Memphis Head Coach John Calipari
"Doneal Mack wasn't there for us, and I thought it might hurt us, but we shot the ball well. They were open threes, though. I think there are going to be games where people are going to have to make a choice. Let's hope they're not making them. I didn't think there were many contested threes. I think they were planning on us to drive. They were playing us back in. They were playing us back in the paint."
"I love what Willie (Kemp) did. I was all over Willie because he was trying to make hard plays again. The second half was easy. If he was open, he shot it. If he wasn't, he passed it. How he played was as well as he's played for us."
"I thought Antonio Anderson was outstanding and so was Chris Douglas-Roberts. Early on Chris was a little bit shaky, but I thought he got better as the game went on. We're a good team."
Rice Head Coach Willis Wilson
"A couple of times we just missed out on a couple of (defensive) assignments. When we went to the zone, we felt like there were a couple of guys we needed to get to, and we just didn't get to them. They knocked some shots down and took the wind out of our sails. We tried to make a run, and the truth of the matter is their pressure got to us a couple of times. We just put ourselves in situations that are hard to defend by turning the ball over out on the wing and the perimeter. It's hard to defend two-on-one, three-on-two and three-on-one situations."
"I think you have to (control the tempo) against this team, and it's not an easy thing to do. It's much more difficult to do than to say. I just thought that we didn't have the strength to sustain it when we needed to. It was just some defensive assignments that we blew that you can't blow against a good team."
"On the baskets that (Kareem) Cooper got inside, one we didn't do a good job of discouraging him from going inside and two we let him go to his 'go-to' move. You can't let a guy that big take his time and go to his 'go-to' move."
Monday, February 26, 2007
Memphis 99, Rice 63
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Willie Kemp scored 20 points to help No. 7 Memphis beat Rice 99-63 on Thursday night and clinch its second-straight Conference USA title.
The victory extended Memphis' winning streak to 16 straight, longest in the nation. Memphis also has won 28 straight at home.
Memphis, which started the game 0-for-7 from 3-point range, ended up shooting 47 percent from outside the arc. Kemp hit four of his six 3-pointers.
Jeremy Hunt finished with 16 points for Memphis, while Antonio Anderson and Chris Douglas-Roberts added 14 each. Robert Dozier scored 10 points.
Anderson was also in charge of the defensive assignment on Rice guard Morris Almond, the conference's leading scorer, and third-best in the nation.
He is averaging 27.2 points, but was held to just 15. Almond was 5-for-14 from the field and grabbed 10 rebounds. Cory Pflieger scored 10 for the Owls.
The Tigers carried a 52-34 lead at the half after Hunt came off the bench to pull them out of an offensive funk with 12 first-half points, all of his field goals coming from 3-point range. Anderson added 11 points, while Douglas-Roberts scored 10.
Memphis struggled early when Rice went to a zone. The Tigers misfired from outside the defense, missing their first seven 3-pointers.
That allowed Rice to put together a 14-2 run, erasing an early 9-0 Memphis lead.
With Almond on the bench with Rice holding a 19-16 lead. Memphis went on a run hitting eight 3-pointers and building the lead to 21.
Memphis continued to maintain the lead in the second half as Kemp was the one who started connecting from 3-point range, assuring Memphis of repeating as the outright C-USA regular season champions.
The back-to-back titles marked the first time in school history that Memphis has won consecutive outright crowns.
The victory extended Memphis' winning streak to 16 straight, longest in the nation. Memphis also has won 28 straight at home.
Memphis, which started the game 0-for-7 from 3-point range, ended up shooting 47 percent from outside the arc. Kemp hit four of his six 3-pointers.
Jeremy Hunt finished with 16 points for Memphis, while Antonio Anderson and Chris Douglas-Roberts added 14 each. Robert Dozier scored 10 points.
Anderson was also in charge of the defensive assignment on Rice guard Morris Almond, the conference's leading scorer, and third-best in the nation.
He is averaging 27.2 points, but was held to just 15. Almond was 5-for-14 from the field and grabbed 10 rebounds. Cory Pflieger scored 10 for the Owls.
The Tigers carried a 52-34 lead at the half after Hunt came off the bench to pull them out of an offensive funk with 12 first-half points, all of his field goals coming from 3-point range. Anderson added 11 points, while Douglas-Roberts scored 10.
Memphis struggled early when Rice went to a zone. The Tigers misfired from outside the defense, missing their first seven 3-pointers.
That allowed Rice to put together a 14-2 run, erasing an early 9-0 Memphis lead.
With Almond on the bench with Rice holding a 19-16 lead. Memphis went on a run hitting eight 3-pointers and building the lead to 21.
Memphis continued to maintain the lead in the second half as Kemp was the one who started connecting from 3-point range, assuring Memphis of repeating as the outright C-USA regular season champions.
The back-to-back titles marked the first time in school history that Memphis has won consecutive outright crowns.
Flawless Tigers Hosts Rice Owls
Flawless Tigers host Owls in Conference USA clash
Memphis, TN (Sports Network) - The Memphis Tigers have yet to lose a Conference USA game this season, and they will attempt to remain unbeaten as they host the Rice Owls this evening.
Back-to-back losses have dropped Rice to 13-12 overall and 7-5 in league play. The most recent setback occurred on Saturday by a 74-63 final against UCF. With losses in six of eight true road games this season, the Owls enter this evening's clash as obvious underdogs. Memphis has won 27 straight at home, the third-longest active streak in the nation.
The Tigers also own the nation's longest overall winning streak at 15 games, as they haven't lost since December 20th. On Saturday, they moved to 23-3 overall with a 78-77 overtime victory over Gonzaga in BracketBuster action.
Memphis has won all three of its previous meetings with Rice, including an 84-79 triumph in the only meeting last season.
Rice possesses one of the most gifted scorers in all of college basketball, as Morris Almond is third in the nation with his 27.2 ppg. Despite constant attention from defenders, Almond is shooting a solid 48.5 percent from the floor, including 45.1 percent from three-point range, and he is an 86.8 percent free throw shooter as well. Unfortunately, there is not another double-digit scorer in the lineup, as Almond does not always get enough support from a modest supporting cast. For only the second time in 25 games this season, Almond did not lead the team in scoring in the loss to UCF. The All-American guard finished with only 13 points on 3-of-13 shooting from the field, as Lorenzo Williams paced the Owls with 16 points. A 24-12 deficit in points from the foul line and a 37-22 rebounding disadvantage hurt Rice.
Memphis is scoring 79.8 ppg this season while limiting opponents to 62.4 ppg on 38.2 percent shooting from the field. Chris Douglas-Roberts is scoring 15.0 ppg to pace the Tigers, and Jeremy Hunt is second on the roster with 13.8 ppg. The third and final double-digit scorer is Robert Dozier, as he is contributing 10.7 ppg. Joey Dorsey is averaging a modest 8.5 ppg, but he is shooting 63 percent from the floor to go along with 9.9 rpg and 66 blocks. In the win over Gonzaga last time out, Memphis blew an eight-point halftime lead but did enough in overtime to come out on top. Dorsey racked up 15 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks, proof of his ability to make an impact inside. Five players in all reached double figures in scoring for the balanced Tigers.
Memphis, TN (Sports Network) - The Memphis Tigers have yet to lose a Conference USA game this season, and they will attempt to remain unbeaten as they host the Rice Owls this evening.
Back-to-back losses have dropped Rice to 13-12 overall and 7-5 in league play. The most recent setback occurred on Saturday by a 74-63 final against UCF. With losses in six of eight true road games this season, the Owls enter this evening's clash as obvious underdogs. Memphis has won 27 straight at home, the third-longest active streak in the nation.
The Tigers also own the nation's longest overall winning streak at 15 games, as they haven't lost since December 20th. On Saturday, they moved to 23-3 overall with a 78-77 overtime victory over Gonzaga in BracketBuster action.
Memphis has won all three of its previous meetings with Rice, including an 84-79 triumph in the only meeting last season.
Rice possesses one of the most gifted scorers in all of college basketball, as Morris Almond is third in the nation with his 27.2 ppg. Despite constant attention from defenders, Almond is shooting a solid 48.5 percent from the floor, including 45.1 percent from three-point range, and he is an 86.8 percent free throw shooter as well. Unfortunately, there is not another double-digit scorer in the lineup, as Almond does not always get enough support from a modest supporting cast. For only the second time in 25 games this season, Almond did not lead the team in scoring in the loss to UCF. The All-American guard finished with only 13 points on 3-of-13 shooting from the field, as Lorenzo Williams paced the Owls with 16 points. A 24-12 deficit in points from the foul line and a 37-22 rebounding disadvantage hurt Rice.
Memphis is scoring 79.8 ppg this season while limiting opponents to 62.4 ppg on 38.2 percent shooting from the field. Chris Douglas-Roberts is scoring 15.0 ppg to pace the Tigers, and Jeremy Hunt is second on the roster with 13.8 ppg. The third and final double-digit scorer is Robert Dozier, as he is contributing 10.7 ppg. Joey Dorsey is averaging a modest 8.5 ppg, but he is shooting 63 percent from the floor to go along with 9.9 rpg and 66 blocks. In the win over Gonzaga last time out, Memphis blew an eight-point halftime lead but did enough in overtime to come out on top. Dorsey racked up 15 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks, proof of his ability to make an impact inside. Five players in all reached double figures in scoring for the balanced Tigers.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Rice vs. Memphis Preview
Rice-Memphis Preview
By MIKE VOTTA
STATS Senior Writer
Memphis is once again rolling through Conference USA.
After a quick break from their conference schedule, the seventh-ranked Tigers look to wrap up their second straight outright league title and extend the longest winning streak in the country when they host Rice on Thursday.
Memphis (23-3, 12-0 C-USA) has won 15 straight games, dating to a 79-71 loss at then-No. 9 Arizona on Dec. 20. The only other Division I team with a perfect conference record is Winthrop of the Big South.
The Tigers wrapped up at least a share of the C-USA title when Houston lost to Southern Mississippi on Monday. They already have clinched a first-round bye in the conference tournament.
A victory on Thursday would give Memphis, which went 13-1 in C-USA last season, consecutive outright conference titles for the first time in school history. It would also match the Tigers' school record for conference wins.
However, Memphis was the only C-USA team in the top 75 of the RPI entering this week, hurting the Tigers' chances for a high seed in the NCAA tournament.
``It's not that I'm rooting for other people, but what happens is if those teams don't improve, it's hard on us too because now we've got to try to win every game,'' coach John Calipari said. ``You can't win every game. You're not winning every game. You're going to have a bad game, something's going to happen, someone else is going to go crazy.''
Memphis no doubt improved its stock with Saturday's 78-77 overtime win at Gonzaga.
``This felt like an NCAA game,'' said Tigers forward Joey Dorsey, who had 15 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks. ``I told them to let their guys drive to the basket and I would block their shot. So, they depended on me to block their shots.''
Chris Douglas-Roberts, who leads the Tigers with 15.0 points per game, did not have a particularly good outing with 13 points as he shot 6-of-15 from the field and 1-for-4 at the free-throw line. However, the sophomore guard did hit the layup with 5.6 seconds left in overtime that gave Memphis the victory.
``We needed that win,'' Calipari said. ``We needed to find out who could make plays in these situations.''
The Tigers, who lead Conference USA with 79.8 points per game, forced the opposition into at least 18 turnovers for the fourth straight game.
``By far and away they were the most athletic team we have faced this year,'' Gonzaga coach Mark Few said.
Now, the Tigers return home, where they have won 27 straight - the third-longest streak in the nation. They have won each of their previous three meetings with Rice, including an 84-79 road victory on Feb. 4 last season.
The Owls (13-12, 7-5) have dropped their last two games, including Saturday's 74-63 home defeat to Central Florida. Morris Almond, who ranks among the nation's leading scorers with 27.2 points per game, was held to 13.
Almond has scored in double figures in all but one of 25 games this season and has posted more than 30 points eight times. He scored a season-high 44 points in a 74-69 loss to Vanderbilt on Jan. 2.
By MIKE VOTTA
STATS Senior Writer
Memphis is once again rolling through Conference USA.
After a quick break from their conference schedule, the seventh-ranked Tigers look to wrap up their second straight outright league title and extend the longest winning streak in the country when they host Rice on Thursday.
Memphis (23-3, 12-0 C-USA) has won 15 straight games, dating to a 79-71 loss at then-No. 9 Arizona on Dec. 20. The only other Division I team with a perfect conference record is Winthrop of the Big South.
The Tigers wrapped up at least a share of the C-USA title when Houston lost to Southern Mississippi on Monday. They already have clinched a first-round bye in the conference tournament.
A victory on Thursday would give Memphis, which went 13-1 in C-USA last season, consecutive outright conference titles for the first time in school history. It would also match the Tigers' school record for conference wins.
However, Memphis was the only C-USA team in the top 75 of the RPI entering this week, hurting the Tigers' chances for a high seed in the NCAA tournament.
``It's not that I'm rooting for other people, but what happens is if those teams don't improve, it's hard on us too because now we've got to try to win every game,'' coach John Calipari said. ``You can't win every game. You're not winning every game. You're going to have a bad game, something's going to happen, someone else is going to go crazy.''
Memphis no doubt improved its stock with Saturday's 78-77 overtime win at Gonzaga.
``This felt like an NCAA game,'' said Tigers forward Joey Dorsey, who had 15 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks. ``I told them to let their guys drive to the basket and I would block their shot. So, they depended on me to block their shots.''
Chris Douglas-Roberts, who leads the Tigers with 15.0 points per game, did not have a particularly good outing with 13 points as he shot 6-of-15 from the field and 1-for-4 at the free-throw line. However, the sophomore guard did hit the layup with 5.6 seconds left in overtime that gave Memphis the victory.
``We needed that win,'' Calipari said. ``We needed to find out who could make plays in these situations.''
The Tigers, who lead Conference USA with 79.8 points per game, forced the opposition into at least 18 turnovers for the fourth straight game.
``By far and away they were the most athletic team we have faced this year,'' Gonzaga coach Mark Few said.
Now, the Tigers return home, where they have won 27 straight - the third-longest streak in the nation. They have won each of their previous three meetings with Rice, including an 84-79 road victory on Feb. 4 last season.
The Owls (13-12, 7-5) have dropped their last two games, including Saturday's 74-63 home defeat to Central Florida. Morris Almond, who ranks among the nation's leading scorers with 27.2 points per game, was held to 13.
Almond has scored in double figures in all but one of 25 games this season and has posted more than 30 points eight times. He scored a season-high 44 points in a 74-69 loss to Vanderbilt on Jan. 2.
From Gary Parrish, CBSSportsline.com, "Best Game of the Weekend"
Comments from Gary Parrish, CBSSportsline.com
Best game of the weekend: It wasn't a great win over a great Gonzaga team. But it was a good win over a decent Gonzaga team, and that it came in a rowdy road environment and in dramatic fashion eliminated the theory Memphis doesn't know how to handle a pressure situation, the supposed cost of coasting through an inferior league.
When the Tigers needed a stop at the end of regulation, they got a turnover. When they needed big shots in overtime, they got two 3-pointers from Jeremy Hunt. And when they needed someone to make a winning play, they got a ridiculous runner from Chris Douglas-Roberts with 5.6 seconds remaining that served as the final points in Saturday's 78-77 OT victory.
"We needed that," said coach John Calipari. "We needed to find out who could make plays in these situations."
Now the Tigers know, although with the current state of Conference USA, it will probably be the NCAA Tournament before they need to know again.
Best game of the weekend: It wasn't a great win over a great Gonzaga team. But it was a good win over a decent Gonzaga team, and that it came in a rowdy road environment and in dramatic fashion eliminated the theory Memphis doesn't know how to handle a pressure situation, the supposed cost of coasting through an inferior league.
When the Tigers needed a stop at the end of regulation, they got a turnover. When they needed big shots in overtime, they got two 3-pointers from Jeremy Hunt. And when they needed someone to make a winning play, they got a ridiculous runner from Chris Douglas-Roberts with 5.6 seconds remaining that served as the final points in Saturday's 78-77 OT victory.
"We needed that," said coach John Calipari. "We needed to find out who could make plays in these situations."
Now the Tigers know, although with the current state of Conference USA, it will probably be the NCAA Tournament before they need to know again.
Doug Gottlieb, ESPN, on the Tigers Win at Gonzaga
Doug Gottlieb, ESPN
The most impressive win no one seems to be talking about is Memphis taking down Gonzaga in overtime at Spokane Arena Saturday night.
The Zags were marvelous in their effort and their late shot-making to force overtime after Memphis had essentially led the entire way. While their free throw shooting (18 of 32) kept Gonzaga close, Memphis showed visible improvement from Joey Dorsey (15 points, 12 rebounds), Robert Dozier (14 points) and Chris Douglas-Roberts (13 points and the eventual game winner). More important, this was exactly the type of game John Calipari needed to have for his team to be NCAA-ready due to the weak competition in C-USA this year.
Coach Cal sat frosh Willie Kemp and went with Andre Allen for the majority of the game. While Derrick Rose is on the way next year, Cal needs Kemp to perform much better down the stretch if this team wants to contend for a deep NCAA run -- a run for which they seem to have all the other pieces in place.
The most impressive win no one seems to be talking about is Memphis taking down Gonzaga in overtime at Spokane Arena Saturday night.
The Zags were marvelous in their effort and their late shot-making to force overtime after Memphis had essentially led the entire way. While their free throw shooting (18 of 32) kept Gonzaga close, Memphis showed visible improvement from Joey Dorsey (15 points, 12 rebounds), Robert Dozier (14 points) and Chris Douglas-Roberts (13 points and the eventual game winner). More important, this was exactly the type of game John Calipari needed to have for his team to be NCAA-ready due to the weak competition in C-USA this year.
Coach Cal sat frosh Willie Kemp and went with Andre Allen for the majority of the game. While Derrick Rose is on the way next year, Cal needs Kemp to perform much better down the stretch if this team wants to contend for a deep NCAA run -- a run for which they seem to have all the other pieces in place.
Interesting Comments From Bobby Knight on the One-and-Done Rule
Tech's Knight is No Fan of One-and-Done: Coach Says NBA's Ruling is 'Worst Thing' for College Game i
Feb 20, 05:29 AM
By Terrance Harris, Houston Chronicle
Feb. 20--While most college basketball coaches would jump at the chance for a one-year player like Texas freshman sensation Kevin Durant, Texas Tech coach Bob Knight said Monday he would not do so.
In fact, the coach said Monday that he thinks the NBA's mandate of at least a year of college for high school graduates is bad for the college game.
"I think it's the worst thing that's happened to college basketball since I've been coaching," Knight said Monday.
A year ago, the NBA made the decision that players have to attend college for at least one year after graduation from high school. That decision has exposed players such as Ohio State freshman center Greg Oden and Durant -- two players who would have been lottery picks last year and will likely be the first two players chosen in this year's draft if they decide to leave after one year -- to the college game for what seems to be just one year.
Knight's primary concern seems to be that the NBA's mandate allows student-athletes to get around being true students in college.
"Because now you can have a kid come to school for a year, play basketball and he doesn't even have to go to class," Knight said. "He certainly doesn't have to go to class the second semester. I'm not exactly positive about the first semester, but he would not have to attend a single class the second semester to play through the whole second semester of basketball.
"That I think has a tremendous effect on the integrity of college sports. I think what should happen is a kid can come out of high school and go to the NBA and if they chose to put him in the developmental league, fine. But if he goes to college there has to be an agreement that he is not eligible for the draft until after two years of college. That way the kid has to obtain eligibility and then he has to retain eligibility and at least for those two years he is a college student. Now the kid is simply like a hired player."
Knight said there would never be a scenario where he would knowingly recruit a player who intended to play college basketball for one year. Texas coach Rick Barnes also said he would not, citing the issues it would create for program's academic rating.
Barnes has said all season there has been no discussion about Durant being only a one-year player for the Longhorns.
Most observers believe the 6-9 Durant, who leads the Big 12 in both scoring and rebounding, will be gone once this season is over.
"No, I wouldn't do that," Knight said of recruiting a one-year player. "But I don't fault those that have because it's within the rules. But the rules are just ridiculous the way the thing is set up. But there can't be any fault to the people that have those kids because it's within the rules. It's just a tremendous disservice the way it's structured to the integrity of college sports."
terrance.harris@chron.com
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Copyright (c) 2007, Houston Chronicle
Feb 20, 05:29 AM
By Terrance Harris, Houston Chronicle
Feb. 20--While most college basketball coaches would jump at the chance for a one-year player like Texas freshman sensation Kevin Durant, Texas Tech coach Bob Knight said Monday he would not do so.
In fact, the coach said Monday that he thinks the NBA's mandate of at least a year of college for high school graduates is bad for the college game.
"I think it's the worst thing that's happened to college basketball since I've been coaching," Knight said Monday.
A year ago, the NBA made the decision that players have to attend college for at least one year after graduation from high school. That decision has exposed players such as Ohio State freshman center Greg Oden and Durant -- two players who would have been lottery picks last year and will likely be the first two players chosen in this year's draft if they decide to leave after one year -- to the college game for what seems to be just one year.
Knight's primary concern seems to be that the NBA's mandate allows student-athletes to get around being true students in college.
"Because now you can have a kid come to school for a year, play basketball and he doesn't even have to go to class," Knight said. "He certainly doesn't have to go to class the second semester. I'm not exactly positive about the first semester, but he would not have to attend a single class the second semester to play through the whole second semester of basketball.
"That I think has a tremendous effect on the integrity of college sports. I think what should happen is a kid can come out of high school and go to the NBA and if they chose to put him in the developmental league, fine. But if he goes to college there has to be an agreement that he is not eligible for the draft until after two years of college. That way the kid has to obtain eligibility and then he has to retain eligibility and at least for those two years he is a college student. Now the kid is simply like a hired player."
Knight said there would never be a scenario where he would knowingly recruit a player who intended to play college basketball for one year. Texas coach Rick Barnes also said he would not, citing the issues it would create for program's academic rating.
Barnes has said all season there has been no discussion about Durant being only a one-year player for the Longhorns.
Most observers believe the 6-9 Durant, who leads the Big 12 in both scoring and rebounding, will be gone once this season is over.
"No, I wouldn't do that," Knight said of recruiting a one-year player. "But I don't fault those that have because it's within the rules. But the rules are just ridiculous the way the thing is set up. But there can't be any fault to the people that have those kids because it's within the rules. It's just a tremendous disservice the way it's structured to the integrity of college sports."
terrance.harris@chron.com
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Copyright (c) 2007, Houston Chronicle
John Calipari Named Finalist For National Coach Of The Year Award
University of Memphis head coach John Calipari has been named one of 15 finalists for the 2007 Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year honor, the collegeinsider.com web site announced Tuesday.
The Jim Phelan Award is given annually to the nation’s top coach, as voted on by a 20-member panel. The winner will be presented with the award at the NCAA Final Four in Atlanta.
Prior to 2003, the award was known simply as the CollegeInsider.com National Coach of the Year. It was renamed to honor longtime Mount St. Mary’s head coach Jim Phelan, who retired following the 2002-03 season.
Calipari has guided the 2006-07 Tigers to a 23-3 overall record and a 12-0 mark in Conference USA. Memphis is ranked No. 7 in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Top 25 polls. Under Calipari’s direction, the Tigers have the nation’s longest win streak at 15 straight and the country’s third-longest homecourt win streak at 27 straight.
With a win over Rice on Thursday, Memphis would clinch its second-straight outright Conference USA regular season title. The Tigers, who are one of only two teams in the nation to have an undefeated mark in conference play (Winthrop is 12-0 in the Big South), already have a share of the C-USA regular season crown.
Calipari is in his seventh season at Memphis and his 15th overall as a collegiate head coach. The Moon, Pa., native has a 171-62 mark in his time at Memphis, and his overall record in 364-133. Calipari is one of eight coaches in NCAA Division I basketball history to reach the 350-win milestone in his 15th season as a college head coach. He joined Roy Williams, Nolan Richardson, Denny Crum, Jim Boeheim, Tubby Smith, Rick Pitino and John Thompson in that elite group.
The other finalists for the 2007 Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year award are: Rhode Island’s Jim Baron, Washington State’s Tony Bennett, Florida’s Billy Donovan, Nevada’s Mark Fox, Texas A&M’s Billy Gillispie, Virginia Tech’s Seth Greenberg, UCLA’s Ben Howland, Butler’s Todd Lickliter, Southern Illinois’ Chris Lowery, Winthrop’s Gregg Marshall, Ohio State’s Thad Matta, Wisconsin’s Bo Ryan, Vanderbilt’s Kevin Stallings and Jacksonville’s Cliff Warren.
The Jim Phelan Award is given annually to the nation’s top coach, as voted on by a 20-member panel. The winner will be presented with the award at the NCAA Final Four in Atlanta.
Prior to 2003, the award was known simply as the CollegeInsider.com National Coach of the Year. It was renamed to honor longtime Mount St. Mary’s head coach Jim Phelan, who retired following the 2002-03 season.
Calipari has guided the 2006-07 Tigers to a 23-3 overall record and a 12-0 mark in Conference USA. Memphis is ranked No. 7 in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Top 25 polls. Under Calipari’s direction, the Tigers have the nation’s longest win streak at 15 straight and the country’s third-longest homecourt win streak at 27 straight.
With a win over Rice on Thursday, Memphis would clinch its second-straight outright Conference USA regular season title. The Tigers, who are one of only two teams in the nation to have an undefeated mark in conference play (Winthrop is 12-0 in the Big South), already have a share of the C-USA regular season crown.
Calipari is in his seventh season at Memphis and his 15th overall as a collegiate head coach. The Moon, Pa., native has a 171-62 mark in his time at Memphis, and his overall record in 364-133. Calipari is one of eight coaches in NCAA Division I basketball history to reach the 350-win milestone in his 15th season as a college head coach. He joined Roy Williams, Nolan Richardson, Denny Crum, Jim Boeheim, Tubby Smith, Rick Pitino and John Thompson in that elite group.
The other finalists for the 2007 Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year award are: Rhode Island’s Jim Baron, Washington State’s Tony Bennett, Florida’s Billy Donovan, Nevada’s Mark Fox, Texas A&M’s Billy Gillispie, Virginia Tech’s Seth Greenberg, UCLA’s Ben Howland, Butler’s Todd Lickliter, Southern Illinois’ Chris Lowery, Winthrop’s Gregg Marshall, Ohio State’s Thad Matta, Wisconsin’s Bo Ryan, Vanderbilt’s Kevin Stallings and Jacksonville’s Cliff Warren.
Tiger Goals Don't Stop at C-USA
Tiger goals don't stop at C-USA
League title nearly won, so U of M keeps March in mind
By Dan Wolken
February 21, 2007
Without doing anything, the University of Memphis clinched at least a share of the Conference USA regular-season title Monday night when Houston lost to Southern Miss.
Rest assured, the No. 7-ranked Tigers did not spend Tuesday cutting down the nets at the Finch Center. And they probably won't expend any energy doing it at FedExForum on Thursday, when they can clinch the outright title with a victory against Rice.
"It's really nothing to celebrate," junior point guard Andre Allen said. "It's a good accomplishment, but that's not what we're here for. We want to win it all. We want to win in March. It's all about March for us."
Though it has been a formality for weeks and an afterthought in the wake of the Tigers' 78-77 victory at Gonzaga last Saturday, conference titles are typically celebrated in grand fashion. After all, Memphis' next victory will clinch only the sixth outright league title in modern school history.
But much like last year, when the Tigers won the league with a 13-1 record, the banner they're chasing supersedes the one they'll hang in the rafters for a C-USA championship.
"It's not why we play the season," coach John Calipari said. "At the end of the day, it's to try to win the national title. That's one of those small victories along the way, but that's not why we we're playing. We weren't playing for that reason last year. When we did it last year, there was no celebration.
"The good news is, it gives us a No. 1 seed (in the C-USA Tournament) if we can win one more game, which is a better seed than the two seed. That's about the extent of it."
Though a few teams around the country are running away with their respective league titles -- Florida in the SEC, Oral Roberts in the Mid-Continent, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the Southland and Austin Peay in the Ohio Valley -- it's a little unusual to clinch with four games remaining.
But that's the position Memphis (23-3) has put itself in by going 12-0 to this point in C-USA while its league rivals beat up on one another. Houston, which plays at FedExForum on Sunday, emerged from last weekend as the only team with even a chance to catch Memphis.
But after Monday's loss, Houston fell to 8-4 in the league, joining Central Florida.
Everybody else already has at least five conference losses.
"I don't think we're going to do no celebrating," sophomore forward Robert Dozier said. "The tournament is what we're going to focus on. Yeah, we want to win the conference and get a good seed for the tournament, but the most important thing is to prepare for those last five, six games."
Though Memphis won't celebrate its next win, the Tigers might allow themselves some enjoyment if they can win their next four games and finish with a 16-0 league record.
No Memphis team has ever finished undefeated in a conference, and this season only Winthrop in the Big South is still unbeaten in its league.
The Tigers are also chasing a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, which they believe is a realistic carrot if they can extend their current 15-game winning streak to 22 by winning out in the regular season and sweeping the C-USA Tournament.
"There's pressure among the players, not for the seeding, but because we want to do something unique," Allen said. "We want to win on out. We want to be a team that went undefeated in the conference."
Etc.: Freshman guard Doneal Mack was excused from Tuesday's practice due to the death of his grandmother. Mack, who traveled home for the funeral, is expected to be back in Memphis in time for the Rice game. ... Calipari was named one of 15 finalists Tuesday for the Jim Phelan national coach of the year award.
-- Dan Wolken: 529-2365
League title nearly won, so U of M keeps March in mind
By Dan Wolken
February 21, 2007
Without doing anything, the University of Memphis clinched at least a share of the Conference USA regular-season title Monday night when Houston lost to Southern Miss.
Rest assured, the No. 7-ranked Tigers did not spend Tuesday cutting down the nets at the Finch Center. And they probably won't expend any energy doing it at FedExForum on Thursday, when they can clinch the outright title with a victory against Rice.
"It's really nothing to celebrate," junior point guard Andre Allen said. "It's a good accomplishment, but that's not what we're here for. We want to win it all. We want to win in March. It's all about March for us."
Though it has been a formality for weeks and an afterthought in the wake of the Tigers' 78-77 victory at Gonzaga last Saturday, conference titles are typically celebrated in grand fashion. After all, Memphis' next victory will clinch only the sixth outright league title in modern school history.
But much like last year, when the Tigers won the league with a 13-1 record, the banner they're chasing supersedes the one they'll hang in the rafters for a C-USA championship.
"It's not why we play the season," coach John Calipari said. "At the end of the day, it's to try to win the national title. That's one of those small victories along the way, but that's not why we we're playing. We weren't playing for that reason last year. When we did it last year, there was no celebration.
"The good news is, it gives us a No. 1 seed (in the C-USA Tournament) if we can win one more game, which is a better seed than the two seed. That's about the extent of it."
Though a few teams around the country are running away with their respective league titles -- Florida in the SEC, Oral Roberts in the Mid-Continent, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the Southland and Austin Peay in the Ohio Valley -- it's a little unusual to clinch with four games remaining.
But that's the position Memphis (23-3) has put itself in by going 12-0 to this point in C-USA while its league rivals beat up on one another. Houston, which plays at FedExForum on Sunday, emerged from last weekend as the only team with even a chance to catch Memphis.
But after Monday's loss, Houston fell to 8-4 in the league, joining Central Florida.
Everybody else already has at least five conference losses.
"I don't think we're going to do no celebrating," sophomore forward Robert Dozier said. "The tournament is what we're going to focus on. Yeah, we want to win the conference and get a good seed for the tournament, but the most important thing is to prepare for those last five, six games."
Though Memphis won't celebrate its next win, the Tigers might allow themselves some enjoyment if they can win their next four games and finish with a 16-0 league record.
No Memphis team has ever finished undefeated in a conference, and this season only Winthrop in the Big South is still unbeaten in its league.
The Tigers are also chasing a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, which they believe is a realistic carrot if they can extend their current 15-game winning streak to 22 by winning out in the regular season and sweeping the C-USA Tournament.
"There's pressure among the players, not for the seeding, but because we want to do something unique," Allen said. "We want to win on out. We want to be a team that went undefeated in the conference."
Etc.: Freshman guard Doneal Mack was excused from Tuesday's practice due to the death of his grandmother. Mack, who traveled home for the funeral, is expected to be back in Memphis in time for the Rice game. ... Calipari was named one of 15 finalists Tuesday for the Jim Phelan national coach of the year award.
-- Dan Wolken: 529-2365
Tigers Inching Way Up The Polls
Tigers inching way up the polls
U of M up one spot; Rice next on slate
By Dan Wolken
February 20, 2007
The University of Memphis didn't quite make the top five Monday, as coach John Calipari predicted over the weekend. But the Tigers did inch closer, moving up from No. 8 to No. 7 in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today polls.
It's Memphis' highest ranking of the season, following Saturday's 78-77 overtime victory over Gonzaga at Spokane Arena. Memphis is 22-3 overall (ACTUALLY THEY ARE 23-3, BUT WHO IS COUNTING, ED.) and 12-0 in Conference USA heading into Thursday's nationally televised game against Rice at FedExForum.
With a win, Memphis will clinch at least a share of the C-USA regular-season title.
"Last year, (being highly ranked) was more of a surprise than anything. This year, we expected to be this good because we worked hard," sophomore guard Antonio Anderson said. "Now we know where we are and what we need to do to keep this thing going."
More important than the polls, Memphis solidified its claim for a high NCAA Tournament seed on Saturday. The Tigers are No. 9 in the RPI, according to Ken Pomeroy's calculations on kenpom.com.
Memphis has won 15 consecutive games, which is the nation's longest win streak. If the Tigers win their four remaining regular-season games and the C-USA Tournament to finish with a 30-3 record, they will remain in the top 10 of the RPI and the polls.
Though Calipari brought up the idea Memphis could get a second consecutive No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, the Tigers would need several teams in front of them to lose multiple times.
"I'm not sure, I don't know," sophomore guard Chris Douglas-Roberts said of the possibility of a No. 1 seed. "We lost to Georgia Tech, and they're not ranked, and Tennessee. I don't know, but we should be a high seed."
-- Dan Wolken: 529-2365
U of M up one spot; Rice next on slate
By Dan Wolken
February 20, 2007
The University of Memphis didn't quite make the top five Monday, as coach John Calipari predicted over the weekend. But the Tigers did inch closer, moving up from No. 8 to No. 7 in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today polls.
It's Memphis' highest ranking of the season, following Saturday's 78-77 overtime victory over Gonzaga at Spokane Arena. Memphis is 22-3 overall (ACTUALLY THEY ARE 23-3, BUT WHO IS COUNTING, ED.) and 12-0 in Conference USA heading into Thursday's nationally televised game against Rice at FedExForum.
With a win, Memphis will clinch at least a share of the C-USA regular-season title.
"Last year, (being highly ranked) was more of a surprise than anything. This year, we expected to be this good because we worked hard," sophomore guard Antonio Anderson said. "Now we know where we are and what we need to do to keep this thing going."
More important than the polls, Memphis solidified its claim for a high NCAA Tournament seed on Saturday. The Tigers are No. 9 in the RPI, according to Ken Pomeroy's calculations on kenpom.com.
Memphis has won 15 consecutive games, which is the nation's longest win streak. If the Tigers win their four remaining regular-season games and the C-USA Tournament to finish with a 30-3 record, they will remain in the top 10 of the RPI and the polls.
Though Calipari brought up the idea Memphis could get a second consecutive No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, the Tigers would need several teams in front of them to lose multiple times.
"I'm not sure, I don't know," sophomore guard Chris Douglas-Roberts said of the possibility of a No. 1 seed. "We lost to Georgia Tech, and they're not ranked, and Tennessee. I don't know, but we should be a high seed."
-- Dan Wolken: 529-2365
Memphis Rises to #7 in AP Top 25
Memphis rises to seventh in Top 25
February 19, 2007
The University of Memphis men's basketball team moved up one spot to No. 7 in the Associated Press men's basketball Top 25 released this afternoon.
The Tigers (23-3) got their toughest test of the season Saturday at Gonzaga, where they managed to pull out a 78-77 overtime win. The win was their 15th straight, which is the longest current streak in the nation.
The U of M moved ahead of Texas A&M (22-4), which fell from No. 6 to No. 8 after a loss to Texas Tech. Coach John Calipari's club also jumped Pittsburgh (23-4), which fell from seventh to 10th, but the Tigers were passed by Kansas (23-4), even though the Jayhawks' two wins last week were over Big 12 lightweights Colorado and Nebraska.
The Tigers return to action Thursday with a 6 p.m. Conference USA game against Rice at FedExForum. They'll wrap up their regular-season home schedule Sunday afternoon against Houston.
February 19, 2007
The University of Memphis men's basketball team moved up one spot to No. 7 in the Associated Press men's basketball Top 25 released this afternoon.
The Tigers (23-3) got their toughest test of the season Saturday at Gonzaga, where they managed to pull out a 78-77 overtime win. The win was their 15th straight, which is the longest current streak in the nation.
The U of M moved ahead of Texas A&M (22-4), which fell from No. 6 to No. 8 after a loss to Texas Tech. Coach John Calipari's club also jumped Pittsburgh (23-4), which fell from seventh to 10th, but the Tigers were passed by Kansas (23-4), even though the Jayhawks' two wins last week were over Big 12 lightweights Colorado and Nebraska.
The Tigers return to action Thursday with a 6 p.m. Conference USA game against Rice at FedExForum. They'll wrap up their regular-season home schedule Sunday afternoon against Houston.
Monday, February 19, 2007
The Memphis Schedule......What Went Wrong?
It is funny how everyone is jumping on the bandwagon..........Memphis hasn't played anyone and they lost to most of the good teams they faced. True? Well, yeah. It is hard to argue. But, let's analyze. What happened?
Yes, C-USA is poor, but believe it or not just not as poor as last year.
2007 C-USA is ranked #11 with a 81-64 non-conference record
Highest ranked team: Memphis (9)
Lowest ranked team: East Carolina (314)
Average: 150
Median: 152
2006 C-USA was ranked #13 with an 75-69 non-conference record
Highest ranked team: Memphis (4)
Lowest Ranked team: East Carolina (300)
Average: 169
Median: 210
So, where is the failure? The problem is pure perception, not necessarily reality.
In 2006, C-USA had four teams in the RPI Top 100
Memphis (4), UAB (32), Houston (53), UTEP (76)
In 2007..........only two, Memphis (9) and Houston (92)
But, C-USA has nine other teams in the 100's and only one lower than 199 - ECU @ 314
Last year, the disbursion was much greater. Beyond the four in the Top 100, only one was in the 100's - Central Florida @ 190. Six teams were in the 200's and lowly ECU bringing up the rear at #300.
Ok, so C-USA is actually better, but no one seems to realize it.
What about the non-conference schedule?
2007, Memphis' non-conference RPI is #19 with a SOS of #24
2006, Memphis' non-conference RPI was #2 with a SOS of #3
How did that happen?
In 2006, Memphis played and beat Wisconsin-Milwaukee (52), @Alabama (76), UCLA (9), @Cincinnati (40), @Providence (108), @Ole Miss (156), Louisiana Tech (68), Gonzaga (8), Purdue (174), Middle Tennessee (114), Winthrop (73) and Tennessee (6). They also played, but lost to Duke (1) and Texas (8).
In 2007, it all fell apart.
The Maui Classic was ok, beating Oklahoma (82) and Kentucky (8), but losing to Georgia Tech (47), but it went straight down hill from there.
Only two teams the Tigers beat are in the top 100 - Ole Miss (63) and Gonzaga (71). Losses came at Tennessee (15) and at Arizona (11).
Memphis tried to add a quality opponent in Manhattan, but the Jaspers suck this year with an RPI of 225, up from 87 in 2006.
The real problem is that C-USA went to a 16 game format in 2007 instead of playing 14 like they did in 2006. Memphis gave up two games against Top 100 type talent because they require seven "buy" games for economic reasons where they don't have to play a home and home series.
Memphis gave up Texas (2006-#8, 2007-#46), Purdue (2006-#174, 2007-#37) and Providence (2006-#108, 2007-#67) and only added Arizona (2006-#24, 2007-#11).
They also retained Tennessee (2006-#6, 2007-#15), Ole Miss (2006-#156, 2007-#63), Cincinnati (2006-#40, 2007-#163) and Gonzaga (2006-#8, 2007-#71).
While Tennessee and Arizona were strong RPI games and Ole Miss was vastly improved, Cincinnati and Gonzaga were much weaker.
In 2008, Memphis reportedly will play USC (60), Arizona (11), Tennessee (15), Ole Miss (63) and Gonzaga (71); but Memphis will require much help from C-USA to avoid this year's problem again.
Yes, C-USA is poor, but believe it or not just not as poor as last year.
2007 C-USA is ranked #11 with a 81-64 non-conference record
Highest ranked team: Memphis (9)
Lowest ranked team: East Carolina (314)
Average: 150
Median: 152
2006 C-USA was ranked #13 with an 75-69 non-conference record
Highest ranked team: Memphis (4)
Lowest Ranked team: East Carolina (300)
Average: 169
Median: 210
So, where is the failure? The problem is pure perception, not necessarily reality.
In 2006, C-USA had four teams in the RPI Top 100
Memphis (4), UAB (32), Houston (53), UTEP (76)
In 2007..........only two, Memphis (9) and Houston (92)
But, C-USA has nine other teams in the 100's and only one lower than 199 - ECU @ 314
Last year, the disbursion was much greater. Beyond the four in the Top 100, only one was in the 100's - Central Florida @ 190. Six teams were in the 200's and lowly ECU bringing up the rear at #300.
Ok, so C-USA is actually better, but no one seems to realize it.
What about the non-conference schedule?
2007, Memphis' non-conference RPI is #19 with a SOS of #24
2006, Memphis' non-conference RPI was #2 with a SOS of #3
How did that happen?
In 2006, Memphis played and beat Wisconsin-Milwaukee (52), @Alabama (76), UCLA (9), @Cincinnati (40), @Providence (108), @Ole Miss (156), Louisiana Tech (68), Gonzaga (8), Purdue (174), Middle Tennessee (114), Winthrop (73) and Tennessee (6). They also played, but lost to Duke (1) and Texas (8).
In 2007, it all fell apart.
The Maui Classic was ok, beating Oklahoma (82) and Kentucky (8), but losing to Georgia Tech (47), but it went straight down hill from there.
Only two teams the Tigers beat are in the top 100 - Ole Miss (63) and Gonzaga (71). Losses came at Tennessee (15) and at Arizona (11).
Memphis tried to add a quality opponent in Manhattan, but the Jaspers suck this year with an RPI of 225, up from 87 in 2006.
The real problem is that C-USA went to a 16 game format in 2007 instead of playing 14 like they did in 2006. Memphis gave up two games against Top 100 type talent because they require seven "buy" games for economic reasons where they don't have to play a home and home series.
Memphis gave up Texas (2006-#8, 2007-#46), Purdue (2006-#174, 2007-#37) and Providence (2006-#108, 2007-#67) and only added Arizona (2006-#24, 2007-#11).
They also retained Tennessee (2006-#6, 2007-#15), Ole Miss (2006-#156, 2007-#63), Cincinnati (2006-#40, 2007-#163) and Gonzaga (2006-#8, 2007-#71).
While Tennessee and Arizona were strong RPI games and Ole Miss was vastly improved, Cincinnati and Gonzaga were much weaker.
In 2008, Memphis reportedly will play USC (60), Arizona (11), Tennessee (15), Ole Miss (63) and Gonzaga (71); but Memphis will require much help from C-USA to avoid this year's problem again.
Tigers #8 in Sagarin, #9 RPI, #10 Pomeroy
Sagarin
1) North Carolina
2) Florida
3) UCLA
4) Ohio State
5) Wisconsin
6) Texas A&M
7) Kansas
8) Memphis
9) Pittsburgh
10) Georgetown
RPI
1) UCLA
2) North Carolina
3) Ohio State
4) Pittsburgh
5) Wisconsin
6) Southern Illinois
7) Florida
8) Kentucky
9) Memphis
10) Duke
Pomeroy
1) North Carolina
2) Kansas
3) Texas A&M
4) Florida
5) Ohio State
6) UCLA
7) Wisconsin
8) Georgetown
9) Duke
10) Memphis
1) North Carolina
2) Florida
3) UCLA
4) Ohio State
5) Wisconsin
6) Texas A&M
7) Kansas
8) Memphis
9) Pittsburgh
10) Georgetown
RPI
1) UCLA
2) North Carolina
3) Ohio State
4) Pittsburgh
5) Wisconsin
6) Southern Illinois
7) Florida
8) Kentucky
9) Memphis
10) Duke
Pomeroy
1) North Carolina
2) Kansas
3) Texas A&M
4) Florida
5) Ohio State
6) UCLA
7) Wisconsin
8) Georgetown
9) Duke
10) Memphis
SI.com Says Memphis Failed to Make a Statement, Still an Unknown
Paper Tigers?
So Memphis escaped Spokane, Wash., with an overtime win over Gonzaga on Saturday, the Tigers' 15th straight. "It was probably the hardest place I've played since I've been at Memphis, but guys came up big," Tigers guard Antonio Anderson told the Memphis Commerical Appeal. "It just shows how tough we are as a team." Does it? The Zags, a team that may not make the NCAAs if they can't win the WCC tourney, were without second-leading scorer Josh Heytvelt and lost for the 10th time this season. "We needed that," Tigers coach John Calipari said. What Memphis needed to do was make a statement. It led by as many as 13 in the second half but got lackadaisical on defense and let Gonzaga back in the game. The Tigers are a No. 3 or No. 5 seed in most mock brackets, but what do we really know about them? They have an RPI of nine but their biggest win was a victory over a suddenly reeling Kentucky team in the Maui Invitational and they lost to Arizona, Georgia Tech and Tennessee. Maybe Memphis was just going through the motions after winning its last 10 C-USA games by an average of 20.4 points and didn't expect the fight that Gonzaga put up, but the Tigers failed to make a statement. Memphis may be 23-3 but there's still so much left unanswered and with a schedule that doesn't have a challenge left, we won't have our answers until the Big Dance.
So Memphis escaped Spokane, Wash., with an overtime win over Gonzaga on Saturday, the Tigers' 15th straight. "It was probably the hardest place I've played since I've been at Memphis, but guys came up big," Tigers guard Antonio Anderson told the Memphis Commerical Appeal. "It just shows how tough we are as a team." Does it? The Zags, a team that may not make the NCAAs if they can't win the WCC tourney, were without second-leading scorer Josh Heytvelt and lost for the 10th time this season. "We needed that," Tigers coach John Calipari said. What Memphis needed to do was make a statement. It led by as many as 13 in the second half but got lackadaisical on defense and let Gonzaga back in the game. The Tigers are a No. 3 or No. 5 seed in most mock brackets, but what do we really know about them? They have an RPI of nine but their biggest win was a victory over a suddenly reeling Kentucky team in the Maui Invitational and they lost to Arizona, Georgia Tech and Tennessee. Maybe Memphis was just going through the motions after winning its last 10 C-USA games by an average of 20.4 points and didn't expect the fight that Gonzaga put up, but the Tigers failed to make a statement. Memphis may be 23-3 but there's still so much left unanswered and with a schedule that doesn't have a challenge left, we won't have our answers until the Big Dance.
My Commentary on the Gonzaga Game
I have to admit that right after the game I was relieved to have walked out of Spokane with a win, but didn't feel to good about the last 10 minutes of regulation. Yesterday, I went back and watched the tape again and my attitude changed. Plus it allowed me to look at the game as whole not just focusing in on those "10 minutes".
So what did I see?
The first half was sloppy for both teams, but Memphis' defense was impressive. If Memphis had just been a bit more careful with the ball they could have enjoyed a 12 or 13 point lead at the break. Joey Dorsey was great. Robert Dozier was strong (unfortunately, Robert stopped playing at half time). Hunt and CDR had a few too many turnovers. While Hunt got burned a few times on the defensive side, I thought he was playing hard.
Coming out of the break was fantastic. Antonio Anderson probably played his best 7 to 8 minutes of the season (I didn't see the Tulsa game when he put up some nice numbers). Anderson had three very nice jumpers and I know he missed two later on in the half, but they were reasonable shots to take considering he had had the hot hand.
My disappoint came in the last ten minutes when no one acted like they wanted to step up and try to score. I do not think the Tigers recorded a single assist in the last 10 minutes. The game turned into a one on one match up and Gonzaga had plenty of time to react and shut down the lane forcing difficult shots. Where on earth was Robert Dozier? He had once nice play in the 2nd half when he flashed into the lane and hit a nice 15 footer from the free throw line. Other than that and I don't remember a single stand out thing he did on the offensive side.
I'm perplexed why Cal held Jeremy Hunt out so long in the 2nd half. Let's face it. The Tigers really only have two guys who can turn on the offense when needed - Hunt and CDR. Chris did a pretty good job all game, but when the defense knows he is the only guy it is easy to collapse on him forcing hard shots.
The last ten minutes showed Memphis' greatest weakness. When the defense isn't forcing turnovers (which by that point Gonzaga had finally figured out how to protect the ball) and no one is hitting from the outside (Anderson missed two long jumpers and CDR missed one from the corner) there is almost no offense.
The offense in the latter stages and in overtime came from Hunt's very gutsy 3 point shots, from a set play where Dorsey got the ball inside and made a nice shot over the defender and from CDR slashing to the basket.
Don't get me wrong. I am thrilled. Once again I promote Jeremy Hunt as a the MVP of this team. CDR is very close, but without those two 3 point baskets the Tigers lose by 6 ot 7 points in overtime.
I was pretty happy with the bench. Andre Allen was ok in spots. I still think he isn't particularly a smart player. For instance, why foul Raivio when he is driving to the basket? The guy is automatic from the line. I mean 96% is automatic. There is a much greater probability that he misses a field goal opportunity. Allen should know this and just try and force a difficult shot, but not foul him.
I believe Cal had stressed this with the team because Gonzaga was the 6th best free throw shooting team in the nation and Memphis made a point not to foul very much. Memphis committed 19 fouls in 45 minutes versus Gonzaga's 26 fouls.
Allen also just shoots too much. He was 1 for 6 from the floor. Ok, the 3 pointer he hit in the 1st half was nice, but he was wide open. That is when he should shoot. Don't you think that opposing coaches want him to drive the lane and throw up a prayer? Why not? He can't shoot anyway. He is 34.6% from the field for the year. Only Clyde Wade is worse on the team and he has only taken 3 shots. The defense should try and foul Allen. Defensively that is a great strategy. (He is 48.4% from the free throw line for the season).
Ok, as long as I'm on free throws. What is the deal with this team? Memphis has three major players shooting less than 50% from the line. That is crazy. (Dorsey 44.8%, Kemp 43.3%, and Allen)
Ok, enough of that. I was really happy with the defense. Gonzaga did shoot the ball pretty good - 48%, but the defense was solid; 8 blocks and 11 steals by the Tigers.
So, can Memphis win the next four and finish undefeated in conference play? UTEP is the big one. I'm not too worried about SMU on the road, but you never know. I am glad that the next two are at home, because I want the Tigers focused when they go on the road and I think two at home will allow them to absorb the Gonzaga win and not get to cocky.
So what did I see?
The first half was sloppy for both teams, but Memphis' defense was impressive. If Memphis had just been a bit more careful with the ball they could have enjoyed a 12 or 13 point lead at the break. Joey Dorsey was great. Robert Dozier was strong (unfortunately, Robert stopped playing at half time). Hunt and CDR had a few too many turnovers. While Hunt got burned a few times on the defensive side, I thought he was playing hard.
Coming out of the break was fantastic. Antonio Anderson probably played his best 7 to 8 minutes of the season (I didn't see the Tulsa game when he put up some nice numbers). Anderson had three very nice jumpers and I know he missed two later on in the half, but they were reasonable shots to take considering he had had the hot hand.
My disappoint came in the last ten minutes when no one acted like they wanted to step up and try to score. I do not think the Tigers recorded a single assist in the last 10 minutes. The game turned into a one on one match up and Gonzaga had plenty of time to react and shut down the lane forcing difficult shots. Where on earth was Robert Dozier? He had once nice play in the 2nd half when he flashed into the lane and hit a nice 15 footer from the free throw line. Other than that and I don't remember a single stand out thing he did on the offensive side.
I'm perplexed why Cal held Jeremy Hunt out so long in the 2nd half. Let's face it. The Tigers really only have two guys who can turn on the offense when needed - Hunt and CDR. Chris did a pretty good job all game, but when the defense knows he is the only guy it is easy to collapse on him forcing hard shots.
The last ten minutes showed Memphis' greatest weakness. When the defense isn't forcing turnovers (which by that point Gonzaga had finally figured out how to protect the ball) and no one is hitting from the outside (Anderson missed two long jumpers and CDR missed one from the corner) there is almost no offense.
The offense in the latter stages and in overtime came from Hunt's very gutsy 3 point shots, from a set play where Dorsey got the ball inside and made a nice shot over the defender and from CDR slashing to the basket.
Don't get me wrong. I am thrilled. Once again I promote Jeremy Hunt as a the MVP of this team. CDR is very close, but without those two 3 point baskets the Tigers lose by 6 ot 7 points in overtime.
I was pretty happy with the bench. Andre Allen was ok in spots. I still think he isn't particularly a smart player. For instance, why foul Raivio when he is driving to the basket? The guy is automatic from the line. I mean 96% is automatic. There is a much greater probability that he misses a field goal opportunity. Allen should know this and just try and force a difficult shot, but not foul him.
I believe Cal had stressed this with the team because Gonzaga was the 6th best free throw shooting team in the nation and Memphis made a point not to foul very much. Memphis committed 19 fouls in 45 minutes versus Gonzaga's 26 fouls.
Allen also just shoots too much. He was 1 for 6 from the floor. Ok, the 3 pointer he hit in the 1st half was nice, but he was wide open. That is when he should shoot. Don't you think that opposing coaches want him to drive the lane and throw up a prayer? Why not? He can't shoot anyway. He is 34.6% from the field for the year. Only Clyde Wade is worse on the team and he has only taken 3 shots. The defense should try and foul Allen. Defensively that is a great strategy. (He is 48.4% from the free throw line for the season).
Ok, as long as I'm on free throws. What is the deal with this team? Memphis has three major players shooting less than 50% from the line. That is crazy. (Dorsey 44.8%, Kemp 43.3%, and Allen)
Ok, enough of that. I was really happy with the defense. Gonzaga did shoot the ball pretty good - 48%, but the defense was solid; 8 blocks and 11 steals by the Tigers.
So, can Memphis win the next four and finish undefeated in conference play? UTEP is the big one. I'm not too worried about SMU on the road, but you never know. I am glad that the next two are at home, because I want the Tigers focused when they go on the road and I think two at home will allow them to absorb the Gonzaga win and not get to cocky.
Ha!, Take That Seth Davis......................
From SI.com's Seth Davis
No. 8 Memphis (22-3) at Gonzaga (18-9)
As I pointed out in my column in SI last week, Memphis is romping through Conference USA, winning all its games by an average of 16.1 points. This was supposed to be a rubber-hits-the-road game, but the Zags aren't at full strength because of the suspension of second-leading scorer Josh Heytvelt. Memphis is a very talented team that could improve its reputation and bolster its seed by winning in Spokane. But after seeing its 50-game home win streak broken by Santa Clara on Monday night, Gonzaga is now fighting for its NCAA tournament life. You all know how much I love to go with desperate teams playing at home. I also think the five extra days of practice will help Gonzaga compensate for having to play without Heytvelt.
Gonzaga 84, Memphis 80
No. 8 Memphis (22-3) at Gonzaga (18-9)
As I pointed out in my column in SI last week, Memphis is romping through Conference USA, winning all its games by an average of 16.1 points. This was supposed to be a rubber-hits-the-road game, but the Zags aren't at full strength because of the suspension of second-leading scorer Josh Heytvelt. Memphis is a very talented team that could improve its reputation and bolster its seed by winning in Spokane. But after seeing its 50-game home win streak broken by Santa Clara on Monday night, Gonzaga is now fighting for its NCAA tournament life. You all know how much I love to go with desperate teams playing at home. I also think the five extra days of practice will help Gonzaga compensate for having to play without Heytvelt.
Gonzaga 84, Memphis 80
Dreaming: A Top 5 Rank? A No. 1 Seed?
Dreaming: A top 5 rank? A No. 1 seed?
It's a longshot, but Tigers are in range
By Dan Wolken
February 19, 2007
The University of Memphis owns the nation's longest winning streak at 15 games. It has an RPI of 9, according to Ken Pomeroy's calculations. And with losses by Pittsburgh, Texas A&M and North Carolina last week, the No. 8-ranked Tigers will likely be only a breath away from the top-five in today's polls.
So you know what that means, don't you? Let the lobbying begin.
"I don't know if we're top-five but I think we're going to be (in the) top five," coach John Calipari said Saturday after Memphis' 78-77 overtime victory at Gonzaga. "Now that starts to put you in what range? No. 1 seed."
Though that notion seemed outlandish in December when Memphis came back from Arizona with an 8-3 record, could the Tigers possibly be in position for a second consecutive No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament?
Make no mistake, it's still a longshot. Memphis would have to win its four remaining regular-season games and the Conference USA Tournament, then get plenty of help from teams ranked higher.
But with the win at Spokane Arena, the Tigers went a long way to solidifying their status as at least a No. 3 seed, where ESPN's "Bracketologist" Joe Lunardi has had them for several weeks.
Should the Tigers creep up to a No. 1 or a No. 2, it would be a controversial choice in some circles, given their lack of competition so far in C-USA and their early season losses to Georgia Tech (in the Maui Invitational), at Tennessee and at Arizona. Memphis' best wins are over Kentucky and Gonzaga.
"It makes everybody mad, but what are you going to say?" Calipari said. "You start getting in that range (the top-five), and these guys, they deserve it. We've taken on all comers, and this was our third tough (road game). You go to Arizona early and Tennessee when they didn't know what they were early and here. These are hard games."
No matter where Memphis is ultimately seeded, the Tigers got an NCAA Tournament-style test Saturday, one that was sorely needed after a series of blowout wins in C-USA.
After traveling cross country, the Tigers went in front of a hostile crowd of 11,272 and made clutch plays in overtime to beat Gonzaga, which played with season-on-the-line intensity to erase a 13-point second-half deficit. Sophomore guard Chris Douglas-Roberts made a running layup despite getting fouled with five seconds left to lift Memphis to the victory.
"We knew they were going to play hard," sophomore Robert Dozier said. "They had just lost their last game, and we knew it was going to be a high intensity game. They played with us to the very end. Just a couple guys came in and knocked down shots in OT, and that made the difference."
Senior Jeremy Hunt, who shook off a poor shooting performance in regulation to make two huge 3-pointers in overtime, said pulling out a victory in that fashion will be a valuable experience to draw on down the road.
"We needed a team to fight like that, for it to come down to something like this," Hunt said. "You're not going to always win by a whole lot. There's going to be games like this, and you just want to be the one on the defensive end up by one. And that happened today and we came away with the victory.
"It was a big road win for us. They had a packed crowd, and we knew they were going to make runs, and we didn't stop fighting."
-- Dan Wolken: 529-2365
It's a longshot, but Tigers are in range
By Dan Wolken
February 19, 2007
The University of Memphis owns the nation's longest winning streak at 15 games. It has an RPI of 9, according to Ken Pomeroy's calculations. And with losses by Pittsburgh, Texas A&M and North Carolina last week, the No. 8-ranked Tigers will likely be only a breath away from the top-five in today's polls.
So you know what that means, don't you? Let the lobbying begin.
"I don't know if we're top-five but I think we're going to be (in the) top five," coach John Calipari said Saturday after Memphis' 78-77 overtime victory at Gonzaga. "Now that starts to put you in what range? No. 1 seed."
Though that notion seemed outlandish in December when Memphis came back from Arizona with an 8-3 record, could the Tigers possibly be in position for a second consecutive No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament?
Make no mistake, it's still a longshot. Memphis would have to win its four remaining regular-season games and the Conference USA Tournament, then get plenty of help from teams ranked higher.
But with the win at Spokane Arena, the Tigers went a long way to solidifying their status as at least a No. 3 seed, where ESPN's "Bracketologist" Joe Lunardi has had them for several weeks.
Should the Tigers creep up to a No. 1 or a No. 2, it would be a controversial choice in some circles, given their lack of competition so far in C-USA and their early season losses to Georgia Tech (in the Maui Invitational), at Tennessee and at Arizona. Memphis' best wins are over Kentucky and Gonzaga.
"It makes everybody mad, but what are you going to say?" Calipari said. "You start getting in that range (the top-five), and these guys, they deserve it. We've taken on all comers, and this was our third tough (road game). You go to Arizona early and Tennessee when they didn't know what they were early and here. These are hard games."
No matter where Memphis is ultimately seeded, the Tigers got an NCAA Tournament-style test Saturday, one that was sorely needed after a series of blowout wins in C-USA.
After traveling cross country, the Tigers went in front of a hostile crowd of 11,272 and made clutch plays in overtime to beat Gonzaga, which played with season-on-the-line intensity to erase a 13-point second-half deficit. Sophomore guard Chris Douglas-Roberts made a running layup despite getting fouled with five seconds left to lift Memphis to the victory.
"We knew they were going to play hard," sophomore Robert Dozier said. "They had just lost their last game, and we knew it was going to be a high intensity game. They played with us to the very end. Just a couple guys came in and knocked down shots in OT, and that made the difference."
Senior Jeremy Hunt, who shook off a poor shooting performance in regulation to make two huge 3-pointers in overtime, said pulling out a victory in that fashion will be a valuable experience to draw on down the road.
"We needed a team to fight like that, for it to come down to something like this," Hunt said. "You're not going to always win by a whole lot. There's going to be games like this, and you just want to be the one on the defensive end up by one. And that happened today and we came away with the victory.
"It was a big road win for us. They had a packed crowd, and we knew they were going to make runs, and we didn't stop fighting."
-- Dan Wolken: 529-2365
Commercial Appeal - #8 Tigers 78, Gonzaga 77 in OT
Douglas-Roberts scores winning bucket in OT
No. 8 Tigers 78, Gonzaga 77 (OT)
By Dan Wolken
February 18, 2007
SPOKANE, Wash. -- They flew four hours and played 40 minutes, and suddenly, the test they were waiting for, the challenge they had been asking for, was staring at the University of Memphis Tigers.
Their large second-half lead was gone. Their offense had sputtered through an agonizing 11 minutes. Their No. 8 national ranking, and their high NCAA Tournament seeding, was teetering on the edge of ridicule.
But in a thrilling overtime that could very well define Memphis' season, the Tigers got two 3-pointers from senior guard Jeremy Hunt and a game-winning jumper by sophomore Chris Douglas-Roberts with five seconds left for a 78-77 victory over Gonzaga.
And more than the victory, which pushed Memphis to 23-3 and perhaps into next week's top five, the Tigers made a remarkable discovery. After playing 25 games without even being pushed to the wire, the Tigers had to dig deeper than ever to overcome a Gonzaga team that played with tremendous grit in front of 11,272 fans at sold-out Spokane Arena.
"We needed that," Memphis coach John Calipari said. "I don't want to say we let them back in the game or whether they just fought back, it was one of the two. But whatever, we needed that. And we needed to find out who would make plays in these situations."
For a long while, this one had the potential to be as routine as many of Memphis' victories this season. The Tigers had gotten the better in a ragged first half, taking an eight-point lead that they expanded to 13 after back-to-back 3-pointers and a baseline jumper by sophomore guard Antonio Anderson, all within three minutes early in the second half.
But with its hopes of landing an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament potentially on the line, Gonzaga (18-10) chipped away at the lead, even with sophomore forward Josh Heytvelt out because of a suspension and senior forward Sean Mallon injured for most of the second half. As Memphis missed free throws (9-of-16 in the second half) and made just two field goals in the final 11 minutes, Gonzaga gathered momentum.
A 3-pointer by David Pendergraft got Gonzaga to 69-67 with 1:57 to go, and a jumper by Jeremy Pargo tied the score with 1:02 left. After a bad Memphis possession ending with a missed runner by Anderson, Gonzaga had the ball with 24 seconds left and a chance to win.
But in the Tigers' finest defensive sequence of the season, they didn't even allow Gonzaga to get a shot off, as Pargo dribbled out the clock without getting inside the 3-point arc.
"If you're going to have the ball in your hands like that, you've got to get a shot up on the rim," Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. "Or kick it to somebody else so they can get a shot up. You can't do what we did there."
As overtime neared, two sub-plots were playing out on the Memphis bench with two players who struggled for much of the afternoon. One involved Hunt, who didn't play down the stretch of regulation after going 0-for-4 from the field and committing three turnovers. The other involved Douglas-Roberts, who despite his 13 points had trouble finishing for much the game.
Despite missing the mark in regulation, Hunt didn't hesitate in overtime, swishing a transition, off-balance 3-pointer with 2:59 left to put Memphis ahead by two. Then, after Gonzaga had taken the lead back at 75-73 on two free throws by Derek Raivio (21 points), Hunt answered with another lead-grabbing 3-pointer from the opposite wing with 1:13 left.
"I was making some mental errors, wasn't really playing my game," Hunt said. "I wasn't stepping up and making easy plays. They told me, just keep my head up. There's going to be a big play. In overtime, my teammates found me, and the second shot, I just wanted to make a big play for my team so we could win."
After Joey Dorsey (15 points, 12 rebounds), missed two free throws with 47 seconds left, Abdullahi Kuso made two with 17 seconds left that put Gonzaga back on top by a point.
Calipari called for a clear-out on the right side to let Douglas-Roberts operate. After his first attempt was swatted out of bounds with nine seconds left, Douglas-Roberts used his second chance to bank in a running 9-footer from the baseline. Then, the Tigers survived Pargo's 25-foot attempt at a game-winner.
"It's a big step," Anderson said. "Coming way out here, the environment was crazy. It was probably the hardest place I've played since I've been at Memphis, but guys came up big. It just shows how tough we are as a team."
-- Dan Wolken: 529-2365
No. 8 Tigers 78, Gonzaga 77 (OT)
By Dan Wolken
February 18, 2007
SPOKANE, Wash. -- They flew four hours and played 40 minutes, and suddenly, the test they were waiting for, the challenge they had been asking for, was staring at the University of Memphis Tigers.
Their large second-half lead was gone. Their offense had sputtered through an agonizing 11 minutes. Their No. 8 national ranking, and their high NCAA Tournament seeding, was teetering on the edge of ridicule.
But in a thrilling overtime that could very well define Memphis' season, the Tigers got two 3-pointers from senior guard Jeremy Hunt and a game-winning jumper by sophomore Chris Douglas-Roberts with five seconds left for a 78-77 victory over Gonzaga.
And more than the victory, which pushed Memphis to 23-3 and perhaps into next week's top five, the Tigers made a remarkable discovery. After playing 25 games without even being pushed to the wire, the Tigers had to dig deeper than ever to overcome a Gonzaga team that played with tremendous grit in front of 11,272 fans at sold-out Spokane Arena.
"We needed that," Memphis coach John Calipari said. "I don't want to say we let them back in the game or whether they just fought back, it was one of the two. But whatever, we needed that. And we needed to find out who would make plays in these situations."
For a long while, this one had the potential to be as routine as many of Memphis' victories this season. The Tigers had gotten the better in a ragged first half, taking an eight-point lead that they expanded to 13 after back-to-back 3-pointers and a baseline jumper by sophomore guard Antonio Anderson, all within three minutes early in the second half.
But with its hopes of landing an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament potentially on the line, Gonzaga (18-10) chipped away at the lead, even with sophomore forward Josh Heytvelt out because of a suspension and senior forward Sean Mallon injured for most of the second half. As Memphis missed free throws (9-of-16 in the second half) and made just two field goals in the final 11 minutes, Gonzaga gathered momentum.
A 3-pointer by David Pendergraft got Gonzaga to 69-67 with 1:57 to go, and a jumper by Jeremy Pargo tied the score with 1:02 left. After a bad Memphis possession ending with a missed runner by Anderson, Gonzaga had the ball with 24 seconds left and a chance to win.
But in the Tigers' finest defensive sequence of the season, they didn't even allow Gonzaga to get a shot off, as Pargo dribbled out the clock without getting inside the 3-point arc.
"If you're going to have the ball in your hands like that, you've got to get a shot up on the rim," Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. "Or kick it to somebody else so they can get a shot up. You can't do what we did there."
As overtime neared, two sub-plots were playing out on the Memphis bench with two players who struggled for much of the afternoon. One involved Hunt, who didn't play down the stretch of regulation after going 0-for-4 from the field and committing three turnovers. The other involved Douglas-Roberts, who despite his 13 points had trouble finishing for much the game.
Despite missing the mark in regulation, Hunt didn't hesitate in overtime, swishing a transition, off-balance 3-pointer with 2:59 left to put Memphis ahead by two. Then, after Gonzaga had taken the lead back at 75-73 on two free throws by Derek Raivio (21 points), Hunt answered with another lead-grabbing 3-pointer from the opposite wing with 1:13 left.
"I was making some mental errors, wasn't really playing my game," Hunt said. "I wasn't stepping up and making easy plays. They told me, just keep my head up. There's going to be a big play. In overtime, my teammates found me, and the second shot, I just wanted to make a big play for my team so we could win."
After Joey Dorsey (15 points, 12 rebounds), missed two free throws with 47 seconds left, Abdullahi Kuso made two with 17 seconds left that put Gonzaga back on top by a point.
Calipari called for a clear-out on the right side to let Douglas-Roberts operate. After his first attempt was swatted out of bounds with nine seconds left, Douglas-Roberts used his second chance to bank in a running 9-footer from the baseline. Then, the Tigers survived Pargo's 25-foot attempt at a game-winner.
"It's a big step," Anderson said. "Coming way out here, the environment was crazy. It was probably the hardest place I've played since I've been at Memphis, but guys came up big. It just shows how tough we are as a team."
-- Dan Wolken: 529-2365
AP Story on Tiger's Victory at Gonzaga
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) -Nonconference didn't mean unimportant to Memphis coach John Calipari. For the Tigers, winning at Gonzaga was huge.
Chris Douglas-Roberts provided the game-winning play, slashing across the key to hit a one-handed layup with 5.6 seconds remaining in overtime as No. 8 Memphis edged Gonzaga 78-77 on Saturday for its 15th straight victory.
''We needed that win. We needed to find out who could make plays in these situations,'' Calipari said.
Calipari's one regret was that the Tigers eased up a bit defensively in the second half, allowing Gonzaga to climb back into the game in the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena, about a half mile from the Kennel on the Zag's campus.
''Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I was holding onto the seat saying 'let's get out of here if we can,''' Calipari said. ''I thought our best opportunity was to play them without fouling; don't take as many chances, guard them in the half-court.''
The Tigers (23-3) led 76-75 on Jeremy Hunt 's 3, but Hunt fouled Abdullahi Kuso with 17.6 seconds left and Kuso sank both to put Gonzaga up 77-76.
Gonzaga's Jeremy Pargo hit a jumper with a minute remaining in regulation to tie it at 69-69 after the Bulldogs trailed most of the way. Pargo's desperation shot missed from 25 feet as the overtime clock expired.
Joey Dorsey led the Tigers with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Robert Dozier had 14 and Hunt and Antonio Anderson each had 12 for Memphis.
''This felt like an NCAA game,'' Dorsey said after collecting five blocks and assuring his teammates he would provide the defense.
''I told them to let their guys drive to the basket and I would block their shot,'' he said. ''So, they depended on me to block their shots.''
Gonzaga's Derek Raivio led all scorers with 21 points. Pargo had 17 and David Pendergraft had 11 for Gonzaga (18-10).
The Bulldogs lost their second straight game without second-leading scorer and top rebounder Josh Heytvelt , who was indefinitely suspended after his arrest on drug possession charges with redshirt freshman Theo Davis on Feb. 9.
Heytvelt, a 6-foot-11 sophomore center, had averaged 15.5 points and 7.7 rebounds per game.
Memphis forced 18 turnovers with its pressing defense, resulting in 15 points off turnovers, and Douglas-Roberts finished with 13 points.
Anderson scored eight of the Tigers' first 10 points after the half, as Memphis took a 49-40 lead. The Bulldogs relied on 3s to claw back down the stretch to trail 69-67 with 1:46 remaining.
Gonzaga stayed with the Tigers for most of the first half, trailing by 30-29 after Pargo scored with 3:02 remaining. Douglas-Roberts responded with a jumper to go up 32-29 as the Tigers went on a 9-2 scoring run.
Gonzaga coach Mark Few was awed by the fleet Tigers.
''By far and away they were the most athletic team we have faced this year,'' he said.
Gonzaga turned the ball over 15 times in the first half, but tightened in the second, losing only three.
''We shored that up. We did a good job of taking care of the ball in the second half,'' Few said. ''We did a few different things. We mostly just got a tougher mind-set.''
Conference USA-leading Memphis hit 43 percent from the field, while Gonzaga connected on 48 percent. But the Tigers hit 17-of-27 free throws, while the Bulldogs, with four players in foul trouble, made 7-of-10.
Gonzaga, which has lost 10 games for the first time since the 1997-98 season, has lost two in a row. It fell out of first place in the West Coast Conference with a home loss Monday to Santa Clara to fall to 8-3 in conference.
It was the first back-to-back loss by Gonzaga in Spokane since Santa Clara and Saint Mary's defeated the Bulldogs in January 1995.
Chris Douglas-Roberts provided the game-winning play, slashing across the key to hit a one-handed layup with 5.6 seconds remaining in overtime as No. 8 Memphis edged Gonzaga 78-77 on Saturday for its 15th straight victory.
''We needed that win. We needed to find out who could make plays in these situations,'' Calipari said.
Calipari's one regret was that the Tigers eased up a bit defensively in the second half, allowing Gonzaga to climb back into the game in the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena, about a half mile from the Kennel on the Zag's campus.
''Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I was holding onto the seat saying 'let's get out of here if we can,''' Calipari said. ''I thought our best opportunity was to play them without fouling; don't take as many chances, guard them in the half-court.''
The Tigers (23-3) led 76-75 on Jeremy Hunt 's 3, but Hunt fouled Abdullahi Kuso with 17.6 seconds left and Kuso sank both to put Gonzaga up 77-76.
Gonzaga's Jeremy Pargo hit a jumper with a minute remaining in regulation to tie it at 69-69 after the Bulldogs trailed most of the way. Pargo's desperation shot missed from 25 feet as the overtime clock expired.
Joey Dorsey led the Tigers with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Robert Dozier had 14 and Hunt and Antonio Anderson each had 12 for Memphis.
''This felt like an NCAA game,'' Dorsey said after collecting five blocks and assuring his teammates he would provide the defense.
''I told them to let their guys drive to the basket and I would block their shot,'' he said. ''So, they depended on me to block their shots.''
Gonzaga's Derek Raivio led all scorers with 21 points. Pargo had 17 and David Pendergraft had 11 for Gonzaga (18-10).
The Bulldogs lost their second straight game without second-leading scorer and top rebounder Josh Heytvelt , who was indefinitely suspended after his arrest on drug possession charges with redshirt freshman Theo Davis on Feb. 9.
Heytvelt, a 6-foot-11 sophomore center, had averaged 15.5 points and 7.7 rebounds per game.
Memphis forced 18 turnovers with its pressing defense, resulting in 15 points off turnovers, and Douglas-Roberts finished with 13 points.
Anderson scored eight of the Tigers' first 10 points after the half, as Memphis took a 49-40 lead. The Bulldogs relied on 3s to claw back down the stretch to trail 69-67 with 1:46 remaining.
Gonzaga stayed with the Tigers for most of the first half, trailing by 30-29 after Pargo scored with 3:02 remaining. Douglas-Roberts responded with a jumper to go up 32-29 as the Tigers went on a 9-2 scoring run.
Gonzaga coach Mark Few was awed by the fleet Tigers.
''By far and away they were the most athletic team we have faced this year,'' he said.
Gonzaga turned the ball over 15 times in the first half, but tightened in the second, losing only three.
''We shored that up. We did a good job of taking care of the ball in the second half,'' Few said. ''We did a few different things. We mostly just got a tougher mind-set.''
Conference USA-leading Memphis hit 43 percent from the field, while Gonzaga connected on 48 percent. But the Tigers hit 17-of-27 free throws, while the Bulldogs, with four players in foul trouble, made 7-of-10.
Gonzaga, which has lost 10 games for the first time since the 1997-98 season, has lost two in a row. It fell out of first place in the West Coast Conference with a home loss Monday to Santa Clara to fall to 8-3 in conference.
It was the first back-to-back loss by Gonzaga in Spokane since Santa Clara and Saint Mary's defeated the Bulldogs in January 1995.
Official Box Score - Memphis 78, Gonzaga 77
Official Basketball Box Score -- GAME TOTALS -- FINAL STATISTICS
MEMPHIS TIGERS vs GONZAGA BULLDOGS
02/17/07 3 p.m. at SPOKANE ARENA - SPOKANE, WA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VISITORS: MEMPHIS TIGERS 23-3
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
02 Dozier, Robert...... f 4-8 1-2 5-9 2 3 5 3 14 2 3 2 0 32
32 Dorsey, Joey........ f 6-9 0-1 3-6 5 7 12 2 15 0 1 5 2 40
01 Kemp, Willie........ g 0-3 0-2 0-0 1 0 1 1 0 3 1 0 0 18
12 Anderson, Antonio... g 5-11 2-5 0-0 0 2 2 1 12 2 1 0 2 36
14 DOUGLAS-ROBERTS, C.. g 6-15 0-3 1-4 0 2 2 3 13 2 3 0 2 37
03 Willis, Tre'Von..... 0-0 0-0 1-2 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 1
05 Hunt, Jeremy........ 2-6 2-5 6-6 1 1 2 4 12 0 3 1 2 19
15 Allen, Andre........ 1-6 1-3 2-4 1 3 4 4 5 3 1 0 2 30
20 Mack, Doneal........ 2-3 2-2 0-0 0 0 0 1 6 1 0 0 1 7
42 Cooper, Kareem...... 0-0 0-0 0-1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 5
TEAM................ 3 4 7 1
Totals.............. 26-61 8-23 18-32 14 23 37 19 78 14 15 8 11 225
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 14-28 50.0% 2nd Half: 9-25 36.0% OT: 3-8 37.5% Game: 42.6% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 3-10 30.0% 2nd Half: 3-9 33.3% OT: 2-4 50.0% Game: 34.8% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 8-11 72.7% 2nd Half: 9-16 56.3% OT: 1-5 20.0% Game: 56.3% 6
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOME TEAM: GONZAGA BULLDOGS 18-10
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
31 KUSO, Abdullahi..... f 3-3 0-0 3-6 5 3 8 5 9 0 3 1 1 31
32 MALLON, Sean........ f 1-3 0-1 2-3 1 3 4 2 4 0 1 0 0 19
02 PARGO, Jeremy....... g 6-16 2-3 3-4 0 9 9 3 17 5 3 0 1 45
05 RAIVIO, Derek....... g 8-16 1-1 4-4 0 1 1 3 21 4 1 0 0 45
15 BOULDIN, Matt....... g 3-8 0-2 2-2 0 0 0 5 8 3 4 0 0 27
04 ALTIDOR-CESPEDES, P. 0-1 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 3
22 DOWNS, Micah........ 3-6 1-2 0-0 1 4 5 4 7 0 1 1 0 25
25 PENDERGRAFT, David.. 4-5 2-2 1-2 0 4 4 4 11 1 2 0 0 29
33 BURGESS, David...... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
TEAM................ 2 4 6 2
Totals.............. 28-58 6-12 15-21 9 28 37 26 77 13 18 2 2 225
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 13-24 54.2% 2nd Half: 13-27 48.1% OT: 2-7 28.6% Game: 48.3% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 2-6 33.3% 2nd Half: 4-5 80.0% OT: 0-1 0.0% Game: 50.0% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 3-6 50.0% 2nd Half: 8-11 72.7% OT: 4-4 100 % Game: 71.4% 4,1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Officials: Tom O'Neill, Dan Chrisman, David Maracich
Technical fouls: MEMPHIS TIGERS-None. GONZAGA BULLDOGS-None.
Attendance: 11272
Score by Periods 1st 2nd OT Total
MEMPHIS TIGERS................ 39 30 9 - 78
GONZAGA BULLDOGS.............. 31 38 8 - 77
Points in the paint-MEM 35,GON 28. Points off turnovers-MEM 19,GON 15.
2nd chance points-MEM 7,GON 8. Fast break points-MEM 13,GON 6.
Bench points-MEM 24,GON 18. Score tied-5 times. Lead changed-10 times.
Last FG-MEM OT-00:05, GON OT-02:27.
Largest lead-MEM by 13 2nd-14:06, GON by 3 1st-17:50.
MEMPHIS TIGERS vs GONZAGA BULLDOGS
02/17/07 3 p.m. at SPOKANE ARENA - SPOKANE, WA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VISITORS: MEMPHIS TIGERS 23-3
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
02 Dozier, Robert...... f 4-8 1-2 5-9 2 3 5 3 14 2 3 2 0 32
32 Dorsey, Joey........ f 6-9 0-1 3-6 5 7 12 2 15 0 1 5 2 40
01 Kemp, Willie........ g 0-3 0-2 0-0 1 0 1 1 0 3 1 0 0 18
12 Anderson, Antonio... g 5-11 2-5 0-0 0 2 2 1 12 2 1 0 2 36
14 DOUGLAS-ROBERTS, C.. g 6-15 0-3 1-4 0 2 2 3 13 2 3 0 2 37
03 Willis, Tre'Von..... 0-0 0-0 1-2 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 1
05 Hunt, Jeremy........ 2-6 2-5 6-6 1 1 2 4 12 0 3 1 2 19
15 Allen, Andre........ 1-6 1-3 2-4 1 3 4 4 5 3 1 0 2 30
20 Mack, Doneal........ 2-3 2-2 0-0 0 0 0 1 6 1 0 0 1 7
42 Cooper, Kareem...... 0-0 0-0 0-1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 5
TEAM................ 3 4 7 1
Totals.............. 26-61 8-23 18-32 14 23 37 19 78 14 15 8 11 225
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 14-28 50.0% 2nd Half: 9-25 36.0% OT: 3-8 37.5% Game: 42.6% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 3-10 30.0% 2nd Half: 3-9 33.3% OT: 2-4 50.0% Game: 34.8% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 8-11 72.7% 2nd Half: 9-16 56.3% OT: 1-5 20.0% Game: 56.3% 6
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOME TEAM: GONZAGA BULLDOGS 18-10
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
31 KUSO, Abdullahi..... f 3-3 0-0 3-6 5 3 8 5 9 0 3 1 1 31
32 MALLON, Sean........ f 1-3 0-1 2-3 1 3 4 2 4 0 1 0 0 19
02 PARGO, Jeremy....... g 6-16 2-3 3-4 0 9 9 3 17 5 3 0 1 45
05 RAIVIO, Derek....... g 8-16 1-1 4-4 0 1 1 3 21 4 1 0 0 45
15 BOULDIN, Matt....... g 3-8 0-2 2-2 0 0 0 5 8 3 4 0 0 27
04 ALTIDOR-CESPEDES, P. 0-1 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 3
22 DOWNS, Micah........ 3-6 1-2 0-0 1 4 5 4 7 0 1 1 0 25
25 PENDERGRAFT, David.. 4-5 2-2 1-2 0 4 4 4 11 1 2 0 0 29
33 BURGESS, David...... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
TEAM................ 2 4 6 2
Totals.............. 28-58 6-12 15-21 9 28 37 26 77 13 18 2 2 225
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 13-24 54.2% 2nd Half: 13-27 48.1% OT: 2-7 28.6% Game: 48.3% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 2-6 33.3% 2nd Half: 4-5 80.0% OT: 0-1 0.0% Game: 50.0% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 3-6 50.0% 2nd Half: 8-11 72.7% OT: 4-4 100 % Game: 71.4% 4,1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Officials: Tom O'Neill, Dan Chrisman, David Maracich
Technical fouls: MEMPHIS TIGERS-None. GONZAGA BULLDOGS-None.
Attendance: 11272
Score by Periods 1st 2nd OT Total
MEMPHIS TIGERS................ 39 30 9 - 78
GONZAGA BULLDOGS.............. 31 38 8 - 77
Points in the paint-MEM 35,GON 28. Points off turnovers-MEM 19,GON 15.
2nd chance points-MEM 7,GON 8. Fast break points-MEM 13,GON 6.
Bench points-MEM 24,GON 18. Score tied-5 times. Lead changed-10 times.
Last FG-MEM OT-00:05, GON OT-02:27.
Largest lead-MEM by 13 2nd-14:06, GON by 3 1st-17:50.
CDR's Layup Lifts #8 Memphis Over Gonzaga in OT
Last Second Shot Lifts No. 8 Memphis Over Gonzaga In Overtime
Joey Dorsey scores 15 points and grabs 12 rebounds to lead the Tigers in 78-77 win.
Feb. 17, 2007
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) -Nonconference didn't mean unimportant to Memphis coach John Calipari. For the Tigers, winning at Gonzaga was huge.
Chris Douglas-Roberts provided the game-winning play, slashing across the key to hit a one-handed layup with 5.6 seconds remaining in overtime as No. 8 Memphis edged Gonzaga 78-77 on Saturday for its 15th straight victory.
"We needed that win. We needed to find out who could make plays in these situations," Calipari said.
Calipari's one regret was that the Tigers eased up a bit defensively in the second half, allowing Gonzaga to climb back into the game in the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena, about a half mile from the Kennel on the Zag's campus.
"Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I was holding onto the seat saying 'let's get out of here if we can,"' Calipari said. "I thought our best opportunity was to play them without fouling; don't take as many chances, guard them in the half-court."
The Tigers (23-3) led 76-75 on Jeremy Hunt's 3, but Hunt fouled Abdullahi Kuso with 17.6 seconds left and Kuso sank both to put Gonzaga up 77-76.
Gonzaga's Jeremy Pargo hit a jumper with a minute remaining in regulation to tie it at 69-69 after the Bulldogs trailed most of the way. Pargo's desperation shot missed from 25 feet as the overtime clock expired.
Joey Dorsey led the Tigers with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Robert Dozier had 14 and Hunt and Antonio Anderson each had 12 for Memphis.
"This felt like an NCAA game," Dorsey said after collecting five blocks and assuring his teammates he would provide the defense.
"I told them to let their guys drive to the basket and I would block their shot," he said. "So, they depended on me to block their shots."
Gonzaga's Derek Raivio led all scorers with 21 points. Pargo had 17 and David Pendergraft had 11 for Gonzaga (18-10).
The Bulldogs lost their second straight game without second-leading scorer and top rebounder Josh Heytvelt, who was indefinitely suspended after his arrest on drug possession charges with redshirt freshman Theo Davis on Feb. 9.
Heytvelt, a 6-foot-11 sophomore center, had averaged 15.5 points and 7.7 rebounds per game.
Memphis forced 18 turnovers with its pressing defense, resulting in 15 points off turnovers, and Douglas-Roberts finished with 13 points.
Anderson scored eight of the Tigers' first 10 points after the half, as Memphis took a 49-40 lead. The Bulldogs relied on 3s to claw back down the stretch to trail 69-67 with 1:46 remaining.
Gonzaga stayed with the Tigers for most of the first half, trailing by 30-29 after Pargo scored with 3:02 remaining. Douglas-Roberts responded with a jumper to go up 32-29 as the Tigers went on a 9-2 scoring run.
Gonzaga coach Mark Few was awed by the fleet Tigers.
"By far and away they were the most athletic team we have faced this year," he said.
Gonzaga turned the ball over 15 times in the first half, but tightened in the second, losing only three.
"We shored that up. We did a good job of taking care of the ball in the second half," Few said. "We did a few different things. We mostly just got a tougher mind-set."
Conference USA-leading Memphis hit 43 percent from the field, while Gonzaga connected on 48 percent. But the Tigers hit 17-of-27 free throws, while the Bulldogs, with four players in foul trouble, made 7-of-10.
Gonzaga, which has lost 10 games for the first time since the 1997-98 season, has lost two in a row. It fell out of first place in the West Coast Conference with a home loss Monday to Santa Clara to fall to 8-3 in conference.
It was the first back-to-back loss by Gonzaga in Spokane since Santa Clara and Saint Mary's defeated the Bulldogs in January 1995.
Joey Dorsey scores 15 points and grabs 12 rebounds to lead the Tigers in 78-77 win.
Feb. 17, 2007
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) -Nonconference didn't mean unimportant to Memphis coach John Calipari. For the Tigers, winning at Gonzaga was huge.
Chris Douglas-Roberts provided the game-winning play, slashing across the key to hit a one-handed layup with 5.6 seconds remaining in overtime as No. 8 Memphis edged Gonzaga 78-77 on Saturday for its 15th straight victory.
"We needed that win. We needed to find out who could make plays in these situations," Calipari said.
Calipari's one regret was that the Tigers eased up a bit defensively in the second half, allowing Gonzaga to climb back into the game in the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena, about a half mile from the Kennel on the Zag's campus.
"Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I was holding onto the seat saying 'let's get out of here if we can,"' Calipari said. "I thought our best opportunity was to play them without fouling; don't take as many chances, guard them in the half-court."
The Tigers (23-3) led 76-75 on Jeremy Hunt's 3, but Hunt fouled Abdullahi Kuso with 17.6 seconds left and Kuso sank both to put Gonzaga up 77-76.
Gonzaga's Jeremy Pargo hit a jumper with a minute remaining in regulation to tie it at 69-69 after the Bulldogs trailed most of the way. Pargo's desperation shot missed from 25 feet as the overtime clock expired.
Joey Dorsey led the Tigers with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Robert Dozier had 14 and Hunt and Antonio Anderson each had 12 for Memphis.
"This felt like an NCAA game," Dorsey said after collecting five blocks and assuring his teammates he would provide the defense.
"I told them to let their guys drive to the basket and I would block their shot," he said. "So, they depended on me to block their shots."
Gonzaga's Derek Raivio led all scorers with 21 points. Pargo had 17 and David Pendergraft had 11 for Gonzaga (18-10).
The Bulldogs lost their second straight game without second-leading scorer and top rebounder Josh Heytvelt, who was indefinitely suspended after his arrest on drug possession charges with redshirt freshman Theo Davis on Feb. 9.
Heytvelt, a 6-foot-11 sophomore center, had averaged 15.5 points and 7.7 rebounds per game.
Memphis forced 18 turnovers with its pressing defense, resulting in 15 points off turnovers, and Douglas-Roberts finished with 13 points.
Anderson scored eight of the Tigers' first 10 points after the half, as Memphis took a 49-40 lead. The Bulldogs relied on 3s to claw back down the stretch to trail 69-67 with 1:46 remaining.
Gonzaga stayed with the Tigers for most of the first half, trailing by 30-29 after Pargo scored with 3:02 remaining. Douglas-Roberts responded with a jumper to go up 32-29 as the Tigers went on a 9-2 scoring run.
Gonzaga coach Mark Few was awed by the fleet Tigers.
"By far and away they were the most athletic team we have faced this year," he said.
Gonzaga turned the ball over 15 times in the first half, but tightened in the second, losing only three.
"We shored that up. We did a good job of taking care of the ball in the second half," Few said. "We did a few different things. We mostly just got a tougher mind-set."
Conference USA-leading Memphis hit 43 percent from the field, while Gonzaga connected on 48 percent. But the Tigers hit 17-of-27 free throws, while the Bulldogs, with four players in foul trouble, made 7-of-10.
Gonzaga, which has lost 10 games for the first time since the 1997-98 season, has lost two in a row. It fell out of first place in the West Coast Conference with a home loss Monday to Santa Clara to fall to 8-3 in conference.
It was the first back-to-back loss by Gonzaga in Spokane since Santa Clara and Saint Mary's defeated the Bulldogs in January 1995.
Streets Ministry Founder Ken Bennett and His Relationship With Tiger Basketball
A guiding hand for Tigers
Streets Ministries founder's mission grows from van to Tiger locker room
By Jim Masilak
February 16, 2007
The seats aren't actually seats, per se.
They don't show up on any FedExForum floor plans or price charts, and there's a good reason why: The handful of chairs set up behind the University of Memphis' bench for Tiger home games aren't for sale -- not even to the high-dollar donors who sit immediately behind them.
Sometimes, upon taking his place in one of these makeshift seats, Ken Bennett experiences a slight sense of unease.
A man known to those in the community he serves as "Father Ken" or "Rev. Ken" -- the founder of Streets Ministries in the Foote and Cleaborn Homes communities is not actually an ordained minister -- Bennett occasionally worries about the public perception of his privileged place within the Tigers' basketball program.
A longtime mentor and father figure to former Memphis star Antonio Burks and current point guard Andre Allen, both of whom went to the UofM on Streets-funded scholarships, Bennett has served as the basketball team's chaplain since 2004 -- hence the primo seats -- and has also developed a close friendship with coach John Calipari.
But as a man who has spent the past 20 years ministering to at-risk youth in south Memphis through Streets, the Christian outreach program he founded out of a van, Bennett can't help but wonder what the people who pay for their seats might be thinking.
Then he recalls some of the trials and tribulations of the past six years -- the late-night phone calls from Calipari following yet another falling out with Burks, Cadillac-gate, Allen's arrest on solicitation charges -- and flashes a wry smile.
"There are people in the greater Memphis community who probably think I (get) something behind this," Bennett said. "I'm the chaplain and I get a front-row seat, but I don't get anything behind it. What I get behind it, believe me, the tradeoff isn't worth it."
Humble beginnings
It wasn't the first time Ken Bennett found himself in the back of a squad car, and it wouldn't be the last.
Back in 1987, when Bennett was just beginning to lay the groundwork for Streets, he and the van in which he launched the ministry made for a conspicuous pair as far as the Memphis Police Dept. was concerned.
"As a white brother down here, they assumed I was buying or selling drugs," said Bennett, a 49-year-old father of three and lifelong Memphian. "I'd say I was doing Bible studies and they'd say, 'Sure.'''
It wasn't long, though, before Bennett had established himself in the largely African-American neighborhood, one of the poorest in the city. A place where, as Bennett says, "there's a lot of gunfire, a lot of kids living on the edge."
A graduate of Messick High and the UofM, Bennett began coaching basketball at Presbyterian Day School (PDS) while he was still in college.
He later spent three years as athletic director at PDS before enrolling in graduate school at the UofM, where he became involved with Young Life and "realized I wanted to do ministry work full-time."
For starters, Bennett spent a year working at the St. Patrick's Center at 4th and Linden. "That," he said, "is how I got to know the neighborhood" where Streets would be hatched.
After striking out on his own, Bennett quickly outgrew the van and moved Streets into the Mt. Olive Cathedral CME Church for a time. Bennett, however, "felt like we needed to plant a flag."
Eventually, thanks to contributions from churches, foundations and individuals -- including former Saks Inc. chairman R. Brad Martin -- Bennett bought an old turntable factory at 769 Vance.
Streets was finally off the streets.
As the operation grew, with kids from Georgia Ave. Elementary, Vance Middle and Booker T. Washington High flocking there to take part in its after-school programs, Streets annexed a nearby body shop and park to accommodate its growth.
The ministry grew from its modest beginnings into an operation with 10 full-time and six part-time staffers, about 80 volunteers and an $864,000 budget. (It was $20,000 in '87).
In June, Streets took its biggest step yet when it opened the Streets Center, a $4.1-million, 34,500-square foot outreach and recreation facility at 430 Vance. The building was paid for in full thanks to a capital campaign that included a $2 million gift from two unnamed donors.
Every afternoon, some 250-300 kids pack the place to study, exercise and, er, play video games.
"We want our kids to be kids," Bennett said. "Our kids usually don't have the opportunity to be kids."
The facility features a 1,000-seat gymnasium in which Crichton College plays its home basketball games and an education wing featuring a 14-station computer lab, among other amenities.
"Sometimes an organization gets big and they forget what they're all about," said Dr. R. Neal Aguillard, a volunteer at Streets since the early 1990s and a former board member. "They've never deviated from their central mission."
Helping kids, whether they can play basketball or not, is what it aims to do best.
Bennett said Streets provides between $20,000 and $30,000 in college scholarships for 20 or more BTW graduates each year.
While Allen and Burks are Streets' most high-profile scholarship recipients, they are hardly the most handsomely rewarded: Streets paid for one female student to attend Alabama State despite the expensive out-of-state tuition. She graduated and went on to earn a master's degree.
"Ken's been doing this long before I came along. He's helped many more people than me and Andre," Burks said via telephone from Serbia, where he's playing professional basketball for Red Star Belgrade. "We're just two people who made it to a bigger scene."
Calipari initially declined to offer either Burks or Allen one of the team's athletic scholarships. Because neither player met the NCAA's academic standards upon arrival at Memphis, they couldn't have accepted one anyway.
That's when Bennett stepped in.
If Calipari would agree to put the players on the team, Streets would cover whatever costs their need-based financial aid didn't.
In the case of first Burks and now Allen, that amounts to about $700 per semester.
Still, without his Streets scholarship, Allen doubts he'd be playing basketball at his hometown school now.
"I don't think so," said Allen, a junior point guard for the No. 8-ranked Tigers (22-3). "I think I would have ended up at Houston."
Bennett, meanwhile, said the value in supporting Burks and Allen is immeasurable in terms of what it means to the kids in their community.
"If Antonio gets a degree, we knew the impact here would be significant," said Bennett, adding that Burks must pass just three more classes to graduate. "But we would have helped Antonio had he not played ball."
John Wilfong, a former UofM basketball player whose involvement with Streets as both a donor and board member dates to the late 1980s, said Streets' track record proves as much.
"Two hundred kids come through that (Streets) building every day. Multiply that by 20 years," Wilfong said. "Only two of them ended up playing basketball at the UofM."
Controversial moments
Bennett makes no apologies for giving kids in his program -- including Burks and Allen -- a little spending money every once in a while.
"I do that for all the kids in the neighborhood," Bennett said. "Every kid needs a folded up bill in his pocket."
Bennett realizes as much each time the Grizzlies or Tigers donate game tickets to Streets.
What good is a ticket, he reckons, if the kid can't afford to buy a drink and a hot dog?
Burks, however, says Bennett's generosity isn't limited to those who can play basketball at a high level.
"He helps a lot of people -- helps them get books for college, helps people pay their light bills. Just the small things," Burks said. "He still wants to take me out to get groceries. I say, 'I can get it now, Ken. Let me take care of it.'"
Bennett's relationship with Burks and Allen was honed through his long-standing involvement with BTW's basketball program.
Eager to bring his ministry to the community, and because of his enthusiasm for basketball, Bennett asked Warriors coach Fred Horton how he might be able to help. Bennett spent the next 15 years compiling stats and assisting in preseason conditioning drills.
In the process, he strengthened relationships with kids he had already been mentoring down the road at Streets.
Because Bennett had established relationships with Burks and Allen that predated their athletic careers, they can receive gifts, meals and other things from Bennett that might otherwise be considered an extra benefit and a breach of NCAA rules.
That includes their scholarships.
But that doesn't mean there hasn't been a controversial moment or two along the way.
One day in the spring of 2002, Bennett received a phone call from then-Memphis assistant Steve Roccaforte.
Burks, it transpired, was driving around in a Cadillac he didn't own.
"I said, 'I know. I sat on the hood,'" Bennett recalled. "I asked Antonio, 'Where did you get the car?' He said, 'It's a rental car.'"
It turned out Burks' Grand Marquis was in the shop, and he had somehow obtained a rental car from Avis without providing a credit card and despite being just 22 at the time, three years below the minimum rental age.
Bennett, who denies having provided Burks with the Cadillac, ended up paying the bill to prevent Burks from losing his eligibility.
"The NCAA said, 'You can pay (the bill), so I paid it.' But it looked like I went out and rented him a stupid car," Bennett said. "People are gonna believe what they're gonna believe. People who don't like Cal or Ken Bennett are gonna think I rented him a Cadillac because I was looking for a payoff. I didn't sleep for two days thinking people might feel ill toward me."
Allen, who received his mentor's support following his 2005 arrest on charges of patronizing prostitution, said Bennett retains trust by never asking for anything in return.
"Even when you make mistakes and do something wrong, he's in your corner no matter what. He understands people make mistakes," Allen said. "Streets did a lot for me. It was like my second home. Ken just wants to see you be successful in life. He doesn't ask for nothing."
'Little corner of the world'
During four frantic days last April, Bennett ministered to someone outside his usual demographic: a white millionaire.
Torn over whether to accept an offer from North Carolina State or remain at Memphis, Calipari called upon Bennett.
"We'd be walking around Galloway golf course at midnight, just talking," Calipari said. "With Ken, you know he's going to look at what's best for you."
Bennett and Calipari, and their respective families, have grown close over the years.
"Being around him makes you feel like you're not worthy, like you're not doing anything," Calipari said. "I've seen the impact on two players. Where would they be without Streets? They had to have something in them that drove them to the right door. Ken made sure it was the right door."
Calipari's trust in Bennett is a big reason Burks lasted long enough to win Conference USA Player of the Year honors in 2004, for coach and player often butted heads.
"I probably had three midnight calls where I said, 'I'm done with Antonio. I'm not dealing with it anymore,'" Calipari said. "Ken would say, 'Why don't you sleep on it and we'll talk. Every time, I'd cool off. He'd tell me, 'Don't be emotional with that kid's life.'
"Ken is a ray of hope that's trying to create a chance and opportunity for those kids. He's trying to save that little corner of the world."
Bennett, however, knows not everyone can be saved.
The many disappointments he's experienced have only made him more determined to see the likes of Burks and Allen succeed.
"We had a kid in our program who stole a car, drove 90 mph down Florida Street, crashed and was decapitated," Bennett said. "We had not invested more in a kid than we had in him."
Those who know Bennett doubt he'd ever attempt to profit materially from his relationships with Allen and Burks, who played briefly for the Grizzlies before going to Europe.
When Burks signed his first pro contract, he invited Bennett to dinner at Houston's to celebrate. Burks wanted to treat his mentor, but Bennett insisted on paying for the meal.
"I think I've been able to keep relationships with these guys because I never ask them for anything," Bennett said. "We have two cars and a nice home -- but nothing Antonio bought."
As the Tigers' team chaplain, Bennett hosts optional prayer meetings after each pregame meal.
He rarely travels with the team during the regular season but does accompany the Tigers to the NCAA tournament, where one of his jobs is to locate a Catholic church for Calipari to attend Mass.
While Wilfong describes Bennett as "the No. 1 Tiger fan I know of," he doesn't think Bennett would take advantage of his relationship with Allen and Burks to get closer to the program.
"I think Ken sits behind the bench because he's a friend of John's, not because he's a Tiger fan. He sits there because John (asks him to)," Wilfong said. "I have never known Ken to ask for something like that."
Bennett, for his part, said he accepts his enviable spot near the bench in order not to be nearer to the program, but to the players.
"I certainly think about the perception. ... But I feel OK about sitting there because I render a service," Bennett said. "It's a good face place for me to be. Those kids can look at me and know that, in a crowd of 20,000 people, that guy there? He's for me."
-- Jim Masilak: 529-2311
Streets Ministries founder's mission grows from van to Tiger locker room
By Jim Masilak
February 16, 2007
The seats aren't actually seats, per se.
They don't show up on any FedExForum floor plans or price charts, and there's a good reason why: The handful of chairs set up behind the University of Memphis' bench for Tiger home games aren't for sale -- not even to the high-dollar donors who sit immediately behind them.
Sometimes, upon taking his place in one of these makeshift seats, Ken Bennett experiences a slight sense of unease.
A man known to those in the community he serves as "Father Ken" or "Rev. Ken" -- the founder of Streets Ministries in the Foote and Cleaborn Homes communities is not actually an ordained minister -- Bennett occasionally worries about the public perception of his privileged place within the Tigers' basketball program.
A longtime mentor and father figure to former Memphis star Antonio Burks and current point guard Andre Allen, both of whom went to the UofM on Streets-funded scholarships, Bennett has served as the basketball team's chaplain since 2004 -- hence the primo seats -- and has also developed a close friendship with coach John Calipari.
But as a man who has spent the past 20 years ministering to at-risk youth in south Memphis through Streets, the Christian outreach program he founded out of a van, Bennett can't help but wonder what the people who pay for their seats might be thinking.
Then he recalls some of the trials and tribulations of the past six years -- the late-night phone calls from Calipari following yet another falling out with Burks, Cadillac-gate, Allen's arrest on solicitation charges -- and flashes a wry smile.
"There are people in the greater Memphis community who probably think I (get) something behind this," Bennett said. "I'm the chaplain and I get a front-row seat, but I don't get anything behind it. What I get behind it, believe me, the tradeoff isn't worth it."
Humble beginnings
It wasn't the first time Ken Bennett found himself in the back of a squad car, and it wouldn't be the last.
Back in 1987, when Bennett was just beginning to lay the groundwork for Streets, he and the van in which he launched the ministry made for a conspicuous pair as far as the Memphis Police Dept. was concerned.
"As a white brother down here, they assumed I was buying or selling drugs," said Bennett, a 49-year-old father of three and lifelong Memphian. "I'd say I was doing Bible studies and they'd say, 'Sure.'''
It wasn't long, though, before Bennett had established himself in the largely African-American neighborhood, one of the poorest in the city. A place where, as Bennett says, "there's a lot of gunfire, a lot of kids living on the edge."
A graduate of Messick High and the UofM, Bennett began coaching basketball at Presbyterian Day School (PDS) while he was still in college.
He later spent three years as athletic director at PDS before enrolling in graduate school at the UofM, where he became involved with Young Life and "realized I wanted to do ministry work full-time."
For starters, Bennett spent a year working at the St. Patrick's Center at 4th and Linden. "That," he said, "is how I got to know the neighborhood" where Streets would be hatched.
After striking out on his own, Bennett quickly outgrew the van and moved Streets into the Mt. Olive Cathedral CME Church for a time. Bennett, however, "felt like we needed to plant a flag."
Eventually, thanks to contributions from churches, foundations and individuals -- including former Saks Inc. chairman R. Brad Martin -- Bennett bought an old turntable factory at 769 Vance.
Streets was finally off the streets.
As the operation grew, with kids from Georgia Ave. Elementary, Vance Middle and Booker T. Washington High flocking there to take part in its after-school programs, Streets annexed a nearby body shop and park to accommodate its growth.
The ministry grew from its modest beginnings into an operation with 10 full-time and six part-time staffers, about 80 volunteers and an $864,000 budget. (It was $20,000 in '87).
In June, Streets took its biggest step yet when it opened the Streets Center, a $4.1-million, 34,500-square foot outreach and recreation facility at 430 Vance. The building was paid for in full thanks to a capital campaign that included a $2 million gift from two unnamed donors.
Every afternoon, some 250-300 kids pack the place to study, exercise and, er, play video games.
"We want our kids to be kids," Bennett said. "Our kids usually don't have the opportunity to be kids."
The facility features a 1,000-seat gymnasium in which Crichton College plays its home basketball games and an education wing featuring a 14-station computer lab, among other amenities.
"Sometimes an organization gets big and they forget what they're all about," said Dr. R. Neal Aguillard, a volunteer at Streets since the early 1990s and a former board member. "They've never deviated from their central mission."
Helping kids, whether they can play basketball or not, is what it aims to do best.
Bennett said Streets provides between $20,000 and $30,000 in college scholarships for 20 or more BTW graduates each year.
While Allen and Burks are Streets' most high-profile scholarship recipients, they are hardly the most handsomely rewarded: Streets paid for one female student to attend Alabama State despite the expensive out-of-state tuition. She graduated and went on to earn a master's degree.
"Ken's been doing this long before I came along. He's helped many more people than me and Andre," Burks said via telephone from Serbia, where he's playing professional basketball for Red Star Belgrade. "We're just two people who made it to a bigger scene."
Calipari initially declined to offer either Burks or Allen one of the team's athletic scholarships. Because neither player met the NCAA's academic standards upon arrival at Memphis, they couldn't have accepted one anyway.
That's when Bennett stepped in.
If Calipari would agree to put the players on the team, Streets would cover whatever costs their need-based financial aid didn't.
In the case of first Burks and now Allen, that amounts to about $700 per semester.
Still, without his Streets scholarship, Allen doubts he'd be playing basketball at his hometown school now.
"I don't think so," said Allen, a junior point guard for the No. 8-ranked Tigers (22-3). "I think I would have ended up at Houston."
Bennett, meanwhile, said the value in supporting Burks and Allen is immeasurable in terms of what it means to the kids in their community.
"If Antonio gets a degree, we knew the impact here would be significant," said Bennett, adding that Burks must pass just three more classes to graduate. "But we would have helped Antonio had he not played ball."
John Wilfong, a former UofM basketball player whose involvement with Streets as both a donor and board member dates to the late 1980s, said Streets' track record proves as much.
"Two hundred kids come through that (Streets) building every day. Multiply that by 20 years," Wilfong said. "Only two of them ended up playing basketball at the UofM."
Controversial moments
Bennett makes no apologies for giving kids in his program -- including Burks and Allen -- a little spending money every once in a while.
"I do that for all the kids in the neighborhood," Bennett said. "Every kid needs a folded up bill in his pocket."
Bennett realizes as much each time the Grizzlies or Tigers donate game tickets to Streets.
What good is a ticket, he reckons, if the kid can't afford to buy a drink and a hot dog?
Burks, however, says Bennett's generosity isn't limited to those who can play basketball at a high level.
"He helps a lot of people -- helps them get books for college, helps people pay their light bills. Just the small things," Burks said. "He still wants to take me out to get groceries. I say, 'I can get it now, Ken. Let me take care of it.'"
Bennett's relationship with Burks and Allen was honed through his long-standing involvement with BTW's basketball program.
Eager to bring his ministry to the community, and because of his enthusiasm for basketball, Bennett asked Warriors coach Fred Horton how he might be able to help. Bennett spent the next 15 years compiling stats and assisting in preseason conditioning drills.
In the process, he strengthened relationships with kids he had already been mentoring down the road at Streets.
Because Bennett had established relationships with Burks and Allen that predated their athletic careers, they can receive gifts, meals and other things from Bennett that might otherwise be considered an extra benefit and a breach of NCAA rules.
That includes their scholarships.
But that doesn't mean there hasn't been a controversial moment or two along the way.
One day in the spring of 2002, Bennett received a phone call from then-Memphis assistant Steve Roccaforte.
Burks, it transpired, was driving around in a Cadillac he didn't own.
"I said, 'I know. I sat on the hood,'" Bennett recalled. "I asked Antonio, 'Where did you get the car?' He said, 'It's a rental car.'"
It turned out Burks' Grand Marquis was in the shop, and he had somehow obtained a rental car from Avis without providing a credit card and despite being just 22 at the time, three years below the minimum rental age.
Bennett, who denies having provided Burks with the Cadillac, ended up paying the bill to prevent Burks from losing his eligibility.
"The NCAA said, 'You can pay (the bill), so I paid it.' But it looked like I went out and rented him a stupid car," Bennett said. "People are gonna believe what they're gonna believe. People who don't like Cal or Ken Bennett are gonna think I rented him a Cadillac because I was looking for a payoff. I didn't sleep for two days thinking people might feel ill toward me."
Allen, who received his mentor's support following his 2005 arrest on charges of patronizing prostitution, said Bennett retains trust by never asking for anything in return.
"Even when you make mistakes and do something wrong, he's in your corner no matter what. He understands people make mistakes," Allen said. "Streets did a lot for me. It was like my second home. Ken just wants to see you be successful in life. He doesn't ask for nothing."
'Little corner of the world'
During four frantic days last April, Bennett ministered to someone outside his usual demographic: a white millionaire.
Torn over whether to accept an offer from North Carolina State or remain at Memphis, Calipari called upon Bennett.
"We'd be walking around Galloway golf course at midnight, just talking," Calipari said. "With Ken, you know he's going to look at what's best for you."
Bennett and Calipari, and their respective families, have grown close over the years.
"Being around him makes you feel like you're not worthy, like you're not doing anything," Calipari said. "I've seen the impact on two players. Where would they be without Streets? They had to have something in them that drove them to the right door. Ken made sure it was the right door."
Calipari's trust in Bennett is a big reason Burks lasted long enough to win Conference USA Player of the Year honors in 2004, for coach and player often butted heads.
"I probably had three midnight calls where I said, 'I'm done with Antonio. I'm not dealing with it anymore,'" Calipari said. "Ken would say, 'Why don't you sleep on it and we'll talk. Every time, I'd cool off. He'd tell me, 'Don't be emotional with that kid's life.'
"Ken is a ray of hope that's trying to create a chance and opportunity for those kids. He's trying to save that little corner of the world."
Bennett, however, knows not everyone can be saved.
The many disappointments he's experienced have only made him more determined to see the likes of Burks and Allen succeed.
"We had a kid in our program who stole a car, drove 90 mph down Florida Street, crashed and was decapitated," Bennett said. "We had not invested more in a kid than we had in him."
Those who know Bennett doubt he'd ever attempt to profit materially from his relationships with Allen and Burks, who played briefly for the Grizzlies before going to Europe.
When Burks signed his first pro contract, he invited Bennett to dinner at Houston's to celebrate. Burks wanted to treat his mentor, but Bennett insisted on paying for the meal.
"I think I've been able to keep relationships with these guys because I never ask them for anything," Bennett said. "We have two cars and a nice home -- but nothing Antonio bought."
As the Tigers' team chaplain, Bennett hosts optional prayer meetings after each pregame meal.
He rarely travels with the team during the regular season but does accompany the Tigers to the NCAA tournament, where one of his jobs is to locate a Catholic church for Calipari to attend Mass.
While Wilfong describes Bennett as "the No. 1 Tiger fan I know of," he doesn't think Bennett would take advantage of his relationship with Allen and Burks to get closer to the program.
"I think Ken sits behind the bench because he's a friend of John's, not because he's a Tiger fan. He sits there because John (asks him to)," Wilfong said. "I have never known Ken to ask for something like that."
Bennett, for his part, said he accepts his enviable spot near the bench in order not to be nearer to the program, but to the players.
"I certainly think about the perception. ... But I feel OK about sitting there because I render a service," Bennett said. "It's a good face place for me to be. Those kids can look at me and know that, in a crowd of 20,000 people, that guy there? He's for me."
-- Jim Masilak: 529-2311
Sunday, February 11, 2007
AP Story - Memphis Tigers 95, Tulane Green Wave 51
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -Memphis keeps showing how much better they are than the rest of Conference USA. Now, the eighth-ranked Tigers are starting to get even more comfortable in the role.
Robert Dozier and Willie Kemp each scored 13 points to lead a balanced offense, and Memphis beat Tulane 95-51 on Saturday night for its 27th consecutive victory at home.
''We're getting better from three weeks ago,'' said guard Doneal Mack , who scored nine points. Everybody's in a comfort zone. Everybody is getting the hang of each other. Everybody's in a groove. Right now, we've got a little swagger, and we don't want that to turn into arrogance.''
Memphis (21-3, 11-0) was never threatened in its 13th straight win overall. The Tigers used a 13-0 run midway through the first half to pull away.
The Green Wave (11-11, 4-6) were hampered by poor shooting and sloppy ball-handling.
Five Memphis players finished in double figures. Tre'Von Willis and Chris Douglas-Roberts scored 12 points each, while Jeremy Hunt added 11. Dozier, who was 4-for-7 from the field, also had seven rebounds.
Willis' points were a season high, and his 18 minutes were the most of the year partly because of foul trouble among the Tiger starters, but more because of his recent work ethic.
Memphis coach John Calipari said Willis has worked harder in practice and deserved more court time.
''I feel real confident, '' the freshman guard said. ''I feel we have the greatest guards on our team in the nation. If I can play against these guys every day, I feel like I can play against any guard or any team.''
Even when Memphis emptied its bench and Calipari sent the reserves in to play zone during the final four minutes, he was pleased with the effort.
''The biggest thing is they like each other now,'' Calipari said. ''As long as they like each other, they are going to want this to continue.''
Chris Moore was the only Tulane player in double figures with 10 points. Leading-scorer David Gomez was limited to six, taking only two shots. Kevin Sims , Tulane's second-leading scorer, was scoreless, missing all seven shots from the field.
''It's our 21st game of the year,'' Tulane coach Dave Dickerson said. ''You would think that our two leading scorers would come out and play with a mentality of being the leading scorers on the team. I'm a little surprised they didn't do it.''
Tulane shot only 31 percent and committed 21 turnovers that led to 32 Memphis points. The Green Wave came into the game having won three of their last four, and the trio of victories came by an average margin of 20 points.
''We were playing our best basketball before this game,'' Dickerson said. ''We were averaging 81 points per game and still had one of the best defenses in the conference. We thought we could come in here and compete. We ran into a team that was better and had better players.''
Memphis led 51-29 at the break, matching its biggest lead of the half with a pair of baskets in the final five seconds.
The Tigers pulled away in the first half behind 3-point shooting and their 13-0 run midway through the period. Hunt started the streak with six straight points, and Willis had four points as Tulane went almost four minutes without scoring.
When Douglas-Roberts hit a free throw with 8:23 left in the half, Memphis had run the advantage to 35-15.
Tulane went to a zone to try and slow the Tigers' offense, but Memphis hit half of its 10 shots outside the arc to offset the zone. Memphis finished the night 9-for-17 from 3-point range.
Meanwhile, the Memphis defense forced 11 Green Wave turnovers in the half, and Tulane shot 38 percent from the field.
The Tigers extended the lead with a 10-1 run to open the second half, capped by a reverse dunk from Joey Dorsey on an alley-oop pass.
Memphis' 19-3 spurt produced a 70-32 cushion midway through the second half.
''We just couldn't get anything going offensively to where I thought we were comfortable enough with our team to where we could score,'' Dickerson said.
Robert Dozier and Willie Kemp each scored 13 points to lead a balanced offense, and Memphis beat Tulane 95-51 on Saturday night for its 27th consecutive victory at home.
''We're getting better from three weeks ago,'' said guard Doneal Mack , who scored nine points. Everybody's in a comfort zone. Everybody is getting the hang of each other. Everybody's in a groove. Right now, we've got a little swagger, and we don't want that to turn into arrogance.''
Memphis (21-3, 11-0) was never threatened in its 13th straight win overall. The Tigers used a 13-0 run midway through the first half to pull away.
The Green Wave (11-11, 4-6) were hampered by poor shooting and sloppy ball-handling.
Five Memphis players finished in double figures. Tre'Von Willis and Chris Douglas-Roberts scored 12 points each, while Jeremy Hunt added 11. Dozier, who was 4-for-7 from the field, also had seven rebounds.
Willis' points were a season high, and his 18 minutes were the most of the year partly because of foul trouble among the Tiger starters, but more because of his recent work ethic.
Memphis coach John Calipari said Willis has worked harder in practice and deserved more court time.
''I feel real confident, '' the freshman guard said. ''I feel we have the greatest guards on our team in the nation. If I can play against these guys every day, I feel like I can play against any guard or any team.''
Even when Memphis emptied its bench and Calipari sent the reserves in to play zone during the final four minutes, he was pleased with the effort.
''The biggest thing is they like each other now,'' Calipari said. ''As long as they like each other, they are going to want this to continue.''
Chris Moore was the only Tulane player in double figures with 10 points. Leading-scorer David Gomez was limited to six, taking only two shots. Kevin Sims , Tulane's second-leading scorer, was scoreless, missing all seven shots from the field.
''It's our 21st game of the year,'' Tulane coach Dave Dickerson said. ''You would think that our two leading scorers would come out and play with a mentality of being the leading scorers on the team. I'm a little surprised they didn't do it.''
Tulane shot only 31 percent and committed 21 turnovers that led to 32 Memphis points. The Green Wave came into the game having won three of their last four, and the trio of victories came by an average margin of 20 points.
''We were playing our best basketball before this game,'' Dickerson said. ''We were averaging 81 points per game and still had one of the best defenses in the conference. We thought we could come in here and compete. We ran into a team that was better and had better players.''
Memphis led 51-29 at the break, matching its biggest lead of the half with a pair of baskets in the final five seconds.
The Tigers pulled away in the first half behind 3-point shooting and their 13-0 run midway through the period. Hunt started the streak with six straight points, and Willis had four points as Tulane went almost four minutes without scoring.
When Douglas-Roberts hit a free throw with 8:23 left in the half, Memphis had run the advantage to 35-15.
Tulane went to a zone to try and slow the Tigers' offense, but Memphis hit half of its 10 shots outside the arc to offset the zone. Memphis finished the night 9-for-17 from 3-point range.
Meanwhile, the Memphis defense forced 11 Green Wave turnovers in the half, and Tulane shot 38 percent from the field.
The Tigers extended the lead with a 10-1 run to open the second half, capped by a reverse dunk from Joey Dorsey on an alley-oop pass.
Memphis' 19-3 spurt produced a 70-32 cushion midway through the second half.
''We just couldn't get anything going offensively to where I thought we were comfortable enough with our team to where we could score,'' Dickerson said.
Tigers Replay
Tigers replay
February 11, 2007
AS THE GAME TURNED
This one wasn't much of a contest at any point. The Tigers broke it open in the first four minutes when freshman guard Willie Kemp made a 3-pointer in transition for a 10-3 lead. Then after forward Joey Dorsey stole the ball off Memphis' full-court press, Kemp fed freshman Doneal Mack for a 3-pointer in the corner that swished for a 13-3 lead. Another 3 by Kemp a minute later gave Memphis a 16-5 lead just 3:54 into the contest.
AS THE ROTATION TURNED
As deep as Memphis is, the Tigers rarely have their entire second team on the floor in the first half of any game. But it happened Saturday. Memphis' usual second five of Andre Allen, Jeremy Hunt, Mack, Kareem Cooper and Tre'Von Willis was in the game with 12:15 left in the first half. Memphis was up 20-12 at the time. A hook shot by Cooper and six straight points by Hunt extended the lead to 28-15 before coach John Calipari began rotating his starters back in.
RIM GEMS
Mack's 41-inch vertical leap was in full view with 9:20 left in the first half when he and fellow freshman Willis connected on a picture-perfect alley-oop. It was so pretty, in fact, Tulane players simply watched as Mack began a baseline cut toward the basket. Willis, holding the ball just right of the key, lobbed it up high, and Mack elevated to grab the ball and slam it with two hands. The play gave Memphis a 33-15 lead.
HIDE YOUR EYES
When Tulane misses, Tulane misses badly. The Green Wave had four airballs in the first half, and that's not even counting a jumper that was partially blocked by freshman Pierre Niles. Chris Moore took the first three shots for Tulane. The first bounced off the backboard more than a foot right of the rim. He was fouled on the second (he made two free throws) and then sailed a baseline jumper well over the rim. The Green Wave made just 8-of-21 field goals in the first 20 minutes.
SCORER'S TABLE
Balanced scoring has been the Tigers' trademark, but it's hard to be more balanced than they were Saturday. Five players scored in double figures, all between 11 and 13 points. Kemp and Robert Dozier were the high scorers, while Willis and Chris Douglas-Roberts had 12. Senior guard Jeremy Hunt, after a career-high 30 points against UAB, had 11.
LOCKER-ROOM CHATTER
"For some reason, this is the team that doesn't match well with us. Last year, we got them pretty good both times, and I don't know why. It's just, you know, we don't match well with Southern Miss. When we play them, it's always a war ... there's something there. I don't know what it is." -- Calipari on Tulane
LOOKING AHEAD
Tigers at Tulsa, Wednesday, 7 p.m.
-- Dan Wolken
February 11, 2007
AS THE GAME TURNED
This one wasn't much of a contest at any point. The Tigers broke it open in the first four minutes when freshman guard Willie Kemp made a 3-pointer in transition for a 10-3 lead. Then after forward Joey Dorsey stole the ball off Memphis' full-court press, Kemp fed freshman Doneal Mack for a 3-pointer in the corner that swished for a 13-3 lead. Another 3 by Kemp a minute later gave Memphis a 16-5 lead just 3:54 into the contest.
AS THE ROTATION TURNED
As deep as Memphis is, the Tigers rarely have their entire second team on the floor in the first half of any game. But it happened Saturday. Memphis' usual second five of Andre Allen, Jeremy Hunt, Mack, Kareem Cooper and Tre'Von Willis was in the game with 12:15 left in the first half. Memphis was up 20-12 at the time. A hook shot by Cooper and six straight points by Hunt extended the lead to 28-15 before coach John Calipari began rotating his starters back in.
RIM GEMS
Mack's 41-inch vertical leap was in full view with 9:20 left in the first half when he and fellow freshman Willis connected on a picture-perfect alley-oop. It was so pretty, in fact, Tulane players simply watched as Mack began a baseline cut toward the basket. Willis, holding the ball just right of the key, lobbed it up high, and Mack elevated to grab the ball and slam it with two hands. The play gave Memphis a 33-15 lead.
HIDE YOUR EYES
When Tulane misses, Tulane misses badly. The Green Wave had four airballs in the first half, and that's not even counting a jumper that was partially blocked by freshman Pierre Niles. Chris Moore took the first three shots for Tulane. The first bounced off the backboard more than a foot right of the rim. He was fouled on the second (he made two free throws) and then sailed a baseline jumper well over the rim. The Green Wave made just 8-of-21 field goals in the first 20 minutes.
SCORER'S TABLE
Balanced scoring has been the Tigers' trademark, but it's hard to be more balanced than they were Saturday. Five players scored in double figures, all between 11 and 13 points. Kemp and Robert Dozier were the high scorers, while Willis and Chris Douglas-Roberts had 12. Senior guard Jeremy Hunt, after a career-high 30 points against UAB, had 11.
LOCKER-ROOM CHATTER
"For some reason, this is the team that doesn't match well with us. Last year, we got them pretty good both times, and I don't know why. It's just, you know, we don't match well with Southern Miss. When we play them, it's always a war ... there's something there. I don't know what it is." -- Calipari on Tulane
LOOKING AHEAD
Tigers at Tulsa, Wednesday, 7 p.m.
-- Dan Wolken
Tulane No Match for Tigers
Tulane no match for Tigers
By Dan Wolken
February 11, 2007
Antonio Anderson was hurting, Joey Dorsey and Robert Dozier were fouling, and Chris Douglas-Roberts was misfiring.
With four University of Memphis starters compromised in one way or another Saturday, the No. 8-ranked Tigers turned to their bench Saturday against Tulane.
Ever hear the theory Memphis' second team might be able to win Conference USA? For the first time all season, the Tigers got a chance to prove it. Against one of the league's hottest clubs, Memphis went deep into its reserves at FedExForum and still mauled the Green Wave, 95-51 in front of 17,176 witnesses.
Though this one was never close -- Memphis established a 16-5 lead in the game's first four minutes -- Tulane crawled back within 20-12 and had an opportunity to make the first half interesting with Dozier and Dorsey both on the bench with two fouls and Anderson sitting out with a sprained ankle suffered in Thursday's win at UAB.
But coach John Calipari put his trust in freshman guards Doneal Mack, Tre'Von Willis and Willie Kemp. He even gave quality minutes to rookie Pierre Niles, who has been buried on the depth chart most of this season. And behind that core of youngsters, Memphis simply overwhelmed Tulane for its 13th straight win, improving to 21-3 overall and 11-0 in C-USA.
"A lot of people," Mack said, "showed what they can do."
People like Kemp, who bounced back from a bad 14 minutes at UAB with 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting, four assists and no turnovers. People like Mack, who had nine points, three assists and three steals. And people like Willis, who has struggled to break into the rotation but swished his first 3-pointer Saturday and finished with a career-high 12 points.
And no matter which combination the Tigers used, they had little trouble shutting down Tulane, which made just 14-of-45 field goals and committed 21 turnovers.
"Whoever we had out there, we were good defensively," Calipari said. "When we had Joey and Robert in there, they didn't score for a while.
"I was happy Tre'Von went in and played well because he's played well in practice and he's earned the right to get on the floor. I was proud of Pierre and how he played."
At times, four freshmen were on the floor at once Saturday, but they still provided plenty of highlight-reel material. Consecutive 3-pointers by Kemp and Mack staked Memphis to an early 13-3 lead, and another by Kemp gave the Tigers a 31-15 advantage roughly 10 minutes into the game.
After Mack fed backup center Kareem Cooper for a layup with just a few seconds left in the first half, Willis stole the inbounds pass, then hit a runner for a 51-29 lead.
"I just really want to go out and play hard, come up with loose balls, and coach told me he'd give me some time so I'm going to do whatever it takes to get time," Willis said.
The second half was more of the same. With the starters back in, Memphis simply kept extending the margin against a helpless Tulane team, which came in riding the momentum of two straight blowout C-USA wins but fell to 11-11 overall and 4-6 in C-USA.
After picking up his early fouls, Dozier came back in to score 13 points with seven rebounds. And though Dorsey finished with just seven points and six rebounds, it was the first time his minutes have been limited by foul trouble since Dec. 20 at Arizona.
Memphis finished 31 of 61 from the field, made 9 of 17 from 3-point range and committed just nine turnovers.
"We had a little foul trouble in the first half, and we played well anyway," Calipari said.
"We played without Antonio and played well anyway. We passed the ball to each other. We had 14 steals, created 21 turnovers. A lot of good stuff."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Streaking Tigers
13: Consecutive victories
15: Consecutive victories over C-USA opponents
27: Consecutive victories at FedExForum
By Dan Wolken
February 11, 2007
Antonio Anderson was hurting, Joey Dorsey and Robert Dozier were fouling, and Chris Douglas-Roberts was misfiring.
With four University of Memphis starters compromised in one way or another Saturday, the No. 8-ranked Tigers turned to their bench Saturday against Tulane.
Ever hear the theory Memphis' second team might be able to win Conference USA? For the first time all season, the Tigers got a chance to prove it. Against one of the league's hottest clubs, Memphis went deep into its reserves at FedExForum and still mauled the Green Wave, 95-51 in front of 17,176 witnesses.
Though this one was never close -- Memphis established a 16-5 lead in the game's first four minutes -- Tulane crawled back within 20-12 and had an opportunity to make the first half interesting with Dozier and Dorsey both on the bench with two fouls and Anderson sitting out with a sprained ankle suffered in Thursday's win at UAB.
But coach John Calipari put his trust in freshman guards Doneal Mack, Tre'Von Willis and Willie Kemp. He even gave quality minutes to rookie Pierre Niles, who has been buried on the depth chart most of this season. And behind that core of youngsters, Memphis simply overwhelmed Tulane for its 13th straight win, improving to 21-3 overall and 11-0 in C-USA.
"A lot of people," Mack said, "showed what they can do."
People like Kemp, who bounced back from a bad 14 minutes at UAB with 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting, four assists and no turnovers. People like Mack, who had nine points, three assists and three steals. And people like Willis, who has struggled to break into the rotation but swished his first 3-pointer Saturday and finished with a career-high 12 points.
And no matter which combination the Tigers used, they had little trouble shutting down Tulane, which made just 14-of-45 field goals and committed 21 turnovers.
"Whoever we had out there, we were good defensively," Calipari said. "When we had Joey and Robert in there, they didn't score for a while.
"I was happy Tre'Von went in and played well because he's played well in practice and he's earned the right to get on the floor. I was proud of Pierre and how he played."
At times, four freshmen were on the floor at once Saturday, but they still provided plenty of highlight-reel material. Consecutive 3-pointers by Kemp and Mack staked Memphis to an early 13-3 lead, and another by Kemp gave the Tigers a 31-15 advantage roughly 10 minutes into the game.
After Mack fed backup center Kareem Cooper for a layup with just a few seconds left in the first half, Willis stole the inbounds pass, then hit a runner for a 51-29 lead.
"I just really want to go out and play hard, come up with loose balls, and coach told me he'd give me some time so I'm going to do whatever it takes to get time," Willis said.
The second half was more of the same. With the starters back in, Memphis simply kept extending the margin against a helpless Tulane team, which came in riding the momentum of two straight blowout C-USA wins but fell to 11-11 overall and 4-6 in C-USA.
After picking up his early fouls, Dozier came back in to score 13 points with seven rebounds. And though Dorsey finished with just seven points and six rebounds, it was the first time his minutes have been limited by foul trouble since Dec. 20 at Arizona.
Memphis finished 31 of 61 from the field, made 9 of 17 from 3-point range and committed just nine turnovers.
"We had a little foul trouble in the first half, and we played well anyway," Calipari said.
"We played without Antonio and played well anyway. We passed the ball to each other. We had 14 steals, created 21 turnovers. A lot of good stuff."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Streaking Tigers
13: Consecutive victories
15: Consecutive victories over C-USA opponents
27: Consecutive victories at FedExForum
Quotes From Cal and Tulane Coach Dickerson
Memphis Head Coach John Calipari
"Well, we played pretty good. We played a good game. Sometimes you get up 30 and you don't want to do anything, but I'm worried about my team playing a full game. I thought we did. I even liked those last four minutes when we put those guys in a 2-3 zone and said, `Play.'"
"We didn't play anybody for more than 25 minutes. We played everybody around 20 minutes. We had a little foul trouble in the first half with Joey (Dorsey) and Robert (Dozier), but we played well anyway."
"Antonio Anderson didn't play tonight, but we did really well passing the ball to each other with 17 assists. Willie Kemp had four assists and no turnovers. We had 14 steals. You know, it was good stuff. I think the biggest thing was whoever we had out there, we were good defensively."
Tulane Head Coach Dave Dickerson
"We were playing our best basketball before this game. We came in here winning three of four games, averaging 81 points per game and still having one of the best defenses in the conference. We ran into a team that was better and had better players."
"They have one of the best defenses in the conference, and that was a focus coming in. We just couldn't get anything going offensively. I felt we could score the ball at least, and when we couldn't score or make free throws, the game got away from us."
"It's our 21st game of the year. You would think that our two leading scorers would come out and play with the mentality of being the leading scorers on the team. I'm a little surprised that they didn't do it. I'm more surprised at the way our team competed tonight."
"Well, we played pretty good. We played a good game. Sometimes you get up 30 and you don't want to do anything, but I'm worried about my team playing a full game. I thought we did. I even liked those last four minutes when we put those guys in a 2-3 zone and said, `Play.'"
"We didn't play anybody for more than 25 minutes. We played everybody around 20 minutes. We had a little foul trouble in the first half with Joey (Dorsey) and Robert (Dozier), but we played well anyway."
"Antonio Anderson didn't play tonight, but we did really well passing the ball to each other with 17 assists. Willie Kemp had four assists and no turnovers. We had 14 steals. You know, it was good stuff. I think the biggest thing was whoever we had out there, we were good defensively."
Tulane Head Coach Dave Dickerson
"We were playing our best basketball before this game. We came in here winning three of four games, averaging 81 points per game and still having one of the best defenses in the conference. We ran into a team that was better and had better players."
"They have one of the best defenses in the conference, and that was a focus coming in. We just couldn't get anything going offensively. I felt we could score the ball at least, and when we couldn't score or make free throws, the game got away from us."
"It's our 21st game of the year. You would think that our two leading scorers would come out and play with the mentality of being the leading scorers on the team. I'm a little surprised that they didn't do it. I'm more surprised at the way our team competed tonight."
Official Box Score - Memphis Tigers 95, Tulane Green Wave 51
Official Basketball Box Score -- GAME TOTALS -- FINAL STATISTICS
Tulane vs Memphis
02/10/07 7:00 pm at Memphis, Tenn. (FedExForum)
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VISITORS: Tulane 11-11, 4-6
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
21 GOMEZ, David........ f 1-2 0-0 4-6 1 5 6 3 6 1 4 0 1 23
45 LOUISME, Robinson... c 0-2 0-0 1-2 0 0 0 4 1 0 2 0 0 13
01 SIMS, Kevin......... g 0-7 0-3 0-1 0 2 2 1 0 2 3 0 1 31
03 MOORE, Chris........ g 3-7 0-2 4-6 0 4 4 1 10 1 0 0 0 32
25 WHEATON, Matt....... g 1-3 0-1 2-4 0 0 0 5 4 0 3 1 0 20
04 McQUEEN, Asim....... 2-4 0-0 3-6 3 1 4 4 7 0 1 0 0 18
05 STITH, Donnie....... 0-1 0-0 3-6 2 4 6 2 3 0 2 3 1 19
20 GARCIA, Andrew...... 3-6 2-2 0-0 1 1 2 1 8 2 1 0 0 19
22 CASTINE, Kory....... 2-4 0-0 3-4 2 2 4 0 7 0 2 0 0 7
44 PUCKETT, Daniel..... 2-9 1-4 0-0 0 1 1 4 5 0 3 0 0 18
TEAM................ 1 2 3
Totals.............. 14-45 3-12 20-35 10 22 32 25 51 6 21 4 3 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 8-21 38.1% 2nd Half: 6-24 25.0% Game: 31.1% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 2-5 40.0% 2nd Half: 1-7 14.3% Game: 25.0% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 11-17 64.7% 2nd Half: 9-18 50.0% Game: 57.1% 7,1
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HOME TEAM: Memphis 21-3, 11-0
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 4-7 1-2 4-5 2 5 7 2 13 1 0 0 0 20
32 Dorsey, Joey........ f 3-4 0-0 1-4 0 6 6 2 7 1 0 4 2 15
01 Kemp, Willie........ g 5-7 2-2 1-2 1 0 1 0 13 4 0 0 1 25
14 DOUGLAS-ROBERTS, C.. g 3-9 0-0 6-9 1 1 2 1 12 1 0 1 3 23
20 Mack, Doneal........ g 3-7 2-4 1-2 2 2 4 4 9 3 1 0 3 23
00 Wade, Clyde......... 0-2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 4
03 Willis, Tre'Von..... 3-6 2-3 4-5 0 1 1 2 12 1 2 1 2 18
04 Niles, Pierre....... 0-0 0-0 0-0 1 3 4 1 0 0 0 1 0 12
05 Hunt, Jeremy........ 4-8 1-5 2-4 0 1 1 4 11 2 2 0 3 20
15 Allen, Andre........ 1-2 0-0 0-0 0 3 3 3 2 2 3 0 0 14
30 Sandridge, Jared.... 1-1 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 4
35 Bailey, Hashim...... 2-2 0-0 2-2 1 0 1 4 6 0 1 0 0 4
42 Cooper, Kareem...... 2-6 0-0 2-2 1 5 6 1 6 0 0 2 0 14
55 McGrady, Chance..... 0-0 0-0 1-2 0 0 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 4
TEAM................ 3 1 4
Totals.............. 31-61 9-17 24-37 12 28 40 26 95 17 9 9 14 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 18-35 51.4% 2nd Half: 13-26 50.0% Game: 50.8% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 5-10 50.0% 2nd Half: 4-7 57.1% Game: 52.9% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 10-17 58.8% 2nd Half: 14-20 70.0% Game: 64.9% 8,1
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Officials: James Breeding, Jeff Malham, Warren Evans
Technical fouls: Tulane-PUCKETT, Daniel. Memphis-None.
Attendance: 17176
Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total
Tulane........................ 29 22 - 51
Memphis....................... 51 44 - 95
Points in the paint-TLN 20,MEM 42. Points off turnovers-TLN 3,MEM 32.
2nd chance points-TLN 5,MEM 13. Fast break points-TLN 5,MEM 12.
Bench points-TLN 30,MEM 41. Score tied-0 times. Lead changed-0 times.
Last FG-TLN 2nd-00:34, MEM 2nd-01:08.
Largest lead-TLN None, MEM by 53 2nd-02:43.
Tulane vs Memphis
02/10/07 7:00 pm at Memphis, Tenn. (FedExForum)
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VISITORS: Tulane 11-11, 4-6
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
21 GOMEZ, David........ f 1-2 0-0 4-6 1 5 6 3 6 1 4 0 1 23
45 LOUISME, Robinson... c 0-2 0-0 1-2 0 0 0 4 1 0 2 0 0 13
01 SIMS, Kevin......... g 0-7 0-3 0-1 0 2 2 1 0 2 3 0 1 31
03 MOORE, Chris........ g 3-7 0-2 4-6 0 4 4 1 10 1 0 0 0 32
25 WHEATON, Matt....... g 1-3 0-1 2-4 0 0 0 5 4 0 3 1 0 20
04 McQUEEN, Asim....... 2-4 0-0 3-6 3 1 4 4 7 0 1 0 0 18
05 STITH, Donnie....... 0-1 0-0 3-6 2 4 6 2 3 0 2 3 1 19
20 GARCIA, Andrew...... 3-6 2-2 0-0 1 1 2 1 8 2 1 0 0 19
22 CASTINE, Kory....... 2-4 0-0 3-4 2 2 4 0 7 0 2 0 0 7
44 PUCKETT, Daniel..... 2-9 1-4 0-0 0 1 1 4 5 0 3 0 0 18
TEAM................ 1 2 3
Totals.............. 14-45 3-12 20-35 10 22 32 25 51 6 21 4 3 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 8-21 38.1% 2nd Half: 6-24 25.0% Game: 31.1% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 2-5 40.0% 2nd Half: 1-7 14.3% Game: 25.0% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 11-17 64.7% 2nd Half: 9-18 50.0% Game: 57.1% 7,1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOME TEAM: Memphis 21-3, 11-0
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 4-7 1-2 4-5 2 5 7 2 13 1 0 0 0 20
32 Dorsey, Joey........ f 3-4 0-0 1-4 0 6 6 2 7 1 0 4 2 15
01 Kemp, Willie........ g 5-7 2-2 1-2 1 0 1 0 13 4 0 0 1 25
14 DOUGLAS-ROBERTS, C.. g 3-9 0-0 6-9 1 1 2 1 12 1 0 1 3 23
20 Mack, Doneal........ g 3-7 2-4 1-2 2 2 4 4 9 3 1 0 3 23
00 Wade, Clyde......... 0-2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 4
03 Willis, Tre'Von..... 3-6 2-3 4-5 0 1 1 2 12 1 2 1 2 18
04 Niles, Pierre....... 0-0 0-0 0-0 1 3 4 1 0 0 0 1 0 12
05 Hunt, Jeremy........ 4-8 1-5 2-4 0 1 1 4 11 2 2 0 3 20
15 Allen, Andre........ 1-2 0-0 0-0 0 3 3 3 2 2 3 0 0 14
30 Sandridge, Jared.... 1-1 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 4
35 Bailey, Hashim...... 2-2 0-0 2-2 1 0 1 4 6 0 1 0 0 4
42 Cooper, Kareem...... 2-6 0-0 2-2 1 5 6 1 6 0 0 2 0 14
55 McGrady, Chance..... 0-0 0-0 1-2 0 0 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 4
TEAM................ 3 1 4
Totals.............. 31-61 9-17 24-37 12 28 40 26 95 17 9 9 14 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 18-35 51.4% 2nd Half: 13-26 50.0% Game: 50.8% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 5-10 50.0% 2nd Half: 4-7 57.1% Game: 52.9% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 10-17 58.8% 2nd Half: 14-20 70.0% Game: 64.9% 8,1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Officials: James Breeding, Jeff Malham, Warren Evans
Technical fouls: Tulane-PUCKETT, Daniel. Memphis-None.
Attendance: 17176
Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total
Tulane........................ 29 22 - 51
Memphis....................... 51 44 - 95
Points in the paint-TLN 20,MEM 42. Points off turnovers-TLN 3,MEM 32.
2nd chance points-TLN 5,MEM 13. Fast break points-TLN 5,MEM 12.
Bench points-TLN 30,MEM 41. Score tied-0 times. Lead changed-0 times.
Last FG-TLN 2nd-00:34, MEM 2nd-01:08.
Largest lead-TLN None, MEM by 53 2nd-02:43.
#8 Memphis Rolls Past Tulane 95-51
No. 8 Memphis Rolls In 95-51 Victory Over Tulane
Dozier, Kemp each score 13 points to lead the Tigers to their 27th straight home win.
Feb. 10, 2007
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Memphis keeps showing how much better they are than the rest of Conference USA. Now, the eighth-ranked Tigers are starting to get even more comfortable in the role.
Robert Dozier and Willie Kemp each scored 13 points to lead a balanced offense, and Memphis beat Tulane 95-51 on Saturday night for its 27th consecutive victory at home.
"We're getting better from three weeks ago," said guard Doneal Mack, who scored nine points. Everybody's in a comfort zone. Everybody is getting the hang of each other. Everybody's in a groove. Right now, we've got a little swagger, and we don't want that to turn into arrogance."
Memphis (21-3, 11-0) was never threatened in its 13th straight win overall. The Tigers used a 13-0 run midway through the first half to pull away.
The Green Wave (11-11, 4-6) were hampered by poor shooting and sloppy ball-handling.
Five Memphis players finished in double figures. Tre'Von Willis and Chris Douglas-Roberts scored 12 points each, while Jeremy Hunt added 11. Dozier, who was 4-for-7 from the field, also had seven rebounds.
Willis' points were a season high, and his 18 minutes were the most of the year partly because of foul trouble among the Tiger starters, but more because of his recent work ethic.
Memphis coach John Calipari said Willis has worked harder in practice and deserved more court time.
"I feel real confident, " the freshman guard said. "I feel we have the greatest guards on our team in the nation. If I can play against these guys every day, I feel like I can play against any guard or any team."
Even when Memphis emptied its bench and Calipari sent the reserves in to play zone during the final four minutes, he was pleased with the effort.
"The biggest thing is they like each other now," Calipari said. "As long as they like each other, they are going to want this to continue."
Chris Moore was the only Tulane player in double figures with 10 points. Leading-scorer David Gomez was limited to six, taking only two shots. Kevin Sims, Tulane's second-leading scorer, was scoreless, missing all seven shots from the field.
"It's our 21st game of the year," Tulane coach Dave Dickerson said. "You would think that our two leading scorers would come out and play with a mentality of being the leading scorers on the team. I'm a little surprised they didn't do it."
Tulane shot only 31 percent and committed 21 turnovers that led to 32 Memphis points. The Green Wave came into the game having won three of their last four, and the trio of victories came by an average margin of 20 points.
"We were playing our best basketball before this game," Dickerson said. "We were averaging 81 points per game and still had one of the best defenses in the conference. We thought we could come in here and compete. We ran into a team that was better and had better players."
Memphis led 51-29 at the break, matching its biggest lead of the half with a pair of baskets in the final five seconds.
The Tigers pulled away in the first half behind 3-point shooting and their 13-0 run midway through the period. Hunt started the streak with six straight points, and Willis had four points as Tulane went almost four minutes without scoring.
When Douglas-Roberts hit a free throw with 8:23 left in the half, Memphis had run the advantage to 35-15.
Tulane went to a zone to try and slow the Tigers' offense, but Memphis hit half of its 10 shots outside the arc to offset the zone. Memphis finished the night 9-for-17 from 3-point range.
Meanwhile, the Memphis defense forced 11 Green Wave turnovers in the half, and Tulane shot 38 percent from the field.
The Tigers extended the lead with a 10-1 run to open the second half, capped by a reverse dunk from Joey Dorsey on an alley-oop pass.
Memphis' 19-3 spurt produced a 70-32 cushion midway through the second half.
"We just couldn't get anything going offensively to where I thought we were comfortable enough with our team to where we could score," Dickerson said.
Dozier, Kemp each score 13 points to lead the Tigers to their 27th straight home win.
Feb. 10, 2007
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Memphis keeps showing how much better they are than the rest of Conference USA. Now, the eighth-ranked Tigers are starting to get even more comfortable in the role.
Robert Dozier and Willie Kemp each scored 13 points to lead a balanced offense, and Memphis beat Tulane 95-51 on Saturday night for its 27th consecutive victory at home.
"We're getting better from three weeks ago," said guard Doneal Mack, who scored nine points. Everybody's in a comfort zone. Everybody is getting the hang of each other. Everybody's in a groove. Right now, we've got a little swagger, and we don't want that to turn into arrogance."
Memphis (21-3, 11-0) was never threatened in its 13th straight win overall. The Tigers used a 13-0 run midway through the first half to pull away.
The Green Wave (11-11, 4-6) were hampered by poor shooting and sloppy ball-handling.
Five Memphis players finished in double figures. Tre'Von Willis and Chris Douglas-Roberts scored 12 points each, while Jeremy Hunt added 11. Dozier, who was 4-for-7 from the field, also had seven rebounds.
Willis' points were a season high, and his 18 minutes were the most of the year partly because of foul trouble among the Tiger starters, but more because of his recent work ethic.
Memphis coach John Calipari said Willis has worked harder in practice and deserved more court time.
"I feel real confident, " the freshman guard said. "I feel we have the greatest guards on our team in the nation. If I can play against these guys every day, I feel like I can play against any guard or any team."
Even when Memphis emptied its bench and Calipari sent the reserves in to play zone during the final four minutes, he was pleased with the effort.
"The biggest thing is they like each other now," Calipari said. "As long as they like each other, they are going to want this to continue."
Chris Moore was the only Tulane player in double figures with 10 points. Leading-scorer David Gomez was limited to six, taking only two shots. Kevin Sims, Tulane's second-leading scorer, was scoreless, missing all seven shots from the field.
"It's our 21st game of the year," Tulane coach Dave Dickerson said. "You would think that our two leading scorers would come out and play with a mentality of being the leading scorers on the team. I'm a little surprised they didn't do it."
Tulane shot only 31 percent and committed 21 turnovers that led to 32 Memphis points. The Green Wave came into the game having won three of their last four, and the trio of victories came by an average margin of 20 points.
"We were playing our best basketball before this game," Dickerson said. "We were averaging 81 points per game and still had one of the best defenses in the conference. We thought we could come in here and compete. We ran into a team that was better and had better players."
Memphis led 51-29 at the break, matching its biggest lead of the half with a pair of baskets in the final five seconds.
The Tigers pulled away in the first half behind 3-point shooting and their 13-0 run midway through the period. Hunt started the streak with six straight points, and Willis had four points as Tulane went almost four minutes without scoring.
When Douglas-Roberts hit a free throw with 8:23 left in the half, Memphis had run the advantage to 35-15.
Tulane went to a zone to try and slow the Tigers' offense, but Memphis hit half of its 10 shots outside the arc to offset the zone. Memphis finished the night 9-for-17 from 3-point range.
Meanwhile, the Memphis defense forced 11 Green Wave turnovers in the half, and Tulane shot 38 percent from the field.
The Tigers extended the lead with a 10-1 run to open the second half, capped by a reverse dunk from Joey Dorsey on an alley-oop pass.
Memphis' 19-3 spurt produced a 70-32 cushion midway through the second half.
"We just couldn't get anything going offensively to where I thought we were comfortable enough with our team to where we could score," Dickerson said.
Robert Dozier 's Missing Mojo
Dozier struggling, but teammates confident he'll bounce back
By Jim Masilak
February 10, 2007
Missing: Robert Dozier's mojo.
Description: The conviction to absorb bumps and finish strong while attacking the basket. The determination to grab rebounds, particularly at the offensive end of the court. The confidence to demand the ball in positions best suited to the lanky sophomore forward's considerable offensive strengths.
Advertisement
If found: Please return to the Finch Center, c/o frustrated University of Memphis coach John Calipari, as soon as possible.
This was supposed to be the year Dozier, after a tantalizing rookie season, made good on the potential that often inspires gushing tributes from teammates, coaches and opponents alike.
Out of Shawne Williams' shadow and into the starting lineup for a top-10 club, the 6-9, 215-pounder seemed poised for a breakthrough season.
In actuality, Dozier's performance level has varied wildly for the No. 8-ranked Tigers (20-3, 10-0 in Conference USA) who face Tulane (11-10, 4-5) tonight at 7 at FedExForum.
Even after his lackluster four-point, two-rebound effort during Thursday's victory at UAB, sophomore guard Chris Douglas-Roberts described Dozier as "the most talented forward in the country."
In fact, Dozier's up-and-down season has taken a turn for the worse recently. The softspoken native of Lithonia, Ga., is averaging just 6.5 points and a scarcely credible 1.8 rebounds over his past four games.
"We got by without him (against UAB)," Calipari said. "But when the stakes are raised, without Dozier we can't do this. (He needs to) either get tough and go score and play the way you're capable of playing, or we lose a couple games."
Dozier is the first to admit his play of late has not been up to par.
"I've just got to get my confidence up," he said while sitting on a training table Friday afternoon following a light practice at the Finch Center. "I've just had a rough stretch. Everybody has them. It's a long season.
"But if I want to be a great player, I need to perform. It's on me."
Dozier's teammates say they're not worried about his varying output.
His schizophrenic campaign can perhaps be best summed up by a pair of performances in Hawaii, less than 24 hours apart, in which he went scoreless in a damaging loss to Georgia Tech and then went off for 15 points and seven rebounds in a season-defining victory over Kentucky.
"Right now he's just not making tough shots," senior guard Jeremy Hunt said. "He'll break through that."
Douglas-Roberts echoed those sentiments, but he also said that Dozier needs to start giving as good as gets from opposing teams.
"We don't worry much about Rob. ... He's going through a little stretch where he's struggling. We'll get him through that," Douglas-Roberts said. "Teams are getting physical with him too, though, and he's gonna have to play through that."
Sophomore guard Antonio Anderson, picking up on that theme, was a bit more blunt in his assessment.
"They're trying to ... push him around," Anderson said. "He's got to have the mentality that he's gonna push back."
Toward that end, upon the completion of Friday's practice, Dozier went not to the locker room but to the weight room in order to get some lifting in before dinner.
"If you come in and lift weights and work hard, you'll feel stronger even if you're not actually getting that much stronger," he said. "It's just something that helps me.
Dozier, despite expressions of support from his teammates, said he feels the pressure to produce.
"I've got to get back to having that little swagger about me," he said. "Coach feels I've lost my edge but I'm gonna get it back."
Dozier points to the Tigers' recent narrow victory over Southern Miss as the beginning of his recent struggles.
"I got real frustrated that game and I've been up and down ever since," he said. "I let the referees get in my head in that game and it bothered me. I've got to get past that and go play and do what I'm capable of doing."
That means being aggressive on the boards -- Calipari asks him to come up with four offensive rebounds each game but never puts a premium on points -- and attacking the basket.
Dozier has been ineffective in recent games when he's received the ball in the post with his back to the basket -- he prefers to go face up -- but he realizes he must become more effective on the blocks against smaller opponents.
"I just need a little confidence," he said. "Then I'll be fine."
By Jim Masilak
February 10, 2007
Missing: Robert Dozier's mojo.
Description: The conviction to absorb bumps and finish strong while attacking the basket. The determination to grab rebounds, particularly at the offensive end of the court. The confidence to demand the ball in positions best suited to the lanky sophomore forward's considerable offensive strengths.
Advertisement
If found: Please return to the Finch Center, c/o frustrated University of Memphis coach John Calipari, as soon as possible.
This was supposed to be the year Dozier, after a tantalizing rookie season, made good on the potential that often inspires gushing tributes from teammates, coaches and opponents alike.
Out of Shawne Williams' shadow and into the starting lineup for a top-10 club, the 6-9, 215-pounder seemed poised for a breakthrough season.
In actuality, Dozier's performance level has varied wildly for the No. 8-ranked Tigers (20-3, 10-0 in Conference USA) who face Tulane (11-10, 4-5) tonight at 7 at FedExForum.
Even after his lackluster four-point, two-rebound effort during Thursday's victory at UAB, sophomore guard Chris Douglas-Roberts described Dozier as "the most talented forward in the country."
In fact, Dozier's up-and-down season has taken a turn for the worse recently. The softspoken native of Lithonia, Ga., is averaging just 6.5 points and a scarcely credible 1.8 rebounds over his past four games.
"We got by without him (against UAB)," Calipari said. "But when the stakes are raised, without Dozier we can't do this. (He needs to) either get tough and go score and play the way you're capable of playing, or we lose a couple games."
Dozier is the first to admit his play of late has not been up to par.
"I've just got to get my confidence up," he said while sitting on a training table Friday afternoon following a light practice at the Finch Center. "I've just had a rough stretch. Everybody has them. It's a long season.
"But if I want to be a great player, I need to perform. It's on me."
Dozier's teammates say they're not worried about his varying output.
His schizophrenic campaign can perhaps be best summed up by a pair of performances in Hawaii, less than 24 hours apart, in which he went scoreless in a damaging loss to Georgia Tech and then went off for 15 points and seven rebounds in a season-defining victory over Kentucky.
"Right now he's just not making tough shots," senior guard Jeremy Hunt said. "He'll break through that."
Douglas-Roberts echoed those sentiments, but he also said that Dozier needs to start giving as good as gets from opposing teams.
"We don't worry much about Rob. ... He's going through a little stretch where he's struggling. We'll get him through that," Douglas-Roberts said. "Teams are getting physical with him too, though, and he's gonna have to play through that."
Sophomore guard Antonio Anderson, picking up on that theme, was a bit more blunt in his assessment.
"They're trying to ... push him around," Anderson said. "He's got to have the mentality that he's gonna push back."
Toward that end, upon the completion of Friday's practice, Dozier went not to the locker room but to the weight room in order to get some lifting in before dinner.
"If you come in and lift weights and work hard, you'll feel stronger even if you're not actually getting that much stronger," he said. "It's just something that helps me.
Dozier, despite expressions of support from his teammates, said he feels the pressure to produce.
"I've got to get back to having that little swagger about me," he said. "Coach feels I've lost my edge but I'm gonna get it back."
Dozier points to the Tigers' recent narrow victory over Southern Miss as the beginning of his recent struggles.
"I got real frustrated that game and I've been up and down ever since," he said. "I let the referees get in my head in that game and it bothered me. I've got to get past that and go play and do what I'm capable of doing."
That means being aggressive on the boards -- Calipari asks him to come up with four offensive rebounds each game but never puts a premium on points -- and attacking the basket.
Dozier has been ineffective in recent games when he's received the ball in the post with his back to the basket -- he prefers to go face up -- but he realizes he must become more effective on the blocks against smaller opponents.
"I just need a little confidence," he said. "Then I'll be fine."
Friday, February 09, 2007
AP Story - Memphis 70, UAB 56
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.
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.
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