Memphis Tigers Basketball

If the Memphis Tigers know what’s good for them, they won’t be challenging their coaches to too many games of H-O-R-S-E.

Head coach Josh Pastner found himself with two vacancies this offseason in the ranks of his assistants. Having already brought in ex-Memphis Grizzlies assistant Damon Stoudamire (who played in the NBA as recently as the 2007-08 season), Pastner announced yesterday that the second spot would be filled by Lakers SF Luke Walton.

Walton’s employment in Memphis is slated to last only as long as the NBA lockout does. Sadly for NBA fans, though, it doesn’t seem implausible that Walton could still be with the Tigers all the way through any postseason tournament games they get to play.

Both new Tigers coaches have ties to Pastner through the University of Arizona. Stoudamire played with his new boss under the legendary Lute Olson, while Walton played for him when Pastner was an assistant in Tucson.

Obviously, Walton’s hiring is going to generate plenty of buzz, but how significant is it for the team? What does he bring to the table that a more experienced assistant coach wouldn’t?

The most obvious advantage of bringing in an NBA player in general would be as a recruiting inducement for aspiring pros. The problem with that argument, though, is that Walton’s position is contingent on the league remaining locked out.

It’s hard to imagine recruits being willing to come to Memphis hoping to play for Walton when they know that, by any reasonable estimate, the lockout will have ended well before they arrive on campus.

Fortunately for the Tigers, recruiting cachet isn’t all Walton has to offer. Even going back to his days at Arizona, he’s always been an exceptionally cerebral player (likely due, in part, to his dad’s endless waving of the John Wooden banner).

Even without direct coaching experience, Walton has more Xs-and-Os sense than many professional coaches. Plus, who better to demonstrate an idea in practice than a coach who still has the skills to mix it up with his players?

On a side note, it’s remarkable what different standards the NBA has for owners and players. Nets co-owner Jay-Z sparked a league investigation with one visit to the Kentucky locker room, but Walton gets to coach the Tigers, interacting with them on a daily basis for (presumably) a few months at least, and nobody bats an eye.

The most obvious downside for Pastner is that he now has two coaches filling key assistants’ roles who have a combined three years of coaching experience, none of it at the college level. The parts of their jobs that don’t come as naturally to ex-players (especially some of the nuances of recruiting) might be a bit of a struggle for Stoudamire and Walton.

Still, at worst, the Tigers are probably no worse off in the locker room for having Walton rather than a more traditional coach, and Pastner and the team get a nice chunk of free publicity to boot. It’s hard to find much to criticize in Memphis’ latest hire.

Living in St. Louis, it is not very often that I get to watch quality basketball first hand. So in November 2009, when I saw that the defending national champion, the Kansas Jayhawks, were playing the Josh Pastner-coached Memphis Tigers in the city that I live, I knew I had to go to the game.

The top-ranked Jayhawks were hoping to get the season off to a good start. Kansas fans were still riding high after they beat Memphis in the epic 2009 national championship game. But make no mistake, this Memphis team was not the same one that came within seconds of winning the 2009 title.

Following John Calipari's departure to Kentucky, assistant coach Josh Pastner was promoted to head coach of the Tigers. The move shocked many because Pastner was only 31 at the time.

However, Pastner had been an assistant under Lute Olson at Arizona for seven years and he was even on the '97 team that beat three No. 1 seeds en route to a national title.

For years, the name Pastner was synonyms with Arizona due to his amazing ability to attract some of the top prep talent to play under Olson. When Olson left the program for an extended leave of absence, Pastner knew it was time for him to leave Tucson and make his own mark on the college basketball world.

That brings us back to the Kansas-Memphis game.

It was not the game itself that I will forever remember (Memphis nearly upset Kansas but missed a last-second shot), but the minutes leading up to the game, more specifically when Josh Pastner was walking out onto the court.

While my family lived in Tucson, my father met Josh Pastner a couple times and always told me how great a guy he was. Pastner doesn't curse and he doesn't even drink caffeine.

On a more personal note, he is also Jewish, therefore making him one of my heroes (sorry Bruce Pearl, you blew your chance long ago).

He is as nice a guy as you will meet and he is persuasive enough to recruit elite high school talent year in and year out.

Back to the game.

My seats were located right next to the entrance where Pastner and the Tigers walked out, which gave my father a perfect opportunity to do something I would never have the guts to do.

"Arizona! Arizona! Arizona!" he chanted.

Pastner, who was standing no more than 10 feet away, quickly turned his head to the familiar words and smiled.

When all of his attention should have been devoted to how Memphis was going to go after Cole Aldrich and the explosive Kansas offense, Pastner's instincts forced him to divert his attention to the chanting of the school he spent over a decade at.

Hopefully this story shows you how close Arizona still is to Pastner's heart and why this game will be filled with emotion for fans of both teams. 

Fast forward to Selection Sunday

While Arizona head coach Sean Miller tried to downplay any extra storylines that will almost certainly be mentioned when the Wildcats face off against Memphis on Friday, there was no way for Pastner to avoid the obvious question of whether this game will have added meaning because of who the Tigers are facing.

Most of Pastner's press conference saw him praise Arizona and Derrick Williams, a player that Pastner was almost able to bring to Memphis.

"You know, we tried to recruit Derrick Williams. We even got him here on a visit, and when he left he even had our Memphis background on his phone. We thought we were going to get him," said Pastner.

Pastner probably wishes he had Williams right now but even without the potential top five NBA draft pick, the Tigers were able to find success in the C-USA Tournament, following a rather disappointing season.

The second-year head coach has had to deal with more adversity than some coaches face in their entire career. The Tigers' season has featured injuries, suspensions and even a McDonald's All-American being kicked off the team.

Yet even with all that, Memphis found a way to make a remarkable comeback against UTEP, winning the C-USA Tournament while sealing a bid to the Big Dance.

The Tigers are very inexperienced but that is to be expected when four freshmen are starters. Joe Jackson, who had been silent for most of the year, found his stroke against UTEP and he will need to have another big game in order for the No. 12 seed Tigers to beat Arizona.

The Wildcats are also very young and have only one senior, Jamelle Horne, who happened to be recruited by Pastner.

Inconsistent point guard play has prevented Arizona from having more success—although, a 27-7 record along with a Pac-10 title is nothing short of a miracle from Sean Miller, who like Pastner is only in his second year as head coach for the Wildcats.

In order for Arizona to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament, Momo Jones will need to step up and Derrick Williams will need to continue being himself. The superstar power forward is averaging 19 points a game, while shooting a ridiculous .603 percent from the three point line, making him one of the most hard to stop players in college basketball.

His draft stock has soared this year and some websites even have him ranked as the top overall prospect in the 2011 NBA Draft.

When the two teams face off on Friday, there will be a mutual respect between the players and coaches. Miller and Pastner aren't very close with each other but according to Pastner, Miller actually called him to seek advice after accepting the head coaching position at Arizona.

Pastner responded to Miller by saying, "Sean, you are going to do unbelievable there."

Indeed Miller has.

The bond between Arizona and Josh Pastner could not be closer. He will always consider himself a Wildcat and Arizona fans will be forever grateful for what Pastner did for them as a player and an assistant.

For one game, Pastner will be forced to root against his alma mater.

For one game, Arizona fans will hope that the former prodigy, who devoted so much of his life to making Arizona the program it is today, does not find success.

But I can promise you that if Memphis does upset Arizona on Thursday, I will be one of many Arizona fans to applaud the amazing job that Pastner has done as head coach at Memphis, even if it comes at the cost of Arizona's title hopes.

Memphis is a town that eats, sleeps and breathes University of Memphis Tiger basketball.  If you look out the plane window as you approach Memphis International Airport, there is a building with "Go Tigers" painted on the roof.  During the NCAA tournament, the team's games are shown in conference rooms at businesses throughout the city.  For the few road games not televised, fans clamber to bars to watch grainy Internet feeds where they cheer while squinting to recognize the low-resolution, blue flashes streaking up and down the court.

Many outside of Memphis think the city's love affair with the team is a byproduct of former head coach John Calipari's recent successes.  The truth though is it started before the now-University of Kentucky frontman was even born, when the Tigers first made the NCAA tournament in 1955.  Since then they have made over 20 appearances in the tournament, including three Final Fours and two appearances in the national championship game.  

Born out of this rich basketball tradition are demands for excellence.  There are those in the city that actually believe, regardless of the circumstances that occur during a season, it is a given the Tigers will make the tournament every year and anything else is unacceptable.  This of course is not a phenomenon unique to Memphis, but also occurs in cities like Chapel Hill and Lexington.

Conference tournament championships are expected and generally pass under-appreciated.  Players and fans alike become jaded by their own successes.  This is why it was so refreshing to see the unbridled elation from the Tiger players and coaching staff as they won the 2011 Conference USA tournament.

Cynics will say it is just the Conference USA tournament and it is what you do once you are in the NCAA tournament that really matters.  In reality though, this is the pinnacle of most of these young men's playing careers.  Most will not play in the NBA, and the odds of even the best teams winning the national championship are slim at best.  Whether at North Carolina or East Tennessee State, conference tournaments provide a rare opportunity for players to be the best at something—to be champions.  

Saturday morning in El Paso a team full of heralded recruits danced and celebrated like it was the best moment of their lives.  They fully embraced the preciousness of the NCAA tournament ticket they now hold.  Because they are on television so often and play the same game as LeBron and Kobe, it is so easy to forget these are just kids.  Kids living the dream that we all have in the backyard, imagining ourselves burying the game-winner at the buzzer.  

While the Memphis Tigers and their impassioned fanbase still have national championship aspirations, this is a win to be celebrated.  At the end of the day though nothing in life is guaranteed, and every moment that can possibly be cherished should be.  That is why the players danced and showered head coach Josh Pastner with Gatorade, and it is why the Memphis fans lined the tarmac at the airport last night to greet the players as they returned champions of Conference USA.  

Despite facing a senior-laden UTEP team on their home floor, the young Memphis Tigers did the unthinkable and knocked off the Miners, 67-66, to earn their fifth Conference USA Championship in the last six years.

Two Joe Jackson free throws with 7.8 seconds remaining in the contest gave the Tigers their first lead of the day.

And that was all the time they needed, as UTEP's Christian Polk could not get his buzzer beater to go as it clanked off the front rim as time expired.

It was heartbreak for the Miners, who needed a victory to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

After dominating the whole game and leading by as many as 13 points, UTEP failed to get the job done down the stretch, allowing the Tigers to creep back into the game and eventually win it with a 17-4 run in the final six minutes.

Polk's back-to-back three-pointers gave the Miners a 62-50 lead with 6:13 remaining and looked to be the final dagger to Memphis.

But the play of the Conference USA Championship MVP, Jackson, and the outside shooting of teammate Chris Crawford, allowed Memphis to tie the game in the blink of an eye at 65 with 1:53 to go.

After a Gabriel McCulley made free throw that gave UTEP a 66-65 lead at the 1:30 mark, Memphis' Tarik Black went to the line on the other end of the floor with just over a minute remaining with a chance to tie the game or give his team the lead.

Instead, the freshman missed both from the line and the Miners got the rebound.

After running the shot clock down, the Miners couldn't extend the lead with a basket and Memphis got the ball back with a final chance.

Tigers' head coach Josh Pastner called a timeout with 10 seconds in regulation and drew up a play on the sidelines.

The ball went to Jackson after the stoppage and he drove in against UTEP's Julyan Stone and drew the shooting foul.

As if he had been there before, the freshman sank both free throws with ease to give his Tigers the lead, the championship, and an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

On the Miners' side of things, their fate is now in the committee's hands. Although they have a decent resume, it is tough to see them getting an at-large bid with how things stand right now.

Is it possible Josh Pastner is on the hot seat at the University of Memphis in just his second season? The Tigers and the Bluff City are reeling after three embarrassing losses in their last four games, including a 27-point nationally televised thrashing at UTEP.

Pastner and his team now find their season on life-support, needing a miracle run through the Conference USA Tournament to avoid missing the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season.  

Memphis has a passionate fanbase, who talk Tiger Basketball 24/7 365 days a year.  In the last few weeks, this talk has turned to questions about if Pastner is in over his head. Some have gone as far to suggest a change at the first seat of the Tiger bench. Is the once promising coaching and recruiting wonderkid really overwhelmed or has he just been hit with the perfect storm?

Great Expectations

It was always going to tough for Josh Pastner to follow John Calipari. Calipari won 30-plus games in an NCAA record four consecutive years and took the Tigers within a play of the 2008 National Championship. He energized a basketball-hungry fanbase, spoiling them with unheralded success in the process.

The Great Escape

While it is debatable if it was intentional or not, John Calipari imploded the University of Memphis basketball program when he left. What would have been the top recruiting class in the country, including DeMarcus Cousins, Xavier Henry and likely John Wall, soon disintegrated to just junior college big-man Will Coleman. 

In addition, junior power forward, Shawn Taggart, left to pursue a professional basketball. Pastner was left with just seven returning players and very little time to fill holes. 

2009-2010 Season

Prior to the 2009-2010 season, expectations were at the lowest levels seen since Calipari last missed the NCAA Tournament in 2005. Pastner and the Tigers would catch a big break when former McDonald's All-American Elliot Williams received a compassionate transfer waiver from the NCAA so he could immediately play home near his ailing mother. 

The scrappy Tigers, led by Williams, just missed an NCAA Tournament bid while finishing second in Conference USA.  

2010 Offseason

The 2010 offseason brought even more transition for the Tigers than did the 2009 offseason. The Tigers lost five scholarship players to graduation or transfer, leaving just three regular rotation players.

Pastner and his staff would fill the voids with a consensus top three recruiting class, including three McDonald's All-Americans in Will Barton, Jelan Kendrick, and hometown hero, Joe Jackson. National championship expectations quickly re-entered the minds of Tiger fans.

2010-2011 Season 

This season started with a sold-out Memphis Madness featuring personalized videos from Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans. Carmelo Anthony appeared on the jumbotron picking fellow Baltimore native Will Barton as his dunk contest favorite. That would be the pinnacle of the season, as things quickly began to unravel.  

Jelan Kendrick was suspended and then subsequently transferred to Ole Miss. One of the upperclassmen Pastner expected to lean on, Angel Garcia, abruptly left midseason to pursue a professional career in Spain. Junior forward Wesley Witherspoon, who was a preseason projected first round NBA draft pick, was briefly lost to injury and was then suspended for mocking a coach on the team bus after a difficult loss to SMU. 

Add in chemistry issues, no veteran leadership, and suddenly a team with national championship aspirations has become a team struggling to make the NCAA Tournament. The lone bright spot for the team has been the signing of Memphis local and McDonald's All-American Adonis Thomas.

So what the heck happened this season? 

All Recruiting Classes Are Not Created Equal

From all accounts, the 2010 class was not a particularly deep class. In other words, Will Barton as the No. 1-rated shooting guard is not the same quality player that 2009's top shooting guard, Xavier Henry, was. The freshmen that Memphis brought in are not of the Derrick Rose/Tyreke Evans ilk, physically overwhelming players with unmatched skills.

Instead, time will be needed for them to physically and mentally mature to completely fulfill their potential.  

In recent years there have only been two coaches who have rode a group of mainly freshmen to great NCAA Tournament success. One resides in San Diego and the other in Lexington. Calipari's mediocre results, by his standards, this season are further evidence that the class of 2010 is up to par with last season. Brandon Knight is an excellent player, but he is not the otherworldly talent that John Wall was for the Wildcats. 

On the Job Training

Most people will agree a person making $800,000-plus per year to do any job should have no excuses. Yet anyone who has managed people, be it at Burger King or Microsoft, will tell you your first management job is the hardest. Learning to extract the most from of people and have them work as a unit is a skill that truly takes years to refine. 

And that is with adults. Just imagine trying to get 18-year-olds that have always been the elite on their team to sit on the bench or simply pass the ball.

These are not excuses for Josh Pastner.  He knows losing to East Carolina is not acceptable, nor should it be. He knows he will need to make the NCAA Tournament next year to ensure a fourth season. But it is important to remember his first two years have seen more turnover than a fast food restaurant. 

He has made some mistakes along the way: consistently switching his starting lineup, pulling players after a single mistake, potentially not holding them accountable for their actions in the media. But during this brief tenure, all he has done is win over 70 percent of his games while signing four McDonald's All-Americans. 

The University of Memphis and its wonderful, but sometimes overbearing, fanbase would be doing itself a big disservice to even suggest running off a coach who is capable of what he has accomplished so far. Patience is not something characteristic to Memphis fans, but in this case it might just be warranted. 

This article compares two teams currently on the NCAA tournament bubble with comparable RPI and overall credentials.  Think of it as a virtual play-in game; two teams who could potentially meet in a First Four matchup.

Memphis (21-7, 9-4 C-USA); RPI:  34, SOS:  47

Illinois (17-11, 7-8 Big Ten); RPI:  36, SOS:  14

Common opponents:  Gonzaga (both MEM and ILL won)

Why Memphis Gets In

In an atypical year for Conference USA—Memphis hasn’t dominated the league—there are currently three teams tied at the top of the league, with two more trailing by just a half game.  Memphis is one of the three tied at the top, along with UAB and Southern Miss, even at 9-4. 

Memphis has actually beaten both UAB and Southern Miss twice.  Each of those teams is currently in the RPI Top 50.  Because of those four wins, Memphis should be first in the hierarchy when it comes to choosing between the other bubble teams from the conference.

Perhaps the biggest win of the season for Memphis, however, came earlier this month at Gonzaga.  The rare late-season non-conference game proved to be incredibly beneficial for the Tigers.  It may very likely be the win that puts them in the tourney.

Overall, Memphis is a solid 4-3 against the Top 50.  The three losses are to Kansas, Georgetown and Tennessee—all teams who have proven they can beat anybody in the country and make a deep run in the tournament. 

Why Memphis Is Left Out

In the three games against Kansas, Georgetown and Tennessee, Memphis lost by an average of 17 points.  The game at Tennessee—a 20 point loss—could have been 30 or more.  That’s against a team who has 11 losses this year.  Against Kansas and Georgetown, the Tigers were competitive into the second half, but were ultimately worn down by clearly superior teams. 

Aside from the Gonzaga win—who is barely a Top 75 RPI team at this point—there are no other real wins of note for Memphis on their non-conference schedule.   In addition, some of the wins they do have over sub-100 RPI teams have been unnecessarily close.  They beat Austin Peay by only two; Arkansas State by seven; Tennessee State by five (in OT); and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (285 RPI) by just seven.  All those games were of course at home. 

The unimpressive wins mentioned indicate that Memphis may struggle to get mentally prepared to face teams they are more talented than.  Proof of that comes in some of their losses in Conference USA.  The Tigers just lost this past weekend at Rice, a team with just three other conference wins.  They also lost at SMU, and at home to Tulsa—teams with double digit losses on the season.

Why Illinois Gets In

Like Memphis, Illinois has four wins over the RPI top 50 and a win against Gonzaga, in Seattle. 

The Illini’s four wins, however, are a bit better collectively—North Carolina, Wisconsin, Michigan State and at Minnesota.   North Carolina and Wisconsin are both currently in the RPI top 20.  Minnesota is the only other Big Ten bubble team who also has two wins over teams in the RPI top 20.  Also, the Illini took Texas—a likely No. 1 seed— to overtime before losing in the 2K Sports Classic in New York, back in November.

Illinois’ won at Minnesota in their only meeting this season, which may help lift them over the Gophers in the bubble hierarchy.  They also beat Michigan—another team hanging on the bubble—in their only meeting this season.  Overall, the Illini are a solid 4-2 against all four of the other Big Ten bubble teams, including wins over Michigan State and Penn State in Champaign.

Of the Illini’s eight Big Ten losses, four of them are to the league’s top three teams—Ohio State, Purdue and Wisconsin.  All three of those teams are in the Top 15, and each is likely to earn a Top 4 seed in the NCAA tournament.  

Why Illinois is Left Out

Illinois is not trending particularly well—they’ve lost six of their past nine games.  That has taken them from a spot in the Top 20 down to having their very presence in the tournament questioned.  Granted, half of those losses are to Ohio State and Purdue—including losses to each at home.  However, the Illini have traditionally been such a good team at home that you might expect them to beat a Purdue in Champaign.

While Illinois usually plays well at home, they have played far from well on the road this season.  They are just 2-6 on the road in conference play.  Of the six losses, two of them are to Northwestern and Indiana—who are in the bottom three of the Big Ten. 

These losses, however, are not nearly as damaging as a December loss to Illinois-Chicago.  UIC has an RPI just barely inside of 300, and is tied for last place in the Horizon League.  That will truly be a head-scratcher for the committee when they deliberate over Illinois’ fate.

Who Gets In?

This one is tough to call (that’s the point right?), but Illinois gets the nod here.  The two wins over North Carolina and Wisconsin continue to pay dividends for the Illini, as each of those teams seems to be heading upward as we approach the tournament. 

Memphis simply does not have two comparable wins—and they had some opportunities— to match the Illini, let alone two wins over teams sure to be in the NCAA tournament.

Illinois IN, Memphis OUT

Other matchups to consider:

Richmond-Virginia Tech:  http://bleacherreport.com/articles/619492-richmond-vs-virgnia-tech-whos-in-the-ncaa-tournament

Marquette-Gonzaga:  http://bleacherreport.com/articles/620476-marquette-vs-gonzaga-which-teams-makes-the-ncaa-tournament

Baylor-USC:  http://bleacherreport.com/articles/621826-baylor-vs-usc-which-team-makes-the-ncaa-tournament

Baby steps.

Those should be the key words to Memphis coach Josh Pastner's reign as Memphis men's basketball head coach. After former coach John Calipari left the Tigers for dead, Pastner's well on his way to making Memphis respectable again.

Well, they are respectable. A top 25 team with fantastic freshman talent is pretty impressive. But as expected, the program is not on the level where it was with Calipari, who finished with four consecutive 30 win seasons and a final four trip with the Tigers.

But Kalipari's kryptonite is that he prioritizes player development over winning. He practically admitted it when he said that the most important day in Kentucky history was when five of his players went pro in the 2010 NBA draft.

Also, the fact that Calipari always makes free throw shooting a priority shows that he focuses solely on the skills that NBA teams like. When have you ever seen a player drafted highly because of free throw shooting?

Calipari's player development priorities make him the best recruiter in all of college basketball, but he is unlikely to win a championship without making winning a priority. The only way he will win is if the field of competition is weak, and he wins off talent alone.

Pastner already has had success recruiting, though. Joe Jackson and William Barton have already become backcourt leaders.

Barton is the second ranked shooting guard recruit according to rivals.com. He leads Memphis in scoring and rebounding. Jackson is ranked fifth among point guard recruits. The Memphis native leads the Tigers in assists. Also, Chris Crawford, ranked 17th among shooting guards, has been a solid scorer and defender.

It's not quite on the Calipari level, but Pastner's first full recruiting class (he came in towards the end of the previous year's recruiting season) is one of the best in basketball.

The question is whether or not the one-and-done trend of Calipari's programs will continue. I have so much faith in Memphis because I see all three of these freshmen returning for a sequel.

At 6-0, I don't see Jackson drafted highly if he goes pro, so I see him staying. At 6-6 and 175 lbs., Barton needs to build muscle before being a solid NBA contributor. Crawford will likely never make the NBA.

This Memphis team has the opportunity. They can continue to be known as a program of one-and-dones or they can become a school dedicated to staying and winning.

This class is a good start. College programs begin to become respectable by recruiting players who stick around because they won't go pro. If all three freshmen contributors return next year, Memphis should have a top ten program.

They're ranked now, although it's hard to tell why if you just saw their loss to Georgetown yesterday. But their only losses are to top ten teams Georgetown and Kansas. If most of their losses are to elite teams this year, there is no reason why this program won't have an extremely bright future.

Pastner will never have a team as talented as Calipari's, but Calipari has never won it all. Winning takes not only talent, but dedication too. If Pastner can bring that dedication, Memphis can win the title that Calipari never brought.

"Soft."

It's a word that's a prerequisite for toilet paper and bath towels, the kiss of death for athletes. Sure, you want to be described as having "soft hands" if you're a wide receiver in football or even a post player in basketball, but other than that, it's anathema to sportsmen everywhere.

It's a word that the 2010-'11 Memphis Tigers have heard swirling around them, and they don't like it one bit.

"We've heard all the comments about us being soft and all that stuff, so we figured we'd get out there and touch (LSU) up a little bit, let 'em know we're here," freshman guard Chris Crawford said in the locker room following the Tigers' 70-61 victory over LSU in Tupelo, Miss.

Even Josh Pastner himself bristles at the idea that he "has a soft team." When faced with a question on the subject during his press conference immediately following the Memphis 72-68 home win over Miami, the coach's countenance changed and his tone became one of irritation.

"We're two-and-oh, so that's the bottom line," was his terse reply. "People can say what they want, but we still got a 'W'. And the other thing is, people talk about 'tough,' 'soft,' this and that, but the bottom line is production. Miami is a tough team. We came away with the win and it wasn't because of softness, it was because we were able to get the 'W'. A lot of the rebounds we missed were a credit to Miami."

Perhaps one of the key reasons the talk of being "soft" is so prevalent around the Memphis basketball program is because the person using the word the most is a prominent member of the Memphis media. But is this an honest observation, or is there some personal agenda involved?

It's easy to Tweet about this Memphis team being "soft" when Western Kentucky is plus-15 in the rebounding battle during the first half of the game, yet when the contest ends and Memphis is only minus-two in the category, shouldn't credit be given to the Tigers for dramatically cutting the gap and owning the boards in the second half versus a very strong, athletic Western Kentucky team?

Even more disturbing, though, are comments made by this same member of the Memphis media while standing outside the Tiger locker room after games.

Saying last year's Tiger team "is just terrible; Michael Jordan couldn't save this bunch" was one thing. But saying blithely a couple of weeks ago "this team is a bunch of pussies," that they're "too soft to compete with Kansas," and that Wesley Witherspoon "will get [screwed] in the [behind] by Marcus Morris again" (profanities redacted) seems to me to cross the line.

Especially considering the person in question looks like he's in better shape to battle with a dozen doughnuts than a 6'7", 225-pound power forward himself. But I digress...

In fact, Witherspoon played against WKU with one of the nastiest gashes on his chin I've seen in a long time, suffered versus Arkansas State, as well as needing ice on his right knee following the WKU contest; freshman Tarik Black competed against ASU and WKU with stitches in his shin; freshman Will Barton added to his collection of bumps and bruises (including a nasty floor burn on his left shoulder) by sporting about a nine-inch scratch in the locker room after WKU that was still bleeding; and Angel Garcia, who probably has the "s" word hurled at him more than anyone else, miraculously returned to the floor last year just seven months after ACL surgery, an unprecedented figure for such a high-level athlete, according to my research.

The young Tigers all responded to questions about the perception of their toughness (or lack thereof) in a variety of ways.

"We're not soft at all," Will Barton says defiantly. "Some people have got their own opinion; I don't care what nobody say. We know who we are. We're gonna come out their Tuesday, play hard, rebound, defend, go out there and give it all, and get this win. That's all I care about: winning."

Will Barton further rejects the idea that his team will be underdogs when they take the court at the iconic Madison Square Garden arena, the Mecca of Basketball.

"I didn't know we were underdogs; who said that?" he quizzed with an arched eyebrow.

When the idea of Kansas being higher-ranked and the logical betting favorites was proffered, Will Barton dismissed the idea.

"I don't look at betting lines; I just go by my team," he said with a shake of his head. "We'll see what it is Tuesday."

"You know, everybody's going to form their own opinions," sophomore walk-on Charles Holt, one of the few Tigers who were active for last year's Kansas tilt, began, "but we know our toughness level. We know how tough we can be, and how we can grind out every game, night-in and night-out. So for folks to say that, that's fine, but it's up to us to go out there and play hard regardless."

When confronted with the idea that 'some people feel Kansas is too tough for this Tiger team to beat,' senior post threat Will Coleman let out an irritated sigh and shook his head before speaking and taking the high road.

"You know, we've never been the kind of team to give the media bulletin board kind of stuff," he said carefully, "not that I know of. We're just gonna go up there on Tuesday and just play as hard as we can. Handle our business and get the 'W.' Nothing harsh or anything, but someone's gotta win and someone's gotta lose; we'll just go play Tiger basketball and I think we'll be fine.

"Me, Wesley, Charles, Preston, Drew, D.J. We all want some get back. Last year was a bitter, bitter taste in our mouths, losing by two. We were so close, and I think we all see this as an opportunity."

"I definitely feel that we are not a soft team, we're just a young team," sophomore D.J. Stephens said firmly. "And with that, we have some growing to do. But as the year goes on, we'll be able to make a statement, because that's what we stress everyday in practice: defensive rebounding. As the year goes on, we'll get better and better at it."

"People will talk; we just let 'em talk," junior team leader Wesley Witherspoon said directly. "That has nothing to do with how we play."

And one last comment from scrappy freshman guard Joe Jackson from White Station High School here in Memphis, who paused and clearly gave the subject some thought before speaking:

"The way our team is, we step up when it's time. A team like Kansas, they've got bigs, but I know our bigs are gonna be prepared. They need to match up. I know with the Morris twins, Will (Coleman) and Tarik (Black) are gonna take the challenge. All people seem to want to talk about is the Morris twins and how we're gonna guard them. At the end of the day, they (the Morrises) ain't gonna beat us alone, it's gonna take a team to beat us."

One thing is certain: win or lose against Kansas, the Tigers probably won't silence the talk of being soft. But then again, as long as they keep on winning, I don't get the feeling that they really care. Sure, they'd love to be known as some group of unbeatable beasts—who wouldn't?—but this bunch seems to be comfortable in their own skin. That's a good sign as the 2010-'11 campaign continues and picks up momentum heading into January.

Leroy Watson, Jr. is a Bleacher Report Senior Writer and the Managing Editor of TigerSportsReport.com and may be reached via e-mail: Leroy@tigersportsreport.com or follow him on Twitter: @leroywatsonjr

Current state of The Big 12

Flux on a good day.

Currently, the Big 12 is still ripe for the picking, and the conference will continue this state of flux unless it becomes proactive.  Colorado and Nebraska are gone and are not coming back. 

Why is it that The Big 12 could be dissolved?

Not for lack of competition.

After all, it is considered by many to be the second best football conference, next to the SEC. This is up for discussion because the Big 10 has had a good year, but it is in the discussion to say the least.  In fact, the Big 12 is considered the second best conference nearly every year.  Oklahoma seems likely to be chosen for another BCS game, Missouri has secured another 10-win season, Texas was a Colt McCoy injury away from winning the national title last year, Texas A&M seems to be rebuilding, Oklahoma State is a perennial Top 25 team and even Baylor is going bowling. 

Furthermore, the Big 12 is a national basketball power.  Kansas is one of the “College Basketball Blue Bloods” and they are in the discussion for a national title every year.  Because of Kevin Durant, Texas has produced a NBA talent that is unrivaled in the modern "One-and-Done Era" of college basketball. Seriously, name me a college that has produced a talent like Durant.  You can’t, because LeBron James and Kobe Bryant did not go to college.  Oklahoma alum, Blake Griffin, seems to be doing the unthinkable in changing the culture with the LA Clippers.  Beyond NBA talent, the Big 12 fields, on average, seven teams to the NCAA tournament, and those teams do well once they get there.  The Big 12 is losing two members and their level of basketball competition will go up.  There is no easy win during Big 12 conference play.  

What’s the next move?

Add Boise State and Memphis.

Boise State wants to play with the big boys.  TCU will abandon them for greener pastures after next season and then the MWC is left as the new WAC.  People can argue about how good Boise St. actually is, and while they might not have the tradition of Colorado, they are an upgrade in the current state of the respective programs.  Boise St. has two BCS wins and is a Top 25 mainstay.  They also replace Colorado’s Mountain West time television market. 

Memphis is a college basketball power.  Financially, FedEx CEO Fred Smith is willing to pledge $10 million annually to the conference that invites and accepts Memphis.  This is a no-brainer.  With adding Memphis, the Big 12 will tap into SEC recruiting country and get $10 million for doing it.  While the Memphis Tigers don’t have NFL stars outside of DeAngelo Williams, they do have NBA superstars in Tyreke Evans and Derrick Rose. 

I realize that football is king and generates tremendous revenue for schools, but the NBA is facing what looks to be an inevitable lockout or strike.  This means that a great college basketball conference could cash in on a huge TV deal and the Big 12 is a Memphis team away from becoming the unquestioned Alpha-Dog conference.

The New Big 12's outlook.

 Dan Beebe needs to make a move and adding Boise State and Memphis creates minimal drop-off in football.  The remaining Big 12 conference has two teams in the BCS Championship discussion every year, Texas and Oklahoma.  Boise gives the North a two time BCS game winner to replace Nebraska, and at the very least a consistent bowl eligible team.  Memphis may add little to the league in football stature, but it adds a great television market.

The new Big 12 would be a juggernaut in college basketball.  Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri and Baylor are currently in the top ten.  Memphis is in the top 15 and Texas is in the top 20.

Oh, and it gives your conference an additional $10 million a year for the foreseeable future.  That donation is essentially like winning another BCS game every year.  Also, the 12 teams would allow the Big 12 to continue its championship game which is a fantastic revenue generator.  The one thing that all this conference has proved over and over again: "If it does not make dollars, then it does not sense."