Memphis Tigers Basketball

THURSDAY, DEC. 31, 2009

No. 14 Tennessee Volunteers (9-2) vs. Memphis Tigers (9-2)

The No. 14 Tennessee Volunteers will travel to the FedEx Forum on Thursday to face off against the Memphis Tigers in Memphis, TN.

Memphis edged out the Vols 54-52 the last time these two teams met on Jan. 24, 2009.

Duke transfer Elliot Williams scored 27 points, including five of six three-point attempts, as Memphis cruised to an 87-67 victory over Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis on Monday. Williams has provided a much-needed go-to guy and leads the team with 20.1 points per game.

Pierre Henderson-Niles contributed with 15 points in the win. The victory extended the Tigers' home winning streak to 22 games and a 100-10 record at FedEx Forum.

Memphis has neither progressed nor regressed into a team that has the talent to defend its C-USA title this season. Their only two losses came by way of a struggling UMass team, 73-72, and a 58-57 loss to Kansas, while their nine wins came from a pretty soft early schedule.

Tyler Smith led his team with 16 points as No. 16 Tennessee cruised to a 99-78 victory over North Carolina A&T on Wednesday night. The win bumped the Vols to No. 13 this week.

Freshman walk-on guard Skylar McBee hit three three-pointers in the win and had a total of 12 points in the win. McBee’s threes helped in the win but fell short of helping Tennessee overcome its current three-point shooting slide, as the Vols were only 5-of-26 from behind the arc against North Carolina A&T and are only 11-of-68 (16.2 percent) over their last three games.

This is the Vols' first true road test after falling to USC 77-55 on Dec. 19.

Odds are not yet posted.

Since 1995, Tennessee has a record against the spread when at home of 109-98 and a record when away of 76-75.

Expect the Tigers to keep their home streak alive, edging out a narrow margin victory.

The Memphis Tigers took a tough loss last Saturday in Boston to the Massachusetts Minutemen, 73-72, on a last-second lay-in by UMass freshman Terrell Vinson.

The defeat was probably the best thing to happen to the Tigers so far this year.

You read that right. I will say it again: the loss to Massachusetts was the best thing to happen to the Memphis Tigers so far in the 2009-’10 season.

I’ll explain why a little bit later.

Of course, it’s never a fun experience to lose a basketball game. Memphis (and any other team) would much rather be undefeated right now.

But for an Elliot Williams failed three-pointer against Kansas and a fluke loose ball that turned into a bucket against UMass, Memphis would be 9-0.

That’s just not how it works, though. Every game has a winner and a loser. There are no mulligans, no re-dos.

Head Coach Josh Pastner, though keeping a positive attitude, freely admitted that he’d much prefer meeting the media after a victory.

“Hopefully, we don’t do too many more of these after an ‘L,’” he prefaced his remarks to the media. “It’s always more fun after a ‘W.’ I guess that’s part of the job, you gotta do both.”

His players, though generally subdued, seem to be taking the defeat as well as can be expected. To a man, they are eager to get back on the floor so they can put the loss behind them.

Wesley Witherspoon left the loss behind inside of the TD Northbank Gardens.

“Once we left the Gardens parking lot, that game was over with,” he said solemnly. “We left it all there. All we have to do is move forward. Of course, we’re anxious to play now because we’re frustrated right now. That’s gonna show (on Tuesday).”

“We’ve gotta put this game behind us,” insisted Doneal Mack. “We’ve got some tough games coming up. Right now, we’ve just got to worry about ourselves and how we’re gonna get better.

“You win some, you lose some. This game we lost; the next game we get, we gotta win.”

Roburt Sallie, who shot 1-for-9 from the floor on the way to five points, was distraught that his shooting touch continues to desert him.

“I had trouble sleeping, because we gave this game away. We shouldn’t have even been that close with them.

“I’m frustrated with the way I shot the ball, the way I’ve shot the ball this season. I put everything on me. There’s no reason for me to be shooting the way I’ve been shooting this season. I’ve gotta do something, gotta get the kinks out because I’m getting great looks, just missing them.

“I just want to apologize to the city.”

Senior gunner Mack, who led the Tigers with a career-high 23 points, was a revelation with his offense. He would trade the points for a win, however.

“It’s frustrating,” he admitted. “Even though I performed well, I would rather (have scored) one point and won that game. Me scoring (those) points doesn’t really mean (anything).”

Pastner was generally pleased with how hard his team played, but pointed out that UMass played tougher, which showed up on the state sheet as a huge rebounding imbalance: UMass +20, 44-24, with 19 offensive rebounds and a 21-4 disparity in second chance points.

“You’ve got to give credit to UMass because they out-toughed us in that game,” he said candidly. “We showed our guys the film yesterday, we jumped on them, but you know what? It’s in the past, and now, we’ve got to focus on, ‘It’s a slip-up we had.’

“They (UMass) played hard. UMass beat us on the blocks and on the glass. That’s not about playing hard, that’s about a toughness factor.”

Anyone watching the game would agree with the Coach that the game simply shone a bright light on the team’s lack of size and rebounding prowess.

“We didn’t finish plays by getting the rebounds...That’s one of our areas of weakness this season, our rebounding. But that just comes down to we’ve got to find a way, and it’s not all about the bigs.

“Everybody here knows: guard rebounding is so important to us. It’s not about playing hard, because our guys play hard. Rebounding is just about out-toughing that opponent.”

“They really killed us with the rebounding,” Mack admitted. “And that’s what it really came down to, at the end of the day, rebounding and loose balls. They out-toughed us that game, and we’re supposed to be this scrappy, grinding team.

“We didn’t show that last game. That game is behind us now. It’s a long season and we’re looking forward to the next game.”

Ironically enough, the next opponent, Southeast Missouri State, is known as a strong offensive-rebounding team.

Sallie says he doesn’t care who the opponent is or what style of ball they play.

“I can’t wait for tomorrow...I don’t even want to go to sleep tonight, I just want to play the game. That’s just the kind of mood I’m in. We’re gonna take a whole new approach.

“I don’t know anything (about Southeast Missouri State) but to be honest with you, it doesn’t even matter. We’ll be ready to play. I don’t care if the game is at 8:00 in the morning, we’ll be ready to play.”

Mack echoed the sentiments.

“We’re only as good as our last performance,” he began. “I’m not gonna say we’re mad or anything, but we’re ready to get out (being) our upset because we didn’t leave it all out on the floor. We want to get back out there and compete for 40 minutes.”

In the long run, though, the loss could serve a purpose.

Sallie admitted in the locker room after the Arkansas State game that it was becoming difficult for the Tigers to get enthused to play lesser teams.

That shouldn’t be a problem now, as Sallie himself says.

“With this loss behind us, I don’t think anybody will second-guess our effort, because we’re gonna play with 100 percent energy and effort.”

Photo credit: © 2009 Leroy Watson, Jr.

Just for the record, I want everyone to know—Memphis fans, especially—that this article is NOT going to bash John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats.

After all, I know that Tiger fans are not happy with Cal (and note that I am employing a literary device known as a “litote,” or intentional gross under-exaggeration, with that statement), and of course I can understand why.

For months, Memphis fans (present company included) had waited breathlessly for a recruiting class for the ages to set foot on campus.

DeMarcus Cousins, Xavier Henry, and John Wall were the trio of five-star crown jewels of the recruiting haul.

Each one of those three young men was known by at least one recruiting service as the top stud of the loaded Class of 2009, which isn’t as deep as some classes but is dripping with pro prospects at the front end.

Junior college standouts Will Coleman and Darnell Dodson were expected to add depth and firepower to a young but insanely talented basketball team.

Two things occurred that have changed my viewpoint of the entire situation.

I became a credentialed writer for Rivals.com, and signed a Covenant of Impartiality, that simply means that in public and in my writings, I am a fan of no college basketball team.

My job is to call it like I see it, whether I write an article for Rivals, Bleacher or anyone else. I even have to mind my manners on Internet message boards.

I was officially a member of the media.

And then, there was this little matter of John Calipari relocating to the University of Kentucky, and Memphis hiring the young Josh Pastner, that changed things a bit.

So at a very critical time in my life, upon embarking on a bold new path, I was unable to truly express how I felt about what was happening at the University of Memphis. My new charge was to observe and report the news objectively.

In fact, for the sake of my burgeoning career, not only was I unable to talk very much about how I felt; I also had to find a way to change how I was reacting to the upheaval at the University of Memphis.

And it was very difficult for me.

However, along the way, my vow of impartiality took hold, and the white-hot anger I felt for Calipari quickly subsided.

And you know what?

I now absolutely love watching the University of Kentucky play basketball. Not because of Calipari, and not necessarily because of the one-time Memphis recruits.

I love watching the Wildcats because they are so explosive, so talented, so dominant.

I wasn’t fooled by the team’s early struggles. The near-loss to Miami-Ohio was shocking, but it was still a victory. It had all the ear-marks of an early-season Calipari effort.

Great coaches have tendencies, just like great players do. And yes, I still consider John Calipari a great coach; it seems ridiculous to me to suggest otherwise.

But have you ever noticed that Mike Krzyzewski’s recent vintage of teams at Duke almost always start the season off with all guns blazing, then drop off around January, recover somewhat, but then get upset in the Big Dance?

I’ve never figured that one out.

Well, Calipari teams tend to start out very slowly, perhaps even absorbing a couple of unexpected losses early in the season. Even when they win, they “win ugly,” as the saying goes.

By mid-January at the latest, though, you don’t want to face Cal’s teams. You want to catch them in mid-February, when there’s a lull, but they recover and are generally primed and lethal by March.

Except for last year, which is a story I will probably never get around to writing.

Don’t ask.

With the incredible embarrassment of riches on the Kentucky roster this season, perhaps the most impressive thing about the play of the Wildcats is their defensive intensity.

Three things—defense, hustle and rebounding—are all about desire. A player has got to want to play good defense, he’s got to ache to grab that board or dive for a loose ball.

Calipari has his crew of high school All-Americans, five-star recruits, and returning star Patrick Patterson playing suffocating defense and hurtling their bodies all over the floor with no regard for their physical well-being or future NBA riches.

The team plays the game of basketball the way it should be played: hard.

But when all else fails, they can put the ball in the hands of their star freshman guard, John Wall, and know that he will create a play.

If Wall is unavailable for any reason, though, insert the name “Eric Bledsoe” into the previous statement, and the drop-off isn’t too great. He’s athletic, cerebral, and efficient.

Dodson has been doing what he was inked to do—sink three-pointers—and Cousins is developing into a monster down low. He is a sure rebounder, good shot-blocker, and has myriad ways to score, either in the paint or from the wing.

Xavier Henry, out in Lawrence, is the leading scorer for No. 1-ranked Kansas—not returning All-Americans Cole Aldrich or Sherron Collins.

The Memphis line-up would probably have consisted of Wall and Elliot Williams in the backcourt, with Xavier Henry, Wesley Witherspoon and Cousins in the frontcourt. That would have left Coleman to fight for minutes off the bench, along with returnees Pierre Henderson-Niles, Willie Kemp, Doneal Mack, and Roburt Sallie.

That’s why Memphis fans were singing what they christened “The 40-0 Song.”

So I, for one, wish Calipari well with his ill-gotten recruiting haul. After all, most every kid in his class (except for Bledsoe and Daniel Orton) was wooed on the U of M’s dime.

But Memphis fans, instead of always crying over what might have been, have quickly learned to instead celebrate what they do have. Even with just nine scholarship players, it’s a very talented Memphis team which plays tenacious defense of its own.

Josh Pastner doesn’t coach like he’s 32, or as if this is his first head coaching post. He is methodical, organized, and highly composed.

What would happen if the two teams were to meet?

Kentucky is bigger, faster, stronger, and more talented. They have superior length at every position on the floor, while Memphis frequently starts four guards and Coleman.

The Wildcats score more points, grab more rebounds, block more shots, hit more treys. On paper, Kentucky would blow Memphis out...but then again, so would Kansas, right?

Head Coach Pastner and his Tigers nearly stole a victory from the Jayhawks before succumbing, 57-55.

That’s why they play the games.

Pastner would again find a way to give his team a chance to win if Memphis were to play Kentucky.

You didn’t really expect me to call the game, did you? I only hope the matchup somehow comes to pass. It would only occur during the NCAA Tournament, probably in an early round or perhaps the Sweet Sixteen.

It would be the final opportunity for Memphis fans to bury the memory of the past and embrace the future. One last chance to excise all thoughts of what might have been.

Let me see if I’ve got this straight. . .

The University of Memphis wins 38 games during the 2007-08 season, and over a full year after that season started, the NCAA decides that the team had used an ineligible player.

Of course, said player—okay, it was Derrick Rose, I’m not going to pretend that we don’t know who it was—had been ruled eligible to play by the NCAA Clearinghouse. Phone calls by Memphis to the NCAA had verified that Rose was fine to play.

Nevertheless, almost two years after the fact, the NCAA decides to wipe the season (including an appearance in the NCAA Tournament title game) from the record books.

The NCAA just wants everyone to act as if little ole Memphis never crashed the biggest party of the year, March Madness, with their rampage to the title game.

Chris Douglas-Roberts was never a three-pointer by Mario Chalmers away from reaching his ultimate collegiate goal.

Joey Dorsey never punked out Kevin Love.

Derrick Rose never proved himself to be one of the most spectacular point guards in the country, professional or otherwise.

None of it ever happened.

Rose had been ineligible to play for the Memphis Tigers because his SAT scores were invalidated by the testing agency that oversaw his examination...nearly one year after the fact.

Apparently, Rose had the unmitigated gall to ignore requests to reply to the inquiry by the Educational Testing Service (ETS), even though said letters were sent to his home address in Chicago, not to his address at the University of Memphis.

 

I wonder if he ever got those letters?

So, as Rose was dazzling the world with his scintillating performances in the NCAA Tournament, he was (unbeknown to the wunderkind or the school) having his SATs wiped out.

Without the standardized test scores, the lad was ineligible.

Okay, so all of that is understandable.

What is unconscionable, though, is the NCAA’s heavy-handedness in dealing with the University of Memphis in the aftermath of this fiasco.

In an earlier article , I expressed my dismay with the U of M, and their lack of action in dealing with the entire Derrick Rose situation.

I’m going to have to backtrack from that just a bit.

In October 2007, on the eve of Rose’s freshman campaign, it came to the attention of the U of M that there was a grade change during his high school days which potentially impacted the point guard’s eligibility.

ETS had not yet flagged Rose’s SAT status at that time.

So follow me here for a moment:

Rose had already been deemed eligible to play ball by the NCAA Clearinghouse.

When the grade change issue arose, the U of M hastily contacted the NCAA, and after a brief investigation, Rose was cleared by the NCAA once again.

How was the school supposed to know about the impending SAT problem. . . months ahead of time?

Was the University of Memphis supposed to go through the entire eligibility process again, and somehow divine that there were issues over who took Rose’s test?

And before you insult my intelligence by saying, “Of course the school should have done that,” answer me this: just what, exactly, is the job of the NCAA Clearinghouse if NCAA institutions are supposed to follow behind them and re-qualify their student-athletes?

That’s really why I have come to re-examine my own position during this scandal.

The NCAA has put Memphis in an untenable double blind.

The school was told not once, but twice, that Rose was cleared to play.

And now, more than two years later, the NCAA essentially says, “We dropped the ball here. Rose should never have played. Since you didn’t catch our error, you’ve got to pay the price and forfeit the results of the season.”

And just what color is the sun in your solar system, NCAA?

As despicable as that scenario is, it gets even worse. The U of M, naturally, appealed the severity of the penalties. After all, what’s the use of an appeals process if a school cannot avail themselves of it?

Except the NCAA really must not want Memphis to bother them with this nonsense.

Isn’t that the message being sent? The NCAA has essentially said that if Memphis persists in its appeal, that the case could be re-opened and (ostensibly) even worse punishment could result!

People, that’s akin to a company directing an employee to act in a certain way, later suspending said employee for doing what he was told, and insinuating that the person could be fired if he dared to report the indiscretion to Human Resources.

In other words: bend over, shut up, and take it.

In stark contrast, however, consider this:

The Memphis ex-head coach, John Calipari, was immediately cleared of any responsibility in this case. Is it a coincidence that his current address is Lexington, Ky.?

The University of Southern California had a freshman you might have heard of in 2007-’08.

Kid by the name of O. J. Mayo playing in the NBA for the Memphis Grizzlies right now, and if it weren’t for Rose, he quite probably would have been NBA Rookie of the Year.

It has been established that former USC head man Tim Floyd paid Mayo $1,000 on at least one occasion. Floyd was subsequently fired by the school.

Under the insipid theory of “strict liability” that the NCAA has been spouting, Mayo should have been retroactively ruled ineligible, right? And wouldn’t that mean that USC would have to vacate their NCAA Tournament appearance from that season, as well?

None of that happened.

What I’m getting at is simple: Kentucky, the winningest men’s basketball program of all-time and a member of the Southeastern Conference, and USC of the PAC-10, each plays by a different set of rules than Memphis of Conference USA.

Really, remove the name “Memphis” and replace it with “Gonzaga,” “Boise State,” “Xavier,” or any other team from a so-called mid-major conference, and the result would likely be the same.

You see, the NCAA says that they want to send the message that there will be punishment meted out to member schools which play ineligibles.

What they really mean is they want to show the “have nots” that they won’t be afforded the privileges of the “haves.”

It’s a couple of days after Thanksgiving and the University of Memphis men’s basketball team is…


Having two-a-day practices.


Despite a string of early season blowout wins, and the critically-acclaimed loss to No. 1 Kansas (57-55 during the Hall of Fame Showcase) that actually raised the team’s profile across the country, the rag-tag band of Tigers still have a lot to work on.


Giving up a trip home for Thanksgiving is the price to be paid for playing basketball at the highest levels of Division I.


“I wanted to kind of sneak home, but I live in California,” said junior gunner Roburt Sallie. “It takes half a day to get home, anyway, so I’m just gonna crash at somebody’s house, eat some good food and watch some football games.


“I did it last year, I’ll do it again. It’s a part of being at this level.”


Right now, Sallie is just happy to have the crushing weight of a shooting slump removed from his shoulders.


By now, Sallie’s story is fairly well known. If you are one of the few who is not familiar with the travails of Sallie, 23, originally from Sacramento, CA, here’s the Cliff’s Notes:


Sallie originally signed with the University of Washington out of Sacramento (Calif.) Valley High School. However, he did not meet UW eligibility standards, and opted to go to prep school in order to bolster his academic dossier.


After a season at the Patterson School and then a 40-0 year at Laurinburg Prep with (among others) Antonio Anderson and Robert Dozier, Sallie matriculated to Nebraska. However, NU somehow managed to mishandle the filing of his paperwork and by the time he enrolled at NU, he was technically ineligible.


After attending class for a few days, an obscure Big 12 rule led to his being ruled ineligible to enroll at not only NU, but at any other conference school, as well.


Sallie sat out a season before eventually enrolling at City College of San Francisco. He became California Junior College Player of the year, averaging 17 PPG and displaying his remarkable all-around game.


Division I schools were drooling over him again by the end of the 2007-08 junior college season and Sallie ended up signing with John Calipari and Memphis during the summer of 2008.


Roburt, who was classified as a sophomore, endured a hellish first season as a Tiger, landing in Calipari’s doghouse shortly after fall practice began.


“That’s always the hardest thing for a player coming in is to understand the intensity and the sacrifice and the work ethic,” Calipari said in a November 2008 article in The (Memphis) Commercial Appeal.


“Just the consistency of effort both in the classroom and the basketball court. It’s all intertwined. When I see a guy that leaves early from class, or comes and goes as he pleases, that’s exactly how he practices—last one in, first one to leave practice.


“You also see they’re at the end of every line, versus step up and be the first man. See if he can take days off. Whatever correlates in the classroom, in all my years of coaching, correlates on the court. In all areas, he’s got to be more consistent.”


As a direct result, Sallie struggled to carve out a niche in the ultra-competitive guard rotation for the talent-rich Tigers. He went into the 2009 NCAA Tournament averaging about 4.5 points per game.


He promptly set an NCAA-record with 10 three-pointers in the first round contest with Cal State-Northridge, torching the Matadors for 35 points in an 81-70 triumph.


The scintillating display immediately pegged Sallie as one of the key members of the Memphis rotation during the 2009-10 season.


Fast-forward to October 2009—no need to re-hash the myriad upheavals in Memphis basketball over the spring and summer for the umpteenth time—and Roburt Sallie was struggling with his outside shooting.


Sallie had shot an impressive 47.0 percent from beyond the three-point arc during the 2008-’09 season. When he struggled to a 1-for-14 start, his career three-point shooting percentage (.427) was still the best in school history.


But Sallie—and seemingly the entire city of Memphis—knew that the junior from California was pressing.


“Struggling, that’s how I would describe myself right now,” he said candidly in the locker room following a 92-59 victory over Tennessee Tech. “I’m in a little slump.”


Though Sallie was contributing to the cause in other ways—averaging a staggering four steals per game, contributing 12 rebounds in three contests from his guard position, and only coughing up three turnovers during that period—he was recruited to score.


If he wasn’t scoring, he was not only depriving the team of a badly needed scoring threat—only Elliot Williams (21 points per game) and Will Coleman (11 ppg) were in double figures per contest through three games—he was failing to do what he was known for doing best: filling up the basket.


“I’m a shooter, that’s what I do,” Sallie said. “I think this team this year is really leaning on me to make some shots, and I just haven’t been able to hit any jumpers. It’s frustrating to me.


“But we find other ways. If I’ve gotta play defense and lock my man down, I’ll do that.”


Then came Sallie’s breakout game against Central Arkansas.


After the entire team started out at a painfully slow pace—scoring a mere seven points in the first nine minutes—five points by sophomore sensation Williams opened the floodgates.


When Sallie splashed in a trey with 8:42 left in the first half, the same Tiger squad that had scored seven points in nine minutes had erupted for nine points in just over two.


Sallie ended the night with a season-high 17 points, including 3-of-5 shooting from downtown, as the sluggish-starting Memphis team pulled away for an 81-49 triumph over the Bears.


If anything was exposed in the 57-55 loss to Kansas, it was the Tigers’ lack of offensive firepower. Sallie only managed five total points on 2-10 shooting, and he misfired on all six of his attempts from beyond the arc.


Sallie chipped in with four rebounds and four steals against the Jayhawks, but it was clear that the Tigers needed his prowess as a shooter.


Through it all, Roburt has maintained a shooter’s mentality, and he is confident that his shooting woes will not continue indefinitely.


“My shooting has not been where I want it to be right now,” he observed, “but it’s so early in the season to try to dictate how I’m gonna shoot the rest of the season. I’ll just keep taking shots and continue to get open looks.”

If the Tigers are going to get back to the big dance, he’s going to have to.

The fall portion of the 2009-‘10 college basketball season has been even more topsy-turvy than normal.

Out West, Oregon State, picked by many to be a serious contender in the PAC-10, lost to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Texas Tech in a three-day period. Idaho surprised Utah, then lost to Texas Southern a few days later. UCLA lost to Cal State Fullerton.

But the most shocking upheavals of the young season are the series of stunning losses by a SEC teams, which most certainly have gotten the attention of Memphis and any other solid program in the South.

The SEC, coming off a down season, was supposed to rebound this fall. The flagship program in the conference revival—Kentucky—has started in less than impressive fashion, however.

First was the 16-point opening night victory over lowly Morehead State. This was followed by a two-point defeat of Miami (Ohio) on a last-second jumper by freshman point guard John Wall, and a 102-92 defeat of mighty Sam Houston State.

All of these games were played at home.

But at least the Wildcats are still undefeated. That’s better than Georgia (defeated by Wofford), Alabama (upset by Ivy League’s Cornell), Auburn (done in by Missouri State) and the big shocker, Mississippi State bowing to Rider.

All of this serves to underscore the point that it’s never a good idea to overlook an opponent, no matter the team’s reputation or where the game is being contested.

“On paper, it’s probably clear as day,” junior post phenomenon Will Coleman comments. “But at the same time, we gotta go into every game like we’re playing the No. 1 team, because if we sleep on a team that’s less talented (than we are), according to statistics or whatever the case may be, we can get upset.”

Head Coach Josh Pastner eschews the idea of games that his team is “supposed” to win.

“I don’t think you can predict that your next game (is one) you’re ‘supposed’ to win,” he says earnestly. “Let me tell you something, we have to scrap to win the game. Everything we will have to do, we will have to earn.

“I told our team, ‘You better stay humble, you better stay grounded, you better keep your ego in check, deflate that ego. Do not be reading your own press clippings. The second you (get a big ego), that’s when you’re taken out.”

The Tigers’ first year front man doesn’t even watch many basketball games on TV anymore, setting aside that time to study film so he can better prepare his own team.

“I’m a basketball fan, but I’ll be honest with you, I really don’t watch that much,” he admits. “I’m a big film-watcher, in terms of our own team. I watch every day’s practice. I watch the tape at night. Obviously, the opponents we’re playing, I watch all their games for preparation.

“Once you’re in season, you really don’t have much time to watch other games, you’re so focused on your own.”

Sophomore reserve guard Preston Laird referred to his team's willingness to scrap during an interview in the locker room after a 92-59 demolition of Tennessee Tech.

“This team right now is gonna have to gain an identity,” Laird said. “The identity we’re going to have is that we’re grinders, we’re scrappy. We’re gonna play hard and get the job done.

“We don’t have the numbers on our front line, so there will be times when we have to go small. But we’re gonna scrap and play hard and get the job done.”

All Pastner really wants is for his own team to improve day-by-day. For an example of a player who has done just that, he points to Will Coleman.

“I think I’ve been very honest from the beginning about Will (Coleman), he’s a super athlete,” Pastner observes. “He’s going to have to keep improving his skillset every time he steps on the floor, and that’s including practice.

“The biggest thing he’s gotta get used to is the speed of the game. And he’s getting better and better every time out. Will Coleman is a blessing to be around, an unbelievable young man. We’re very fortunate to have a student-athlete like that in our program.”

Even with the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays back-to-back, Pastner refuses to focus on anything more than one game, one day at a time.

“I can’t even think that far ahead,” he says honestly. “We’ll see how we play, how we’re doing, where we stand, and I think our schedule will be based on how guys are playing, how they’re feeling and where we are at that time period.”

Given the glaring deficiencies in two critical areas in the 81-49 victory versus Central Arkansas—not winning the battle of the boards (25 apiece) and too many turnovers, many unforced (14)—combined with the fact that there will be two-a-day practices this weekend, it is safe to say that Josh Pastner feels his team still has a lot of work to do.

Breaking News: Angel Garcia eyeing a January 2010 return date

Angel Garcia, the 6’11”, 250-pound forward for the Memphis Tigers with length and superior skills, has taken a most circuitous route to the college hardwood.

He was born in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, on July 11, 1988 to Luis and Ada Garcia.

As he grew—and grew, and grew, and grew some more—his size and athleticism allowed him to make a name for himself playing basketball. And of course, the only way to play the game at the highest level is to compete right here in the United States.

Garcia played ball at East Chicago High School in Indiana.

During the 2006-’07 season, Garcia and his teammates secured the Indiana 4A State championship, the school’s first since 1971. One of the players on the team that East Chicago defeated (Indianapolis North Central) was Eric Gordon, now in the NBA.

Angel then played for the Puerto Rican FIBA World Championship team, and averaged 13.8 points and 7.8 boards per contest, astounding figures for a 19-year old playing against grown men and professionals.

The following year, he led East Chicago to Sectional and Regional titles, though they could not ring home the State crown.

He was a very highly-regarded recruit, being the No. 47 player overall according to Rivals , No. 36 by Scout , No. 62 on RiseMag.com, and No. 72 at ESPN.com. John Calipari and Memphis came calling, and he signed a National Letter of Intent (NLI) with the team in the fall of 2007.

The following fall is when the bottom fell out of Angel’s basketball world.

First, there were delays in his passing muster with the NCAA Clearinghouse. Then, after being given a limited exemption by the NCAA, which allowed him to practice with the team until the matter was cleared up, Garcia tore the medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his left knee.

The Clearinghouse never ruled him eligible, and Garcia lost out on an entire season.

Unbowed, he rehabilitated steadfastly, continued to take classes, and even occasionally showed up at Tiger home games. (By NCAA rule, he was not allowed to travel to away games with the Memphis team.)

When John Calipari fled Memphis for the bluegrass pastures of Kentucky, Garcia was one of the first Tiger players to pledge that he would stay at Memphis.

However, life was not through dealing Angel Garcia a lousy hand. As he eagerly prepared for the 2009-’10 season, which would be (according to classification) his freshman campaign, he tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee while participating in a non-contact drill.

In fact, he was running in a straight line during the first week of fall workouts when the knee simply collapsed under him.

Initial estimates were that rehabilitation would take six-to-eight months after his late-September surgery—meaning, he would not be ready until March 2010 at the earliest.

However, through all of this adversity, Garcia has kept a positive attitude. Anytime we have spotted him, he has always had a smile, and he seems to genuinely enjoy hanging out with his teammates.

He has worked out like a madman—his upper body is sculpted as if he were a statue—and he just might step foot on the court with his Tiger teammates as early as January 2010.

Tiger fans should pay heed to the caution that Jack Murphy uttered: “It’s not up to Angel when he comes back. It’s up to his body and the doctors.”

But Murphy—who was sitting down to dinner with Josh Pastner at the time—confirmed for TigerSportsReport.com that Angel Garcia wants to return to the court soon, and that the coaching staff would love to have him in uniform when he is healthy.

What follows is a transcript of the brief interview that I had with Angel in the locker room after Memphis defeated Tennessee Tech, 92-59, on Friday, Nov. 20, 2009.

Leroy Watson, Jr., TigerSportsReport.com Managing Editor: Angel, you had a bad break this year. Your tore the ACL in your right knee. But you’re looking good, and your upper body is ripped. How is the knee rehabilitation coming along?

Angel Garcia, University of Memphis student-athlete: “The knee is coming great. There’s nothing bad I can say about my knee. It doesn’t hurt. It only swells sometimes when I sleep; that’s about it.”

LWJ: We report to Memphis fans about your shooting exploits at practice, how your jumper is so pure that you don’t even draw rim, it’s all nylon. Memphis fans are drooling to see you in action. Are you as excited about playing again as the fans are to see you?

AG: “Yeah, I really feel like I’m ready to get back, but right now I can’t jump, all I can do is shoot, shoot, shoot. I can’t jump or dunk the basketball, so that’s what I’ve been working on, my jump shot. I guess it’s getting better. (Grins)”

LWJ: How proud of you over your team’s effort tonight, when they could have had a let-down after a tough, tough loss to Kansas? They came out and took care of business.

AG: “It made me feel great, the way we’re doing things right now, the way we work together. The team just stays together, and do whatever it is we’ve gotta do, whatever it takes. We’re gonna do (well).”

LWJ: If your rehabilitation goes well, do you see yourself in Tiger blue and grey next year?

AG: “This season! This season for sure, I’m not thinking about next season. Maybe January.”

LWJ: This year?

AG: “Yes, this year. I’ve got about two months (of rehab left), and after two months, in about two-and-a-half weeks, I’ll be back on court.”

If it seems ambitious, that’s because it is. Returning from ACL surgery in five months is not the norm.

However, if anyone has earned the right to dream a little, it’s Angel Garcia. And the Memphis team, coaching staff, and fans will be dreaming right along with him.

Leroy Watson, Jr. is a Bleacher Report Featured Columnist for the University of Memphis men’s basketball program

   

It was not supposed to be this way.

The Kansas Jayhawks were a 12.5-point favorite over the Memphis Tigers. The Jayhawks had everything in their favor: No. 1 ranking in the country, two first team All-Americans in Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins, and incredible depth.

Memphis came into the game with a first-time head coach in Josh Pastner and a skeleton crew of eight scholarship players.

It didn't matter. It's all paper talk.

That is the beauty of college basketball as Kansas escaped with a hard-fought (and lucky) victory, 57-55.

The Tigers (1-1) kept the game within striking distance from start to finish, as both squads had a hard time getting anything going against some aggressive defensive play. It became clear early that the size and depth of Kansas (2-0) would be a problem, but Pastner was able to maximize the effort of his team to make a statement to the college basketball world.

We are not going anywhere.

Memphis had plenty of opportunities to get over the hump, but poor three-point shooting prevented them from getting the lead. Despite that shortcoming, Pastner can look at his first big challenge and smile about his team's effort.

The Good

Elliot Williams

He finished up with 21 points and six rebounds. It was clear he will be the player to lead this team. His ability to take his defender off the dribble and attack the rim was very impressive. If he can develop some consistency with his jump shot, he will be a devastating offensive player. His defensive effort remains strong due to his quickness and willingness to get up on someone without fear.

Doneal Mack

While he missed some key free throws down the stretch, he hit some big shots and played with more confidence than he has shown in a few years.

Willie Kemp

Kemp played under control. He only committed two turnovers and hit some big free throws toward the end of the game. He definitely played with more comfort than he did during the John Calipari regime.

Will Coleman

His game was more good than bad; it clearly could have been better, but he fought valiantly against a dominant player in Aldrich. He made some plays that showed his lack of experience playing competitive basketball, but Coleman should progress his game throughout the season as he becomes more familiar with his teammates, especially on the defensive end.

The Bad

Wesley Witherspoon

He was nonexistent. His performance (or lack thereof) probably was the difference between a win and a loss in the game. He seemed to be distracted and played with a deer-in-the-headlights look. He also played like he does not want to be a power forward.

Roburt Sallie

Sallie has got to hit three-point shots. His ability to do that makes it so much easier for Williams and his other teammates. Without much of an inside/outside game, his struggles from deep made him a non-factor.

The Ugly

Three-point shooting

6-of-25 from behind the stripe. Not much to say. Just plain bad. Kansas seemed to spread out the perimeter players and were able to get around most of the screens, pressuring many of the three-point attempts. Sallie has got to get it done from three.

Free throws

11-of-16 from the charity stripe, including two big misses by Mack after getting fouled on a three-point attempt. In a game this tight and field goals hard to come by, securing a few more points would have made a difference.

What does this one game mean to Memphis?

For starters, it shows this team could be pretty good. Assuming they stay healthy, this is a team that should be ranked when the polls come out next Monday. It also says it will be harder than many thought to get their hands off of the CUSA conference title.

It shows prospective recruits that it is okay to play for Pastner. While getting a strong 2010 class helps, nothing does the trick like seeing it for yourself, especially on national television against the No. 1 team in the country. Game on for 2011 and 2012 recruiting of the nation's top prospects.

It gives Pastner and his team confidence. The questions of how Pastner and his staff would prepare and coach, how the team can blend together under a new system and new circumstances, were all valid.

This game says everything will be okay. Can we play this game again?

Follow Stephen at http://www.twitter.com/coach_stephen

Email Stephen at claystephent@gmail.com

Photo credit: Mark Weber

University of Memphis basketball fans call it “The Miracle Shot” or just “The Shot.”

Memphis basketball players—especially those who saw it live—are sick and tired of hearing about it.

Pierre Henderson-Niles, whose gargantuan frame has been splashed across print magazines and Web sites, head hung and streamers draped from his massive shoulders, tries to put it all out of his mind.

“I’m sure (the shot) is gonna be re-played again (Tuesday) night when we play (Kansas), but I really try not to look at it,” he says candidly. “Every time I look at it, I get mad from seeing it. I try not to look at it, I try not to even think about it, because it was a pretty big failure for us.”

“The Shot,” if you live in Memphis or root for U of M basketball, refers to the Mario Chalmers three-pointer over the outstretched arms of phenom Derrick Rose to tie the 2008 National Championship Game at 63, forcing the tilt into overtime, where the Jayhawks ultimately prevailed, 75-68.

KU fans would agree with that assessment, I expect.

Now, depending on where you live or who you root for, you might think of a different moment in time when you hear the expression “The Shot.”

Depending on what part of Indiana in which you reside, the term might refer to March 18, 1998, when Bryce Drew threw a dagger into the hearts of Ole Miss Rebel fans with a three-pointer that led to Valparaiso’s first-ever NCAA Tournament victory, 70-69.

Yet, if you are a bit older and root for the Indiana Hoosiers, “The Shot” was drained by Keith Smart on April 6, 1987, and it was a baseline jumper, just inside the three-point line, to topple Syracuse, 74-73, and gave Bobby Knight his third (and final) title as a Hoosier.

If you live in Durham, North Carolina, surely “The Shot” was Christian Laettner against Kentucky, March 28, 1992; the full court pass, the catch, the hip-move, the turnaround jumper on the way to the scintillating 104-103 overtime victory.

But Chicago Bull fans (and Wikipedia) say that Michael Jordan’s jumper over Craig Ehlo on May 7, 1989, trumps them all and stakes rightful claim to the title, “The Shot.”

Regardless of whether or not you espouse Chalmers' dramatics as “The Shot,” if you follow college basketball and have a pulse, you probably know that Memphis and Kansas will finally meet on the court again, some 17 months after the fact, but under very different circumstances.

The two rosters were dripping with soon-to-be pros that fateful night of April 7, 2008. Three Memphis starters—Joey Dorsey, Chris Douglas-Roberts, and Derrick Rose—dot NBA rosters (Houston Rockets, New Jersey Nets, and Chicago Bulls respectively). Another starter, Antonio Anderson, was drafted to the NBDL by the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

The final starter, Robert Dozier, is now overseas in Greece, playing for Colossus Rhodes, and the first big man off the bench, Shawn Taggart, performs for Ironi Nahariya of the Israeli Premier League.

The winning Kansas team was just as decorated.

Darrell Arthur performs in the NBA for (ironically enough) the Memphis Grizzlies. Chalmers is the starting point guard for the Miami Heat. Darnell Jackson is a Cleveland Cavalier.

Sasha Kaun returned home to Russia, where he cashes checks to play basketball. Russell Robinson is on the NBDL roster of the Reno Bighorns. And Brandon Rush landed with the Indiana Pacers.

No wonder new Memphis head coach Josh Pastner feels a bit disconnected by it all.

“For our team, the focus isn’t on 2008. Let me tell you this,” he starts, "the whole point of the game was made for one versus two in the country. Memphis probably would have been No. 1 and Kansas No. 2, or vice versa.

“Either way, it would have been one and two had Coach Calipari stayed here, and we had that high-rated recruiting class coming in.

“So obviously, when Coach Cal left, and other people left, it kind of lost some of your feel. It’s no longer a rematch of the national championship game. Now Memphis against Kansas is different coaches, different players, and it’s not one and two.”

Henderson-Niles echoed those sentiments.

“You really can’t look at that (game), it’s two different teams now. We’ve got a different team, they’ve got a different team.”

Only Henderson-Niles, Willie Kemp, and Doneal Mack from Memphis remember the pain of watching their historic 38-win season come screeching to a bitter end, with the Jayhawks celebrating on court.

Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins are the only Jayhawks still around who were there to experience the exhilaration of erasing a nine-point deficit over the final 2:12 of regulation.

“Obviously, for Kansas to win, every moon, star, everything had to be aligned perfectly, and it did in those final two minutes,” Pastner points out.

As things ended up, Kansas now is the consensus No. 1 in the country, with “a future Hall-of-Fame coach” (in Pastner’s words) in Bill Self, all five starters returning, and a recruiting class that is the envy of anyone not named Kentucky.

Xavier Henry (regarded by many as the top incoming freshman in the country), Elijah Johnson, Thomas Robinson, and Jeff Withey (a transfer from Arizona who will not be eligible until January) all add lethal depth to an already accomplished team.

In yet another ironic twist, Josh Pastner had signed Henry to Memphis, only to lose him when John Calipari fled to Kentucky, and inked Withey for Arizona two years ago. Memphis was also one of the finalists for Robinson last fall.

Josh Pastner is only concerned about his own current team, however, not who is gone and not who is signed to come in next fall.

“We’re looking at this team (Kansas) as another game on the schedule,” he said. “It doesn’t matter who we play; we have to give the maximum effort that we can give, because winning is a by-product of effort.

“We have to play hard, we have to compete, we have to leave every ounce of energy that we have out on the floor. It doesn’t matter who our opponent is; if we do that, we will have an opportunity to win.”

As for Kansas specifically, Pastner is under no illusions that the Jayhawks are a pushover by any stretch of the imagination.

“Kansas is big, they’re good, they’ve got pros,” Pastner observed. “Their two best things that they do offensively (are) offensive rebounding and offensive transition. We’re gonna have to be really good defensive transition-wise and on the glass.

"Given our lack of size, we have to make sure that we’re getting five guys on the defensive glass. That means 10 Memphis feet in the paint, and not just there in the paint, they’ve gotta jump and go get the basketball.”

Kansas is an early 13.5 point favorite in the contest, which might actually be kind to Memphis.

The ‘Hawks are coming off a scintillating 101-65 rout of Hofstra on Friday night. Henry led the way with a Kansas freshman-debut record 27 points. It was the 42nd-consecutive home win for KU.

Henry added five rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block with zero turnovers in 24 minutes of action.

Preseason All-Americans Cole Aldrich (11 points, eight rebounds, four blocks) and Sherron Collins (23 points, four rebounds, three assists) also made their presence felt.

Coach Self was generally pleased but still saw some flaws in his team’s performance.

“We played pretty well offensively. Xavier (Henry) got us off to a great start, he had eight points right out of the shoot. I thought the ball moved pretty well early and in the second half, I don’t think it moved well.

“All-in-all, I thought we played pretty well. We didn’t block out worth a flip and they beat us on some hustle plays. Defensively, we were fortunate because they missed some looks that most nights they wouldn’t miss. When the game got away, we got pretty careless defensively.”

So the stage is finally set for Memphis and Kansas to reprise their 2008 title tilt. The atmosphere at the Hall of Fame Showcase in St. Louis, Missouri, will be markedly different, and the stakes won’t be nearly as high. It’s just a couple of potentially dangerous teams measuring themselves against elite competition in just their second game of the season.

But forgive Memphis fans if they see the jersey with the name “Kansas” on the front and have flashbacks of what might have been that April day, seemingly a lifetime ago.

Who

Arkansas, Louisville, Kansas, Memphis

What

Memphis vs. Kansas, 2009 Hall of Fame Showcase

When

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Where

Scottrade Center (Home of the St. Louis Blues hockey team), St. Louis, MO

Why

Proceeds donated to the non-profit Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA

Television

Memphis-Kansas to be televised on ESPN and ESPN360, 9 p.m. CT

Probable Starting Lineups

Kansas Memphis

Markieff Morris, F, 6 ppg, 7 rpg Pierre Henderson-Niles, F, 5 ppg, 5 rpg

Cole Aldrich, C, 11 ppg, 8 rpg, 4 bpg Wesley Witherspoon, F, 13 ppg, 4 rpg

Xavier Henry, G, 27 ppg, 5 rpg Roburt Sallie, G, 7 ppg, 7 rpg, 4 apg, 4 spg

Sherron Collins, G, 23 ppg, 4 rpg, 3 apg Willie Kemp, G, 4 ppg, 4 rpg, 3 apg

Tyshawn Taylor, G, 8ppg, 4 rpg, 6 apg Elliot Williams, G, 19 ppg, 3 rpg, 3 apg

Key Reserves

Marcus Morris, F, 9 ppg, 4 rpg Will Coleman, F, 16 ppg, 10 rpg, 5 bpg

Elijah Johnson, G, 8 ppg, 4 rpg Doneal Mack, G, 8 ppg, 1 rpg, 2 apg

Thomas Robinson, F, 5 ppg, 5 rpg Drew Barham, F/G, 7 ppg, 2 rpg

Tyrel Reed, G, 3 rpg, 3 apg D.J. Stephens, F/G, 1 ppg, 2 rpg

Keys to Victory

Kansas wants to 1) control the boards, 2) get Memphis’ only true big men (Henderson-Niles, Coleman) into foul trouble, 3) exploit their ridiculously deep bench, and 4) jump on Memphis early and break the will of an inexperienced team.

Memphis must 1) rebound with reckless abandon, 2) hammer the ball into the post on offense to make the Jayhawk big men work and perhaps foul, 3) improve their transition defense, and 4) stay close at all costs.

The Skinny

My heart picks the plucky, ever-resilient Tigers from Memphis, but my head screams “Kansas.” I’m following my head this time; my heart will have to wait until another day. Kansas will not cover the spread, however, which currently stands at -13.5.

Kansas 83, Memphis 72

It's showtime.

After an offseason of turmoil that would have sent normal programs into an abyss, the Memphis Tigers basketball team is ready. They begin their fight to stay relevant as a national program when the 2009-10 season begins this Friday against Jackson State.

As much as this has been mentioned, let's reset this past offseason one last time:

• John Calipari leaves UM for coaching job with tradition-rich Kentucky.
• 2009 recruits run from Memphis like rats scattering from a sinking ship. (Xavier Henry, Nolan Dennis and Darnell Dodson get out of their letters, DeMarcus Cousins decommits, CJ Henry transfers .)
• Starter Shawn Taggart decides to forego his remaining collegiate eligibility and attempt to go pro.
• Loses tough recruiting battles for impact prep-hoopers Eric Bledsoe and Lance Stephenson. (If you want to call Stephenson's pursuit a normal recruitment .)
• Secures a commitment from Latavious Williams, only to have him back out and try his hand at a pro career.
• Angel Garcia suffers a severe knee injury, sidelining him for the 2009-10 season.

All of this, along with the departures of Tyreke Evans, Antonio Anderson and Robert Dozier, should have spread fear and concern throughout Tiger Nation. The strange thing is that is not happening. Thanks to one man.

Josh Pastner.

A Tiger assistant on Calipari's staff, but still an unexpected hire, Pastner has generated the energy of a power plant to keep the hopes of Tiger fans high. With a positive attitude and dedication, he built a top-flight coaching staff and was able to secure a top-five group of high school talent for the 2010 recruiting class.

As far as the 2009-10 team, Pastner and staff has a cast of players who, for the most part, found themselves in the crosshairs of the previous head coach with little expected from them. While talented in their own way, they were clearly looked at as outcasts and afterthoughts of the previous regime.

This year is different.

Pierre Henderson-Niles, Willie Kemp and Doneal Mack have the opportunity in their final season to prove their last coach wrong and realize some of the vast potential heaped upon them coming out of high school.

Along with sophomore Wesley Witherspoon, Conference-USA sixth man of the year, junior Roburt Sallie, JuCo-transfer junior Will Coleman and Duke transfer (and Memphian) sophomore Elliot Williams, the trio of seniors are tasked with bridging the gap of the Calipari Era and the highly anticipated 2010-11 season.

What should be expected this season?

Struggles.

The good thing is that Memphis has a tempered non-conference schedule to go along with a usually-weak Conference-USA slate. This being Pastner's first season as a head coach, the first several games will be a learning experience for players and coaches; understanding how each reacts under fire. It will result in losses to teams like Kansas and probably UMass, Arkansas-Little Rock and Syracuse. (And don't sleep on Jackson State.)

Early reports so far flat-out say Coleman is not ready. That has got to change. If not, it puts a lot of pressure on Henderson-Niles to man the paint.

Williams, Sallie and Witherspoon will have to be the go-to guys. They, more than anyone, have the skills to do it.

While Conference-USA is as weak as ever, Memphis has come down closer to the level of the leading conference contenders. Tulsa, Houston, UTEP and others are licking their chops with their best shot in years to top the Tigers and win conference.

The run of undefeated conference play will end this year, but the Tigers, if their top seven or eight players stay healthy, have a shot to remain king of the hill. However, with the conference tournament being held in Tulsa, the Hurricane should get the automatic NCAA tournament bid.

Unless some big wins happen against Tennessee, Syracuse or Gonzaga, chance are high Memphis will not have enough wins (or quality wins) to get an at-large NCAA bid.

New coach. New system. A roster limited to six or seven Division I-level players. Limited big-man options. Too much to overcome.

Expect NIT, but while you do, stand up and give this year's group an ovation. After this past offseason, they've earned it.