| Memphis Tigers News Archives |
| March 2005 |
| Back |
| 03/31/05 | |
DeAngelo Williams Named to PLAYBOY All-America Team -- Memphis tailback one of 25 players to participate in Dream Team photo shoot (GoTigersGo.com) |
| MEMPHIS, TENN. - University of Memphis senior tailback DeAngelo Williams has been selected to PLAYBOY'S 2005 College All-America Football Team, and in doing so will attend the publication's "Dream Team" photo shoot in May. Williams is the fourth U of M player honored by PLAYBOY Magazine. Kicker Ryan White was selected in 2000, while Joe Allison and Harry Schuh were chosen in 1993 and 1964, respectively. He will be one of 25 collegiate football players invited to Phoenix for the photo shoot and the full team will be released in a fall issue. This is the 49th year of the Playboy All-America tradition. Other former honorees include Dan Marino, John Elway, Troy Aikman, Barry Sanders, Michael Vick and Peyton Manning. The event will be held at the Hilton Pointe Resort at South Mountain, May 6-8. The 2005 Mutual of Omaha Blue-Gray Game will be held this Saturday, April 2, at Rhodes College. The awards ceremony will begin at 11:45 a.m., with the scrimmage to follow at noon. This is the second straight year that Rhodes has welcomed the Tigers on its campus. It is also the first year that the game will have a sponsor, as Mutual of Omaha has committed to a three-year partnership. The company will have an interactive booth and giveaways. Rhodes College is located on University St., which is off North Parkway. Fans are asked to park on University or Jackson as there is not extensive parking at the stadium. |
| 03/31/05 |  |
Track and Field Teams to Make Short Trip to Oxford for Ole Miss Invitational -- Several U of M athletes enter meet coming off strong performances last weekend (GoTigersGo.com) |
| Memphis, Tenn. - The U of M track and field teams will make the short trip south to Oxford, Miss., Saturday, April 2, to compete in the Ole Miss Invitational, hosted by the University of Mississippi. Entering the meet, several Memphis athletes are coming off incredibly strong performances at last weekend's LSU Tiger Relays. Heading up that group for the women is senior Lisa-Marie Hyman, who shattered her own school record in the triple jump with a leap of 42-00.75" (12.82m) in a victory at LSU. The mark qualified the Kingston, Jamaica, native for NCAA Regional Championships and currently ranks her first in Conference USA, second in the Mid-East Region and fourth in the nation in the event. Fellow senior Victoria Crawford was a second Lady Tiger to qualify for NCAA Regionals in the triple jump, as she finished third at the Tiger Relays with a mark of 41-00.50" (12.51m). The jump ranks her fourth in C-USA, fifth in the Mid-East Region and 12th in the nation. Sophomore Daniele Riendeau turned in a third stellar performance for the Memphis women, setting a new school record of 4:35.65 in a third-place finish in the 1500m. The time currently places her in second position among C-USA performers in the event. On the men's side, senior Janon Busby goes into Saturday's meet after a pair of third-place showings in the triple jump and high jump last weekend. The reigning C-USA indoor triple jump champion presently ranks third in the conference in both events with marks of 48-03.25" (14.71m) and 6-08.00" (2.03m), respectively. Compeition at the Ole Miss Invitational is set to begin at 10 a.m. Saturday morning with the women's hammer and javelin throws. The first running event will be the women's 5000m, which is scheduled for 12 p.m. A total of 12 teams, including C-USA foe Southern Mississippi, SEC powers, Alabama, Arkansas and Ole Miss and regional rival Arkansas State, are expected to join Memphis in the meet. Results for the Ole Miss Invitational will be available at Ole Miss' website, www.olemisssports.collegesports.com and will be posted at www.gotigersgo.com following the completion of the meet. |
| 03/31/05 | |
Tiger QB situation cloudy -- West says not much separates top three hopefuls (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Phil Stukenborg Contact March 31, 2005 After about two weeks of rain-interrupted spring practices University of Memphis football coach Tommy West isn't ready to name a starting quarterback. He admits that rising junior Patrick Byrne has done little to alter his status atop the depth chart, but that redshirt freshman Will Hudgens and freshman Billy Barefield are making progress too. ''We are nowhere near making a decision,'' he said. ''To me they are all about the same. They all do something well and they all make their mistakes. In my eyes I don't see anybody really ahead of the other right now.'' West is using the spring to begin the process of replacing Danny Wimprine, the UofM's record-setting quarterback who helped direct the Tigers to back-to-back bowls for the first time in the program's history. Byrne, Hudgens and Barefield haven't taken a snap in a college game. Byrne handled kickoff duties the past two seasons. Hudgens, the former Ridgeway High standout, spent last year rehabilitating from a torn anterior cruciate ligament. And Barefield graduated from high school in December and enrolled at the UofM in January to jump-start his college career. ''I'm OK with where they are because I believe there is progress being made,'' West said. ''The thing I'm most pleased with is mentally they have handled it pretty well. If you were coming to watch us practice for the first time you wouldn't know that there's not one out here who has taken a snap in a game. You wouldn't say, 'Boy, those quarterbacks are erratic or inconsistent.' ''They are all trying to do what we want done. They all want to please. To be honest, we are not going to put these guys in a situation where they have to win a game. That wouldn't be very smart. But they are going to have to make their plays, and they're going to have to be sound. I think they've tried to do that.'' The Tigers conduct their annual Blue-Gray Game at noon Saturday at Rhodes College. Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium is not available because its natural grass field is being replaced with artificial turf. In a 100-play scrimmage at the Liberty Bowl last Friday, Byrne, working with the No. 1 offense, overcame an interception on the opening play and had a solid afternoon. He completed 16 of his next 22 passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns. He also scored on a 9-yard run that was nullified by a penalty. ''I made a mistake early but I came back and I thought I did some pretty good things,'' Byrne said. ''Every day I think I'm getting more and more confidence under my belt. I feel as the spring goes on and as we get into the fall my understanding of what's expected is going to improve.'' Although he hasn't played quarterback in a game, Byrne has shown potential. During his first season in 2002 he was named the offensive scout team player of the year. In 2003 he was named the Blue-Gray Game MVP after tossing three touchdowns in the spring scrimmage. ''Patrick is a guy who has been running the offense for two years so he should be ahead right now,'' West said. ''But I want him to play a little bit better mentally than he's been playing. ''Will is a guy that hasn't done anything with this offense. He sat around last year and watched. And Billy, he should be getting ready for his junior-senior prom. He should still be in high school. So I think they are doing well.'' Hudgens, 6-3 and 200 pounds, passed for 1,203 yards as a senior at Ridgeway. ''I'm probably where I thought I'd be at this point ... still learning stuff,'' Hudgens said. ''I've got a lot to learn. I'm just really trying to get back in the groove of things coming off (knee) surgery and everything.'' He said offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner has been keeping on Hudgens about not favoring his left leg, which is in a brace. West has reminded him to pass like John Daly plays golf: grip it and rip it. ''I think I've moved my feet (in scrimmages) but then I'll watch myself on film and that left leg is just sitting on the ground. I'm close to 85 to 90 percent (healed). I'm not there yet but each day my knee feel better.'' Hudgens also had a solid scrimmage Friday completing 11-of-18 passes for 132 yards and a touchdown. He completed six straight passes on a late scoring drive for 62 yards. Barefield (5-10, 165) struggled in the scrimmage, completing 1-of-8 and fumbling a snap. ''I thought Friday was a setback from what I had been doing,'' Barefield said. ''Hopefully I can take two steps forward this week and get back ahead.'' Barefield accounted for 2,458 all-purpose yards and 27 touchdowns as a senior at Evangel Christian Academy in Shreveport, La., playing quarterback, running back and receiver. West said he has Byrne, Hudgens and Barefield ranked 1-2-3 based on seniority. ''Right now I don't know if they are competing as much as they are trying to learn and make themselves efficient,'' West said. ''Hopefully at the end of the spring they will have all learned and know enough so that when we come back in August they can compete. ''None of 'em are good enough to compete for a starting job. I'm trying to get 'em all in a position where they can compete for it. It would be different if one had played in a game.'' -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543 -------------------------------------------------------------- Blue-Gray Game What: The University of Memphis's annual spring scrimmage. When, where: Saturday, noon, at Rhodes College. Admission is free. |
| 03/31/05 | |
Defense rules Tiger scrimmage (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Phil Stukenborg Contact March 31, 2005 University of Memphis linebacker Tim Goodwell scored on a 28-yard interception return Wednesday at the Murphy Athletic Complex to pace a defense that had one of its more productive scrimmages of the spring. The Tigers went through a 74-play workout dominated by a defense that forced an interception and a fumble early before Goodwell's big play about midway through the session. ''It was the best scrimmage we've had, as a whole, on defense,'' Goodwell said. ''We're young. We're still trying to click. But today it was like everybody woke up and was ready to scrimmage. If we can keep that tempo for the remainder of the spring and the whole summer, we'll be ready for the fall.'' After the defense had three-and-out stops on the offense's first two series, defensive back Olen Whitely intercepted a deep ball from Will Hudgens intended for Antonio McCoy. Two series later, defensive end Brandon Farrar recovered a Joseph Doss fumble. After Goodwell's interception, defensive back Jake Kasser contributed a big hit, coming over from the left side of the defense to stop Mario Pratcher for no gain. Two plays later, he sacked Hudgens for a 5-yard loss. The offense scored late in the scrimmage on a 28-yard pass from freshman Billy Barefield to Pratcher, but the TD was sandwiched around a Sam Brewer sack and stellar pass breakups by Rod Smith and Josh Fletcher. Defensive end Marcus West added a sack late. ''We've got a lot to prove after last year,'' said cornerback Dustin Lopez. ''We're trying to hold up our end. We tried to bring some intensity to the field today.'' That intensity played havoc with two of the quarterback's numbers. Hudgens was 2-of-11 for 11 yards and an interception. Patrick Byrne was 4-of-11 for 45 yards and an interception. Barefield was 5-of-8 for 95 yards and the TD pass. |
| 03/31/05 | |
Jumping hurdles and oceans, athlete's voyage nears end (Daily Helmsman) |
| Tim Miller Sports Reporter March 31, 2005 Back home in Budapest, Hungary, Daniel Kiss, a hurdler on The University of Memphis track and field team, was running away from the competition. During his high school career, he racked up ten national championships in indoor and outdoor competitions combined. Kiss won the Hungarian Indoor National Championship in the 110m hurdles in 1999 and 2000. He also claimed the Outdoor National Championship in 1999 and 2000 in the same event. Kiss knew if he wanted to progress, he had to go somewhere that offered a higher level of competition. That place was half way around the world -- the U.S. "Here, anywhere I go everyone's good," Kiss said. "The hurdlers are at a higher level." So, how did Kiss land in Memphis? Gary Nemeth, a senior sprinter for the Tigers and also Hungarian, is Kiss's best friend. After receiving a scholarship to The University, Nemeth lobbied hard to bring his buddy along for the ride. "I let coach know about him," he said. "I was like his agent." It wasn't a tough sell for Nemeth. Head coach Glenn Hays wasn't about to turn down a 6'6" hurdler with such a gaudy background. "He's the second best high hurdler in school history in terms of his personal best," Hays said. Unfortunately for Kiss, he stumbled out of the blocks at Memphis. After breaking his leg last year, he was unable to compete in any outdoor events. "I got injured here immediately," Kiss said. "I wasn't able to show my ability." The stress facture that sidelined Kiss in 2004 also left him with only one year of eligibility as a Tiger. Coach Hays only wishes he had more time. "There's not much of a future here for him now," he said. That doesn't mean Hays has lost interest in his hurdler, it just makes his goals more immediate. "We're hoping he'll win the conference and qualify for the NCAA outdoor championships," Hays said. If his recent performance is any indicator, these goals are definitely within reach. He recovered from the leg injury and had a strong showing in the Conference USA Indoor Championships that were held in February in Houston. Kiss finished second to defending champion Andrew Carruthers of Houston, with a time of 7.86 seconds in the 60m hurdles final. At the LSU Tiger Relays on Saturday, Kiss participated in the men's 4x100 relay team along with Willie Green, Daniel Bandy, and Nemeth. The Tigers finished in fifth place with a time of 41.23. Although Kiss plans on going back to Hungary upon his graduation, he hasn't lost focus in Memphis. "I came here to do something special," he said. In order to do this, Kiss will be in a race against time. |
| 03/31/05 |  |
Baseball Out Dueled by Austin Peay, 9-6 -- Tigers finish five-game road trip 2-3 (GoTigersGo.com) |
| CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - MEMPHIS (8-14) 202 010 001 - 6 9 3 Austin Peay (13-10) 001 131 12X - 9 11 3 Junior Jordan Tolliver and freshman Chris Newsom each hit their first career home runs, but Austin Peay managed to plate runs in six of their eight half-innings to claim a 9-6 non-conference win over Memphis, Wednesday evening at Raymond C. Hand Park. After taking a 4-0 lead through two-and-a-half innings, the Tigers were outscored by the Govs, 9-2, over the final six innings of action. APSU remains perfect at home in seven games. For the third consecutive game Memphis got on the board first. The Tigers broke the scoring column first with a pair of runs in the opening inning. Tolliver ignited the rally with a one-out double just inside the third base bag. Ryan Martin followed with drive to left centerfield that was dropped by Will Hogue. Tolliver put Memphis on the board on a wild pitch and Adam Amar knocked Martin in on a single through the left side. Tolliver produced the Tigers' next two runs, in the third inning, on a two-run home run over the centerfield fence. The round tripper was Tolliver's first as a Tiger. Austin Peay cut the Memphis advantage to 4-1 after Will Hogue looped a double just inside the leftfield foul line to break up starter Blake Richardson's string of eight straight retired batters. Cody Youngblood then belted an RBI-double to left, driving Hogue in. The Govs closed the gap in the home half of the fourth inning as Richardson walked Brett Luther and then hit Jared Walker. DH Chris Hyde then lined a double into the rightfield corner to bring Luther in. With runners on second and third and just one out, the Governors looked as if they would produce a big inning. However, Richardson was able to fan the next three batters to put the threat to rest. Memphis won the answerback inning on the first batter of the inning, when Newsom launched a Devin Thomas offering over the rightfield wall to put the Tigers ahead 5-2. APSU plated three runs in the fifth to tie the contest at 5-5. Jake Peterson led off the frame with a double off the centerfield wall. After a one-out walk, a Tiger error allowed the Govs to score to close the Tiger lead to 5-3. An RBI-single by Walker followed by a sacrifice fly by Hyde tied the game. The Govs made it four unanswered runs, in the sixth, to claim its first lead of the contest after Tommy Smith led off the inning with a triple off the wall in centerfield and then scored on a groundball out. APSU used a pair of Memphis errors to extend its lead to 7-5 in the seventh, and plated a pair of insurance tallies in the eighth for the 9-5 final. The Tigers got a bases-loaded walk by Martin to come within three runs with two outs in the ninth. Memphis will now return home for a four-game homestand that begins with a three-game Conference USA series with the Southern Miss Golden Eagles, Apr. 1-3. First pitch for Friday's series opener is set for 6:30 p.m. at "The Nat". Listen to the live broadcast with the `Voice of Tiger Baseball', Jeff Brightwell on WUMR 91.7 FM. |
| 03/30/05 |  |
Alex Bucewicz Named C-USA Player of the Week -- Senior earns second weekly honor of the season (GoTigersGo.com) |
| MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Senior Alex Bucewicz (Melbourne, Australia) was named the Conference USA Men's Tennis player of the week after winning his No. 2 singles match to clinch a 4-3 victory over Georgia State on Sunday. Bucewicz clinched the Tiger victory with a thrilling third set tiebreaker, 13-11. All four Memphis points in that match were singles victories from the Tiger senior class. The Tigers are the No. 68 ranked team in the country in the latest poll released on March 29th. Memphis is 9-9 on the season and 3-1 in Conference USA play. A three-time member of the Conference USA academic honor roll, Bucewicz is one of two Tigers to have already posted 10 singles wins this season. This is Bucewicz's second weekly honor of the season and the fourth of his career. The Melbourne, Australia native is now 10-8 in singles on the season, including a 5-1 mark at No. 2 and a 5-7 mark at No. 1, and is 6-4 in his last 10 matches. Bucewicz and fellow senior Marten Tamla are 6-6 at No. 2 doubles on the season. For his career, Bucewicz is 80-39 in singles and 60-33 in doubles. He is on pace to graduate this May with a degree in Health and Human Performance. The Tigers will next return home for an Apr. 6th match against Southeast Louisiana. That match will be played at the U of M Varsity Courts located on the corner of Echles and Spottswood. Admission is free. |
| 03/30/05 | |
Riendeau Adds Name to Lady Tiger Record Book in 1500m -- Sets third U of M record of 2005 season (GoTigersGo.com) |
| Baton Rouge, La. - The Lady Tiger records keep coming for distance runner Daniele Riendeau, as the sophomore set a new University of Memphis mark in the 1500m at last weekend's LSU Tiger Relays. Riendeau's record-setting performance came in a third-place finish at the Tiger Relays, where she posted a time of 4:35.65. The mark broke Laura Brewer's school record, which had stood since 1979, by just under eight seconds. The 1500m record is the third of the 2005 seasons (indoor and outdoor) for the Ottawa, Ontario native, who previously set U of M bests in the indoor mile-run (5:01.14) and 3000m (10:12.77). Riendeau will now turn her attention toward the ultimate goals of qualifying for NCAA Regionals and winning a Conference USA championship. She currently sits just eight seconds off the 1500m Regional qualifying time of 4:27.80, and ranks second in C-USA, just tenths of a second behind Lisa Green of Tulane, who finished second at the Tiger Relays with a time of 4:35.24. The next meet for Riendeau and the rest of the U of M track and field squads will be the Ole Miss Invitational, which will be held Saturday, April 2, in Oxford, Miss. |
| 03/30/05 |  |
Breakfast raises $100,000 for U of M athletics (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Phil Stukenborg Contact March 30, 2005 Nearly $100,000 was raised for the University of Memphis Tiger Scholarship Fund Tuesday during an invitation-only breakfast at The Racquet Club for area business leaders and key supporters of the athletic department. The Tiger Scholarship Fund, formerly known as Tiger Clubs, is the fund-raising arm for athletics and helps defray the $5 million cost of providing scholarships for the school's 300-plus student-athletes. Bill Lansden, the UofM's associate athletic director for development, said about $4.4 million was raised last year by the department's fund-raising arm and the goal is to reach $5 million this fiscal year, which ends June 30. ''Schools in (Bowl Championship Series) conferences average $7.5 million annually in fund-raising,'' Lansden said. ''That's what we're compared to. We are going to get to $7.5 million but we've first got to grow annually. And our first goal is to reach $5 million this year.'' More than 100 business leaders and supporters attended the meeting presented by the university and the Tiger Scholarship Fund. Former First Tennessee chairman and CEO Ron Terry was the featured speaker. Tiger football coach Tommy West and UofM women's basketball coach Blair Savage also spoke briefly, as did athletic director R. C. Johnson before boarding a private jet for Tuesday night's Memphis-Saint Joseph's NIT game in New York. ''As state funding (for universities) has gone down, tuition costs have gone up,'' Johnson said. ''Our ultimate goal is to have the gift-giving equal the scholarship costs. It's $5 million now but it will be $6 million quickly.'' Terry, who recently became the 16th member of the Ambassador's Club (a $500,000 donation), said an investment in athletics was an investment in the university. ''I truly believe that dollars put into the athletic program leverage more dollars going into the academic programs simply because of the media exposure that athletics get that universities' academic programs can't get,'' Terry said. ''In a better world it might be more balanced but that's the world we live in.'' Football indoors The Tiger football team went through a two-hour workout indoors at the Murphy Athletic Complex's turf room Tuesday, chased inside by wet fields saturated by Sunday's heavy rains. West said he hoped to take his team outdoors today -- field conditions permitting -- to practice and conduct a scrimmage of ''about 80 or 90 plays.'' The Tigers will play their Blue-Gray Game at noon Saturday at Rhodes College. |
| 03/30/05 |  |
Rocky ride stops -- Tigers become underachievers again in loss to Saint Joseph's (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Gary Parrish Contact March 30, 2005 NEW YORK -- With less than a minute left in his college career Duane Erwin stood on the court, glanced up at the scoreboard, looked down and then up again. Up. Down. Up. Down. The University of Memphis senior's head bounced back and forth, from wood to rafter for most the final seconds. He appeared to hope the clock would stop or at least pause and offer a little more time. "Everything went through my mind," Erwin said later. "I was just wondering what more I could have done." Erwin explained he was thinking what more could he have done to win this specific game. Still, the thought translated well to the entire year. With a 70-58 loss to Saint Joseph's in the NIT semifinals Tuesday night, this wacky season the Tigers have endured came to an abrupt, if not unimpressive, end. So everybody sat around a joyless locker room inside Madison Square Garden, and asked themselves that same question Erwin presented, just in a broader sense. What more could they have done? In this game? In this season? To avoid a third NIT in five years? To make the postseason meet preseason expectations? "It was a wild year," acknowledged Memphis point guard Darius Washington, who scored 14 points against SJU. "But you know, in November and December we weren't an NCAA team or an NIT team. We were nothing. But Coach Cal got us turned around." And then here in New York they turned around again. This time, back in the wrong direction. With Jeremy Hunt sidelined because of a torn ACL, this Memphis team looked a lot like that Memphis team that started 7-7 and was routed early by Syracuse, Maryland and Pittsburgh. The Tigers (22-16) had six assists and seven turnovers. They missed 13-of-17 3-point attempts. They were out-rebounded by a 40-31 margin. It created a game in which Memphis never got closer than six points in the final 13 minutes, and was labeled "selfish" by its coach, John Calipari. Meanwhile, Saint Joseph's (24-11) moved on to Thursday's championship game against South Carolina, a 75-67 winner over Maryland in Tuesday's nightcap. "Saint Joe's did what they had to do, and we didn't," Calipari said. "They deserved to win the game." Later, Calipari stood outside near the team bus, and further addressed the situation. A brisk New York wind pounded him in the face. The symbolism was hard to miss. For the past five months Calipari has run against the wind, almost without exception. A preseason Top 25 ranking turned into a midseason disaster, into a late-season collapse, into another NIT. And though Calipari admitted the end result wasn't ideal, or even satisfactory, he seemed to have few regrets about this season as a whole, even if he has several times called it the hardest of his career. "Is this what we want? No. We want to be in the Final Four. That's why I came here," Calipari said. "But I tell you what, I'm proud of these guys. This has been a rewarding year. It's just a downer, how it finished." -- Gary Parrish: 529-2365 -------------------------------------------------------------- NIT Tuesday's semifinals Saint Joseph's 70, Memphis 58 South Carolina 75, Maryland 67 Thursday Championship: Saint Joseph's (24-11) vs. South Carolina (19-13), 6 p.m. CST; ESPN |
| 03/30/05 | |
U of M Postgame (Commercial Appeal) |
| Play of the game Every time Memphis made a run and got close in the second half, Saint Joseph's had somebody make a big shot to increase its cushion. With 1:53 left that somebody was Pat Carroll, a 6-5 wing who hit a 3-pointer from the right corner as the shot clock neared expiration. The jumper gave SJU a 66-55 advantage, and seemed to put the game out of reach for good as chants of "The Hawks will never die!" began. Stat of the game In the previous seven games, Darius Washington had averaged 5.7 assists. Against Saint Joseph's, the freshman point guard managed just one assist and three turnovers. The Tigers were 1-7 this season when Washington had one or no assists. X's and O's Without Jeremy Hunt available to help handle the ball, Washington had to stay on the court as much as possible. Here's why: The freshman took his first break with about six minutes left in the first half, which left no point guard in the game. On the Tigers' first possession without him, Abdulai Jalloh got a steal before Memphis even got into an offensive set. Quickly, John Calipari re-inserted Washington. Odds and ends After the loss, Washington stood outside the locker room and spent about 10 minutes talking with New Jersey Nets star Vince Carter. The two joked and laughed and seemed to have a good time. But apparently after that Carter was really busy. Because when a young Saint Joseph's fan hanging out near the Hawks' locker room asked politely if she could snap a quick picture with him, Carter turned, said "No," and walked away. "The young girl's response? "He is so mean." Memphis junior Rodney Carney is now 16th on the Tigers' all-time scoring list with 1,265 points, just one point behind Bobby Parks. Carney scored 607 points this season. If he were to match that number as a senior, the Indianapolis native would end his career with 1,872 points, or three more than the legendary Larry Finch tallied in his three varsity seasons. Tuesday marked the first time Washington has played in front of an unfriendly crowd since he missed 2-of-3 free throws at the end of regulation against Louisville in the title game of the Conference USA Tournament. So, predictably, he heard about it. Every time Washington went to the line, the Saint Joseph's students chanted "1-for-3!" or "Choke!" over and over again. Washington was unfazed, and made 5-of-6 in the game. Washington, by the way, is now 23-of-26 from the free-throw line since missing his final two against Louisville. That translates to 88.5 percent. Carney usually amazes crowds with some sort of dunk. On Tuesday, he instead did it with defense, though the feat still involved the junior's leaping ability. Jalloh was on his way to what appeared to be an open layup late in the first half. But Carney sprinted back, met Jallohin the air and turned him back the other way. It was a combination of athleticism and power, and easily the best block by any Tiger this season. What's next The loss means Memphis's season is over and that the Tigers finished with a 22-16 record in the final year for Duane Erwin, Arthur Barclay and Anthony Rice. The UofM's next game should be in early November, when it plans to participate in the preseason NIT. In other words, the Tigers could be back at The Garden in eight months. -- Gary Parrish |
| 03/30/05 | |
Carney says he'll be back for senior season -- Freshman Washington also plans to return to U of M next year (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Gary Parrish Contact March 30, 2005 NEW YORK -- Rodney Carney's name has been surrounded by NBA Draft rumors for months. Will he stay? Will he go? After Tuesday's season-ending loss to Saint Joseph's, the University of Memphis junior addressed the issue. "More than likely, I'll be back," Carney said. "I haven't really thought about it much. But now that I think about it, I think I'll be back." According to most draft analysts, Carney could be a late first-rounder on athleticism alone, but would more than likely slip into the second round, where guaranteed contracts are hard to come by. Thus, the 6-7 wing seems intent on returning for another year of college. Asked whether he believes he's ready to be a pro, Carney, without hesitation, answered, "No," as did freshman Darius Washington, who said, "I will be a sophomore at Memphis" when asked about his future plans. Either way, Calipari said he intends to meet with both players in the coming weeks, and talk about the possible scenarios. "If I thought either of them could go in the first round or be drafted at any significant number, I'd tell them to go," Calipari said. "But I don't see that happening. I think either one of them would be lucky second-round picks." |
| 03/30/05 | |
Tigers hold lead, beat Murray St. (Commercial Appeal) |
| By From Our Press Services March 30, 2005 The University of Memphis baseball team beat Murray State 11-8 Tuesday, but not before nearly blowing a 10-1 lead. Chris South (2-1) got the win in relief, allowing no runs on no hits, and walking two in 12/3 innings. Ryan Fly allowed no hits and walked one in the last two innings to earn the save for Memphis (8-13). Jake Ociesa (2-2), who took the loss for Murray State (13-12), was rocked for 10 runs on seven hits in 11/3 innings. |
| 03/30/05 | |
Lady Tigers Come Back to Down SIU, 4-3 -- Memphis picks up third road win of the season (GoTigersGo.com) |
| Carbondale, Ill. - The Lady Tiger tennis team (4-9) came back from dropping the doubles point with wins at 1, 2, 4 and 6 singles to upend Southern Illinois, 4-3, Tuesday. It was the third road win of the season for the Lady Tigers, while Southern Illinois suffered the loss in its home opener.
The Salukis struck first, coming back from an 8-1 loss at No. 1 doubles to win at No. 3 doubles. With all eyes on the No. 2 doubles, the Salukis held on for a 9-7 win and an early 1-0 lead in the match.
But the Lady Tigers would answer back with junior Andrea Feichtinger evening the match at one apiece with a 6-1, 6-3 win at No. 2 singles. She would be shortly followed by junior Kristin Noble, who posted a 6-2, 6-3 win, making it 2-1 Memphis. Sophomore Alex Tjioe, who booked a 6-3, 6-2 win at No. 6 singles, stretched the Memphis lead to 3-1 before Marlene Dirnstorfer wrapped up her seventh singles victory of the season, 6-3, 6-2, at No. 1.
The Lady Tigers return home for their final home match of the season, Saturday. The match will begin at 1:30 p.m. Memphis 4, Southern Illinois 3 Singles No. 1 -- Marlene Dirnstorfer (UM) def. Mario Blanco, 6-3, 6-2 No. 2 -- Andrea Feichtinger (UM) def. Amanda Taillefer, 6-1, 6-3 No. 3 -- Tana Trapani def. Brooke Cowie (UM), 4-6, 6-0, 6-3 No. 4 -- Kristin Noble (UM) def. Zoya Honormand, 6-2, 6-3 No. 5 -- Zuzana Palovic def. Christina Wieser (UM), 5-7, 7-5, 10-6 No. 6 -- Alex Tjioe (UM) def. Laura Bredniak, 6-3, 6-2 Doubles No. 1 -- Dirnstorfer/Cowie (UM) def. Blanco/Trapani, 8-1 No. 2 -- Palovic/Honarmand def. Feichtinger/Tjioe (UM), 9-7 No. 3 -- Taillefer/Bredniak def. Noble/Kathrin Kohl (UM), 8-5 |
| 03/29/05 | |
Tigers Knocked Out Of NIT By Hawks, 70-58 -- Carney scores 21 to lead Memphis as season comes to an end (GoTigersGo.com) |
| By IRA PODELL AP Sports Writer NEW YORK - Pat Carroll scored 13 of his 24 points in the second half, and Saint Joseph's won for the 21st time in 2005 by beating Memphis 70-58 in the NIT semifinals on Tuesday night. Carroll, the Atlantic 10 co-player of the year, was 6-of-9 from 3-point range - including 3-of-4 in the second half, when the Hawks pulled away behind 56.3-percent shooting. Dwayne Jones added 13 points and 14 rebounds - eight offensive - for Saint Joseph's, 21-5 since Jan. 1. The Hawks (24-11), who had to win four games just to get to Madison Square Garden, will face either Maryland or South Carolina for the tournament championship on Thursday. Memphis won three times at home but couldn't get past the Hawks, who continue to prove that they are a strong national program. Saint Joseph's reached the regional finals of the NCAA tournament last year behind the star guard tandem of Jameer Nelson and Delonte West, who now play in the NBA. Now, the Hawks are enjoying the longest postseason run in school history. John Bryant grabbed seven rebounds for Saint Joseph's and continues to give the Hawks a lift since returning from a broken arm. Rodney Carney scored 21 points, 17 in the second half, and freshman guard Darius Washington added 14 for Memphis (22-16). Washington finished 23-of-26 from the free throw line in the NIT. It was his two misses with no time remaining in the Conference USA championship game that sent Memphis to this tournament instead of the NCAA. Memphis used a 12-5 run during the first 5:30 of the second half to make it 37-35. But the Hawks responded with a 10-2 spurt to push their lead back to 10 points. The Tigers used pressure to get back into the game after trailing 32-23 at halftime. But the Hawks used great second-half shooting to secure the victory. After Washington made two free throws, Carroll responded with a 3 to make it 40-35. Dwayne Lee made a pretty pass inside to Robert Ferguson for a layup that made it 46-37. Carroll took over late with two 3s that pushed the advantage to 66-55 with 1:57 remaining. After the Saint Joseph's run, Memphis never got closer than six points the rest of the way. The Hawks' defense was the reason why. Memphis averaged 71.8 points, but was held under 60 for the seventh time this season. Saint Joseph's is 22-2 when holding opponents to 60 points or fewer, and the Tigers are 3-13 when they fail to reach 70. Saint Joseph's led at halftime for the fourth straight time in the NIT. The only tournament game the Hawks trailed at the break was the opener against Hofstra. The Hawks were behind for just 51 seconds of the first half, and have been ahead for all but 17 minutes in the NIT - nearly 12 of which came against Hofstra. Memphis looked ready to run through the NIT, winning their three preliminary games by an average of 20 points. But the Tigers' third trip to the NIT Final Four ended early. They had won nine straight in the tournament and 12 of 13, taking the title in 2002 over South Carolina. |
| 03/29/05 | |
Box Score -- Saint Joseph's 70, Memphis 58 (GoTigersGo.com) |
| MEMPHIS (22-16) Barclay 1-3 0-2 2, W.Williams 1-3 0-0 2, Erwin 4-11 0-0 9, Rice 1-4 1-4 4, Washington Jr. 4-16 5-6 14, Carney 9-16 2-4 21, Dorsey 2-3 2-2 6. Totals 22-56 10-18 58. SAINT JOSEPH'S (24-11) Carroll 8-13 2-2 24, Mallon 0-2 0-0 0, Jones 6-10 1-4 13, Lee 1-7 7-8 10, Stachitas 2-10 7-8 11, Bryant 1-2 1-2 3, Jalloh 0-3 4-7 4, Ferguson 2-3 0-0 5. Totals 20-50 22-31 70. Halftime-Saint Joseph's 32-23. 3-Point Goals-Memphis 4-17 (Erwin 1-1, Rice 1-4, Washington Jr. 1-5, Carney 1-7), Saint Joseph's 8-21 (Carroll 6-9, Ferguson 1-2, Lee 1-5, Jalloh 0-1, Mallon 0-1, Stachitas 0-3). Fouled Out-None. Rebounds-Memphis 31 (Carney, Erwin 6), Saint Joseph's 40 (Jones 14). Assists-Memphis 6 (Rice 2), Saint Joseph's 15 (Lee 7). Total Fouls-Memphis 19, Saint Joseph's 16. |
| 03/29/05 | |
Baseball Holds Off Murray State for 11-8 Triumph -- Tigers look for third straight at Austin Peay on Wednesday (GoTigersGo.com) |
| MURRAY, Ky. - MEMPHIS (8-13) 280 000 100 - 11 11 3 Murray State (13-12) 110 213 000 - 8 10 6 Memphis benefited from four Murray State errors to score eight runs in the second inning en route to an 11-8 win on Tuesday afternoon in non-conference action. Memphis improves to 8-13 with its second consecutive win. A two-run double by Ryan Martin gave Memphis a first-inning lead. Chad House led off the game with an infield single and stole second before moving to third on a single by Jordan Tolliver. After a Murray run in the first, Memphis took advantage of four Thoroughbred errors to break open the contests with eight runs in the second and push ahead 10-1. A House single through the right side followed walks by Alex Fennell and Chris Newsom. Fennell scored on the single, but Murray State rightfielder Lincoln Kent misplayed the ball and it rolled under his glove and to the rightfield wall. The error allowed Newsom to score from first and House to advance to third. A fielding error by shortstop Phil Lopez allowed Tolliver to reach and House to score. Kent made his second error of the inning when an Adam Amar flyball glanced off the end of his glove allowing Tolliver and Martin to score. RBI-singles by Robbie Goss and K.K. Chalmers brought Amar and Goss home, respectively. An RBI-ground out by Fennell capped the Tigers' scoring for the inning. Murray answered back with a run in the second and two more in the fourth. Dustin Hennigar's fourth-inning RBI-single to left cut the Tiger lead to 10-3. The ball rolled under House's glove and to the wall on the play, allowing Hennigar to score. The Breds plated their third unanswered run, in the fifth inning. Alex Stewart blasted a double off the top of the centerfield wall and moved to third on a groundout. He then scored when Amar mishandled a groundball off the bat of Tyler Pittman. MSU continued to chip away at the Memphis lead in the sixth after Austin Swain began the frame with a single. Tiger reliever Greg Rees then hit Lopez and DH Chaz Ebert looped a single to center to load the sacks. Seth Hudson lifted a sac fly to leftfield and Stewart drove in Lopez on a bases-loaded fielder's choice groundout to close the Memphis lead to 10-7. Ebert then scored on a wild pitch to close the gap to just two runs. Errors continued to plague the Breds in the seventh. Memphis' first two batters reached and Fennell then laid down a bunt single. However, Thoroughbred reliever West Harris' throw to first sailed wide to allow Patrick Hope to score from second. Murray committed six errors in the contest. Five Tigers posted multiple hits as Memphis scored in double digits for the fifth time this season. Martin drove in a pair of runs and House, Tolliver and Hope each scored three runs. Chris South picked up his second win of the year, while Ryan Fly closed the game with two scoreless innings to record his second save. Murray State starter Jake Ociesa took the loss after giving up 10 runs in one and one-third innings of work. Ociesa gave up just four earned runs in a hard-luck outing. The Tigers will take the diamond for the final game of this five-game road swing on Wed., Mar. 30 when they face Austin Peay. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. Listen to the live broadcast with the `Voice of Tiger Baseball', Jeff Brightwell on WUMR 91.7 FM. |
| 03/29/05 |  |
Dobson Signs with Kansas City Wizards -- Last year's team captain becomes first Tiger taken by MLS team (GoTigersGo.com) |
| KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Kansas City Wizards General Manager Curt Johnson announced yesterday the signings of defender Daniel Dobson to the Wizards developmental roster. He joins one other signee, three Wizards draftees and two returning players on the developmental roster in advance of the 2005 MLS season opener this weekend. "With an expanded regular season and our first year of Reserve League play, the opportunities for young talented players have never been more abundant," Johnson said. "Each of these players will have the opportunity to develop under Bob Gansler and Brian Bliss. Both are fantastic teachers of the game and have helped us to develop many young players over the past five-plus seasons." Dobson was a standout defender/midfielder for the University of Memphis. The 21-year-old served as the Tigers captain his senior year and helped lead them to an impressive 16-4-1 record, capturing the Conference USA regular season and Tournament Championship and earning a berth in the NCAA tournament. As a senior, Dobson registered career highs for goals (5), assists (7) and points (17). Dobson joins three other players on the Wizards developmental roster who were acquired during the MLS SuperDraft and Supplemental draft earlier this year including forward Ryan Pore and midfielders John-Minagawa-Webster and Doug Lascody. Each MLS team is allowed ten developmental players at one time and players can be added or released from the developmental roster at any time during the season. |
| 03/29/05 | |
Familiar foe -- Tigers' Calipari has long relationship with fellow coach at Saint Joseph's (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Gary Parrish Contact March 29, 2005 NEW YORK -- It was March 26, 1996, or four days before John Calipari would coach the biggest game of his life. The rise of Massachusetts basketball had reached its apex. In 96 hours, Calipari's Minutemen would face Kentucky in the NCAA Final Four at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, N.J. There were ticket requests to be handled. Nerves had to be calmed. A game plan had to be designed. So what did Calipari do? He loaded his players on a bus and took them across the Hudson River to Madison Square Garden to watch Saint Joseph's, UMass's Atlantic 10 brethren, play in the NIT semifinals. "They were actually on their way to the Meadowlands, and he stopped and brought his team in to watch us play just to show support," said Phil Martelli, who was then in his first season as Saint Joe's coach. "I'll never forget that." Tonight at 6 (CST), the University of Memphis (22-15) and Saint Joseph's (23-11) will play in the first semifinal of the NIT. Calipari and Martelli are back at The Garden. But this time, the roles are different. Calipari is no longer the young hotshot just stopping by on his way to the Final Four. Instead, he's a participant, for the third time in five years. Likewise, Martelli is no longer the longtime assistant just trying to get a grip on being a head coach. Instead, he's a 10-year veteran dealing with the loss of two first-round NBA draft picks in the season after the best season in the history of Hawk basketball. So, no, this is not the ideal setting for either. Still, as far as the NIT goes, it's as compelling a matchup as can be desired featuring two of the true characters of this sport who attract headlines. Like last month, when Martelli was all over the news. With Martelli's Hawks playing Temple, Owls coach John Chaney inserted a player into the game with the instructions to commit hard fouls. One of those fouls resulted in a broken arm for Saint Joseph's forward John Bryant. In the ensuing public outrage, Chaney was suspended for the Atlantic 10 Tournament. Calipari, who had a famous incident with Chaney during his days at UMass, commented on the situation on ESPN. "(Because it's) fair-haired Phil in Philly and it was St. Joe's and they're losing, (Chaney's) out. That's my problem with it. I think it's hypocritical," Calipari said, comparing the situation to one he had with Chaney years ago. In that incident, Chaney tried to attack Calipari in a press conference, which resulted in nothing but a nice TV clip. In 2005, a student-athlete was hit and broke his arm, resulting in Chaney's suspension. "I called John on that," Martelli said. "It was a very sensitive thing, and unless you went through that, how could you possibly comment on the situation from afar?" So Martelli asked for an explanation. "I told Phil I meant it as a positive comment," Calipari said. "At first, Phil was like, 'Why would you say that? You and I are friends.' But I said, 'Phil, you are bigger in Philadelphia than (Eagles coach) Andy Reid. How?' "Instead of saying 'fair-haired' I could've said, 'Mr. Popular' or something," Calipari said. "But basically what I was saying was that when it happened to me the city didn't have a problem, so why do they have a problem now? ... But I don't condone (either incident)." So the storyline is set. And though it's possible the whole thing has been overblown, both coaches know it's a point of focus, and something that will be addressed again tonight once ESPN2 begins its broadcast. "It is a storyline," Martelli acknowledged. "John and I have been written and talked about enough, so the emphasis should really be on the teams. But if this brings attention to the tournament, then that's great." With that, he paused. Then Martelli, who is mostly bald, offered a more light-hearted take on the fair-haired label. "But really," he said, "I'm just ecstatic somebody would mention hair and my name in the same sentence." -- Gary Parrish: 529-2365 ----------------------------------------------------------- NIT semifinals Matchup: Tigers (22-15) vs. Saint Joseph's (23-11). When, where: Today, 6 p.m. CST, at New York's Madison Square Garden. TV, radio: ESPN2, WMC-AM (790), WKBQ-FM (93.5). Tonight's other semifinal: South Carolina (18-13) vs. Maryland (19-12), 8:30 p.m. CST; ESPN2 |
| 03/29/05 | |
Tigers vs. Saint Joseph's (Commercial Appeal) |
| 6 p.m. CST, Madison Square Garden, New York TV, radio: ESPN2, WMC-AM (790), WKBQ-FM (93.5). Records: Memphis 22-15, Saint Josephs' 23-11. Series standing: Memphis leads, 1-0. Latest line: Memphis by 21/2 . Notables This will be the Tigers' 17th game on national television this season. Ron Franklin, Bill Raferty, Fran Fraschilla and Holly Rowe will handle the ESPN2 broadcast. ... The winner of tonight's semifinal will play either Maryland or South Carolina in the championship game Thursday at 6 CST. There is no third-place game. ... People still trying to get tickets today can do so online at ticketmaster.com. According to Saint Joseph's Web site, anyone using the code "stjoes" will receive a $5 discount. ... The Tigers won the only meeting between this schools, 77-60, in the ECAC Holiday Festival on Dec. 27, 1991, at Madison Square Garden. ... Memphis is 19-14 all-time in the NIT. The Tigers have won nine straight NIT contests, dating to the 2001 third-place game against Detroit. ... Memphis is 1-2 at MSG this season, with losses to Syracuse and Pittsburgh and a victory over Saint Mary's. ... Memphis is 5-4 at MSG in the John Calipari era. . . . Memphis junior Rodney Carney is 19th on the Tigers' all-time scoring list with 1,244 points. He needs one field goal to pass Orby Arnold. With 11 points the Indianapolis native will move into 16th place, just ahead of James Bradley. ... Senior Duane Erwin needs six blocked shots to move past Kelvin Allen into seventh on the school's all-time list. Scouting the Tigers Memphis is coming off an 81-68 victory over Vanderbilt on Wednesday in the NIT quarterfinals. In that win, Rodney Carney came off the bench to score a game-high 26 points. He'll probably continue to be a reserve -- expect Waki Williams to get his first start -- even though Jeremy Hunt's season is over thanks to a torn ACL suffered in the first half against the Commodores. The injury leaves Memphis with two healthy guards: Darius Washington and Anthony Rice. Washington is the only capable point guard, so he'll probably log extensive minutes. The freshman is averaging 35 minutes per game this season. Scouting the Hawks Saint Joseph's, coached by Phil Martelli, is coming off a 58-51 victory at Texas A&M Wednesday in the NIT quarterfinals. In that win, senior wing Pat Carroll scored 22 points, 11 of which came from the free throw line. St. Joe's has won 20 of its past 25 games after starting 3-6. That rough opening included a 91-51 loss at Kansas and a loss at San Francisco. But the Hawks rebounded to win their fifth consecutive Atlantic 10 title, becoming only the second school to complete such a feat. The other was UMass, during the Calipari years. Like Memphis, Saint Joseph's lost in its league tournament final, 76-67, to George Washington. The Hawks beat GW in the regular season by 15 points. Senior forward John Bryant is averaging 2.6 points per game. But that's not why he's famous. Instead, he's known as the guy who suffered a broken arm when Temple coach John Chaney sent his "goon" in to commit fouls late this season. At the time, Bryant's career was feared over, but he should play tonight, though not at 100 percent. Key matchup: Anthony Rice vs. Pat Carroll Carroll is actually listed as the Hawks' 3-man. But Rice, Memphis's shooting guard, will probably get the assignment. After all, he is the Tigers' top perimeter defender, and the only other option is Rodney Carney, who has struggled on the defensive end lately. Carroll scored 22 points last time out and took eight 3-pointers. So Rice has to guard outside the arc and keep the Saint Joseph's senior from getting open looks. -- Gary Parrish |
| 03/29/05 | |
Tigers return to NYC for NIT semifinals (Daily Helmsman) |
| Daniel Ford contact March 29, 2005 The joke was made in the halls outside The University of Memphis basketball locker room at FedExForum. Moments after an 81-68 win over Vanderbilt in the NIT quarterfinals last Wednesday, a team manager commented about going back to New York for the NIT Final Four when a someone standing in the hall said, "You guys play there more than the (New York) Knicks." The Tigers (22-15) have indeed been frequent visitors to Madison Square Garden, making their third trip of the season and seventh in the last five years. They will make their Big Apple return against St. Joseph's (23-11) tonight. For coach John Calipari, the return trip offers a chance for redemption. In their first two trips this season the Tigers are 1-2. "As bad as we played last time it's almost like, 'let's go redeem ourselves,'" said Calipari, whose team suffered a 15-point loss to Syracuse and a 19-point loss to Pittsburgh. "People watching us will say they can't believe it's the same team." Memphis isn't playing like the confused team that fell apart in the final minutes against Syracuse or the squad that showed no semblance of rhythm against the Panthers. The Tigers are winners of six of their last seven games, their best stretch of the season. In the span Memphis' average margin of victory is nearly 18 points. "We're more of a seasoned team now. Plus our seniors are playing well," Calipari said. "When you have three seniors out there and a junior, even if you're point guard is a freshman, those other guys are veteran guys." It is yet to be seen how the team will react without junior guard Jeremy Hunt, who tore his ACL in the quarterfinal win. The Tigers were 6-1 since Hunt replaced Rodney Carney in the starting lineup. Hunt was also the only consistent ball handler other than freshman guard Darius Washington. "(His injury) affects us a lot. He was the backup point, he also started so now we're going to have to switch up some things," Carney said. "Some other players are going to have to run point like me. We're going to have to lock down and we kind of know what we have to do." Senior post Duane Erwin has been playing his best basketball in his last few games. In his final home game, Erwin pulled down 15 boards and tallied 10 points. "We're ready to go to New York," Erwin said. "I'm trying to go out the way I came in, with an NIT Championship." Memphis' run throughout the first three rounds of the NIT would've been hard to predict. After a gut-wrenching 76-75 loss to Louisville in the Conference USA Championship game that cost Memphis an NCAA bid, some wondered if the team would care enough to play well in the NIT. The spark came the day after the loss. "After Darius missed those free-throws, he came up the next day and said, 'We're going to win this NIT for you all'," Erwin said. "That touched everybody." |
| 03/29/05 | |
Keys to the Game (Daily Helmsman) |
| Ben Cowens contact March 29, 2005 Memphis Tigers (22-15) vs. St. Joseph's Hawks (23-11) NIT Semifinal at Madison Square Garden Hot Rod Rodney Carney is the Tigers' leading scorer of the season at 15.8 points per game, but his production is notoriously erratic. Carney has scored 20 or more points in 14 games this season, leading the Tigers to a 10-4 record in those games. In the 11 games he scored 10 or fewer points, Memphis compiled a 5-6 mark. His 33-point differential between highest and lowest scoring games this season is by far the highest spread on the team. With Jeremy Hunt now out with an ACL injury, Carney will have to produce big numbers offensively. Aside from Darius Washington Jr., he's the only player than can consistently penetrate the St. Joseph's exterior defense and create opportunities to score. His height and athleticism can cause the Hawks plenty of problems. But If Carney struggles offensively, Memphis won't get out of the 50s and St. Joe's will advance. Role players must roll Memphis is just 4-7 in games that Hunt has missed this season, but it has been more than two months since he last missed a game. Since that time, the Tigers are playing much better basketball, but lack of depth is now a greater issue. Since Hunt's last missed game, Memphis has lost Sean Banks and the scoring he could often provide. So who will pick up the slack? Waki Williams has scored six points or less in all but two of his 24 appearances. Joey Dorsey and Arthur Barclay rarely provide offensive punch. Almamy Thiero and Simpice Njoya almost never play. Duane Erwin has five straight double-figure games to his credit, so maybe he'll be the answer. Regardless, at least two of those six players must provide moderate output, or one of them needs to have a career day. Defend the perimeter The loss of Jeremy Hunt might hurt most on defense, where Memphis usually excels. Hunt is smart enough and quick enough to take charges and strong enough to guard more physical players. That versatility will be missed and the Tigers may struggle to guard the perimeter, where St. Joseph's has three good three-point shooters, led by Pat Carroll (44 percent). The Hawks love the three ball, hitting about 37 percent on the season, while making 7.2 per game. Without Hunt in the lineup, the Tigers forwards will have to switch and hedge effectively. If the bigger, slower Tigers have to spend too much time helping on the perimeter, which will open scoring and passing lanes. "Wild shot in the dark" prediction: The Hawks have played great defense lately, holding their last four opponents to 51 points per game. Memphis can also force opponents to toss bricks, ranking fifth in field goal percentage defense The difference will be which team can get open looks. I think Rodney Carney shows up big ... he seems to like Madison Square Garden. The Pick Memphis 68 St. Joseph's 65. |
| 03/28/05 | |
Baseball Set to Wrap Up Five-Game Road Swing with a Pair of Midweek Contests -- Tigers take on Murray State on Tuesday and Austin Peay on Wednesday (GoTigersGo.com) |
| MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Riding the momentum of a 15-5 victory over USF on Sunday, first-year head coach Daron Schoenrock's Memphis Tigers look to continue their winning ways with two midweek games. Memphis will face Murray State at 2 p.m. on Tues., Mar. 29, before traveling to Clarksville, Tenn. to take on Austin Peay at 6:30 p.m. on Wed., Mar 30. Memphis will make the trip to Murray State looking to avenge a 10-9 loss suffered at the hands of the Thoroughbreds on March 23rd. Memphis was unable to withstand a late rally by Murray in the second loss in a four-game losing streak. The Tigers enter the week 7-13 after winning one of three in Tampa, over the weekend, despite outscoring the Bulls 27-19 in the series. Memphis has played well as of late, hitting .306 as team over the last five games. Chad House leads the team and is ranked second among all C-USA players with a .403 batting average and a .500 on-base percentage. Ryan Martin, who smashed a grand slam in the Tigers series finale against USF, is hitting .354 and leads the squad with a .573 slugging percentage with a team-high 29 hits, six doubles and four home runs. Adam Amar is the third of five Tigers who are hitting above .300. The Memphis first baseman is hitting at a .325 clip, including hitting .385 with runners in scoring position. He leads the team with 10 two-out RBI. Murray is 13-11 after taking winning an OVC series over Southeast Missouri, two games to one. The Breds are led by Seth Hudson and Alex Stewart who are both hitting above the .300 mark. Murray is hitting .271 as a team. The Murray pitching staff has struggled, giving up 5.32 earned runs a game. Austin Peay will host the Tigers on Wednesday. The Governors are one game over .500 at 11-10, but have yet to lose a game at home this year. APSU boasts a strong presence at the plate as six regulars are hitting over .300 on the year. Shortstop Jared Walker is the run producer for the Govs, driving in a team-high 18 with four of the team's 10 triples. The Austin Peay staff is currently yielding 5.02 earned runs per game as opposing hitters are hitting .290 against them. The Tigers will begin a four-game homestand starting with a Conference USA series this weekend, Fri., Apr. 1-Sun., Apr. 3. against Southern Miss. |
| 03/28/05 | |
Women's Tennis Back on the Road, Tuesday -- Will face SIU Tuesday afternoon (GoTigersGo.com) |
| MEMPHIS, Tenn. - It will be back on the road for the Lady Tiger tennis team (3-9, 1-3 C-USA) as Memphis travels to SIU-Carbondale, Tuesday. Memphis is looking to snap a two-match losing streak heading into the Tuesday contest, as the Lady Tigers suffered a narrow 4-3 loss at Louisiana-Lafayette in their last contest on Mar. 19th. With the 10-day break in action, the Lady Tigers are hoping to be healthy and back at full strength for the SIU match. Senior Marlene Dirnstorfer brings a three-match winning streak at No. 1 singles to the court. Dirnstorfer has won five of her last six matches after snapping a four-match losing streak that ran through early February. She is now 6-6 on the season at the No. 1 slot. Sophomore Christina Wieser has also had a lot of success in the last four matches, winning three of the last four at No. 5 singles to improve to 5-7 on the season in singles. This will be SIU-Carbondale's first home match of the season after starting the year with a 3-6 mark through the first nine matches. Two of those wins have come in the last three matches (a 5-2 win over Youngstown State and a 6-1 win at Evansville). The Salukis are a very familiar foe to the Lady Tigers as they participate in Memphis' fall tournament. Memphis will return home for a match against Troy State, Friday, followed by a Saturday match against UALR. The UALR match will be the final home match for senior Marlene Dirnstorfer. |
| 03/28/05 | |
Tiger Notes (tennis, track, baseball) (Commercial Appeal) |
| By From Our Press Services March 28, 2005 Tiger tennis triumphs: Alex Bucewicz defeated Martin Stiegwart, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (11) in the deciding match as the University of Memphis men's team improved to 9-9 on the season with a 4-3 win over Georgia State. Triple jumpers qualify: Memphis athletes Lisa Marie-Hyman and Victoria Crawford finished first and third respectively at the LSU Tiger relays in Baton Rouge, La., and each reached NCAA Regional qualifying marks with their performances. Hyman's winning jump was 42-03/4 feet while Crawford finished with a mark of 41-0. The men's and women's teams will be back in action Saturday as they travel to Oxford, Miss., for the Ole Miss Dual Meet Day. In baseball Memphis 15, South Florida 5 at Tampa, Fla.: Ryan Martin and Adam Amar each hit home runs to lead Memphis. The win gives the Tigers a 7-13 record and a 2-4 C-USA mark. The Bulls fall to 17-13 and 5-1. The win ends Memphis's four-game losing streak. The Tigers broke the game open with a seven-run fifth inning, highlighted by Martin's grand slam. Amar followed with a solo blast. Martin finished with six RBI. |
| 03/27/05 | |
Lady Tiger Triple Jumpers Have Big Day in Outdoor Debuts -- Hyman finishes first with Crawford placing third; Both hit Regional qualifying marks (GoTigersGo.com) |
| Baton Rouge, La. - It was a big day for University of Memphis women's triple jumpers at the LSU Tiger Relays as Lisa-Marie Hyman took a victory and Victoria Crawford placed third, with each reaching NCAA Regional qualifying marks in her outdoor debut. Hyman, who sat out the first outdoor meet due to a slight shin injury, made a powerful return, taking the triple jump title and qualifying for NCAA Regionals with her leap of 42-00.75" (12.82m). Crawford, also competing in her first meet after finishing the women's basketball season, claimed her third-place finish and Regional spot with a jump of 41-00.50" (12.51m). In addition to her tally in the triple jump, the senior claimed seventh place in the high jump with a mark of 5-04.25" (1.63m). Hyman, a three-time Conference USA triple jump champion, and Crawford, a four-event scorer at the 2004 C-USA Outdoor Championships, are expected to be the two most prolific performers for the Memphis women for the outdoor season. Beyond Hyman and Crawford, several other Lady Tigers had quality showings at the Tiger Relays. Daniele Riendeau placed third in the 1500m with a personal-best time of 4:35.65. Mary Claire Dake and Nora Nemere placed third and fifth, respectively, in the 3000m steeplechase with times of 11:44.24 and 12:17.39. Chen Edri logged a pair of seventh-place tallies with a leap of 5-04.25" (1.63m) in the high jump and a toss of 133-04" (40.63m) in the javelin. Josetta Brooks placed eighth in the 400m hurdles with a time of 1:05.73 and Annette Uzoh finished ninth in the shot put with a heave of 41-07.25" (12.68m). For the Tigers, Janon Busby was the top performer at the meet. The senior placed third in both the high jump and triple jump with leaps of 6-06.75" (2.00m) and 48-03.25" (14.71m), respectively. The men's 4x100m relay team, composed of Willie Green, Daniel Bandy, Daniel Kiss and Gary Nemeth, recorded a fifth-place finish with a time 41.23. Brandon Winbush and Norbert Gulyas recorded two additional top-seven performances for the U of M men. Winbush placed sixth in the triple jump with a leap of 46-10.75" (14.21m), while Gulyas finished seventh in the discus with a toss of 154-04". The LSU Tiger Relays were hosted by Louisiana State University at Bernie Moore Stadium on the LSU campus in Baton Rouge. The Memphis track and field squads will be back in action next Saturday, April 2, as they travel to Oxford, Miss., for the Ole Miss Dual Meet Day. |
| 03/27/05 | |
Tiger Seniors Backstop Men's Tennis to 4-3 Victory -- Alex Bucewicz wins third set tiebreaker, 13-11 (GoTigersGo.com) |
| MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The No. 66 University of Memphis men's tennis team (9-9, 1-3 C-USA) came back from dropping the doubles point to down Georgia State (11-5) in non-conference action Sunday. The Tigers, who had dropped the No. 1 and 2 doubles matches, got singles victories from four members of the senior class to pick up their fourth straight victory.
Senior Alex Bucewicz clinched the victory with a 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (13-11) victory at No. 2 singles to decide the match. Bucewicz fought off three match points to pick up the deciding match.
"Alex played some great tennis today," Head Coach Paul Goebel said. "That was one of the most amazing tiebreakers I have ever seen, it was great college tennis. Georgia State has a great team and we did not play our best tennis, so we were lucky to get out of here with a win."
The Tigers will host Southeast Louisiana, Wednesday, beginning at 2 p.m. at the University of Memphis varsity courts on the corners of Echles and Spottswood Avenues on campus. No. 66 Memphis 4, Georgia State 3 Singles No. 1 -- Jamie Rodrigues (GSU)def. James Spence (UM), 7-5, 7-5 No. 2 -- Alex Bucewicz (UM) def. Martin Stiegwardt, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (13-11) No. 3 -- Marten Tamla (UM) def. Clarence Boyd, 6-2, 6-4 No. 4 -- Anze Cevka def. Alex Jago (UM), 6-4, 6-3 No. 5 -- Mark Finnegan (UM) def. Matic Sulin, 6-2, 6-2 No. 6 -- Scott Felsenthal (UM) def. Frank Suro, 6-3, 6-2 Doubles No. 1 -- Boyd/Cevka def. Felsenthal/Spence (UM), 8-4 No. 2 -- Suro/Stiegwardt def. Bucewicz/Tamla (UM), 8-6 No. 3 -- dnf |
| 03/27/05 | |
Baseball Races to 15-5 Win Over USF in Series Finale -- Ryan Martin and Adam Amar hit back-to-back homers (GoTigersGo.com) |
| TAMPA, Fla. - MEMPHIS (7-13; 2-4 C-USA) 134 070 0 - 15 17 1 USF (17-13; 5-1 C-USA) 001 040 0 - 5 9 4 The Tigers got a grand slam and back-to-back home runs as part of a seven-run, nine-hit fifth inning, to salvage a win 15-5 win in the Conference USA series finale against USF Sunday afternoon. Ryan Martin hit the Tigers first grand slam since since Josh Payne hit a grand slam in a 15-3 route of Wake Forest in 2004. Amar followed with a solo homer to left to complete Memphis' first back-to-back homers of the season and first since Brent Dlugach and Martin accomplished the feat at USF in 2003. Memphis snaps a four-game losing streak with the win, while USF suffers its first league loss of the season. Martin's grand slam and Amar's solo homer highlighted a seven-run fifth inning for the Tigers. Martin followed singles by Newsom, House and Tolliver with his team-leading fourth home run of the year. Amar's home run was his third of the year. The Tigers tied a school record with12 at-bats in the inning, and came just one hit shy of the record of 10 hits in an inning. Memphis ripped six hits in the inning before recording an out. House and Newsom each posted two hits in the inning. The Tigers never trailed in the contest as they jumped ahead with a score in the first half-inning of play for the second time in the series. Chad House led the game off with a single for the second consecutive contest. He drew a balk from USF starter Ty Pryor to move to second. Adam Amar then broke the scoreless tie with an RBI-single up the middle. Memphis extended the lead to 4-0 in the second after Patrick Hope singled, and K.K. Chalmers recorded his fifth straight single. Following a four-pitch walk by Chris Newsom, House knocked a sac fly to center to score Hope. An RBI-single by Tolliver brought Chalmers home to put Memphis ahead 3-0. The Tigers plated their third run of the inning on a sac fly off the bat of DH Ryan Martin. The Tiger refused to let up and took an 8-0 lead in an action-packed, four-run third. Cory Barton led off the frame with a double to left that looked like an ordinary pop up. However, USF leftfielder Tim Orlosky was unable to locate the ball as it fell at the base of the wall. Barton advanced to third on a wild pitch before Hope and Chalmers drew walks to load the sacks. An RBI-groundout by Newsom scored Hope and chased Bulls hurler, Pryor from the ballgame. House then chopped a fielder's choice groundball to first, but USF first baseman Matt McHargue opted to try to throw Hope out at the plate. The throw got away from the USF catcher as Hope slid home. Chalmers was able to score from second as the ball scooted to the backstop. Martin followed with a single up the middle to plate House. USF found its way to the scoring column via a solo home run over the left field wall by Ty Taborelli. A three-run shot over the leftfield wall by Brian Baisley capped a four-run inning and cut the Tiger lead to 15-5 in the home half of the fifth. Martin paced the 17-hit attack with a 2-for-5 day and six RBI. House added three hits, three runs and a pair of RBI. Five other Tigers finished the contest with multiple hits. Memphis starter Daniel de Armas improved to 2-0 in four and two-thirds innings. He allowed just two earned runs. Chris Davis and Chris South held the Bulls scoreless in a combined two and one-thirds innings. Pryor (2-2) took the loss for USF. Memphis will remain on the road for its next contest, as they will travel to Murray, Ky. to face the Murray State Thoroughbreds on Tues., Mar. 29. Game time is set for 2 p.m. Murray claimed a 10-9 win over the Tigers at Nat Buring Stadium on Mar. 23. Listen to the game's live broadcast with the `Voice of Tiger Baseball', Jeff Brightwell calling play-by-play action on WUMR 91.7 FM. |
| 03/27/05 | |
U of M prospects boosted by NIT -- Deep tourney run may indicate bright future (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Gary Parrish Contact March 27, 2005 You go to NIT.org. You find History. You find Postseason. And there it is, that one sentence that makes everything seem better. In the past, there have been several teams that have had a (semifinal) finish in the NIT in one year and then followed it up the following year with a Final Four finish in the NCAA. Underneath that, there's a list of such schools. It's 13 names long. So all things considered, is it possible this is a good sign for the University of Memphis, despite the overall disappointment of a third NIT semifinal in five years? "I think so," said point guard Darius Washington. "I think we're becoming a better team, and I think it's going to help us for next year." The Tigers (22-15) play Saint Joseph's (23-11) on Tuesday at 6 p.m. CST inside New York's Madison Square Garden. That'll be one NIT semifinal. The other, between Maryland and South Carolina, will follow. Then the winners of the two games meet Thursday for the championship. And though it will be a nice achievement -- here's the bad, realistic news -- it actually could mean nothing in relation to next year, despite what the NIT Web site infers. Granted, that statistic about the 13 schools offers hope, but the truth is that no team has completed the NIT-semifinal-one-year, NCAA-Final Four-the-next package since Louisville in 1985 and 1986. That's two decades ago. And when you consider that last year's NIT finalists were Michigan and Rutgers -- two teams that combined to go 23-37 this season -- optimism wanes. Is a deep NIT run a precursor to NCAA success? Or is it just a nice epilogue to an otherwise underachieving season? "It depends," answered UofM coach John Calipari. "If you have all seniors, then it probably doesn't mean much because those guys won't be back. But if you have a young team, then yeah, I think it helps get you ready for next year." Memphis falls somewhere in the middle. The Tigers will lose three starters -- Anthony Rice, Duane Erwin and Arthur Barclay -- and possibly a fourth if junior Rodney Carney opts to turn pro. That's not a good sign. Still, the Tigers' best player will be back in Washington, as will Joey Dorsey, Waki Williams, and Jeremy Hunt, though it's doubtful the latter's torn ACL will be healed in time for the opening of practice in October. Add to that nucleus a consensus Top 10 recruiting class, and even if signee Shawne Williams doesn't enroll (again, the NBA) Memphis should be the most-talented team in the new, less-daunting Conference USA. That is a good sign. So like most things, this NIT run is either the end of something OK or the beginning of something great, depending on how a Tiger fan chooses to look at it. Either way, the success of the past couple of weeks is, if nothing else, instilling a winning attitude. That's something nobody debates, especially not Phil Martelli, because he's seen it work before. "We were in the NIT finals my first year (in 1996) and we started three seniors," said the Saint Joseph's coach. "So the next year, we came back and people thought, 'Ah that was great. But what are we going to do now?' Then we ended up in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament that year. "So the NIT is an opportunity for your program to exhibit the beliefs that you're trying to build," Martelli concluded. "All the teams that get to New York are showing that competition is the most important thing. So whatever label you want to put on it -- NCAA or NIT -- this is still about competition. And I do believe that winning begets winning. So I believe that playing and winning at this time of the year gives you a jump start on the following year, and that this can be a basis for you to build on." -- Gary Parrish: 529-2365 -------------------- NIT semifinals Matchup: Memphis (22-15) vs. Saint Joseph's (23-11). When, where: Tuesday, 6 p.m. CST, at New York's Madison Square Garden. TV: ESPN2. U of M pep rally The University of Memphis Alumni Association has scheduled a pep rally for Tuesday at 5 p.m. (EST) at Intercontinental The Barclay New York (111 East 48th Street). It will include light snacks, beverages and a cash bar. Tiger spirit squads and pep band will be in attendance. |
| 03/27/05 | |
Tigers' Avery starts to show leadership qualities -- West encouraged by receiver's work ethic (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Phil Stukenborg Contact March 27, 2005 He says he'll continue to make his trademark bead necklaces for teammates. And he'll keep flashing that ever-present, easy going smile. But University of Memphis receiver Maurice Avery realizes -- as he enters his senior season -- that he'll have to make some changes as the veteran of the team's receiving corps. There is a responsibility that comes with experience. Gone are Tavares Gideon, Darron White, Tavarious Davis and Chris Kelley, a foursome who combined for 117 catches, 1,524 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2004. Back is Avery, the team's second-leading receiver last season with 36 catches for 422 yards and a touchdown. A second-team all-Conference USA receiver as a sophomore, Avery has 85 receptions for 1,164 yards and nine TDs the past two seasons. He's spent this spring sharpening not only his route-running and blocking skills, but honing his leadership qualities. Avery, along with senior Mario Pratcher and junior Ryan Scott, are the only returning receivers who caught passes last season. They are being counted on to assist in the development of a young, talented group of newcomers, led by Antonio McCoy, Carlton Robinzine and Earnest Williams. ''It's different because I've got to be more serious and take things from a senior (perspective),'' said Avery, recruited out of Atlanta to play quarterback. ''I'm cutting out all the joking on the sidelines and in practice. I've got to lead by my actions.'' It is that quality that has been apparent during the team's rain-plagued spring practice that runs through April 9. After Saturday's brief workout at the Murphy Athletic Complex -- which followed a 100-play scrimmage Friday -- Tiger coach Tommy West admitted he's been encouraged by what he's seen, too. ''I think Maurice has played the best, practiced the best and been the most consistent he's been since the (knee) injury at Louisville (in November 2003),'' West said. ''He was playing really well (in 2003). And this is the best I've seen him play since then. ''I told players in the (team) meeting (Saturday) that Mo is becoming a guy I can tell the young guys, 'Hey, practice like that guy.' He's becoming a leader for us.'' In Friday's scrimmage at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, Avery caught six passes for 93 yards and a touchdown. He also gained some hard-earned yards after the catch. ''I'm seeing a more business-like approach from Maurice Avery,'' said receivers coach Clay Helton. ''It's his last year. He's really developing into a wideout and not just a quarterback who plays wideout. That's been nice to see.'' Helton said Avery has been outstanding in the spring as a blocker. He said Avery realizes the better his blocking skills, the more successful the Tigers will be running the football. And the stronger the Tiger running game, the better Avery's opportunities on deep routes. ''From a blocking standpoint, I think he's been as good as he's ever been this camp,'' Helton said. ''And he's also doing things in the passing game as far as being a polished route runner instead of being someone who just gets open based on pure physical strength and great hands.'' Avery also has made strides coming back to passes ''rather than being stationary and letting somebody jump over his back,'' Helton said. ''He realizes that if he keeps that separation he can make the catch easier and get some yards after the catch.'' But it's Avery's leadership skills that are catching the attention of Helton. ''He kind of looks around and sees he is the old guy now,'' Helton said. ''He is the leader. What I've been proud of is him showing everybody how to be a wide receiver -- the toughness in the running game by blocking and making plays when his number is called. ''That's the role he's taken on and the other guys are following it. He's brought a 'Shut up and work' attitude to this camp along with Pratcher and Slim (Scott).'' Pratcher said it's imperative that he, Scott and Avery ''be great leaders on and off the field.'' ''This is our chance to be leaders,'' said Pratcher, the former Trezevant High standout who had 15 catches last season. Scott, who had two TD catches last season, said the first-year receivers ''look up to us because we've been there before.'' And no one has been there more than Avery, whose only touchdown catch last year came in the GMAC Bowl loss to Bowling Green. ''I knew this year was coming, so last year I had my fun,'' Avery said. ''We've got a great bunch of (young) wideouts. "They're fast, talented and they can catch. I'm trying to get them grown up.'' -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543 |
| 03/27/05 | |
Tiger Notes (baseball, golf) (Commercial Appeal) |
| By From Our Press Services March 27, 2005 Tigers drop another 1-run decision to South Florida TAMPA, Fla.-- Memphis outhit South Florida 16-10, but could never make up for a three-run first-inning deficit, as USF outlasted the Tigers, 8-7, on Saturday in the second game of a three-game Conference USA series. The loss was Memphis's fourth straight and the team's third one-run loss in a row. Memphis (6-13, 1-4 C-USA) lost on Friday night, 6-5. Memphis starter Stephen Gostkowski struggled to find the strike zone early in the first inning, putting Tim Orlosky and Bryan Hierlmeier on with walks. Both runners would come around on a two-run double by Jeff Baisley to give USF (17-12, 5-0) a 2-0 lead. The Bulls scored the third run after Brian Baisley drew a walk and stole second. Jeff Baisley scored on Tiger catcher Cory Barton's throw to second. Memphis was held scoreless until the fourth when Patrick Hope hit an RBI triple over centerfielder Ty Taborelli's head. The Tigers tied the contest on an RBI single to center by K.K. Chalmers and a run-scoring double by freshman Chris Newsom. A two-run blast by Matt McHargue reclaimed the lead for USF in the fourth. IN GOLF Memphis's Tate takes 15th: Memphis sophomore Stacey Tate closed out the final round of the Baylor-Tapatio Springs Shootout in Boerne, Texas, with a 6-over-par 78 to finish tied for 15th. The Lady Tigers (323-326-334-983) ended the tourney tied for 15th among the field of 18 teams. Baylor shot a final-round 311 to hold off Michigan and earn a seven-stroke win.Baylor's Josefin Svenningsson earned medalist honors after carding a final-round seven-over 79 for a 221 total. |
| 03/27/05 | |
Tigers' fortunes at FedExForum mixed, but most agree move was right (Commercial Appeal) |
| By David Williams Contact March 27, 2005 From high in FedExForum, the University of Memphis basketball game played out in miniature, the players like shuffling pieces in a board game. Charles Burgess, 47, who like so many fans dates his love of Memphis basketball to Larry Finch, watched and let his mind wander to other Tiger teams and other Tiger dens, to The Pyramid and Mid-South Coliseum. "The Coliseum, you remember that?" said Burgess, who like so many Memphis fans holds that the Roundhouse, with its matchless atmosphere, its capacity for 11,200 fans and countless dramas, was the Tigers' dream home. "Oh, yeah. Definitely." Such are the memories Tiger fans hoard with each change of address. Such is the baggage they tote into each new home. "I can deal with the change," Burgess said, "but it's good to reminisce." He paused now and considered FedExForum -- a luxurious gym built for the NBA, a tricked-out palace of glass, stone, bells and whistles where the Grizzlies are landlord, the Tigers are tenant, and the question remains: Did the university make the right move, leaving The Pyramid? "Probably within five years," Burgess finally decided, "it'll feel like the Tigers' home." Home-court advantage? If a college basketball arena is about winning games and influencing fans, FedExForum hasn't quite delivered overnight. But Anthony Rice, who's ending his career as the Tigers' all-time leading 3-point shooter, sat at his locker after the NIT rout of Northeastern and sounded confident that FedExForum will come to be an advantageous home court. "I think it will be, in the long run," he said, "even though we didn't have an awesome season playing in this building." The Tigers lost seven games this season in their new digs. They lost a combined four home games in their final three seasons at The Pyramid, going undefeated there last season. Overall in 13 seasons, they won 80.4 percent of the time. In their last 21 seasons at the Coliseum, the Tigers won 86 percent of the time at home, including a two-season unbeaten spree in the mid-1980s. But what Rice said with a shooter's cool confidence, coach John Calipari said moments later with his trademark rapid-fire surety. "Everybody thinks, 'Well, the building ... ' Nah," said Calipari, whose team lost three home games in December alone. "This is going to be fine. We've got as nice of facilities here as anybody in the country." He said his Tigers were "rocked" by a tough early schedule, and if they'd played as well then as they've played of late, "we don't lose to any of those people." As the Tigers struggled on the court, so they did at the turnstiles. By falling a few hundred short of averaging 10,000, the U of M won't receive the full $800,000 payment from the Grizzlies that's called for in their contract. Instead, athletic director R.C. Johnson said he expects to receive about $700,000. "Part of the problem obviously is that we had a difficult season this year," said Mike Rose, a prominent Tiger donor, "and we didn't get the kind of crowds that we would have maybe hoped to get. "But when we did get the crowds, I couldn't tell the difference between the enthusiasm and the involvement of the fans being in The Pyramid or being in the Coliseum, even." Rose had favored the move to FedExForum, and helped the Tigers negotiate a lease through two-plus years of sometimes-contentious talks with the Grizzlies. Another prominent donor, Ben Bryant, hadn't been so sure. "I'll have to say, at first I had mixed emotions. I was one of those who felt it might be best for the university to stand on its own two feet at The Pyramid." One season in, "I guess I'm a convert now. I think the Forum is best for the city and the university." By staying put, the Tigers would have had The Pyramid to themselves. Outside, there might have been the giant image of a Tiger set against the shimmering stainless steel. Inside, there need not have been any sign that -- oh, by the way -- an NBA team moved to Memphis four years ago. "I think for a year or two it might have been all right," said Johnson, who added, "If I had it to do all over again, I would make the same decision." One reason to move was the U of M's concern that with The Pyramid as a secondary arena, the city and county wouldn't be inclined to update and improve it. There were other factors: FedExForum held the promise of increased fan comfort and the proximity to Beale Street. It also gives Calipari an impressive stage from which to make his recruiting pitches. Grumbles to grins? If you're a major donor or a modest one, you have Bill Lansden's ear. He's the U of M's associate athletic director of development, and so he hears things, good and bad. "It runs the gamut," he said. "Everybody likes FedExForum. It's beautiful. It's got all the great amenities. But some fans don't feel like it's the home of the Tigers, and that's understandable." Mike Golub, Grizzlies executive vice president of business operations, said, "We don't underestimate the emotion of going to a venue that is run by the Grizzlies. "But this is one of finest buildings in the country, and we hope that their fans share the opinion that truly their administration and coaches have, which is that it's the right thing for the program." Some fans also don't like that their season tickets, good for lower-bowl seats at The Pyramid, are in the upper deck of FedExForum. Some fans don't like the parking logistics. "This year, we had a lot of complaints, I'm not going to lie to you," Lansden said. "Having said that, next year's going to be a lot better, and the year after that's going to be better. "That is our home and people are going to come to appreciate it." Lansden's theory is that with time the new becomes familiar, comfortable, sometimes even beloved. Then there's another theory, held by former star point guard Elliot Perry. He likes FedExForum and said it's where the university belongs. But in the end, Perry doesn't care whether the Tigers are holding court in their new house, the Roundhouse, the Pointed House or the middle of Beale Street. "All I care about," he said, "is winning." -- David Williams: 529-2310 -------------------------------------------------- STATE OF THE MARRIAGE: It took the University of Memphis more than two years of negotiations to strike a deal with the Grizzlies to play in FedExForum. Here's a two-part look at the marriage after one season: Peaceful coexistence? Publicly, at least, the sides appear to be working well together. Tigers coach John Calipari praised the Grizzlies for their scheduling flexibility during the NIT. "I think what's newsworthy is that there's been very little news about the relationship," said Mike Golub, Grizzlies executive vice president of business operations. "We're working together really well." Finances: The agreement calls for the Tigers to receive an $800,000 annual payment from the Grizzlies -- if the U of M averages a turnstile count of 10,000. Because they averaged only 9,587, the university expects to receive about $700,000. To boost attendance next season, said athletic director R.C. Johnson, the school is studying ways to lure more students to games. And for the upper-level fans, he said, a price reduction is a possibility. |
| 03/26/05 |  |
Tate Finishes Tied for 15th at Baylor Shootout -- Lady Tigers take 15th place (GoTigersGo.com) |
| BOERNE, Texas - Despite cold and rainy weather, University of Memphis women's golf sophomore Stacey Tate closed out the final round of the Baylor-Tapatio Springs Shootout with a 6-over-par 78 to finish tied for 15th individually.
Play was delayed for an hour and a half Saturday due to rain as the temperature dropped into the 50s after two opening rounds played in sunny weather that topped 80 degrees. The Lady Tigers (323-326-334--983) ended the tournament tied for 15th among the field of 18 teams.
After setting a round low in the second round of the tournament on Friday by carding an 80, sophomore Ashley Burross tied her career tournament low with an 85-80-86--251. This tournament marked the first of the season for Burross. Forced to withdraw in the second round, sophomore Meghan Mahoney made a return individually in the third round shooting an 85.
Baylor shot a final-round 311 Saturday to hold off Michigan and earn a seven-stroke win. Finishing behind Baylor (295-291-311--897) and Michigan (301-300-303--904) in the team standings was SMU (314-296-314--924), 27 strokes back after shooting a final-round 314 Saturday. Oklahoma finished fourth at 931 and Texas Tech was fifth at 938. Rounding out the top 10 were Florida International and UTEP (sixth place tie - 958), Wisconsin (eighth place - 962) and Arkansas-Little Rock, Eastern Michigan and Toledo (ninth place tie - 965).
Baylor's Josefin Svenningsson earned individual medalist honors after carding a final-round seven-over 79 and finishing the tournament at five-over 221. She became the first Bear to win the individual title at the Baylor Shootout, and was one of three Baylor golfers to finish among the top five in the field of 98. Laura Cross of SMU finished as runner up to Svenningsson, carding a five-over 77 Saturday and finishing at seven-over 223. Baylor freshman Sian Reddick finished third at eight-over 224 after shooting a five-over 77 in the final round.
The field of 18 teams included five schools ranked among the nation's Top 50 according to Golfstat.com (No. 24 Michigan, No. 29 SMU, No. 38 Baylor, No. 42 Oklahoma and No. 50 Texas Tech).
The Lady Tigers will next compete in their final tournament before hosting the Conference USA Championship on April 18-20. Memphis will travel to Hattiesburg, Miss., to take part in the Golden Eagle Invitational hosted by Southern Miss on April 4-5. Par: 72 Yardage: 6007 Fin. School Scores 1 Baylor University 295 291 311 897 +33 2 Michigan, U. of 301 300 303 904 +40 3 SMU 314 296 314 924 +60 4 Oklahoma, U. of 306 311 314 931 +67 5 Texas Tech Univ 316 312 310 938 +74 6 Fla. International 321 307 330 958 +94 Texas El Paso, U. of 315 323 320 958 +94 8 Wisconsin, U. of 329 310 323 962 +98 9 Arkansas-Little Rock 322 317 326 965 +101 Eastern Michigan 322 320 323 965 +101 Toledo, U. of 327 315 323 965 +101 12 Texas-Pan American 329 315 323 967 +103 13 Xavier University 326 319 325 970 +106 14 TX A&M CorpusChristi 335 322 322 979 +115 15 Memphis, Univ. of 323 326 334 983 +119 16 Sam Houston St. U. 330 325 333 988 +124 17 Arkansas State Univ. 349 333 331 1013 +149 18 McLennan CC 351 332 347 1030 +166 15 Memphis, Univ. of 323 326 334 983 T 15 Stacey Tate 78 75 78 231 T 65 Ashley Burross 85 80 86 251 T 71 Cameron Barber 82 85 86 253 T 76 Bernie Rosero 84 86 85 255 WD Meghan Mahoney 79 WD 85 |
| 03/26/05 | |
Baseball Drops Third Straight One-Run Game in 8-7 Loss to USF -- Tigers-Bulls series finale moved up to 11 a.m. EST (GoTigersGo.com) |
| TAMPA, Fla. - MEMPHIS (6-13; 1-4 C-USA) 000 302 200 - 7 16 2 USF (17-12; 5-0 C-USA) 300 203 00X - 8 10 2 Memphis outhit USF 16-10, but could never make up for a three-run first-inning deficit, as USF outlasted the Tigers 8-7 in game two of the three-game C-USA series. The loss was Memphis' fourth straight and the team's third one-run loss in a row. USF (17-12) remains undefeated in conference play, at 5-0. Junior starter Stephen Gostkowski struggled to find the zone early in the first inning, putting Tim Orlosky and Bryan Hierlmeier on with walks. Both runners would come around on a two-run double down the rightfield line by Jeff Baisley to give USF a 2-0 lead. The Bulls plated the third run of the inning after Brian Baisley drew a walk and stole second. Jeff Baisley scored on Tiger catcher Cory Barton's throw to second. Memphis was held scoreless until the fourth inning, when Patrick Hope knocked an RBI-triple over Bulls centerfielder Ty Taborelli's head. The Tigers tied the contest on an RBI-single to center by K.K. Chalmers and a run-scoring double that fell on the leftfield baseline off the bat of true freshman Chris Newsom. The RBI-double was the first hit of Newsom's career. A two-run blast over the scoreboard in rightfield by first baseman Matt McHargue reclaimed the lead for USF in the fourth. Newsom again came through for the Tigers in a clutch situation to pull Memphis with one run at 5-4 in the sixth inning. Chalmers reached on a bunt single, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by USF catcher Brian Baisley. Newsom then shot a single off the leg of Bulls third baseman Jeff Baisley to score Chalmers. The Tigers tied the contest for the second time as Newsom scored on a looping single to right field by Chad House. USF's Dexter Butler lined a double to the leftfield corner to lead off the home half of the sixth to ignite a three-run rally. Orlosky then lined a double to the right field corner to give the Bulls a 6-5 lead. Jeff Baisley shot an RBI-single to right field to bring Orlosky home, and a sacrifice fly by Brian Baisley extended the USF lead to 8-5. The Tigers fought to keep the game close with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh. Adam Amar roped a double to the right centerfield gap. He moved to third when Robbie Goss reached on a fielding error by USF shortstop Jeremy Brand. Barton's single plated Amar to cut the deficit to 8-6. Goss crossed on a single up the middle by Chalmers. Chalmers finished the day with the first three-hit game of his career. USF threatened to take a two-run lead in the eighth after Taborelli advanced to third on a pair of Tiger throwing errors. Jeff Baisley ripped a shot that looked as if it would get over the head of Chalmers, but the freshman was able to haul in the out on a diving catch at the wall. Memphis, who scored six of its seven runs with two outs, was led by Chalmers four-hit day, while House, Jordan Tolliver, Amar, Goss and Newsom each had two hits. Chalmers and Newsom also posted a pair of RBI each. Gostkowski suffered his fourth straight loss, giving up eight runs, all of which were earned, in five and one-third innings of work. Reliever Drew Jaudon was effective for Memphis, shutting the Bulls out in two-and-two-thirds innings. The winning pitcher was USF reliever Chase Lirette. Lirette gave up four runs on six hits in two innings in relief of starter Daniel Thomas. Tim Mattison earned his second save in as many outings after keeping the Tigers off the board in the ninth. Memphis and USF will play the series finale on Sun., Mar. 27 with the first pitch set for 11 a.m. local time due to weather uncertainties. Listen to the game's live broadcast with the `Voice of Tiger Baseball', Jeff Brightwell calling play-by-play action on WUMR 91.7 FM. |
| 03/26/05 | |
Mistakes put damper on Tiger session -- Errors aside, West pleased with team (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Phil Stukenborg Contact March 26, 2005 The University of Memphis football team hadn't practiced since Sunday, victimized by heavy rains early in the week that saturated the team's practice fields at the Murphy Athletic Complex. So Friday the Tigers boarded buses and made the short trip down Southern Avenue to Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, getting in a 100-plus play scrimmage on a picture-perfect afternoon: clear skies, no wind and temperatures in the upper 70s. And, except for several penalties -- on both sides of the ball -- that would have been costly in a game situation, Tiger coach Tommy West deemed it a productive session. ''There were way too many plays where we beat ourselves,'' West said. ''We probably had three, four or five different plays where we beat ourselves. That was a disappointing part of the scrimmage. ''But for the second scrimmage (following an 81-play workout Sunday), I felt like the competition level was pretty good. Our intensity has to get a little better, but for the most part it was pretty good.'' West got a solid efforts from his top two quarterbacks -- junior Patrick Byrne and freshman Will Hudgens. Byrne, working with the No. 1 offense, was 16-of-23 for 134 yards and two touchdowns. Hudgens, a former standout at Ridgeway High, was 11-of-18 for 132 yards and a late-scrimmage TD. On the late scoring march, Hudgens completed 6-of-7 passes for 62 of the drive's 64 yards. Among the errors that frustrated West were several personal foul penalties, including one assessed by West after Byrne carried nine yards for a TD. After the play, receiver Taz Knockum engaged in a shoving match with defensive back Javar Pollard, and West nullified the score. Byrne, who has not taken a snap at quarterback during his first two seasons, didn't let the penalty affect him. He recovered by completing three straight passes, the final one going 4 yards to tight end Brett Russell for a toucdown. ''Other than the plays that beat ourselves, I was really pleased,'' West said. Maurice Avery, who will be a senior, led the receivers with six catches for 93 yards, a total that included several punishing yards after the catch and a 34-yard touchdown. Trezevant High's Mario Pratcher added 67 yards on five receptions -- including a 40-yard pickup on an over-the-shoulder grab near the sidelines. Ryan Scott had seven catches for 52 yards and a TD. Defensively, the scrimmage started with an interception by defensive lineman Rubio Phillips, who tipped a Byrne pass near the line of scrimmage and caught it. The pick would have resulted in a 40-yard touchdown return had the officials allowed play to continue. Freshman linebacker TiQuintin Morrell added a fumble recovery on quarterback Billy Barefield's botched snap. Linebackers Tim Goodwell, Carlton Baker and Heath Grant had tackles for lost yardage. ''It's kind of difficult to have a rhythm on offense (early in the spring),'' defensive coordinator Joe Lee Dunn said. ''It's a lot easier to play defense. ''Our guys they made some tackles they hadn't been making, but I'm still not pleased with the blitz. We can't get off of anybody. We're going to have to get off blocks if we're going to be worth a flip. This was the first time we had blitzed (in spring scrimmages) ... we've got to get better, I know that.'' Dunn said there is competition at some linebacker and secondary spots, but he said the defensive line is relatively set with Marcus West and Phillips at the end positions and newcomer Ryan Williams at noseguard. Williams is a redshirt freshman from Christian Brothers High. ''Ryan Williams has played really good,'' Dunn said. ''He gives us some things that we haven't had in the three years I've been here. If he can lose a little weight, I think he'll be quicker and can run better. ''He gives us some movement in there. I think he can get down the line and make a play outside. Where we might have had one play a game there (in the past), he's worth five or six plays. If teams don't double-team him, I think he's going to get in the backfield and make the play.'' With such a young team, West said he hopes to continue scrimmage work throughout next week leading into next Saturday's Blue-Gray Game at Rhodes College. Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium will not be available as crews will begin work on installing an artificial grass playing surface Monday. -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543 |
| 03/26/05 | |
Tiger Notes (baseball, golf, basketball) (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Our Press Services March 26, 2005 Late HR lifts S. Florida past Tigers -- Memphis can't hold early lead at Tampa TAMPA, Fla. -- Tim Orlosky belted an eighth-inning pinch-hit home run over the right-centerfield wall to propel South Florida to a 6-5 victory over Memphis Friday in the first game of a three-game Conference USA baseball series. Memphis wasted little time getting its bats going as eight Tigers went to the plate in the first inning. Junior Jordan Tolliver and senior DH Ryan Martin hit consecutive singles, and Adam Amar drew a walk to load the bases. Robbie Goss put Memphis on the board with a two-run single. Cory Barton knocked Amar in on a single to put the U of M ahead, 3-0. Junior reliever Tim Senter (0-3) took his third straight loss on the mound. IN GOLF Baylor-Tapatio Springs Shootout at Boerne, Texas: Shooting a 3-over-par 75 in the second round, Memphis sophomore Stacey Tate jumped into the top 14 individually.Although Tate (78-75-153) moved up eight spots from 22nd place in the first round, the Lady Tigers fell four spots in the second day of the three-day tourney, dropping from 10th to 14th. Baylor shot a 3-over-par 291 and extended its lead to 15 strokes over second-place Michigan. In developments Razorback suspended: John Jackson, a safety for the football Razorbacks, has been suspended from the team for the second time in a year for violating team rules, a University of Arkansas spokesman said. Kevin Trainor, assistant athletic director at Arkansas, declined to say what rule was broken by Jackson, 21. Georgia pleads case: University of Georgia officials pleaded their case to an appeals committee Friday, asking the five-member panel to lighten sanctions imposed last fall against its men's basketball program. The NCAA ordered four years' probation and the loss of three scholarships in August after accusations of academic fraud, unethical conduct and providing improper benefits to student-athletes during former coach Jim Harrick Sr.'s tenure. UMass hires Ford: Travis Ford was hired as the basketball coach at Massachusetts after guiding Eastern Kentucky to a 22-9 record this season and giving Kentucky a scare in the first round of the NCAA tournament. University of Memphis assistant Tony Barbee was a candidate for the job once held by UofM head coach John Calipari. |
| 03/25/05 | |
Baseball Falls to USF, 6-5 -- Tigers lose on USF's eighth-inning home run (GoTigersGo.com) |
| TAMPA, Fla. - MEMPHIS (6-12; 1-3 C-USA) 300 010 010 - 5 7 3 USF (16-12; 4-0 C-USA) 000 220 11X - 6 10 1 Tim Orlosky belted an eighth-inning pinch-hit home run over the right centerfield wall to propel USF to a 6-5 win over Memphis in game one of the three-game Conference USA series. Memphis wasted little time getting the bats going, as eight Tigers went to the plate in the top of the first inning. Junior Jordan Tolliver and senior DH Ryan Martin posted consecutive singles, and Adam Amar drew a walk to load the bases. Robbie Goss put Memphis on the board with a two-run single. Cory Barton knocked Amar in on a single to put the U of M ahead, 3-0. The three-run cushion would hold until Bulls second baseman Dexter Butler ripped a two-run single up the middle to cut the lead to 3-2. Memphis got one run back in the fifth. Chad House led off the frame with a single, stole second and advanced to third on a passed ball, before Martin looped a single into right centerfield to bring him in. USF battled to tie the contest with a pair of runs in the home half of the fifth inning. Kris Howell singled to lead off the frame and Jeff Baisley reached on a catcher's interference. Brain Baisley and Jeremy Brand posted back-to-back RBI singles to knot the game at 4-4. USF claimed its first lead of the contest in the seventh after Jeff Baisley led off the inning with a single to right. A Memphis throwing error on the play allowed him to advance to third before his twin brother Brian drove him in with a single through the right side. The Tigers tied the game in the top of the eighth on an RBI-single off the bat of Barton. Barton and Martin led the Tigers seven-hit night with two hits apiece. Junior reliever Tim Senter (0-3) took his third straight loss on the mound after giving up a pair of runs on three hits in two innings of relief. Tiger starter Neil Schenk was solid, scattering seven hits and giving up four runs in six innings. USF's preseason All C-USA pitcher Casey Hudspeth picked up a hard-earned win, allowing five runs on seven hits in eight innings of work. Tim Mattison came in and worked a scoreless ninth for his fourth save of the year. The Tigers and Bulls will take to the diamond for game two on Sat., Mar. 26. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. EST. Listen to the live broadcast with the `Voice of Tiger Baseball', Jeff Brightwell on WUMR 91.7 FM. |
| 03/25/05 | |
Tate Climbs Eight Spots in Second Round at Baylor Tournament -- Lady Tigers finish day in 14th place (GoTigersGo.com) |
| BOERNE, Texas - Shooting a 3-over-par 75 in the second round of the Baylor-Tapatio Springs Shootout on Friday, University of Memphis sophomore Stacey Tate jumped into the top 14 individually.
Although Tate (78-75--153) moved up eight in the standings from 22nd place in the first round, the Lady Tigers fell four spots in the second day of the three-day tournament, dropping from 10 to14. Memphis (323-326--649) lost one of its top performers in the round when sophomore Meghan Mahoney was forced to withdraw due to injury. Mahoney shot a 7-over 79 on Thursday. It is the third tournament she has withdrawn from this season.
In her first tournament of the season, sophomore Ashley Burross shaved five strokes off her first round total, placing her in second on the Memphis team and tied for 55th place individually. Burross shot a 8-over 80 on Friday with a two-round total of 161. The 80 round is the lowest of her career in eight tournaments. Burross came into the tournament averaging an 88.4.
Baylor was led by junior Josefin Svenningsson, who turned in a tournament-best two-under 70 Friday and leads the individual field of 98 by three strokes with a two-round two-under 142. SMU sophomore Laura Cross matched Svenningsson's two-under 70 in the second round and stands tied for third at two-over 144 with Baylor junior Meredith Jones (73-73--146). Oklahoma freshman Heather Wright is second at one-over 145.
Baylor shot a team three-over-par 291 Friday and extended its lead to 15 strokes over second-place Michigan. Trailing Baylor (295-291--586) and Michigan (301-300--601) in the team standings is SMU (314-296--610), 24 strokes back after shooting a second-round 296 Friday. Oklahoma stands fourth at 617 and Florida International and Texas Tech are tied in fifth place at 628. Rounding out the top 10 are UTEP (seventh place - 638), Arkansas-Little Rock and Wisconsin (eighth place tie - 639) and Eastern Michigan and Toledo (10th place tie - 642).
The field of 18 teams includes five schools ranked among the nation's Top 50 according to Golfstat.com (No. 24 Michigan, No. 29 SMU, No. 38 Baylor, No. 42 Oklahoma and No. 50 Texas Tech).
The 2005 Baylor-Tapatio Springs Shootout concludes with a third and final round of 18 holes Saturday beginning at 7:30 a.m. CST at Tapatio Springs Golf Resort, a 6,007-yard, par 72 course located 20 miles northwest of San Antonio. Par: 72 Yardage: 6007 Fin. School Scores 1 Baylor University 295 291 586 +10 2 Michigan, U. of 301 300 601 +25 3 SMU 314 296 610 +34 4 Oklahoma, U. of 306 311 617 +41 5 Fla. International 321 307 628 +52 Texas Tech Univ 316 312 628 +52 7 Texas El Paso, U. of 315 323 638 +62 8 Arkansas-Little Rock 322 317 639 +63 Wisconsin, U. of 329 310 639 +63 10 Toledo, U. of 327 315 642 +66 Eastern Michigan 322 320 642 +66 12 Texas-Pan American 329 315 644 +68 13 Xavier University 326 319 645 +69 14 Memphis, Univ. of 323 326 649 +73 15 Sam Houston St. U. 330 325 655 +79 16 TX A&M CorpusChristi 335 322 657 +81 17 Arkansas State Univ. 349 333 682 +106 18 McLennan CC 351 332 683 +107 14 Memphis, Univ. of 323 326 649 T14 Stacey Tate 78 75 153 T55 Ashley Burross 85 80 165 T62 Cameron Barber 82 85 167 T76 Bernie Rosero 84 86 170 WD Meghan Mahoney 79 WD |
| 03/25/05 | |
Pep Rally Scheduled for New York and NIT -- Tigers to face St. Joseph's at 6 p.m. (ET) (GoTigersGo.com) |
| MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis Alumni Association has scheduled a pep rally for Tuesday, Mar. 29th at 5:00 p.m. (ET) for the Tiger basketball team's appearance in the NIT semifinals. The pep rally will be held at the Intercontinental The Barclay New York (111 East 48th Street). It will feature light snacks and beverages and a cash bar. All Tiger fans are invited to stop by the pep rally and pick up a free pom pom prior to the Tigers' game against St. Joseph's. The Tiger spirit squads and pep band will be in attendance, as will Dr. Shirley Raines. The NIT semifinal game will tip at 7 p.m. (ET). |
| 03/25/05 | |
Tiger Notes (baseball, football, track) (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Phil Stukenborg Contact March 25, 2005 Schoenrock's Tigers try to end recent bad run -- S. Florida righthander will be tough to defeat The University of Memphis baseball team, which has lost two straight and eight of 10, opens a three-game Conference USA series tonight at South Florida. It won't necessarily afford Tiger first-year coach Daron Schoenrock a chance to end his team's skid. USF is tied for first in the C-USA standings and coming off an impressive sweep of Charlotte last weekend in a conference series at Charlotte, N.C. And the Bulls are expected to start one of the league's top pitchers in tonight's series opener. Sophomore righthander Casey Hudspeth, who has four wins, leads C-USA in strikeouts (48) and innings pitched (431/3 ) and is ranked in the top 10 in earned run average (3.12) and opponents' batting average (.225). Memphis (6-11 overall, 1-2 in C-USA) is struggling at the plate in several league categories. The Tigers have a conference-low six home runs and are ranked 11th in the 12-team league in slugging percentage (.375). A change in policy The deadline has passed for Tiger football season ticket holders sitting between the 20-yard lines on the west, or press box, side of Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium to join the Tiger Scholarship Fund (formerly Tiger Clubs) at the minimum donation level. A letter sent by the Tiger Scholarship Fund staff to football season ticket holders in February said it was necessary to have non-Tiger Scholarship Fund season ticket holders join "in an attempt to increase our annual giving donations and help offset the rising costs of scholarships." The cost of a full athletic scholarship to the UofM is between $8,000 and $16,000 annually. Those with season tickets between the 20-yard lines were allowed to join at the minimum donation level of $100 if they contacted the TSF office by March 15. New season ticket holders will be required to join the TSF at a designated giving level. As an example, a new donor requesting season tickets near the 40-yard line would be required to join at between $1,000 and $10,000. Since only 19 percent of the 60,000 seats at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadum (those between the 20s on the west side) have been designated as requiring a donation, those who don't wish to join will have a variety of seat options. Track shuffle The men's and women's track teams will participate in the LSU Tiger Relays today and Saturday at Baton Rouge, La., but will be without two of their premier athletes. Throwers J.D. Erickson and Gail Lee have elected to redshirt the outdoor season. Each will compete in selected meets as unattached entrants, but they will not travel with the team to those meets and their results will not contribute to the UofM's score. Although the women lost Lee -- the C-USA Indoor shot put champ -- they gained senior triple jumper Lisa-Marie Hyman. She missed last week's opening outdoor meet at Rhodes College with a shin injury, but the three-time C-USA triple-jump champion could factor into the UofM's scoring this weekend. Odds and ends The Tiger football team, which has had to cancel scheduled spring workouts this week because of wet field conditions, is slated to resume workouts today at the Murphy Athletic Complex. ... The Highland Hundred Tiger football booster club will sponsor the 7th Highland Hundred/Les Phillips Memorial Golf Tournament April 8 at Memphis National. For more information, visit the group's Web site (www.highlandhundred .com). ... The Tiger men's tennis team, which begins a five-match homestand Sunday against Georgia State, is ranked 66th in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association Rankings. |
| 03/25/05 | |
Torn ACL finishes season for Hunt -- Injury will require six months for recovery (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Gary Parrish Contact March 25, 2005 An MRI performed Thursday confirmed University of Memphis junior Jeremy Hunt tore his ACL against Vanderbilt. His season is over. "It's very disappointing," Hunt said after Wednesday's game against the Commodores, an 81-68 victory that advanced the Tigers to the semifinals of the NIT. "Seems like every time I get it going and get my legs back I get injured again." This injury is the latest in a string of setbacks Hunt has faced since enrolling at Memphis. The Craigmont High standout has, at different times, had a broken bone in his foot, a foot infection, a torn ACL, a broken bone in his wrist and now another torn ACL. Surgery will be scheduled after the Tigers return from next week's trip to New York. It will be Hunt's sixth operation in his three-year career. Assuming it takes the junior the customary six months to recover, Hunt should be cleared in time for the start of his senior season. Still, he'll miss all of this summer's workouts, and likely open practice at less than 100 percent. "I'm stunned," said Memphis coach John Calipari. "I don't know what to say." On a more urgent note, Hunt's injury leaves the Tigers (22-15) with two guards and just one capable point guard (Darius Washington) heading into Tuesday's NIT semifinal against St. Joseph's (23-11 |