waited because I'm worried about my team," he said. "I know we didn't need to keeping pressing, but I'm worried about us and our conditioning and intensity. When we backed off, I think we did pretty well in the halfcourt."
Memphis limited SMU to 36.4-percent shooting from the field. That the Mustangs connected on just 3-of-16 3-point attempts could be attributed in large part to the Tigers' tight perimeter defense.
Hunt said the Tigers were determined not to let the 11 a.m. start -- or, more to the point, their 6:45 a.m. wakeup call -- affect their performance.
"We didn't want to come in and be sluggish," he said. "We wanted to come in and be on top of them."
Jim Masilak, 529-2311
Quotes from Cal and SMU's Matt Doherty
Memphis Head Coach John Calipari
"If we're making threes the way we did today, we can beat you by a bunch. So when you come out and make the threes that we made, we're going to beat you by a bunch."
"I like our zone offense. We got it inside. We drove the ball. Chris Douglas-Roberts was unbelievable in the first half. I thought Antonio (Anderson) played well in the second half. Joey (Dorsey) basically played how he has played. Willie Kemp and Andre Allen had 12 assists and one turnover between them. Both of them played well, so now your team is being run with a high assist and low turnover ratio. We had 25 assists to 12 turnovers."
"I backed up the press, and I'll tell you why I waited. I'm worried about my team. I know we didn't need to press, but I'm worried about us and our intensity. When we backed off, I think we did pretty well in the halfcourt. Joey and Kareem (Cooper) did fine. That was a good effort."
SMU Head Coach Matt Doherty
"Our game plan was to attack the zone and to not let them have dribble penetration. Memphis is not considered a great three-point shooting team, but they shot 60 percent for the game at the three-point line. Once they started shooting that well from the three-point line, our game plan fell apart."
"On the offensive end we only had 12 turnovers, and I thought we handled the press pretty well. When they get into the halfcourt, they're long and quick. It was tough for us to get free looks. I give Memphis credit; they're a talented team."
"When Hunt goes 3-of-5 from the three-point line and (Doneal) Mack goes 5-of-5 and (Willie) Kemp 3-of-6, that's really tough on us. They're the most talented team we've faced. They got in a rhythm, and it was tough to get them out of that rhythm -- especially when you go out there and they put four guards on the court that are extremely quick. They open up the floor and drive you."
"If we're making threes the way we did today, we can beat you by a bunch. So when you come out and make the threes that we made, we're going to beat you by a bunch."
"I like our zone offense. We got it inside. We drove the ball. Chris Douglas-Roberts was unbelievable in the first half. I thought Antonio (Anderson) played well in the second half. Joey (Dorsey) basically played how he has played. Willie Kemp and Andre Allen had 12 assists and one turnover between them. Both of them played well, so now your team is being run with a high assist and low turnover ratio. We had 25 assists to 12 turnovers."
"I backed up the press, and I'll tell you why I waited. I'm worried about my team. I know we didn't need to press, but I'm worried about us and our intensity. When we backed off, I think we did pretty well in the halfcourt. Joey and Kareem (Cooper) did fine. That was a good effort."
SMU Head Coach Matt Doherty
"Our game plan was to attack the zone and to not let them have dribble penetration. Memphis is not considered a great three-point shooting team, but they shot 60 percent for the game at the three-point line. Once they started shooting that well from the three-point line, our game plan fell apart."
"On the offensive end we only had 12 turnovers, and I thought we handled the press pretty well. When they get into the halfcourt, they're long and quick. It was tough for us to get free looks. I give Memphis credit; they're a talented team."
"When Hunt goes 3-of-5 from the three-point line and (Doneal) Mack goes 5-of-5 and (Willie) Kemp 3-of-6, that's really tough on us. They're the most talented team we've faced. They got in a rhythm, and it was tough to get them out of that rhythm -- especially when you go out there and they put four guards on the court that are extremely quick. They open up the floor and drive you."
Tigers Tame SMU Mustangs, 88-52
Tigers Tame Mustangs, 88-52
Doneal Mack scores 17 points, goes 5-for-5 on 3-point shots.
Feb. 3, 2007
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Doneal Mack was perfect from the field, and helped No. 11 Memphis remain perfect in Conference USA play.
The freshman guard scored 17 points, hitting all six of his field goals including 5-for-5 on 3-pointers, as the Tigers defeated SMU 88-52 on Saturday.
"It felt good, but you probably won't see that again," Mack said of the shooting performance. "It was a real confidence builder. I know I can go out there and hit the 3."
Mack's shooting helped Memphis (19-3, 9-0) finish 15-for-25 on 3-pointers, and the Tigers shot 61 percent overall.
"If we're making 3s the way we did today, we can beat you by a bunch," Memphis coach John Calipari said.
Memphis won its 26th consecutive home game, and 11th straight overall. It was the most points allowed by the Mustangs (13-9, 2-6), who entered the game with the conference's best defense against 3-pointers, holding opponents to 31 percent on the season.
"Our game plan was to attack with the zone and not let them have dribble penetration," SMU coach Matt Doherty said. "Memphis is not considered a great 3-point shooting team, but they shot 60 percent for the game at the 3-point line. Once they started shooting that well from the 3-point line, our game plan fell apart."
Chris Douglas-Roberts scored 15 for Memphis, while Willie Kemp had 11 points and six assists.
Ike Ofoegbu was the only Mustang in double figures, finishing with 17 points. SMU shot 36 percent for the game.
Memphis built its lead midway through the first half when the Tigers began connecting from outside the arc, then found creases in the SMU zone on drives to the basket. The margin reached double digits about 6 minutes before halftime, and SMU never got close in the second half.
"They were making everything," Ofoegbu said. "I looked up one time and they were 67 percent from the field."
In the first half, Douglas-Roberts scored 13 points, while Mack had 12, hitting four of his 3-pointers as Memphis took a 46-26 lead. The Tigers shot 54 percent on 7-of-13 shots from outside the arc.
Ofoegbu had 11 points in the first half.
The zone defense has been the choice of many Memphis opponents lately, hoping to catch the Tigers on an off shooting night. However, the Tigers say they are becoming more comfortable against the zone. Calipari noted that there's not as much bumping and banging as when teams play man-to-man defense, and with the right passing, there are plenty of open shots.
"We just run and skip the ball and do a lot of things to disrupt their zone because we don't want them to get set and get comfortable," Douglas-Roberts said. "Our man (offense) is the reason they went to a zone because we were driving so much and spaced out. When they go to a zone now, we are still spaced out, and we're getting shots we want."
Doneal Mack scores 17 points, goes 5-for-5 on 3-point shots.
Feb. 3, 2007
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Doneal Mack was perfect from the field, and helped No. 11 Memphis remain perfect in Conference USA play.
The freshman guard scored 17 points, hitting all six of his field goals including 5-for-5 on 3-pointers, as the Tigers defeated SMU 88-52 on Saturday.
"It felt good, but you probably won't see that again," Mack said of the shooting performance. "It was a real confidence builder. I know I can go out there and hit the 3."
Mack's shooting helped Memphis (19-3, 9-0) finish 15-for-25 on 3-pointers, and the Tigers shot 61 percent overall.
"If we're making 3s the way we did today, we can beat you by a bunch," Memphis coach John Calipari said.
Memphis won its 26th consecutive home game, and 11th straight overall. It was the most points allowed by the Mustangs (13-9, 2-6), who entered the game with the conference's best defense against 3-pointers, holding opponents to 31 percent on the season.
"Our game plan was to attack with the zone and not let them have dribble penetration," SMU coach Matt Doherty said. "Memphis is not considered a great 3-point shooting team, but they shot 60 percent for the game at the 3-point line. Once they started shooting that well from the 3-point line, our game plan fell apart."
Chris Douglas-Roberts scored 15 for Memphis, while Willie Kemp had 11 points and six assists.
Ike Ofoegbu was the only Mustang in double figures, finishing with 17 points. SMU shot 36 percent for the game.
Memphis built its lead midway through the first half when the Tigers began connecting from outside the arc, then found creases in the SMU zone on drives to the basket. The margin reached double digits about 6 minutes before halftime, and SMU never got close in the second half.
"They were making everything," Ofoegbu said. "I looked up one time and they were 67 percent from the field."
In the first half, Douglas-Roberts scored 13 points, while Mack had 12, hitting four of his 3-pointers as Memphis took a 46-26 lead. The Tigers shot 54 percent on 7-of-13 shots from outside the arc.
Ofoegbu had 11 points in the first half.
The zone defense has been the choice of many Memphis opponents lately, hoping to catch the Tigers on an off shooting night. However, the Tigers say they are becoming more comfortable against the zone. Calipari noted that there's not as much bumping and banging as when teams play man-to-man defense, and with the right passing, there are plenty of open shots.
"We just run and skip the ball and do a lot of things to disrupt their zone because we don't want them to get set and get comfortable," Douglas-Roberts said. "Our man (offense) is the reason they went to a zone because we were driving so much and spaced out. When they go to a zone now, we are still spaced out, and we're getting shots we want."
From FoxSports.com "Is Memphis Back In Business?"
Is Memphis back in business?
Jeff Goodman / FOXSports.com
Nobody has a clue whether Memphis is for real. Not even John Calipari.
However, while just about everyone else continues to beat up on one another, the Tigers (17-3) continue to slowly and methodically move up, unimpressive victory after unimpressive victory.
From 22 to 20. Then to 17. Don't look now, but Cal's Tigers have climbed all the way to No. 11.
How'd that happen?
Even when they had Rodney Carney, Shawne Williams and Darius Washington Jr. last season, there were plenty of skeptics: C'mon, they play in the one-bid Conference USA. They are wild and don't play anyone, right?
"The same thing happened to us last year," Calipari said. "Everyone said we shouldn't have been a number one seed. Our league didn't hurt us last year and it's not going to hurt us this year."
"No one is giving us any credit and it definitely motivates us," Memphis sophomore guard Chris Douglas-Roberts added. "It's another knock on us, but it was the same thing last year when we got to the Elite Eight."
But last season the Tigers had name recognition with Carney, Williams and Washington. The trio may be gone, but Calipari has turned Memphis into a program that just re-loads and can coast to a conference title.
While other teams around the country have a small margin for error and their coaches are afraid of in-season change, Calipari has a completely different outlook.
He's able to tinker with his rotation, his system or whatever the heck he wants and still come out on top in conference play.
He's got that luxury.
Washington's loss wasn't pivotal — except for maybe his mental toughness. Williams can be — and has been — replaced. However, it's Carney whom the Tigers miss most from a year ago.
"We don't have a guy that can go for six straight 3's like Rodney," Calipari said.
"We don't have a guy that can jump like that," added sophomore Antonio Anderson.
Chris Douglas-Roberts has stepped into the void and grabbed a role as leader of the Tigers. (Otto Gruele Jr. / Getty Images)
Instead, Calipari has a team that admittedly still has a ways to go.
"We're January 31st ready," he said. "We're not March ready, but if someone is, I think they're peaking too early."
Early in the season, the Tigers lost to Georgia Tech in Maui and lost on the road at Tennessee and Arizona. Since the setback in Tucson, Memphis has reeled off nine straight entering Wednesday night's game at Central Florida.
But it's come against eight different teams — none of which are ranked in the Top 75 in the RPI.
"It's definitely hard to get up for every game, but we've learned we've got to do it," Douglas-Roberts said. "It's harder at home because the games are always sold out on the road because everyone in the league wants to give us their best shot."
"We know that Conference USA isn't the ACC or the Big 12, but it's not a bad league," he added.
Memphis slid by Southern Miss, 67-64, last week on its home floor. Other than that, it's been double-digit win after double-digit win since the loss to Lute Olson.
"We're real good," Anderson said. "Last year was the first year running this offense. Now we know it better, we've cut down on turnovers and are taking better shots."
The chemistry is also as good as just about any Memphis team since Calipari took over the program a half-dozen years ago. Without Washington, the team is clearly more unselfish. Instead of one or two passes prior to a shot, this team is routinely making three or four passes each possession. Credit pass-first point guards Willie Kemp and Andre Allen for setting the tone on the offensive end.
Douglas-Roberts has emerged as the team's top scoring threat, but he can do a little bit of everything. Anderson's game is similar. Jeremy Hunt is back and turned into the team's most consistent perimeter threat, while Joey Dorsey has been an animal in the paint.
But Calipari knows the Tigers still aren't quite there yet.
"We need to be tougher — mentally," he said. "My teams at UMass had that mental toughness. I think we've got a chance."
A chance for the Final Four?
"For sure," Anderson said. "I don't see why not."
Most people don't see why.
Jeff Goodman is a senior college basketball writer for FOXSports.com. He can be reached at GoodmanonFOX@aol.com.
Jeff Goodman / FOXSports.com
Nobody has a clue whether Memphis is for real. Not even John Calipari.
However, while just about everyone else continues to beat up on one another, the Tigers (17-3) continue to slowly and methodically move up, unimpressive victory after unimpressive victory.
From 22 to 20. Then to 17. Don't look now, but Cal's Tigers have climbed all the way to No. 11.
How'd that happen?
Even when they had Rodney Carney, Shawne Williams and Darius Washington Jr. last season, there were plenty of skeptics: C'mon, they play in the one-bid Conference USA. They are wild and don't play anyone, right?
"The same thing happened to us last year," Calipari said. "Everyone said we shouldn't have been a number one seed. Our league didn't hurt us last year and it's not going to hurt us this year."
"No one is giving us any credit and it definitely motivates us," Memphis sophomore guard Chris Douglas-Roberts added. "It's another knock on us, but it was the same thing last year when we got to the Elite Eight."
But last season the Tigers had name recognition with Carney, Williams and Washington. The trio may be gone, but Calipari has turned Memphis into a program that just re-loads and can coast to a conference title.
While other teams around the country have a small margin for error and their coaches are afraid of in-season change, Calipari has a completely different outlook.
He's able to tinker with his rotation, his system or whatever the heck he wants and still come out on top in conference play.
He's got that luxury.
Washington's loss wasn't pivotal — except for maybe his mental toughness. Williams can be — and has been — replaced. However, it's Carney whom the Tigers miss most from a year ago.
"We don't have a guy that can go for six straight 3's like Rodney," Calipari said.
"We don't have a guy that can jump like that," added sophomore Antonio Anderson.
Chris Douglas-Roberts has stepped into the void and grabbed a role as leader of the Tigers. (Otto Gruele Jr. / Getty Images)
Instead, Calipari has a team that admittedly still has a ways to go.
"We're January 31st ready," he said. "We're not March ready, but if someone is, I think they're peaking too early."
Early in the season, the Tigers lost to Georgia Tech in Maui and lost on the road at Tennessee and Arizona. Since the setback in Tucson, Memphis has reeled off nine straight entering Wednesday night's game at Central Florida.
But it's come against eight different teams — none of which are ranked in the Top 75 in the RPI.
"It's definitely hard to get up for every game, but we've learned we've got to do it," Douglas-Roberts said. "It's harder at home because the games are always sold out on the road because everyone in the league wants to give us their best shot."
"We know that Conference USA isn't the ACC or the Big 12, but it's not a bad league," he added.
Memphis slid by Southern Miss, 67-64, last week on its home floor. Other than that, it's been double-digit win after double-digit win since the loss to Lute Olson.
"We're real good," Anderson said. "Last year was the first year running this offense. Now we know it better, we've cut down on turnovers and are taking better shots."
The chemistry is also as good as just about any Memphis team since Calipari took over the program a half-dozen years ago. Without Washington, the team is clearly more unselfish. Instead of one or two passes prior to a shot, this team is routinely making three or four passes each possession. Credit pass-first point guards Willie Kemp and Andre Allen for setting the tone on the offensive end.
Douglas-Roberts has emerged as the team's top scoring threat, but he can do a little bit of everything. Anderson's game is similar. Jeremy Hunt is back and turned into the team's most consistent perimeter threat, while Joey Dorsey has been an animal in the paint.
But Calipari knows the Tigers still aren't quite there yet.
"We need to be tougher — mentally," he said. "My teams at UMass had that mental toughness. I think we've got a chance."
A chance for the Final Four?
"For sure," Anderson said. "I don't see why not."
Most people don't see why.
Jeff Goodman is a senior college basketball writer for FOXSports.com. He can be reached at GoodmanonFOX@aol.com.
From the Hattiesburg American "Don't Look Now, But A Rivalry Could Be Brewing Between Eagles and Tigers"
Don't look now, but a rivalry could be brewing between Eagles and Tigers
Something may have happened in Memphis last Saturday, besides the psychiatrist convention that sucked up all the hotel rooms and had me nervous to talk to any females for fear of being psychoanalyzed.
A true men's basketball rivalry conceived? Quite possibly.
Southern Miss is 23-53 against Memphis all-time. Let's narrow our focus because rivalries need some sort of balance and that's just not there historically.
The Golden Eagles are 8-15 versus the Tigers since the inception of Conference USA before the 1995-96 season. Looking better for the Black and Gold, but I'm sure Memphis fans wouldn't consider USM a rival to its basketball program.
Memphis has turned itself into the league's premier hoops factory during the seven-year reign of coach John Calipari - though with a little help from the defection of Marquette, Louisville and Cincinnati. The Tigers have advanced to three NCAA tournaments (soon to be four) and the NIT Final Four three times, including one NIT championship.
Southern Miss has lost six consecutive games to Memphis and is 2-10 against Calipari, excluding his inaugural year.
Pretty depressing, huh? Why bring up the possibility of a rivalry?
Because of the outcome of the last two games, that's why.
The Golden Eagles could have won both games.
Southern Miss led 54-52 with 9:48 remaining on Jan. 13 before fading down the stretch and losing 75-62. The No. 11-ranked Tigers got all they wanted in Hattiesburg.
A fluke? Nope.
The Golden Eagles came back two weeks later and were ahead 62-60 in front of a hostile crowd at FedEx Forum before dropping the C-USA game 67-64. Southern Miss had seven seconds to send the game into overtime, but a Sai'Quon Stone 3-pointer missed its mark.
Moral victory? Maybe. More so for fans than the team.
But two things stand out in this year's losses.
No. 1 -The Golden Eagles completely disrupted the Tigers' offensive flow in both games. Last year, Memphis run-and-gunned its way to lopsided victories. The USM athletes just couldn't hang.
Not this year. Southern Miss forced Memphis to play its game twice. And the Tigers didn't like it either time. With his first true recruiting class, USM coach Larry Eustachy showed his team was up for the task.
No. 2 - Both teams are young. This wasn't a veteran Southern Miss team simply hanging with a new group of Tigers. This was a nine-man rotation with a combined two years of Division I experience (USM) against a sophomore-laden group with a key junior, senior - and a few phenomenal freshmen.
Memphis is certainly deeper and will be next year and the year after that. But, assuming the Golden Eagles continue to progress, Southern Miss will be an honest threat to break that 0-6 streak.
Does that mean USM will be competing for conference titles from here on out? No.
Does that mean Southern Miss should be playing in the postseason from now on? No.
(Although it's getting there and the NIT is a reasonable goal for 2007-08.)
So, what does it mean.
Means that the Golden Eagles should start pulling some W's when they face Memphis - who should continue to be nationally ranked.
And that's a good first step to building a rivalry and a good step into becoming a significant player in world of Division I basketball.
Kareem Copeland is the Southern Miss beat writer for the Hattiesburg American. He can be reached by phone at 601-584-3107 or e-mail at kmcopeland@hattiesburgamerican.com
Something may have happened in Memphis last Saturday, besides the psychiatrist convention that sucked up all the hotel rooms and had me nervous to talk to any females for fear of being psychoanalyzed.
A true men's basketball rivalry conceived? Quite possibly.
Southern Miss is 23-53 against Memphis all-time. Let's narrow our focus because rivalries need some sort of balance and that's just not there historically.
The Golden Eagles are 8-15 versus the Tigers since the inception of Conference USA before the 1995-96 season. Looking better for the Black and Gold, but I'm sure Memphis fans wouldn't consider USM a rival to its basketball program.
Memphis has turned itself into the league's premier hoops factory during the seven-year reign of coach John Calipari - though with a little help from the defection of Marquette, Louisville and Cincinnati. The Tigers have advanced to three NCAA tournaments (soon to be four) and the NIT Final Four three times, including one NIT championship.
Southern Miss has lost six consecutive games to Memphis and is 2-10 against Calipari, excluding his inaugural year.
Pretty depressing, huh? Why bring up the possibility of a rivalry?
Because of the outcome of the last two games, that's why.
The Golden Eagles could have won both games.
Southern Miss led 54-52 with 9:48 remaining on Jan. 13 before fading down the stretch and losing 75-62. The No. 11-ranked Tigers got all they wanted in Hattiesburg.
A fluke? Nope.
The Golden Eagles came back two weeks later and were ahead 62-60 in front of a hostile crowd at FedEx Forum before dropping the C-USA game 67-64. Southern Miss had seven seconds to send the game into overtime, but a Sai'Quon Stone 3-pointer missed its mark.
Moral victory? Maybe. More so for fans than the team.
But two things stand out in this year's losses.
No. 1 -The Golden Eagles completely disrupted the Tigers' offensive flow in both games. Last year, Memphis run-and-gunned its way to lopsided victories. The USM athletes just couldn't hang.
Not this year. Southern Miss forced Memphis to play its game twice. And the Tigers didn't like it either time. With his first true recruiting class, USM coach Larry Eustachy showed his team was up for the task.
No. 2 - Both teams are young. This wasn't a veteran Southern Miss team simply hanging with a new group of Tigers. This was a nine-man rotation with a combined two years of Division I experience (USM) against a sophomore-laden group with a key junior, senior - and a few phenomenal freshmen.
Memphis is certainly deeper and will be next year and the year after that. But, assuming the Golden Eagles continue to progress, Southern Miss will be an honest threat to break that 0-6 streak.
Does that mean USM will be competing for conference titles from here on out? No.
Does that mean Southern Miss should be playing in the postseason from now on? No.
(Although it's getting there and the NIT is a reasonable goal for 2007-08.)
So, what does it mean.
Means that the Golden Eagles should start pulling some W's when they face Memphis - who should continue to be nationally ranked.
And that's a good first step to building a rivalry and a good step into becoming a significant player in world of Division I basketball.
Kareem Copeland is the Southern Miss beat writer for the Hattiesburg American. He can be reached by phone at 601-584-3107 or e-mail at kmcopeland@hattiesburgamerican.com
Tiger Signee Derrick Rose Selected for Jordan Classic
Tigers' Signee Selected For Jordan Classic
Last Update: Jan 31, 2007 3:59 PM
Posted By: Jamie Griffin
Jordan Brand announced Derrick Rose will be one 20 high school seniors selected to play in the Jordan Brand All-American Classic. Rose, a point guard out of Chicago, Illinois, has signed to play college basketball at the University of Memphis next season.
The game will be held at Madison Square Garden on April 21st and will be broadcasted nationally on ESPN2.
Last year, Memphian and former Mitchell High Standout, Thaddeus Young was MVP of the game.
Last Update: Jan 31, 2007 3:59 PM
Posted By: Jamie Griffin
Jordan Brand announced Derrick Rose will be one 20 high school seniors selected to play in the Jordan Brand All-American Classic. Rose, a point guard out of Chicago, Illinois, has signed to play college basketball at the University of Memphis next season.
The game will be held at Madison Square Garden on April 21st and will be broadcasted nationally on ESPN2.
Last year, Memphian and former Mitchell High Standout, Thaddeus Young was MVP of the game.
Saturday, February 03, 2007
At Halfway Mark, Tigers Still Class of C-USA
Halfway, Tigers still the class of C-USA
By Dan Wolken
February 2, 2007
When 2007 began, coach John Calipari looked at the Conference USA schedule and saw so many hurdles, so many dangerous games ahead for the University of Memphis. And with a young team that struggled on the road in November and December and played inconsistently against lesser opponents, the thought of going 16-0 in this league seemed outlandish.
"To go in and say you're going to win every road game, come on," Calipari said on Jan. 9. "We're not winning every game this year. We're not going to. Are we going to try to? Yes. We're going to try to, but you don't go through a league undefeated. You just don't."
But now, halfway through the conference schedule, No. 11-ranked Memphis is 8-0 and on track for a perfect run through C-USA, with several of the scariest games already in the rear-view mirror.
The latest supposed challenge never materialized Wednesday at Central Florida. Despite a hyper-intense, hostile atmosphere inside UCF Arena, the Tigers easily ripped through C-USA's second-place team, 87-65, leaving little doubt the gap between Memphis and the rest of the league has not shrunk.
Now, with the second half of conference play beginning Saturday at FedExForum against SMU, the idea of a 16-0 record doesn't sound so crazy.
But once again Thursday, Calipari cautioned that more difficult tests remain.
"These kids aren't machines," Calipari said. "There's going to be a letup at some point. We try to guard against it, but it's just not realistic. You've got all these teams, and they're all better, every team in our league. The league has gotten better overall, it's just that the teams that were with us -- Houston and UAB -- kind of moved in the pack.
"SMU, Tulsa on the road, the UTEP game on the road is going to be a hard game. We've got Houston at home, and they've won five in a row now. That will be a hard game."
For all the hand-wringing about the lack of strong teams in C-USA hurting Memphis' NCAA Tournament seed this year, the Tigers checked in at No. 9 in the RPI as of Thursday.
Though Memphis is still unlikely to get a No. 1 seed as it did last year, the Tigers can one-up that team by going undefeated in league play. If they can, Memphis will be in very good shape for a top-four NCAA seed.
And the Tigers have shown no signs lately of slowing down.
"What I've been pleased with is how unselfish the team is," Calipari said. "Last year we had great talent, a terrific team that enjoyed each other, but the ball stopped a lot, and the guy that stopped it was good enough to score anyway. Right now, we're creating a little better for each other and taking better shots."
Memphis' biggest remaining hurdle probably won't be a C-USA game at all. The Tigers travel to Gonzaga on Feb. 17, giving them one more chance for a marquee non-conference win.
Here's what awaits Memphis in its final eight C-USA games:
Saturday, vs. SMU: The Mustangs have to be feeling good after winning at UAB on Wednesday.
Feb. 8, at UAB: The Tigers suffered their only C-USA loss last year at UAB. Will this year's Blazers be 25 points better than they were at FedExForum on Jan. 16?
Feb. 10, vs. Tulane: This game is the least likely Memphis loss.
Feb. 14, at Tulsa: Perhaps the most dangerous game against a tough defensive team
Feb. 22, vs. Rice: If they can hold Morris Almond to a reasonable point total, the Tigers shouldn't lose this one.
Feb. 25, vs. Houston: Memphis already won at Houston, but the Cougars' 3-point shooting is always a wildcard.
March 1, at UTEP: Former Tigers assistant Tony Barbee will have the Miners fired up.
March 3, at SMU: How intense will the pressure be if a perfect conference record is on the line?
-- Dan Wolken: 529-2365
Next for No. 11 Tigers
Opponent: SMU
When, Where: 11 a.m., Saturday; FedExForum
TV: ESPN
By Dan Wolken
February 2, 2007
When 2007 began, coach John Calipari looked at the Conference USA schedule and saw so many hurdles, so many dangerous games ahead for the University of Memphis. And with a young team that struggled on the road in November and December and played inconsistently against lesser opponents, the thought of going 16-0 in this league seemed outlandish.
"To go in and say you're going to win every road game, come on," Calipari said on Jan. 9. "We're not winning every game this year. We're not going to. Are we going to try to? Yes. We're going to try to, but you don't go through a league undefeated. You just don't."
But now, halfway through the conference schedule, No. 11-ranked Memphis is 8-0 and on track for a perfect run through C-USA, with several of the scariest games already in the rear-view mirror.
The latest supposed challenge never materialized Wednesday at Central Florida. Despite a hyper-intense, hostile atmosphere inside UCF Arena, the Tigers easily ripped through C-USA's second-place team, 87-65, leaving little doubt the gap between Memphis and the rest of the league has not shrunk.
Now, with the second half of conference play beginning Saturday at FedExForum against SMU, the idea of a 16-0 record doesn't sound so crazy.
But once again Thursday, Calipari cautioned that more difficult tests remain.
"These kids aren't machines," Calipari said. "There's going to be a letup at some point. We try to guard against it, but it's just not realistic. You've got all these teams, and they're all better, every team in our league. The league has gotten better overall, it's just that the teams that were with us -- Houston and UAB -- kind of moved in the pack.
"SMU, Tulsa on the road, the UTEP game on the road is going to be a hard game. We've got Houston at home, and they've won five in a row now. That will be a hard game."
For all the hand-wringing about the lack of strong teams in C-USA hurting Memphis' NCAA Tournament seed this year, the Tigers checked in at No. 9 in the RPI as of Thursday.
Though Memphis is still unlikely to get a No. 1 seed as it did last year, the Tigers can one-up that team by going undefeated in league play. If they can, Memphis will be in very good shape for a top-four NCAA seed.
And the Tigers have shown no signs lately of slowing down.
"What I've been pleased with is how unselfish the team is," Calipari said. "Last year we had great talent, a terrific team that enjoyed each other, but the ball stopped a lot, and the guy that stopped it was good enough to score anyway. Right now, we're creating a little better for each other and taking better shots."
Memphis' biggest remaining hurdle probably won't be a C-USA game at all. The Tigers travel to Gonzaga on Feb. 17, giving them one more chance for a marquee non-conference win.
Here's what awaits Memphis in its final eight C-USA games:
Saturday, vs. SMU: The Mustangs have to be feeling good after winning at UAB on Wednesday.
Feb. 8, at UAB: The Tigers suffered their only C-USA loss last year at UAB. Will this year's Blazers be 25 points better than they were at FedExForum on Jan. 16?
Feb. 10, vs. Tulane: This game is the least likely Memphis loss.
Feb. 14, at Tulsa: Perhaps the most dangerous game against a tough defensive team
Feb. 22, vs. Rice: If they can hold Morris Almond to a reasonable point total, the Tigers shouldn't lose this one.
Feb. 25, vs. Houston: Memphis already won at Houston, but the Cougars' 3-point shooting is always a wildcard.
March 1, at UTEP: Former Tigers assistant Tony Barbee will have the Miners fired up.
March 3, at SMU: How intense will the pressure be if a perfect conference record is on the line?
-- Dan Wolken: 529-2365
Next for No. 11 Tigers
Opponent: SMU
When, Where: 11 a.m., Saturday; FedExForum
TV: ESPN
Tigers Rip Knights, Show They Rule C-USA
Tigers rip Knights, show they rule C-USA big top
No. 11 Tigers 87, UCF 65
By Dan Wolken
February 1, 2007
ORLANDO -- There were creatures of all kinds on the floor at sold-out UCF Arena during the pregame introductions Wednesday; mascots from two local high schools, the Arena Football League's Orlando Predators and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in addition to Central Florida's own "Knightro," dressed from head to toe in shiny gold.
Indeed, the circus was in town for the most highly-anticipated basketball game ever played at Central Florida. But the University of Memphis wasn't in the mood to clown around. And as the No. 11-ranked Tigers proved in an 87-65 victory, they are still the greatest show on any Conference USA court.
With fans practically hanging from the rafters and ready to rush the court, the Tigers quickly and rather easily snuffed out any notion of an upset, jumping out to leads of 8-0 and 13-4, earning a 15-point edge by halftime and scoring at will down the stretch any time UCF seemed to gain momentum.
Memphis, now 18-3 and 8-0 in C-USA, also sent a message to the rest of the league: When the Tigers come to play, nobody in this conference can touch them.
"Coming in here, with that crowd and people going crazy, it was a great effort for us, and it shows me we've got a chance," coach John Calipari said. "We've got a ways to go, but we've got a chance."
The totality of Memphis' performance was a shock to UCF (15-6, 4-3), which came into this game as an emerging No. 2 in the league with a roster of experienced seniors and juniors who could have left their mark on the program with a win Wednesday.
Instead, Memphis left a mark on them, ripping through their defense by making 33-of-57 field goals attempts, pressuring the Golden Knights into 22 turnovers and dunking on them repeatedly.
But perhaps the biggest indignity of all occurred with 7:51 remaining, when, after two straight monster putback dunks by Joey Dorsey and a driving dunk by Robert Dozier, the record crowd of 4,805 began to hit the exits with Memphis in front 68-46.
"They came in focused," UCF coach Kirk Speraw said. "Obviously (Calipari) did a great job of getting them prepared, and they knew it was going to be a good atmosphere, and they responded to that atmosphere and came out and hit us in the nose pretty hard. We didn't have the response we needed to have when you get hit in the face."
The most hitting was done by Dorsey and sophomore guard Chris Douglas-Roberts. Dorsey had a career-high 22 points on layups and highlight-reel dunks (10-of-13 from the field), while Douglas-Roberts looked fully healed after playing on a sore right ankle Saturday. Showing far more lift and explosiveness than he did in a 67-64 victory over Southern Miss, Douglas-Roberts repeatedly sliced through UCF's zone defense, scoring 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting.
"We executed," said Douglas-Roberts, who had 15 points by halftime and helped the Tigers take control early, making a transition runner for an 18-7 lead. Though UCF, which turned the ball over on its first three possessions, got back in the game to trail 29-24, an NBA-range 3-pointer by Jeremy Hunt sparked an 11-2 run in the final 3:45 of the first half.
A tough 15-foot jumper by Lavell Payne over Dorsey got UCF within 48-36 with 15:36 to go, but Douglas-Roberts got a putback off Antonio Anderson's missed jumper to quiet the crowd, and the Golden Knights never threatened again.
Meanwhile, the Tigers' pressure defense clearly disrupted UCF, whose 50 percent shooting performance was not at all indicative of how well Memphis guarded. Though the Tigers' intensity has not been there every night during C-USA play, it didn't waver for a minute Wednesday as they collected 15 steals and 26 points off turnovers.
"You could feel it," Calipari said. "(The players) knew the importance of the game. We're looking at it like we're playing for first place, on the road in a hostile environment, and all we tried to do was make it hard on them. If they're going to make shots, just make them hard shots."
-- Dan Wolken: 529-2365
No. 11 Tigers 87, UCF 65
By Dan Wolken
February 1, 2007
ORLANDO -- There were creatures of all kinds on the floor at sold-out UCF Arena during the pregame introductions Wednesday; mascots from two local high schools, the Arena Football League's Orlando Predators and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in addition to Central Florida's own "Knightro," dressed from head to toe in shiny gold.
Indeed, the circus was in town for the most highly-anticipated basketball game ever played at Central Florida. But the University of Memphis wasn't in the mood to clown around. And as the No. 11-ranked Tigers proved in an 87-65 victory, they are still the greatest show on any Conference USA court.
With fans practically hanging from the rafters and ready to rush the court, the Tigers quickly and rather easily snuffed out any notion of an upset, jumping out to leads of 8-0 and 13-4, earning a 15-point edge by halftime and scoring at will down the stretch any time UCF seemed to gain momentum.
Memphis, now 18-3 and 8-0 in C-USA, also sent a message to the rest of the league: When the Tigers come to play, nobody in this conference can touch them.
"Coming in here, with that crowd and people going crazy, it was a great effort for us, and it shows me we've got a chance," coach John Calipari said. "We've got a ways to go, but we've got a chance."
The totality of Memphis' performance was a shock to UCF (15-6, 4-3), which came into this game as an emerging No. 2 in the league with a roster of experienced seniors and juniors who could have left their mark on the program with a win Wednesday.
Instead, Memphis left a mark on them, ripping through their defense by making 33-of-57 field goals attempts, pressuring the Golden Knights into 22 turnovers and dunking on them repeatedly.
But perhaps the biggest indignity of all occurred with 7:51 remaining, when, after two straight monster putback dunks by Joey Dorsey and a driving dunk by Robert Dozier, the record crowd of 4,805 began to hit the exits with Memphis in front 68-46.
"They came in focused," UCF coach Kirk Speraw said. "Obviously (Calipari) did a great job of getting them prepared, and they knew it was going to be a good atmosphere, and they responded to that atmosphere and came out and hit us in the nose pretty hard. We didn't have the response we needed to have when you get hit in the face."
The most hitting was done by Dorsey and sophomore guard Chris Douglas-Roberts. Dorsey had a career-high 22 points on layups and highlight-reel dunks (10-of-13 from the field), while Douglas-Roberts looked fully healed after playing on a sore right ankle Saturday. Showing far more lift and explosiveness than he did in a 67-64 victory over Southern Miss, Douglas-Roberts repeatedly sliced through UCF's zone defense, scoring 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting.
"We executed," said Douglas-Roberts, who had 15 points by halftime and helped the Tigers take control early, making a transition runner for an 18-7 lead. Though UCF, which turned the ball over on its first three possessions, got back in the game to trail 29-24, an NBA-range 3-pointer by Jeremy Hunt sparked an 11-2 run in the final 3:45 of the first half.
A tough 15-foot jumper by Lavell Payne over Dorsey got UCF within 48-36 with 15:36 to go, but Douglas-Roberts got a putback off Antonio Anderson's missed jumper to quiet the crowd, and the Golden Knights never threatened again.
Meanwhile, the Tigers' pressure defense clearly disrupted UCF, whose 50 percent shooting performance was not at all indicative of how well Memphis guarded. Though the Tigers' intensity has not been there every night during C-USA play, it didn't waver for a minute Wednesday as they collected 15 steals and 26 points off turnovers.
"You could feel it," Calipari said. "(The players) knew the importance of the game. We're looking at it like we're playing for first place, on the road in a hostile environment, and all we tried to do was make it hard on them. If they're going to make shots, just make them hard shots."
-- Dan Wolken: 529-2365
Official Box Score - Memphis 87, UCF 65
Official Basketball Box Score -- GAME TOTALS -- FINAL STATISTICS
MEMPHIS vs UCF
1/31/07 7:00 p.m. at UCF Arena - Orlando, Fla.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VISITORS: MEMPHIS 18-3, 8-0
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 1-4 0-1 3-4 0 0 0 1 5 0 0 0 1 22
32 Dorsey, Joey........ f 10-13 0-0 2-4 7 2 9 3 22 0 3 0 5 29
01 Kemp, Willie........ g 2-4 1-3 0-2 0 3 3 3 5 1 2 0 1 22
12 Anderson, Antonio... g 2-5 0-3 0-0 1 0 1 3 4 3 0 0 2 24
14 DOUGLAS-ROBERTS, C.. g 9-13 0-0 5-5 1 1 2 2 23 4 3 0 2 28
00 Wade, Clyde......... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
03 Willis, Tre'Von..... 1-1 0-0 4-4 0 1 1 1 6 0 0 0 0 6
04 Niles, Pierre....... 1-2 0-1 1-2 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 3
05 Hunt, Jeremy........ 4-6 2-4 2-2 0 3 3 2 12 2 1 0 1 19
15 Allen, Andre........ 0-2 0-0 0-0 0 2 2 3 0 3 1 0 1 17
20 Mack, Doneal........ 2-5 1-2 0-0 1 3 4 1 5 2 1 0 0 15
35 Bailey, Hashim...... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
42 Cooper, Kareem...... 1-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 2 8
55 McGrady, Chance..... 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
TEAM................ 1 1
Totals.............. 33-57 4-14 17-23 10 16 26 21 87 15 11 0 15 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 16-27 59.3% 2nd Half: 17-30 56.7% Game: 57.9% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 3-8 37.5% 2nd Half: 1-6 16.7% Game: 28.6% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 7-9 77.8% 2nd Half: 10-14 71.4% Game: 73.9% 4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOME TEAM: UCF 15-6, 4-3
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
02 PAYNE, Lavell....... f 3-5 1-1 2-5 1 2 3 3 9 1 3 2 0 20
03 NOEL, Dave.......... f 2-4 0-1 2-2 0 2 2 3 6 1 4 0 0 24
30 PEPPERS, Josh....... f 5-11 2-5 8-9 2 3 5 3 20 4 2 1 1 33
13 ZONDERVAN, Kenrick.. c 1-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 2 0 3 0 2 16
04 O'DONNELL, Mike..... g 3-7 2-5 1-3 0 2 2 1 9 2 2 0 1 33
01 TAYLOR, Jermaine.... 1-5 0-2 0-0 2 1 3 1 2 1 4 0 1 21
05 CARTWRIGHT, Chip.... 1-2 0-0 2-2 0 1 1 2 4 1 2 1 2 20
11 BATTLE, Mike........ 2-4 2-4 1-2 0 0 0 3 7 0 0 0 0 13
20 DAVIS, Tony......... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 0 0 4
21 BILLINGS, Stanley... 2-2 0-0 0-0 1 0 1 1 4 0 1 0 0 7
22 THORNTON, Andre..... 1-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 3
25 GILL, Adam.......... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 3
34 LOUCKS, Jacob....... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 2 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 3
TEAM................ 3 3 6
Totals.............. 21-42 7-18 16-23 9 16 25 22 65 13 22 4 7 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 10-21 47.6% 2nd Half: 11-21 52.4% Game: 50.0% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 2-8 25.0% 2nd Half: 5-10 50.0% Game: 38.9% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 5-7 71.4% 2nd Half: 11-16 68.8% Game: 69.6% 3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Officials: Hal Lusk, Mark Whitehead, Kyle Chambers
Technical fouls: MEMPHIS-None. UCF-None.
Attendance: 4805
Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total
MEMPHIS....................... 42 45 - 87
UCF........................... 27 38 - 65
Points in the paint-MEM 50,UCF 22. Points off turnovers-MEM 26,UCF 4.
2nd chance points-MEM 15,UCF 6. Fast break points-MEM 4,UCF 0.
Bench points-MEM 28,UCF 19. Score tied-0 times. Lead changed-0 times.
Last FG-MEM 2nd-01:00, UCF 2nd-00:35.
Largest lead-MEM by 28 2nd-03:34, UCF None.
MEMPHIS vs UCF
1/31/07 7:00 p.m. at UCF Arena - Orlando, Fla.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VISITORS: MEMPHIS 18-3, 8-0
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 1-4 0-1 3-4 0 0 0 1 5 0 0 0 1 22
32 Dorsey, Joey........ f 10-13 0-0 2-4 7 2 9 3 22 0 3 0 5 29
01 Kemp, Willie........ g 2-4 1-3 0-2 0 3 3 3 5 1 2 0 1 22
12 Anderson, Antonio... g 2-5 0-3 0-0 1 0 1 3 4 3 0 0 2 24
14 DOUGLAS-ROBERTS, C.. g 9-13 0-0 5-5 1 1 2 2 23 4 3 0 2 28
00 Wade, Clyde......... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
03 Willis, Tre'Von..... 1-1 0-0 4-4 0 1 1 1 6 0 0 0 0 6
04 Niles, Pierre....... 1-2 0-1 1-2 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 3
05 Hunt, Jeremy........ 4-6 2-4 2-2 0 3 3 2 12 2 1 0 1 19
15 Allen, Andre........ 0-2 0-0 0-0 0 2 2 3 0 3 1 0 1 17
20 Mack, Doneal........ 2-5 1-2 0-0 1 3 4 1 5 2 1 0 0 15
35 Bailey, Hashim...... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
42 Cooper, Kareem...... 1-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 2 8
55 McGrady, Chance..... 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
TEAM................ 1 1
Totals.............. 33-57 4-14 17-23 10 16 26 21 87 15 11 0 15 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 16-27 59.3% 2nd Half: 17-30 56.7% Game: 57.9% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 3-8 37.5% 2nd Half: 1-6 16.7% Game: 28.6% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 7-9 77.8% 2nd Half: 10-14 71.4% Game: 73.9% 4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOME TEAM: UCF 15-6, 4-3
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
02 PAYNE, Lavell....... f 3-5 1-1 2-5 1 2 3 3 9 1 3 2 0 20
03 NOEL, Dave.......... f 2-4 0-1 2-2 0 2 2 3 6 1 4 0 0 24
30 PEPPERS, Josh....... f 5-11 2-5 8-9 2 3 5 3 20 4 2 1 1 33
13 ZONDERVAN, Kenrick.. c 1-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 2 0 3 0 2 16
04 O'DONNELL, Mike..... g 3-7 2-5 1-3 0 2 2 1 9 2 2 0 1 33
01 TAYLOR, Jermaine.... 1-5 0-2 0-0 2 1 3 1 2 1 4 0 1 21
05 CARTWRIGHT, Chip.... 1-2 0-0 2-2 0 1 1 2 4 1 2 1 2 20
11 BATTLE, Mike........ 2-4 2-4 1-2 0 0 0 3 7 0 0 0 0 13
20 DAVIS, Tony......... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 0 0 4
21 BILLINGS, Stanley... 2-2 0-0 0-0 1 0 1 1 4 0 1 0 0 7
22 THORNTON, Andre..... 1-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 3
25 GILL, Adam.......... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 3
34 LOUCKS, Jacob....... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 2 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 3
TEAM................ 3 3 6
Totals.............. 21-42 7-18 16-23 9 16 25 22 65 13 22 4 7 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 10-21 47.6% 2nd Half: 11-21 52.4% Game: 50.0% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 2-8 25.0% 2nd Half: 5-10 50.0% Game: 38.9% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 5-7 71.4% 2nd Half: 11-16 68.8% Game: 69.6% 3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Officials: Hal Lusk, Mark Whitehead, Kyle Chambers
Technical fouls: MEMPHIS-None. UCF-None.
Attendance: 4805
Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total
MEMPHIS....................... 42 45 - 87
UCF........................... 27 38 - 65
Points in the paint-MEM 50,UCF 22. Points off turnovers-MEM 26,UCF 4.
2nd chance points-MEM 15,UCF 6. Fast break points-MEM 4,UCF 0.
Bench points-MEM 28,UCF 19. Score tied-0 times. Lead changed-0 times.
Last FG-MEM 2nd-01:00, UCF 2nd-00:35.
Largest lead-MEM by 28 2nd-03:34, UCF None.
#111 Tigers Run Win Streak to 10, Beat UCF 87-65 in Orlando
No. 11 Tigers Run Win Streak To 10
Douglas-Roberts registers a game-high 23 points in 87-65 victory over UCF.
No. 11 Tigers Run Win Streak To 10
Jan. 31, 2007
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Coach John Calipari wants Memphis forward Joey Dorsey to be like Lawrence Taylor.
"Where every time you drive you're looking for number 56," he said.
The 6-foot-9 junior forward looked like it Wednesday night, scoring 22 points inside and grabbing nine rebounds as No. 11 Memphis routed UCF 87-65.
"What you saw today, a little bit of Lawrence Taylor," Calipari said. "But he hadn't played like this every night. This was his best game by far."
Chris Douglas-Roberts added 23 points and Memphis (18-3, 8-0 Conference USA) led from the tip in its 10th straight win.
The Tigers finally shrugged a three-game shooting slump, hitting 57 percent from the field after shooting less than 40 percent its past few outings. UCF made 50 percent, but turned the ball over 22 times to Memphis' 11.
Douglas-Roberts scored 15 in the first half, and had six points in a 1:23 second-half span on two acrobatic layups and a driving dunk in traffic. He finished 9-of-13 from the field and had four assists.
"That's about as well as my team can play," Calipari said.
Josh Peppers led the Golden Knights (15-6, 4-3) with 20 points, and no other UCF player cracked double figures. The loss broke UCF's 12-game home winning streak dating back to last season.
"We just got complacent, and I'm really not sure why," UCF guard Mike O'Donnell said. "We had some guys that should've stepped up today and they didn't."
Dorsey put in back-to-back misses for dunks within 30 seconds of one another to give Memphis a 66-46 advantage with just under 10 minutes left. The lead ballooned to 27 points on Willie Kemp's 3-pointer with about 6 1/2 minutes to go.
UCF didn't score in the game's first three minutes, and didn't get its second basket until 2 1/2 minutes after that. Down by 11, the Golden Knights mounted an 11-5 run to draw within five.
But Douglas-Roberts had four points on a 12-2 Memphis spurt in the last four minutes of the first half that put the Tigers up 42-27.
The 4,800-person advance sellout was UCF's first in school history, and Memphis was only the second Top 25 team to play the Golden Knights at home. The first was No. 25 Charleston in December 2002, the only game against a ranked opponent UCF has won in 17 all-time tries.
The win gives Memphis an 8-0 record in January, just the sixth time in school history the Tigers have completed the month unbeaten. Calipari did it at Memphis one other time, going 7-0 in the 2000-01 season.
Douglas-Roberts registers a game-high 23 points in 87-65 victory over UCF.
No. 11 Tigers Run Win Streak To 10
Jan. 31, 2007
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Coach John Calipari wants Memphis forward Joey Dorsey to be like Lawrence Taylor.
"Where every time you drive you're looking for number 56," he said.
The 6-foot-9 junior forward looked like it Wednesday night, scoring 22 points inside and grabbing nine rebounds as No. 11 Memphis routed UCF 87-65.
"What you saw today, a little bit of Lawrence Taylor," Calipari said. "But he hadn't played like this every night. This was his best game by far."
Chris Douglas-Roberts added 23 points and Memphis (18-3, 8-0 Conference USA) led from the tip in its 10th straight win.
The Tigers finally shrugged a three-game shooting slump, hitting 57 percent from the field after shooting less than 40 percent its past few outings. UCF made 50 percent, but turned the ball over 22 times to Memphis' 11.
Douglas-Roberts scored 15 in the first half, and had six points in a 1:23 second-half span on two acrobatic layups and a driving dunk in traffic. He finished 9-of-13 from the field and had four assists.
"That's about as well as my team can play," Calipari said.
Josh Peppers led the Golden Knights (15-6, 4-3) with 20 points, and no other UCF player cracked double figures. The loss broke UCF's 12-game home winning streak dating back to last season.
"We just got complacent, and I'm really not sure why," UCF guard Mike O'Donnell said. "We had some guys that should've stepped up today and they didn't."
Dorsey put in back-to-back misses for dunks within 30 seconds of one another to give Memphis a 66-46 advantage with just under 10 minutes left. The lead ballooned to 27 points on Willie Kemp's 3-pointer with about 6 1/2 minutes to go.
UCF didn't score in the game's first three minutes, and didn't get its second basket until 2 1/2 minutes after that. Down by 11, the Golden Knights mounted an 11-5 run to draw within five.
But Douglas-Roberts had four points on a 12-2 Memphis spurt in the last four minutes of the first half that put the Tigers up 42-27.
The 4,800-person advance sellout was UCF's first in school history, and Memphis was only the second Top 25 team to play the Golden Knights at home. The first was No. 25 Charleston in December 2002, the only game against a ranked opponent UCF has won in 17 all-time tries.
The win gives Memphis an 8-0 record in January, just the sixth time in school history the Tigers have completed the month unbeaten. Calipari did it at Memphis one other time, going 7-0 in the 2000-01 season.
"I Don't Get Scared" Article on Andre Allen
'I don't get scared'
When U of M game is on line, Allen has ice water in shooting arm
By Dan Wolken
January 31, 2007
ORLANDO, Fla. -- When Andre Allen let go one of the most important shots of this University of Memphis basketball season, he wasn't exactly playing the odds.
Then again, the odds would say that Allen is a 5-9 walk-on point guard who can't shoot. But don't be fooled by his size or his statistics. Because as Allen seems to prove again and again, nobody in a Memphis uniform plays better when it counts.
After hitting a huge 3-pointer to beat Southern Miss last Saturday, it stands to reason that Allen would again be a key figure tonight when the No. 11-ranked Tigers enter a hostile, sold-out UCF Arena to play Central Florida, sitting second in Conference USA and gearing up for the biggest home game in program history.
Though freshman Willie Kemp is, and likely will continue to be, the Tigers' starting point guard, there's a reason Allen runs this team in nervous situations. The bigger the moment, the better he seems to play.
"I don't get scared when the pressure comes," Allen said. "I continue to play. When some people have pressure, they get their drawers up and get to being shaken.
"I just keep being in attack mode."
It has been this way Allen's entire career, one that defies logic on so many levels.
Good enough to get high-major scholarship offers out of Booker T. Washington High, he used a Streets Ministries sponsorship to walk on at Memphis.
A starter only once in 56 career games, Allen was the Tigers' unquestioned motor during their run to the Elite Eight last season with 26 assists and just seven turnovers during the C-USA and NCAA Tournaments.
And finally, he's a 36.6 percent career shooter from the field and a 45.8 percent shooter from the free throw line who makes most of his shots when he absolutely has to.
"That was a really big shot," senior Jeremy Hunt said of Allen's 3-pointer with 1:56 remaining Saturday to give Memphis a one-point lead over Southern Miss. "When it released his hand, I felt like it was going in. And it went in, and it was a great moment.
"I think it's more like his competitive spirit, not wanting to lose. When you don't want to lose, you look forward to making plays. You dream about making a game-winning shot like that."
Of course, it doesn't always work out perfectly.
Take, for instance, Memphis' 79-71 loss at Arizona on Dec. 20. After a tremendous performance in which he scored 15 points and made 3-of-5 from 3-point range, the Tigers had a chance to cut a 75-71 deficit in half with 1:33 to go.
Trying to get a layup, Allen drove the lane, looking for an opening. But instead of kicking the ball out when he ran into traffic, Allen tried a wild move and a shot that never threatened the basket.
But the key for coach John Calipari was that Allen had the guts to try a play like that. And even though it didn't work out on that occasion, Allen didn't shrink from the moment the next time Memphis was in a close game.
"He's got an arrogance, a confidence, a swagger about him," Calipari said. "He's not afraid. To play that way, you cannot be afraid to make a mistake.
"Sam Cassell was that way because he wasn't afraid if he lost a game. It wasn't going to have that kind of effect. He knew he had the guts to try to win a game, so he wasn't worried if it didn't go in. You have to play and think in those terms if you want to be that guy on the floor at the end."
-- Dan Wolken: 529-2365
Preview #10 Memphis vs. Univ. of Central Florida
Preview: No. 11 Tigers vs. UCF
UCF Arena, Orlando Fla., 6 p.m. CST
TV, radio: Comcast Sports Southeast (Ch. 6 on Comcast cable, not available on satellite), WREC-AM (600)
Records: Memphis 17-3, 7-0 Conference USA; UCF 15-15, 4-2
Series standing: Memphis leads, 4-0
Latest line: Memphis by 81/2
Scouting THE TIGERS
The Tigers, coming off their closest Conference USA game of the season, 67-64 over Southern Miss, make their first-ever appearance at UCF Arena. ... The Tigers handled UCF last year, 94-61 at FedExForum. ... Memphis has won nine straight games and is ranked No. 11 in The Associated Press poll, its highest of the season. ... The Tigers have won 15 straight games in the month of January dating back to last season. Coach John Calipari's January record is 44-10 since coming to Memphis. ... After a five-game stretch in which the Tigers shot 51.8 percent from the floor, they've cooled off, making 39.7 percent in the past three games. Memphis has also been out-rebounded in back-to-back games, the first time that's happened this season. ... Three starters are making more than half their field goal attempts: Forward Joey Dorsey (62.1 percent), forward Robert Dozier (51.6 percent) and guard Chris Douglas-Roberts (55.9 percent). ... ... Despite shooting just 34.1 percent from the field in conference games, sophomore guard Antonio Anderson is averaging 31 minutes.
Scouting the Golden Knights
Picked seventh in the C-USA preseason poll, only two overtime losses separate the Golden Knights from being undefeated in the league. In both games, at Houston and at UAB, they lost double-digit leads in the second half. ... UCF has excelled shooting the ball, leading the league in field goal percentage (48.3) and 3-point percentage (40.4). ... Junior Mike O'Donnell has connected on a league-leading 47.4 percent of his 3-pointers while sophomore Jermaine Taylor has made 45.7 percent. ... Taylor is one of the league's most improved players. After averaging 4.3 points in 11.7 minutes last season, he's leading UCF at 14.7 points per game. ... Senior forward Josh Peppers, who played at Whitehaven, is averaging 12.8 points and 4.3 rebounds. The other Memphis native on the roster, freshman Andre Thornton from Mitchell, has appeared in just eight games. ... The Golden Knights are 10-0 this season at UCF Arena. Tonight's game is already sold out. UCF has only hosted one nationally-ranked opponent in school history, beating No. 25 College of Charleston on Dec. 12, 2002.
KEY MATCHUP: Andre Allen vs. Mike O'Donnell
This is the kind of game in which O'Donnell, a 6-foot junior, could be the key. If O'Donnell is energized by the sold-out crowd and hitting 3-pointers like crazy, the Tigers could be in trouble. Allen, a very smart defender, will need to get in O'Donnell's face early. If the Tigers can force O'Donnell to commit turnovers instead of make 3-pointers, they'll be in good shape.
-- Dan Wolken
UCF Arena, Orlando Fla., 6 p.m. CST
TV, radio: Comcast Sports Southeast (Ch. 6 on Comcast cable, not available on satellite), WREC-AM (600)
Records: Memphis 17-3, 7-0 Conference USA; UCF 15-15, 4-2
Series standing: Memphis leads, 4-0
Latest line: Memphis by 81/2
Scouting THE TIGERS
The Tigers, coming off their closest Conference USA game of the season, 67-64 over Southern Miss, make their first-ever appearance at UCF Arena. ... The Tigers handled UCF last year, 94-61 at FedExForum. ... Memphis has won nine straight games and is ranked No. 11 in The Associated Press poll, its highest of the season. ... The Tigers have won 15 straight games in the month of January dating back to last season. Coach John Calipari's January record is 44-10 since coming to Memphis. ... After a five-game stretch in which the Tigers shot 51.8 percent from the floor, they've cooled off, making 39.7 percent in the past three games. Memphis has also been out-rebounded in back-to-back games, the first time that's happened this season. ... Three starters are making more than half their field goal attempts: Forward Joey Dorsey (62.1 percent), forward Robert Dozier (51.6 percent) and guard Chris Douglas-Roberts (55.9 percent). ... ... Despite shooting just 34.1 percent from the field in conference games, sophomore guard Antonio Anderson is averaging 31 minutes.
Scouting the Golden Knights
Picked seventh in the C-USA preseason poll, only two overtime losses separate the Golden Knights from being undefeated in the league. In both games, at Houston and at UAB, they lost double-digit leads in the second half. ... UCF has excelled shooting the ball, leading the league in field goal percentage (48.3) and 3-point percentage (40.4). ... Junior Mike O'Donnell has connected on a league-leading 47.4 percent of his 3-pointers while sophomore Jermaine Taylor has made 45.7 percent. ... Taylor is one of the league's most improved players. After averaging 4.3 points in 11.7 minutes last season, he's leading UCF at 14.7 points per game. ... Senior forward Josh Peppers, who played at Whitehaven, is averaging 12.8 points and 4.3 rebounds. The other Memphis native on the roster, freshman Andre Thornton from Mitchell, has appeared in just eight games. ... The Golden Knights are 10-0 this season at UCF Arena. Tonight's game is already sold out. UCF has only hosted one nationally-ranked opponent in school history, beating No. 25 College of Charleston on Dec. 12, 2002.
KEY MATCHUP: Andre Allen vs. Mike O'Donnell
This is the kind of game in which O'Donnell, a 6-foot junior, could be the key. If O'Donnell is energized by the sold-out crowd and hitting 3-pointers like crazy, the Tigers could be in trouble. Allen, a very smart defender, will need to get in O'Donnell's face early. If the Tigers can force O'Donnell to commit turnovers instead of make 3-pointers, they'll be in good shape.
-- Dan Wolken
Getting Physical Is Sound Game Plan Against Tigers
Getting physical is sound plan against Tigers
Calipari preaches mental toughness for U of M
By Dan Wolken
January 30, 2007
East Carolina tried it and played with the University of Memphis for a half. Southern Miss tried it and nearly beat the No. 11-ranked Tigers -- twice. And really, it's how UCLA prevented Memphis from going to the Final Four last March.
Want to take down the Tigers? Or at least give yourselves a chance?
Here's what you do. Every time Antonio Anderson or Chris Douglas-Roberts drives, put a body in his path and initiate contact. Every time Jeremy Hunt or Robert Dozier cuts, bump him. Every time Joey Dorsey gets the ball one-on-one, foul him.
Force referees to make decisions. Force Memphis to make free throws. Hack and hope.
This isn't a secret, by the way. It's on practically every game film from the last two weeks. And with a key Conference USA matchup at Central Florida looming on Wednesday, it's something the Tigers will have to adjust to pretty much the rest of the way.
"Probably so," Douglas-Roberts said. "But it's just like practice. If you see in practice, we barely can score on each other because we're fouling each other every play. We're bumping every play."
Though Memphis is seemingly cruising along at 17-3 overall and 7-0 in C-USA, the Tigers have not had a free pass, and it's no coincidence the teams they've struggled with (Southern Miss, East Carolina) tried to rough them up while teams Memphis beat handily (Houston, UAB) did not try to make the game physical.
When Memphis' attacking offense is allowed to get in a flow, the open looks abound and opponents can't score enough to keep up. When the Tigers are getting slowed down with bumps and contact, the game sometimes looks ugly.
Against Southern Miss on Saturday, the Tigers made just 20-of-52 from the field. The reason? The Golden Eagles initiated contact on practically every drive, barely allowing Memphis an easy scoring opportunity.
"We'd rather have teams come in playing like that instead of teams coming in scared of you," Hunt, a senior, said. "It's good to have teams coming in thinking they're going to beat you because you know you can't take possessions off, and you know it's going to be a good game."
The problem Saturday -- and perhaps going forward -- is that Memphis couldn't combat that game plan until the very end. Why? The Tigers took too many wild, contested shots and couldn't finish around the rim, and they failed to convert free throws for much of the second half, going 12-of-25 including four straight missed front-ends once they got into the bonus.
With Memphis now shooting 61.5 percent from the line this season, putting free-throw shooters to the test seems like a reasonable strategy.
Though there's only so much he can do about that issue, coach John Calipari spent Monday preaching mental toughness.
"I know they don't know what (mental toughness) means and what we have to do to improve in that area to finish this out," Calipari said. "But we've got to start now.
"This game for us is the next challenge. Is this one we can go down there and shoot 40 percent from the line and miss every three? No. You're going to lose. We've got to go down with a sense of purpose that it's a big-time game, and it is."
Though UCF coach Kirk Speraw hopes to challenge Memphis more than anybody has so far this season, he laughed at the suggestion his team would be able to do it by playing the same way Southern Miss did.
"We might need to be in the weight room two more years," Speraw said, "before we can get physical with Memphis."
Calipari preaches mental toughness for U of M
By Dan Wolken
January 30, 2007
East Carolina tried it and played with the University of Memphis for a half. Southern Miss tried it and nearly beat the No. 11-ranked Tigers -- twice. And really, it's how UCLA prevented Memphis from going to the Final Four last March.
Want to take down the Tigers? Or at least give yourselves a chance?
Here's what you do. Every time Antonio Anderson or Chris Douglas-Roberts drives, put a body in his path and initiate contact. Every time Jeremy Hunt or Robert Dozier cuts, bump him. Every time Joey Dorsey gets the ball one-on-one, foul him.
Force referees to make decisions. Force Memphis to make free throws. Hack and hope.
This isn't a secret, by the way. It's on practically every game film from the last two weeks. And with a key Conference USA matchup at Central Florida looming on Wednesday, it's something the Tigers will have to adjust to pretty much the rest of the way.
"Probably so," Douglas-Roberts said. "But it's just like practice. If you see in practice, we barely can score on each other because we're fouling each other every play. We're bumping every play."
Though Memphis is seemingly cruising along at 17-3 overall and 7-0 in C-USA, the Tigers have not had a free pass, and it's no coincidence the teams they've struggled with (Southern Miss, East Carolina) tried to rough them up while teams Memphis beat handily (Houston, UAB) did not try to make the game physical.
When Memphis' attacking offense is allowed to get in a flow, the open looks abound and opponents can't score enough to keep up. When the Tigers are getting slowed down with bumps and contact, the game sometimes looks ugly.
Against Southern Miss on Saturday, the Tigers made just 20-of-52 from the field. The reason? The Golden Eagles initiated contact on practically every drive, barely allowing Memphis an easy scoring opportunity.
"We'd rather have teams come in playing like that instead of teams coming in scared of you," Hunt, a senior, said. "It's good to have teams coming in thinking they're going to beat you because you know you can't take possessions off, and you know it's going to be a good game."
The problem Saturday -- and perhaps going forward -- is that Memphis couldn't combat that game plan until the very end. Why? The Tigers took too many wild, contested shots and couldn't finish around the rim, and they failed to convert free throws for much of the second half, going 12-of-25 including four straight missed front-ends once they got into the bonus.
With Memphis now shooting 61.5 percent from the line this season, putting free-throw shooters to the test seems like a reasonable strategy.
Though there's only so much he can do about that issue, coach John Calipari spent Monday preaching mental toughness.
"I know they don't know what (mental toughness) means and what we have to do to improve in that area to finish this out," Calipari said. "But we've got to start now.
"This game for us is the next challenge. Is this one we can go down there and shoot 40 percent from the line and miss every three? No. You're going to lose. We've got to go down with a sense of purpose that it's a big-time game, and it is."
Though UCF coach Kirk Speraw hopes to challenge Memphis more than anybody has so far this season, he laughed at the suggestion his team would be able to do it by playing the same way Southern Miss did.
"We might need to be in the weight room two more years," Speraw said, "before we can get physical with Memphis."
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