Memphis Tigers Basketball

In a report that broke Wednesday night, the Memphis basketball program is facing allegations from the NCAA of allegedly helping a player cheat on his SAT and making payments to an associate of a Memphis player of over $2,000 for travel to road games, all during the 2007-2008 basketball season.

The results of the potential sanctions could include vacating Memphis' wins from that entire season, including their NCAA-record 38 wins and their Final Four appearance.

There's no doubt that Memphis basketball is at a serious crossroads now, and new coach Josh Pastner has his hands full, to say the least.

This isn't about Memphis ultimately, though. This is about John Calipari and the University of Kentucky.

Calipari has always had a reputation as a coach who bends the rules, and in this case maybe breaks them, when it comes to recruiting. When Calipari was at UMass, they had to vacate their wins from their Final Four run with Marcus Camby in 1995-96 because Camby took $28,000 from an agent while in college.

By the way, Calipari is now looking to vacate BOTH of his runs to the Final Four because of NCAA sanctions. That would bring his total back down to a potential zero Final Fours—for those keeping count at home.

Even Calipari's connection with "Worldwide Wes," William Wesley, is well known. The man without a job title but all the connections in the world most likely helped Memphis land Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans.

Back to Calipari and Memphis—just how poorly did Calipari treat Memphis?

Consider that Memphis received the notice of allegations from the NCAA on Jan. 16 of this year. Haven't checked the calendar, but I'm pretty sure that's before Calipari bolted for Kentucky in what he described as the toughest decision of his life.

How hard of a decision do you think that was now?

Calipari knew about the notice of allegations months before he ever had contact with Kentucky. So when Kentucky came calling, you have to wonder just how tough the decision was to leave Memphis for Calipari.

Calipari leaves Memphis for one of the most prestigious jobs in college basketball and leaves behind potential NCAA sanctions that could cripple his chances of ever landing another high-caliber job in the future.

But why stop there if you're Calipari? 

After Calipari bolts Memphis for Kentucky, leaving a program behind that is only months away from facing the NCAA committee on infractions, he decides that isn't enough. So he steals away Memphis' prized recruiting class by bringing stud recruits John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins with him to Kentucky.

Cousins was already committed to Memphis, and Wall was believed to be headed there as well. Wall even pleaded guilty to misdemeanor breaking-and-entering on Wednesday.

Classy guy, that Calipari.

Whatever punishment Memphis might face in the future from this, the NCAA should reduce the normal punishment on Memphis and give the rest to Calipari. The NCAA can't punish Kentucky, Calipari's current program, but Calipari should receive severe sanctions, just like Kelvin Sampson did.

Sampson was basically banned from college basketball for five years, and while it's not a hard and fast ban from the NCAA, the process a school would have to go through to hire Sampson makes it not worth the effort, especially considering his baggage.

So why should Calipari be any different? He's looking at putting two programs on probation now.

Is Kentucky next?

This brings me to the University of Kentucky—a basketball program that prides itself on being one of the most prestigious programs in the country, a program rich in tradition and history. It's a tradition of championships, no doubt, but also a tradition of probation and cheating.

So you would think that Kentucky would be very careful in the process of hiring a coach that has a reputation of being less than clean. So they go hire a coach with a checkered past, in terms of having a reputation of being dirty, but that didn't seem to bother them.

Did Kentucky even place a call to the NCAA for a quick heads-up on Calipari?

Many, including myself, wondered if Kentucky knew what they were getting into when they hired Calipari, and to most, it was a desperate move for a program that just wanted to get back to winning championships.

Well, I hope the Big Blue Nation is happy. Not only did your former coach, Billy Gillispie, file a lawsuit against your University for withholding money he believes is owed to him, but your current coach is now being accused of cheating...again.

Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart has made himself look silly now with the obvious lack of due process done in the hiring of Calipari—and Memphis won't be the program that receives a black eye from this. John Calipari and Kentucky will be the ones getting hammered in this whole deal.

In the end, maybe Calipari and Kentucky deserve one another. They both will do whatever it takes to win, regardless of the circumstances.

As reports of major infractions accumulate for the University of Memphis' men's basketball program, you have to wonder what this means for Kentucky Wildcats fans. 

The reactions will probably run the gamut from self-congratulatory glee for those fans that thought Calipari was an outlaw—unfit to hold the reigns for a school like the University of Kentucky—to unwavering defenses of Calipari up until the point where actual video surfaces of Calipari sitting down and taking the SAT test for the suspected cheater.

There seems to be three things you can expect when you hire John Calipari though, and those can be spelled out quite easily:

• Your team will achieve a level of success that it hasn't had in years

• The last team Calipari coached will suddenly be under NCAA investigation for major infractions

• Coach Calipari will be just far enough removed from the entire situation at the old school to keep his name clean, while the fans at his "new" school will be angry that anyone would suggest he would ever "knowingly" cheat

At this point the allegations include most seriously, that while John Calipari was the Head Coach at the University of Memphis, there was "knowing fraudulence or misconduct" involving an unknown players' SAT scores.

(Derrick Rose, anyone?)

If the allegations are proved, it looks as though Memphis will join Massachusetts in having to forfeit all the games from the best year in their school's history. 

This means that those 38 wins along with the Final Four appearance will be stripped from the record book. It also will continue to raise questions about how Calipari was able to take two programs from good to great in such a short amount of time.

Maybe Kentucky fans can pin their hopes on the fact that Coach Cal only commits violations at schools that start with the letter 'M'?

Many college basketball fans have suspected, and outright accused Calipari of running dirty programs. These allegations, if proved, will just continue to throw gas on the fire. 

Hopefully, for the sake of the kids that won those 38 games and the integrity of the game, the allegations are nothing more than that.

But I doubt it.

If I was a Kentucky fan, my biggest fear right now would be what's going to happen in the months that follow Coach Calipari's retirement, resignation, or dismissal; Because you know what comes next. And if you don't, refer to the list above.

New Memphis Coach, Josh Pastner, has started his coaching career off with a bang. After seeing what many called “the best recruiting class since Michigan’s Fab Five” leave Memphis to follow Calipari in Lexington or attend another school, Pastner had to land some players quickly.
 
Pastner has had minimal time to even get enough players to play next season, but he landed his first ever recruit as a head coach Tuesday afternoon.

Latavious Williams, the No. 17 overall high school player and No. 6 power forward according to Rivals.com, made his commitment to play at the University of Memphis after weeks of speculation that he would go elsewhere.
 
Williams was expected to announce his decision to go to Memphis a few weeks ago, but instead he expanded his time to make a decision so he could visit Florida International, Georgetown, and Oklahoma. 
 
Williams had told Zagsblog writer, Adam Zagoria, that Memphis was his top school a few weeks ago. Williams said his decision came down to location and he really wanted to have his family come to games. Williams is a Starksvile, MS native, which is only about two hours away from Memphis.
 
Williams is a 6'7" forward who can play both the three position and the four. He plays with a high motor and has shown the ability to knock down a 10 to 15-foot shot. Williams has also shown great athletic ability throwing down some spectacular dunks in his high school years.
 
Williams’s high school coach, Carlos Wilson, had some high praise for Williams.
 
“I see Latavious right now as the Shawn Marion type of guy, the Stacey Augmon type,” Wilson said. “He can put up big man’s rebounding numbers but he’s an ultra-athletic slasher from the wing spots. And he can also shoot it. He’s a very versatile basketball player. The thing that makes him special in my eyes is that it doesn’t matter to him.
 
There are still some questions of whether of not Williams will be able to play next season. His grades still need some work in order to qualify for NCAA Basketball. According to on-line sources, it seems like his standardized testing is fine, he just needs to work on his GPA.

He will be attending summer school to try to fix his grades. Right now, he says he is 75 percent sure he will qualify.
 
The Tigers currently have eight scholarship players, not counting Shawn Taggart, who is still in the draft as of now. Memphis is still in the running for a number of highly touted high-school players who are still unsigned.
 
The Tigers are not out of the Lance Stephenson race. Latavious Williams even said he would try to convince Lance to join him in Conference USA. Stephenson is said to bring a lot of “baggage” but there is no doubt that Stephenson is one of the best players in the country.
 
Noel Johnson, who recently got out of his Letter of Intent to play for USC after the OJ Mayo and Reggie Bush allegations have aroused, is said to have Memphis as a candidate along with Georgia Tech and LSU.

Johnson is a top-60 player and the No. 11 small forward. The Tigers still need a lot of help on the wings. Landing Johnson would help the Tigers depth enormously. 
 
Josh Pastner still has a long way to go before Memphis is a Final Four team again, but no one can deny that he is not on a good start. Getting five-star, highly touted recruits is nothing easy for a first ever head coach.
 
I have said this before and I will say this again, Josh Pastner was a home run hire and he is showing it within the first few months of taking the job. The Memphis faithful should not expect a 30-win season in his first year, but I would not be surprised to see a few in the years to come.

The Serenity Prayer goes, "O God and Heavenly Father,/ Grant to us the serenity of mind to accept that which cannot be changed; courage to change that which can be changed,/ and wisdom to know the one from the other, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen."

Attributed to theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, this manifest (and superfluous) prayer has, nonetheless, found its way into the works of Alcoholics Anonymous and 50 Cent, among others.

As a non-alcoholic-non-believer-non-give-a-damner-about 50 Cent, the Serenity Prayer should be of little, if any, use to me. And it always has. But lately, I found myself frequently—at least, more frequently than at any other time in my life—checking for Memphis Tigers recruiting news.

This started sometime during last season when it was clear to all that that team, although good, had no chance at making a title run.

And I, like many others, had already decided next year would be "our" year (as a graduate of The University of Memphis, this possessive formulation feels slightly less ridiculous to me than it probably should. What new research is "our" Ecological Research Center working on, after all? To ask the question is to answer the question) and visions of "the greatest class ever assembled" and 40-0 were bouncing around my head.

Granted, I had never heard of any of these recruits before my interest in next year had been aroused, and, quite frankly, had always thought that fans who took too much interest in college sports and recruiting deserved to be laughed at or, at least, cordially ignored like a hopeful child who believes he can be an astronaut and a football player when he grows up.

I had always been content to wait until next season and let one of these children tell me who was new on the team.

I still remember the first time hearing Derek Rose's name being mentioned by some coworkers, in fact, and thinking "how do they find this stuff out?"

But next year had piqued my interest.

I'll remind you that I never went overboard, only going so far as searching for rankings and watching highlights. But I had taken an interest greater than most college basketball fans had ever taken and will ever take in "their" team.

John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins—I wouldn't have known if they had walked into the Tiger Den with a claque of hangers-on and moderately attractive coeds holding "Make Way for John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins" signs.

Why is "Xavier" pronounced "Zah-vee-ay?" I didn't know this either. But he can shoot.

One would think this would have ended once Calipari headed for bluer pastures, taking as much of the basketball program with him as he could, but it didn't.

What had been a once every couple of weeks, once a week at best habit, turned into an, at least, once a day habit.

First came the head coach search updates; then came the assistant coach updates; then came the recruiting updates.

Columnists—many of whose names I had never heard before—were consulted. More local sports talk radio was consumed. Insights (rumors) were gleaned from comments sections of articles and message boards.

However, my natural inclinations toward procrastination, timidity, and condescension kept me from posting comments of my own. So I pitifully never joined the fight against all those Kentucky and Tennessee antagonists on "our" websites.

But, to this point, the lone question I have is: "how long will this continue?"

How long am I going to care about Tigers recruiting and coaching and all the rest, especially considering that my interest doesn't extend past men's basketball (how is a rifle team member recruited anyhow?) and my habit of leaving things—novels, becoming the greatest living guitar player—unfinished?

On one hand, this fascination could turn into devotion—an unbroken and enduring devotion—to every detail about Tigers basketball. Or this could quickly burn out and run its course like puppy love.

Whichever it is, one can't look to the team for whom the FedEx Forum was ostensibly built for hard court gratification.

After eight years, one Rookie of the Year, one Coach of the Year, an Executive of the Year, three playoff appearances (and zero playoff wins), a little hope, and some flirtation with being an "up and comer," the Grizzlies are rebuilding once more.

Though, one wonders how something that never actually existed can be rebuilt. It says something about a franchise that getting swept out of the first round of the playoffs is considered a recovery of some sorts.

But Memphis Grizzlies fans will, if anecdotal evidence is any guide, remain loyal and optimistic about the team's future.

Does it matter that Rudy Gay is a perennial underachiever, someone who will never live up to his physical potential, that he's an All Star from the neck down, and a role player from the neck up?

Probably not.

These are the same fans who considered Pau "Gasoft" an untradeable centerpiece of a future contender.

Nor does it matter that Mike Conley would never start on a championship caliber team, while his backup, Kyle Lowry, played significant minutes with an actual playoff team, the Houston Rockets.

It also doesn't matter that the owner, "Miserly" Michael Heisley, was named the NBA's third worst owner by Sports Illustrated or that the coach—Lionel Hollins, on his third stint coaching the team, with a career record of 31-72—is just another money saving, stop-gap measure.

And let's not think about what did or didn't happen with Ramon Sessions or Amare Stoudemire.

Hell, according to Sports Illustrated, the Grizzlies were worth $160 million when "Miserly" Mike bought the franchise and is now worth $294 million. Good work, if you can get it.

All is not lost though.

O.J. Mayo is a stud. And he, along with Marc Gasol, gave the team two top ten finishers in the Rookie of the Year voting.

So as the Grizzlies embark on another three-year plan, the fate of which is already known to those who want to know, and as Pastner's Tigers (hopefully) reload, we Memphis fans hope for the best, remain realistic, and pray that we recognize the difference.

The University of Memphis only has three mens’ basketball coaches on the payroll, but they are burning up the recruiting trail.

I spoke with assistant coach Glynn Cyprien at the recent Tiger Spring Tour, and though he could not go into specifics, he seemed very confident when the discussion turned to Memphis’ prospects of signing five-star recruits.

At the time, John Wall was still unannounced, Lance Stephenson was flirting with Arizona and Latavious Williams had just canceled a press conference when he had been expected to sign with Memphis, and opened up his recruiting by throwing Florida International into the mix.

Yet when I asked Cyprien what he thought of his team’s chances to sign any of the remaining big-name recruits, his lips creased into a broad smile.

“Don’t be surprised if we sign one or two of them!” he said without hesitation.

Reading between the lines, I inferred that he was speaking of Stephenson and Williams.

Several days later, Williams announced that he would make his decision known sometime between May 20 and May 25.

Right on time today, it has been reported by Adam Zagoria, the respected hoops recruiting guru, that Williams is a heavy Memphis lean.

Reached by telephone, Williams, a five-star, 6’8” combo forward, told Zagoria the following:

“I’d say Memphis is the favorite. More likely, it’s Memphis right now.”

As frequently happens in cases such as this, Williams’ signing could have a domino effect on the other remaining five-star recruit, Lance “Born Ready” Stephenson.

With Memphis already solidly in the running for Stephenson’s services anyway, having Williams on board and publicly lobbying his fellow star certainly cannot hurt.

“He needs to go to Memphis,” Williams said of the 6'5" inch Stephenson, the leading scorer in New York State basketball history. “I haven’t met him, I saw him in Vegas. If he goes to Memphis, that would be a good thing.”

Stephenson is on record as saying that he wants to play for a team that will allow him to showcase his skills in the NCAA Tournament next March. There are precious few teams with scholarships open that fit that criterion.

This bodes well for Memphis, as Arizona is soft-selling their recruitment of Lance, having once openly said that they were not interested in his services.

That obstinate public stance seems to have softened somewhat, and sources indicate that Stephenson has remained in contact with Sean Miller and his staff to one degree or another.

There are no questions about Stephenson’s ability to qualify; the issues are his attitude and the looming sexual assault charges that hang over his head like the Sword of Damocles.

As for Latavious Williams, he says that he has earned an acceptable grade on the ACT, and apparently the night schooling he has been doing has improved his odds of being cleared by the NCAA Clearinghouse.

Looking ahead to 2010, Memphis is also the confirmed leader with one of the premium point guard prospects in the class, and he’s very close to home: state champion Joe Jackson of Memphis White Station High School.

Jackson, a five-star at the lead guard position who is ranked fourth among point guards and No. 17 overall, is 5’11” and weighs 160 pounds. In addition to quarterbacking his team to a state title, the quicksilver Jackson more than held his own in a heralded showdown with John Wall.

Though White Station fell to Wall and Word of God, 83-71 on Jan. 17, Jackson led all scorers with 27 points, while Wall scored 24.

No one who saw the game left with the impression that Jackson was anything less than an elite scorer and fine floor general.

A colleague of mine—John Martin of TigerSportsReport.com—recently interviewed Joe Jackson. Here are some teaser excerpts:

John Martin: Where do you stand with Memphis right now?

Joe Jackson: “Oh man, I’m always a Tiger fan. Memphis is my top priority, because that’s where I’m from. As long as the spot is available and the situation’s right, then it’s all good. But if something else comes up, because of a bad situation, I’ll have to look another way.”

JM: Is there anybody, active or not, that you like to model your game after?

JJ: “My favorite players in the league are Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant. That’s who I model my game around, because the way they attack and just carry themselves. I like that. I like the way they approach the game.”

So it is fair to say that Josh Pastner has done a fantastic job of continuing the roll that Memphis has been on in recent years. Though the recruiting class took a major hit when former head man John Calipari left for Kentucky—basically taking one of the finest recruiting classes in recent memory with him—that Pastner is still on the short list with the only two five-star recruits still to be had is most impressive.

To be the acknowledged leader with one (Williams) is balm to Tiger fans’ ears.

Having Joe Jackson pledge allegiance to the hometown school lends credibility to Pastner’s avowed desire to pursue an inside-out recruiting strategy, focusing considerably more resources on the basketball rich Memphis area for recruits.

Leroy Watson, Jr. and John Martin both contribute content to Memphis.rivals.com, also known as TigerSportsReport.com. Anyone with a premium Rivals account may access the full columns which form some of the informational basis of this article.

Today college sports fans got some of what they have been waiting for: the nation's No. 1 point guard John Wall to sign a letter of intent. The move crowns coach John Calipari with the top recruiting class in this year's offseason.

Now there are two more guys that we all want to hear from soon: New York state's all-time leading scorer, Lance Stephenson, and top power forward recruit from Texas, Latavious Williams.

Stephenson has had fans on the edge of their seats since he announced he wouldn't make his decision at this year's past McDonald's All-American game. The sports world had been craving a decision before the game, so you can imagine how eager fans are now.

Especially University of Memphis fans.

That program has been hit hard this offseason due to the loss of Kentucky coach John Calipari. Stephenson has narrowed his list down to Memphis and Arizona. Williams has his list cut down to four, with Georgetown, Kansas State, FIU, and Memphis on his list.

Williams reportedly was going to sign with Memphis until he received a call from FIU coach Isiah Thomas. That was earlier in May, when he visited FIU. But he still hasn't released his final decision yet.

Some speculated that Williams would go overseas and enter the draft in 2010. I see him  signing with a college team and showcasing his NBA campaign in the United States. Stephenson was said he want to pursue a career overseas, but sources say good friend and well-known adviser in sports, Sonny Vaccaro, told Lance's family he didn't think Stephenson would be mentally ready for Europe.

According to reports, Stephenson and his high school teammate Darwin Ellis will have to wait until the end of next month to get the final word on the sexual assault charges they may face.

It's said that they won't get any jail time, nothing more than a fine.

Lance Stephenson's decision is solely based on his location. He has waited so long that he really only has two choices worth looking at in Memphis and Arizona. If he wants to come in, start, and play in a NBA market, Memphis is the school for him.

If he prefers to live on the West Coast and play with his friend Kevin Parrom, he may sign with Arizona.

If all goes well, the University of Memphis basketball program may get a pair of one and done players to get them through this upcoming season. I believe if Stephenson, who is said to be leaning towards Memphis, signs with the Tigers, Williams will join him.

They want make the NCAA tourney and show off skills to prepare for the big league.

Only time will tell. Let's just hope the time will be soon—real soon.

Are you serious man?

I know what you're saying right now sports world.

How can they even speak of greatness without Calipari and the recruits that left with him?

Oh, you mean the top rated recruits from the 2009 class, or the several other local products from the city that should be there now?

Okay, are you guys with me now?

I figured some of you wouldn't be. I'll clear it all up for you, because it's evident that you are lost.

This program shouldn't have seven scholarships hanging around.

No!

Not this one with two one and done players, back to back seasons. I'm not saying D.Rose shouldn't have left or that Tyreke is making a mistake. All I'm saying is imagine Memphis with something to look forward to every year besides a top freshman recruit.

Do you remember when the 06-07 season team made it to the elite eight?

Yes, I thought you would, but before that year I bet you couldn't name a player on that team, and if so it's evident you named Chris Douglas-Roberts(CDR) just because he was great his junior season.

You guys, I'm talking about players, recruits, and commitments. That team had five Local Area players, not to mention four that played a big role in the teams winning season.

Think about fifth year senior Jeremy Hunt, who was clearly the best sixth-man in the conference. What about point guard Andre Allen, a natural born leader, or good energy freshman Willie Kemp from Bolivar, Tennessee and a then 285 pound Pierre Niles?

Memphis fans would come out to not only see the team win, but to support good local talent. Now, look at the roster and tell me who is still on it.

You finished looking yet?

Yeah, I know Willie Kemp and Pierre Niles.

Now, look again and see which underclassman the program has lost since then. Alright sports world listen up, I have Hashim Bailey, Kareem Cooper(transfers), and Tre'von Willis(transfer who starts for UNLV) just from the 06-07 season.

Now add the loss of D.Rose, CDR, Reke Havoc(Tyreke Evans), and Shawn Taggart to the NBA right along with this year's commits and transfer Matt Simpkins...a four star product from the 08 class.

The only veterans left over from the Cal era—other than Kemp and Niles—are senior Doneal Mack and a junior, who hasn't seen much of any playing time in Jeff Robinson.

Yes, Witherspoon and Sallie, but they have only been in Memphis one year.

If only Memphis does now what their ex-coach stopped doing right, they will be great. Stop letting local talent leave the city and draw some more fans in this year's drought of players.

In the last three years the program has missed on major local talent.

In 2006, they failed to get then five-star forward, now NBA first rounder Thad Young, 2007 four-star guard Mo Miller, 2008's five-star guard Elliot Williams, ESPN top 100 guard Terrico White, No. 27 ranked shooting guard Elgin Lee, and Mizzou's Lawrence Bowers. 

That's a lot, but this year they also lost Memphis's Briarcrest star athletes, No. 10 shooting guard Leslie Mcdonald to UNC and highly recruited power forward Johnie Williams to George Mason, along with good talent and some of the Tennessee's best in Reginald Buckner (Mississippi), Ferrakohn Hall (Seton Hall), and JUCO Myron Strong (SW Tennessee CC) in the 2009 class.

Imagine a roster with those players who are likely going to stay until at least their junior seasons at their programs. You have players loyal to the program, city, and fans. You would also attract a greater fan base.

Most importantly, you wouldn't have to scramble to get good players late in the recruiting because you would be loaded with talent. The only thing you would need is additions, not a class to bring in freshman starters.

Let's just see if the Tigers do the right thing in the near future.

Recruit local talent hard Josh Pastner! Don't pass up on 2010's All-American point guard Joe Johnson (White Station HS), talented fowards Cadarrio Macklin (Ridgeway HS) and Tarik Black (Ridgeway HS), or 2011's Highest ranked small forwards from the state Adonis Thomas (Melrose HS) graded at a 94 by ESPN, Cedric McAfee(Craigmont HS) graded an 80 so far, along with the highest ranked guard in the state, Andre Hollins from White Station High School.

All of these guys are local talent who would love to lead their city to a national championship.

What a great program Memphis can be with these local athletes.

Do you agree?

If you don't, I suggest you should.

Oh. I forgot there is a freshman guard on the ESPN Top 100 Player Watch from Briarcrest School in Memphis. This young man goes by the name of Demarc Richardson. Don't forget him, because you'll catch him in the final four with a white and blue jersey on.

Ha, "putting on for his city" as the song says. Memphis can and will be great if they do the right thing.

Do the right thing coach! Pastner! Pastner! Pastner!

I know some of you readers are saying UNC, Duke, Kentucky, UCLA, and UConn don't just recruit within their cities all the time.

Stop! Those programs can reload and stay prestige with any coaching change, but the locals Larry Finch, Penny Hardaway, Lorenzen Wright, Shawne Williams, Jeremy Hunt, Andre Allen, Antonio Burks, Elliot Perry, Anthony Douglass, and Cedric Henderson are forever loved in the city.

I think it's best tiger fans and recruits love the players and program, not just the coach this time around.

How many fans still love Cal?

We can hear and see chants from the Fedex Forum now. Go Tigers! Lets Go Tigers! We love you Joe Jackson! Lets Go Adonis! Great game Demarc! National Champs! Only the heart of Memphis fans can...

After a surprising Sweet 16 finish and the signings of arguably the best freshman class ever, Memphis seemed like it was well on its way to a possible Final Four appearance in 2010.
 
Who would have thought that one man’s departure could change those aspirations so quickly? After John Calipari’s leave from Memphis to Lexington, the buzz around the city of Memphis quickly changed.
 
The team was without a staff, without a single recruit, and with the idea that nine years of work had just gone down the drain. 
 
Memphis went in a search for a new head coach. Athletic Director, R.C. Johnson, supposedly carried a list of coaches in his pocket he would hire if Calipari were to leave. The result was the hiring of 31-year-old, first time head coach, Josh Pastner.
 
This was not the “wow” hire that Memphis fans would have wanted. Memphis had just sold a record number of season tickets for the coming season, now those new season ticket holders are starting to think about the lost value of those tickets.
 
Josh Pastner has only brought back one recruit, JUCO star Will Coleman, and has lost most of the old signees to Kentucky. As of now, the Tigers stand with seven scholarship players. The Tigers have talent but lack players that can lead the team and are ready to play starter minutes.
 
So how is this era of winning anything but over for the Tigers? Well, it starts and ends with Josh Pastner.
 
All three of the five-star high school players left unsigned: Latavious Williams, John Wall, and Lance Stephenson. All have one thing in common: They are considering Memphis as one of their top schools.

Not too many first ever head coaches have top high school players possibly wanting to play for them before they are even able to coach one game. Pastner’s recruiting ability alone can get Memphis back where it was. Heck, Calipari, who was heavily criticized for his ability to coach from the bench, is one of the winningest coaches ever at his span at Memphis. Nowadays, recruiting means everything.
 
If Pastner sells the program as well as Calipari did and takes advantage of the assists around it like the excellent training facilities and being in an NBA city, there is no reason why the Tigers cannot get back to their old winning ways.
 
Of course, this is easier said than done.
 
One of the most “underrated” moves Pastner has made in his short time at Memphis is the hiring of the new assistant coaches.
 
Willis Wilson, a former Rice head coach, was the first to join the staff. Wilson did not win many games at Rice, but to be fair to Wilson, Rice had horrible basketball facilities and high academic standards making it difficult to bring in good players to his program. Wilson is still heavily respected among other coaches around the country and is known as a great teacher with a vast knowledge of the game.
 
This is a great hire for a first year head coach. In fact, I would not be surprised if Wilson is doing a lot of the in -game coaching during Pastner’s first year.
 
The second assistant hired was Glynn Cyprien, a former UNLV, Arkansas, Oklahoma State, and recently Kentucky assistant coach. Cyprien was the lead recruiter while at Kentucky under Billy Gillispie. Cyprien is given a lot of the credit for bringing in players such as Daniel Orton and John Hood while he served at Kentucky.
 
The last hire is Jack Murphy, the lead scout and video coordinator for the NBA’s Denver Nuggets. I am not as familiar with Murphy as I am with the other hirings, but I know Pastner and Murphy have a great relationship and Murphy even goes on to say that Pastner is like a “brother” to him.
 
Having a coach with NBA experience is always a plus in the recruiting trails. This has not been made official yet, but all speculation points to Murphy joining the staff once the NBA season is over.
 
One of the things I have liked most about Josh Pastner is his wanting to actively recruit players in the city. Memphis does not produce five-star talent that cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City do, but there is still plenty of Division-1 talent from Memphis scattered in programs around the country.
 
Memphis has missed out in just about every big name player the city has had the last few years. The Thaddeus Young’s, the Elliot Williams’s, the Leslie McDonald’s, you name it, Memphis has not been able to grab them.
 
The local kids are always a fan favorite, but they are usually walk-on players such as Jared Sandridge or Preston Laird. Pastner is going after a number of native Memphians for the 2010 class, most notably, White Station point guard Joe Jackson.
 
Memphis is a program that is very tightly knit with the community. Everywhere you go, whether it is Midtown or even past Arlington, Tenn., there will be cars with Tigers flags or a house with a “Go Tigers!” on the window.

The localness of this program is what makes it so special.  I will be the first to tell you that Memphis does not have the nationwide fans that the North Carolina's, the Kentucky’s and the Florida’s have, but they have the same die-hardiness, pride, and support all year long.
 
If Pastner is able to bring out the good of the program, the fans, the facilities, the pro-favored system, and Memphis being an NBA city, then Memphis will be a college basketball power again.
 
Right now, I may sound like an overly excited fan, and in many ways, I am. I still know Memphis has a long way to go before they are that 38 win team we saw a few years ago. But I also know young, energetic, workhorse coaches like Josh Pastner do not come around often.

With five-star Alabama high school point guard Eric Bledsoe choosing Kentucky over Memphis on Wednesday, what happens now with the possible candidates for the Tigers' starting point guard position?

There are a number of different options from the JUCO ranks, but there is still a strong possibility that the Tigers stay with their current possible starters, Willie Kemp and Wesley Witherspoon.

Kemp was the Tigers' starter as a freshman when the Tigers made the Elite Eight, and he showed many flashes of what he could be the next few years as a starter.

Since then, his confidence has taken a hit.

His statistics his freshman year were nothing spectacular, but he did a good job running the team and controlling the tempo while splitting time with former player Andre Allen.

In his sophomore season, Kemp was replaced by freshman sensation Derrick Rose, who would later be the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft.

Kemp's playing time dropped drastically from playing 21 minutes a game as a freshman to less than 14 minutes as a sophomore, where he took more of a shooter's role off the bench.

Last season was quite simply a nightmare for Kemp. His playing time continued to drop, and he really could not find the three-point shot he had his sophomore year.

As the season went on, his playing time continued to fall to the point he was only seeing around five minutes of playing time and having many scoreless outings.

I think it is safe to say that Kemp's confidence took a hit after seeing his starting job get taken away two seasons in a row since once having the spot as a freshman.

Kemp looks to be the favorite to be the starter going into the summer.

Another candidate for the starting position is sophomore Wesley Witherspoon. Witherspoon was also tested at point guard last season after Kemp and Antonio Anderson tried out and failed.

Witherspoon's time as a starter showed more of his tremendous upside than his readiness to start.

As a starter and later coming off the bench, Witherspoon struggled with his man defense, picking up bonehead fouls quick and early.

He also was not ready to lead the team as a starter, as he often picked up more turnovers than assists.

At the same time, Witherspoon also displayed his tremendous athleticism and improving ability to get to the rim. Many Tiger fans agree that Witherspoon has the best upside out of most of the players on the current roster.

Right now, Witherspoon is just a raw player with a lot of upside. Some good work over the summer and throughout the season can get Witherspoon some good minutes off the bench and maybe even a starting job somewhere other than point guard.

I simply do not think Witherspoon is ready to play point guard full-time just yet.

There is still a possibility that the Tigers go another direction for a point guard, including going after a high school player or a Junior College player.

There has been a lot of talk about the Tigers' interest in Miami-Dade point guard James Beatty. The signing of his ex-teammate Will Coleman could generate some interest on Beatty's part.

There is also a lot of small talk of the possibility of signing Coney Island star Lance Stephenson and playing him at point guard.

Stephenson is a combo guard with three-point range and a great ability to get to the basket. His ball-handling skills are fit to play point guard as well.

This option should not be slept on, but the Tigers have to sign Stephenson first, which is not a sure thing yet. Stephenson is currently considering Arizona and Memphis.

If I had to put money right now on the starting Memphis point guard next year, I would go with Willie Kemp.

Kemp has been a starter for the Tigers before and was on his way to being the starter for the next few years until two straight years of "one-and-done" point guards came in and took his spot.

Once Kemp gets his confidence back and can keep his play consistent and as turnover-free as possible, he could be the answer for the Tigers at point guard next season.

Of course, this is easier said than done, but you never know where a player will come out of to lead the team.

No matter who is named the starter to begin the season, Tiger Nation will always be behind him.

After everything seemed all but good for the Memphis Tigers this season, with the players decommitting and the rumors of current players possibly transferring, a big ray of late shone in.

It started when Miami-Dade big man Will Coleman decided to honor his original promise and play for the Tigers next season.

Coleman does not have the name of the other players Memphis lost, like Xavier Henry or DeMarcus Cousins, but Coleman is currently the No. 2-rated JUCO player in the country and could really add some much-needed depth for the Tigers' frontcourt and possibly even start.

Will Coleman is a 6'9", 265-pound athletic freak with the ability to jump through the roof and make a big impact with his shot blocking on the defensive end. He is already being compared to ex-Tiger great Joey Dorsey.

Many, including myself, thought this was it for the Tigers' recruiting class. Five-star high school players are simply not going to want to play for a first-time head coach right now.

After Memphis signee Xavier Henry decided to go to Kansas along with his brother, Memphis walk-on C.J. Henry, the race for Coney Island star Lance Stephenson was wide-open.

It looked like Stephenson was set to ether stay at home and play with St. John's or go to Collage Park and play for Gary Williams and the Maryland Terps.

It now looks like Stephenson did not even want to go to St. John's in the first place, and Gary Williams' system is too "structured" for his tastes.

The rumor right now is that Stephenson recently visited Arizona, is going to visit Memphis, and is set to decide between those two.

Stephenson is not the perfect player we could get, for my taste.

He is said to be a head case and a guy that wants all the attention, but there is no doubting his talent, and Josh Pastner bringing in a player of his caliber already as a first year coach would be huge for the program.

The player that looks like the number one target right now for Memphis is Alabama point guard Eric Bledsoe.

Bledsoe has really been a player on the rise the last few months and fits the Pastner system well, along with the team's urgent need at point guard.

Willie Kemp has really been a disappointment since his freshman year when he started.

Since his freshman year, Kemp has rarely gotten much playing time and has not really shown he is the answer for the Tigers at starting point guard next season.

Bledsoe has been sought after by just about every major program needing a point guard, including, who else, Kentucky.

Bledsoe visited Memphis last Friday, and it looks like he will decide between Memphis and Kentucky.

“I’m just looking for the opportunity to play ball and make it to the next level,” Bledsoe told a crowd of reporters in an interview broadcast on MyFoxMemphis.

He later said that he will try to make his decision next week.

The player that could play the biggest role in Bledsoe's signing with Memphis is a player that is not really looking at Memphis anymore, John Wall.

If No. 1 player John Wall decides to go to Kentucky, that would make Memphis the clear favorite to land Bledsoe, since Bledsoe would obviously not want to be Wall's backup for at least a season.

Unless a player on the Memphis roster has a big improvement, Bledsoe would probably be the starting point guard from day one for the Tigers.

The last highly touted player considering Memphis is Starkville, Mississippi native Latavious Williams.

Williams is probably the player that Memphis has the best chance of signing.

The No. 16 overall player according to Rivals.com is considering both Memphis and Georgetown.

It still is not certain that Williams will be academically eligible next season, but Williams' academic struggles and his wanting to play in a "free" system are probably what give Memphis a better chance of signing Williams than Georgetown.

Georgetown's high academic standards and half-court system are factors that would be looked at concerning his decision.

His announcement is said to come Monday, May 4.

If Memphis is able to sign at least one of the players mentioned, it would put the program back on the map in terms of recruiting.

John Calipari made Memphis what it is now with his stellar recruiting.

Let's see if Josh Pastner can do the same.

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