Tigers put thoughts of NBA out of minds

Tigers put thoughts of NBA out of minds
By Dan Wolken (Contact)
Sunday, October 14, 2007

They have been the core of Memphis' basketball renaissance, known nothing but Elite Eights and Conference USA championships.

Chris Douglas-Roberts, Antonio Anderson and Robert Dozier came in together two years ago and delivered on their promise to turn the fortunes of a program struggling to break through.

Now, as they begin their junior years, it is only natural to wonder if this third swing at a national championship will be their last together.

"Well, you know, that's something we'll sit down and talk about together as the friends that we are and with coach and our families," Anderson said, laughing with surprise at the question. "If that's what it is, only time can tell."

When the Tigers bowed out last season after a 92-76 loss to eventual NCAA runner-up Ohio State in the Elite Eight, there was little doubt they would return intact for at least one more year.

Though Dozier came alive in the NCAA Tournament, the power forward's inconsistent regular season showed he needed at least one more year of college. Despite his maturation as a defensive stopper, Anderson shot just 39percent from the field and 24.5 percent from 3-point range.

And though Douglas-Roberts could have considered throwing his name into the NBA Draft after averaging a team-high 15.4 points, he quickly realized he could improve his stock considerably by showing better shooting range and developing his body.

Finally, by coming back, all three would ensure the opportunity to play with freshman point guard Derrick Rose and lead a consensus top-five team toward another deep postseason run.

Which is precisely what coach John Calipari wants them to focus on. During the summer, Calipari talked openly about his biggest concern being whether his players would let NBA agendas creep into their locker room and damage the chemistry that carried Memphis beyond expectations last season.

It's a path Calipari has been down before -- Darius Washington, anyone? -- and a path he knows won't lead to the Final Four.

"I don't think these guys are thinking of (leaving early)," Calipari said. "They're thinking of one thing right now, winning. You've got a team that is self motivated, on a mission, and they like each other. I don't mind that being their goal and what they're striving for for themselves personally, but the whole way of doing it is, do you know what they want to see? It's rebounds per minute, points per minute, where are you at physically? Are you able to make game-winning plays? Are you a good teammate?"

At the same time, everyone associated with the program has to acknowledge the possibility that Memphis' roster could change drastically next season. The Tigers have just one recruit committed for the class of 2008 -- power forward Angel Garcia -- and Memphis could lose as many as five players, including Rose, who almost everybody assumes would be a lottery pick in 2008.

Of the others, Douglas-Roberts seems the most likely candidate to jump, though various mock-draft Web sites don't rate him as a first-rounder, mainly due to questions about his outside shooting.

"It's a possibility, but I don't want to jinx myself or anything," Douglas-Roberts said. "I'm just going to play, and whatever happens, happens. I'm going to make the best decision for me. If it's not time for me to go, I won't go. Simple as that."

Dozier has always been the Tigers' "potential" guy, the one scouts have followed closely because of his long, lean physique and flashes of first-round skill.

"We're not worried about that right now," Dozier said. "We're just focused on the season and what we've got to do to get to that point to win a national championship. That's our main focus.

"You watch other teams that win national championships, they have three and four players go every year, so it's a possibility. If it comes to that at the end of the season, we'll sit down and think about it, but other than that, it's not on our minds."

Of course, if the Tigers were to win a national title, Anderson, Dozier and Douglas-Roberts might have to seize the opportunity to leave. To wit, of the 60 players who were drafted into the NBA last summer, nine came off the rosters of Ohio State and Florida, who played for the national title.

"You have to do what's best for yourself, but it all comes within the team," Douglas-Roberts said. "The further we go, the more success each individual will have."

There's one more scenario, however, that there isn't much precedent for, courtesy of Anderson.

"My whole goal for this year's team is to do the same thing Indiana did in '76 and go undefeated and win a national title," Anderson said. "If we can do that, what you asked me earlier (about leaving early) would be true."

In that case, Calipari and every other Memphis fan would be happy to send them on their way.

Reach Dan Wolken at 529-2365; read his blogs on Tiger basketball at thememphisedge.com.

Letters to Gary Parrish on His Player Rankings

Letters to Gary Parrish on His Player Rankings

From: Chad

It's just silly to rank an INCOMING FRESHMAN as the No. 1 point/combo. I quit reading the story after that.

It's just silly to not believe the freshmen aren't among the best players in the nation. I quit reading your email after that. But seriously, I got a lot of notes about having Rose No. 1 on the points/combos list. One claimed he's all hype (not true). Another claimed he's not really a point (not true). Another claimed there are at least five freshmen point guards better than him (definitely not true). Another claimed that Dajuan Wagner and Darius Washington were actually better Memphis point guards than Rose (so untrue it's stupid because Wagner and Washington weren't really points). But faced with all the criticism, I decided to go to the people who see Rose most --i.e., his teammates -- to ask about the ranking, and all I can tell you is that they don't think I'm crazy.

"I have never played against or seen somebody who is that fast with the ball," Memphis junior Antonio Anderson said. "Once he learns our offense he's going to be unbelievable." Joey Dorsey said basically the same thing. Then I asked Chris Douglas-Roberts if there was any chance Rose was being over-hyped, and he said "No. Not at all." And when I asked if all the hype was disruptive considering he, Anderson and Dorsey -- veterans who have been to back-to-back Elite Eights -- are being completely overshadowed nationally by their freshman teammate, Douglas-Roberts didn't hesitate to answer. "We don't mind," he said. "We play with him every day. We know how good he is."

Anyway, just trust me on this one. It might take Rose a month to get comfortable, but when he does you'll cease thinking I'm nuts.

The Birmingham News - Calipari has good reason to be excited

Calipari has good reason to be excited
Friday, October 12, 2007
STEVE IRVINE Birmingham News staff writer

MEMPHIS - The excitement that Memphis men's basketball coach John Calipari claimed to have during Wednesday's Conference USA Media Day at the FedEx Forum is understandable.

After all, he's returning all five starters from last year's team that went 33-4 overall, won all 16 C-USA regular season games and advanced to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight for the second successive season. And he's also welcoming freshman point guard Derrick Rose, who may be considered the country's top freshman by the end of the season.

Surprisingly, however, Calipari's excitement carries outside his program.

"I'm just as excited about our league," Calipari said. "The steps that all the coaches have taken to take their programs to another level is phenomenal. What I like is everyone is taking their program up. What you're going to find is a parity that is good at the top. That's what I see happening and I'm excited for that."

On paper he has a point. Take away Rice, which lost C-USA Player of the Year Morris Almond, and nearly every team returns most of their key players.

UAB strengthened itself with its recruiting class, Houston returns point guard Lanny Smith after he sat out last year with an injury and Southern Miss has a strong mix of returnees and incoming talent. Tulsa has nearly everyone back from a team that won 20 games and Tulane returns the core of a team that finished fourth in the conference.

All of that is just a start for a league but Memphis is still the place to begin.

"We have to catch up to Memphis," said SMU head coach Matt Doherty. "That's the carrot for all of us. We want to chase them down a little bit. We don't just want to play them close. We're all competitors. (Calipari) wants to win every game and we want to beat them. We don't want Memphis to slip to us. We want to go to them. Then that's going to be good for everybody."

Finding a way to get more teams into postseason play is what the league really needs. Four C-USA teams made it into postseason play in 2006 when Memphis and UAB participated in the NCAA Tournament and Houston and UTEP played in the NIT. Memphis was the lone postseason participant last season.

"It's a strong league," said Southern Miss head coach Larry Eustachy. "It's far stronger than last year. I think last year was just growing pains. I think you'll see a league that gets four or five teams annually."

Eustachy detailed what he thought it would take to get more teams in the postseason.

"I think, obviously, we have to have some big wins in the nonconference - collectively," Eustachy said. "(Calipari) has to cooperate and let us beat him a few times. I think it will happen. (Houston has) got a very good team.

"I think (Houston head coach Tom Penders is) downplaying it, which is unusual for him. They're good. And UAB is loaded."

E-mail: sirvine@bhamnews.com

© 2007 The Birmingham News. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Deep, athletic Tigers preparing to press more than ever

Deep, athletic Tigers preparing to press more than ever
Calipari wishes he'd gone for it against Ohio St.
By Dan Wolken
Monday, October 15, 2007

John Calipari had spent two years forging the University of Memphis' identity as an up-tempo, running-and-pressing program. Then, in the game that mattered above all the others -- the game that could send the Tigers to the Final Four -- he flinched.

In retrospect, Calipari's decision to completely abandon the full-court press in the Elite Eight loss to Ohio State is one he wishes he could have back.

"If I had to do it over again, I would have pressed," Calipari said. "I don't know if we'd have lost by 20, but I do know we lost by whatever we lost by (92-76) not pressing. That's what I thought our best chance was to win that game. But I'd like to know for sure."

This season, Calipari is hoping he won't have to second-guess himself. With a deeper bench and a more athletic group of big men, the Tigers believe they can play even faster and press more than they did last season when they averaged 78.9 points and forced 17.4 turnovers per game.

"We really are working hard on it," sophomore point guard Willie Kemp said. "We're ahead of where we were last year. We're just trying to get the new guys to press a lot. That's our biggest threat, is our press, so we're coming into the season as a pressing team. It's something we work on every day, and I think we can get to the next level with our press."

Though the Tigers' halfcourt man-to-man was stellar most of the season, it's debatable how effective their press was. At times, Memphis could press the weaker teams on its schedule into submission. But in big games, the Tigers tended to use token pressure and then swarm in the halfcourt.

That lack of commitment to the press ultimately showed up against Ohio State. Though the Buckeyes had been vulnerable against Tennessee's aggressive full-court defense, Calipari didn't feel like the Tigers' press would force Mike Conley, Jr., and Ron Lewis to turn the ball over.

The makeup of this year's team, however, could lend itself to pressing more. Last season, Memphis' primary big man off the bench was Kareem Cooper, whose lack of mobility limited the team's options when he was in the game. Memphis also has more athleticism at the guard and wing positions, and Calipari now feels comfortable that nobody can out-run the Tigers.

"I have one more big sub in Shawn Taggart that I obviously didn't have last year," Calipari said. "The second thing is, I think Derrick Rose and Jeff Robinson give us two more athletes that I would say could run. So even if they had two guards, who cares?"

The Tigers' press should also be better simply because they're working on it earlier and more often. During the five-week preseason last October and November, Calipari focused almost exclusively on their dribble-drive motion offense, which he felt was necessary since it was only his second full season employing the attack he borrowed and adapted from Pepperdine coach Vance Walberg.

Because 10 of Memphis' 13 players are veterans, Calipari felt comfortable devoting half of the team's practice time over the weekend to defense.

"Coach has got a nine- or 10-man rotation, and we're going to press," sophomore guard Doneal Mack said. "If he doesn't see it working, he'll go a little more conventional. But we love to play fast, we love to press, get them turnovers and get the crowd pumping. That's our offense, starting the fast break, and we hope it's going to work out for us this year."

Tigers' madness never stops, Basketball team kept plenty busy in offseason

Tigers' madness never stops
Basketball team kept plenty busy in offseason
By Dan Wolken
Thursday, October 11, 2007

For most basketball programs around the country, the seven months that separate March Madness and Midnight Madness are calm retreat from which they can emerge in October reinvented and refreshed.

At the University of Memphis, however, the madness did not stop. From John Calipari's globetrotting to the arrival of freshman phenom Derrick Rose to record ticket sales and unbridled hype to a September incident on Beale Street that landed two players in court, barely a week went by without the Tigers being part of this city's consciousness.

"It's definitely what I thought I'd get and much more," junior forward Robert Dozier said Wednesday, describing the remarkable attention the team has gotten this summer. "I expected to come in and win and change the program around with my classmates, and it's been a tremendous ride."

Though the coaches have not changed, the players have barely changed and aspirations of a national championship are still intact, Friday's Memphis Madness will indeed be a symbolic celebration of a new season.

Here are four things to know about Memphis Madness, which begins at 8p.m. Friday at FedExForum.

1. For a lot of Memphis fans in the city, Friday may be the only opportunity to see the Tigers in person this season. As of Wednesday afternoon, the school was down to about 260 unsold season tickets. Once they're gone, that's it for the year.

The only single-game tickets that will be available are unclaimed student seats. Plus, getting into Memphis Madness is pretty cheap: It's free, though canned food donations are encouraged, and seats will be available.

In most years, Memphis can expect a crowd of about 10,000 fans at Memphis Madness.

Coach John Calipari said he was hoping for "12,000 to 15,000 or more" on Friday, given the excitement about this team, which is ranked No.1 or No. 2 in several preseason polls.

And a full house would likely make a positive impression on the long list of elite recruits who will be in attendance.

2. So, who are the recruits? Well, basically every high school player from Memphis who is on the Tigers' radar has been confirmed as a guest at Memphis Madness. That includes St. George's guard Elliot Williams, who will be making his official visit to the Tigers.

Williams, a consensus top20 senior in the nation according to scouting services, has already visited Virginia, Duke and Tennessee and is expected to make his decision after the Memphis visit.

Briarcrest junior guard Leslie McDonald and White Station junior forward Farrakohn Hall -- both consensus top-75 players -- headline a long list of underclassmen coming to Memphis Madness, which also includes: Gentry Hines (Raleigh-Egypt), Tim Peete (Central), Greg Wooten (Briarcrest), Joe Jackson (White Station), Bobby Parks Jr. (Ridgeway) and Mardracus Wade (Mitchell), among others.

Memphis also will have out-of-town visitors from the 2009 high school class, including Christian Watford from Birmingham and Xavier Henry from Oklahoma City. Watford, a 6-7 small forward, is rated in the top 50 by most scouting services and is also very good friends with DeMarcus Cousins, a consensus top-five player in the class. Cousins was still considering visiting Memphis Madness as of Wednesday.

This will be Henry's second straight visit to Memphis Madness. A 6-6 guard rated No. 2 in the junior class by Scout.com, Henry's favorites appear to be Memphis and Kansas at this point. His father, Carl Henry, played at Kansas when Calipari was an assistant there.

Durand Scott, a 6-4 guard from New York rated as a top-50 junior, also is likely to be in Memphis on an unofficial visit this weekend.

All told, that's between five and seven potential McDonald's All-Americans.

3. The evening begins at 6:30 p.m. with a performance by the Memphis band and cheerleaders on the FedExForum plaza. Doors will open at 7 p.m., and players will be available for autographs until roughly 7:50 p.m. At 8 p.m. players will be introduced, and festivities will continue until about 9:30 p.m.

At some point in the event, Memphis will introduce the 15Chinese coaches who are in town observing the Tigers as part of Calipari's coaches' exchange. A few of the coaches, who played in the Chinese Basketball Association, will have a 3-point shooting contest against Memphis' players. The Tigers also will have a dunk contest and finish with a short intra-squad scrimmage.

4. Though the entire Midnight Madness tradition began in 1971 when Lefty Driesell held a real practice at Maryland just after midnight on Oct. 15, it's now nothing more than a showcase. In fact, the NCAA has even changed the rules to allow the madness to begin the evening before the official day when teams can start practicing.

As for the Tigers, the scrimmage will be organized, but probably not quite full speed. That's because they'll have to get up early Saturday morning to begin the real work with a string of two-a-day practices. Still, fans should be able to get just enough of a glimpse to whet their appetites for the Nov. 5 season opener.

"Our fans know this team," Calipari said. "They'll know how we play, but what they're wanting to see is the new guys too. Who got stronger from the old players? Who's better than they were a year ago? Who's improved?

"And then they'll want to see, what about this Derrick Rose kid, this Jeff Robinson kid and this Shawn Taggart kid? They'll want to leave the building saying, man, is Antonio Anderson better? Robert Dozier is so much stronger. That's what they'll want to say, and then they'll try to figure out where the other guys are."

Reach Dan Wolken at 529-2365; read his blogs on Tiger basketball at thememphisedge.com.

CA Columnist Geoff Calkins - Tigers bringing much-needed optimism to city

Tigers bringing much-needed optimism to city
By Geoff Calkins (Contact)
Saturday, October 13, 2007

The dunk contest was supposed to be between Jeff Robinson and Doneal Mack, but Memphis coach John Calipari interrupted it with a small request.

"This is for my own enjoyment," he said, summoning freshman point guard Derrick Rose to the court.

Calipari handed Rose the ball. He told him to dunk just once.

The crowd rose to applaud the new kid.

It was almost too much. This was his first public moment at Memphis. He was supposed to dazzle everyone with a single dunk?

The clapping grew louder. Rose calmly bounced the ball high in the air. Then he went up, grabbed it, brought it back down -- nearly to his toes -- and slammed it, backward, emphatically through the hoop.

The place exploded.

"Just a regular dunk," said Rose, afterward.

"JUST A REGULAR DUNK?" said Memphis forward Chris Douglas-Roberts, and then he laughed.

But what a way to start this journey, this basketball trip that will wind on for seven months, and is supposed to end at the Final Four in San Antonio.

"You don't know where it's going," said Calipari, during the Memphis Madness celebration at FedExForum Friday night, "but it looks like it's going to be a lot of fun."

That's right, fun, and just in the nick of time, wouldn't you say?

This city could use a pick-me-up, something to feel good about again. Over the years and the decades, there's not much that has made Memphis feel better than Tiger basketball.

The most famous example came in 1972-73, when Larry Finch and Gene Bartow led Memphis to the championship game against ULCA.

It's the stuff of civic legend now, of municipal mythology.

The Tigers brought the city together. That's what everyone says. Black and white, rich and poor, people put aside their differences to pull for a single basketball team.

What a happy fable, eh? And what a perfect time for it to happen again.

Because, 35 years later, Memphians are divided once more. Or maybe we're just more keenly aware of the things that have divided us all along.

The mayoral race was divisive and ugly. Only one of the three major candidates -- the one who finished third -- was gracious about the results.

Letters to the editor are raw and bitter. People have chosen sides or, worse, chosen to leave town.

If this isn't a job for Memphis basketball, then what the heck is?

And, yes, it is entirely understandable if you are rolling your eyes right about now. It's just a basketball team, after all. Just a dozen players and a coach.

A basketball team can't put a stop to the violence. A basketball team can't lift thousands out of poverty, or make fathers act like fathers, or solve the financial problems of The Med.

A basketball team can't even bring everyone together, no matter the mythology.

Will a basketball team cause Willie Herenton to look inside himself? Or cause his opponents and detractors to see the good in the man?

Of course not. It's just a basketball team. Let's not be naive.

And yet, there is something the Tigers can do, and will do, and even started doing Friday night.

They can make people smile. You remember how to do that, right?

This month's issue of Men's Journal quotes a Kansas University study that concluded "sport fans suffer fewer bouts of depression and alienation than do people who are uninterested in sports."

Most sports fans don't get to pull for a team that's been to two straight Elite Eights, either. Or that comes into the season ranked in everyone's top three.

Chuck Roberts, the public address announcer, was so pumped his voice gave out after introducing just four players Friday night.

"I have no voice," he croaked. From out of the stands rushed local sportscaster Greg Gaston.

"The next player," Gaston picked up, not missing a syllable.

It was quite a moment, really. This Memphis team is so deep, it has a backup PA announcer.

"This is the best team Memphis has had in a long time," said Douglas-Roberts. "We have to get to the final game this year."

Which may or may not mean the Tigers will do it. That's the peril of sports. Nothing is certain but the opportunity, and the continuing devotion of the fans.

Sean Donaldson, 14, showed up Friday wearing a classic, white Memphis State jacket from the mid-1970s.

"I got it from him," he said, pointing to his dad.

Turns out Tim Donaldson, 49, started at Memphis in 1976. He wore the jacket to games in the Coliseum. He remembers Finch and Bartow and everything they meant.

When Donaldson graduated from Memphis, he put the jacket in the back of his closet. He married a girl he had met in the dorms. They had a son, Sean.

Years passed. Memphis changed.

Not long ago, Donaldson happened on his old jacket.

"You want to wear this?" he asked Sean.

Sean definitely did.

So Friday night, Donaldson went to work early, and left work early, all so he and Sean could be at FedExForum 90 minutes before the doors opened.

Donaldson wanted to see Rose, certainly. He wanted to see something else, too.

"This team has to help us get past the petty bickering," he said. "To be honest with you, this is the only glue the city has right now. This is the one thing, no matter your nationality or your politics or your religion, that everyone can get behind."

Father and son waited patiently for the doors to open. For the season -- and maybe the fable -- to begin anew.

To reach Geoff Calkins, call him at 529-2364 or e-mail calkins@commercialappeal.com

Memphis Flyer - Memphis Tigers' Midnight Madness Draws National Media

Memphis Tigers' Midnight Madness Draws National Media

OCTOBER 13, 2007 - 08:29 AM

From ESPN.com's Andy Katz (one of many national scribes here to catch the Tigers' Midnight Madness festivities):
"Six hours prior to Memphis unveiling its most anticipated team to the general public on Friday, John Calipari was looking for someone to help him hang a Chinese dragon symbol in his office.

"'This symbolizes dominance,' Calipari said as he found the perfect spot behind his desk to hang the gold and red keepsake given to him by the Chinese Basketball Assocation delegation that he helped bring to the city the past week in a unique five-year deal with the CBA.

"Throughout the past week, Calipari has been running a clinic for the Chinese delegation, hoping his style will rub off on the Chinese as they try to enhance their basketball program.

"Well, after Friday night's Midnight Madness event in Memphis, Calipari gave the Chinese coaches some words to work on translating into Mandarin, words like hype, spontaneity and boldness ..."

Read the rest of Katz' story at ESPN.com.

AOL Sports - Is Tennessee Better Than Memphis?

Is Tennessee Better Than Memphis?
Posted Oct 13th 2007 11:05AM by Michael David Smith
Filed under: Memphis Basketball, Tennessee Basketball

A whole lot of people think Memphis is the team to beat in college basketball this season. Andy Katz ranked the Tigers first, and they were second in our premature hoops BlogPoll. There are a lot of reasons to like Memphis , including the fact that it returns seven of the top eight scorers from last season's Elite Eight team.

But Luke Winn of SI.com raises an interesting point in his preseason power rankings: Maybe Memphis isn't even the best team in its state. Winn ranks the Tigers fourth, one behind Bruce Pearl's Tennessee Volunteers. Winn writes:

Tennessee is now epicenter of college hoops, with a top-five team on each side of the state and a decent SEC sleeper (Vandy) sitting in the middle. Unfortunate that we have to wait until Feb. 23 to settle a rivalry in which both teams play up-tempo ball and both coaches actively dislike each other. That leaves us to speculate in the meantime: Even though Memphis is the preseason No. 1 in a few prominent places on the Web, the Vols might be slightly better. They won last year's meeting by 18, and filled a glaring frontcourt need with the offseason addition of Iowa transfer Tyler Smith. The Tigers are bringing in an all-world point guard in Derrick Rose, but does that signal an 18-point improvement?

It's an interesting point. I don't know if anyone has ever called Tennessee the "epicenter of college hoops before, but it may be now.

CSTV.com - Hansbrough, Douglas-Roberts headline this year's Player of the Year candidates

Chris Douglas-Roberts - Memphis, Guard

One of the most improved players last season, Douglas-Roberts took his game to another level in the NCAA Tournament as he handled the responsibility of scoring in double-digits night in and night out for John Calipari. With a clip of 15.4 points and 3.4 rebounds, the junior shooting guard can score in a variety of ways, from slashing to the hoop to sticking the open three on the perimeter. Now with the Tigers standing at the top of the polls to start the season, the expectations are even higher for the Detroit native, who should benefit from a veteran lineup that includes forwards Robert Dozier and Joey Dorsey as well as guards Antonio Anderson and Doneal Mack. But if Douglas-Roberts can learn to play alongside freshman sensation Derrick Rose, one of the top point guard recruits coming into the season, then there's no telling how far Memphis can go in 2007-08.

Cover Page of Memphis Commercial Appeal on October 13

Ed Land, Jr.'s Recap of Midnight Madness

http://memphissport.typepad.com/ed/2007/10/t-i-g-e-r-s-tig.html

T-I-G-E-R-S, Tigers! The Madness Begins...
If you weren't at Memphis Madness, here's what you missed:

-A crazy and sick toss-the-ball-in-the-air, run-under-it, jump, catch the ball, double-pump power dunk by Derrick Rose. 1 try. 1 ball through the net.
-The presence of Andre Turner and Elliott Perry as dunk contest judges.
-About 25 ally-oops during the Tiger's scrimmage.
-Some really big Chinese guys shooting the 3.
-A heart-felt thank you from John Calipari to the fans, for coming out despite the many Friday night alternatives.
-The official beginning of the Tigers 2007-2008 Championship Season!

Be sure to look for Derrick Rose in "The Interview" in the upcoming issue of Memphis Sport Magazine. For now, here are a couple of photos...my personal favorite is the dry-erase board denoting the starting line-ups for the Memphis Madness scrimmage. I wish I could get the Derrick Rose video dunk on here for everyone, but I don't have the skillz. That should be obvious, considering the terribly annoying way that the stupid photo program displays all of the pictures below. Trust me, it looks nothing like that every time I re-save it.

Later! Ed Land, Jr.

CSTV.com - Dunk Time

Dunk Time
By David Scott - October 12, 2007

MEMPHIS - The dunk contest is coming up and not a minute too soon. Building has lost some energy. Or at least I have.

Each contestant, Jeff Robinson and Doneal Mack, had 30 seconds to do his best dunk. Robinson got in three, including two windmills. Mack tried a between the legs but failed and made just one of his dunks.

Robinson got a combined score of 33 while Mack got something less.

But the highlight came after Calipari said, "I've got to give Derrick Rose just one tim. Truly for my own enjoyment."

Rose gave enjoyment to the crowd with a pass to himself from the 3-point line, a catch, a pump between his legs and an overhead the jam. Yeah, the kid's that good.

. . . "I got chills watching that highlight tape and saw that banner go up," said Calipari. "But you know what, last year is over. You don't know where it's going, but I'll tell you what, it looks like it's going to be a lot of fun."



. . . A full court scrimmage between the blue and white will cap off the night. The blue is being coached by assistant Derek Kellogg and the white is being headed up by assistant John Robic. Kellogg immediately made like he was bribing the officials.

Starting five for the blue is Dorsey, Antonio Anderson, Willie Kemp, Jeff Robinson and Chris Douglas-Roberts. the White is going with Rose, Robert Dozier, Doneal Mack, Andre Allen and Shawn Taggart.

Looks like it will be a 15 minute game.

. . . The four judges for the dunk contest are former Tiger players Elliott Perry (1987-91), Andre Turner (1982-86), Billy Smith (1990-93) and Ernest Smith (1988-92).

. . . The Tiger 3-point shooters won that contest 22-19. Loser goes back to China. Next week.

Morning practice observations - Saturday 10/13

Morning practice observations
Posted by Dan Wolken

After a pretty late night on Friday, I was curious how the Tigers would look at 9 a.m. for their first real practice. In a word: Wow.

Surely, every practice won’t be as good as Memphis’ Saturday morning session, but clearly Chris Douglas-Roberts was telling the truth when he said Friday night, “This is a business year.” The Tigers were sharp, focused and very much engaged throughout the two-plus hours they were on the court. Quick observations before I get to work on stories for tomorrow’s newspaper:

– Freshman point guard Derrick Rose gets better with every practice, and the margin of improvement from two weeks ago is scary.

–Though sophomore forward Pierre Niles still isn’t in the kind of shape he needs to be in, Saturday morning might have been the best practice of his career.

– Junior forward Robert Dozier is up to 222 pounds, and he’s not backing down from physical play. He’s making plays in traffic he wasn’t able to make last year.

– Freshman Jeff Robinson has beautiful arc on his jump shot, and when he gets in rhythm, he doesn’t hit much rim.

– Sophomore Willie Kemp rolled his right ankle during Memphis Madness. He tried to practice but had to quit after just a few minutes.

– Andre Allen went down with a little quad strain, but he got up after about 90 seconds and went right back to practice.

Posted Saturday, October 13th, 2007 at 2:19 pm

Rivals.com - Legal problems make coaches take action

Legal problems make coaches take action
By Andrew Skwara, Rivals.com College Basketball Staff Writer

No more late nights. No more night clubs.

That was the offseason message two coaches, Memphis' John Calipari and UAB's Mike Davis, sent to their teams after both programs had multiple players arrested this past summer. Calipari and Davis set up curfews and a rule barring their players from going to night clubs.

Calipari has since lifted the curfew – the night club rule remains in effect – but his original move highlights a growing problem in college basketball as a series of players got into trouble with the law during the offseason.

Duquesne, Missouri, Pittsburgh and Oklahoma State also were among the schools that had players run afoul of the law.

At Memphis, freshman Jeff Robinson and Iowa State transfer Shawn Taggart were both arrested outside a night club in early September and charged with disorderly conduct and inciting a riot. Robinson was also charged with assault with the intent to do bodily harm. There was also a report that center Joey Dorsey started a fight inside the club. Robinson and Taggart have pled not guilty and await trial on Nov. 6.

Five UAB players, none of whom has suited up for the Blazers yet, were arrested at a Birmingham club in the early hours of Aug. 31. Junior guard Channing Toney was charged with physically harassing an officer. Junior guard Edward Berrios was charged with physical harassment and disorderly conduct. Sophomore forward Robert Vaden (who played for Davis at Indiana), sophomore forward Walter Sharpe and freshman center Keenan Ellis were each charged with disorderly conduct. Police also found that Sharpe had a warrant out accusing him of failing to appear on a case involving possession of marijuana. Ellis has since left school due to academic issues and enrolled at a junior college.

Davis chose not to suspend anyone, but says he internally disciplined the players. He later implemented an 11 p.m. curfew for all players.

Pittsburgh junior point guard Levance Fields, who tied for fifth in the Big East with 4.6 assists a game last season, may have been the most high-profile player arrested. Fields was subdued with a Taser gun when, police said, he tried to get a hold of an off-duty officer's gun at a Pittsburgh club on Sept. 16. Fields must serve 50 hours of community service and pay court costs. Coach Jamie Dixon said he will handle any punishment internally.

Duquesne forward Stuard Baldonado has been indefinitely suspended following two arrests within a five-day span, first on Aug. 31 for criminal conspiracy involving the manufacture, delivery or possession of a controlled substance, and again on Sept. 5 for a misdemeanor drug charge. Baldonado was one of five Duquesne players shot at an on-campus dance last year. He is also facing charges in Miami for aggravated assault and false imprisonment.

Missouri coach Mike Anderson chose to kick senior power forward Kalen Grimes, the Tigers' leading rebounder, off the team after he was charged with second-degree felony assault.

Oklahoma State guard Obi Muonelo was arrested in Stillwater, Okla., in late June for being in a 21-and-up bar. Muonelo was 19 at the time.

Tennessee hasn't dealt with any arrests, but for the second consecutive year its starting center begins the season indefinitely suspended. Police found a small amount of marijuana in the room of sophomore Duke Crews, who reportedly had already failed one drug test. Former Vol Major Wingate was kicked off the team last year for failing multiple drug tests.

This is the first time in years that some of these schools have had to deal with these type of incidents. For others, like Memphis and Tennessee, it appears to be part of a disturbing trend. Whether curfews or prohibiting visits to clubs is the answer remains to be seen. At least there should be less time to get in trouble with the practice now officially under way.

Andrew Skwara is a national writer for Rivals.com. He can be reached at askwara@rivals.com.

Practice report, Oct. 10

Practice report, Oct. 10
Posted by Dan Wolken

The Tigers held their final pre-preseason practice on Wednesday, and it was indeed a unique experience. The 15 Chinese coaches were all there, sitting along a wall at the Finch Center, scribbling notes and getting translation from Xia Song, who I wrote about in today’s newspaper article and in my previous blog entry. Plus, camera crews documenting the journey were all over the place. The Tigers’ usual media continent was there as well, along with a reporter from Slam Magazine in town working on a feature. The Tigers had several other visitors, including Bobby Parks and his son, Bobby Parks, Jr., who is one of the best young players in the city. I had a long talk with Chris Woolard, who is in charge of men’s basketball for Conference USA. He said the league’s TV schedule should come out sometime next week.

As for the practice itself, it once again felt like a late November or December practice. Freshman point guard Derrick Rose seems to get better each time I see him. Point guard Andre Allen has a sprained thumb on his right hand, but he’s playing through it. Guard Antonio Anderson’s wrist is bothering him, but he also practiced. At one point, I thought forward Pierre Niles was going to pass out from exhaustion after a drill. But to his credit, Niles took a minute to collect himself, went back in and finished practice.

One moment that stood out was when sophomore Doneal Mack went into traffic, made a nifty up-and-under move and finished a layup with his right hand. Remember, Mack is left-handed. At this point one year ago, Mack couldn’t make an uncontested layup with his right hand, much less a difficult one. It was such an impressive move, John Calipari had to stop practice for a minute and say to no one in particular, “Whooo…if he’s doing that with his right hand…Wow.” Calipari also got pumped up when forward Shawn Taggart executed a very nice-looking give-and-go to Joey Dorsey cutting in from the backdoor. It was the kind of play that showed Calipari that Taggart indeed has good instincts and skills.

And finally, I got a little preview of Memphis’ new uniforms. Don’t expect anything much different than what they were last year. The striping on last year’s uniforms actually did not meet NCAA specification. Since that was adidas’ goof, the NCAA let Memphis and a couple other teams who were wearing that uniform template finish the year with it. Basically, this year’s edition is the same uniform with some adjustment on the stripes.

CSTV.com - Midnight Madness: The Pre-Game Punch

Midnight Madness: The Pre-Game Punch

We're in the gym at five arenas tonight blogging live in HANG TIME while Going South is at Kentucky's Rupp Arena, so here's a quick run down of the Midnight Madness visitors for those college hoops fans that don't normally dip into the recruiting scene....

Georgetown - Talk about building on momentum. JTIII's got the nation's capital and the surrounding areas on lock, plus the staff worked to pick some of the best from the west in, and they'll host the nation's best available player in No. 2 overall Greg Monroe from Gretna, LA. The three Class of 2008 commits are from close proximity to campus. Forwards Chris Braswell (No. 65) and Henry Sims (No. 57) come in as guys who play with that classic GTown toughness and are sure to bring some Hoya Paranoia to any guards thinking about bringing it down the lane. The backcourt keeps up its four-deep fueling. They'll have Sapp, Summers, Wright and Freeman this year, and Jason Clark (No. 103) will come in a year from now ready to contribute. 2009 wing teammates at Montrose Christian (Kevin Durant's HS senior year stop) Isaiah Armwood and Terrell Vinson (No. 12 and 40) will be there, and coming in cross country are Hollis Thompson (No. 11 junior) and Renaldo Woolridge (No. 75 senior, choosing from the Hoyas, Tennessee, USC, Marquette and Illinois). With Monroe, they'll have to top the LSU win over Florida last week on the gridiron that Monroe was front and center on the sidelines for in his bayou backyard. Getting the Midnight Madness visit is as plenty important as hosting him for a big football game, considering they fought the likes of Duke, UConn and Texas for it. Long enough list of potential future Hoyas? Hibbert might even have someone hiding in his 'fro.

Memphis - The excitement for Memphis hoops is carrying on down. Highlighting the visitors is Elliot Williams (No. 18), another player like Rose that gets to the rim at will and attacks it violently. He's an in-state kid and has them on his final list of three along with Tennessee and Duke. Xavier Henry of Oklahoma is the No. 4 rated junior in the country and would be another CDR, but he's got offers from whoever he wants and his brother is CJ Henry, a Kansas hooper and 1st Round MLB Pick in 2005 by the New York Yankees. Speaking of the Big Apple, long and lean swingman Durand Scott (No. 55 junior) might trip down. If not, they'll be sure to have him at their two Madison Square Garden games this pre-season as Scott's list is in the early stages of being trimmed but has a national feel. The Tigers are ready to run rough shot on the nation and this is one night where they don't want Derrick Rose to be unselfish. If you weren't ready to gel your hair up like Coach Cal than the Jason Kidd/Baron Davis remix of a point guard will make you lose it.

North Carolina - Ed Davis (No. 10-ranked overall senior) is bringing his block party to Late Night with Roy. The 6-9 forward commit will make Heel fans happy with his silky smooth footwork and his alarm clock shot blocks (great timing). He's got a younger running mate from his summer ball team joining him for the event, and that's Kendall Marshall (No. 10-ranked sophomore). If Davis isn't playing for pay by 2010, Marshall will be back teaming with and running the show for the Heels at that point, since he's already given a verbal commitment to the program. Was there a time you ever wanted Serge Zwikker and Kevin Salvadori to own the paint together? 7-footish twins Travis and David Wear (No. 23 and 30) make the hike in from California. And it's not going to be Ronald Curry Pt. II, but one of the nation's top football players comes in to Chapell Hill. Don't doubt the link of 'Ol Roy hitting the ol' stomping grounds and pulling Arthur Brown out of Jayhawk land in Wichita, Kan. What a worker. Roy really does give a flip.

USC - The Trojans get their new juice debuting OJ tonight and now they've got twin towers in the Galen Center. Renardo Sidney (Mississippi to Artesia, now to Fairfax) and Jeremy Tyler (San Diego) are some of the best big men nationally in their classes ('09 and '10) and would be big-time lands if they decided to stay home. That's two and three years away though. It seems like SC's got each year covered for excitement at this point in time though. The one not mentioned? 2008, and they've got two high-profile commitments. DeMar Derozan (No. 5) was the biggest rising wing of those players this past summer that were heading into their senior years and improved his game to the length of getting pro talk around him. Percy Miller still needs a growth spurt, but his pops if you didn't already know is Master P (used to rap, got a try-out with the league's Toronto Raptors, made some millions). Should be a nice donor kick-back if all goes smooth with his son. Lastly, speaking of sons, Dwayne Polee Jr. (No. 33) is a 2010 commit and his father's on the staff now as Director of Basketball Operations. Can't wait for O.J. to son the Pac-10.

Kansas - A big-time class enters its junior season and despite losing Julian Wright, watch out as Sherron Collins, Mario Chalmers and Brandon Rush go into takeover mode this year with Darrell Arthur showing his true colors. The Jayhawks will have Travis Releford (No. 33 senior) and post-graduate/fifth-year players Marcus (No. 60) and Markieff Morris (No. 82) from Philadelphia. The blog from the Phog might seem quiet for big-timers, but you know that best known for his recruiting Bill Self's probably got something cooked up that we're not seeing.

Kentucky - Save the best for last? Legit excitment can be made for Kentucky Basketball this year. Joe Crawford and Ramel Bradley have their trigger finger's ready for their senior season and freshman Pat Patterson is ready right now to be an SEC force. The roof might come off Rupp with the intro of new head coach Billy Clyde Gillispie and he's bringing a crew with him that will be sitting behind the bench. Commits for next year DeAndre Liggins (No. 32) and Darius Miller (No. 46) are givens, but it's the long list of others that shows BCG's recruiting prowess that everybody in the circles have pumped him up for. Chris Singleton (No. 28 senior) is a late-bloomer nationally after a huge summer, and look who's got him for the big night. Likewise for John Wall (No. 15 in 2009), representing the break out performer in the junior class and now considered one of the top point guards nationally. Oh, and they've got a 7-foot priority in Ralph Sampson Jr., the son of the former NCAA phenom at Virginia.

Save The Date

Just a thought - Of the teams we've got covered tonight, all six of them will face each other in some capacity...

North Carolina vs. Kentucky - December 1st
Kansas vs. USC - December 2nd
USC vs. Memphis - December 4th
Georgetown vs. Memphis - December 22nd

Posted by Patrick Stevens on October 12, 2007

From Tulsa World - C-USA Coaches Poll

C-USA Coaches Poll


By ERIC BAILEY World Sports Writer
10/12/2007


1. Memphis: Tigers have won 35 of 36 games against C-USA competition in the last two years.

2. Houston: Penders believes this is his most talented team to play for him in past four years.

2. UAB: Slew of transfers, including Robert Vaden, highlight Mike Davis' second season.

4. Southern Miss: Super sophomore Jeremy Wise has helped lead Golden Eagles' resurgence.

5. Tulsa: Golden Hurricane fans hope third year of Doug Wojcik era brings postseason bid.

6. Central Florida: Knights have won more than 20 games in four of the past five years.

7. Tulane: Green Wave returns bulk of team that stormed to C-USA Tournament semifinals.

8. UTEP: Point guard Stefon Jackson may be the league's top player under pressure.

9. Marshall: Former Florida assistant Donnie Jones hopes to inject winning attitude to Herd.

10. SMU: Mustangs will try to get rid of turnover bug that plagued them last season.

11. Rice: The Owls begin life without NBA draft pick Morris Almond.

12. East Carolina: New coach Mack McCarthy tries to break decade-long skid of losing seasons.

Preseason Player of the Year

Chris Douglas-Roberts, Memphis, 6-2 senior guard

AP Story - Tigers open practice on promising season

"(AP) Tigers open practice on promising season"
MEMPHIS, Tenn.

The video highlights on the scoreboard were a celebration of last season's Elite Eight run by the Memphis Tigers.

For the thousands of Tiger fans who showed up Friday night for Memphis Madness, there was hope the footage was a preview of even more success.

Memphis, which reached the regional finals of the NCAA Tournament last year, opened the doors on a new season with a freewheeling, fun-filled exhibition to tip-off practice for its 2007-08 campaign.

There was dancing, flipping, cheering, music, a dunk contest, 3-point shooting display and a 15-minute scrimmage to serve as an appetizer for the season "It's an anticipated season," said 6-foot-7 junior guard Chris Douglas-Roberts. "Everybody in the city wants to see what we're all about."

The faithful, estimated at 11,500, cheered the players. They cheered coach John Calipari. They cheered the hoisting of the Elite Eight banner to the rafters of the FedExForum. Public address announcer Chuck Roberts put so much into the introductions of the squad, his voice was gone after four players, and he had to call for a substitute.

Calipari said the video and raising the banner gave him chills, but he acknowledged that was the past, and they were looking to the future.

"You don't know whereit's going," Calipari told the crowd, "but it looks like it's going to a lot of fun."

Around the rest of Tennessee, other teams opened the fall season more quietly.

Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings, fresh off a 66-65 loss to Georgetown in the NCAA tournament regional semifinals, took advantage of a rule allowing two hours of team workouts in the offseason and timed the Commodores' first workout for 4 p.m. CDT.

But a homecoming concert by hip-hop artist Kanye West in Memorial Gym forced the Commodores to their practice court.

Construction on a new practice facility at Tennessee isn't done yet, so no bands or fans for the defendingnational champion Lady Vols or Bruce Pearl's men's team. The Lady Vols were scheduled for a closed practice late Friday afternoon followed by the men, who lost to Ohio State 85-84 in their own NCAA tournament regional semifinal in March.

The Middle Tennessee women, who finished last season ranked 17th nationally, planned their own practice Friday night in Murfreesboro followed by signing autographs for fans.

The Tigers, the defending Conference USA regular season and tournament champions, finished last year 33-4 after losing 92-76 to Ohio State in the South Regional championship game _ the second straight season Memphis made the Elite Eight.

Assoon as the pain of not reaching the Final Four subsided, the promise of this season emerged. All five starters, including Douglas-Roberts, the preseason C-USA player of the year, return, along with the addition of freshman point guard Derrick Rose, a McDonald's All-America.

Rose drew one of the biggest ovations of the night on a dunk where he bounced the ball high, went up and got it, cradled it between his legs and threw down a reverse jam.

"It was like a regular dunk. I just threw it up there," Rose said.

"He called that a regular dunk," Douglas-Roberts said shaking his head.

The returnees, the recruits and the regional finalexperience have many expecting the Tigers to enter the season ranked among the nation's best. It's an anticipation the players understand. They've heard all the talk about their potential during the offseason, and are looking forward to living up to the accolades.

"We've put that hype on ourselves," Douglas-Roberts said. "We're the ones that have the "national championship-or-nothing" attitude.

Copyright 2007 by the Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

Memphis Madness - Slammin' debut, Freshman Rose dazzles with 'regular' dunk as Tigers tip off this promising season

Memphis Madness - Slammin' debut
Freshman Rose dazzles with 'regular' dunk as Tigers tip off this promising season
By Dan Wolken
Saturday, October 13, 2007

The lights went down, the highlights rolled, the banner went up and the crowd stood up to remember where the University of Memphis has been.

"It brought chills," coach John Calipari said.

Joey Dorsey flies to the basket for a dunk Friday during Memphis Madness at FedExForum. Freshman Derrick Rose, however, had the dunk of the night.

Derrick Rose grabs a rebound during Friday's festivities. The humble freshman got everyone's attention in the dunking portion of the event.

Then came the reminder of why an estimated 11,500 people came to FedExForum on Friday to watch a glorified scrimmage at Memphis Madness. It wasn't because of where the Tigers have been; it's the promise of where they might go.

And that promise was there for all to see in one show-stopping moment delivered by none other than freshman phenom Derrick Rose. With one ridiculously athletic, freakishly effortless move that brought a quick end to Friday night's dunk contest, it was obvious why the Tigers believe they have found the piece that could push them out of the Elite Eight and into a national title.

"He can do some crazy stuff," his brother, Reggie Rose, said.

"It was regular," Derrick Rose said.

"A regular dunk?" junior Chris Douglas-Roberts said.

To be clear, there was nothing regular about how Rose brought the house down Friday. After Calipari called Rose out on the floor to try just one dunk after Jeff Robinson and Doneal Mack had already competed in the dunk contest, Rose went to the three-point line and shot the ball off the backboard. In one fluid motion, Rose then tracked it down, cradled it below his knees, twisted his back to the basket, extended his arms behind his head and rocked the rim to perfection.

It was so good, senior Joey Dorsey, whose dunks made ESPN's "SportsCenter" practically every week last season, feigned a back injury so he wouldn't have to follow the freshman.

"Did you see my face? That's why I didn't want to get in there, man," Dorsey said. "I didn't want him and Jeff (Robinson) to show me up out there. He's a baby Harold Miner."

"Regular is something everybody can do," Douglas-Roberts said. "He's so humble, man. You have to be real athletic to do that. Real athletic. And he's one of the real athletic ones."

Though Rose's dunk stood out, it was one of many moments that made Friday night a joyous celebration of Memphis basketball before the real work begins this morning with two-a-day practices leading up to the Nov. 5 season opener against Tennessee-Martin.

With ESPNU cameras rolling, an all-star crop of recruits sitting courtside and basketball powerbroker William Wesley in the house, the evening began with player introductions, including long and loud ovations for Douglas-Roberts, Dorsey and point guard Andre Allen.

Highlights of Memphis' 2006-07 season played to the soundtrack of "One Shining Moment," the official NCAA Tournament anthem. The Tigers then raised their latest Elite Eight banner with streamers showering the crowd.

"It was real neat," Rose said. "It's the biggest crowd I've played in front of. It was a lifetime experience."

Then, sophomores Doneal Mack and Willie Kemp eked out a 22-19 victory over two visiting Chinese coaches in a 3-point shooting contest, with Mack draining 10 threes to lead the way.

Finally, the Tigers scrimmaged for 15 minutes without much defense, something that surely will change today when they get down to business at the Finch Center.

"Last year is over," Calipari said. "The banner is up, and now it's this year. The only thing I can tell you right now, you don't know where it's going, but it looks like it's going to be a lot of fun."

ESPN's Andy Katz - Tigers believe they have all the pieces for dominance

ESPN's Andy Katz - Tigers believe they have all the pieces for dominance

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Six hours prior to Memphis unveiling its most anticipated team to the general public on Friday, John Calipari was looking for someone to help him hang a Chinese dragon symbol in his office.

"This symbolizes dominance," Calipari said as he found the perfect spot behind his desk to hang the gold and red keepsake given to him by the Chinese Basketball Association delegation that he helped bring to the city the past week in a unique five-year deal with the CBA.

Throughout the past week, Calipari has been running a clinic for the Chinese delegation, hoping his style will rub off on the Chinese as they try to enhance their basketball program.

Well, after Friday night's Midnight Madness event in Memphis, Calipari gave the Chinese coaches some words to work on translating into Mandarin, words like hype, spontaneity and boldness.

Memphis, which went to back-to-back Elite Eights, returns its starting five and adds one of the top freshman in the country in Derrick Rose. So the school began the fall semester by promoting this team like no other in recent memory. There were 20 billboards around the Memphis-area landscape promoting the squad. The huge advertisements ultimately cost $2.5 million, according to Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson, who added that the university and sponsors split the bill.

So, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the athletic department stunned Calipari and the returning players by playing CBS' schmaltzy "One Shining Moment" national championship song during video of last season's run to the Elite Eight.

Normally, the song is played after the title team gets the trophy from the NCAA Tournament selection committee chair, with streamers and balloons falling to the court, and crisp championship t-shirts and hats donning the victorious crew.

This may be the first time it has been used on Oct. 12 by a team that hadn't won anything yet.

We finally got it, finally getting the respect we deserve for back-to-back Elite Eights.
--Joey Dorsey

"It gave us a chill,'' said returning leading scorer Chris Douglas-Roberts.

"I almost shed a tear,'' said the monstrous Joey Dorsey.

Dorsey didn't cry. Calipari said he nearly did. Of course, they were using a bit of verbal license in their word choice. Still, the purpose was served.

"We finally got it, finally getting the respect we deserve for back-to-back Elite Eights,'' Dorsey said. "With Derrick, Shawn Taggart and Jeff [Robinson] coming in, we've finally got the pieces to the puzzle.''

The Tigers certainly don't have any scrubs. They've got 12 guys who can all play a role if called upon.

Calipari's attack offense, which he adopted from Pepperdine's Vance Walberg and calls "Princeton on steroids,'' is all about motion with five players in position to drive and score.

But it is the freshman Rose -- despite coming onto a team with the likes of Douglas-Roberts, Dorsey (the one limited shooter in the bunch), Robert Dozier, Antonio Anderson, Doneal Mack, Willie Kemp and Andre Allen -- who might be the Tigers' most versatile piece.

Rose calls himself a point guard. But Calipari said he expects Rose to pressure the ball defensively and cause plenty of pressure offensively with his ability to see the floor, pass ahead, post-up and run the break.

And, oh yeah, dunk the ball.

Rose wasn't an original contestant in Friday night's dunk contest. But Calipari couldn't resist. He grabbed the microphone after Mack and Robinson had dunked and said he wanted to see Rose dunk too.

The crowd, which completely filled the lower bowl of the FedEx Forum and was estimated at more than 12,000, gave Rose the second-loudest ovation of the night (behind Dorsey's reception during the introductions).

"He told me about a minute before that he was going to call me out there for one dunk,'' Rose said.

Rose didn't disappoint as he completed a double-pumped dunk over his head after bringing the ball down between his legs in midair.

"I'm doing that for my benefit," Calipari said. "I just wanted to get myself excited about him.''

Calipari has reason to be excited about Rose. Earlier in the day, the coach compared Rose to Marvin Williams, the freshman on the stacked 2004-05 North Carolina national championship team. Williams was the sixth man. He wasn't going to replace Sean May, Raymond Felton or Rashad McCants in any kind of star status. Instead, Williams played his role and ultimately went higher than any of his older teammates in the draft.

The same thing could occur here.

"I'd love that,'' Rose said. "All the pressure is off of me anyway with Chris Douglas-Roberts and all the players around me. I'd love it to be like that.''

The Tigers are a work in progress, just like everyone else in the country. But what makes this team stand out is the ability to welcome Rose and Taggart -- the 6-10 Iowa State transfer, who Calipari said can become the team's top 3-point threat -- without any hiccup. Sure, they haven't played a game yet, but there is an unselfish vibe to this group that has evolved since the fall semester began.

Role definition will come. So, too, will more pronounced interior defense with Dorsey, Taggart and Dozier. The tough spots will still be 3-point shooting, unless Mack (40.5 percent) and Kemp (38.6) get more help, and free-throw shooting (62.1 percent as a team led downward by Dorsey's 46.7 percent and Kemp's 41 percent at the line).

So, it shouldn't be a surprise as Calipari walked past the ESPNU monitors late Friday night and said, "If you watched us, why wouldn't you want to play here?"

Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com.

C-USA better, but more U of M dominance won't help perception

Conference USA basketball tipoff
C-USA better, but more U of M dominance won't help perception
By Dan Wolken
Friday, October 12, 2007

Tulsa basketball coach Doug Wojcik was flipping channels one night in April and happened to catch John Calipari during one of his guest-hosting gigs on Fox Sports Net's "Best Damn Sports Show Period."

So Wojcik sent a playful text message to the University of Memphis coach, which read, according to Wojcik, "Some of us have to go out on the road and recruit. You just go on the 'Best Damn Sports Show.'" Within minutes, Wojcik's phone lit up with a response: "Yeah, and (Jim) Rome too."

The Tigers of Memphis coach John Calipari (left, during C-USA media day at the FedExForum on Thursday) might be hampered by their domination of Conference USA. Southern Miss coach Larry Eustachy thinks "somebody's going to have to knock off Memphis, which is going to be very difficult to do."

Not only does Calipari have a bigger budget, more talented players and a 35-1 record against his Conference USA counterparts over the past two years, but apparently, he's got wittier comebacks too.

Thing is, maybe it would be better for everyone if Calipari and the Tigers didn't have all the answers.

As C-USA coaches gathered in Memphis on Thursday for the league's media day, there was one issue that everybody -- including Calipari -- could agree on. Despite vast improvement from top to bottom, it will be difficult to turn national perception in their favor if the Tigers rip off another 16-0 romp through the league. And that perception could mean the difference between multiple teams making the NCAA Tournament or a second straight one-bid year.

"I think what it's going to take is some nice non-conference wins and beating Memphis," Southern Miss coach Larry Eustachy said. "Somebody's going to have to knock off Memphis, which is going to be very difficult to do."

Whenever Calipari was asked about the strength of C-USA last season, he was armed with RPI numbers that showed the league had gotten significantly stronger from 2005-06, when both Memphis and UAB made the NCAA Tournament and Houston and UTEP were in the NIT.

But that didn't make much difference on Selection Sunday 2007, when Houston (18-15), Southern Miss (20-11), Tulsa (20-11) and Central Florida (22-9) were left out of the postseason altogether.

And though Memphis received a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, the lack of competition in the league made that a controversial choice among some national commentators.

"We all get a little bit bashed because Memphis rolls through undefeated," Wojcik said. "And yet, they get bashed because people think that Memphis isn't playing good competition, like how could you go through a league undefeated if you're playing anybody? So the perception of them to get a No. 1 seed is somewhat tarnished, and the top half of your league is tarnished."

Houston coach Tom Penders compared the situation to the defunct Southwest Conference in the late 1980s when Arkansas was romping through the league. When Penders arrived in the SWC at Texas, he didn't beat Arkansas for his first two seasons. Still, his teams had enough big wins to make the NCAA Tournament both years, including one Elite Eight appearance.

"We have the exposure in this league. We have two non-league games on ESPN," Penders said. "We've got a nice schedule. We've got 18 home games. It would help, certainly, if one or two teams that are at the top knocked them off. But they're the No. 1 team in the country. Who's supposed to beat them? It could conceivably happen again."

Calipari certainly isn't opposed to somebody or maybe two somebodies within the league stepping up and beating the Tigers this season. But the key is whether the teams that do it will have done well enough in their non-conference games to be in the top 50 of the RPI, thus not hurting the Tigers' NCAA seeding.

In other words, the pressure is on Houston to beat a Kentucky, Arizona or Arkansas. Southern Miss will have to cash in opportunities against California, Ole Miss and Alabama. It would help if Tulsa can upset Maryland and Oklahoma, and UAB needs to make the most of opportunities against Kentucky, Wichita State, Florida State and Cincinnati.

"If it plays out like I see it, you'll have three teams, I'm hoping, inside of 30 (in the RPI) and one inside of 50," Calipari said. "That means you can lose any of those four road games and be fine. Not necessarily. But they're going to have to win a couple games, just like we have to."

Reach Dan Wolken at 529-2365; read his blogs on Tiger basketball at thememphisedge.com.

Memphis Madness

When: Today, doors open at 7 p.m., event begins at 8.

Where: FedExForum

Admission: Free, but fans are encouraged to bring canned food donation for Memphis Food Bank.

From the Orlando Sentinel - Calipari sees plenty of potential in UCF

Calipari sees plenty of potential in UCF
Cary Estes | Special to the Orlando Sentinel
October 12, 2007

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Memphis Coach John Calipari threw down a challenge to the rest of Conference USA during the league's preseason basketball media event on Thursday.

During his opening statements, Calipari said it would be easy for the rest of the programs in the conference to look at the Tigers' success in recent years and say, "If Memphis can do it, we can all do it. We're in the same league."

That was the attitude Calipari said he had when he arrived at Massachusetts nearly 20 years ago. "There are no smoke and mirrors to getting it done," Calipari said. "It takes a commitment."

And as he looks around C-USA, Calipari sees a program that he says has the potential for similar growth -- UCF.

"They have a chance," Calipari said. "I said to [UCF Athletic Director] Keith [Tribble], 'You're driving everybody crazy with those facilities.' They built like a little city right around the athletic buildings.

"That's great. But now where do you want to go with it? Where is that next level? It's easy to say you want to do it, but you have to commit to it. Recruiting money, coaches' salaries, travel budget, academic help. That's the kind of stuff that if you get, now you have a chance."

UCF certainly appears to be headed in the right direction on the basketball court. Last season, only two years after making the move to C-USA from the Atlantic Sun Conference, the Knights finished second in the league, and Kirk Speraw was named the C-USA coach of the year. Combine that success with the opening this year of the new 10,000-seat UCF Arena, and the future looks bright for the Knights.

"Of all the changes that took place with the realignment of the conferences, we had the biggest jump to make, coming from the Atlantic Sun and competing in C-USA," Speraw said. "But we've been able to weather that jump in pretty good fashion."

In fact, Speraw said he believes the Knights are well ahead of schedule.

"We leap-frogged a number of years there in regards to being competitive in the league," Speraw said. "And that's raised expectations, which is good. Now our kids have to follow through. We've moved faster than what we thought we might be able to, and now we have to maintain and continue to build. But our facility gives us the opportunity to do that."

CA's Geoff Calkins' Column on Joey Dorsey

He's a big kid - with big dreams for season
By Geoff Calkins
Friday, October 12, 2007

At just about 1 p.m. Thursday, Memphis center Joey Dorsey took his seat behind a FedExForum microphone. Since Dorsey's last appearance in front of microphone, he had:

1. Helped instigate a riot on Beale Street by standing on a bar and throwing money in the air;

2. Told a reporter from Sports Illustrated the Memphis players live in a house that's "like a mansion;"

3. Mixed up his Biblical history before the Tigers' Elite Eight game against Ohio State, declaring that he was going to play Goliath to Greg Oden's David.

Which, naturally, he went and did.

So it was a shocker to see Dorsey at Conference USA Media Day on Thursday, maybe even more shocking after he started to speak.

"I'm talking this year," he said.

Roy Hibbert, you better watch out.

"The first thing that comes into my head, I'm saying it," Dorsey said.

Yes, that's right.

The very first thing.

What was Memphis coach John Calipari thinking letting the guy come to media day? Didn't he know Dorsey was bound to mess up?

"At some point, he's got to learn to say the right things," Calipari said. "It might as well be now."

Which is exactly right, of course, and why don't more coaches understand this?

College is supposed to be about learning. What do players learn when they're sequestered away from everything?

Calipari wants Dorsey to be a part of his basketball team. Some people might think that's the wrong choice.

But Calipari doesn't try to hide or protect Dorsey, from the media or from himself.

The conference wanted the all-conference players at media day. Dorsey is an all-conference player. So that was that.

"I might ask Lamar to stand really close to him," said Calipari, referring to Lamar Chance, who handles media relations for the basketball team.

But Lamar didn't stand really close to Dorsey. Dorsey handled the questions himself. And he did it with grace and humor and what seemed like sincere humility.

He said he was selfish to call out Oden. He said he wants to become the senior leader of this team.

Ahhh, but how about the fight at the Plush Club?

"That doesn't show much leadership," he said. "I want to apologize to the city of Memphis for my actions that night."

Did you hit anyone, as it said in the police report?

"No," he said.

Did you -- might as well use the current term for throwing money -- make it rain?

"That," he said, "I did."

So, there. He admitted it. How can anyone hold it against him now?

The man is 23 going on 7. He is charming and impossible and loveable and infuriating.

"He's goofy," said Memphis guard Antonio Anderson.

"He's a big kid," said Memphis forward Chris Douglas-Roberts.

"I like to play with Bradley Calipari," said Dorsey.

Bradley Calipari -- the coach's son -- is 11.

"I'm probably one year older," Dorsey said.

Hey, 12 is a cute age.

Maybe that's why so many Memphis fans like the guy, why his jersey sold for twice as much as any other Tiger jersey when it was auctioned off last year.

Dorsey might be a big kid, but he's Memphis' big kid. He might be a knucklehead, but he's Memphis' knucklehead.

Oh, and he loves the city. For real.

"It's been the best four years of my life in Memphis," he said. "Everyone's embraced me with open arms."

Now Dorsey intends to repay everyone with the best season of his life. He plans to stay out of foul trouble, dominate defensively and lead the country in rebounding.

He also plans to go through the entire year without saying or doing something stupid. Which his coach doesn't for a minute believe.

"To say he won't -- I'm almost expecting it," said Calipari.

Pause.

"Probably around the Elite Eight."

To reach Geoff Calkins, call him at 529-2364 or e-mail calkins@commercialappeal.com

Luke Winn's Top 15 Seniors- #10 Joey Dorsey

Luke Winn's Top 15 Seniors - #10 Joey Dorsey

Joey Dorsey
'06-07 Stats: 8.5 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.2 blocks

Dorsey is a volatile character -- his verbal jabs at Greg Oden in the NCAA tournament were well-publicized, as well as eventually embarrassing, and he was also listed in the police report as the alleged instigator of the incident that led to Sean Taggart and Jeff Robinson's offseason arrests -- but he's still a tenacious rebounder. Last season, he pulled down double-digit boards in 19 of Memphis' 37 games.

Tigers' players court case delayed again

Tigers' players court case delayed again
By Dan Wolken (Contact)Originally published 11:05 a.m., October 11, 2007
Updated 11:05 a.m., October 11, 2007

University of Memphis basketball players Jeff Robinson and Shawn Taggart are due back in Shelby County Court on Nov. 6 after their cases stemming from a Sept. 2 incident outside a Beale Street nightclub were delayed again Thursday.

Taggart, a sophomore from Richmond, Va., faces misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and inciting a riot. Robinson, a freshman from Columbus, N.J., faces the same charges plus misdemeanor assault. Both players have pleaded not guilty.
Blake Ballin, who was representing Robinson and Taggart on Thursday in place of their attorney Leslie Ballin, said he was disappointed that prosecutors have not dropped the charges.

“Between now and (Nov. 6), we’ll be working diligently to that result,” Blake Ballin said. “We feel that’s just based on the facts involved and the limited involvement of these two in any of the disorder that took place.”

whatever the charges may be why don't people just let it go and give them another chance. Everyone make mistake and this is not even a big thing why keep on draging it longer instead of drop the charge. If this charges keep on going and going this will ruin the basketball reputation and making them look bad. this will also keep the game more delayed.

Douglas-Roberts, Dorsey draw C-USA honors

Douglas-Roberts, Dorsey draw C-USA honors
Thursday, October 11, 2007

University of Memphis junior Chris Douglas-Roberts was named the Conference USA preseason Player of the Year today, the league office announced at the conference's media day at FedExForum.

The conference's 12 head coaches voted for the award.

A 6-7 guard, Douglas-Roberts averaged 15.4 points and shot 54.3 percent from the floor last year in leading the Tigers to their second straight Elite Eight NCAA Tournament appearance. He was a first-team pick last year.

The coaches also picked Memphis, for the third straight year, to win the conference championship, something the Tigers accomplished each of the past two seasons.

Joining Douglas-Roberts on the preseason all-conference team is 6-9 senior forward Joey Dorsey. Rounding out the preseason team are Paul Delaney III of UAB, Robert McKiver of Houston and Jeremy Wise of Southern Miss.

The preseason poll rankings were:

1. Memphis
2. Houston
t. UAB
4. Southern Miss
5. Tulsa
6. UCF
7. Tulane
8. UTEP
9. Marshall
10. SMU
11. Rice
12. East Carolina

Rivals.com - C-USA members working to catch Memphis

C-USA members working to catch Memphis
By Bob McClellan, Rivals.com College Basketball Editor

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Southern Miss coach Larry Eustachy has a formula for Conference USA to secure multiple postseason bids.

"I think obviously we have to have some big wins in the nonconference collectively and John has to cooperate and we have to beat him a few times, and I think it (postseason play) will happen," Eustachy said.

C-USA received only one postseason bid last season, and Eustachy and the rest of the coaches in C-USA who gathered at the FedEx Forum on Thursday for the league's media day know beating "John" is easier said than done. That would be Memphis coach John Calipari, whose Tigers have gone 29-1 in conference play the past two seasons, including 16-0 last season. They are ranked No. 2 in the Rivals.com Preseason Top 25, so it again will be difficult to get past the Tigers.

The thing is, though, that if a team in Conference USA does find itself able to compete on a level with Memphis, it surely will be worthy of inclusion in the postseason.

"We have to catch up to Memphis," SMU coach Matt Doherty said. "That's the carrot. They're up there and we have to chase them down.

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"We don't just want to compete with them, either. We want to beat them. As long as we're getting better – we don't want Memphis to slip to us; we want to get up to them – that's what it's about."

Three C-USA teams besides Memphis – UCF, Tulsa and Southern Miss – won 20 games last season. But none was in the RPI top 100. Houston, which went 18-15, was the only C-USA team other than Memphis (seventh) in the top 100, at No. 82.

To that end, all of the league's coaches spoke at length Thursday about the upgrades they've made in their nonconference schedules. Rice plays Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Vanderbilt. Tulane has Auburn coming for its season-opener, plays Syracuse and LSU, and will compete in the Rainbow Classic in Hawaii.

East Carolina has two ACC teams (Clemson and North Carolina State) coming to Greenville for the first time in school history. UCF has a home-and-home with Nevada, brings in traditional Big East power Connecticut and plays another Big East heavyweight, Villanova, in the Old Spice Classic over Thanksgiving weekend at Disney World.

"I think we (C-USA) are on the path that we need to be on," Calipari said. "We've upgraded our schedules; now we've got to beat some teams out of our league. I think there's a possibility to have six teams in the postseason. … I look at us as a league and say we're on a path for multiple teams in the NCAA and multiple teams in the NIT.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Southern Miss coach Larry Eustachy has a formula for Conference USA to secure multiple postseason bids.

"I think obviously we have to have some big wins in the nonconference collectively and John has to cooperate and we have to beat him a few times, and I think it (postseason play) will happen," Eustachy said.

C-USA received only one postseason bid last season, and Eustachy and the rest of the coaches in C-USA who gathered at the FedEx Forum on Thursday for the league's media day know beating "John" is easier said than done. That would be Memphis coach John Calipari, whose Tigers have gone 29-1 in conference play the past two seasons, including 16-0 last season. They are ranked No. 2 in the Rivals.com Preseason Top 25, so it again will be difficult to get past the Tigers.

The thing is, though, that if a team in Conference USA does find itself able to compete on a level with Memphis, it surely will be worthy of inclusion in the postseason.

"We have to catch up to Memphis," SMU coach Matt Doherty said. "That's the carrot. They're up there and we have to chase them down.

"We don't just want to compete with them, either. We want to beat them. As long as we're getting better – we don't want Memphis to slip to us; we want to get up to them – that's what it's about."

Three C-USA teams besides Memphis – UCF, Tulsa and Southern Miss – won 20 games last season. But none was in the RPI top 100. Houston, which went 18-15, was the only C-USA team other than Memphis (seventh) in the top 100, at No. 82.

To that end, all of the league's coaches spoke at length Thursday about the upgrades they've made in their nonconference schedules. Rice plays Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Vanderbilt. Tulane has Auburn coming for its season-opener, plays Syracuse and LSU, and will compete in the Rainbow Classic in Hawaii.

East Carolina has two ACC teams (Clemson and North Carolina State) coming to Greenville for the first time in school history. UCF has a home-and-home with Nevada, brings in traditional Big East power Connecticut and plays another Big East heavyweight, Villanova, in the Old Spice Classic over Thanksgiving weekend at Disney World.

"I think we (C-USA) are on the path that we need to be on," Calipari said. "We've upgraded our schedules; now we've got to beat some teams out of our league. I think there's a possibility to have six teams in the postseason. … I look at us as a league and say we're on a path for multiple teams in the NCAA and multiple teams in the NIT.

"Tulsa was upset about the NIT last year. It used to be … you were invited (to the NIT) because of how you would draw, who you knew. They go by the numbers now; it's an extension of the NCAA. We recognize that."

The best bets to join Memphis in the postseason are UAB, Houston and Southern Miss. The league's coaches split their votes between the Blazers and Cougars for second in the league, and the Golden Eagles were tabbed for fourth.

"Tom (Penders, coach at Houston) has a very good team," Eustachy said. "He's downplaying it, which is unusual for him. UAB is loaded, too."

"I'm excited about the strength of our league," said UTEP coach Tony Barbee, a former Memphis assistant. "I'll be disappointed if we don't have four or five teams in the postseason."

Calipari said he sees similarities to C-USA and his time at Massachusetts. He spent eight seasons (1988-96) leading the Minutemen, taking them from the depths of the Atlantic 10 to the Final Four in 1996.

"I love what's happening here," Calipari said. "They want to beat us so bad. 'If Memphis can do this, if we invest, we're in the same league, we can do it.' That's what I said when I was at UMass: 'If Temple can do it, we can do it.' But it takes commitment. Our school and city are committed. I've done it.

"They're all trying to kill us. We know that."

"Tulsa was upset about the NIT last year. It used to be … you were invited (to the NIT) because of how you would draw, who you knew. They go by the numbers now; it's an extension of the NCAA. We recognize that."

The best bets to join Memphis in the postseason are UAB, Houston and Southern Miss. The league's coaches split their votes between the Blazers and Cougars for second in the league, and the Golden Eagles were tabbed for fourth.

"Tom (Penders, coach at Houston) has a very good team," Eustachy said. "He's downplaying it, which is unusual for him. UAB is loaded, too."

"I'm excited about the strength of our league," said UTEP coach Tony Barbee, a former Memphis assistant. "I'll be disappointed if we don't have four or five teams in the postseason."

Calipari said he sees similarities to C-USA and his time at Massachusetts. He spent eight seasons (1988-96) leading the Minutemen, taking them from the depths of the Atlantic 10 to the Final Four in 1996.

"I love what's happening here," Calipari said. "They want to beat us so bad. 'If Memphis can do this, if we invest, we're in the same league, we can do it.' That's what I said when I was at UMass: 'If Temple can do it, we can do it.' But it takes commitment. Our school and city are committed. I've done it.

"They're all trying to kill us. We know that."

Bob McClellan is the college basketball editor for Rivals.com. He can be reached at bmcclellan@rivals.com.

SI.com - C-USA Living in Memphis' Shadow

Conference USA living in Memphis Tigers' shadow
Posted: Thursday Oct 11, 2007 7:52 PM

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -They strolled into the Tigers den, staring at the championship banners, admiring the state-of-the-art facilities - all things they hope to have.

Players and coaches from all of Conference USA paraded Thursday around FedExForum, home of the league's postseason tournament and the Memphis Tigers - the team they are all trying to copy.

These days, it just dreams.

"They're trying to kill us,'' Memphis coach John Calipari joked. "We're all friendly, but we're competitive people. Sometimes they won't even shake my hand after the game.''

Ever since Louisville and Cincinnati bolted for the Big East after the 2004-05 season, Calipari's Tigers have reigned mightily as C-USA champions - including a 16-0 league record last season before winning the conference tournament on their home floor.

The conference is still fighting the perception it's a one-team league.

"We have to catch up to Memphis,'' SMU coach Matt Doherty said. "We want to chase them down. We don't want Memphis to slip to us, we want to go to them. Then that will be good for everybody.''

With a 66-8 combined record the last two seasons, the Tigers were the unanimous preseason favorite by the league's coaches to win a third straight C-USA title. Memphis returns all five starters and added McDonald's All-America point guard Derrick Rose, whom the Tigers hope will follow in the footsteps of Ohio State's Greg Oden and Texas' Kevin Durant as an impact freshman.

The Tigers likely will be ranked among the nation's top five in the preseason poll.

"Quite honestly, they deserve all the attention,'' UAB guard Paul Delaney III said. "They're beating all of us. We have to get better because they're not getting any worse.''

The Tigers are coming off their seventh consecutive postseason appearance under Calipari with the last two ending in the regional finals of the NCAA tournament the past two seasons. The rest of Conference USA is just trying to reach the postseason.

"They have to be our model,'' Doherty said.

The conference has shown signs of improvement.

Schools like Central Florida, among others, have new facilities, while others are under construction. Teams have scheduled stronger nonconference games to bolster their resumes and lure top recruits.

Tulane coach Dave Dickerson, a former assistant at Maryland, said he would be disappointed if less than five teams don't make the postseason this year - something only Memphis did last season.

"We really think that's how much better our conference is this year,'' Dickerson said. "We have high hopes.''

Calipari has done the kind of reworking teams in the league are now facing.

When he was the coach at Massachusetts, Calipari led a struggling program to the NCAA tournament, overcoming Atlantic 10 powerhouse Temple. Calipari said C-USA teams can do the same.

"They want to beat us so bad,'' Calipari said. "What you're trying to do is say, 'If Memphis can do this, we can do it.' That's what I said at UMass, 'If Temple can do this, so can we.'''

And, the Tigers are rooting for them.

Memphis has been forced to schedule stiffer nonconference opponents to compete with teams from bigger conferences who are tested nearly every league game. Tennessee, Gonzaga, Georgetown and Arizona all visit FedEx Forum this season.

Tigers guard Chris Douglas-Roberts, the league's preseason player of the year, said C-USA's weak reputation has hurt Memphis in the past.

"I know a few times our tournament seeding has slipped because one or two guys are saying, 'They haven't played anybody,''' he said. "That's not our fault.''

East Carolina coach Mack McCarthy said teams can't worry about what the Tigers are doing. He said they all have a clean slate and anything can happen.

"Like everybody else in the conference,'' McCarthy said, "we're undefeated right now.''

Too bad they have to play Memphis.

It's Madness in Memphis With Elite Recruits Visiting

It's madness in Memphis with elite recruits visiting
Dan Wolken, The Commercial Appeal
Thursday, October 11, 2007

MEMPHIS - For most basketball programs around the country, the seven months that separate March Madness and Midnight Madness are a calm retreat from which they can emerge in October reinvented and refreshed.

At Memphis, however, the madness did not stop. From John Calipari's globetrotting to the arrival of freshman phenom Derrick Rose to record ticket sales and unbridled hype to a September incident on Beale Street that landed two players in court, barely a week has gone went by without the Tigers being part of this city's consciousness.

"It's definitely what I thought I'd get and much more," junior forward Robert Dozier said Wednesday, describing the remarkable attention Memphis the team has gotten this summer. "I expected to come in and win and change the program around with my classmates, and it's been a tremendous ride."

Though the coaches have not changed, the players have barely changed and aspirations of a national championship are still intact, Friday's Memphis Madness will indeed be a symbolic celebration of a new season.

Calipari said he was hoping for "12,000 to 15,000 or more" on Friday, given the excitement about the Tigers, ranked No. 1 or No. 2 in several preseason polls.

And a full house would likely make a positive impression on the long list of elite recruits who will be in attendance.

Basically every high school player from Memphis who is on the Tigers' radar has been confirmed as a guest. That includes St. George's guard Elliot Williams, who will be making his official visit to the Tigers.

Williams, a consensus top-20 senior in the nation according to scouting services, has already visited Virginia, Duke and Tennessee and is expected to make his decision after the Memphis visit.

Briarcrest junior guard Leslie McDonald and White Station junior forward Farrakohn Hall - both consensus top-75 players - headline a long list of underclassmen coming to Memphis Madness, including Gentry Hines (Raleigh-Egypt), Tim Peete (Central), Greg Wooten (Briarcrest), Joe Jackson (White Station), Bobby Parks Jr. (Ridgeway) and Mardracus Wade (Mitchell), among others.

Memphis also will have out-of-town visitors from the 2009 high school class, including Christian Watford from Birmingham and Xavier Henry from Oklahoma City. Watford, a 6-7 small forward, is rated in the top 50 by most scouting services and is also very good friends with DeMarcus Cousins, a consensus top-five player in the class. Cousins was still considering visiting Memphis Madness as of Wednesday, according to a source.

This will be Henry's second straight visit to Memphis Madness. A 6-6 guard rated No. 2 in the junior class by Scout.com, Henry's favorites appear to be Memphis and Kansas at this point. His father, Carl Henry, played at Kansas when Calipari was an assistant there.

Durand Scott, a 6-4 guard from New York rated as a top-50 junior, also is likely to be in Memphis on an unofficial visit this weekend.

All told, that's between five and seven potential McDonald's All-Americans.

CDR C-USA Preseason POY, Memphis Rules Again

CDR Preseason POY; Memphis Rules Again
By David Scott - October 11, 2007

MEMPHIS - Conference USA has announced it's preseason honors and there are no surprises of merit. Memphis is the favorite to repeat as the league champ and Tiger junior Chris Douglas-Roberts is the preseason Player of the Year.

Following the jump is the full release from C-USA. We'll be back in about an hour from the FedEx Forum.

MEMPHIS CHOSEN AS REPEAT PRESEASON CONFERENCE USA FAVORITE

Tigers' Douglas-Roberts Named Men's Basketball Preseason Player of the Year

IRVING, Texas - With a 66-8 combined record the last two seasons, the Memphis Tigers repeat as the unanimous preseason favorite to win the 2007-08 C-USA men's basketball regular‐season crown, according to the league's coaches. The Tigers' Chris Douglas-Roberts, a preseason All-America candidate, was the unanimous selection by coaches as the Preseason Player of the Year.

Memphis is coming off its seventh straight postseason appearance in seven years under head coach John Calipari, having advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight the last two seasons. The Tigers welcome back all five starters, including Douglas-Roberts and fellow C-USA preseason team member Joey Dorsey. Douglas-Roberts was the team's leading scorer last season (15.4 ppg.) and was named MVP of the 2007 C-USA Championship. Dorsey was the 2007 C-USA Defensive Player of the Year and led the conference in rebounding (9.4 rpg). Memphis will also welcome McDonald's All-America point guard Derrick Rose to its line-up as the Tigers ride a 32-game home winning streak into the 2007-08 season.

Houston and UAB tied for second in the coaches' poll. The Cougars return two All-Conference USA players in Robert McKiver and Lanny Smith, who was limited to four games last season after undergoing surgery on his left foot. McKiver earns a spot on the C-USA Preseason team, after leading UH with 19.2 ppg (second only to NBA first-round pick Morris Almond of Rice) and 112 assists. He also set the school record for most three-point field goals in a game (9) and a single season (116). Coach Tom Penders enters the season needing just 16 more wins to reach the 600-plateau for his career.

UAB returns senior Paul Delaney III, a 2007 All-Conference USA first team selection and a coaches- choice to the C-USA Preseason Team. Delaney ranked among the league leaders in points (15.5), assists (5.2), steals (1.9) and minutes (37.1) last season. Second-year head coach Mike Davis also welcomes back starters Lawrence Kinnard and Frank Holmes, while transfers Walter Sharpe (Mississippi State), Robert Vaden (Indiana) and Channing Toney (Georgia) will be able to take the floor for the Blazers in 2007-08.

Southern Miss comes off its first 20-win season (20-11) under fourth-year head coach Larry Eustachy and the Golden Eagles were picked to finish fourth by the coaches. Sophomore Jeremy Wise was selected to the C-USA Preseason Team. Wise was on the All-Conference USA second team as a freshman, while earning C-USA Freshman and Newcomer of the Year honors. Wise and classmate Sai'Quon Stone were the team's top two scorers last season with 17.3 ppg and 10.3 ppg averages in their rookie campaigns.

Tulsa, led by third-year head coach Doug Wojcik, also posted 20 wins (20-11) in 2006-07 and was the coaches' fifth pick for this season. The Golden Hurricane returns 70.4 of its scoring from a year ago, including its top two scorers in senior Rod Earls (11.2 ppg) and sophomore Ben Uzoh (9.9 ppg). Memphis will serve as host city for the 2008 Conference USA Championship, March 12-15 at the state-of-the-art FedExForum.

The championship game is slated for Saturday, March 15 at 11:35 a.m. EST/10:35 a.m. CST on CBS.

2007-08 PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Chris Douglas-Roberts, Memphis, G, 6-5, Jr., Detroit, Mich.

2007-08 PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
Paul Delaney III, UAB, G, 6-foot-2, Sr., Decatur, Ga.
Chris Douglas-Roberts, Memphis, G, 6-foot-6, Jr., Detroit, Mich.
Joey Dorsey, Memphis, F, 6-foot-9, Sr., Baltimore, Md.
Robert McKiver, Houston, G, 6-foot-3, Sr., New Haven, Conn.
Jeremy Wise, Southern Miss, G, 6-foot-2, So., Jackson, Miss.