Xavier Henry No. 1 in revised ESPNU 100

Xavier Henry No. 1 in revised ESPNU 100
By Paul Biancardi and Antonio Williams
Scouts Inc.
Updated: August 21, 2008

Les Bentley for ESPN.com

Xavier Henry's dominant summer puts him atop the revised ESPNU 100.

A lot can be accomplished and established over a hot summer in the world of basketball recruiting. It's when you find guys who love the game, practicing long hours in the gym, working diligently on their skills and competing in AAU basketball against all types of talent.

After our staff watched games all over the country and evaluated and re-evaluated hundreds of prospects, we have revised the ESPNU 100 and crowned a new No. 1 prospect.

For a player to be No.1 he has to separate himself from all the rest. A truly great player consistently dominates his opponents through some statistical manner (scoring, rebounding, assists or blocks) and non-statistical manner (on-ball defense, team defense, hustle plays, passion). That player also should make everyone around him better. He has a personality that extracts the best out of his teammates while performing at a high level. The best players always help their team win games and championships.

Six-foot-6 SG Xavier Henry's (Oklahoma City/Putnam City) game rose to another level this summer and earned him the No. 1 ranking in the ESPNU 100. The lefty is a prolific scorer who can take over a game with his high skill level, long-range shooting and a chiseled, strong frame with good wingspan.

Rising to be No.1 takes an incredible amount of hard work and dedication -- staying there takes more. Six-foot-9 PF Derrick Favors (Atlanta/South Atlanta), who falls only slightly from No. 1 to No. 2, is in his own right a dominating player and a force around the basket. He played very well and was consistent all summer, but Henry's performance was extraordinary.

In leading his Athlete's First AAU team to the invitation-only AAU Super Showcase title in Orlando, Henry had incredible performances in all his games and played his best as the tournament progressed and the intensity built. Besides developing a midrange game -- the hardest shot for young players to learn -- and improving his right hand, he is the total package.
Henry can take and make from the NBA 3-point line, and with his size and elevation on his jumper, he shoots over most defenders. His signature move right now is his step-back jumper, on which he takes a hard dribble to create space before stepping back for the shot. What makes him most dangerous is he uses his dribble-drive very effectively to complement his accurate shooting. He drives with power to the basket and can absorb contact, score the ball and get to the free-throw line for the old fashion 3-point play. Defensively -- when motivated -- he is an excellent on-ball defender.

Currently undecided on his college choice, his leaders are Kansas and Memphis.

More ESPNU 100 Movers

Through his very strong play this summer, particularly at the LeBron James Skills Academy and the Nike Global Challenge, 6-10 PF John Henson (Tampa, Fla./Sickles) demonstrated why he should rank among the nation's elite prospects. The North Carolina verbal moves up from No. 16 to No. 3 in the ESPNU 100.

Henson has the ability to step away from the basket and connect on jumpers out to the 3-point line, but he needs to become a more consistent shooter. He excels in the transition game and finishes above the rim with ease, using his great leaping ability and length. Henson also rebounds the ball well and generally plays hard on both ends of the court. He blocks shots very well both coming from the weakside and on the ball. Henson also has the ability to handle the ball in the open court and passes well for his size. He has a great deal of upside and his best basketball lies ahead of him.

Six-foot-8 SF Tyler Honeycutt (Sylmar, Calif.) displayed his amazingly versatile offensive skill set throughout the summer, especially during the adidas Super 64 in Las Vegas, and vaults from No. 70 to No. 34.

He has very nice touch to go along with a textbook high release on his jumper, which allows him to hit perimeter shots beyond 3-point territory. He also can put the ball on the floor and get to the rim. His versatility really comes to the forefront when his team plays him as a power forward instead of at his more natural small forward slot. Honeycutt, despite giving up muscle and girth, battles for rebounds on both ends. He also has decent vision and passing skills and rarely forces the issue on offense. He will become an even better offensive talent with when he adds more strength and muscle to his frame.

6-3 SG Avery Bradley (Tacoma, Wash./Bellarmine Prep) effectively used the summer AAU circuit to catapult in the national player rankings from No. 49 to No. 15. He put together strong performance after strong performance in a number of events, especially in Las Vegas, the Best of the Summer in Los Angeles and the Nike Global Challenge in Portland.

Bradley makes use of his outstanding athletic ability to score the ball with ease. He has great quickness off the dribble and can get to the rim and score at the rim or connect on a pull-up jumper in the midrange. When Bradley gets to the rim, he has the leaping ability to produce highlight-reel, above-the-rim finishes. Bradley has also improved on the defensive end, using his lateral quickness to place good pressure on the ball.

Six-foot-7 SF Royce White (Minnetonka, Minn./Hopkins) made significant strides during the summer, especially through stellar play at the LeBron James Skills Academy. The Minnesota commit now ranks as the No. 23 prospect, jumping from No. 61.

He truly plays as an inside-outside threat with his ability to score close to the basket as well on the perimeter. White will hit the jump shot, but he has really improved his ability to create his own shot off the dribble. When he operates off the bounce, he also uses his good vision and passing skills to locate open teammates for easy shots either on the perimeter or in the paint. White also does a very good job of playing defense and has the size and quickness needed to defend the shooting guard, small forward and sometimes power forward spots.

Six-foot-5 SG Durand Scott (New York/Rice) used his ability to score in bunches to climb the ladder in the ESPNU 100 to No. 43 from No. 56. He scored with relative ease throughout the summer, using events such as the Boston Shootout, the NBPA Top 100 Camp and the LeBron James Skills Academy to further strengthen his position on the national landscape. Scott can create his own offense off the dribble by attacking the rim with great persistence. Once at the rim he has good body control and makes adjustments to connect on a number of difficult shot attempts. He also has the ability to hit pull-up jumpers in the midrange, though he needs to continue to improve his jump shot consistency; he tends to become a streak shooter from the perimeter.

New BloodSix-foot-9, 290-pound center Keith Gallon, who has transferred from Oak Hill Academy (Va.) to Word of God Academy (N.C.), enters the ESPNU 100 at No. 21. When positioning himself in the paint, he dominated opponents all summer long. His wide body, soft hands and nimble feet allow him to score easily in the paint. He possesses terrific skill facing the basket; "Tiny" has range to 17 feet and passes well in a high/low game.

At times he is lazy whether it is in low-post defense or running the floor. With that said, at the Nike Main Event in Las Vegas, he had numerous double-doubles. In Orlando at the Super Showcase and the AAU Nationals, he was productive again scoring double-figure points and rebounds. When he decreases his percentage of body fat and plays with intensity consistently, he will be hard to stop.

Six-foot-7 SF Khris Middleton (North Charleston, S.C./Porter-Gaud) has a well-rounded game and enters the ESPNU 100 at No. 64. The Texas A&M commit played extremely well in the adidas It Takes 5ive Classic.

He is a very good athlete who scores in a variety of ways. He rebounds well and can take it on the break himself, and his shot selection is good; he knocks down the open 3-point shot. He is a long, wiry athlete who is a solid defender on the ball and anticipates for steals well off the ball.
If you have not heard of 6-8 PF Thomas Robinson (Washington, D.C./Brewster Academy) by now, you will soon. Entering the ESPNU 100 at No. 54, he really blew up at the Reebok camp in July; he showed the ability to handle the ball in the open floor while doing what he does best -- rebound.

This strong, hard-working power forward rebounds both inside and outside of his area. At the Nike Main Event, he scored in the paint with a jump hook or drop step and from the high post demonstrated a sweet go-dribble to the basket.

In Orlando playing for Team Florida at the AAU nationals, 6-10 C Kyryl Natyazhko (Bradenton, Fla./IMG Academy) displayed a strong skill package. He enters the ESPNU 100 at No. 31.
Natyazhko can shoot the jumper out to the 3-point line and is a terrific passer. What is so impressive is his mobility for his size and feel for the game. He would be ideal in a two-man pick-and-pop game with his ability to spread out the defense.

Paul Biancardi, who spent 2007-08 as an assistant coach on Rick Majerus' staff at Saint Louis, is the sole national recruiting director for ESPN Scouts Inc. He has 18 years coaching experience at the Division I level. He was an assistant at Boston University, Boston College and Ohio State before becoming the head coach at Wright State, where he earned Horizon League coach of the year honors in the 2003-'04 season.

Antonio Williams is a recruiting coordinator for Scouts Inc. He previously worked as an NBA scout for Marty Blake Associates.

Related Topics: Men Basketball Recruiting, High School

Gary Parrish: The Impact Freshmen

The impact freshmen: Nice class, just not that nice
Oct. 27, 2008

By Gary Parrish CBSSports.com

Four of the top five picks in last June's NBA Draft were freshmen.

Year before that, five of the top 10 picks were freshmen.

So let me be the first -- or actually the 500th -- person to tell you that, no, this season's freshman class will not be as good as last season's freshman class or the freshman class before that. Greg Oden and Michael Beasley are not walking through that door. But what you must understand is that even though this group of freshmen isn't as gifted as those groups of freshmen there are still many first-year players capable of making an immediate impact.

Any by impact, I mean impact.

Ed Davis might be one of the best freshmen in America; he's talented like that. But how much of an impact will the North Carolina forward make this season considering the Tar Heels already have Tyler Hansbrough and Deon Thompson in the frontcourt? Answer: I'm not sure. But what I do know is that Davis probably won't get the same opportunities as many of his classmates who signed elsewhere. So that's why Davis isn't on this list, because it's not necessarily a list of the best freshmen but rather a list of the freshmen best-positioned to have immediate impacts on relevant programs.

You dig?

Good.

Now here's the list of freshmen poised to make immediate impacts:

1. DeMar DeRozan (Southern California)
Why he's here: DeRozan did nothing to lower expectations when he scored 29 points in Sunday's intrasquad scrimmage. The 6-7 wing is a different player than O.J. Mayo, but his impact will be similar, if not more significant.

2. Jrue Holiday (UCLA)
Why he's here: Holiday does a little bit of everything -- including make predictions. In fact, the 6-3 combo guard didn't hesitate when he was asked at UCLA's annual media day for a prediction on the season. "National championship, national championship," Holiday said, according to the Los Angeles Times. "We've gone to the Final Four three years in a row, the history here. What else do I have to say? National championship."

3. B.J. Mullens (Ohio State)
Why he's here: A lot of these rankings are based on the impressions prospects made on me when I saw them at various times. I tell you that to tell you that the reason Mullens is so high is because every time I've ever seen him in person he's been awesome, just a jumping and dunking machine who should wreak havoc on the Big Ten. Is he Greg Oden? No, not quite. But he's certainly good enough to become the third straight OSU center to leave school after one season.

4. Tyreke Evans (Memphis)
Why he's here: Evans has to be John Calipari's best player if the Tigers are to make a fourth consecutive Elite Eight, and I suspect he will be. The 6-foot-6 combo guard has reportedly been great in preseason practices on both ends of the court. So the guess here is that Evans picks up a large portion of the points left behind by Chris Douglas-Roberts and becomes the sixth Memphis player in the past eight seasons to win C-USA Freshman of the Year honors.

5. Samardo Samuels (Louisville)
Why he's here: Samuels got 36 points and 16 rebounds in Sunday's Red-White scrimmage while reportedly "overpowering" Earl Clark and Terrence Jennings. Assuming that description is true (and that Samuels can dominate the paint) it's safe to pencil the Cardinals in as a legitimate threat to North Carolina, which makes me feel good about ranking Louisville second in the Top 25 (and one).

6. Willie Warren (Oklahoma)
Why he's here: Warren will team with Blake Griffin and provide one of the nation's best inside-outside duos. He's great at getting to the rim and should be one of the more entertaining freshmen given his unique ability to talk the talk and walk the walk.

7. Al-Farouq Aminu (Wake Forest)
Why he's here: Aminu is the centerpiece of Wake Forest's stellar recruiting class assembled by the late Skip Prosser and held together by his successor Dino Gaudi. When the Demon Deacons make the NCAA tournament this season, this 6-8 forward will be a huge reason.

8. Scotty Hopson (Tennessee)
Why he's here: Bruce Pearl has established himself in the SEC by doing more with less. Now he gets to do more with more because Hopson is a McDonald's All-American who will start from Day 1 and ensure the Vols have the type of talent to advance past the Sweet 16 for the first time in history.

9. Greg Monroe (Georgetown)
Why he's here: Remember what I wrote about Mullens and how he's ranked so high because every time I've seen him he's been great? Well, that's the same reason Monroe is lower than most would put him, because every time I've seen him he's merely been pretty good. Monroe spent much of his prep days as the nation's top-rated player, but I never saw him consistently dominate the way a No. 1 player should. That said, I know Monroe is talented; that's why he made the list. It's just that when watching him I never saw what I'm used to seeing from an elite prospect, but I'm willing to wait longer.

10. JaMychal Green (Alabama)
Why he's here: Alabama would be the easy pick to win the SEC West had Richard Hendrix returned to school. He didn't, and that's too bad for Alabama. But the reason Mark Gottfried isn't devastated is because Green is on campus after averaging 11.0 points and 8.4 rebounds in the FIBA Americas U18 Championship. As Davidson's Bob McKillop said after coaching him, Green is "terrific".

The next 10

11. Devin Ebanks (West Virginia)
16. Marcus Morris (Kansas)
12. Delvon Roe (Michigan State)
17. William Buford (Ohio State)
13. Kemba Walker (Connecticut)
18. Chris Singleton (Florida State)
14. Luke Babbitt (Nevada)
19. Yancy Gates (Cincinnati)
15. Iman Shumpert (Georgia Tech)
20. Tony Woods (Wake Forest)

Gary Parrish: Top 25 and Two Big Reasons Heels Could Be Perfect

Top 25 (and one): Two big reasons Heels could be perfect
Oct. 20, 2008
By Gary Parrish
CBSSports.com Senior Writer

I do not think North Carolina will go undefeated this season.

There, I said it.

So that should clear up any confusion in regards to my comment last week about how I couldn't wait to see "if" North Carolina can "go wire-to-wire and perhaps even undefeated." I purposely used the words "if" and "perhaps" because I wasn't predicting an undefeated season as much as presenting it as a possibility, and I thought that was obvious.

But the e-mails still arrived one after another with readers insisting the Tar Heels won't finish with a perfect record, which is why I'd like to take this opportunity to make two points before unveiling the preseason Top 25 (and one).

Point No. 1: I agree, the odds of UNC going undefeated aren't great.
Point No. 2: But you are insane if you don't think it's possible.

As always, I'm happy to explain. Before I do, let's establish two things about which we can surely all agree:

1. The Tar Heels should be better this season than they were last season.

Why?

Because the top six players are back -- a year older, stronger, wiser, etc., -- and joined by a pair of elite freshmen (Tyler Zeller and Ed Davis). So on paper, there is no question, this version of the Tar Heels is better than that version of the Tar Heels.

2. The nation as a whole should not be as good this season as it was last season.

Why?

Because the group of players entering college isn't as impactful as the group of players that just left college. In fact, I would argue no team this season (outside of North Carolina) will be as good as Kansas, Memphis, UCLA and North Carolina were last season, which means, on paper, there is no question that the quality of this season's elite teams won't be as high as the quality of last season's elite teams.

You still with me?

Good.

Now let's assume you're picking North Carolina to win the national title because everybody is picking North Carolina to win the national title. That implies the Tar Heels are expected to go 6-0 in the NCAA tournament, meaning that when the discussion is whether they can go undefeated, all we're really talking about is whether they can navigate the regular season without a loss.

And guess what?

They almost did it last season!

The Tar Heels only had two regular-season losses in 2007-08 -- one to Duke and one to Maryland. The Duke loss came when UNC played without its top two point guards (Ty Lawson and Bobby Frasor) because of injuries. But I think it's fair to suggest the Tar Heels would have won the game had Lawson been healthy if only because when he was healthy later in the season he helped North Carolina to a 76-68 victory at Duke.

As for the other loss, well, it was 82-80 to Maryland, and North Carolina led with less than 90 seconds left and missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer. So that game could obviously have gone either way, which means North Carolina was perhaps just a healthy Lawson and last-second 3-pointer against Maryland away from entering the 2008 NCAA tournament undefeated.

So I ask: Why would anybody think it's unrealistic for North Carolina to go undefeated this season when it's clear the Tar Heels A) very well could have entered last season's NCAA tournament undefeated; B) should be better than they were last season; and C) will be competing against a national field that shouldn't be as challenging as the national field from last season?

Put that way, it doesn't seem so farfetched.

And with that, let's look at the preseason Top 25 (and one):

1. North Carolina: Despite my belief that UNC can go undefeated, I don't actually think it will happen. That's why my official prediction is that the Tar Heels will win the national title with a 38-1 record. But again, a perfect record is a possibility and don't even think about sending an e-mail suggesting otherwise.

2. Louisville: Rick Pitino will benefit from a pair of future pros (Terrence Williams and Earl Clark) who decided to delay their NBA dreams, and that's the kind of development that usually leads to great success. Don't believe me? Just look at Kansas, which won a national title in 2008 because Brandon Rush and Darrell Arthur weren't in the 2007 NBA Draft.

3. Connecticut: The Huskies will miss what freshman Nate Miles could have brought. But there's still enough talent to help Jim Calhoun win his third national title.

4. Duke: This Duke team is flawed, I admit. But Mike Krzyzewski won 28 games with a flawed team last season, and every relevant player from that flawed team is back except DeMarcus Nelson.

5. Notre Dame: Could a Final Four team really be the third-best team in its own league? Yes. Because that's how strong the Big East will be this season.

6. Purdue: The Boilermakers lack the wow factor. But there's something to be said for experienced and steady winners, and that's exactly what Matt Painter has at his disposal.

7. UCLA: It's crazy to think UCLA could lose three NBA Draft picks and still win the Pac-10. Crazy, but not wrong.

8. Gonzaga: Mark Few has the most talented team in Gonzaga history. Now let's see if it can become the best.

9. Michigan State: Does it not seem like the Drew Neitzel era lasted forever? If you're interested, Neitzel is now with the Artland Dragons in Germany.

10. Pittsburgh: The uncertainty about the health of Levance Fields is enough to keep Pitt fans worried. But if Fields is good, the Panthers can be really good.

11. Tennessee: It's possible the Vols have the best two NBA prospects in the SEC in Tyler Smith and Scotty Hopson.

12. Texas: The Longhorns would be ranked second if D.J. Augustin had returned. He didn't. But they'll still be strong without him.

13. Memphis: It says something about a program when an expected "down" year still garners a preseason top 15 ranking.

14. Marquette: The downside of the great situation Buzz Williams inherited is that he won't enjoy the same honeymoon most new coaches enjoy.

15. Georgetown: DaJuan Summers, Austin Freeman and Greg Monroe are the type of talents that can keep Georgetown near the top of the Big East.

16. Villanova: The guess here is that Villanova won't have to sneak into the NCAA tournament this season.

17. Miami (Fla.): Raise your hand if you ever imagined Miami basketball would be better than Miami football. It's almost as crazy as ever thinking Notre Dame basketball would be better than Notre Dame football or Tennessee basketball would be better than Tennessee football. Oh wait ...

18. Arizona State: While N.C. State should be down again, the coach N.C. State fans ran off (Herb Sendek) will be doing just fine in the Pac-10.

19. Ohio State: From Greg Oden to Kosta Koufos, Ohio State is becoming something of a Big Man U. Next up is B.J. Mullens, a 7-foot freshman who is likely a one-and-done player just like Oden and Koufos before him.

20. Oklahoma: Whenever Tom Crean is feeling down, he can look to Jeff Capel and realize it's possible to clean up a mess and make a program relevant again.

21. Southern California: DeMar DeRozan is not O.J. Mayo, but he's pretty darn good and capable of leading the Trojans to more wins than Mayo did.

22. Wisconsin: You know how Steve Spurrier always ranks Duke on his preseason football ballot? That's how I'm going to be with Wisconsin from now on, though it's worth noting Wisconsin is better at basketball than Duke is at football.

23. UNLV: Once again, the Rebels should be near the top of the Mountain West, winning games and preparing to advance in the NCAA tournament.

24. Florida: The Gators need points and rebounds from the center position, even if they come from some combination of players instead of just one.

25. Davidson: Here you go, Davidson fans. I put the Wildcats in the Top 25 (and one), as promised. Now don't let me down.

26. Baylor: The top five scorers are back from a 21-win team. Now if the Bears could just get John Wall committed everything would be perfect in Waco.

Ten teams that could make me pay for not ranking them (in alphabetical order):

Arizona; Kansas; Kentucky; LSU; Saint Mary's; Syracuse; Virginia Tech; Wake; Forest; West Virginia; Xavier.

Dan Wolken's Blog - Things I Think

Things I think…
Posted by Dan Wolken

…after watching the first 12 practices of the year

- The Tigers’ top three players will be very competitive with the top three of most of the teams in the country. The question is how much they’ll get out of the next five in the rotation.

- This can be a pretty good 3-point shooting team, but it’s not going to be significantly better than it was last season.

- I’ll be honest. When Doneal Mack transferred, and then came back, I didn’t think it would make a huge difference one way or the other. But I’m stunned by how well he’s playing right now, and it’s not even really about shooting 3-pointers. If he continues on this trajectory, he’ll give the Tigers what they lacked last year which is a legit guy off the bench to play shooting guard.

- Shawn Taggart struggled a bit in the scrimmages over the weekend. They need to figure out a way to get him going and how they can create some good scoring opportunities for him.

- Tyreke Evans has improved a ton already because he is extremely coachable. You tell him to do something, and he’ll do it on the next play.

- Wesley Witherspoon is a tough guy to guard, and he’ll be even tougher when he makes all of his layups.

- Matt Simpkins is pretty active inside. He’s been slightly better than I expected.

- There is probably going to be an odd-man out somewhere along the line. If you’re starting lineup is Kemp, Anderson, Evans, Dozier and Taggart, there are three more people and maybe a fourth who will be in the primary rotation. Mack is starting to separate himself, and Pierre Niles is in there because they need a second big. That leaves everybody else fighting for a couple positions. Not to say that the rest of the team won’t play, but a true 10-man rotation is unrealistic.

- I have almost assuredly overrated Memphis at No. 8 in my AP top 25

Dan Wolken's Preseason Top 25 Ballot

Preseason Top 25 ballot

Posted by Dan Wolken The AP top 25 poll will be out on Friday. Here’s the ballot I turned in today. Basically, it’s a total guess.

1. North Carolina
2. Connecticut
3. Oklahoma
4. Louisville
5. Duke
6. Purdue
7. Gonzaga
8. Memphis
9. UCLA
10. Notre Dame
11. Michigan State
12. Texas
13. Pittsburgh
14. Tennessee
15. Arizona State
16. Villanova
17. Miami
18. Syracuse
19. Ohio State
20. Southern Cal
21. Kansas
22. UNLV
23. Wisconsin
24. St. Mary’s
25. Baylor

Dan Wolken's Blog - On Arizona and Rumors

On Arizona and rumors
Posted by Dan Wolken

It’s only October, but silly season in college basketball coaching has already arrived. And for Memphis fans, the script is incredibly familiar. A high-profile job opens up. Immediately, John Calipari’s name is thrown into the mix because, well, his name is always thrown into the mix. Posters on Internet message boards who previously trashed Calipari will suddenly claim that he’s their program’s savior. A columnist in said college’s area will inevitably write the case against hiring Calipari - regardless of whether he’s really a candidate - drudging up Marcus Camby and the laundry list of the off-court problems he’s had at Memphis.

In the case of Arizona, which will be the big job open next April now that Lute Olson has announced his retirement this week, let me go ahead and save everybody the trouble.

Calipari isn’t going to Arizona.

Of course, some of this stuff has already started, though not by national writers who understand the dynamics of the situation. But Calipari’s name has been thrown out in Arizona newspapers, and apparently even a Phoenix radio host said that he’d heard Calipari would be willing to take a pay cut to go to Arizona (Whoever is spreading that rumor doesn’t know Calipari very well.) When I mentioned to Calipari that his name had popped up in the Tucson papers, he laughed, because it’s entirely predictable. But his response was clear and unequivocal. He’s not interested.

As someone who spends a lot of time around Calipari and the program, there are a couple things are worth keeping in mind when it comes to Calipari and any other job, especially this one.

1) With his newest contract, Calipari makes $3.35 million a year guaranteed. Let me repeat. Calipari makes $3.35 million per year guaranteed. And that doesn’t even include a dime from the new shoe contract Memphis is about to sign with Nike. Now, I can’t get anyone in the athletic department to go on the record right now about what the financial ramifications of this deal will be. But from what I’ve gathered, it will add another significant chunk of money to Calipari’s annual package. How significant? I’m not sure yet, but the total numbers could be Nick Saban-esque. Olson’s total package at Arizona, according to published reports, was somewhere between $1.3-1.5 million, which is pretty much in line with the pay scale in the Pac 10.

2) Calipari’s mindset, at this point, seems to be geared more toward riding out the momentum at Memphis rather than starting over somewhere else. That doesn’t mean he’s going to coach at Memphis forever, but if the Tigers get a couple of the recruits they’re after along with the players who are already in the fold for next year, Calipari sees them right back in the championship mix. Like Indiana, Arizona is probably a 4-year rebuilding job at minimum.

Bottom line, though, is that Memphis fans have no need to wring their hands over Internet speculation, mostly fueled by fans (and in some cases coaches) from teams that are recruiting against the Tigers. As many others have written on a national basis, fans of Gonzaga and Pitt should have much more reason to think about Arizona at this point than Memphis fans.

Last year was Robinson's time to watch, learn from Tiger bench

Last year was Robinson's time to watch, learn from Tiger bench
By Dan Wolken, Memphis Commercial Appeal
Monday, October 27, 2008

Jeff Robinson finally has his opportunity.

Lost in the shuffle during the University of Memphis' run to the national championship game last April, and beginning this season without a defined role or position, the door is now wide open for Robinson to grab a spot in the regular rotation over the next three weeks.

With freshman Angel Garcia nursing a knee ligament sprain, freshman Wesley Witherspoon more likely to play guard than forward and freshman Matt Simpkins still unsure if he'll be academically eligible this season, the Tigers could enter the Nov. 15 opener against Fairfield without a second option at the power forward position.

It's a role coach John Calipari hopes Robinson, a 6-foot-5 sophomore, steps up to claim.

"That's why he's getting the opportunity," Calipari said. "He doesn't need to be (starter) Robert Dozier. He needs to be Jeff Robinson. What can Jeff Robinson do well? Rebound, defend, go block a shot, be athletic and be physical. Make really easy plays and don't try to go crazy because if you're out there turning it over, you can't be out there. Do the things you do well. But the greatest news for Jeff is he's got an opportunity right now."

Last season, Tiger fans didn't get to see much of Robinson, a top-50 national recruit coming out of St. Patrick High School in Elizabeth, N.J. He played in just 28 of the Tigers' 40 games, averaging 9.1 minutes and 3.0 points.

For many players as highly-recruited as Robinson, the lack of consistent court time might have been problematic. But Robinson, to his credit, accepted it as part of playing on a veteran team that went 38-2.

"We had a lot of people that moved on to the next level, and I was just sitting behind a lot of guys at the time," Robinson said. "But I played when I needed to and when Coach thought it was right to put me in the game, so I was happy with that.

"I think I got a lot of experience. Normally, it would help a lot of freshmen that are here now if they were in my position (last year) because of the type of season we had, and I already know how hard we've got to play, the type of defense we've got to play, the rebounding and everything. It was a good learning experience for me."

When Robinson came back as a sophomore, however, the competition among the Tigers' guards hadn't thinned out much. With the starting lineup pretty much locked in at this point, there are only so many minutes to go around on the wings among senior Antonio Anderson, freshman Tyreke Evans, junior Doneal Mack, sophomore Roburt Sallie and Witherspoon.

What sets Robinson apart, however, is a physique and leaping ability that remain far ahead of his offensive skills. When the Tigers recruited Robinson, they envisioned a player in the mold of P.J. Tucker, who, even at 6-foot-5, averaged 9.5 rebounds for Texas in 2006. And in the Memphis offense, a big guard can play power forward, as Jeremy Hunt often did in 2007.

Now that some early injuries have set in and Calipari is moving pieces around, never before has Robinson had a clearer path to a prominent role.

"He's comfortable with me at the '4' because that's what I played last year," Robinson said. "I'm a sophomore now. Coach expects a little more of me, expects me to be more of a leader. Hopefully I get the chance to play a lot more, but he already knows the way I play and the style of basketball and what I can do, so I'm just going to wait my turn."

Though Robinson's jumper is still a work-in-progress (he's shooting with a higher arc after some offseason adjustments) and he still isn't as effective with his right hand as he needs to be, it's clear from the Tigers' early scrimmages that anyone who can rebound will have a chance to play this season.

Calipari said Robinson helped himself over the weekend.

"He's on the floor, which is a good thing, and he's fighting in there," Calipari said. "Be what you are, and that's easy. Trying to be something you're not is hard."

And what Robinson could be, above all else, is a candidate to absorb some of the 9.5 rebounds the Tigers lost when Joey Dorsey went to the NBA.

"We need to get a lot of rebounds because we lost Joey, and he got the majority of our rebounds, so I pretty much need to work on just playing defense and rebounding," Robinson said. "Everything else is going to come to you, so you don't need to rush shots or worry about scoring."

Reach Dan Wolken at 529-2365; read his blogs on the Tigers at thememphisedge.com.

Seth Davis............Checking In With Memphis

Seth Davis > HOOP THOUGHTS
Checking in with ... Memphis
Posted: Monday October 20, 2008 1:09PM

MEMPHIS -- Moments before a banner commemorating the University of Memphis' appearance in the 2008 Final Four was raised to the rafters of Fed Ex Forum last Friday night, the 14,000 blue-clad fans who had gathered for Midnight Madness were treated to a spine-tingling highlight video of the Tigers' march through the tournament bracket.

The montage was set to One Shining Moment, and the crowd rejoiced with every soaring dunk. When the video culminated with NBA commissioner David Stern's announcement that Derrick Rose had been selected with the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, the fans stood and cheered some more.

From where I sat courtside, that ending struck me as more wistful than cheerful. After all, One Shining Moment is supposed to end with the winning team celebrating on the court, but since Kansas won the final game that wouldn't suffice in this setting. And the image of Stern's announcement was a bitter reminder that the biggest reason behind the Tigers' remarkable 38-2 season was not at Midnight Madness because he is a member of the Chicago Bulls (poor sap).

So while the university and its fans have every reason to be proud of what its team accomplished last season, the unfortunate reality is that the trio that formed the nucleus of the NCAA runner-up -- Rose, Chris Douglas-Roberts and Joey Dorsey -- are all gone. Tigers coach John Calipari started dealing with that reality as soon as the Kansas game was over. During lunch earlier that day, I asked Calipari how he handled the pain of the 75-68 overtime loss, in which the Tigers blew a nine-point lead in the last two minutes. "I never felt winning a championship was going to define who I am," he said with a shrug. "And I also felt, we'll be back. That was my thought in the locker room: We gotta get back."

Calipari talked about the game as we chowed down on ribs at Cozy Corner Restaurant, a low-key ribs joint on North Parkway. When you're in Memphis, you've gotta eat ribs, and I knew Calipari had juice in this town when he convinced the owner to serve us a fat plate even though the restaurant was closed. Al McGuire used to say, "If the waitress has dirt on her ankles, the chili is good." Well, the leather seats at Cozy Corner, were torn, which should tell you just how delicious those ribs were. (I definitely recommend the place, but if go, be careful not to mistake the mild barbecue sauce for the spicy. Trust me on that one.) Calipari told me he has never watched a tape of the title game, and he declined my request to watch it with me, even after I paid for lunch. But he recounted those fateful last few minutes with the vivid detail of someone who had replayed the sequence in his mind over and over again.

It's a little easier for Calipari to look ahead because he knows he's going to have a competitive team. The 2008-09 Tigers will certainly not be as dominating as last year's bunch, but if they're healthy, there's every reason to believe they will be well-positioned to make another run deep into the NCAA tournament. Though the Big Three are gone, two other key contributors from last year, 6-9 senior forward Robert Dozier and 6-6 senior guard Antonio Anderson, came back to school after withdrawing their names from the NBA Draft.

Anderson didn't go through workouts, but Dozier was put through the paces by five teams. Having learned that he needed to improve his strength and his outside shooting, Dozier spent the rest of his summer working strenuously on those deficiencies. Now Calipari says he has a chance to be one of the top 10 players in the country.



Whether Memphis is a good team (no doubt), a really good team (fairly likely) or a Final Four team (quite possibly) this season will depend mostly on how quickly the new players adapt to Calipari's frenetic, unconventional dribble-drive motion offense. And the new player who needs to adapt the quickest is heralded freshman guard Tyreke Evans. At 6-6, 219 pounds, Evans is bigger and stronger than Rose was at the start of his freshman year. He does not have the same explosive athleticism (who does?), but he is plenty quick and is incredibly adept at finishing around the basket. He has a funky shooting motion that takes a lot of time to get the shot off, but since he releases the ball well behind his head it should be pretty tough to block. And he is already demonstrating the ability to be a ridiculously good defensive player, which should lead to plenty of breakaway layups.

Evans is so good at getting to the rim that he presents Calipari with a conundrum: Should he play him at point guard to take advantage of his abilities to break down defenders, or should he keep him on the wing where he can focus more on scoring? Calipari also has two other players who are capable of playing the point -- Anderson and 6-2 junior Willie Kemp, a proficient shooter who started at the point as a freshman. Kemp will probably start at the point as the season begins, but you can be sure all three of those guys will be handling the ball a lot.

Calipari's dribble-drive motion offense might look fairly simple, what with all those repeated drive-and-kicks, but the patterns are more intricate than meets the eye. Because it is predicated on everything happening so fast, there is also very little margin for poor decision making. In the end, that will be the biggest challenge as Calipari integrates newbies like Evans, 6-8 forward Wesley Witherspoon, 6-11 forward Angel Garcia and 6-5 sophomore transfer Roburt Sallie.

All those guys are physically well-equipped to excel in the DDM, but mentally they have a lot to learn. At one point during last Friday's practice, Calipari circled his wrists in rapid fashion as if he was making a traveling call. "I need your feet to move like this," he said. Then he circled his wrists more slowly and said, "But I need your minds to move like this." Or as John Wooden used to say, "Be quick, but don't hurry."

If Derrick Rose wasn't in such a hurry to play professional basketball, the Tigers' prospects for getting back to the championship game would be a lot more, well, rosy. But I came away from my visit to Memphis surprisingly impressed with the Tigers' stable of talent. I also came away a few pounds heavier thanks to my visit to Cozy Corner. Even in down times this town never lacks for flavor, and I'm betting Memphis will show more spice this season than most people expect. Here's my breakdown of the Tigers:

Heart and soul: Anderson. Last year, Anderson was the consummate glue guy. He is a big, strong guard who loves to defend and is a surprisingly efficient passer. His 2.6-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio was best in Conference USA. Though he adeptly filled his complementary role last year, it was clear to me as I watched practice that he knows this is his team. He needs to improve on his shooting (he made just 40.8 percent of his field goals last year and 57 percent of his free throws), but the Tigers will need Anderson's varied skills. Most of all they will need his maturity and leadership.

Most improved: Shawn Taggart. Forget for the moment that Taggart, a junior forward, won the three-point contest at Midnight Madness. (Is it a good sign when a 6-10 guy wins your three-point contest?) He needs most to rebound and finish around the rim for Memphis to have a good season. He toned his body in the weight room over the summer and will be a starter this season, if only by necessity. He doesn't need to be as good as Dorsey, but if Taggart develops into a reliable post scorer and defender, it will enable a lot of other pieces to fall into place.

X factor: Evans. We know he was a sensational high school player, and his body is ready for the college game. (In truth, his body is ready for the NBA game.) The question is whether Evans will be able to handle the mental aspect of the game. That's not easy for any rookie, much less one that will be asked to do so much so soon, but make no mistake: he has the talent to do it.

Glue guy: Kemp. It couldn't have been easy for Kemp to be relegated to reserve duty after starting as a freshman, and at times it may not be easy for him to take a backseat to Anderson and Evans this season. But Kemp possesses considerable skills as both a knockdown shooter (he's a career 37.6 percent from three-point range) and a playmaker. He isn't generally considered a great defender, but now that this is his third year in the program he should have a handle on how hard he needs to play at that end of the floor. If Kemp shows a blue-collar attitude to match his white-collar skills, he'll get all the minutes he wants this season and then some.

Lost in the shuffle: Pierre Niles. I might have put freshman Wesley Witherspoon in this slot, but because he is so important to Memphis' future, my hunch is that Calipari will play more minutes than his abilities dictate to give him experience. That could leave Niles closer to the end of the bench, which would be a shame considering how hard he worked in the offseason to get into shape. Niles is 6-8, 300 pounds, but he lost 50 pounds in the offseason. I was amazed watching him run the floor and float to the rim during the intense two-hour practice. (He could make a fortune as an NFL defensive tackle if he didn't mind getting hit.) But Miles has shown immaturity and lack of dedication in the past, and if he lapses into that kind of behavior this season he'll disappear before our very eyes.

Bottom line: In Evans, Dozier and Anderson, Memphis has as good a three-man nucleus as you'll find anywhere. Because there are so many new guys in the fold, the team will take some lumps in the early going. (Maybe the Tigers will even lose a game in Conference USA this year; they've won 42 straight.) But by season's end I think the Tigers are going to better than people anticipate. Memphis should make it to the second weekend of the NCAA tournament. If the Tigers stay healthy and the young guys can grow up fast, they may even raise another banner next October.

From The Bleacher Report

Jameson Fleming, at the Bleacher Report, has Memphis at #10, and UTEP at #9, in his Road to the Final Four at Ford Field: 10 High Strung Teams list.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/66113-road-to-the-final-four-at-ford-field-10-high-strung-teams

I'm not sure I would say "The Tigers will back cut opponents to death" but perhaps Mr Jameson has not actually seen the Tiger's dribble drive offense. Interestingly, he has UMASS, and Derek Kellog, at #2 on the list.

THE HOOPS REPORT

The Hoops Report by Ronak Patel has Memphis at Number seven, and projects Wesley Witherspoon to be in the starting five.

http://www.thehoopsreport.com/article.aspx?id=165

This observer expects to see Wesley coming in off the bench, much like Rodney Carney used to do, creating match up problems for the opposition.

Memphis Reportedly Says No to Home and Home With Old Dominion

Andy Katz Blog

Andy Katz is a senior college basketball writer for ESPN.com. He started working for ESPN.com in 1998, leaving a 10-year newspaper career in 1999 to join ESPN.com full-time. In addition to covering college basketball on a daily basis through his "Daily Word" and breaking news for the site, Katz is a reporter for ESPN's studio and remote coverage of college basketball and the NBA draft. Katz is also one of the hosts of the December-March Saturday "Gameday" program on ESPN Radio.

• When Memphis coach John Calipari was looking for a game, he had his staff call up Old Dominion. The Monarchs were willing to play, but not without a return. The Tigers said no thanks. This is nothing new for ODU coach Blaine Taylor. Each year he holds out one game at the end of the summer and sometimes into September to lure in desperate coaches looking to fill a game. In recent years, he has picked up DePaul, Virginia Tech, Clemson and Georgetown. The Georgetown series started with a shocking upset at Georgetown during the Hoyas' Final Four season two years ago. "John Thompson [III] said to me that was the significant game all year because we had to learn from it," Taylor said of the Georgetown coach. "We do this because everyone needs a game, and as the cast of characters dries up, the guaranteed amounts get so large and some of the schools get priced out of games."

Taylor said the Monarchs had a deal in principle to play a home-and-home with South Carolina, but that recently was pulled. The Monarchs are expected to fill their schedule with a home-and-home starting at Duquesne. ODU is also playing Richmond and UAB and going to Charlotte and Marshall for a A-10/Conference USA hybrid nonconference schedule. That's not bad for a Colonial Athletic Association team.

Taylor said he won't play one-way games without a return. He said after the win over Georgetown, the Monarchs called 10 Big East schools but were told no. "They shy away from us and quite honestly are afraid of us," Taylor said. "Everyone wants home games and sometimes they run out of patience, and that's why we hold a game late."

Syracuse Orange Get A Date With Memphis Tigers

http://www.wtvh.com/sports/orange/28037229.html

Orange Get A Date With Memphis Tigers
Story Published: Sep 8, 2008 at 10:43 PM EDT
By WTVH Sports

SYRACUSE, NY – Syracuse will make its first-ever trip to play at Memphis when the Orange square off with the Tigers on Saturday, Dec. 20, at 6:00 p.m. in the Fed Ex Forum. The contest pits SU against Memphis, last year’s national runnerup.

The showdown will be broadcast live on ESPN.

Syracuse and Memphis have met only two times before, splitting the games 1-1. In 2002, the teams squared off at Madison Square Garden in the NABC Classic and the Tigers snatched the win, 70-63. Two years later, the teams battled it out again during the annual Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament, this time with the Orange coming out on top, 77-62.

Memphis was 38-2 overall and advanced to the 2008 NCAA championship game. The Tigers lost to Kansas in overtime, 75-68. Memphis took home the Conference USA crown with a 16-0 regular-season league mark and captured the conference tournament, as well. The Tigers return seniors Antonio Anderson and Robert Dozier, both of whom are on pace to join the Tiger’s 1,000-point club this season.

Henry Enrolls At Memphis, Joins Tiger Basketball Program

Henry Enrolls At Memphis, Joins Tiger Basketball Program

The 6-foot-3 guard comes to Memphis after three seasons of professional baseball.

John Calipari announced the addition of C.J. Henry to the Tiger basketnall program Thursday.

Aug. 28, 2008

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - C.J. Henry, a 6-3, 205-pound guard, took his first classes at the University of Memphis Thursday and joins the Tiger basketball program as a freshman for the 2008-09 campaign. Henry starts his collegiate career after spending the last three years playing professional baseball.

"I'm happy that a player of C.J.'s caliber would choose to play for our program and pursue his college degree at the University of Memphis," said Tiger head coach John Calipari. "I'm anxious to see where C.J. is with his conditioning. He is an exciting addition to our team."

Prior to his stint in professional baseball, Henry was a basketball standout at Putnam City High School for head coach A.D. Burtschi from 2002-05. In his career, Henry scored over 1,500 points and finished his prep playing days as the school's second all-time leading scorer. He is second on Putnam City's all-time scoring list to Alvan Adams, who went to a 13-year NBA career with the Phoenix Suns.

As a senior in 2004-05, Henry helped lead the Pirates to a 25-2 overall record and the Oklahoma Class 6A Tournament semifinals. He averaged 23.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.4 steals, while shooting 58 percent from the field, 36 percent from the arc and 80 percent from the free throw line. Henry earned All-State, Super 5 and Daily Oklahoman Big All-City Team honors, and also was named the Metro Athletic Conference Most Outstanding Player for a second-straight year.

In his junior campaign in 2003-04, Henry averaged 22.4 points, 6.1 boards and 4.4 assists as the Pirates finished runner-up in the Oklahoma Class 6A Tournament. Henry was named to the Oklahoma Class 6A All-Tournament Team, and was also selected the Metro Athletic Conference Most Outstanding Player. Henry earned All-State Underclassmen recognition for a second-consecutive season.

As a sophomore, Henry averaged 19.9 points and helped Putnam City to a runner-up finish in the Oklahoma state tournament. He received All-State Underclassmen distinction. Henry played on the varsity squad as a freshman and averaged 9.4 points in 2002-03. The Pirates won the Oklahoma Class 6A title that season.

On the diamond, Henry hit .481 with 13 home runs, 51 RBI and 21 stolen bases his senior season in 2005. He was named to the 2005 EA SPORTS Baseball All-America team as an infielder, and also was selected to 2005 Louisville Slugger's preseason high school All-America baseball first team as a shortstop. A year earlier, Henry was picked to play in the 2004 AFLAC All-American Baseball Classic, which was held at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen, Md., in August 2004.

In the summer of 2005, Henry was a first-round pick (overall No. 17) of the New York Yankees in the MLB Amateur Draft. Henry made pro debut with the Gulf Coast League Yankees and hit .249 in 48 games. His professional career also had him play with the Charleston RiverDogs and Lakewood BlueClaws.

Changes to Tiger Staff - Rod Strickland Promoted, Additions of Lamont Peterson, Bilal Batley and Jason Walberg

Strickland Named Tiger Basketball Director Of Operations
Peterson, Batley, Walberg joins Calipari staff.

Rod Strickland has been promoted to Director of Basketball Operations.

Aug. 26, 2008

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - After hiring two new assistant coaches in the early portion of the summer, University of Memphis head coach John Calipari announced Tuesday that he has finished rounding out his staff for the 2008-09 season. Rod Strickland has been elevated to Director of Basketball Operations, while Lamont Peterson, Bilal Batley and Jason Walberg all are additions to the staff.

Peterson's position is the program's Administrative Assistant, while Batley is Assistant Director of Operations/Manager and Walberg is Assistant to the Recruiting Coordinator/Manager. All three are non-benefit, eight-month appointments.

The changes occurred this past spring after Chuck Martin and Derek Kellogg took head coaching positions at Marist and UMass, respectively. Tyrone Weeks (Tigers' Director of Basketball Operations for 2007-08) joined Chuck Martin's staff as an assistant coach, and Andy Allison (Assistant Director of Basketball Operations) and Shyrone Chatman (Assistant to the Recruiting Coordinator) moved to Amherst, Mass., to be on Kellogg's basketball operations staff.

"I'm ecstatic for Rod, and he deserves this promotion," said Calipari. "Rod has been with us through our last two successful runs we've had, and it's good for the program to have that stability and continuity.

"Lamont, Bilal and Jason each brings something different to the program. Lamont gives us maturity, while Bilal and Jason both bring a high energy and high-work capacity to their two spots."

Strickland, who joined the Memphis basketball family in the summer of 2006, was promoted to Director of Basketball Operations from his previous position as Director of Student-Athlete Development. In his new role, Strickland is in charge in several "behind-the-scenes" areas for the Tiger program, among them monitoring the student-athletes' academic progress, assisting with travel plans and coordinating recruits' on-campus visits.

Strickland's time with the Tiger program has been quite a successful ride. During his two years on the Memphis bench, the Tigers posted an amazing 71-6 record (.922 winning percentage), won back-to-back Conference USA regular season and tournament titles and reached the 2007 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight and 2008 NCAA Tournament championship game. The 71 wins are the second-most by a program in NCAA Division I basketball over a two-year span (Montana State won 72 games from 1928-29).

This past year, Memphis set an NCAA Division I record and a school mark for victories in a single season with 38 wins (38-2 record). The Tigers swept the Conference USA regular season and tournament titles and won the NCAA Tournament South Region crown en route to the NCAA Tournament championship game. Memphis' run to the Final Four was the program's first since 1985 and the NCAA title game appearance was its first since 1973.

Peterson joins the Memphis basketball program after working the last three years as Director of Discipline at American Christian School in Philadelphia, Pa. He also worked with the strength and conditioning program at American Christian. Outside of his duties at the school, Peterson served as a personal trainer, working with several Philadelphia area athletes such as Kyle Lowery (Villanova University/NBA's Memphis Grizzlies), Sean Singletary (University of Virginia/NBA's Sacramento Kings), Crystal Langhorne (University of Maryland/WNBA's Washington Mystics), Mustafa Shakur (University of Arizona), Wayne Ellington (University of North Carolina), Gerald Henderson (Duke University) and Tyreke Evans (University of Memphis).

This past summer, Peterson served as an assistant coach for the United States team in the 2008 Junior World Championships in Douai, France. The U.S. squad won silver at the tournament.

Batley takes over the spot as Assistant Director of Basketball Operations/Manager, while also continuing graduate studies toward a master's degree in Sports and Leisure Commerce. A 2007 graduate of the University of Oklahoma, Batley comes to Memphis after a year as a graduate manager at Indiana University. Prior to Indiana, the Houston, Texas, native served as a student manager at Oklahoma for two seasons and as a student assistant at Navarro College for three years.

For seven summers, Batley worked as an assistant coach/personal assistant at the John Lucas Pre-Draft Camp in Houston.

Walberg comes to Memphis as the Assistant to the Recruiting Coordinator/Manager after completing his collegiate playing career at Pepperdine last season. In two seasons in Malibu, Walberg averaged 9.8 points, 2.6 assists and 2.1 rebounds. He played in 22 career games for the Waves and started seven. Before transferring to Pepperdine, the Fresno, Calif., native spent two years (2004-05, 2005-06) at Saint Mary's.

In the 2004-05 campaign, Walberg played in all 34 games and made 20 starts. He averaged 4.2 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists in helping lead the Gaels to the NCAA Tournament. Walberg played only four minutes of Saint Mary's NCAA Tournament first-round game versus Southern Illinois, suffering a knee injury that forced him to redshirt the 2005-06 season. Earlier in the 2004-05 season, Walberg scored 11 points in an 81-66 loss to Memphis in the Coaches vs. Cancer semifinal in New York City.

Walberg earned his bachelor's degree in Communications from Saint Mary's in 2006 and his master's degree in Educational Technology from Pepperdine in 2007.

The Tigers' grand-opening to the 2008-09 season - Memphis Madness - is scheduled for Oct. 17 at FedExForum.

Jeff Goodman's Almost Positive Comments on C.J. Henry (We still know he hates Memphis)

Back to school: MLB prospect joining Memphis
by Jeff Goodman

Jeff Goodman is a senior college basketball writer for FOXSports.com. He can be reached at GoodmanonFOX@aol.com or check out his blog, Good 'N Plenty.

C.J. Henry packed up his belongings at his Tampa, Fla., apartment early Sunday morning while watching a tape of his younger brother, Xavier, dominate an AAU basketball game last month. C.J. proceeded to jump into his blue Range Rover and make a pair of phone calls to the two coaches who roamed the sidelines in last April's national title game — Kansas' Bill Self and John Calipari of Memphis.

C.J. Henry was a 2005 first-round pick of the New York Yankees. His career on the diamond hasn't exactly gone according to plan after George Steinbrenner threw a $1.6 million signing bonus his way out of high school. Vision problems, struggles at the plate and numerous injuries have taken their toll on the former two-sport star.

"It's always been in my head," Henry said about contemplating playing college basketball. "But I just got serious about it. I thought about it when I was watching my brother play and then I thought about it the entire ride home."

That's when he called Self and Calipari to gauge their interest.

Less than 24 hours later, Henry had decided to enroll at Memphis and play basketball this season for the Tigers.

It's a no-risk, high-reward situation for Calipari. Henry, per the terms of the contract he signed out of high school, will have his education paid for by the Yankees. Thus, Memphis won't even have to utilize a scholarship while getting a potential impact guy, a player who was heavily recruited by the likes of Kansas, Memphis, Texas and others out of Putnam City High in Oklahoma.

In addition, the Tigers may have gained the inside track to one of the nation's elite unsigned players.

Xavier Henry.

Xavier (pronounced ZAV-ee-yay) is the younger brother of C.J. and is Scout.com's No. 4 player in the Class of 2009. His co-leaders are Memphis and Kansas.

"It can't hurt," Putnam City coach A.D. Burtschi said of Memphis' chances to land Xavier now that C.J. will play for the Tigers.

"But I don't have any doubt that Xavier is going to make his own decision," Burtschi added. "This isn't a package deal at all, but both of them are smart enough to realize there's going to be speculation."

Burtschi coached C.J. for four years in high school and is entering his fourth year with Xavier.

"He has his own thing and I have mine," C.J. Henry said. "He's going to pick the place that's best for him. If we end up playing together, it would be fun and exciting. I asked him before I committed to Memphis and he said he didn't care."

Henry made the 24-hour trek from Tampa to his home in Oklahoma City on his own. When he returned in the middle of the afternoon, no one was home. However, he met with his entire family around dinnertime and then also spoke with his father, mother and Xavier individually.

Henry had committed to play basketball at Kansas, where both of his parents went to school, prior to the MLB Draft. However, that changed after he was taken 17th overall by the Yankees. He was traded to Philadelphia in a deal that brought Bobby Abreu to New York, but was later released by the Phillies and re-signed by the Yankees last offseason.

This season, he suffered a sprained neck in a freak outfield collision and also sprained the posterior cruciate ligament in his knee in an indecisive slide into home plate. He was hitting .234 in 20 games this season in Single-A ball.


The 22-year-old said he intends to continue to play baseball in the summers, but sounds like someone whose future is more likely in the NBA than playing alongside Alex Rodriguez in the Bronx.

"My game will speak for itself," C.J. Henry said. "My talent level is high and I can play. My ultimate goal is to play in the NBA."

Calipari, who actually coached Henry's father, Carl, when he was an assistant at Kansas, isn't allowed to comment on his newest addition until he is enrolled. Henry said he was flying to Memphis today and would sign up for classes either today or tomorrow.

However, one high-major assistant coach who recruited Henry before he opted to go the baseball route was shocked to hear the news that he was set to play for Memphis.

"I loved him," the coach said. "He's a big guard who can score the ball. He's explosive and can really shoot it. He's more of a combo guard, but I think he can play the point. Because of his size and athleticism, I think he can play right away."

Henry, now at 6-foot-3½ and 220 pounds, may have the opportunity once he sheds a few pounds and gets back into basketball shape. He said the last time he and Xavier played one-on-one was last year and it was also the first time he had ever lost to his younger brother.

"Once I get in basketball shape, I'll show people what I'm capable of," Henry said.

Henry's claim is that he's more of a point guard and he also said Calipari assured him he'd have a chance to compete for the starting point guard position, which appears wide-open but has no shortage of candidates. Willie Kemp backed up Derrick Rose last season, but will be pushed by talented freshman combo guard Tyreke Evans and junior college transfer Roburt Sallie.

"I chose Memphis because of the coach, the personnel and the opportunity to win a national championship," C.J. Henry said. "It was the best situation for me."

The Tigers certainly aren't complaining.

Dickie V's Preseason Top 40 (Tigers #13)

Dickie V's Preseason Top 40
By Dick Vitale
ESPN.com
August 29, 2008

The summer is almost over, so it is time to get cracking on my preseason list of the nation's Top 40 teams. Check out teams Nos. 11-40 below and check back Sept. 8 when I'll reveal my preseason Top 10.

DICKIE V's PRESEASON TOP 40

11. Purdue. Matt Painter's team snuck up on a lot of people last season. With Robbie Hummel leading the way, the Boilermakers have high hopes.

12. Marquette. Tom Crean is gone but Buzz Williams has the top-flight trio of Dominic James, Jerel McNeal and Wesley Matthews back.

13. Memphis. No Derrick Rose, no Chris Douglas-Roberts, no problem. John Calipari has a lot of talent returning plus several standout recruits.

14. Tennessee. Bruce Pearl will rely on Tyler Smith inside to key his SEC challenger.

15. Georgetown. Adding Greg Monroe up front will make this a team to keep an eye on in the rugged Big East.

16. Villanova. Jay Wright has his key players returning, led by Scottie Reynolds.

17. Florida. Billy Donovan's Gators will return to the big dance, keyed by Nick Calathes.

18. Arizona State. James Harden will be one of the premier players in the Pac-10. The Sun Devils will go from surprise team to conference challenger.

19. Davidson. Stephen Curry will carry this team to another big season. Forget about the Cinderella tag this season.

20. Virginia Tech. Seth Greenberg's team fell short of the big dance last season. That won't be an issue this time around.

21. Miami-Florida. Jack McClinton is one of the best players that America has not heard enough about. Frank Haith does a fine job with the Hurricanes.

22. Wisconsin. Bo Ryan will always have the Badgers in the hunt in the Big Ten.

23. Arizona. The return of Chase Budinger makes Lute Olson very happy. If Brandon Jennings didn't go to Europe, this would be a top 10 team.

24. Kentucky. When Patrick Patterson is healthy, watch out. Billy Gillispie's club will be returning to prominence.

25. Kansas. Bill Self lost five players to the NBA draft. He has a young but talented team that should still make noise.

26. Syracuse. In a different league, the Orange would be a contender. In the Big East, it is so, so tough …

27. Oklahoma. I know people are talking about football down in Norman. Jeff Capel's club, led by Blake Griffin, will give fans something else to cheer about.

28. West Virginia. Bob Huggins will have his team battling, scrapping and clawing again.

29. Wake Forest. This young team is talented. You will hear a lot from super sophs Jeff Teague and James Johnson.

30. Baylor. Scott Drew has rebuilt this program in a short time. Remember the name LaceDarius Dunn!

31. USC. Even without O.J. Mayo, the Trojans will be a tough team. Taj Gibson and company will not be an easy touch.

32. Clemson. Oliver Purnell lost a lot of senior talent, but K.C. Rivers is back.

33. St. Mary's. As long as Mr. Mills comes back to school, this team will make noise in the WCC.

34. Alabama. If Mark Gottfried gets back a healthy Ronald Steele, the Tide can reverse last season's misfortune.

35. UNLV. Lon Kruger has won 91 games in his four seasons with the Runnin' Rebels.

36. Mississippi State. If Jamont Gordon had stayed in school, this team would be in the top 20.

37. UAB. Robert Vaden is back. He flirted with the NBA draft but withdrew before the deadline.

38. Ohio State. A lot will depend on the big diaper dandy, B.J. Mullens. Thad Matta is a flat-out winner, my friends.

39. San Diego. Last season was not a fluke … just ask Connecticut.

40. Xavier. Sean Miller's team lost a lot of talent, but the newcomers will make a difference.

Great Article on the Pre-Season Tigers (trust me, read the whole thing)

How I Spent My Gustav Evacuation
by Aggrey Sam
http://slamonline.com/online/2008/09/how-i-spent-my-gustav-evacuation/

I never really went on trips for Labor Day as a kid, but I always have fond memories of it, as I began school later that week. It was the end of my summer, meaning I got my back-to-school gear, went to cookouts and tried to pack as much fun as possible into the three-day weekend. In college, it was straight because I knew I had no class that Monday, which gave me more time to get to know the new, um, talent on campus, or as I did my last year, go out of town. As an adult, I still enjoyed it, just because it was a day off work, but I rarely did anything special, besides eat good or get some kids in the gym. This year was different, as I spent my time, as my man Kev put it, “runnin from Gus like a scared lil bitch.”

Being a relative newcomer to New Orleans (i.e., I wasn’t here for Katrina), when I heard about Hurricane Gustav, I wasn’t sure what to do. To people who aren’t from a hurricane-prone region, that probably sounds dumb as hell, but when several sane people around you (who did experience Katrina) are saying they’re going to weather out the storm, staying put seems a little more logical. In fact, as of a week ago today, it was business as usual in the city. Driving around on Friday night, I saw Bourbon Street was popping, the bars were full and people seemed generally unconcerned. Still, I packed the majority of my stuff, loaded it into the Ford Escape and on early Saturday morning, I filled up the tank and set out for Memphis.

As soon as I got on I-10 (the major interstate in New Orleans), I knew that this thing was real. Sure, a lot of the traffic was because the LSU football season opener (Geaux Tigers!) in Baton Rouge was pushed up to 10 a.m., but a lot of the vehicles on the road contained families with animals, their belongings and people in a general state of evacuation. It took me about two hours to get out of the general vicinity of New Orleans, but once I got on I-55 North, it was smooth sailing to Memphis (with the help of a stop at a Hooters–my first time since hitting the one at the Baltimore Inner Harbor while skipping school in 11th grade–in Jackson, Miss., and a Monster energy drink–I now swear by these in Grenada, Miss.), my final destination. In all, a six-hour trip took me about nine, breaks included.

What makes this relevant to hoops is that I stayed with a friend of mine (shout out to Coach B) who just got a gig on staff with the University of Memphis’ men’s basketball team. He got hired maybe a week before Gustav’s arrival, so it was perfect timing. The next day, I headed out to West Memphis, Ark.–right across the bridge, but don’t confuse it with Memphis proper–to check out a workout at a local Boys and Girls Club. For the uneducated (including myself, until recently), West Memphis ranks up there with Camden, N.J., and Flint, Mich., as smaller (and incredibly poor) cities close to much bigger cities that have consistently produced big-time hoopers throughout the years. From retired pro defensive specialist Michael Cage and all-time college star Keith Lee (who went to Memphis, then called Memphis State) to recent products high-flying Sonny Weems (a second-round pick in this year’s NBA Draft and the college slam-dunk contest winner) and Jason Henry (who I wrote about in the mag a couple years ago and will follow in Weems’ footsteps at Arkansas this year), this underrated hoops hotbed is official.

The workout I watched only had two players participating, a high school freshman and a sophomore. Usually I don’t cover kids that young, but when I get to see them in that type of setting, up close and personal (I’m a gym rat), it’s gotta be documented. The freshman was Jalen Jackson, a 6-4 wing who apparently tore up the AAU circuit in his age group this summer. Jalen has the makings of a star, as he’s already long, fluid, very athletic and is starting to fill out his frame. Once he makes the full-time transition to the perimeter (as you can imagine, he’s been having his way with smaller kids on the inside for a while), I’m sure you’ll hear a lot more about him. Unfortunately, freshmen aren’t allowed to play varsity at West Memphis HS (I believe this is an Arkansas state rule; by the way, the city identifies with Arkansas more than Tennessee, so much that Jalen played for an AAU team out of Little Rock instead of one in nearby Memphis), so keep an eye out for him next summer. The sophomore was Arthur Jackson Jr. (Jalen’s brother, shout out to Arthur “Old Folk”) Jackson Sr.), a 5-11 lefty point guard. While young Arthur doesn’t have his little (big) brother’s size, he’s quick, explosive (they both dunk with ease) and also very long. I hear he’s a terror on the defensive end, as well. The thing that impressed me most about both of these kids was their work ethic, which well serve them well, as they have a good support system around them (shout out to Sam Grier, who educated me a lot about West Memphis, Memphis, basketball in the South and basketball in general) and in a city that supports its athletes (the high school has a new, million-dollar arena), that will go far.

On Labor Day, I was back in the city itself, and you know I had to check out how the best team in the city (including the Grizzlies) was looking. It was the first day of individual workouts for the national runners-up and after losing the top pick in the draft and two other pros, I knew it was gonna be interesting to see how the new squad was looking. The team was split into three groups of 4 players (15 are officially on the team, but new addition CJ Henry–SLAM diarist Xavier’s big brother and Yankees minor-league prospect–is still rehabbing his knee, and freshmen Matt Simpkins and Angel Garcia are waiting to be cleared by the NCAA Clearinghouse) for the hour-long sessions, which were preceded by weightlifting by each of the groups.

The first group included a walk-on named Jason (I forget his last name, my apologies), senior guard Chance McGrady (yes, T-Mac’s brother; another walk-on, but he could definitely be playing Division I basketball on a scholarship somewhere), sophomore juco transfer Roburt Sallie and junior point guard Willie Kemp. The second group featured senior wing Antonio Anderson, junior sharpshooter Doneal Mack and freshmen Wesley Witherspoon and Tyreke Evans, last year’s SLAM diary keeper. The final group were all post players: senior Robert Dozier, juniors Shawn Taggart and Pierre Niles, and sophomore Jeff Robinson, who also can play some wing.

With basically an entire new staff (former Pitt assistant Orlando Antigua, ex-Arizona assistant Josh Pastner and holdover John Robic, a longtime Calipari aide from his UMass days)–former assistant Derek Kellogg, who played for Coach Cal in the Marcus Camby era, took the job at UMass, and brought fellow assistant Andy Allison with him–Calipari was extremely vocal at the sessions. I won’t get into too much detail, but the players were put through ballhandling, shooting, transition and finishing drills (and yes, free throws–they shot them between breaks in drills), but what I found interesting was that everything related to Memphis’ signature up-tempo offense. Full speed at all times, no bounce passes on the break (chest passes are preferred, lobs to the rim are recommended; makes sense with all the athletes they have), playing through the contact, intense D, not getting your shot blocked (missing a layup is better, since they always crash the boards; think Joey Dorsey), spacing in the half court and straight-line penetration were all points of emphasis. For all the criticism Cal gets for being more of a recruiter than a coach, I can say now that he’s a hell of a teacher, too. It was the first day, so I didn’t see him go off on anybody–but then again, the players responded well to his instruction and the vets served as de facto asssistants on the floor.

As far as the players, I was very impressed with the returning players, especially Kemp, Anderson, Dozier, Taggart and Niles. Kemp looks like a big-time leader (he kept encouraging Sallie to “go hard”), while Anderson’s improved athleticism stood out, as did Dozier’s precision, Taggart’s intensity and Niles’ body transformation. Niles went from about 350 pounds to 300 this summer (and still has about 20 more to go before the season, which I think he’ll get) and at one point, was singled out by Cal for his stamina, quickness and work ethic. Conversely, Kemp, Dozier and Taggart have all really bulked up, which told me that even without Dorsey, nobody would be pushing them around down low. Meanwhile, out of the newcomers, Evans stood out the most. While ‘Reke still has a ways to go as far as playing full speed all the time (anybody who’s ever seen him play knows he’s a rhythm player, who likes to lull his defenders to sleep), his body looks great (up to 220 pounds, according to my man Lamont Peterson, who trained him in high school and is now on the Memphis staff with him), he seems more explosive athletically, actually made an effort on D and as always, can do just about anything he wants on the offensive end of the court. Sallie, the juco transfer (but only a sophomore, do some research on his saga), seems like he will really contribute, once he fully understands Cal’s concepts, as his athleticism and physical nature fit right in on the Tigers. Witherspoon, might be the team’s most intriguing prospect. At 6-8, he can play a variety of positions and as he physically matures, he’ll be a force to be reckoned with. I didn’t see much of him in high school (one of the few elite prospects in the ’08 class I can say that about), but now I see what all the fuss was about.

Overall, the atmosphere wasn’t what people might expect. Nothing sinister, no bags of cash lying around, no Hollywood stuff. The players went hard, had fun and Cal really helped them improve in one day. He didn’t waste any time, tweaked things each session depending on the personnel and made sure everyone was on the same page. They may not go 40-0 this year, but don’t sleep on Memphis this upcoming season.

My trip back to the N.O. on Wednesday ended up taking 10 hours, mostly because of heavy traffic leaving Memphis (by the way, Beale Street is overrated), through Jackson and especially from around Hammond, La. (about an hour outside of New Orleans), all the way to the city itself. I got back to a city that looked partially deserted, trees strewn all over the place, with few stores open, fewer streetlights and even fewer stoplights. Of course, it was night, so it looked a lot worse. One of the few places open (outside of Bourbon Street) was Lucky’s, a bar on St. Charles Avenue, where I was joined by a man in a Jesus costume and a woman dressed like Satan. That’s when I knew everything was going to be fine. After what the city’s already been through, how couldn’t it be? And that’s how I spent my Gustav Evacuation.

Andy Katz: Calipari now optimistic about the Tigers

Calipari now optimistic about the Tigers
Friday, September 5, 2008

Memphis coach John Calipari has changed his opinion on this season's team. Following the trip to China in May, Calipari said he was down on his squad's potential. But after he worked out the Tigers for the first time this fall on Monday, the coach has renewed optimism about what he said will be an even "longer" and "more athletic" team than last season.

Since the trip to China in May:
• Doneal Mack transferred to New Orleans but changed his mind and went back to Memphis.
• Robert Dozier and Antonio Anderson withdrew from the NBA draft.
• Freshman Roburt Sallie came on board from Nebraska.
• Freshman Tyreke Evans arrived on campus as the most heralded newcomer.
• Freshman Wesley Witherspoon was one of the last players cut on the U.S. Under-18 national team that played in Argentina.
• The Tigers added Lamont Peterson, Bilal Batley and Jason Walberg to administrative staffing positions with the team.
• C.J. Henry joined the team for this season.

The addition of Nebraska signee Sallie -- who failed to meet the Big 12 Conference eligibility guidelines -- has changed the look of the team. Calipari said the 6-5 guard could play point. But more impressive for Calipari was Sallie's ability to shoot the ball.

"It jarred me," Calipari said. "He's pretty good."

Weight loss and weight gain have changed the coach's opinion of the team, too.

Calipari said Pierre Niles is down to 310 pounds from 350 pounds. He said Shawn Taggart has put 25 pounds on his thin frame.

"We had an overweight guy in Pierre and an underweight guy in Taggart who got manhandled," Calipari said of the way both big men played on the trip to China in May. "Willie [Kemp] got outmanned. Antonio Anderson and Doneal Mack were OK, and Jeff Robinson didn't play well, so I was looking at my team and saying, 'Oh my gosh.' But now the guys are coming in pretty good."

That team is looking even deeper with a recent addition in Henry, a 6-foot-3 guard who is also a New York Yankees prospect. The 22-year-old Henry signed with Kansas out of high school in 2005. But Henry, selected by the Yankees in the first round (17th overall) in the 2005 draft, opted to play baseball the past few years. Now he wants to return to basketball, and the Yankees are contractually obligated to pay for his education, so Calipari said it is worth taking a "flier on the kid." He said he doesn't know how much Henry, who has been an outfielder in the New York Yankees' minor league system, can contribute this season.

Henry's younger brother, Xavier Henry, is the No. 1 player in the ESPN 100 for the Class of 2009.

Due to NCAA rules, Calipari can't talk about the effect having C.J. Henry on the team will have in recruiting Xavier Henry.

But Calipari did say the Tigers could go from 6-5 to 6-10 in their starting lineup this season.

"We could be that big," Calipari said. "I've never had 12-13 guys like this. This isn't normal for me."

He said Sallie, Kemp, Henry and Anderson could all share time playing the point in the absence Derrick Rose, who was the No. 1 draft pick in June.

On Calipari's staff, the coach added a trio of new personnel. Walberg is the son of former Pepperdine coach Vance Walberg (now a UMass assistant with former Memphis assistant Derek Kellogg). He will serve as Memphis' recruiting coordinator/manager. Peterson, now an administrative assistant with the team, has trained Evans since the highly rated freshman was 15 years old. Batley, the assistant director of operations/manager, worked under former NBA coach John Lucas as a developmental coach in Houston.

Calipari said all of the positions are stipend positions and none of them receive benefits.

"I've got people begging people for jobs," Calipari said. "I didn't have a position open when Tyreke committed to us. Do you understand these are eight-month positions without benefits and don't pay that much? Do you think I need to help in recruiting kids? Do you think I need to hire someone to recruit a kid?"

That last salvo was in response to any suggested impropriety of hiring Peterson to get Evans, who committed to Memphis in April. Calipari did once hire Milt Wagner, father of Dajuan Wagner, a former Tiger.

The Tigers' staff, which included new hires Josh Pastner (from Arizona) and Orlando Antigua (from Pitt) after assistants Chucky Martin (Marist) and Derek Kellogg (UMass) got head-coaching jobs, is now 13 deep. The Tigers have 14 players on the roster.

• Calipari said the Tigers still need one more game for this season. He said he's willing to play a neutral-site game, although Pitt said it offered a game in Madison Square Garden to the Tigers but they turned that down.

The Tigers have road games at Tennessee, Georgetown and Gonzaga. They will play three games in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off Classic and also host Syracuse, Cincinnati, UMass, Drexel, Marist, Fairfield and Lamar.

• Kansas coach Bill Self said he couldn't be more pleased with what he got out of the Labor Day weekend trip to Canada. The Jayhawks played the weekend without the highly touted twins, Markieff and Marcus Morris, who weren't eligible yet. They were declared eligible Thursday after going through the NCAA Eligibility Center. Sherron Collins, who has had an injury-plagued summer, played in just one of the three games, scoring 10 points in a win over Carleton.

"Our two best players are going to be Sherron and Cole [Aldrich]," Self said. "In the three games, three different newcomers led us in scoring [Travis Releford, Tyshawn Taylor and Mario Little]. We know we're going to get points from Sherron and Cole, but it was encouraging to get it from others."

Defensively, the Jayhawks are way behind, but that's to be expected, Self said, adding that there were plenty of times in the games when no player on the floor had made an appearance in the national title game last April.

• Pitt couldn't get someone to play the Panthers in Madison Square Garden. Instead, the Panthers got Siena to play them at home on Dec. 17. That won't be an easy game. The Saints should be the favorite in the MAAC and a potential Sweet 16 team if last season's win over Vanderbilt in the first round of the NCAA tournament is any indication.

• The Big East schedule came out. Seton Hall coach Bobby Gonzalez will serve his one-game suspension (for his antics against Rutgers on March 9) when the Pirates travel to Syracuse on Dec. 30.

Other games to circle are: Notre Dame at Louisville, Jan. 12; Pitt at Louisville, Jan. 17; UConn at Notre Dame, Jan. 24; ND at Pitt, Jan. 31; UConn at Louisville, Feb. 2; Louisville at Notre Dame, Feb. 12; Pitt at UConn, Feb. 16; ND at UConn, Feb. 28; UConn at Pitt, March 7.