Conference USA Basketball

Maybe Derrick Rose knew all along that Memphis was just a stepping stone to reaching the NBA.

Whether his mind was made up before the college season began, Rose took Memphis fans on an incredible ride that will not be soon forgotten.

He came in with all the hype, immediately inserted into the starting lineup. He even wore the number of the greatest to play the game (for the record, he claims he didn't choose #23 because of Jordan).

Rose didn't disappoint. He showed flashes of brilliance in his first game, a 17-point, five-assist, six-rebound effort against helpless Tennessee Martin in which the Tigers cruised, 102-71.

But even before that, Memphis fans knew that were witnessing something special. During Midnight Madness, the preseason team scrimmage, Rose showed why he was a top recruit.

Keeping your eye on him was about as easy as following an angry wasp just sprayed with repellent. To put it simply, he blew by would-be defenders.

These were no slouches either. They were guys like Antonio Anderson, Willie Kemp and Chris Douglas-Roberts. Looking back, the excitement in that building was something I'd never experienced before.

Fast forward to Dec. 4, 2007. Memphis went up against USC. More importantly, Derrick Rose took on fellow freshman phenom O.J. Mayo. Both outstanding point guards, Mayo was ranked as a higher recruit than Rose coming into the season. Rose knew that, and he would have revenge.

The highly-touted matchup of star freshman point guards was a bit watered down as both struggled. Mayo would outscore Rose 16-9, but it took him 20 hard-earned shots to do it. Rose finished with nine points, 10 boards and five turnovers. More importantly, Memphis won 62-58 win in overtime.

"You want all the hype," Rose said. "You just go out and play hard and you'll get it but you've got to make sure you don't get too bigheaded when you get it."

Rose always had a sense of level-headedness to him, despite where his game was taking him.

We roll on to the NCAA tournament, where Memphis was widely regarded to be the first No. 1 seed to go down. And, if you happened to talk to Dick Vitale, the Tigers were supposed to get beat by Michigan St...then Texas...then UCLA. The Tigers turned a deaf ear, and Derrick Rose came of age.

In the first two matchups, against Texas-Arlington and Mississippi St. respectively, Rose played great floor games, scoring 17 in each game and averaging seven boards in those two. Memphis easily disposed of the Mavericks from Arlington, but struggled down the stretch at the free throw line against a game Bulldog squad.

Up next came defensive-minded Michigan State. In possibly the greatest half of basketball in Memphis Tiger history, Rose was simply brilliant. In a star match-up with guard Drew Neitzel, Rose dropped 27 points and dished out five assists, showing America who he was.

How about Neitzel? Six points and a wave goodbye from the 92-74 winners, the Memphis Tigers. Rose could not be stopped. Lay-ups, dunks and sharp-shooting from the free throw line marked a statement game for the young Rose.

Next came Texas, with a pair of All-American quality guards in D.J. Augustin and A.J. Abrams. This would be too much for Rose, right? Two incredible guards who are seasoned, not freshmen. This would be Rose's swan song, right?

Please. The strength and length of Rose overpowered the two smaller guards, who looked helpless in trying to figure out a way to contain the 6-foot-3 guard. Rose would lead the Tigers to a 85-67 victory over the Longhorns, collecting the South Regional's Most Outstanding Player award along the way.

"I'm just living the dream right now," Rose said. As were Memphis fans. Following that game, never have I seen the city so unified, so jubilant. Final Four shirts were printed, cars honking at signs of the Tigers finally reaching this holy ground.

The win against UCLA only bolstered the city's enthusiasm, as Rose continued to make his NBA audition. Even in the agonizing loss against Kansas for the national championship, Rose was at his best, making plays, hitting ridiculous shots.

Although Memphis' luck would run out in overtime, Rose proved that he was a sure-fire top two pick in the upcoming draft.

Following the loss, Memphis fans knew the inevitable. Rose had shown he could play with anyone, and on the biggest of stages. He had taken a team knocked out of the Elite 8 two years in a row to the championship game, two minutes away from claiming it.

When he announced his decision to jump to the big league, Memphis fans sighed...and thanked their young guard for all the memories, albeit only a year's worth.

It has recently been chronicled that Memphis prodigy Derrick Rose has a penchant for eating gummy bears and Starbursts.  Teammates have suggested that Rose misses occasional practices because "that's all the kid eats for breakfast." 

Even Calipari has gotten into the act, denying reporters a chance to interview Rose because of an "upset stomach."

With Rose's recent plans to enter the NBA draft, you have to wonder what food the NBA brass will stock the green room with. 

Will the "draft analysts" point to Rose's gummy bear addiction as a "weakness" in his game? 

And if so, won’t they be ignoring their own snack preferences?

For example, take Jay Bilas. 

He's a Duke graduate and a licensed attorney to boot.  So, he obviously enjoys a higher end snack food.  He looks physically fit after all these years.  Athletes rarely age well, yet Bilas ages gracefully--with exception to his rapidly thinning widow's peak.

He'd be looking for a chip that's more wholesome and "packed with nutrition."  Furthermore, We think he offers a bit of whole grain goodness to the panel.  He thinks that every All-American is going make a fine NBA player, especially if they're long.  He loves long players.  Maybe Slim Jim's are a better choice.  They're long, after all.  

Stephen A. Smith.  Settled.

Now, Mike Tirico.  Tirico's a guy who strikes us as a strictly by-the-book snacker.  He doesn't go for straight potato chips--that'd be too greasy for the clean-cut Tirico.  No, he's going to reach for something to keep his hands from getting greasy, yet accounts for a few of the added lbs. over the years. 

You know what the pick here is: Pringles.  Once you pop, you can't stop (double entendre unintended). Not flavored, not kettle chips, just Pringles and lots of 'em.

Dick Vitale, on the other hand, he's harsh on the senses.  He's angling for some chow that ought to dial it down a bit, but is surprisingly ubiquitous for an acquired taste: salt and vinegar chips. 

They're always at the deli when you pick up a sandwich, but you never buy any.  Who's purchasing these chips anyhow?  Yet, there they are.  In your face.  Every time.

Greg Anthony. Is he still on the panel?  We're looking for something solid and consistent.  He's got to be a sourdough pretzel man.  Pretzels could be your selection on 99 trips out of 100 and you wouldn't be wowed, but you'd always be satisfied. 

He played on all those tough Knicks teams; therefore, you need a brittle, snapping munch to satisfy a one Mr. Greg Anthony.  We need those thick salt grains to aggressively attack those taste buds. 

But, see, like Anthony, the pretzel is versatile.  Put some peanut butter in there and boom! It's a meal.  Put a suit on Anthony. Boom!  You've got yourself a certified NBA analyst. 

Player:Analyst. Munchies:Meal.  Anthony:Pretzels.

Frannie Fraschilla, ESPN's Director of International Player Scouting Services.  Something with a European flair.  Water crackers, perhaps?

Bill Walton:  Soy nuts.  The first part because it's soy.  The second part because he's well... you get the point.

Are we missing anyone? Are we off on our snack characterizations?  You be the judge!

Resident basketball writer Tim Pollock added a few thoughts to this article.

Enjoyed this article?  Why not give another goofy one a try?

While some people probably aren't surprised at the recent news of Chris Douglas-Roberts entering the NBA draft, he would be wise to reconsider. I personally think he was the best player in college basketball this past season. Interestingly enough, many would say the same of Tyler "Psycho T" Hansbrough, but neither is generating much first round buzz in the draft circles. That is why I want to offer CD-R five reasons why he should return to Memphis.

1. Get a Degree - Basketball is never a sure thing, but graduating from college with a degree is a powerful, long-term weapon. Plus, I don't think Coach Cal's graduation rate is burning up the statistics charts so this would be an unexpected boost.

2. Win a Championship - Yes, Memphis will lose Derrick Rose and Joey Dorsey. However with Kemp returning at the PG position, newly signed Tyreke Evans at the 2, CD-R could play the SF position and really improve his all-around game. The Tigers have a 5-star and a 4-star post player already verbally committed, which at the very least would translate into another undefeated Conference USA run. CD-R could put them over the hump and into the national title game again.

3. Individual Award Bonanza - The man already was a 1st Team AP All-American. Why not go for it all? CD-R would be a legit candidate for every conference and postseason award next season.

4. It's Fun - Look at Corey Brewer: Gator extraordinaire, NBA benchwarmer. Sure, he gets spot duty for the lowly T-Wolves, but does the money really make you THAT happy? Can't you wait one more year? Playing for Memphis is fun, period. Just watch the way they play.

5. Improve your Draft Status - Next season will have a much weaker NBA Draft pool. While CD-R may be a late teens pick this season, in 2009 he would be a sure-fire top 10 pick with more money and more commitment by the team to play him. I think another year of seasoning would improve his long-term prospects for the NBA as well.

Unfortunately I think we've seen the last of CD-R in college basketball, but it would be a nice surprise if he did decide to come back and go out on top as a national champion on the court and in the classroom.

I feel the Memphis Tigers truly lost this game for themselves.  They made many little mistakes and let Kansas claw their way back in.  They allowed a small chance for Kansas to come back, which a big mistake was considering Kansas’s excellent shooters proved a big threat.  Memphis didn’t do good in the last 2 minutes on the little things.

Their first mistake came when they where up by 7 with about 1:50 left in the game.  Sherron Collins stole an inbound pass and got it back soon after for an important three.  The little thing came back and gave Kansas a two possession game.  Kansas fouled Chris Douglas-Roberts at that point where for the only time in the 2 minute span, he did the little thing and sunk both of his free throws.

Next, with 1:23 remaining Dorsey got called for a very unnecessary and stupid blocking foul.  With Chalmers at the three, just stay a good distance away and make sure he doesn’t put of a three.  Dorsey ended his college career at that point and he took away a defensive and rebounding force inside.  To make matter worse, Chalmers sunk both shots and Kansas was back down by 4.

For the second time in a row, Douglas-Roberts was fouled and on a one-and-one he missed the first free throw giving Kansas the ball.  They ran down the length of the court, gave it to Darrel Arthur where he banked a 2 point shot.  Down by 2, Kansas was as close as Memphis wanted.  Douglas-Roberts again got fouled but this was on a double-bonus.  He missed both shots further disappointing himself and his teammates.

But the only mistake made by Kansas in the waning minutes of the game happened and Robert Dozier, who finished with a double-double quietly, grabbed the rebound.  He passed the ball, eventually making its way to freshman Derrick Rose, who if Memphis won would have probably won MOP of the Final Four, where he was hacked.  Derrick Rose made 1 out of 2 shots giving a three pointer the only hope for Kansas with: 10 left remaining.

Then bench player Collins ran down the court over to the right side of the Jayhawks side.  At that point he handed it off to Mario Chalmers who sunk a close-to fade away three for the tie ballgame.  Not only was it almost a fade away, basically a fade away, but he had Memphis guard Rose’s hand in his face altering his shot.  The shot still went in, in fact, swished to bring it into overtime.

At this point all momentum went in Kansas’s favor.  Kansas jumped to a 69-63 start.  That was too difficult for the Tigers to come giving Bill Self his first championship trophy and the Kansas Jayhawks their first in 20 years.

After the game John Calipari took FULL responsibility for his team’s loss saying you should never give up a seven point lead with 2 minutes remaining.  That and if one more free throw was made then Memphis would be cutting the net and Self would apologizing. 

Both teams look at the future and it doesn’t look good for either.  Kansas knows Brandon Rush will be going to the NBA, and Chalmers could be going to the NBA and I guarantee his friend leaving will affect his decision.  Also, point guard Russell Robinson, Darnell Jackson and Sasha Kaun are both seniors giving them no choice, but to leave.  That leaves just Darrell Arthur, who I think has a small chance of going to the NBA, as the remaining starter on this great Kansas team.  But freshman Cole Aldrich should nicely fill Jackson’s spot and Sherron Collins, who might just be the best bench player in the NCAA, will fill in Robinson’s place.  If Kansas wants to be like they were this year, start by convincing Mario Chalmers to stay in Kansas, because next year won’t be the same.

I think Memphis is worse off then next year than Kansas.  They will most definitely be losing Joey Dorsey who is a senior.  And the chances point to Derrick Rose, super freshman point guard, going to NBA.  Chris Douglas-Roberts won’t want to stay with his two friends and probably leave for NBA to as a junior.  That leaves Willie Kemp taking the playing time of Rose and Taggart taking Dorsey’s.  Robert Dozier and Antonio Anderson are staying filling 2 of 5 starting spots.  In my opinion though, Rose provided the offense with shooting, passing, and the team went as he went which was pretty much always good.  Douglas-Roberts was a key factor too always making shots when others weren’t, but with his breakdown late in the championship he might want to do it again.  Of course he might think they won’t will with Rose gone, but that remains a question mark.

This will be remembered as one of the greatest finals in the history of NCAA basketball. 

The odds favored Memphis. The angles won it for Kansas.

No, that's not angels. Although you'd wonder, given what the Jayhawks accomplished in seven minutes, twelve seconds, to go from down 60-51, to winning the national championship 75-68.

Most casual fans will point out that the Memphis Tigers lost the 2008 NCAA championship due to its free-throw shooting. Others, of course, could point to the Jayhawks' resilience and determination, particularly with 2:12 left and facing a nine-point deficit. But this game, and that final bucket, had much more than that going on. 

The basketball odds were against the Jayhawks. Teams just don't win this way, really. They make desperate drives, desperate shots, cry about no-calls or wrong calls from the refs. But in the end, the game ends with their team losing more often than not.

In this one, angles defeated the odds. The angle of Sherron Collins's drive. The miniscule passing lane from Collins to Mario Chalmers. The bounce of a loose ball. Chalmer's shot trajectory. Derrick Rose's just-out-of-reach shot-block attempt. They all play into the could-haves, should-haves, and would-haves of the final score. It's those angles that make the sport great.

Let's walk through those final ticks on the clock.

Sherron Collins takes an inbounds pass from Darnell Jackson. Now, despite the urgency of the moment, he doesn't burst instantly, there's a hesitation. When he finally decides to get going after two seconds, he stutter-steps right, then scrambles like lightning to the left. This subtle hesitation and fake right creates an opening against the equally speedy Derrick Rose.

Collins creates an opening and an angle that gives the Jayhawks a chance. If he takes off quickly, as soon as he receives the inbounds pass, Rose might stay just ahead of him, anticipating an explosion of speed due to the time on the clock. But Collins hesitates. And it makes all the difference as Rose never fully catches up.

But that's only part of the story. As the sophomore point guard closes in on the three-point line, you can see just enough of a space between him and Rose where Collins could take that final shot. It would be tough. Long odds. He's running so fast that to pull up and put just the right touch on the shot would be impossible.

So Collins chooses not to lauch a shot. Instead, he arcs to his right along the three-point line, dribbles too hard and actually loses control of the ball, and then regains it just enough to two-hand shovel a pass to Chalmers, who's cutting behind him.

If that ball gets away from Collins, he's forever haunted for turning it over and wondering what could have happened.

But the ball stays with him enough to "pass" it to Chalmers. Odds are being defied every second of this final drive.

Chalmers takes the shovel pass too high to immediately put up an off-balance shot attempt, and brings it down to his hip for just one dribble. He has to do this, because without that one dribble he won't have a rhythm to his shot and Rose might easily block it, but he also doesn't have time for even a second dribble. 

That one bounce also allows him to take one more step closer to the top of the key, a more natural angle to shoot from. This also keeps Rose just a step further away. We all know what happens next -- a high release on a nearly impossible three-pointer, a swish, and a tie game. 

You and I could never make that shot.

Chalmers, on the other hand, is a 47% three-point shooter. But when you factor in the circumstances of this moment, in this game, add in the speed with which the final drive is playing out, add in the fact that twice the play could have died -- if Rose had stayed with Collins or if Collins had turned the ball over -- and you're probably looking at closer to a 17%, maybe a 7%, chance that Kansas wins. 

But they do. Collins does get by Rose. He doesn't turn it over. Chalmers does handle the shovel pass. He does get enough space between himself and Rose. And he does make the shot.

Watch that play over and over again, Jayhawk fans.

Yes, Memphis missed seven free throws. But Sherron Collins, Mario Chalmers and the Kansas Jayhawks overcame long odds, benefited from crazy bounces and played incredible angles to win this game. And a little luck didn't hurt.

A few weeks ago, while on Pardon the Interruption, Coach John Calipari was asked the importance of free throws to him. His reply was that when he recruits a player he has 25 things he looks for in that player. Free Throw shooting is 26th on that list. Basically, he couldn't be less concerned about the Free Throw shooting skills in the players he recruits. He said his teams never have high FT%, but do hit them when it counts.

Before I break this down and show why Coach Cal is wrong and needs to re think ranking of what he looks for in a player, allow me to say that I agree that FT% would be low on my list as well. I would want players on my team that are like the guys that he finds: Athletic, fast, play hard, long arms etc.. However, I would not play down the importance of free throw shooting the way he does.

 The first thing Memphis defenders will say is that they shot around 70% in the tournament which is more then 8% better then their season average of 61.4%. Its easy to say that, "oh yea, they increase their percentage in the more important games."

Lets take a closer look. In the 5 games in the NCAA tournament that Memphis won,they won by an average of 15.6 points. Their best free throw shooting games came against Michigan State in the sweet 16, and Texas in the elite 8, where they shot 83% and 87% respectively. However, they also won these games by 18 and 15 points respectively. 

In round 2 against Mississippi State when Memphis squeaked by a 3 point victory, they shot a dismal 46.9% from the line. This is a game where the free throws obviously mattered and they did not hit them. Its fair to say they won this game on sheer talent against a much lesser Mississippi State opponent. Had this been a more quality opponent like say, Tennessee on February 23 when Memphis shot 47% from the charity stripe, and suffered their one defeat of the regular season, Memphis may have suffered an early exit from the Tournament.

Coach Cal may deny this and say other mental errors cost them the Tennessee game, and the Championship game. To that I say mental errors happen and are hard to erase. You can prepare all you want, but at game speed things happen and players make mistakes. You cannot predict what the other team will do to force you into these mental errors.

However free throws are sole on the player. There is no opposing force, and is something that can be improved.

Before I say this next part, I know that Coach Cal is an all time coach and I am some guy writing an article about his team losing. You may say How can I be giving him advice? Well this just seems to be a lay up (or a free throw) and is just way to obvious so here I go:

When your team shoots under 50% in a game and you lose, as a coach you should not allow your players to leave practice until some kind of free throw quota is met. As a coach you can apply this quota to every practice. Just like practicing plays and various defenses, players should be forced to shoot free throws. 

Now I know this topic will get toss around a lot in the coming days and will get tired. Coach Cal, who I think is a great coach and obviously a great recruiter, will get second guessed a ton.

However, I feel it is important to point these facts out because of Coach Cal's view of the matter. He seems to have complete disregard for free throw shooting and believes that his team can win on talent alone. This works in Conference USA where Coach Cal recruits players who are head and shoulders above the competition and ends up 4 games ahead of the second place team in the conference. This obviously works in the tournament as well, even against some of the best teams in the country, IE: Michigan State and Texas. 

However when his team met a Kansas team that is almost on par as far as talent, (I say almost because you can argue that Memphis has better players) a few extra points from the free throw line would have made all the difference. 

 With that being said, I don't think Coach Cal's goal was to get to the final four or even the championship game. His goal was to win the championship game.

Maybe now Coach Cal will move free throw shooting into his top 25 of things to look for in his recruits.

Every sports website will have multiple game stories recapping Monday night's Kansas-Memphis overtime thriller. 

I haven't read any of them.  Yet. 

Instead, this column will take you inside the game -- from a coach's mindset.  As an assistant high school basketball coach, I spent last night fixated on the decisions and moves that ultimately decided the national championship -- some you may have heard about or noticed, some you may have not. 

As a big-time coach like Bill Self or John Calipari, the strategy and psychology never stops (even after the game), and this article lists what a young coach can learn from the NCAA title game (about moves you should make...or not make!)

One of the reasons I believe coaching played such a huge role in this game is how close the two teams were on paper.  80 points a game...allowing 61...so forth and so on.  The Jayhawks and Tigers are almost mirror images of each other...and so without the benefit of hindsight (which we all know is 20/20), here's what coaching lessons I took away from watching the championship game.

#1. Believe - and convince your team to believe.

Bill Self's pregame talk was aired on CBS, and he basically told his players "Thanks in advance for the feeling we're going to enjoy in a few hours".  No ifs, ands, or buts - talk about the power of positive thinking!  To be honest, I thought Memphis was a better team and would win the game, but Bill Self didn't.  It's a lot easier to will your team out of a nine-point hole in the last two minutes when you've already established how the ending will turn out.

#2  Defense wins championships.

Memphis hadn't been seriously challenged in the last three rounds of the tournament because their guards had been able to penetrate at will.  Derrick Rose and Chris Douglas-Roberts constantly got into the lane, and either finished at the rim or, if the defense collapsed, kicked out for wide-open perimeter jumpers.  The reason Kansas dominated the first half of the game (and the final seven deciding minutes) -- their defensive pressure on Memphis's guards was the best the Tigers had seen.  Rose couldn't get inside without a screen...if Memphis set a screen, Kansas doubled him and got the ball out of his hands...Douglas-Roberts had to try and create his own shot...and the perimeter shooters had a hand in their faces. 

I heard an interesting interview with Purdue coach Matt Painter early in the season where he made no apologies whatsoever for teaching defense early in the year - his "Baby Boilers" spend a  lopsided percentage of their practice working on defensive intensity, and Painter doesn't care that the offense may suffer as a result.  He basically believes the offense will come around, but you can't win without focusing on good defense.  Every young coach should take note - defense wins championships.  

90 seconds into last night's game, I had already noticed what great lockdown defense the Jayhawks were playing, and Memphis never got comfortable.  Until...

#3  Don't outcoach yourself.  

I believe the score was Kansas 47, Memphis 44, or something like that, early in the second half.  The Tigers were laboring through every offensive possession (see #2 above), and their only points were coming from Chris Douglas-Roberts - he had 13 at the break.  All of a sudden, Kansas inexplicably switches from their man-to-man defense to a box-and-one zone, shadowing CDR, the Tigers' leading scorer.  This decision brings to mind every cliche in the book ("if it's not broke, don't fix it"..."why mess with what's working"..."trying to have your cake and eat it too") and almost cost the Jayhawks a national championship.  If Memphis can't score points, who cares that Douglas-Roberts has more than any other Tiger?  Your team has been outscoring and outplaying Memphis for 30 minutes...why dump your defensive game plan and start over?

One huge run later, Derrick Rose had his confidence back, Memphis had the lead back, and the Jayhawks' man-to-man defense had returned.  Of course, Memphis was now up nine intsead of down three.  Note to coaches everywhere - don't try and get fancy and outcoach yourself.  Just ask Sean Payton of the New Orleans Saints what happens when you run a double reverse for Reggie Bush with the lead instead of kneeling the ball.  Just win the game. 

Of course, Kansas did win the game, as you all know...and that brings us to:

#4  Don't let the opponent hit a three to tie!  Ever!

Here's the Cliff Notes version of how the game was decided:

Memphis missed free throws down the stretch like we heard for six weeks that they would...and in a play that won't get enough credit, Kansas came out of a timeout down seven with under two minutes to play, and promptly stole the ball and hit a three to cut the lead to four. 

After all that, Derrick Rose had a chance to give his Tigers a two-possession lead with 10 seconds to play, but only split a pair at the line.  And that brings us to the most-debated play in coaching...a dilemma I will forever solve for you right now.

When you have a three-point lead in the last ten seconds and your opponent has the ball, don't you dare...ever...allow them to attempt a three-pointer that will tie the game. 

Foul. 

FOUL! 

Think about it - Chalmers comes off that screen with four seconds to play...and instead of elevating for a jumper that will change Kansas's basketball history forever, a Memphis guard wraps him up and puts him at the free throw line.  3.3 seconds to play, and the Jayhawks are attempting two free throws down three. 

Now, I understand that it's possible to make the first free throw, miss the second on purpose, and tip it back in...or heaven forbid, tip it out for a three-pointer to win the game by one.

But if Kansas makes that three-pointer, do you think Memphis is going to win in overtime anyway?  I mean, really.  They don't call it momentum for nothing.  I've been on the fence in the foul/don't foul debate for years, but not anymore.  If my high school team's up three with five seconds to go in the fall, we're fouling.  End of story.

And in Memphis's case, end of championship dream.   Speaking of dream...

#5  Don't mix metaphors...or psychological strategies.

Did anyone else notice that John Calipari spent all of March playing the underdog card?  "We're the upset special -- you guys don't give us enough credit -- our conference isn't that bad -- we'll make our free throws when they count"...give the man credit, after all.  He managed to turn a team that had won more games than any in NCAA history (38) into an underdog in every game they played.  So why'd he stop on Sunday?

All of a sudden, Memphis has disposed of historic power UCLA...and it went to their collective heads.  Did you hear the phrase "Derrick Rose and the Dream Team"?  I did. 

News flash to Memphis:  Underdog does NOT equal Dream Team.  Memo to coaches everywhere: Don't spend three weeks convincing your team they're overlooked and  underappreciated, then change your tune the day before the biggest game of your lives.

#6  You can apply psychology to any situation in life - not just between the lines.

Exact quote from Bill Self shortly after winning his first national championship: "I just hope the meetings with my athletic director go well".  Um, ya think?  At first, I laughed - what's the AD going to say?

"Sorry, Bill - your team didn't perform this season.  You really should have won in Manhattan back in January." 

But upon closer look, there's some genius here - especially since the upcoming Oklahoma State offer to make Self the Cowboys' coach is college basketball's worst-kept secret. 

As a lowly assistant high school coach, my translation of a good meeting with my athletic director is: "Tim, you guys did a good job.  We're looking forward to having you back for next year."

Bill Self's translation of a good meeting: "Coach, don't go to Oklahoma State.  Please.  How's a _______ raise sound?  Not enough?  Okay, how about ________ ?"

If you can use psychology on athletic directors, you can use it on anybody!  

And that's what this coach learned from John Calipari and Bill Self during their one shining moment Monday. 

I'm not one to complain about college basketball, but I'm kind of glad that this season is officially over. That's not saying that I didn't enjoy it, just that it seemed to drag on forever.

Last night's game was very exciting, as every one of you should know, and I thought that it was the best way for the NCAA Tournament to end: with free throws being a deciding factor for the Memphis Tigers.

Now onto the top performers from the game.

Guards

Mario Chalmers, Kansas 

When you think of Chalmer you may think of that last three-point shot he took with just 2.1 seconds left to force the game into overtime. Just like Christian Laettner, his professional career might be forgotten due to this clutch shot.

Who cares? It was worth it. Chalmers went 40 minutes and scored 18 points. He had three rebounds and three assists, and went a perfect six for six from the free-throw line.

Derrick Rose, Memphis

Despite losing, Rose had arguably the best overall performance of the night. He completely took over the game in the second half, giving the Tigers a nine-point lead with 2:12 left in the game.

Rose scored 14 of his 16 points during one stretch in the second half, and had eight assists, and six rebounds to round out his performance.

Forwards 

Darrell Arthur, Kansas

Although most of Arthur's point came off dunks and easy layups, he was still a dominating factor in this game. He helped shut down the Tigers in overtime, and during the regulation period of the game.

Arthur scored 20 points, had 10 rebounds, and one assist in the win.

Robert Dozier, Memphis 

Dozier, in a losing effort, had a double-double on Monday night. He scored 11 points and had 10 rebounds, in addition to three assists. He only went four for eleven from the field, but had a strong game.

Honorable Mentions 

Chris Douglas-Roberts, Memphis

Brandon Rush, Kansas

Sherron Collins, Kansas 

“Memphis is overrated.”

“They play in a weak conference.”

“They can’t make free throws.”

“They’ll be the first one seed out of the tourney.”

These are the words that I’ve been hearing from Memphis’ doubters and haters for the last few months. I’ve grown sick of hearing them, and apparently so have John Calipari and his national title game-bound Tigers.

With a loud win over Kevin Love and the UCLA Bruins in the Final Four on Saturday (along with an almost as impressive win over Texas in the Elite Eight last Sunday) it’s safe to say that they have silenced their critics.

With only Kansas standing in the way of their school's first national championship, Memphis fans have one person to thank for taking their team to the level they are playing at now: Derrick Rose.

Now, he is not the only player on the team and they were a good team before he arrived (they made it to the Elite Eight the last two years.) But his presence makes them arguably the best team in the country.

Rose is physically the most dominant point guard in the country. At 6’3”, 205 pounds and with blazing speed, he can get to the basket any time he wants.  There, he has the option to finish himself or dish it out to elite big men Joey Dorsey and Robert Dozier, or All-American Guard Chris Douglass-Roberts.

Watching him break down UCLA’S great defense, I realized just how much he improves Memphis. He makes everyone better by securing easy shots for them. Still, he’s not afraid to take shots himself.

Even with superb point guards Darren Collison and Russell Westbrook trying to stop him, Rose was able to dominate.

His excellent tournament play is certainly helping his pro prospects. He has solidified his place as a top two pick in the draft, and I believe he would help his team right away in the pros. He has an NBA-ready body and a unique skill set.

He will be a star for years to come.

Rose has Memphis on the brink of their first NCAA Championship. I believe that they will win behind a great game by Rose.

Also, kudos to Dorsey for doing what no one else had done all season: shutting out Kevin Love.

UCLA came into the Final Four looking to win an NCAA championship after failing to do so the previous 2 years.  This was the worst possible match up for them.  They had no answers as Memphis had their way with them 78 - 63.

Chris Douglas Roberts was a match-up nightmare for the UCLA guards as he beat them off the dribble and shot over them all game long to the tune of 28 points.  Derrick Rose did plenty of damage as well (25 points) as he kept the pace of the game at Memphis speed and got to the rim at will.  Rose was a human highlight film as once again, he out-shined the opposing teams’ best guards. 

When UCLA missed, Memphis was off to the races and there was little UCLA could do to defend.  Darren Collison continued his inconsistency and played timidly on the offensive end.  On defense he couldn’t guard Rose or Roberts.

Kevin Love did his best, but wore down in the second half and finished with 12 points.  His teammates didn’t get him the ball in the second half when the outcome was still in doubt, and he had nothing left in the last 4 minutes. 

Russell Westbrook was the only Bruin that looked comfortable playing at Memphis’ pace.  He finished with 22 points and kept them in the game.  Joey Dorsey focused on the boards and was key as he had 15 rebounds and worked hard on Love all game.

Shawn Taggart contributed off the bench for the Tigers as well.  Josh Shipp had a good start for UCLA, but disappeared for most of the game and wasn’t a factor.

This was a predictable outcome.  You really don’t get a good idea of how fast Memphis plays and how good Derrick Rose is until you play against them.  Antonio Anderson, Roberts and Rose over-matched Collison, Shipp and Westbrook in the open court. 

The Tigers found the match-up they wanted and played the isolation game.  In transition, they had no problems finishing.  When things broke down in the half-court offense, they just beat their man off the dribble.   

Three Final Four finishes in a row is a good result for UCLA.  They were beaten by a better team.

The question is, will Kansas, winners over North Carolina, be able to slow down Memphis and exploit any weakness in their defense.  The Jayhawks capitalized on their size and speed advantage against the Tarheels.  If they can bottle up Rose, they deserve to win.  He is the key to Memphis’ team.

I don’t think they will be able to do it for a whole game.  Memphis wins this game and the national championship.

I don’t understand how Rose is only a 3rd team All American when he is obviously the best point guard in the country.  He is what Memphis was missing the last couple of years.  Rose sets the pace, scores at will in transition and in the half court sets, rebounds the ball, and raises his teammates’ level of play.