Go Tigers!

What a Difference a Year Makes

2009-02-22T18:31:00.004-06:00

I spent the day re-reading the posts I wrote last season. All the way back to October, when I made my reservations for San Antonio (which turned out to not be a jinx at all and came in quite handy), I knew that last year was something special. I didn't know much about Derrick Rose, but I knew that people were amazed by him. I knew we were expected to do great things. Knowing this made it worse. The season was stress-ridden for me. Every game was cause for anxiety. And when I finally made the trip to San Antonio, it was amazing. It was entirely worth spending the money I didn't have. It was also worth the disappointment at the outcome. But the weekend itself was amazing, and it will be a great memory that will last my lifetime.

This season? This season has been different from the beginning. I didn't blog much (or at all, really) this year. I didn't pay nearly as close attention to what was going on. Yes, I read the Commercial Appeal every day. And I watch the games that I can. But this was supposed to be a rebuilding year, nobody expected much, we were supposed to be incredibly lucky to make the Sweet Sixteen, if even that. So I wasn't investing nearly as much energy. And then... something happened. They found a point guard. They started winning. And they didn't stop.

The Tigers now #5 in one poll and #6 in the other. Tomorrow, they will likely rise at least one spot, and have the potential to rise two. Other teams are losing. But not the Tigers. Most bracketologists think we're a lock for a 2 seed. We're closing in a 1 seed. And it's happening without people noticing. We're not on national TV as much this year (except for this Thursday on ESPN2, 8pm CT), and we've been under the radar for the most part.

Hubert Davis thinks we're going to the Final Four, though he's just about the only one right now. But I wouldn't best against it at this point.

Even if it isn't supposed to be our year.

Where did the season go?

2009-02-11T10:15:00.003-06:00

It's mid-February, it's been a very interesting season, and I haven't blogged about it, not really, since November. I am a slacker of the utmost degree.

But while I wasn't blogging and most of the country wasn't paying attention, the Tigers have sneaked back up into the Top 10. They've won every game since Tyreke Evans took over the point. And they look suspiciously familiar. You know, like the teams we've seen in the past four years.

Seriously, Memphis fans, do you realize what we've been dealing with for the past few years? Two number 1 seeds, a 2 seed, 2 Elite Eights and a National Championship game? This year was supposed to be the year off, the year Sweet Sixteen was likely out of reach, the year we just hoped to hold things together while we waited for next year's recruits. It was the year where the players didn't have chemistry, where they weren't a brotherhood, just some guys on a court with a ball. Someone forgot to tell the team, I guess.

Last weekend's game at Gonzaga was quite a thing of beauty, a huge game for the Tigers. Nationally televised, with the chance to either prove the country right or wrong. But tonight is big too, especially in the conference, since Tulsa could snatch a tie in the conference championship, but any loss now will hurt. The Tigers are favored right now by 13.5, and that seems slightly optimistic given the way our last game at Tulsa ended, with me screaming at the television and Antonio Anderson sinking a last second shot.

But, if the Tigers just keep winning, we may be in for a very familiar scene come March. And I, for one, can't wait.

Chatter

2009-01-21T16:07:00.002-06:00

Pieces in Place predicts an Elite Eight finish for the Tigers.

Blessing in Disguise is a nice piece about Darius Washington. Hard to believe it's been 4 years.

Remember Memphis: Jay Bilas has his eye on the Tigers.

Willie Kemp is finding his way and owning his game.

Looking toward the Vols

We interrupt this regularly scheduled hoops program

2008-12-12T12:15:00.003-06:00

To talk about college football.

I know that's not what I normally do around here, but I was looking for a schedule of the bowl games in Excel format and couldn't find one online. So I made one. And thought I'd be kind and share it.

So here is the link to my College Football Bowl Schedule for 2008-09 in xls It's a google doc you might be able to to download or at least copy and paste. Let me know if it doesn't work.

And... we're off!

2008-11-15T13:12:00.005-06:00

Another year is here, and the Tigers play tonight at 7pm CT. Against Fairfield. Dunno anything about Fairfield, but I do know that the Tigers are ranked #12 and #13 in the pre-season polls, and favored by 19.5 tonight. So that's good.

Since I haven't posted since, you know, April, I considered doing a little reminiscing, a little discussion of San Antonio, a little analysis of what went wrong... But it breaks my heart too much, so I won't. I will only look forward to what could be this year, and also grateful for all the excitement of last season, my first trip to a Final Four, and basically, the thrill of victory and agony of defeat. It was a better year than all the other teams (but one). And I will never forget it.

Now. It's time for a new year and another chance. I'm looking forward to the roller coaster.

Go Tigers!

2008-04-07T11:08:00.000-06:00

UCLA game pics

2008-04-05T23:22:00.001-06:00

Dozier intro

CDR shooting free throws

"And Then There Were Four"

Final Score

My view

2008-04-05T15:52:00.000-06:00

Oh Yeah

2008-04-05T15:37:00.000-06:00

One Day More

2008-04-04T10:24:00.004-06:00

I don't want to turn this blog into a Geoff Calkins tribute or anything, but he is my favorite sports journalist. Today he writes about judging the Memphis players-- by the way they wear their hats, by the tattoos they have, by their age, by so many things. It's something people do. And not just the national media-- not just people who have no clue about Memphis, the University, or this team. Memphians do it.

As a lifelong Memphian (until recently, anyway-- but I am still a Memphian, in spirit if not in location), I can't begin to enumerate the number of times I've heard people insult my hometown. Visitors, people who've never even been to Memphis, but especially locals. It's crime-ridden, it's ugly, and (my favorite from my time in East Tennessee) it's FLAT. But let's just talk about that for a second.

I'm not going to pretend that Memphis doesn't have crime. It's a city. Cities have crime. And Memphis has more than its fair share. Memphis also has more than its fair share of racial tension. But it's not like I was afraid all the time. Or even very often. And ugly? Memphis may be many things, but Memphis is not ugly. And I feel that I have enough experience to say that. Look, I live in the mountains. The Rocky Mountains. I can see ski slopes from my office window. It is ridiculously and unbelievably beautiful here. But I still won't say Memphis is ugly. Memphis has lots and lots of trees, and big parks. Memphis has azaleas and flowering pear trees and crepe myrtles that flower all summer. No, there's not much snow. And autumn never lasts as long as we want it to. But Memphis is not ugly. And flat? Come on, Chattanoogans, is that the best you've got?

Anyway, the whole point of this post was to say this: this team, these Tigers, may not appear to be basketball royalty. They have tattoos and brands, and cornrows, and wear their hats in a untraditional manner. They get in trouble when they stay out too late in nightclubs, and at least one of them has thrown away his lifelong dream this weekend. They make mistakes. And I don't claim to know them personally. I've never met any of the players. Calipari says they have great hearts. I know better than to believe every word out of Coach Cal's mouth, but I do know what I've seen.

I've seen them LOVE to play basketball. I've seen them have fun on the court. I've seen that most times these players are willing to share the ball, and thus the glory, with their teammates. I've seen that they appear to be more than teammates, they are friends. I've seen that Joey Dorsey lights up and comes alive when he feels the love and support of the crowd. I've seen Chris Douglas-Roberts give all he has over and over. I've seen Derrick Rose arrive without a sign of any prima donna attitude, and be all that we thought he would be and more. I've seen Antonio Anderson named the Most Valuable Player in the Conference tournament even though he's not at the top of the list of "stars" on the team. And that's enough for me.

So call them young and irresponsible. Just don't call them thugs.

Check Me Out

2008-04-03T09:34:00.001-06:00

I did a little Q & A on the Final Four with the good folks over at Thirtyfive Seconds. They're doing a series on the Final Four and I was proud to be representing Memphis. Read it all here:

Final Four Preview: Memphis Tigers

Maybe True Blue Speaks of Heart More than Blood

2008-04-02T09:49:00.001-06:00

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

By Geoff Calkins (Contact)

Well, we do eat with our hands.

I mean, it's true, isn't it?

We eat barbecue -- with our hands.

We eat ribs -- with our hands.

We eat Pronto Pups -- with our hands.

In Los Angeles, they raw eat fish with chopsticks. Tell a Memphian to eat something with a stick and chances are he'll skewer it, batter it and dunk the whole mess in boiling oil.

So you can understand why people all over the country are having a hard time understanding what Memphis is doing at this year's exclusive Final Four gathering in San Antonio.

North Carolina, UCLA and Kansas are the right kind of people. Memphis is, well, here's Joe Gergen, from Newsday:

"If we were talking families here, the first three would be the Rockefellers, the Carnegies and the Stanfords," Gergen wrote. "Memphis would be the Clampetts."

It's true too. We don't have all the things those UCLA people have.

Elly May: I hear they got smog.

Granny: What's a smog?

[pause]

Jethro: I reckon it's a small hog.

Better hope that The Rendezvous doesn't get a hold of it.

But the point is, we Memphians are viewed as interlopers, trespassers and party crashers, too.

"It's the blue bloods vs. the blue collars," said Memphis coach John Calipari, whose grandparents -- you may have heard this -- came through Ellis Island.

UCLA, North Carolina and Kansas have won 17 NCAA men's basketball championships between them.

Memphis won the NIT not long ago.

"Combined with UCLA, there's like 11 national championship between us," Calipari said.

UCLA has all 11.

Nice try, John.

UCLA is John Wooden, the Wizard of Westwood. Kansas is James Naismith, the inventor of basketball.

Memphis is Calipari, giving out big screens in the upper deck.

USA Today ran a story Monday with the headline, "It's Memphis," explaining that the school is no longer called Memphis State.

The school's name was changed 14 years ago! Memo to USA Today: Memphis also has an NBA team. Or used to have one, anyway.

But why should anyone be expected to know stuff like this? We're fat Elvis and The Peabody ducks. A little too campy, a little too quaint and a little too gritty to know the secret handshake.

UCLA is all glamor and glitz. North Carolina calls itself a "public Ivy," whatever that is.

The "first graduate music therapy program was created in 1947 at Kansas," according to the school's Web site.

How about that? Kansas created music therapy.

Unless you count the blues, of course.

If the Final Four was a movie, we'd be Rodney Dangerfield in "Caddyshack."

If the Final Four was the House of Windsor, we'd be Lady Di.

If the Final Four was an awards show, we'd be Three 6 Mafia at ... hey, maybe there's a lesson there.

In 2006, Three 6 Mafia was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. Nobody thought a raggedy Memphis rap group could win.

Three hours later, host Jon Stewart delivered the line of the night.

"For anyone keeping score, Martin Scorsese, zero Oscars," he said, "Three 6 Mafia, one."

So it's possible, isn't it? Especially this year of all years?

A beagle won the Westminster dog show. A former stripper won the Oscar for best original screenplay.

Who says a basketball team from Memphis can't win the NCAA championship?

And when it happens, really, no need for the rest of you to apologize.

In the words of Jed Clampett: "I reckon you done what you done because you didn't know we was who we was."

So Many Texas Fans

2008-03-31T16:58:00.000-06:00

About to be disappointed. :)

Final Score vs Texas

2008-03-31T16:57:00.000-06:00

Joey Dorsey cutting down nets

2008-03-31T16:56:00.000-06:00

Pep Rally Sunday. Go Tigers!

2008-03-30T10:57:00.000-06:00

Me & Scratch Friday night

2008-03-30T10:56:00.001-06:00

Cal after Fridays game

2008-03-30T10:54:00.000-06:00

Final score

2008-03-28T22:23:00.000-06:00

Go Tigers!

2008-03-28T18:38:00.000-06:00

I am inside Reliant Arena watching the Stanford/Texas game. Lots of
burnt orange.

Sent from my iPhone

And we're off!

2008-03-19T08:47:00.005-06:00

It's that time again. And I'm already angry.

Every poll that asks which 1 seed will be the first to lose? You know the answer.

Some analysts (like ESPN's Hubert Davis) are calling for the Tigers to be upset by Mississippi State in Round Two. Or certainly by Pitt. Or for goodness sake, Texas. No way we're going all the way. Dick Vitale thinks we'll lose to Texas, too, though his call seems to be based on geography, not on basketball talent.

Gregg Doyel from cbs sportsline does think we'll make the Final Four, if only because he thinks Stanford will upset Texas and we can beat Stanford. Should Texas beat Stanford, though, he doesn't sound too confident.

Check the brackets of 14 national insiders from ESPN, SportsIllustrated.com and Sportsline.com. Only three of them think Memphis will reach the Final Four. Only ESPN's Digger Phelps picks Memphis to win it all.

It's irksome.

But there are a few people I don't hate right now. Like Digger Phelps, my shirt/highlighter matching friend that seems to love us. Another of my new favorite people is Dick Jerardi, writer for the Philadelphia Daily News who has Memphis winning it all. I'm also quite fond of Kevin Scarbinsky, who writes for the Birmingham News, and says,

I've seen Memphis in person twice, and that's what a national champion looks like.

The nation is going to find out about Memphis, whose only loss this season came by four points against a Tennessee team that won the SEC regular-season title and earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

The nation is going to find out that Memphis can win from ahead or behind, in close games or blowouts, with offense or defense. The Tigers have the players to win a title, and they have the hunger after losing in the Elite Eight the last two seasons.

The Tigers play Friday night at approximately 8:40pm. It is to tip off thirty minutes following the end of the game before, so that time could change significantly. If you need a schedule of all games, you can check here. That page includes NIT games.

Okay, Okay...

2008-02-27T10:52:00.002-06:00

So I didn't blog about it. I couldn't bring myself to. The Vols? Seriously? Was that God's idea of funny? Cause it wasn't. I would have much rather lost to UAB. Although, losing to the #2 team isn't so bad. EXCEPT IT'S THE VOLS.

But today I feel I can come back to Blogger with a heart full of gratitude to the Vanderbilt Commodores, for cutting the Vols' time at #1 to a short 28 hours or so. :)

The question now is, what happens? In the AP poll, the Tigers only fell to #2. If they win both games this week (Tulsa tonight and UTEP Saturday) they should take back the #1 spot. But in the Coaches' poll, the Tigers fell to #3, behind UNC. UNC plays one game this week, on Saturday, against Boston College. If UNC wins that game, they will probably move up to #1, even though they have 2 losses and (assuming they win both games this week) the Tigers will only have 1. Which irks.

But the most important thing to me at this point is that the Tigers are a number 1 seed and that they play in Little Rock. UNC would be placed in Raleigh (I'd think), so if they're ahead of us on Selection Sunday it's not going to hurt us on that. Actually, there aren't many teams that (if we're a 1 seed) would take our spot in Little Rock and push us to another city. UCLA would go to Anaheim, the Vols are closer to Birmingham (or D.C., as Cal likes to say), Kansas to Omaha. Texas is the one that might give us a problem. But they'd have to be above us and I'm not sure how that could happen.

Anyway, there's not much we can say about all that until Selection Sunday rolls around. In the meantime, though, we still need to address one game at a time. There are four games left in the regular season, two home, two away, and tonight's game is at home against Tulsa. We're favored by 18.5. I'd take that bet, because I think the Tigers will be in the mood to put the smackdown on somebody, and too bad for the Hurricane that they drew this day. We'll see, though, won't we?

Dewey & Truman? No, UAB and Memphis

2008-02-18T14:21:00.004-06:00

Looks like ESPN jumped the gun a little on Saturday night, publishing an article about our loss before the game was over... They should really know better. But what a game, right? And the aftermath.... I have faith that when UAB comes into the Forum for our Senior Day, our fans won't return the favor and start a brawl.

I didn't get to see the game (DirecTV really needs to carry CSS) and I don't know if I wish I'd seen it or if I should be grateful I missed it for the sake of my cardiac health. I will be able to watch the rest of the games this season, they are all on CSTV or ESPN.

Speaking of ESPN. Just a little mention of Saturday's game against the Vols. #1 vs. #2? SERIOUSLY? I just don't know if I can handle it. Thank the good Lord I am not going to the game, I might seriously LOSE MY MIND. I know that the Vols could beat us. But I also know we can beat the Vols. We can beat anyone in the country, in my opinion. It all depends on which team shows up, and we all know that the guys have shown up for the big games this year-- UConn, USC, Georgetown (I mean, come on), Arizona, Gonzaga... There is no way that the FedExForum won't be completely on FIRE and it should be one of the best basketball games EVER.

And I'll be here, trying to gather a few friends (nobody in this town cares about college basketball) wearing my "Hey Tennessee-- You Suck" t-shirt, yelling like crazy. Maybe the Tigers will hear me, all the way from here.

Zags Schmags

2008-01-25T09:38:00.000-06:00

I would lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous about tomorrow's game against Gonzaga. I haven't pulled myself back from the ledge. But I'm confident-- it's not that I think they'll lose, it's just that I'm nervous because they could. If we had lost one early game, it wouldn't feel so vital that they keep doing it, right? I mean, there's a reason so many people want the Patriots to lose, and that same reason has many cheering against the Tigers now.

I saw this little video this morning on YouTube. "Bring your five, it can't get better than this; You can't win, your five ain't even better than their bench." "Please Memphis, don't beat us no more." Hee.

We're No. 1

2008-01-21T12:11:00.000-06:00

Oh yeah, we are.

It' a Blue Monday.

Bored. And sad.

2008-01-16T10:50:00.001-06:00

I don't get CSS out here. I certainly don't get WLMT. I didn't see the Siena game. Or Pepperdine. Or ECU. Or Marshall. And I won't see Rice tonight. Or Southern Miss on Saturday. Fortunately, I do have CSTV, so I can watch next Wednesday's game against Tulsa (and several of the remaining games), and of course the Gonzaga game and Tennessee game are both of ESPN. The early season was awesome because almost every game was on national television. I miss my Tigers.

My only consolation is the Gametracker, where you can watch little player icons shoot and rebound. But it's not the same.

That is all.

I'm on the brink of a nervous breakdown

2008-01-03T16:41:00.000-06:00

I'm seriously a little bit scared now.

For years, since I started going to Tiger basketball games in the fall of 1992, I've been saying it. Every year, almost at least, I've said, "This is the year!" And I always mean it, call it naivete or hopeless optimism or refusal to face reality. But seriously, y'all?

This IS the year.

And I'm really freaking out about it a little. I'm more nervous about each game than I would be if the team was only mediocre. Because, for reals, we could go all the way. We could go undefeated or one-defeated or whatever, but we could SERIOUSLY BE PLAYING FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP.

Georgetown was one thing. That game? That game was a thing of beauty. It was everything a college basketball game could be, the only thing missing was ME in the Forum. But then Arizona came along. This could trip them up, can they keep themselves pumped for a game after something as exhilarating as Georgetown?

Um, yeah. They can. And now? Now I'm just whipped into a tizzy, counting down each game, trying to keep myself under control while mentally figuring out how in the heck I'm going to afford to go to all 6 games in the tournament if it should happen because no way in hell am I missing it and hopefully we'll play in Little Rock for the first two games so I can find a friend with a couch or a guest room and then I can caravan with thousands of Memphis fans across the River with our flags flying on our car windows and how much fun would that be and I really cannot wait and oh gosh I better not count my chickens before they hatch because I don't want to jinx anything but still that would be so awesome I've forgotten to use punctuation.

And because of this possibility, every game has the potential to push me over the edge. Siena, tonight? Oh Lord, don't let them beat us. Anything can happen. If we beat them it's good for our RPI (currently we're no. 1, you know), and we need a good RPI come March and we really need a high seed in the tourney. Maybe it's a good thing you can't get CSS out in my new neck of the woods, because I'm not sure I could stand it. I won't be able to watch a game until the Gonzaga game. That's THREE WHOLE WEEKS away. Maybe in that time I can get a grip. But somehow? I doubt it.

Christmas came early

2007-12-26T11:50:00.000-06:00

I know I'm late, but don't take that as a sign of how much I LOVED watching Georgetown get spanked on Saturday. It was made even sweeter by the return of the CDR we know and love. I was so glad to see the huge crowd on TV... and so loud! I wished I was there.

I'm looking forward to Saturday night's Arizona game. When the Tigers play like they can, the way the played Saturday, they are such a force. If they keep up that intensity and determination, we will have much to celebrate in early April. Regardless of how the season ends, though, it will definitely be one to remember.

Movin' on UP

2007-12-03T14:49:00.000-06:00

The Tigers have risen to #2 in both the AP and ESPN/USA Today polls!

UCLA lost to Texas last night, and their loss is our gain.

The next game is tomorrow night, vs. USC in NYC at the Jimmy V Classic tournament. It airs on ESPN at 8pm CT.

Go Tigers!

UConn and CBU

2007-11-21T14:30:00.000-06:00

The season just started and I'm already slacking off.

Let's talk about UConn. The first half of the first half? Was the most beautiful exhibition of Memphis basketball EVER. I was giddy watching it. Of course, then the refs joined in and before long, after shooting 23 free throws to our THREE, UConn was back in it, but the Tigers still put the Huskies in their place by the end. It was nice to see the Tigers hold on and not give up, like they might have in the past. Also? CDR is my pretend basketball boyfriend. Joey Dorsey is too. They're all my pretend basketball boyfriend. I am in love with the Tigers.

I didn't see the CBU game, it wasn't on TV out here. Coach Cal wasn't happy, and he canceled the players' Thanksgiving break. It's one of those issues with getting fired up against a team that you can easily crush. It's hard to do.

The next game is Tuesday against Austin Peay, again not to be televised in my neck of the woods. If you're in Memphis, it's on WLMT.

Oooooooooooo-klahoma

2007-11-16T10:17:00.000-06:00

Well then. Like I said last week, a Win is a Win. And I'm sorry, but Joey Dorsey? Not the same Joey Dorsey that got schooled by Greg Oden last year. That? Was Mr. Dorsey.

Derrick Rose... I could see the flashes-- of what is to come-- pure greatness. But last night he seemed a little over-excited, maybe trying to live up to all the hype in his first nationally televised game? But still, the kid is remarkable. He'll have to start knocking down free throws, I imagine he'll find himself on the line quite a bit.

And, I hate to be rude, but... that Oklahoma guy? You know, their "great" freshman? He was unfortunate looking.

Did anyone notice that during the game, ESPN didn't change the graphics, and the UConn husky picture was next to "Memphis" on the score? And the Gardner Webb whatever-that-was was next to "Oklahoma."

Anyway, it's all on for tonight-- Tigers vs. Huskies. Calipari vs. Calhoun. The Tigers are favored by 9. The game is scheduled to air on ESPN2 at approximately 8:30pm ET, after Oklahoma plays Gardner Webb.

Next stop, NYC (I mean, after CBU)

2007-11-07T14:00:00.000-06:00

I guess last night's game wasn't exactly what we were hoping for, but a W is a W last I checked. So now we await the winner of Kentucky's game, and play again next week in NYC.

I have to say that reading this article about Derrick Rose got me all excited. I heart Geoff Calkins anyway, and the fact that he sounds psyched about this kid? I'll follow that lead. I didn't see all of either of the first two games, but I saw enough of Rose to believe.

Then I watched SportsCenter last night, and when Digger Phelps appeared, I actually looked at my husband and said, "Oh, here we go." Cause The Dig always likes to talk crap about the Tigers. But he and the other guys ALL agreed that Derrick Rose is a freshman that can lead his team to a championship. Oh holy hell, if THEY think so? It's either the apocalypse or this kid, this nineteen-year-old from Chicago, is really REALLY just as good as everyone says. And I'm more than willing to go along for the ride.

Questions: Why did Antonio Anderson change his number? It confused me. I kept seeing "5" and thinking Jeremy Hunt, realizing it couldn't be Hunt, and wondering who the new guy was. I figure there's a reason, I just wonder what it is.

Also? Why were the Tigers wearing blue Monday night? Were we not the home team? Just wondered.

UT Martin- Finally!

2007-11-05T09:39:00.000-06:00

Today's the day! Today's the day! Today's the day we can finally get down to business. I'm less than pleased the Tigers ended up as #3 in both the AP and the coaches' polls. That's lame. But it gives us something to strive for, I guess. Two spots up. Tarheels shmarheels.

So tongiht the Tigers play UT-Martin. Really? This is how we're going to kick off what should be THE GREATEST SEASON EVER? Okay. Baby steps. But we are favored by 37 points.

On the other hand, as Jim Masilek said yesterday:

History, however, shows that the Tigers' fortunes have varied wildly in the face of high expectations. For every smashing success -- the Final Four runs in '73 and '85 are obvious examples -- there is an equally spectacular failure to serve as a warning. Drexel, anyone?

You don't have to tell me. I was there for that Drexel debacle. I witnessed it, up close and personal. And it sucked. So I should know better than to have my hopes this high. But I can't help it! If you need help getting excited, think about this: 2 seasons, 2 Elite Eights, 66 wins, and? Derrick Rose. Read this article, or for a longer, historical perspective, this article. If you need help coming down from the rafters, you can read this one:

Dorsey may be the most important player on the team. Rose is more gifted, certainly. Chris Douglas-Roberts will score more points. But there's only one position where Memphis doesn't have a proven backup. That position is the one occupied by Dorsey. Does that make you sleep well at night?

Billboards

2007-10-24T09:37:00.001-06:00

I just screwed it up for everyone

2007-10-17T10:43:00.000-06:00

Y'all. It's all my fault. If the Tigers don't make the Final Four, don't blame Cal, or Joey, or CDR. It's all on me.

I just made a hotel reservation in San Antonio for April 4-8.

I couldn't help it!!! I really want to be there, and I want to have a place to sleep. I'm too old to sleep in my car, even though I'd totally do it if that were my only option. I'm too far removed from school days to still have friends in Road Band that will give me floor space. And I'm too poor to wait til the last minute and book the ridiculously expensive team hotel. I do reserve the right to change my mind on any of these points prior to April. Any Mighty Sound of the South members wanna be my friend? I'll buy you beer.

Time to Get Fired Up

2007-10-11T09:52:00.000-06:00

So the season is almost upon us. It's time to start thinking hoops.

I have created a Google Calendar with all the game dates and tip-off times (when available). You can click on the button in the sidebar to subscribe, and I'll update it as the schedule is changed.

Also, Memphis Madness (yeah, it's not at Midnight anymore) is tomorrow.

From Today's CA:
Tigers' madness never stops

Basketball team kept plenty busy in offseason

By Dan Wolken

...

Here are four things to know about Memphis Madness, which begins at 8p.m. CT Friday at FedExForum.

1. For a lot of Memphis fans in the city, Friday may be the only opportunity to see the Tigers in person this season. As of Wednesday afternoon, the school was down to about 260 unsold season tickets. Once they're gone, that's it for the year.

The only single-game tickets that will be available are unclaimed student seats. Plus, getting into Memphis Madness is pretty cheap: It's free, though canned food donations are encouraged, and seats will be available.

In most years, Memphis can expect a crowd of about 10,000 fans at Memphis Madness.

Coach John Calipari said he was hoping for "12,000 to 15,000 or more" on Friday, given the excitement about this team, which is ranked No.1 or No. 2 in several preseason polls.

And a full house would likely make a positive impression on the long list of elite recruits who will be in attendance.

2. So, who are the recruits? Well, basically every high school player from Memphis who is on the Tigers' radar has been confirmed as a guest at Memphis Madness. That includes St. George's guard Elliot Williams, who will be making his official visit to the Tigers.

Williams, a consensus top20 senior in the nation according to scouting services, has already visited Virginia, Duke and Tennessee and is expected to make his decision after the Memphis visit.

Briarcrest junior guard Leslie McDonald and White Station junior forward Farrakohn Hall -- both consensus top-75 players -- headline a long list of underclassmen coming to Memphis Madness, which also includes: Gentry Hines (Raleigh-Egypt), Tim Peete (Central), Greg Wooten (Briarcrest), Joe Jackson (White Station), Bobby Parks Jr. (Ridgeway) and Mardracus Wade (Mitchell), among others.

Memphis also will have out-of-town visitors from the 2009 high school class, including Christian Watford from Birmingham and Xavier Henry from Oklahoma City. Watford, a 6-7 small forward, is rated in the top 50 by most scouting services and is also very good friends with DeMarcus Cousins, a consensus top-five player in the class. Cousins was still considering visiting Memphis Madness as of Wednesday.

This will be Henry's second straight visit to Memphis Madness. A 6-6 guard rated No. 2 in the junior class by Scout.com, Henry's favorites appear to be Memphis and Kansas at this point. His father, Carl Henry, played at Kansas when Calipari was an assistant there.

Durand Scott, a 6-4 guard from New York rated as a top-50 junior, also is likely to be in Memphis on an unofficial visit this weekend.

All told, that's between five and seven potential McDonald's All-Americans.

3. The evening begins at 6:30 p.m. with a performance by the Memphis band and cheerleaders on the FedExForum plaza. Doors will open at 7 p.m., and players will be available for autographs until roughly 7:50 p.m. At 8 p.m. players will be introduced, and festivities will continue until about 9:30 p.m.

At some point in the event, Memphis will introduce the 15Chinese coaches who are in town observing the Tigers as part of Calipari's coaches' exchange. A few of the coaches, who played in the Chinese Basketball Association, will have a 3-point shooting contest against Memphis' players. The Tigers also will have a dunk contest and finish with a short intra-squad scrimmage.

4. Though the entire Midnight Madness tradition began in 1971 when Lefty Driesell held a real practice at Maryland just after midnight on Oct. 15, it's now nothing more than a showcase. In fact, the NCAA has even changed the rules to allow the madness to begin the evening before the official day when teams can start practicing.

As for the Tigers, the scrimmage will be organized, but probably not quite full speed. That's because they'll have to get up early Saturday morning to begin the real work with a string of two-a-day practices. Still, fans should be able to get just enough of a glimpse to whet their appetites for the Nov. 5 season opener.

"Our fans know this team," Calipari said. "They'll know how we play, but what they're wanting to see is the new guys too. Who got stronger from the old players? Who's better than they were a year ago? Who's improved?

"And then they'll want to see, what about this Derrick Rose kid, this Jeff Robinson kid and this Shawn Taggart kid? They'll want to leave the building saying, man, is Antonio Anderson better? Robert Dozier is so much stronger. That's what they'll want to say, and then they'll try to figure out where the other guys are."

Dorsey's big mouth good for the game

2007-07-20T12:47:00.000-06:00

Dorsey's big mouth good for the game

By Andy Katz
ESPN.com

HAVERFORD, Pa. -- Thank you, Joey Dorsey, for returning to Memphis and, for that matter, being invited to the Pan Am Games trials. You see, without Mr. Dorsey, we might not have our most quotable player for the 2007-08 season. Glen "Big Baby" Davis and Joakim Noah both checked out of college after their junior seasons. So, that left a void for all of us scribes and television reporters thirsting for someone to serve up an honest comment or two.

Mr. Dorsey delivers. (The University of Memphis understands his big appeal so well that it made "That's Mister Dorsey To You" the marketing slogan that will adorn a billboard in the city for the upcoming season.) Quite simply, there aren't many players who can make the white tank top look rather small. There aren't too many who sport that white tank, with the broad shoulders and powerful biceps bursting out, under a uniform or even just a golf shirt as 6-foot-9, 260-pound Dorsey did when he was taking his visa photo last week at a suburban Philadelphia Marriott for the games in Brazil. "My physique intimidates a lot of players that I play against," Dorsey said. "I stay in the weight room a lot. That's a big part of my game." Oh, there's more, there's always more with Mr. Dorsey. And, it's usually very, very good.

Who can forget his sporting that white tank on the bench after fouling out of the Sweet 16 game against Texas A&M in San Antonio. Later that night, I received an e-mail from an NCAA official saying that wouldn't happen again. (Translation: Dorsey was told to keep the uniform on.) But for what it's worth, the sight of Dorsey looking as though he was just through a workout at Gold's Gym and ready to bust through a door certainly was imposing. So much so that Dorsey didn't hesitate to call out Greg Oden in advance of the Elite Eight matchup against Ohio State. For those who need a refresher course, Dorsey said at the time, "This is the game I wanted." He added that Oden was "overrated as a big man" and that Oden "might be as good as Joey Dorsey." As our columnist Gene Wojciechowski laid out at the time, Dorsey's final prize was saying it was going to be "David versus Goliath." And remember, Dorsey was saying he was the monster. Of course, Oden dominated with 17 points. Dorsey finished with zilch.

Dorsey had to be asked about his comments when I caught up with him in at the Pan Am trials in Philadelphia. "I underestimated my opposition, and that's something I never did playing basketball the past five years," Dorsey said. "My opponent was a very great player, one of the best I've played against." After watching Oden dominate the national championship game, even in a loss to Florida, Dorsey said he understood how good Oden really was. Later, the Memphis resident rooted against the Memphis Grizzlies the night of the lottery because Dorsey wanted no part of Oden in his town. "It was a lift off my back because if Memphis got the No. 1 pick, then I would have had to hear about David and Goliath the whole year," Dorsey said.

It's all been part of the growing process for this senior. "Joey took longer to mature, to understand to get rid of the bitterness, and there was a bit of anger in there," Memphis coach John Calipari said. "A lot of kids come to school with an edge and a bitterness. "But all of the coaches have said he's a good kid and has a good heart. But I've told him he has to get out of his own way. There's only one of him out there. So I tell him if he misses layups and free throws, remember that the other guys can't do what you do. Be proud of what you are and who you are."

Dorsey will lead Memphis, my pick for No. 1 in the pre-preseason. And the Tigers will stay there -- barring some sort of injury in the fall. That's fine with Dorsey. "We deserve to be No. 1 coming off back-to-back Elite Eights," he said. The Tigers return seven of their top eight players and add one of the top players in the country, guard Derrick Rose. Dorsey said, "He's one of the best point guards I've played with so far behind DWash [Darius Washington]." Dorsey returned as the third-leading returning scorer, at 8.5 points a game and the top rebounder, at 9.4. Well, according to Dorsey, he'll be grabbing about five-plus more boards a game because he plans to lead the country in rebounding "at 15 a game. I can be one of the dominant power forwards or centers in the country."

"I've been working out since the season was over, working out with Carmelo [Anthony, who -- like Dorsey -- is from Baltimore] and Rudy [Gay] in Memphis and trying to improve my overall game," Dorsey said. "I'm working on my free throws, taking 100 a day, so that there are no flaws in my game. "[Scouts] told me that I have to improve my skill level because they said I cannot do left-handed layups and left-handed jump hooks," Dorsey said. That's why he's looked at as being an enforcer on Team USA. No one expects Dorsey to be the finesse player to go to down in the post. No, he's on this team to grab rebounds and to look imposing. And, to be honest, it won't hurt for Dorsey to get the book down on Georgetown's Roy Hibbert since Dorsey will be defending him when the two top-10 teams play in Memphis on Dec. 22.

That game will be a good barometer for Memphis' national title hopes, although according to Dorsey, there's no question which team will be cutting down the nets in April. "We talked about me leaving, and a lot of guys said they would come back if I came back," Dorsey said of the decision by himself and Chris Douglas-Roberts to bypass the NBA draft. "With Derrick Rose coming in, this was our chance to win a championship. And that's what I told Memphis University players and the state of Tennessee -- that we'll win a championship." See? Dorsey is good for the game. He looks menacing. He doesn't back down from an opponent or from saying what's on his mind. Unless Calipari -- who easily is the coach most willing to talk candidly -- reels him in, Dorsey should be the go-to guy to talk Memphis all season long. Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com.

Until Next Year...

2007-03-28T12:35:00.000-06:00

It took me awhile before I was ready to come back and post anything. Saturday's game just about killed me. I could talk about Joey Dorsey. I could talk about KEEPING YOUR MOUTH SHUT. But I won't. I'll just say,

See you next year.

Seriously.

2007-03-23T07:59:00.000-06:00

Okay, now. Now you love us, pundits, don't you? Now you can agree that we're a good team. Right? Just a few of you? Really? Okay...

Memphis Shows Cojones
It's time to stop slagging on Memphis. I was as guilty as anyone of questioning Memphis' No. 2 seed and Conference-USA "pedigree," and I'll admit that I thought the Tigers would not only lose to Texas A&M but perhaps lose big. Yet John Calipari's guys showed some serious cajones in their 65-64 win in front of the Aggies' rabid home crowd. You want tough? Chris Douglas-Roberts plays on a sprained ankle and somehow becomes a huge factor (15 points). You want poise? Antonio Anderson steps to the line for two free throws with his team down one and three seconds left -- and nails them both. Maybe those Bob Rotella visualizing drills really do work on free throws. (Just to make sure we knew what was going on, Anderson grabbed his nether regions, Sam Cassell-style, after the final horn. Classic.)

Streaking Memphis 1 Win From Final Four
Visualize this: The Memphis Tigers are one win away from the NCAA Final Four. Forget those season-long struggles from the free throw line. The Tigers are making them when it counts, with Antonio Anderson hitting two with 3.1 seconds left Thursday night for a 65-64 victory over Texas A&M in the NCAA South Regional semifinal.

Anderson Nails Clutch Shots

Memphis Comes Through at the Line

Wild Night in San Antonio

The Tigers also deserve backslaps for the way they survived and advanced. They overcame a Final Four-caliber A&M team and an A&M crowd that outnumbered Memphis fans by 20 to 1 ... 50 to 1? More?

No wonder, as Memphis coach John Calipari waited to do his postgame interview with CBS, that he walked toward the Tigers' section of the Alamodome, such as it was, and pointed at them. And kept pointing.

"We ... played guys I haven't played all year, in this game, in this environment," said Calipari. "And in the end, made a couple of free throws, made a couple of baskets and walked away with a W in front of 30,000 Aggies, which makes it even more of an amazing thing."

Calipari exaggerated the size of the crowd, but not by much.

Memphis Wins 25th in a Row by Edging Aggies
Antonio Anderson's two free throws with 3.1 seconds left boosted Memphis to a thrilling 65-64 win over Texas A&M, as the Tigers extended the nation's longest winning streak to 25 games and moved into the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.

Memphis winning critics over

Memphis wants you to know it has one of the nation's best basketball programs. And it shouldn't matter that it plays in a bad conference.

So it's intent on winning and proving you – and me – wrong until we finally admit Memphis is an elite program. Frankly, that shouldn't be too hard after Memphis beat Texas A&M on Thursday night at the Alamodome.

Not after the Tigers won on the Aggies' home court. At least it sounded like their home court, considering the crowd of 26,060 couldn't have had more than 1,500 Memphis fans.

Not after the Tigers grabbed three offensive rebounds on their final offensive possession of the game. And certainly not after Antonio Anderson, a 64 percent free throw shooter, made two freebies with 3.1 seconds to give the Tigers a one-point lead.

Memphis earned this one. It deserved to win.

Eyes of Texas were upon them, but Tigers never blinked
Antonio Anderson stepped to the line, spun the ball in his palms, and tried not to think about the stakes or the moment.

Just 3.1 seconds remained in a game that had long since passed thrilling on its way to epic. Anderson had already hit the first free throw to tie the game for the 13th time. Now, after an interminable timeout, he had a chance to permanently untie it.

"When I got to the line, I said ‘Let me get this game over with,'" he said.

Anderson spun the ball in his hands. He bounced it once, then sent it spinning through the hoop and into history.

The massive blot of Texas A&M fans fell silent. The small section of Memphis fans hollered loud enough to make up for it.

John Calipari always said his Memphis Tigers would make their free throws when it mattered, didn't he?

It never mattered more than this, it couldn't matter more than this, as Anderson's two shots gave his team a lead it wasn't about to relinquish.

8 more hours until we get to heaven...

2007-03-22T09:01:00.000-06:00

Where hopefully Aggie boys get BEAT (they might get laid too, but that's a story for a different kind of blog).

According to this CA article, Jeremy's ready to light it up and the Alamodome is really big.

CDR's feeling better and might play tonight. He really wants to.

I would like Acie Law to go away. Really. That'd be great.

So, we're the underdogs. So, we're playing Texas A & M, a lower seeded team, not so far from their home. That's okay.

Seth Davis disagrees, and picks the Aggies to win by 1.

GO TIGERS!

p.s. If anyone out there gets the reference from the title and first line (besides you, Mom) let me know. I thought it was more well-known than it (apparently) is.

Today's Mishmash

2007-03-21T14:56:00.000-06:00

Click the link to read the entire story...

Memphis aims to silence doubters
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- A 24-game winning streak hasn't convinced everyone that Memphis is a legitimate national championship contender.

After all, the second-seeded Tigers didn't get much of challenge from their Conference USA rivals, none of which made the NCAA tournament. Counting North Texas and Nevada, the two teams Memphis beat to get to the South Regional semifinals, the Tigers have defeated five teams that made the NCAA's field of 65.

It's safe to say that Thursday's game in San Antonio against Texas A&M will be the Tigers' toughest test in months.

And Memphis could be without leading scorer Chris Douglas-Roberts, who is nursing a sprained left ankle. Coach John Calipari said he wasn't positive Douglas-Roberts would play.

"But I think he will," Calipari said after his weekly radio show Monday before a packed house of Tiger fans at a Memphis restaurant.

CDR ankle improving
University of Memphis star sophomore Chris Douglas-Roberts showed signs of progress Tuesday, according to team officials, but it was still uncertain whether his sprained left ankle would prevent him from playing in Thursday's NCAA South Regional semifinal against Texas A&M.

"He's planning on playing, but we'll have to see," coach John Calipari said. "I think he is (improving)."

Douglas-Roberts has been receiving nearly round-the-clock treatment since Memphis beat Nevada, 78-62, on Sunday to reach the Sweet 16. He suffered the injury with 8:11 to go in the game after jumping to tip a ball and landing on teammate Joey Dorsey's foot.

According to team officials, Douglas-Roberts was walking Tuesday without a protective boot. Douglas-Roberts was at the Finch Center late Monday night to receive treatment again and will continue to do so today in San Antonio.

Though Douglas-Roberts, the Tigers' leading scorer at 15.4 points per game, tells teammates he will play, his status likely won't be determined until Thursday.

Deja Vu
A year ago, the University of Memphis played an Elite Eight game against a lower-seeded opponent in that team's home state.

In the game, the top-seeded Tigers were defeated as much by No. 2 UCLA's stifling defense and their own inept shooting as by the pro-Bruin atmosphere inside The Arena in Oakland.

The stakes may not be quite as high Thursday when Memphis faces Texas A&M in a South Regional semifinal inside San Antonio's vast Alamodome. But the scenario facing the No. 2-seeded UofM looks familiar:

Tennessee Trio in Sixteen

2007-03-21T14:48:00.000-06:00

Tennessee trio put Final Four bids, alliances on the line

By Gary Parrish

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- John Calipari has spent the past few years using an East Coast attitude to antagonize his friends from the eastern part of this state.

The Memphis coach has at different times insisted on no longer playing Tennessee, promised to only play the Vols on a neutral court and explained in detail why Bruce Pearl is at a disadvantage in attempting to come into his city and recruit.


John Calipari is from the East Coast, but he mixes it up in Tennessee. (Getty Images)

It started as friendly banter. It became heated dialogue.

So though Calipari remains more Pittsburgh than Memphis in many ways, one thing he inherited long ago is a disdain for Good Ole Rocky Top. It's a sizeable disdain, and the man has never wavered, privately or publicly.

Until now.

"All of their fans should be rooting for us and all of our fans should be rooting for them," Calipari said. "We should be cheering for each other."

Ah, strength in numbers.

It's a sensible strategy on the surface, considering the state of Tennessee has a numbers advantage in this NCAA Tournament. Memphis and Tennessee remain in the South Regional and Vanderbilt is in the East Regional -- meaning this state known more for its musical contributions to Rock 'n' Roll (Sun Studio), Country and Western (The Grand Ole Opry), Southern Soul (Stax Records), Rhythm and Blues (Beale Street) and Rap (Hustle and Flow) is the largest contributor to the Sweet 16 with three institutions that are just two wins from the Final Four.

"It's incredible," Calipari said. "What my man (Kevin Stallings) is doing at Vanderbilt is incredible, what Tennessee is doing is great and then we're hanging around, too. So it's kinda nice."

But can everybody play nice?

That's the question, and to fully understand why it's not as easy as it sounds you have to understand the state of Tennessee and the divisions that exist. For the most part, east Tennessee (Knoxville/UT) and middle Tennessee (Nashville/Vanderbilt) despise west Tennessee (Memphis/U of M), and vice versa. The people of Memphis believe the people of Nashville are snobs and the people of Knoxville are rednecks, and the people of Nashville and Knoxville both believe the people of Memphis spend most of the week robbing and shooting each other.

They are wild stereotypes, to be sure. But they exist.

Why didn't Harold Ford Jr. win his U.S. Senate race last year?

Analysts believed it wasn't just because he was a black man running in the south or a Democrat running in a conservative state. The real problem was Ford is a black democrat from Memphis, and that's a hell of a combination to overcome in the eyes of everything outside a 60-mile radius of Memphis.

Plus, Ford is a Tiger supporter; it's doubtful that helped in any way.

Which brings us back to the Sweet 16 and San Antonio, where Memphis and Tennessee fans have converged for the weekend.

The Tigers play Texas A&M in the first game Thursday just before the Vols play Ohio State. Depending on the outcomes and how much alcohol is consumed, don't be surprised if the two schools' contingents shimmy over to the Alamo and re-enact the famous 19th century battle at some point late Thursday night.

But Calipari has offered a truce.

"I'm not going to paint my body orange," he said. "But I might wear an orange shirt."

Gotta start somewhere. Baby steps and all that.

Anyway, when I heard this proposal I decided to call Pearl. I wanted to know whether he was down with the idea. So I asked whether he was down with the idea.

"I'm absolutely down with it," answered Pearl, who added he had already called to congratulate Calipari and Stallings. "Tennessee and Memphis are sister schools in a way, from the same system. So I don't think there's any question we should be rooting for each other."

And what if Memphis and Tennessee both win Thursday and play Saturday with a trip to the Final Four at stake?

"It would be great for the state," Pearl said.

"Then we draw the line in the sand and it's back to civil war," Calipari added. "But up until then we should be rooting for each other."

Bipartisan basketball at its finest.

But in a search to determine whether the notion of Memphis and Tennessee fans uniting is realistic, I bounced the idea off a man with ties to each school. His name is Keith Easterwood, and he's an AAU coach in the state of Tennessee who has worked with players in both programs and regularly talks with both staffs.

Can Memphis root for Tennessee? Can Tennessee root for Memphis?

"It's a nice warm fuzzy thought, but it goes against the grain for too many people," Easterwood said. "I don't think it's going to happen."

In other words, see you at the Alamo late Thursday night.

CDR update

2007-03-20T09:47:00.000-06:00

Confidence is High: According to the CA, CDR's playing Thursday night will be a game day decision, but the players are hopeful he will be able to play. Calipari says he won't play unless they think he can stay up with the game.

ESPN's coverage: Tigers' top scorer nursing sprained ankle

Sweet!

2007-03-19T09:42:00.000-06:00

Sorry no updates over the weekend... I was in New Orleans. ;) Go Tigers.

My favorite columnist: Team Effort Seals Deal

With slightly more than six minutes left in the game, Memphis Tigers coach John Calipari could feel it all slipping away -- the game, the season, the back-to-back trips to the Sweet 16.

Chris Douglas-Roberts had been carried off to the locker room with a sprained ankle. The Memphis lead had gone from 7 to 5, from 5 to 3, from 3 to a single layup.

What happened next may be the happiest stretch of basketball in Calipari's tenure at Memphis because it was everything he has always thought basketball should be.

Furious defense. Relentless rebounding. A collection of players who, tested by a moment, survive the moment by drawing on each other and their collective will.

The big surprise: Memphis Turns It's Weakness into Winning Ingredient

"The No. 2 Tigers 78-62 victory against the No. 7 Wolf Pack on Sunday at New Orleans Arena, was their 24th consecutive win. But heading into the game, there were still large questions looming over the Tigers. Two of the main ones were: Could they make their free throws? And could they execute in a half-court game?

The Tigers answered the first question in hilarious fashion; they hit 26 of 34 free throws, with each one they made being met with a wild cheer. That registered at a 76 percent clip, which was decidedly better than the 61.3-percent rate they were hitting entering the game. Much was being made about the Tigers’ struggles, especially when Coach John Calipari said that he had actually stopped having his players practice free throws and had them just work on visualization techniques."

The Scare: Deep Memphis Deals with Douglas-Roberts' sprain

"I'm going to play," Douglas-Roberts told ESPN.com as he hobbled out of the locker room.

Calipari was quick to say, "We don't know yet." But he added, "we hope."

So here is the rub for Memphis. Even if Douglas-Roberts doesn't play, this team is deeper and tougher than a year ago. The Tigers still might survive without him -- or at least, without a healthy version of him -- in San Antonio.

Still no love: Tigers in Sweet 16, but are they any good?

Calipari has some depth, but has been going only eight deep lately. Douglas-Roberts plays the most minutes and score the most points. Calipari points to the fact that they've won without CDR before this season.

But that was against East Carolina and Tulsa.

Not Texas A&M.

"Everyone has doubted us," Memphis sophomore guard Antonio Anderson said.

For good reason.

A little bit of love: Wolves no match for Tigers

Their top scorer was in the locker room getting X-rays. The lead they'd been nursing was down to two points. And the other team's star player was finally rolling. If the Memphis Tigers were going to crack, this was the time - especially because they were facing a formidable opponent for the first time since before Christmas. John Calipari's bunch didn't budge. Not by a single point.

A LOT of love: Kansas, Memphis and Georgetown Storm into Sweet Sixteen

Memphis: Time to stop doubting John Calipari's team, whose winning streak reached 24 thanks to a stifling defensive performance in its 78-62 rout of Nevada. Most impressive about the Tigers was their offensive balance. The only downer: Chris Douglas-Roberts left late in the second half with an ankle sprain and didn't return. They'll certainly need him against Acie Law.

One Day to Go!

2007-03-15T09:51:00.000-06:00

Get to know Buckets

ESPN's game preview

The best & worst case scenarios

Today's Chatter

2007-03-14T09:39:00.000-06:00

The Hair

The Defense

The Matchup

The History

The Potential Game (scroll down to 6 Best (Potential) Games Before Atlanta)

The Hater

Various and Sundry

2007-03-13T16:24:00.000-06:00

The asshat: Win Your Tournament Pool

The sad truth: Free Throws are Tigers' Achilles Heel

The inspiration: Imagine swish

The dare: South Region quick hits

The psych out: Predictions may keep Tigers humble

The Big Question: Are these Tigers better?

Get a bracket here.

Crescent City, Here I Come

2007-03-11T18:14:00.000-06:00

Oh yeah.

2 seed.

The Tigers will meet the University of North Texas on Friday in New Orleans.

GO TIGERS...

C-USA Championship

2007-03-10T10:44:00.000-06:00

Airs at 10:30am on CBS.
CA preview
ESPN preview

Atlanta newspaper: Memphis? Yes, but...
Yesterday's game: CA story CA replay ESPN story

C-USA Tournament, Day 3

2007-03-09T09:55:00.000-06:00

Last night:

Tigers win, 92-71. In doing so they tied a school record with 20 straight wins. The Charleston (WV) Gazette said the Tigers "dunked" Marshall. ESPN called it a spanking. The CA thinks Dorsey is making progress. I just think he's AWESOME.

Today's schedule:

3:30 p.m.	(1) Memphis vs. (4) Tulane (CSTV) Watch Gametracker	Tigers win, 71-49.
6:00 p.m.	(3) Houston vs. (7) Rice (CSTV) Watch Gametracker

Tomorrow's Championship game will air on CBS at 10:35 am CT.

What?

2007-03-08T13:54:00.000-06:00

Chris Douglas-Roberts is not C-USA Player of the Year.

Huh? How is that possible? Seriously?

See who did get the award, and Coach of the Year, here.

C-USA Tourney, Day 2

2007-03-08T09:22:00.000-06:00

The Tigers play Marshall tonight. That's unexpected. I bet UAB is a little surprised.

The game is at 6pm CT. On TV: TV: CSTV (Ch. 222 on Comcast digital cable, Ch. 610 on DIRECTV, Ch. 152 on DISH Network).

The CA pregame story is here. ESPN's game preview is here.

Today's schedule:

Thurs.	March 8	Noon	(2) UCF vs. (7) Rice (CSTV) Watch Live \| Gametracker
Thurs.	March 8	2:30 p.m.	(3) Houston vs. (6) Southern Miss (CSTV) Watch Live \| Gametracker
Thurs.	March 8	6:00 p.m.	(1) Memphis vs. No. (8) Marshall (CSTV) Watch Live \| Gametracker
Thurs.	March 8	8:30 p.m.	(4) Tulane vs. No. (5) Tulsa (CSTV) Watch Live \| Gametracker

Duh

2007-03-07T11:55:00.000-06:00

From the Jackson (TN) Sun

Memphis the team to beat in C-USA

MEMPHIS - With No. 5 Memphis the clear favorite in the Conference USA tournament, the rest of the league's coaches are trying to make sure their teams remain motivated.

There's fourth-seeded Tulane closing with a 5-1 record to earn a first-round bye. SMU, the league's 11th seed, challenged Memphis before losing 64-61 in the final regular season game. Coaches are grabbing at anything to inspire a run at the tournament title and automatic bid that is their only hope of reaching the NCAA tournament.

Read the Rest...

Memphis a Mystery

2007-03-06T13:34:00.000-06:00

From the N.Y. Times:

Despite Ranking, Memphis Remains a Mystery for N.C.A.A. Tournament

By THAYER EVANS

Memphis earned its first No. 1 seeding in the N.C.A.A. tournament and fell a game short of the Final Four last season. But the Tigers were hardly expected to achieve similar success this season after losing two top players from that team to the N.B.A.

Now, having won an N.C.A.A. Division I-best 19 consecutive games and being the first team to streak through Conference USA undefeated since 2000, the sixth-ranked Tigers (27-3) are poised to be seeded No. 2 or No. 3 in this month’s N.C.A.A. tournament.

“Whether they merit a No. 1 seed, I don’t know, but I do think they’re better than they were last year,” Rice Coach Willis Wilson said in a telephone interview.

As the Conference USA tournament starts on its home court Wednesday, Memphis is perhaps college basketball’s most mysterious highly ranked team.

The Tigers have victories against Kentucky (20-10), Mississippi (19-11) and Gonzaga (22-10), and their only losses are to Georgia Tech (20-10), Tennessee (22-9) and Arizona (20-9), all of whom were ranked at the time.

But 16 of their wins were in Conference USA, which is ranked 11th nationally in the Ratings Percentage Index, behind such leagues as the Mountain West, the Western Athletic Conference and the Atlantic 10.

As a result, Memphis, led by the sophomore guard Chris Douglas-Roberts and a stingy defense, is ranked eighth in the R.P.I., but its strength of schedule is 77th.

Read the rest...

More Conference Awards

2007-03-06T11:18:00.000-06:00

2006-07 CONFERENCE USA ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM

John Fields, East Carolina, F, 6-9, 200, Fayetteville, N.C.
Kevin Sims, Tulane, G, 5-10, 160, Jackson, Miss.
Sai'Quon Stone, Southern Miss, G, 6-6, 205, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Ben Uzoh, Tulsa, G, 6-3, 185, San Antonio, Texas
Jeremy Wise, Southern Miss, G, 6-2, 165, Jackson, Miss.

2006-07 FRESHMAN/NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR

Jeremy Wise, Southern Miss, G, 6-2, 165, Jackson, Miss.

2006-07 CONFERENCE USA ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM

Antonio Anderson, Memphis, G, 6-6, 200, So., Lynn, Mass.
Paul Delaney III, UAB, G, 6-2, 200, Jr., Decatur, Ga.
Joey Dorsey, Memphis, F, 6-9, 260, Jr., Baltimore, Md.
Bamba Fall, SMU, C, 7-1, 210, So., St. Louis, Senegal
Oliver Lafayette, Houston, G, 6-2, 180, Sr., Baton Rouge, La.

2006-07 DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Joey Dorsey, Memphis, F, 6-9, 260, Jr., Baltimore, Md.

2006-07 SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR

Jeremy Hunt, Memphis, G, 6-5, 210, Sr., Memphis, Tenn.

Polls, Week 18

2007-03-05T15:13:00.000-06:00

Both polls list as us #5 this week, heading into conference tournaments. UCLA didn't fall very far, did they? I was hoping we'd get to hop over them. Oh well...

Conference Tourney Time!

2007-03-05T10:43:00.000-06:00

Here's where you can get the C-USA tournament update. Here's the bracket.

Awards: CDR and Dorsey were both named to the 2007 Conference USA First Team. Jeremy Hunt was named to the Second Team.

Tournament schedule:

2007 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Wednesday	March 7	Noon	(7) Rice vs. (10) UTEP Gametracker
Wednesday	March 7	2:30 p.m.	(6) Southern Miss vs. (11) SMU Gametracker
Wednesday	March 7	6:00 p.m.	(8) Marshall vs. (9) UAB Gametracker
Wednesday	March 7	8:30 p.m.	(5) Tulsa vs. (12) East Carolina Gametracker
Thursday	March 8	Noon	(2) UCF vs. No. 7/10 winner (CSTV)
Thursday	March 8	2:30 p.m.	(3) Houston vs. No. 6/11 winner (CSTV)
Thursday	March 8	6:00 p.m.	(1) Memphis vs. No. 8/9 winner (CSTV)
Thursday	March 8	8:30 p.m.	(4) Tulane vs. No. 5/12 winner (CSTV)
Friday	March 9	3:30 p.m.	Semifinal 1 (CSTV)
Friday	March 9	6:00 p.m.	Semifinal 2 (CSTV)
Saturday	March 10	10:35 a.m.	Championship Game (CBS)

SMU

2007-03-03T23:36:00.000-06:00

Again? Are they seriously trying to drive me to insanity? Or least to drink. Dude.

Final Score: Tigers win 64-61. This is the team that we beat by 30 something points in January. It was absolutely nerve wracking.

U of M extends streak to 19
Memphis gets 19th straight win
Missed FTs a concern for Cal

Favorite name of the week: Ike Ofoegbu

Next: Tigers have a first round bye in the C-USA tournament, and will play Thursday night.

UTEP

2007-03-01T11:16:00.000-06:00

Tonight's game: Memphis at UTEP, 8pm CT, on ESPN.
Latest Line: Memphis by 12.

CA pre-game
Matchup
ESPN game preview

Also? Florida lost Tuesday night and Texas A & M lost last night. Sweet.

Final Score: Tigers win, 78-67.

These Tigers are trying to give me a heart attack, I swear.

FOX Sports
ESPN: Memphis defeats UTEP for 18th straight win
CA: Tigers win 18th in a row

Next: the last regular season game, at SMU, tomorrow night at 8:30pm CT, on CSTV.

Tigers burning bright as March arrives

2007-02-28T19:20:00.000-06:00

From the AP wire:

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The Memphis Tigers are humming along, ranked sixth in the nation and enjoying the nation's longest winning streak at 17 games.

Imagine where they might be if Shawne Williams and Darius Washington hadn't gone to the NBA.

"Who knows how the scoring would've been?" senior guard Jeremy Hunt said. "We don't know. We think about it. But we don't ever get negative thoughts. We're just wondering."

It would be difficult for Memphis to improve much on this season.

The Tigers (25-3), who play Thursday night at UTEP, clinched a second straight Conference USA title outright last week for the first time in school history and have won three of the past four. Only Winthrop of the Big South Conference has gone undefeated in league play this season.

Read the Rest...

Propaganda Battle

2007-02-28T09:22:00.000-06:00

Big article in today's USA Today!

Polls, Week 17

2007-02-26T12:01:00.000-06:00

The coaches' poll is out. UNC is the only team that was above us that is now below us, but we didn't move. I was right-- Texas A & M hopped over us from #9 to #6. Florida dropped from #3 to #4. Wisconsin fell to #5, and UCLA and Kansas slid up to #2 and #3.

The AP poll has moved us up to #6. UNC fell from #5 to #8, Texas A & M is right behind us at #8. Florida fell to #5, Kansas moved up to #3, and Wisconsin fell to #4.

Houston

2007-02-25T10:59:00.000-06:00

The last home game. Today at 2pm CT, watch it on CBS. Latest Line as of 11am CT: Tigers by 17.5

You can see the CA's matchup here, with stats and info, yada yada yada.

Nice story here about senior Jeremy Hunt's redemption and how his mother deserves some praise. He's getting a second shot at Senior Day today.

Also? Florida and Pitt both lost yesterday. :)

Final Score: Tigers win, 77-64.

From ESPN: Tigers push nation's best win streak to 17.

So, as you will see above, I believed the game started at 2pm. Around 1pm, when I was sitting in Jillian's enjoying a pre-game lunch, I realized that hey! They're showing the FedExForum on TV! Oh, wait... the game's starting? Yes. The game was at 1pm CT. Oops. We ate fast and got to the game halfway through the first half...

Here's a senior day article by my favorite sports writer, Geoff Calkins.
Also from the CA, Tigers Streaking, and Tigers Replay. From the Houston Chronicle: Memphis coasts past UH

Oh, and the Tigers have wrapped up their first perfect home record since moving to the FedExForum. And we have one of the country's longest home court winning streaks, not sure where we are on that list now.

Next: Tigers at UTEP, Thursday night, 8pm CT (I double checked), on ESPN2.

Senior Day

2007-02-24T11:47:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow's game against Houston is Senior Day for the Tigers' three seniors: Clyde Wade, Jared Sandride, and Jeremy Hunt. Coach Cal has confirmed that the three seniors will start the game.

Now, that is not a huge deal for Hunt, who has started many games in his time, and would be the first off the bench anyway. but Wade? and Sandridge? Y'all. They rarely play at all, only when there's a blowout. And they're certainly not used to starting games. Especially ones on national television. And we're talking FREE television, Network television. CBS.

Wade has started exactly one game. His freshman year. It's been a while, and his years at the U of M have been anything but uneventful off the court, but I'm not going to dwell on that now with his Big Day coming up.

Sandridge. Ah, Jared Sandridge. He's a JuCo transfer. He's never started a game. He's played in fewer games than not, probably.

Cal promises to leave them in as long as he can, if they don't try to do "stuff they can't do." Maybe Jeremy Hunt will get to stay in a while at least. I have not been his biggest fan certainly, but I'm very impressed with his apparent turning over of a new leaf. If it's for real, he's an example of how great an influence basketball can be on the life of a kid, and he's a role model for lots of Memphis guys out there who face a lot of struggles and temptations. If it's not for real, then, he fooled me. My bad.

Good luck, guys. I hope your senior season has another five weeks in it. Maybe we'll say goodbye to you finally in Atlanta...

Rice

2007-02-22T09:37:00.000-06:00

Tonight's game against Rice will air on ESPN at 6pm CT.

Current line as of 10am CT: Tigers by 21

Final Score: 99-63

I don't really know can be said. I missed the first half of the game. The part I saw was just Joey Dorsey putting on a dunking demonstration, Jeremy Hunt scoring his 1,000th point, and even the scrubs hitting threes. You can read about it on ESPN.com if you want.

I did get to hear the ESPN commentators discussing how we didn't deserve a 2 seed in the tournament.

The Tigers did clinch the C-USA regular season title, as if that was in doubt. It was their 16th straight victory. The interesting thing about that is that I believe at least 3 teams this season have lost when trying to win their 17th straight game, including Florida.

Next: Houston on Sunday at 2pm CT, will be aired on CBS. It's senior day...

Memphis still under radar

2007-02-20T12:23:00.000-06:00

From Andy Katz' Blog on ESPN.com:

This is perfect for Memphis coach John Calipari.

The Tigers win a thriller in overtime at Gonzaga and the talk is more about the Zags than the Tigers.

The new polls came out and the Tigers moved up from eighth in the coaches' poll to seventh, and from ninth to seventh in the AP poll. In the coaches' poll, though, Kansas jumped over the Tigers, moving from No. 9 to No. 6.

You don't think this kind of stuff is perfect fodder for Calipari? Of course it is. Cal has a team that, for whatever reason, doesn't seem to be discussed on a regular basis as a high seed, let alone a Final Four team.

Once again, perfect for Cal, as he is relishing playing in a headline-less league in Conference USA.

"We probably should be five with what we've done," Calipari said Monday. "We lost 50 percent of our scoring (Shawne Williams, Rodney Carney and Darius Washington), two first-round draft picks (Williams and Carney), and look how we've responded? Our team is playing better as a team than we did a year ago. We may not have as much talent, but we're playing better."

A year ago, Memphis played its way to a No. 1 seed but had much more of a challenge within the conference from UAB, UTEP and Houston.

This season, the Tigers are cruising along at 12-0 (one of the only two remaining teams that are unbeaten in conference play, along with Winthrop in the Big South). But Memphis isn't booked for a No. 1 seed like a year ago, even though the Tigers look like they could go undefeated in C-USA and have wins at Gonzaga, against Oklahoma and Kentucky in Maui, and versus Ole Miss at home (wins that look and sound good, but are against teams that, save for Ole Miss, aren't playing as well as they did a year ago).

Calipari was quick to say that the perceived weakness of C-USA shouldn't hurt the Tigers since it didn't a year ago when it was a No. 1 seed. But the difference, and Calipari acknowledges this, is there aren't any other at-large hopefuls in the league.

"People are waiting for us to drop one game, to see us lose," Calipari said. "We're not talking about the streak [in C-USA]. But we do tell our kids that we can't lose to that team or they'll make us a 6-seed."

Calipari said that a bit tongue-in-cheek, but he is paranoid when it comes to the NCAA Tournament selection process.

Calipari said the Tigers, who lost at Tennessee and Arizona, as well as to Georgia Tech in Maui, is a better defensive team this season. That's not surprising when you see that Memphis has given up fewer than 60 points in seven of its 12 conference games.

So, if you want to ding Memphis because it's Memphis, that's fine with Cal. He's confident that the crew of Chris Douglas-Roberts, Jeremy Hunt, Robert Dozier, Joey Dorsey and Antonio Anderson can go just as far as the more heralded collection a year ago -- the Elite Eight.

As for the Tigers' latest victim Gonzaga, Calipari said he can't understand why folks are down on the Zags after they lost by one point at Spokane Arena on Saturday.

"People are like, 'They lost,' " Calipari said of commentators making it seem like the Zags are toast since they lost to Memphis, essentially at home. "Did you watch the game? I think what they've done and who they've beaten, even without [suspended center Josh] Heytvelt, means they're in [the NCAAs]."

Gonzaga likely will enter the WCC tournament -- and might have to win it -- as a No. 2 seed. The Tigers will be the No. 1 seed in C-USA, barring a late swoon.

Polls- week 16

2007-02-19T12:32:00.000-06:00

The AP poll has the Tigers #7 this week. Florida only fell to #3, and Kansas jumped over us. Pitt fell below us, and so did Texas A & M.

The Coaches' poll has us at #7, too.

Gonzaga

2007-02-17T23:44:00.000-06:00

Final Score: Tigers win, 78-77, in OT.

Oh yeah.

It was enough to give me a heart attack, but that's okay. It's nice to have some excitement sometimes. What an ending! And the Tigers extend the nation's longest active winning streak.

ESPN's story
CA story
CA Tigers' replay

With Florida, UNC, Texas A&M, and Pitt losing, the top of the polls will certainly shuffle. It looks like the Tigers could creep up into the top 5.

Next: Rice, Thursday night on ESPN.

5 Hottest Teams

2007-02-15T15:12:00.000-06:00

The Tigers are listed as the second Hottest Team exactly one month before the tourney begins. The others are Florida, South Alabama, Winthrop, and South Connecticut State. Interesting and varied group there.

From ESPN:

Memphis (14 consecutive wins)

The Tigers are talented, but not battle-tested. They've dominated a mediocre-at-best Conference USA, and their best non-conference win was against Kentucky before Thanksgiving. They've played only three ranked teams, and none since losing at Arizona on Dec. 20. Not exactly a recipe for March success. Yes, Memphis played a similar schedule last season and got to the Elite Eight. But they were a more talented team a year ago, with Shawne Williams and Darius Washington Jr. -- and they had a pretty easy road to that regional final against UCLA, beating 16-seed Oral Roberts, 9-seed Bucknell and 13-seed Bradley along the way.

Tulsa

2007-02-14T09:35:00.000-06:00

Poll update: This week the Tigers stayed at #8 in the AP poll, and rose to #9 in the ESPN poll.

Tonight it's Tulsa. Tulsa is 15-8, and 5-5 in C-USA. The game is at Tulsa, at 7pm and airs on CSTV (Ch. 222 on Comcast digital cable, Ch. 610 on DIRECTV, Ch. 152 on DISH Network). When we played in Memphis last month, we won 72 to 59.

The current line is Memphis by 10.5. ESPN's game preview is here. The CA's is here.

Final Score: Tigers win, 69-52. Antonio Anderson returned from his ankle injury to score 15 points and pretty much take over. CDR had 20 points and made 10-12 from the free throw line. I missed the game, and I don't have a lot to say about it. The CA's stuff is here and here.

Coming up: Saturday night at Gonzaga. 5pm CT on ESPN. This is a big one, it's our last major test before the tournament, and Gonzaga has quite a home court winning streak going. If we can win, that will be a nice booster heading in to the remaining five games.

Tulane

2007-02-10T22:14:00.000-06:00

Speaking of arse-kicking.

Final Score: 95-51. There's not much else to say, really. Except the freshmen got a lot of playing time, and it gave them an opportunity to show what they can do. They did a good job.

Next? 7 pm Wednesday at Tulsa. Supposed to air on CSTV, which sucks because since Time Warner sold to Comcast, we don't have CSTV anymore. Not cool.

Update: CSTV didn't go away, it just relocated. It's now channel 222, if you're in Memphis.

UAB

2007-02-08T15:08:00.000-06:00

The Tigers travel to Birmingham take on UAB tonight at 8pm CT, and it will be broadcast on ESPN as part of Rivalry Week. Really? Okay. Tigers are favored by 9-10 points right now.

Final Score: (8) Tigers 70, UAB 56

Well then. The game was interesting. It seemed very sloppy to me in the first part of the first half. UAB was trying to run and gun, and they were sloppy. The Tigers were just... sloppy. Everytime they started to make a run, UAB was able to stay with them. Until they weren't. The Tigers had a 12 point lead at halftime, in the second half built the lead to as many as 23 points and then held on to win by 14. The story of the night was definitely Jeremy Hunt. He was just ridiculous. He had a career-high 25 points in the first half, including a buzzer beater that was incredible.

Now, last year I wasn't a big fan of Hunt. He seemed to be one of many basketball stars that had succombed to the pressure of being a hometown star. He had not lived up to his potential on the court, and off he was arrested for violence against his girlfriend, and for a "scuffle" on Beale Street, and was supposedly off the team. But Calipari, in his either wisdom or foolishness (only the future will reveal which) allowed Hunt back on the team this season. And so far, it seems that Hunt is an example of a life turned around. He's playing well on the court, he got his degree, and he hasn't been in any trouble that I know of. I hope it's true.

Next? The Tigers play Tulane at home Saturday night. It will air on CSS, at 7pm CT.

Movin' on Up

2007-02-05T13:52:00.000-06:00

The Tigers have moved up to #10 in the USA Today poll. We have hopped above Duke and Oregon.

The Tigers are now #8 in the AP poll. We hopped above Kansas, Butler, Duke fell to #16, it's crazy! That puts us directly under #7 Pittsburgh. Which could make for an interesting match up in my house.

SMU

2007-02-03T12:01:00.000-06:00

The Tigers are playing SMU right now on ESPN.

Sorry I didn't give you a heads up, Mom, I know you're probably missing it.

I'll be back when it's over!

Update:

That, my friends, is what we call an arse-kicking. The Tigers were favored by 19 anyway, but they won by 36. So that was nice. (Final Score: 88-52) The game was close for the first couple of minutes, but the Tigers went on a run that had them up by 20 before the first half ended. SMU never really threatened. The Tigers are 9-0 in conference play now, and have the second longest active winning streak in the country.

Polls: Last Monday, the Tigers were #12 in the ESPN poll, #11 in the AP poll. Duke (#10) and Oregon (#9) both lost this week, so chances are we may move up a spot or two. It would seem the Tigers may sneak their way into the Top 10.

Coming up: Thursday night at UAB, at 8pm CT. The game will be aired on ESPN. Then Saturday night back home against Tulane (will be aired on CSS if you have Comcast). The biggest game left on the schedule is February 17 trip to Gonzaga. Gonzaga has the longest active home court winning streak. That game will be our chance to tune up before the NCAA tournament, and give us a chance to end that nice little winning streak. It will air on ESPN.

Here' s a link to the Tigers schedule.

Is anybody out there?

2007-01-25T10:37:00.000-06:00

Blah. Why can I not get excited about the Tigers?

Does anybody read this blog? Seriously? Are there lurkers? Cause I'm considering just killing this blog, because clearly I have not been working very hard at keeping it updated.

Maybe I'll just hold it until March. Cause then I'll get into it again, and when the Tigers are in the Final Four I will be completely PUMPED.

Yeah.

Cincinnati

2007-01-04T10:19:00.000-06:00

Explain to me how this happened. I used to eagerly anticipate the Cincinnati game each year. Once (in 2001) I couldn't sleep for a few days I was so psyched. That night, after we lost by one point on a last second shot, I nearly cried. There was much Goldschlager consumed that night. I loved (loved!) the rivalry. I hated (hated!) the Bearcats. Their fans were evil. Their band obnoxious. Their coach... well, it was Bob Huggins.

Today? I don't care much. Is it because Huggins is gone? Is it because Cincy is not in C-USA anymore? Is it because the Tigers are favored by 16 points? Probably all of the above, but tonight the Syracuse-Pitt game will probably be more exciting.

Did you see that? I just jinxed us probably. Oops.

The game is at 8pm CT, and airs on ESPN.

Update: Wow. That was interesting. I'd like to say I saw the whole game, but it got so boring that ESPN switched to a different game. Final Score: Memphis 88, Cincinnati 55. Geoff Calkins tells me the crowd was rowdy, Joey Dorsey made it through the game without one single foul, and Jeremy Hunt went 6 for 7 from 3-point range. So maybe it'll carry over to the rest of the season. Maybe I can allow myself to get excited again. But it's a little bit odd, I still don't feel as fired up as I thought I would.

The next game is next Thursday at Houston.

Catching Up

2007-01-02T13:22:00.000-06:00

So, the Tigers have won a couple games, against MTSU and Lamar. The next game is Thursday, against Cincinnati. It's hard for me to get excited about that game the way I used to about playing the Bearcats. With Huggins gone, it's just not the same. It would be a good win, though.

Anyway, the Tigers are at #22 in the AP poll, #23 in the ESPN poll... same as last week, and with a very few opportunities left to make a move. But there's always hope, and I'm not giving up!

Arizona & Other News

2006-12-20T11:15:00.000-06:00

The Tigers moved up a spot in both polls this week, and are sitting at #18 heading into tonight's game at Arizona.

Arizona is favored by 7.5-8 points tonight, and is ranked #9. Coach Cal is quoted in a Tucson paper as saying the Wildcats are better than their ranking. That's a good way to make a loss seem not as harmful and a win even better, I guess.

The game tonight is at 7:30pm Central Time and will be broadcast on Fox Sports Net.

On a non-game-related note, the CA is reporting that Darius Washington, Jr. is being sued for child support by his ex-girlfriend. Boy, nothing like the fall from grace. That clip of him crumbling to the floor at the free throw line would still be airing at every game if he was still playing. Who told him to get an agent? Good advice, there.

On another non-game-related note, and a very sad one, from Eyewitness News: "one time Memphis Tigers guard Tanqueray "Tank" Beavers was found dead Sunday night at TGI Friday's on University Drive in Huntsville Alabama. Beavers was one of two patrons shot to death, while two others were injured in the shooting. No arrests had been made as of Monday afternoon. The former All-State performer signed with the University of Memphis in 2004. He was the career assists leader at Athens High School. Beavers played sparingly as a freshman for Memphis during the 2004-05 season and ended up quitting the team because of a lack of playing time. The 21 year old had been working construction in Huntsville."

Final Score: Tigers 71- Arizona 79. I was optimistic at halftime, but the Tigers couldn't keep it together to fight off Arizona in the second half. We're running out of opportunities for quality wins...

Dicky V loves Dozier

2006-12-12T18:08:00.000-06:00

Robert Dozier is one of Dick Vitale's Five "Sophomores to Watch."

The Austin Peay game was bumped back one hour, and will now tip off Thursday night at 8pm instead of 7pm. It will be televised locally on WLMT CW30.

Recovery Update

2006-12-11T18:23:00.000-06:00

So I may have finally recovered from the loss at Knoxville last week. Maybe. I couldn't bring myself to blog going into the Ole Miss game, and so I just thought I'd take a break. You can read about our victory over the Rebels. It was a solid win, and I hope that it's an indication of what is to come.

And what IS to come? Our next game is Thursday night against Austin Peay, then we have six days to prepare for the game on the 20th at Arizona.

Today the Tigers dropped 3 spots to #19 in both the AP and ESPN/USA Today polls. I'm actually quite pleasantly surprised, after the Vols rolled over us I thought we'd fall to the bottom, if not completely out of, the top 25.

Cross-State Matchup

2006-12-06T09:59:00.001-06:00

Tonight the Tigers travel to Knoxville to play the Vols. Just in the interest of full disclosure, I hate the Vols. And it seems the coaches are already talking a little coach-smack.

Anyway, there's no line yet. I'll update this post with that information. Update: Tigers are favored by 1.0-2.0. Not much.

The game will be broadcast on ESPN2 at 8pm CT.

GO TIGERS!

Final update: Just read it. I don't wanna talk about it.

Dozier featured in ESPN "Replacements" article

2006-12-06T09:43:00.000-06:00

From ESPN.com:

John Calipari's claims that this Memphis team could be as good as last season's were probably a little generous. With all the attrition, it would be a surprise to see another No. 1 seed from the Tigers this season. But one player who has made tremendous use of his increased playing time is Dozier.

In 2005-06 as a freshman, Dozier was a capable defensive replacement when inserted for Williams in the Calipari press, but offensively he was much more timid. Dozier has been more assertive this season, resulting in a mix of results. The big surprise is that he's been much more efficient from the field than he was last season, but not surprisingly he has also had a case of the dropsies more often than Williams did.

It hasn't been all rosy, however. He fouled out in just eight minutes of action against Georgia Tech, which should be enough to cause folks to hesitate about whether he will consistently produce against more athletic opponents. But so far, we can say that Dozier has made progress towards making significant contributions to the Memphis offense.

Dozier vs. Williams
	FGA/40 MIN	PTS/40 MIN	eFG%	TO/40 MIN
Dozier ('06-07)	14.1	21.7	58.7%	4.4
Williams ('05-06)	15.0	18.9	48.0%	3.2

Monday it's Marshall

2006-12-04T11:59:00.000-06:00

Tonight the Tigers play Marshall in the C-USA opener tonight in the FedExForum at 7 pm. The oddsmakers have us favored by 21-22 points. The game will be broadcast in the Memphis area on WLMT CW 30.

It's early for conference play, and we don't have another conference matchup until Jan 11. The early game is the result of the conference expanding the schedule from 14 to 16 games.

Poll News: The ESPN/USA Today poll has kept us at #17. Hopefully when the AP poll is released today the Tigers will not fall from #14. Update: We did. Fall. Down to #16. Which I hate because we didn't lose last week. I guess beating Arkansas State and Manhattan wasn't enough to maintain #14. Whatever.

Final Score: 78-59. Only a 19 point win, that's two games in a row the Tigers didn't cover the spread. But, again, a W is still a W.

The Tigers did shoot 17 out of 20 free throws, which is a near miraculous turn around from the last game...

NEXT: The Vols. Tomorrow night in Knoxville, 8pm CT, live on ESPN2.

Also: DeAngelo Williams had an awesome night on Monday Night Football. Too bad the Panthers couldn't hold on to their lead.

Tigers take on Manhattan

2006-12-02T11:20:00.000-06:00

Robert Dozier just took the ball to the hoop, over some little Manhattan player. The announcer actually said, "This is a mismatch." This? This one-on-one? The WHOLE GAME is a mismatch. But whatever.

Of course we're only winning by one point right now. I'll just shut up until it's over.

Halftime Update: Okay, so we're up by 17, which is more like it... But still, it got awfully sloppy there towards the end. Is it wrong that I feel sorta sad for these little teams, that come in to play us in "buy" games? Do they feel bad about themselves? Or are they just excited to see what they can do against a ranked team? Okay... I'm gonna shut up.

Final Score: 77-59. Well. It's a win, but it left a little something to be desired. They weren't sharp, they didn't seem focused, they couldn't buy a three pointer or a free throw. But, I guess a W is a W.

Coming up: The Tigers take on Marshall on Monday night, in the conference opener. That is followed by a trip to Knoxville to play the Vols on Wednesday, and then Ole Miss visits the Forum on Saturday afternoon. A busy week, all in all. Here's hoping the Tigers can finish it 3-0.

Hoopla

2006-11-26T12:30:00.000-06:00

Sweet Lord, I was excited.

It was the first half of the game against Georgia Tech last Tuesday night. The Tigers looked incredible. Even when they were sloppy (or even sloopy, right you-know-who-you-are?) they were ass-kickin'. I liked the new unis. I liked the gameplan. I liked the swagger. I loved that they look like they're having FUN. I did wish we'd make more of our free throws. Pierre Niles? He is huge. Enormous. Just... huge. Chris "Buckets" Douglas-Roberts? My new favorite (old favorite being Rodney Carney, gone to the NBA). Jeremy Hunt? Earning redemption. At halftime, the Tigers were up by sixteen and still rolling.

Then came the second half. And I have nothing to say about that.

So the Tigers managed to lose to Georgia Tech. But the next day they did beat Kentucky, and the season is now in full swing. I can't wait for March. I hope whatever job I get (*knock on wood*) will understand that I need to be off for the Madness. It's just the way it is.

To clarify the degree of my Tiger dedication, I give the following information: there was a ten season span between when I started at U of M as a freshman and when I finished law school (yes, ahem, that's longer than usually required). During those ten seasons, I missed maybe five home games. Maybe. I've been waiting a long long time, my friends. I've paid my dues. I am NOT a fair-weather fan. And every year, I think, "this could be the year." But really, this year? This COULD be the year. ;)

Also? The University of Memphis FOOTBALL Tigers won a game. Yes, I'll say it again. They WON A GAME. The last game of the season. It wasn't on TV. I didn't see it happen. But according to ESPN.com, the Tigers beat UTEP last night 38 to 19, and in the process acted the spoiler and prevented UTEP from being bowl eligible. So, I say Go Tigers. And? There's always another season right around the corner. See you in September.

Also also? I hate watching sports not in HD. I've gotten so spoiled that I keep thinking the focus is blurry on regular shows.

Football Misery

2006-11-12T12:32:00.000-06:00

I don't know why every weekend I still allow my hopes to spring up. Seriously. The Tigers were playing UCF, a team with a similarly disappointing season. Maybe we could make it happen. Mr. Incredible and I did not make use of our season tickets and instead watched the game on TV, for several reasons, including the cold snap that overtook Memphis yesterday, the fact that the Tigers are Sultans of Suck, neither one of us was feeling particularly good, and the game was conveniently (and unusually) televised which seemed to be a sign from the heavens that we should just stay home (plus, that way we got to switch channels and watch the Vols lose to the Hogs. Sweet!). So anyway. After the game opened with two 3-and-outs for the Tigers and two touchdowns for the Golden Knights, I thought it was going to be another humiliating blowout debacle. But the Tigers pulled it together and we were tied up at 17 at the half. At that point, I allowed it to happen. I allowed that little part of me to take over, the part that can't give up the optimism. And with two minutes left in the game, the Tigers were down by 2 points and had the ball. Right then, I just knew we were going to win. The losing streak was over.

I was wrong. Again. We lost. Again. Thank goodness basketball starts on Thursday. Finally.

Favorite football name of the week: Karibi Dede (thanks to Mya Pinyan for finding him)
Favorite combination of football names on the same field (from week one's Ark v. USC game): Nutt, Dick, and Booty

Sunday Summary

2006-11-05T12:33:00.000-06:00

Sorry, DeAngelo. I missed it.

Tonight, the University of Memphis retired DeAngelo Williams' number in a pre-game ceremony. Sunday nights are not for going to college football games. Especially when your team is phenomenally sucktastic like the Tigers. So I didn't go. And from what I could see of the crowd on ESPN, I wasn't the only one. I'm sad that he didn't get a better celebration, but it wasn't enough to get me out of the house tonight. As I type this, the Tigers are losing 21-0 in the first quarter. So I can't say I'm sorry I'm not there.

Favorite Football Names This Week: Sam Olajubutu, Ryan Succop

Unbelievable

2006-10-15T11:34:00.000-06:00

I've never seen anything like it. There was no time left on the clock. And the pass flew 52 improbable yards. When the mass of players jumped into the air, I thought surely a Tiger would be able to snag it. Surely, a guy in a blue shirt would come down with the ball and our 23-20 victory would be saved. But fate disagreed, and an Arkansas State player snatched the ball out of the air and killed our hopes of turning around the season with a victory. It was remarkable and amazing and heartbreaking. It was the straw that broke the back of any hope that the Tigers might not suck quite so completely. They do. Suck. Completely.

When does basketball season start?

One Day More

2006-09-29T11:35:00.000-06:00

I was just going to let tomorrow come without mentioning it here... But I guess I can't stop myself.

Tomorrow, at a ridiculously early hour (8am isn't THAT early, I know, but it is a Saturday), I will find myself, clad in blue, arriving at Liberty Bowl Stadium. The stadium holds 62,338 people. I predict at least half will not be similarly clad in blue, but rather in Orange. It's that time again.

It has been ten years since a game between the Tigers and the Vols ended on a happy note for Tiger fans. Ten years have passed, but still that night stands as The Best Sports Experience of my life. One of the reasons it was such monumental win was the very fact that we expected a blowout loss. I don't even think I paid much attention for most of the game, because who wants to watch a butt kicking? I went to the game that night with my camera, not expecting to have anything in particular to shoot, but because it was the next to last home game of the season, and I wanted to get some pictures of the marching band (yes, I know, I'm a huge band geek). I did not take either of these photos, by the way. The only one of mine that came out was of the scoreboard, although that's certainly a nice shot.

The crowd was loud and raucous (they even cheered like crazy for the band's halftime show), and though we didn't expect an upset, there was something different and electric in the air. When the game was over, we were as shocked as the Vol fans were. I remember the way they sat there, in stunned silence, while the field flooded with Tiger students and fans. The goal posts came down quickly under the weight of players and fans. Stadium security tried to prevent one group of fraternity boys from taking an entire upright out (six or seven of them carried it on their shoulders), so they marched up to the top of the stadium, intending to DROP IT OVER THE SIDE so they could have their souvenir. Fortunately, security decided to ease up rather than to risk lives, and pieces of goal posts were (safely) taken home by many of the revelers. Of course, since I was in the band, I wasn't able to storm the field. We remained in the stands, and just kept playing until our chops were worn out.

The more time that passes, the sillier it might seem to reminisce about that game. It was, after all, ten years ago. That is a long time, especially in college football (today's players were still in elementary school in 1996). And it didn't mark the beginning of a new era; it wasn't the first in a string of wins over Tennessee-- we have yet to beat the Vols again-- and the Tigers didn't become a powerhouse. Some Tennessee fans scoff and say, "even a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while." Maybe that's true, but some things have changed. The more recent games have not been the cakewalk for Tennessee they used to be, and Vol fans (some Vol fans) have become less friendly, more defensive, even sometimes hostile. While they may refuse to acknowledge the existence of an actual rivalry (we're not good enough for that), no longer do they pat us on the head, chuckling over their little brother trying to tag along. The games since that night-- the competition tougher, the scores closer-- have taunted them, but teased us. For us, they have planted seeds of hope, encouraging our faith, egging on our dreams of another victory.

And another victory will come.

Maybe not tomorrow.

But it will come. And I hope I'm there to see it.