thollahan@bizjournals.com | 259-1725
| Memphis Tigers News Archives |
| March 2006 |
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| 03/31/06 | |
Tigers fall a little short in a season that promises better times (Memphis Business Journal) |
| Karma ran out for the Memphis Tigers and their fans in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, but the memories of this season, and the future of this rising program, will bring goose bumps for years to come.
Yes, we've made the NCAA Tournament three out of the last four years (in 2002, the Tigers won the NIT), but those teams seemed long shots at making a legitimate run to the Final Four, until this year. This was the first year ever that Memphis received a No. 1 regional seed and remained ranked so high in the polls for most of the season.
It has been more than 20 years since Tiger fans had this much to be excited about.
Our city and our team were on the tips of every ESPN analyst's tongue for weeks. The whole country saw clips of senior forward Rodney Carney flying through the lane for dunks. Talk about national exposure.
When the Tigers beat Bradley in the Sweet 16 game, I was at the Fox and Hound on Sanderlin, in the shadows of head coach John Calipari's steakhouse. A friend named Eric said he'd been there securing seats at his table since 3 p.m., even though tip off wasn't until 6:27 p.m.
Arriving about an hour before tip off, two friends and I had been relegated to a card table set up near the back exit. We were expecting to join the standing-room-only crowd in order to see the big screen, but I asked Eric if we could take any of the vacant stools at his table. A few of his associates didn't show, so we ended up with some of the best seats in the house.
There was one Ole Miss Rebel fan at Eric's table, a former Rebel roundballer, in fact, who rooted openly for Bradley. He was laying it on thick as the favored Tigers struggled to build a lead on Bradley in the first half. Our exchanges were cordial, but I was the loudest guy in the place -- which is saying something -- and cordial turned to obnoxious bravado as the Tigers pulled away in the second half.
The Rebel was gone long before the game ended.
People at every table exchanged pleasantries, high-fives and raised fists. After a little over two hours of interaction and exhilaration, I left the establishment with 100 new best friends. Your friends will tell similar stories.
This had been a long time coming.
Even the sometimes smarmy sports writers at The Commercial Appeal who didn't work here 20 years ago were forced to look beyond the end of their pens and report on how overwhelming and all-encompassing this city's love for Tiger basketball is.
That love is not evident down to the man, for certain, but it's enough to bring the entire city to a halt when the Tigers take the court.
When Memphis was to play UCLA, not one of three friends I inquired about watching the game with would suggest I hook up with them, nor step foot near my house. A fourth didn't return my call.
They know me. They know how I am when it comes to Tiger basketball. A little intense? Heck, I wouldn't watch with me, either, but I don't really have a choice. So I was to watch the UCLA game alone in the Elite Eight of the Big Dance.
You know the rest. Not a shot would fall, just like the Texas game in Memphis earlier in the season. Of course, our defense was so good, as it had been all year, that the Tigers kept the game close. We had our chances to pull it out.
We all wanted a national title. We knew this team was good enough to deliver. But when the brackets came out, a very tough road to the Final Four was laid out. We'd have to beat Oral Roberts, then get by possibly Arkansas, then defeat either Kansas or Pittsburgh, just to get to UCLA.
The first games were the most hairy. Heavily favored as a No. 1 seed, Memphis would be a laughing stock if it failed to reach at least the Sweet 16.
No, no national title. But as disappointing as that is, our beloved Tigers are back. The swagger is back. We are in the national spotlight again, where we belong.
And there is every indication this program is only going to get stronger. thollahan@bizjournals.com | 259-1725 |
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| 03/31/06 |  |
Spring Football: Day 10 (Commercial Appeal) |
| Observations from Day 10 of the University of Memphis's spring football practice: 1) The Tigers conducted a slightly-shorter-than-normal workout Friday (18 five-minute periods as opposed to the standard 22) before a large contingent of area high school football coaches and assistants. The high school coaches were at the Murphy Athletic Complex to to attend a clinic with the U of M coaching staff. 2) With one week left before the Tigers play their annual spring game at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, the U of M will go through a mid-morning scrimmage Saturday at the Liberty Bowl. Tiger coach Tommy West expects to run through at least 70 plays. "I'm not trying to gut them," he said. "I just want to get some good work in." 3) After experimenting with left-handed snapping Michael Denning at center, the coaching staff has returned Denning to guard, his natural spot. Denning struggled with the center-quarterback exchange in practices and scrimmages. West said redshirt freshman Philip Beliles has "a great opportunity" to become the team's No. 2 center if he'll make a commitment to the work and discipline required, on and off the field. Beliles, a former Christian Brothers High player, replaced Denning at center earlier this week and has had an encouraging start. Beliles, a redshirt sophomore, entered camp as a backup at left tackle. 4) Highlight catches of the practice Friday included receptions by former Collierville standout Brian Hall and former White Station High receiver Maurice Jones. Jones made a catch streaking down the right sideline, outjumping two defenders for the ball. 5) West visited secondary coach Tim Keane Friday morning at Baptist Memorial Hospital and said Keane is scheduled to go home today. Keane underwent triple-bypass heart surgery, the same operation West underwent Feb. 3, earlier this week. 6) Don't look for West to name a starting quarterback after spring practice ends next weekend. He wants to see all the candidates healthy and competing in August before he reaches a decision. Transfer Martin Hankins has worked with the No. 1 offense with Patrick Byrne and Will Hudgens recovering from broken legs. Byrne has not participated in scrimmages and Hudgens has been limited. |
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| 03/31/06 | |
Tiger Spring Football Update #10 (GoTigersGo.com) |
| Practice #10 Friday, March 31 The Tigers practiced for nearly two hours at the Murphy Athletic Complex. It looked like it was going to rain early on, but the weather held out as more than 50 high school coaches looked on from the sidelines. The coaches were on campus for Memphis' Coaching Clinic. Coach West commented that this was the largest clinic he has had and that more than 180 coaches had pre-registered. Today was a typical practice of drills and position work. The quarterbacks worked extensively with the receivers and then received pressure from the Tiger secondary, while the offensive line worked against the defensive line. Coach Joe Lee Dunn continues to work with the secondary during the absence of Coach Tim Keane who had heart surgery on Tuesday. Keane is expected to leave the hospital on Saturday. Defensive lineman Ryan Williams remains sidelined from spring practice with a shoulder injury. He is scheduled for surgery on Wednesday. Junior defensive lineman Arron Bentley has been working a new position this week. A two-year letterman on defense, Bentley has made the shift to offense, and is working as the backup left tackle behind Willie Henderson. Philip Beliles had been listed behind Henderson at the start of spring practice, but has been working lately as a backup at center, along with junior-to-be Michael Denning. The Tigers will travel to the Liberty Bowl on Saturday for extensive scrimmage work in the morning. They will have three practices next week before ending the spring workout on Saturday, April 8, at the Liberty Bowl for the Mutual of Omaha Blue-Gray game. Kick-off is slated for noon. "I hope tomorrow is the best scrimmage we have had, and I will be disappointed if it is not," said Coach Tommy West. "We have done a lot of scrimmaging with these guys, but this is a very inexperienced team. We have taken the approach that we are going to scrimmage; we are going to look at it on tape; and then we are going to correct it on the field. And it seems to be working because I thought Wednesday was the best day we have had." "So far this team has been there mentally every day," added West. "We have not had that day where I thought we didn't have focus. This group has been a lot of fun to work with because they have a lot of `want-to' in them." Earlier in the day, Conference USA officials notified the U of M that CSTV would pick up the Memphis-Tulsa match-up slated for Oct. 21 at the Liberty Bowl. Game time has been tentatively been set for 7 p.m. CT. |
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| 03/31/06 |  |
Tiger Baseball Catches Elusive 13th Win with 5-4 Decision over No. 20 Southern Miss -- Tigers defeat Top-20 team for second-straight (GoTigersGo.com) |
| HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Memphis (13-12; 2-2 C-USA) 004 000 100 - 5 15 0 Southern Miss (20-8; 3-1 C-USA) 000 002 110 - 4 10 2 Freshman Scott McGregor struck out seven in his second-straight complete game victory to lead Memphis past No. 20 Southern Miss, Friday evening. The win was the second C-USA series-opening triumph and gives the Tigers their 13th win of the season, tying the 2005 win total. The Tigers played 52 games in the 2005 season before notching its 13th and final win of the season. Memphis was 8-17 through 25 games a year ago. The Memphis offense touched USM starter Scott Massey up for six hits--all singles--in a four-run third. The Tigers sent nine batters to the plate in the frame sending the Golden Eagles ace to his first loss of the year. Consecutive singles by Ben Grisham and Cory Barton got the Tigers' offense going. K.K. Chalmers reached on a fielding error on a sacrifice bunt to load the bases. Will Petersen put Memphis on the board with a two-run single to right. Three-straight singles by Kyle Norrid, Adam Amar and Joseph Lieberman made it 4-0. The Tigers threatened again in the fourth, but Cory Barton was thrown out at the plate attempting to score all the way from first on a double to the right centerfield gap by Chalmers. McGregor cruised through five innings, before USM broke through the scoring column in the sixth inning with a two-run blast over the rightfield wall. Memphis won a big answer-back inning when Petersen blasted a towering home run to left for a 5-2 Tiger advantage. The Golden Eagles got a home run from Michael Ewing in the seventh and then cut the Memphis lead to 5-4 with a single tally in the eighth. Led by Chalmers 3-for-4 performance, the first six hitters in the Memphis lineup finished with multiple hits. The Tigers out hit the Golden Eagles 15-10. Trey Sutton paced USM, who falls for the first time in C-USA play, with three hits. The Tigers and Golden Eagles will match up in the second game of the three-game C-USA series tomorrow, with the first pitch set for 4 p.m. Listen to live action as "The Voice of Tiger Baseball", Jeff Brightwell calls the play-by-play action on WUMR 91.7FM. |
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| 03/31/06 |  |
Track and Field Travels To Mississippi State for Bulldog Invitational -- Action begins at 9 a.m. Saturday morning in Starkville (GoTigersGo.com) |
| MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Already having two solid outdoor meets under their belts, the Memphis track and field teams will travel to Starkville, Miss., Saturday for the Bulldog Invitational, hosted by Mississippi State University. In just two meets thus far in the outdoor campaign, the U of M is just one short of its total number of regional qualifiers from 2005, while five Lady Tigers have broken school records. Sivan Aballi (shot put and discus), Susan King (discus) and Gail Lee (shot put) have all qualified on for the Lady Tigers, while J.D. Erickson (shot put, discus and hammer) and Norbert Gulyas (discus) have qualified for the Tigers. In addition, Lee, King, and Aballi, along with Emily Malinowski and Whitney Bolton have all broken at least one school record, while Lee has claimed new marks in both the shot put and hammer. With better weather expected this weekend, along with likely the best competition to this point in the spring, Memphis expects even better results and more stellar performances. Along with Memphis and Mississippi State, Southern Miss, Louisiana Tech, Alcorn State, Alabama-Huntsville and Missouri State are scheduled to compete. Competition at the Bulldog Invitational is set to begin at 9 a.m. with field events, while running events are slated to follow at noon. Live results for the meet can be followed at MSU's website, www.mstateathletics.com, while results and a recap will be posted at gotigersgo.com. |
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| 03/31/06 | |
Carney exits dunk contest after 'weird' landing (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Gary Parrish Contact March 31, 2006 INDIANAPOLIS -- Rodney Carney stood there like everybody else, just shaking his head in amazement at what he called the best dunk he's ever seen. Funny thing is it came well before the dunk contest ever started. "I've never even seen anybody try that," Carney said with a smile. "A between-the-legs 360? I don't know why they put them on before us." Them is something called "City Slam," best described as a group of professional dunkers who were brought in to fill dead time created by ESPN's production. They were ultimately the highlight of the 18th Annual College Slam Dunk and 3-Point Championships at Hinkle Fieldhouse Thursday night, an event consisting of some of the best seniors in the country that also doubled as a homecoming for Carney. "It's good to be back home and spend time with my family" said the University of Memphis senior. "But I don't have anything to match that between-the-legs 360." Turns out, Carney was right. Dressed in a stylish UofM jersey, Carney scored a 56 out of a possible 60 points with a relatively average first effort. After that, he went between his legs -- there was no 360 -- and nearly fell on his head to garner a 59, which pushed him into the semifinals along with Cincinnati's James White, Western Kentucky's Elgrace Wilborn and North Carolina's David Noel. Then it got dangerous. "When I missed (in the semifinals) I came down weird on my leg," Carney said. "As soon as that happened, I said 'Ooops. Now let me sit on down.'" Rather than risk falling awkwardly again and suffering an injury that could potentially cost millions of dollars, Carney opted out of the event after that miss from the free throw line, giving us our "no mas" moment of the night. How'd the hometown fans react? They booed. Twenty minutes later, Noel won. Twenty-five minutes later, Carney and everybody else seemed sure he'd made the right call. "Rodney was smart," said White, a former Conference USA member himself. "You want to have fun, but you can't get hurt." So Carney won't join "City Slam" anytime soon. Still, he was smiling. No more head pointed down. No more towel over his face. Five days after having his college career come to a close in dismal fashion with a 50-45 loss to UCLA in the Elite Eight, Carney was laughing it up at the site where the championship game in "Hoosiers" was filmed. And while it's possible the joy came directly from receiving a one-on-one interview with ESPN's courtside beauty Erin Andrews, it's more likely the source was simply passed time that has allowed the AP All-America choice to view his career and the Tigers' season in a more macro-sense. "It still hurts," Carney said. "But we had a good year. And when Villanova and UConn lost too, that made me feel a little better." Just in case that wasn't enough, there's also the realization that NBA riches await. A good indication is that Carney's cell phone hasn't stopped ringing since he played his final game for John Calipari and knelt at center court in defeat inside The Arena in Oakland while UCLA celebrated. "There's about five or six or seven agents who just keep calling and leaving messages all the time; I had to just turn my phone off," Carney said. "But I'm going to talk to Coach Cal and let him help me with it. If he OKs the agent, then I'll check them out." In the meantime, Carney will remain in Indianapolis through this weekend's Final Four, relax and see the scene. Then he'll return to Memphis and resist the temptation of bailing on school despite that being the typical behavior of most projected Top 15 draft picks. "I'm going to finish the semester and take my time with everything else," Carney said. "It's a real stressful experience that I'm going through. But I'm just going to do it and try to get ready for what's next." All while avoiding injury, of course. -- Gary Parrish: 529-2365 |
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| 03/31/06 |  |
Tiger Notes: Baseball, Track, Football, Basketball, Tennis (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Phil Stukenborg Contact March 31, 2006 Tigers look to get back on track -- USM pitching staff a formidable challenge The University of Memphis men's baseball team, which has slipped to .500 for the first time this season, will try to recover beginning today in a difficult setting for an opponent. The Tigers will play three-game Conference USA weekend series at 20th-ranked Southern Miss starting at 6:30 tonight. Southern Miss (20-7, 3-0 in C-USA) will send one of the league's best righthanders to the mound tonight in UT-Martin transfer Scott Massey. Massey, a senior, is 5-0 with a 2.49 earned-run average. Memphis (12-12, 1-2) will counter with freshman righthander Scott McGregor, who beat nationally ranked Tulane with a complete-game performance last week at Nat Buring Stadium. ''It's going to be another challenge for our guys,'' said Tiger coach Daron Schoenrock. ''Southern Miss is probably the hottest team in the league right now, probably hotter than Rice.'' Southern Miss opened C-USA play last weekend with a sweep of UAB. In this series, the Golden Eagles will start three righthanders who have an ERA of 2.78 or lower. USM's team ERA is 3.53, fourth in C-USA. The Tigers have struggled since McGregor beat the Green Wave in the opening game of last weekend's series. Memphis has lost four straight, including dropping an 11-9 decision against Austin Peay Wednesday night. ''I think we did some things well offensively in that game,'' Schoenrock said. ''We came from behind twice to take leads. What we failed to do was get their leadoff hitter out. Five of their guys who walked scored and two that were hit by pitches scored. That accounted for seven of their 11 runs. ''The simple thing for us now is we've got to eliminate the gifts. We haven't put together two of the three things -- pitching, hitting and defense -- that you have do since last Friday against Tulane.'' On a roll The men's and women's track teams will travel to the Bulldog Invitational in Starkville, Miss., Saturday with momentum. After two outdoor meets this season, the UofM track team has had five athletes qualify for the NCAA Mideast Regionals. Leading the pack is J.D. Erickson, who has qualified for three events: the shot put, discus and hammer throw. It is the first time in school history a track athlete has qualified for three events. Tiger assistant coach Kevin Robinson said Erickson has flourished because he has ''the unique ability to combine pure power with fluid athletic technical movement.'' Also qualifying have been Norbert Guylas, Susan King, Gail Lee and Sivan Aballi. Aballi has qualifed in two events, the shot put and discus. Lee qualified with a school-record throw of 49 feet, 9 inches at last weekend's Ole Miss dual meet, breaking Aballi's school record set the previous weekend by more than two feet. Odds and ends Tiger football coach Tommy West will speak at the Highland Hundred spring meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Memphis Botanic Garden. Social hour begins at 6 p.m. ... Two Lady Tiger basketball signees -- guards Jasmyn Green of Desoto (Texas) High and Adria Phillips of Ft. Smith (Ark.) Northside -- have been named to their respective all-state teams. Green also is one of 12 players invited to play for the North team in an all-star game July 10 for the state's elite players. ... Lady Tiger basketball coach Blair Savage signed six players during the early signing period in November and is hoping to add three when the spring signed period starts April 12. ... The men's tennis team, 6-10 overall, will play at nationally ranked SMU Saturday. The Tigers are 0-7 vs. ranked teams (top 75 in the country). SMU is No. 60. -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543 |
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| 03/31/06 | |
End of the Dance -- An epic Tiger basketball season ends one game shy of the Final Four (Memphis Flyer) |
| BY FRANK MURTAUGH I want everybody to understand that this is not going to be an easy road. This doesn't change because I became coach. I don't walk on water. I'm just a regular guy. But I want people to see our players fighting, playing like they've never played before, doing things people have never seen them do. Win or lose, they leave the building saying, 'Now if this is the era we've gone to, I'm excited.''' -- University of Memphis basketball coach John Calipari (Memphis magazine, October 2000) You know the first name I thought of when the Memphis Tigers tipped off against UCLA in the Oakland Regional final Saturday? Dennis Freeland. My friend and former Flyer editor lost his battle with cancer in January 2002. But 15 months earlier, he wrote what amounted to an introduction for the city of Memphis to one John Calipari. And if there's any justice in the universe, Calipari absorbed a sliver of Dennis' spirit -- both for his basketball program and the city of Memphis -- during their time together. Even with the dispiriting season-ending loss to the Bruins -- haven't we been here before? -- one could spur a debate these days on whether or not a boatless Calipari could cross the Mississippi without getting wet. (Dennis was petrified of what the coach might think of an illustration that ran with his story that depicted Calipari not only standing on water, but with a halo! "Artistic license," I kept telling him. Here in Memphis, we know how to sanctify mere mortals.) The 2005-06 Tigers may have come up a game shy of the Final Four -- the expressed goal since Calipari was hired in March 2000 -- but consider what they did achieve. They won more games (33) than any other team in the program's rich history and more than any other team in the entire country this season. They were only the fourth team in school history to play for a berth in the Final Four. They are Conference USA champions, whether measured by their regular season record (13-1) or the tournament championship they earned by beating a game UAB squad March 11th. In Rodney Carney -- a player off the radar of the recruiting world when he signed to play for Calipari in 2002 -- Memphis is sending the third-most prolific scorer in school history toward an NBA career that will begin as a lottery pick in June's draft. And four of this year's top eight players were freshmen. Ask Tiger Nation after it gathers itself, and you'll hear: If John Calipari doesn't walk on water, he floats rather nicely. By many measures, an NCAA regional final is the hardest game to lose in college basketball -- one game shy of the biggest spectacle in American amateur sports. But as Tiger fans dry their tears, they would do well to remember the journey. In reflecting on the end of a season in which Carney, Shawne Williams, and Darius Washington took turns being the star of the night, remember Calipari's starting lineup from his first team in 2000-01: Shyrone Chatman, Scooter McFadgon, Kelly Wise, Shannon Forman, and Modibo Diarra. The argument could be made that Calipari did a better coaching job in getting those Tic Price recruits to the NIT semifinals than he's done with his abundance of talent here five years later. Return trips to Madison Square Garden for the NIT "final four" in 2002 and 2005 didn't help in the longing for more national glory, the kind Larry Finch knew in 1973 and Keith Lee in 1985. Last weekend, the Tigers were but a victory over the most decorated program in the sport's history from reaching the promised land. A heartbreaking loss to UCLA in the NCAA tournament? The U of M is the latest victim in a long line. And the fact is, the Tigers won more NCAA tournament games this month than the program did over the previous 13 seasons combined. The lasting beauty of the 2005-06 Memphis Tigers is that they are now a talking point on the historical timeline of this city's flagship sports enterprise. For all their virtues, the Grizzlies and Redbirds can't approximate the historical tapestry woven across generations by Tiger basketball. And from this point on, at water coolers and watering holes across the Mid-South, Calipari's sixth Memphis team will be part of the debate when the question of the greatest Tiger team is raised. If the debate is narrowed down to regional finalists, the 2006 Tigers are one of four. What about 30-win teams? The 2006 Tigers are one of two (and the only one with 33). How about Memphis teams that won both regular-season and conference-tournament championships? The 2006 Tigers are one of four. Star power? Carney scored more points in his Memphis career than everyone except Keith Lee and Elliot Perry. (More than Penny, more than Finch!) Williams and Washington will give this team three future pros (and you just might see Joey Dorsey, Antonio Anderson, and Chris Douglas-Roberts playing for pay someday). It's a team for posterity. With the end of a season comes speculation about the future, particularly in modern college basketball, where a roster's turnover becomes a complicated amalgam of pro ambitions, academic eligibility, and -- since Calipari's arrival -- even graduation. We know Carney will be in an NBA jersey come November. But who knows about Washington and/or Williams? (One man's opinion: They would each help their pro careers with another season of college ball.) If Washington stays for his junior year and Williams his sophomore, next year's club will start the season ranked in the country's top five, if not number one. But what if they don't? Willie Kemp (a guard) and Pierre Niles (a forward) will be highly acclaimed rookies at the Finch Center when practice starts next fall, and they'll make an impact, with or without this season's stars back to help roll out the red carpet. Some healthy advice for college hoop fans: Teams must now be measured as individual, one-year novellas, as opposed to chapters in a larger book. The 2005-06 Tigers were best-sellers in this category. Celebrate them for what they gave the city, and separate your memories of them from that dreadful season finale last weekend. A 33-4 team deserves that much. Once again, remember the journey, ye Tiger faithful. In two very forgettable years under Tic Price, Memphis won a total of 30 games and played nary an NCAA tournament contest. With due respect to Price's best player, Omar Sneed would come off the bench for the 2005-06 Tiger squad. And the Price "era" was but seven years ago. Dennis Freeland was as good a sportswriter as Memphis has seen in some time. He was, foremost, a professional journalist. Dotted all his i's, as they say. But he was also a graduate -- and fan -- of the University of Memphis. Objective as the day is long, Dennis was passionate about Tiger basketball. Were he here for the season just past, Dennis would have relished all the positives, all the cheers he might have covered, for it's the teams that do something special that make sportswriters pay attention, year in and year out, when most clubs simply do the best they can within fairly standard limits. A season begins, reaches its peak (or nadir), and ends. I'll tell you a secret about Dennis and his coverage of the 2005-06 University of Memphis Tigers, as I imagine it. His gaze would have remained steady, his thoughts and perspective focused as the team grew into one of the three or four greatest in the history of the program. But Dennis' heart? It would have been pounding. What Happened in Oakland? -- By Dave Woloshin The horn sounded and he collapsed to the floor, hiding his head beneath his jersey. It wasn't supposed to end this way. Not for Rodney Carney. Not for any of the Memphis Tigers. The chase for greatness ended one week too soon. One trip too soon. It was supposed to end in Indianapolis, Carney's hometown. What the heck happened in Oakland? How could every Memphis player have a bad game on the same night? John Calipari had made it clear to his team and to the national press that to be successful his stars would have to "play like stars." But a different set of stars had aligned over San Francisco Bay. It began when the NCAA selection committee bestowed the honor of a number-one seed to the Tigers. The University of Memphis had never been a one-seed before. And coming from a league like Conference USA, it was even more improbable. All the so-called experts thought your schedule wasn't tough enough. But there Memphis was, sitting at the top of the bracket. The only problem was the view. The NCAA placed the Tigers in the Oakland region, figuring Memphis was the fourth-best team in the tournament. The fourth number-one seed has the lowest priority of the top seeds and is usually forced to play farthest from home. So if the Tigers made the Sweet 16 they would head west. In the first two rounds in Dallas, the Tigers took care of business like a top seed should against Oral Roberts and Bucknell. So, it was on to Oakland! As the Sweet 16 got started, it appeared the Tigers might have destiny on their side. Their next opponent, Bradley University, a small school from the Missouri Valley Conference, had upset favorites Kansas and Pittsburgh to get to Oakland. They were a 13-seed. If you know your NCAA trivia, you know that no 13-seed has ever made it to the Elite Eight. Bradley wouldn't either. Again, Memphis took care of business, winning by 16. UCLA and Gonzaga squared off for the right to meet Memphis. The Zags dominated the game and led by nine with three minutes left. Then UCLA went on an 11-0 run and took its first lead with nine seconds left. The lead held, and suddenly, UCLA was destiny's child. Memphis had beaten both UCLA and Gonzaga earlier in the year, so it really didn't matter which team they played, right? Oh, but it did, and I'll give you 15,000 blue-and-gold-clad reasons why. The Oakland Arena looked like Pauley Pavilion-North. It was packed with UCLA fans. This was now a Memphis road game. For only the second time since the NCAA began seeding the tournament, a higher-seeded school was forced to play in the home state of a lower seed. All year long, the young Tigers had stood up to pressure. When games got physical, so did Memphis. When referee calls went the other way, the Tigers shook it off. But not against UCLA. Credit UCLA coach Ben Howland for coming up with a brilliant game plan. He decided the Bruins would play rough and clog up the middle, taking away Memphis' ability to attack the bucket. Everything UCLA planned paid off. When the Tigers tried to match their physical intensity, they were called for fouls. They became tentative. When a hard drive to the hoop became a charge, bewilderment set in. Shooting threes? That didn't work either. At the half, Memphis was 0 for 10. Bewilderment turned to panic. UCLA's crowd was in a blue and gold frenzy. What hadn't happened all season finally did. The Tigers played like the freshmen and sophomores that they are. Which gets us back to center circle and senior Rodney Carney, on the floor, trying to regain his composure. His career at Memphis is over. But his professional future looks bright. Most experts predict he'll be an NBA lottery draft choice. As for his young teammates, their future looks just as shiny. Almost every key player on this Tiger team other than Carney could be back. Add four new blue-chip recruits to the mix, and an Elite Eight repeat is not only feasible, it's expected. Sure, the hangover of disappointment still lingers, even a week later. I believe these Tigers could have won the national championship. The Tigers could have licked any of the Final Four survivors. But that doesn't take away from what this group has achieved. They are the new bench-mark for Tiger greatness. And a new chase begins in seven months. |
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| 03/30/06 |  |
Mueller and Wise Help Memphis Earn 1-0 Exhibition Shutout -- Tigers earn fourth-straight shutout of spring (GoTigersGo.com) |
| For Immediate Release Contact: Brandon Kolditz wkolditz@memphis.edu, (901) 678-2444 MEMPHIS - Freshman goalkeeper Robert Mueller made the most of his first significant playing time in the spring by helping the University of Memphis men's soccer team shutout Colaiste Ide in an exhibition game on Wednesday night, 1-0. The blanking is the fourth-straight for the Tigers who have allowed only two goals in five games; both coming against Major League Soccer's FC Dallas. Mueller, a native of Kileen, Texas, played all 90-minutes for the win, saving several Colaiste Ide goal opportunities. He was named the man of the match after the game. "Robert had a great game for us," said Memphis head coach Richie Grant. "He definitely helped preserve the win." The Tigers scored the game-winner about 25 minutes into the match. Freshman Nick Dressman headed a free-kick by Tripp Harkins that was finished by freshman Grant Wise. Wise has scored in two-straight games after also making a goal against Lambuth University. "It was a very competitive, tight game," Grant said. "The game was really intense, and they got everything that we had last night. Colaiste Ide had an exceptional performance considering the amount of soccer they have played in the last six days." Led by strong performances in the backfield by freshman Thomas Hyland and sophomore Michael Coburn, the Tigers kept its shutout streak in tact. Memphis has now played over 370 scoreless minutes. The U of M will carry that streak into its final spring game against the Kansas City Wizards of the MLS in Kansas City, Mo on Sunday at 10 a.m. After being tested in its opening spring game against FC Dallas, Memphis will have the opportunity to close against a team of the highest caliber. "We're looking forward to playing Kansas City," Grant said. "They will provide a major challenge for us as we finish our spring competition." Memphis will use the money raised from its annual silent auction held tonight at South Campus to fund the trip. The team will watch the Wizards open up their 2006 season against the Columbus Crew on Saturday. Traveling with the Crew is last year's Memphis team captain Dayton O'Brien who was drafted by the team this year. |
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| 03/30/06 | |
Spring Football: Day 9 (Commercial Appeal) |
| Observations from Day 9 of the University of Memphis's spring practice: 1) Tiger quarterback Martin Hankins has made steady improvement from his first few snaps under center in spring scrimmages. In Wednesday's workout at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium he was 14-of-22 for 165 yards and a touchdown. Hankins did a lot of things well, but his accuracy may have been the most impressive. He gave his receivers a chance to make catches. At least 20 of his 22 pass attempts were catchable. He had several passes dropped. 2) Tiger noseguard Van Houston, who sat out last season with a knee infection, has had a good camp. Houston has been among the defense's top playmakers. 3) Any chance to experiment with a four-man defensive front in spring has been hurt by the departure of Cortez McCraney and injuries to Ryan Williams (shoulder) and Clinton McDonald (hamstring). And Rubio Phillips, of course, has been held out of spring recovering from a torn ACL in last year's season opener. |
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| 03/30/06 | |
Former Rebels find football more to liking at U of M (Commercial Appeal) |
| By PhilStukenborg Contact March 30, 2006 Corey Mills didn't know Jada Brown. Brown said he had never met Mills. The 19-year-olds were Ole Miss signees coming out of high school, but Mills, who graduated from high school a year earlier than Brown, left Ole Miss before Brown arrived. And then Brown departed before his freshman season began. As the University of Memphis reaches the halfway point of its spring football practice schedule, Mills and Brown no longer need to be introduced. Mills, a 6-4, 260-pound defensive lineman from Memphis, is playing regularly with the first-team defense in practices and scrimmages. Brown, a 6-2, 260-pound defensive lineman from College Park, Ga., is also playing regularly with the first-team defense in practices and scrimmages. "He's on one side of the line," Brown said. "And I'm on the other." They've been pleasant additions to a UofM line that endured several season-ending injuries in 2005, forcing defensive coordinator Joe Lee Dunn to employ a two-man front, on occasion, late in the season. "There's no doubt in my mind that those two guys, and (redshirt freshman) Greg Terrell, are going to help our defense," said Tiger coach Tommy West. "Right now they are giving us a lift up front." Mills and Brown are expected to bolster a unit that will welcome back senior tackles Van Houston, who sat out last season with a knee infection, and Rubio Phillips, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in the opening game against Ole Miss. Mills and Brown admit they are ecstatic about playing and contributing again. Mills, a former Christian Brothers High standout, did not practice last fall. He left the Ole Miss football team last spring and announced in August he was leaving the university to enroll at Memphis. "I didn't know at one point if I'd play again," Mills said. "But I found out that I missed the game. I was away a year and a half. It seemed like a pretty long time." Mills said having several former high school teammates -- Ryan Williams, Brett Russell, Philip Beliles and Brandon Pearce -- on the Tiger football team helped make his decision to return. "It's been fun so far," he said. "I'm just trying to knock off some of the rust." Brown left Ole Miss last August after being given his release and was allowed to practice with the Tigers. But he wasn't able to play. "Not being able to play ... it's like having the money to buy what you want, but you can't buy it," Brown said. "It was a learning experience." As much as Mills has enjoyed reuniting with his high school teammates, Brown has enjoyed meeting new faces. "When I finally got here the first thing I was told was that I was welcome," Brown said. "This is a family place. They let me know this was going to be a family." Brown, recruited heavily at Banneker (Ga.) High by the Tigers used last fall to absorb as much knowledge about the position as he could from several of the veteran linemen. "I got with Rubio and I got with (former Tiger) LaVale (Washington) and I got with Van Houston," Brown said. "They were showing me some hand movements, how to be tough, the little things like that." Like Brown, Mills was recruited by the UofM when he was at CBHS. Combining a rare blend of speed and quickness for a player his size, Mills finished with 21 quarterback sacks in his prep career. As a senior, was considered the top prospect in the city and one of the top three prospects in the state. "He's a beast," Brown said. "He's a freak of nature. He's got quickness and strength and the moves. And he's tough as nails." Dunn said he's excited to newcomers with such a strong work ethic. Defensive line coach Craig Boller appreciates how quick they comprehend. "They are good technicians," Boller said. "If you explain to them that you have to do this or you have to do that, or that you have to take this step, they pick it up." The emergence of Mills, Brown and Terrell this spring has been an encouraging development for West, who lost lineman Cortez McCraney Tuesday. McCraney left the team and will not return. "I love what (Mills, Brown and Terrell) are doing," West said. "They chase the ball, they play technique. And they've got a little burst to them. They aren't running at the same speed all the time." Brown, who said he "felt out of place" at Ole Miss, called Memphis a good fit from the start. "This has been like the best thing in the world for me," he said. "It's been like having a birthday every day. You can't understand how much fun football is again." |
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| 03/30/06 | |
Tiger Football Notes (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Phil Stukenborg Contact March 30, 2006 Quarterback Hankins shines in scrimmage The Tiger football team conducted a 77-play scrimmage Wednesday at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, and quarterback Martin Hankins had, perhaps, his best spring performance. Hankins, a transfer from 1-AA Southeastern Louisiana, completed 14-of-22 passes for 165 yards and a touchdown. The TD pass, a 48-yard strike to Antonino McCoy, came early in the scrimmage. McCoy caught the pass at the 30-yard line, shook free from a defender, and raced untouched for the score. Hankins completed 11-of-16 for 114 yards and two TDs in last weekend's scrimmage. "I think Martin is getting better every time out," Tiger coach Tommy West said. "For the most part he ran the system." Overall, West was pleased with his team's effort on both sides of the ball. Running back T.J. Pitts capped a 16-play, 75-yard drive engineered by Hankins with a 3-yard TD run. Running back Miguel Barnes scored three times on short runs in first-and-goal situations with the ball placed on the 5-yard line. On defense, linebacker TiQuintin Morrell stopped Pitts for a loss on a fourth-and-1 from inside the 10-yard line. "I thought it was a lot better," West said. "We just carried ourselves more like a football team today. We were moving around. "It's not perfect by any stretch, but it's improved since we got going (March 14). We didn't have a lot of errors, the ball wasn't on the ground, we didn't have a fumble or an intercept. We did some good things." Clenin gets scholarship Walk-on defensive back Derek Clenin, a senior-to-be from Memphis, was informed by West after Wednesday's scrimmage that he has been awarded a scholarship. Clenin, who attended Memphis University School, played in 12 games last season and made 17 tackles. In a Conference USA victory over UTEP, he had a key interception late in the game which he returned 26 yards to the Miner 9 to set up the game-winning touchdown. He also had a fumble recovery deep in Memphis territory in the same game to end a potential UTEP scoring threat and earned C-USA Defensive Player of the Week honors for his efforts. "There's a guy who's done everything right since he's been here," West said. "He stands for what I want this program to stand for. He's class, and he's integrity. I'm glad for him and his family." Tiger DB honored Tiger defensive back Wesley Smith, a first-team Conference USA selection each of his first three seasons, was named Wednesday to the 2006 NationalChamps.Net All-American team. Punter Michael Gibson was an honorable mention selection. Smith was the only C-USA player to earn a spot on the first three teams. Smith said being named to the C-USA team three straight years helped "get (my) name out there." Smith finished third on the team with 82 tackles last season. McCraney leaves West said Wednesday that defensive tackle Cortez McCraney, a sophomore-to-be from Southaven, has left the team and will not return. "He is no longer a part of the team," West said. McCraney (6-4, 255) walked off the field during team punishment drills Tuesday. The team went through a series of drills lasting about 40 minutes because three players skipped classes. McCraney, who played safety and defensive end as a senior at Southaven High, was a redshirt in 2004 and played in 11 games last season, finishing with 10 tackles. McCraney entered the spring listed as the No. 2 left tackle behind Brandon Douglas. |
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| 03/30/06 | |
After leading 6-0, Tigers fall (Daily Helmsman) |
| By: Tim Miller Sports Reporter Up 6-0 in the top of the fifth inning, The University of Memphis baseball team seemed in cruise control as they faced Austin Peay on Tuesday in the first game of a home-and-home series. That, however, was the problem. "We sat back and didn't attack the game," said second baseman Jordan Tolliver. Centerfielder K.K. Chalmers agreed. "We got comfortable after building up a lead," he said. Host Austin Peay (14-8) belted out the final 14 runs of the game in a 14-6 rout of the Tigers (12-11) at Raymond C. Hand Park in Clarksville, Tenn. Jacob Schroeder led off the bottom of the fifth for the Governors with a solo homerun. Two Memphis errors in the same inning led to two more runs, both unearned. Then, in the sixth inning, Austin Peay batters rattled off four straight singles that resulted in three more runs. The Governors topped off the offensive onslaught with a six-run seventh inning, capped off by a Jake Lane two-run double. "We had some big two-out hits to start the game," Tolliver said. "We made some errors, though, and they started hitting the ball well." U of M starting pitcher Philip Utley threw four shutout innings to start the game and finished his outing with five strikeouts. "Philip came out and hit the strike zone," Chalmers said. "He did a good job. Then in the fifth they got a few hits, and we didn't help with the errors. But that happens." Over the team's current three-game losing streak, the Tigers' pitching staff has allowed 31 runs. On the season, the staff is second to last in Conference USA with a 5.51 earned run average and dead last in runs given up with 148. While the pitching will have to be better if Memphis wants to end their current skid, Chalmers said he isn't worried. "We have all the confidence in the world in our pitchers," he said. "These guys do their jobs, and they're out there doing the best they can. Everyone has their bad days." The hitting for Memphis continues to be a strong point for the team. The Tigers rank second in C-USA in batting average with a .307 mark and rank sixth in runs scored. At the plate on Tuesday, The U of M was led by designated-hitter Joey Lieberman who went 2-for-4, including a three-run blast in the fifth inning. Lieberman has three homeruns on the season despite having only 17 official at-bats. "Offensively we're rolling," Chalmers said. The U of M learned a valuable lesson in the 14-6 loss to the Governors. "We have to erase what happened and realize that we can't sit on a lead like we did." |
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| 03/29/06 | |
Tiger Spring Football Update #9 (GoTigersGo.com) |
| Practice #9 Wednesday, March 29 The Tigers are more than halfway through spring practice and looking forward to the Mutual of Omaha Blue-Gray game on April 8. The squad made the trip to the Liberty Bowl today for extensive scrimmage work. Martin Hankins got most of the work under center, and had one of his best scrimmages yet. He completed 14 of 22 passes for 165 yards and one touchdown. His TD pass was a 48-yard toss to Antonio McCoy. Billy Barefield and Will Hudgens worked a couple of series. Hudgens tallied 30 yards on five completions and Barefield totaled four yards on two completions. The 48-yard toss to McCoy was the longest reception of the day, but three other Tigers had grabs of more than 15 yards. Ryan Scott caught a 19-yard pass, Carlos Singleton tallied a 16-yard reception, and Carlton Robinzine hauled in a 33-yard pass from Hankins. On the ground, T.J. Pitts and Miguel Barnes both totaled 10 carries, with Pitts rushing for 31 yards and two TDs and Barnes rushing for 32 yards and three TDs. All three of Barnes' touchdowns were when West called for the ball to be placed on the 5-yard line. Pitts had an early run of one yard for a score and then scored on a three-yard carry during the first 5-yard line scenario. Veteran Joe Doss rushed six times for 28 yards while Jamarcus Gaither tallied 16 yards on four carries. Doss had the longest run from scrimmage with a 13-yard carry on the fourth play of the 77-play scrimmage. A couple of defensive players had key pass breakups including LaKeitharun Ford, Bernard Key, Brandon McDonald, Deante' Lamar, Greg Terrell and Jamaal Rufus. On the kicking side, Trey Adams and Joey Mack both hit their field goal attempts from 37 yards out early in the scrimmage, but Kittrell Smith missed his attempt. Late in the workout, all three were called on again for 43-yard attempts and Adams was 1-2, Mack was 1-3 and Smith was 1-2. "I thought we looked a lot better today," said West. "We just carried ourselves more like a football team today. It is not perfect by any stretch, but we have improved since we have been out here. I was very pleased." West also made an announcement to the team at the end of practice that senior-to-be Derek Clenin would be placed on scholarship. Clenin, a walk-on defensive back from MUS, was named a C-USA Defensive Player of the Week following Memphis' upset win over UTEP. "Here is a guy that has done everything right since he has been here on and off the field," commented West. "He stands for class and integrity and it makes me feel good to be able to do this for him. I am really happy for he and his family." |
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| 03/29/06 | |
Baseball Drops Fourth-Straight, 11-9 to Austin Peay -- Tigers fall to 12-12 (GoTigersGo.com) |
| Austin Peay (15-8) 311 103 110 - 11 11 5 Memphis (12-12) 030 500 100 - 9 8 2 Austin Peay centerfielder Cody Youngblood went 3-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored and four RBI, and closer Brad Daniel thwarted a bases loaded one-out Memphis rally to notch his fourth save of the season as the Governors handed Memphis its fourth consecutive loss, 11-9 at Nat Buring Stadium, Wednesday evening. The Tigers fall to .500 for the first time this year. Daniel entered the game for David Vicini, who had hit Will Petersen and Bill Moss to lead off the inning. After giving up an infield single to Kyle Norrid, The Govs closer was able to work out of the jam and retire the side. The Governors got on the board early and often, plating runs in the each of the first four frames. Tiger's starter Lance Scoggins struggled with his command early, walking two of the first three batters he faced. Jake Lane's RBI-single to right scored Youngblood for a 1-0 lead. A sacrifice fly from Will Hogue and a single to right from James Ray capped a three-run first. Youngblood blasted a solo home run in the second to put APSU on top 2-0, but Memphis answered with three tallies in the second to close to within a run at 4-3. The Tigers took advantage of a pair of Austin Peay errors in the inning. APSU scored single runs in the third and fourth for three-run cushion. Memphis erupted for five runs in the fourth to take an 8-6 lead. Leadoff walks by Michael Murray and Ben Grisham preceded an infield single by Cory Barton. Murray scored on a fielder's choice groundball by K.K. Chalmers. Grisham was allowed to score on Gov second baseman Brandon Munsey's errant throw to first. Chalmers then scored to tie the contest when APSU catcher Matt Brown's attempt to throw Will Petersen out a second on a double steal, sailed into to centerfield. Petersen then scored on a single by Moss. Amar capped the inning with an RBI-double to rightfield The lead was short-lived as Austin Peay used a three-run double in the sixth by Youngblood to reclaim the lead at 9-8. They then tacked on runs in the seventh and eighth for the 11-9 final. Rowdy Hardy picked up his third win in two years against Memphis. He improves to 5-0 on the year. Matt Yokely was the loser for the Tigers after giving up two runs in an inning-and-a-third. The Tigers will now prepare to travel to Hattiesburg, Miss. For a Conference USA weekend series against Southern Miss. First pitch for Friday night's series-opener is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Listen to live action as "The Voice of Tiger Baseball" Jeff Brightwell calls the play-by-play action on WUMR 91.7FM. |
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| 03/29/06 |  |
Softball Earns Split With 10-2 Rout of Austin Peay -- Lady Tigers drop tough, 2-1 decision in game one of twinbill (GoTigersGo.com) |
| APSU 000 110 0 - 2 4 0 Memphis 100 000 0 - 1 3 1 APSU 020 000 - 2 2 2 Memphis 304 003 - 10 14 1 SOUTHAVEN, Miss. - Leila Dolfo and Bridgette McNulty each had first-inning homeruns and Nicki Johnson pitched a two-hit gem to lead the Memphis softball team to 10-2 rout of Austin Peay in the second half of a double-header at Greenbrook Park. The win gave the U of M a split of the twinbill after it dropped a tough, 2-1 decision in game one. Memphis got off to quick starts in both games, taking first-inning leads on the Lady Govs in each contest. In game one, however, Austin Peay used a pair of late runs to take a come-from-behind victory. The story was much different in game two, with the Lady Tigers taking the leading and continuing the attack to take the win by the eight-run rule. "We're excited to get a win over a tough Austin Peay team," said Coach Windy Thees. "Nicki Johnson really had an outstanding performance, both on the mound and at the plate, to help us get the split." In addition to holding APSU to two hits and no earned runs, Johnson was 2-for-3 at the plate in game two with a two-RBI double and a run scored. Memphis took an early lead in the first game of the day, bringing its lone run across in the bottom of the first. Cara Stiles walked to lead off the inning, stole second and scored on a Kara Ross single through the right side. Austin Peay came back to tie the game in the fourth when Ami Bush doubled and scored on a Megan Brooks single. The Lady Govs then took the lead in the fifth, loading the bases with no outs before Nikki Garrett scored on a fielder's choice by Bush. Following the first-inning run APSU starter Natasha Anderson silenced the Lady Tiger bats the rest of the way to claim her seventh victory of the season. Dolfo took the loss in game one, working four innings and allowing two earned runs on four hits to fall to 3-5 on the year. The U of M managed just three hits in the first half of the double-header, with McNulty and Kimmi Hayden each picking up a double, while Ross added a single and the lone RBI. After dropping the disappointing decision in the first game, Memphis stormed back in the first inning of game two, using the homeruns by Dolfo and McNulty to take a 3-0 lead. Dolfo's blast, a two-run shot down the leftfield line, was her forth of the season, while McNulty's, a solo job down the rightfield line, was her, team-leading, ninth of the year. Austin Peay, again would not go quietly, coming back to cut the deficit to one in the top of the second on a walk, an error and a two-RBI double by Jennifer Simpkins. The Lady Tigers rebounded to increase the advantage to five in the bottom half of the third, scoring four runs on a pair of hits, a walk and two Lady Gov errors. Johnson ripped a double down the leftfield line to score Dolfo and Ross, before Laura Mahoney singled up the middle to score Hayden and Johnson and give the U of M a 7-2 lead. Memphis then ended the game in the top of the sixth, using a Stiles double and four singles in a row by Dolfo, Ross, McNulty and Hayden to plate three runs and take the eight-run advantage. Johnson took the win in game two, striking out nine in six innings to move to 8-6 on the season. McNulty was 3-for-4 with two RBI, while Stiles, Dolfo, Ross and Johnson added two hits apiece. With the split, Memphis moves to 18-15 on the season, while Austin Peay improves its record to 10-18-2. "It is good to get a win to carry us into the break," said Thees. "Hopefully we can regroup and be more consistent in the second half of the season." The Lady Tigers will have a full week off before returning to action next Wednesday, April 5, when they travel to Martin, Tenn., for a double-header against UT-Martin. |
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| 03/29/06 | |
Wesley Smith Named a Preseason All-American By NationalChamps.Net -- Punter Michael Gibson listed on honorable mention squad (GoTigersGo.com) |
| MEMPHIS, TENN. - University of Memphis free safety Wesley Smith is the first Tiger from the 2006 squad to receive national recognition as he has been named a preseason All-American by NationalChamps.Net. Smith, who was placed on the second-team, is the only player from Conference USA to be listed on the first, second or third team. Tiger punter Michael Gibson was selected to the Honorable Mention All-America squad, along with 19 other C-USA standouts. A senior-to-be for 2006, Smith is a three-time member of the Conference USA first team. He opened the 2005 season on the Jim Thorpe Award watch list, which honors the nation's best defensive back. Last year, Smith was also named in the preseason as an honorable mention All-America pick by NationalChamps.Net and Street & Smith. A native of Oxford, Miss., Smith was ranked third on the squad in tackles with 82 last season. He has recorded nine career games of double-digit tackles, including four in 2005, and has been named a C-USA Player of the Week twice in his career. In his three seasons, Smith totals 269 tackles, nine TFL, two sacks and five interceptions. Gibson, who finished the 2005 season ranked 11th nationally in punting, is expected to make a run at the Ray Guy Award this season. He was named to the All-C-USA second-team squad last year after averaging 44.6 yards on 59 punts. He pinned the opponent inside the 20-yard line 13 times and had a long kick of 70 yards in the regular-season finale against Marshall. A native of Tupelo, Miss., Gibson was instrumental in the Tigers ranking third nationally in net punting. He also tallied 18 punts of more than 50 yards last season. Also named to honorable mention team from C-USA are: QB Kevin Kolb, Houston; QB Jordan Palmer, UTEP; WR Aundrea Allison, ECU; WR/KR Johnnie Lee Higgins, UTEP; WR Mike Walker, UCF; TE Shawn Nelson, USM; OL George Batiste, USM; OL Travis Cooley, USM; OL Cedric Gagne-Marcoux, UCF; DE Larry McSwain, UAB; DE Alex Obomese, UTEP; DE Justin Rogers, SMU; LB Nelson Coleman, Tulsa; DB/PR Joe Burnett, UCF; DB Nick Graham, Tulsa; DB Joe Sturdivant, SMU; Brandon Sumrall, USM; K Darren McCaleb, USM; and KR Jessie Henderson, SMU. |
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| 03/29/06 | |
Tiger wide receiver finally returning to form (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Phil Stukenborg Contact March 29, 2006 University of Memphis receiver Maurice Jones was becoming impatient. So were Tiger coach Tommy West and offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner. The UofM football team had been through nearly two weeks of spring workouts and Jones, a member of Conference USA's All-Freshman team last fall, was missing. Oh, he was there physically. He attended position meetings. He stretched with teammates before practice. He participated in drills. He played in scrimmage-type situations. Mentally, Jones couldn't be found. ''Maurice had a couple of really bad days,'' West said. Saturday, in a scrimmage at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, Jones, the former White Station High standout, made an impressive return. He caught four passes for 93 yards, including a 54-yard touchdown catch from Billy Barefield. On the TD catch, Jones, who is 6-2, made a leaping grab over defensive back LaKeitharun Ford, who is 5-9, near the 35-yard line and broke free to complete the scoring play. ''He played like a man the other day,'' West said Tuesday. ''He went up and took the ball way. He really impressed me by the way he came back. "We challenged him a little bit and I thought he answered.'' It was a performance Jones needed. After finishing his freshman season as the team's third-leading receiver (15 catches, 157 yards), Jones wanted to enter spring the way he left the fall. Until last weekend, he wasn't sure if that would happen. ''I was making mental mistakes and dropping balls,'' Jones said. ''And I hadn't practiced so well the week (of the scrimmage).'' Jones had more than one spectacular, highlight-worthy reception. On a second-and-7 play from the defense's 32-yard line, he used his quick, soft hands to snare a pass from quarterback Martin Hankins that had bounced off defensive back Brandon Patterson. Another catch, on third-and-6, resulted in a 9-yard gain and a first down. ''(Receivers) coach (Clay) Helton said he was glad to see the old Moo (Jones' nickname) back,'' Jones said. ''I was happy to see him back, too.'' Jones said he knows why the first two weeks were so trying for him. He had a challenging time the past month balancing the responsibilities of fatherhood and football. His girlfriend, Leslie Long, gave birth to their son, Shawne Maurice, Feb. 16. ''So many things happen in life outside of football,'' he said. ''It took me a while to get focused. I'm still getting adjusted, but I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.'' Fichtner said it's important that Jones, and all the Tiger receivers, understand the commitment required in practice. ''Like all these guys, it isn't just football that's going on in their lives,'' Fichtner said. ''What Maurice has to understand is that when you are out here practicing for 2 to 21/2 hours ... that's when none of the rest of the world exists. You can't bring it on the field. ''When he's practicing like he plays in a game -- playing hard every play like coach Helton tells him -- then he is a very good football player.'' As a freshman, Jones was one of only three UofM receivers to have more than one TD catch during the season. He has the potential to be one of the best from a solid group of receivers, a contingent that includes seniors Ryan Scott and Mario Pratcher, sophomores Earnest Williams and Carlton Robinzine and 6-8 freshman Carlos Singleton. ''He is a big guy who can run, he's tough, he'll block and he's a great attitude guy,'' West said of Jones. ''He can be a big-time receiver. What he had been in practice was average and he can't be average because he is such a talented guy.'' -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543 |
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| 03/29/06 | |
U of M football assistant has heart surgery -- After West's bypass, several aides get tests (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Phil Stukenborg Contact March 29, 2006 University of Memphis secondary coach Tim Keane underwent triple bypass heart surgery Tuesday, almost two months after head Tommy West had the same operation. Keane, who turned 61 three weeks ago, will miss the remaining two weeks of spring practice, but is expected to be back for his fifth season as a UofM assistant. Advertisement West underwent a triple bypass Feb. 3 at Baptist Memorial Hospital and returned in time for the March 14 start of spring practice. ''He came through it good,'' West said of Keane. ''He's back in his (hospital) room probably wondering where he is. I can relate to what he's going through. ''We'll get him well and get him back out there.'' In Keane's absence, Tiger defensive coordinator Joe Lee Dunn worked with the secondary at Tuesday's practice at the Murphy Athletic Complex. Keane coached the first two weeks of spring workouts, including last weekend's scrimmage at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. ''Everyone (on the staff) went and got tested (after West's operation),'' West said. ''(Keane) had high numbers. They saw the blockage. They told him at the end of last week (about having the operation).'' After undergoing his bypass, West said his doctor, Arthur Franklin, told him each member of his staff should undergo a heart scan. ''It's a good thing it was found and (Keane) got it fixed,'' West said. ''Everyone else on the staff is OK.'' Keane joined the Memphis staff in 2002 after previous stops at Kentucky (1997-2000), Louisiana Tech (1994-96), Tennessee (1990-92) and his alma mater, Arkansas State (1972-89). He served as defensive coordinator at Arkansas State from 1981 through 1989. |
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| 03/29/06 | |
Erickson throws way to regionals (Daily Helmsman) |
| By: Adam Comer Sports Reporter It is a great accomplishment to qualify for three NCAA track and field Regionals in one season. It is even more impressive when you manage to do it in your first outdoor meet of the year. University of Memphis senior thrower J.D. Erickson qualified for the discus, hammer and shot put NCAA Mideast Regionals at the Rhodes opener on March 18. He is the first Memphis athlete to qualify for three Regionals in one season. "It's a big weight off my shoulders to get it over with," he said. "Now, the rest of the season I can work on improving my events and get ready for Regionals." Coach Kevin Robinson agrees that Erickson will have an advantage by qualifying this early. He said it gives him an opportunity to relax and train that the other qualifiers may not have. "I've never had a player do something like this," Robinson said. "To do that all in one day is so impressive and a credit to him." Erickson has also earned a national honor. The National Strength and Conditioning Association recently named him the All-American Strength and Conditioning Athlete of the Year. Coach Robinson nominated him for the award, and he said Erickson is always lifting or working out above and beyond what is asked of him. "He is by far one of the best strength and conditioning players I've ever coached," Robinson said. "He holds the school record for cleaning at 440 pounds, better than any other athlete in any sport." Erickson said he doesn't do anything special when conditioning. He does a lot of power lifting, pulls and squats along with running quick sprints and bleachers. While he said he is proud of the honor, it's just part of the process of being a better all-around athlete in his mind. "You have to keep in shape to perform at this level," he said. "I don't do anything more than anyone else, I just want to stay on top of things so I can compete well." He is glad to have the recognition, but he is more concentrated on preparing for the Regionals in late May. While he has improved his discus and hammer throw, he said his best chance at winning is in shot put. "I just have it down, I've always performed better at shot put," he said. "I have a good chance at discus too, but I'll have to work harder at it." Robinson agrees with that assessment, but he said with the extra time he has to train, Erickson is capable of winning all three events. "He is nowhere near where he is going to be at the end of the season," he said. "He will be a strong contender once he gets there." NCAA Mideast Regional Championships will be held May 25-27 in Knoxville, Tenn. |
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| 03/29/06 | |
Successful spring for men's soccer (Daily Helmsman) |
| By: Trey Heath Sports Reporter The University of Memphis men's soccer team will conclude their spring season this week with a home game against Ireland's Colaiste Ide and an away game against Major League Soccer's Kansas City Wizards in Kansas City, Mo. "The spring games have been great because we are getting a lot of our first-year players experience," said Richie Grant, U of M coach. The Tigers are 3-1 so far this spring, defeating Christian Brothers and Lambuth University in the Tim McCage Cup and Portamarnock FC earlier this season. The U of M's Wednesday 7 p.m. home match-up against Colaiste Ide will come against the same team that produced former Tigers Michael Coburn and Thomas Hyland and the U of M's current head coach. "I still know their two coaches," Grant said. "So it is definitely a game that we both want to win." The only loss the Tigers have suffered came to MLS's FC Dallas earlier this season. In the four games, The U of M has only allowed two goals, both at the hands of the pro club. Despite the great defense, Grant said that his young squad is still looking for someone to step up on the offensive end. "We still have a void left in our offense from our seniors that left last year," he said. "Right now, our goals have come from a variety of players. We are still looking for a striker to step up." The loss of 2004 leading goal scorer Andy Metcalf to graduation has left this year's squad with 12 freshman and no seniors. Although the Tigers have yet to find an outright offensive leader, the spring season has built the confidence of several players, said Tripp Harkins, U of M forward. "I think the goals are being spread out more because people are gaining confidence," he said. "Last fall we were looking for one or two individuals. "Now that we know we don't have the seniors and we know that we all have to step up." While the Tigers are without a senior leader, the only junior on the squad is first year U of M defenseman and Vanderbilt transfer Jamie Gilbert, who has been thrown into a leadership position, Grant said. "Jamie has stepped up and provided us a lot of leadership," he said. "He is excited to play at such a high level and has really played well." Gilbert transferred to The U of M after Vanderbilt dropped many of their athletic programs, including men's soccer. "It has been a good transition," he said. "The coaches so far have been very helpful. Besides the 6 a.m. practices, it has been really enjoyable." The U of M will finish their 2006 spring season against Kansas City at 10 a.m. Sunday. The Tigers will take on the Wizards reserve team in what might be The U of M's most challenging game this spring, Gilbert said. "This game will be great because the guys on the reserve team are trying to prove themselves," he said. "I think we can match up physically, but one or two mistakes will change the game." |
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| 03/28/06 | |
A Bruin Bruising... (Daily Helmsman) |
| By: Justin Kissell Staff Reporter OAKLAND, Calif. - Playing in a hostile environment Saturday night, the Memphis Tigers finally tasted defeat in the NCAA Tournament. UCLA beat the Tigers 50-45 to advance to the Final Four and end the Tigers' run at a national championship this season. The game started out innocently enough. Freshman guard Antonio Anderson stifled Bruin star Arron Afflalo on the first possession of the game and point guard Darius Washington grabbed the rebound. Anderson hit a quick lay-up and the Tigers drew first blood. That's about as good as it ever got for the Tigers. UCLA - who never had to leave California in the first two rounds despite being a No. 2 seed - went on a 21-7 run that was highlighted with three dunks. The Bruins (31-6) were led by center Ryan Hollins' 14 points and nine rebounds. He was named Oakland region MVP. Memphis (33-4) was led by Washington's 13 points. He was the only Tiger with double figures in scoring. In the first half, however, the Tigers were led by freshman forward Robert Dozier, who had six points and six rebounds in the first 20 minutes. But he finished the half with three fouls. He wasn't alone. Shawne Williams, Rodney Carney, Joey Dorsey and Andre Allen all had two fouls after the first half, part of the reason why UCLA shot 39 free throws in the game. The story of the game, though, was poor shooting by the Tigers. They shot 31.5 percent for the game and made only two three-pointers. Both of those came with under 12 seconds left in the game. "It was a combination of (them playing well and us playing poorly)," Williams said. "I've never felt like this after a game before." The freshman forward from Hamilton had eight points and eight rebounds in the game. In his final game wearing a Tiger uniform, Carney had one of the worst games in his career. He finished with just five points on 2-of-12 shooting - three of those points came with one second remaining. "They did a good job on transition defense," he said. Carney was visibly upset at the end of the game, as he fell to the floor and clutched his jersey over his face. "Afflalo did a good job on Carney," coach John Calipari said. "I'm proud of my team ... I'm disappointed for Waki (Williams) and Rodney to miss the Final Four." The Tigers' largest deficit of the game was 12, as they trailed 21-9 with 9:42 left in the first half. But, they cut it to three points with two Washington free throws five minutes into the second half. That was the closest Memphis could get. Playing a frustrating style of basketball, UCLA forced Memphis to slow down their up-tempo game, causing 18 turnovers. But looking at a stat sheet can't reveal the story of the game. The Tigers made three more field goals than the Bruins, yet the Bruins went to the line 24 more times. Calipari wouldn't use the officiating as an excuse. "When we missed the plays we missed, you're just begging for help out there (from referees)," he said. "We just picked a day to miss 15 one-footers." Now that the season is officially closed, the usual questions will pop up about the future of the program. The first question on the minds of many Tiger fans is about the future of Washington and Williams, who could be headed to the NBA Draft in June. As of now, Williams is undecided on his future. "Coach Cal is the man (about the decision to turn pro or not)," he said. After the Tigers slipped off the court quietly amid thousands of UCLA supporters Saturday night, Calipari summed up the game with a glazed look on his face. "We just couldn't make a basket out there tonight," he said. |
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| 03/28/06 | |
Hard loss for Carney (Daily Helmsman) |
| OAKLAND, Calif. - This was no way to end a fantastic career. It was painful to watch - the tired old game of being down a few points in the final moments of a game and having to foul over and over and over again. Watching a team so talented being forced to play catch-up is no fun. But for Rodney Carney, it was especially painful to watch. "It's real hurtful not going back out there," he said. He was obviously the most affected of this bunch of Tigers. Just like fellow NBA-bound star Adam Morrison of Gonzaga did two nights earlier, Carney collapsed at center court following Memphis' 50-45 loss to UCLA Saturday night. Bruins fans chanted "Final Four" the last few moments of the game. Bill Walton - who stuck a dagger in the Tigers' heart in the 1973 national title game while shooting 21-of-22 from the field - cheered on his alma mater. UCLA center Ryan Hollins also posted a near-perfect game from the field, hitting 6-of-7 shots, four of which were dunks. At the free throw line, however, it was a totally different story for the Oakland regional MVP. Although, he still hit more free throws (1-of-7) than the Tigers hit three-pointers (0-for-10) in the first half. In the end, poor shooting doomed Memphis - most especially Carney - who was just 2-of-12 for the game. His only shot from behind the arc came with .8 seconds on the clock and the game well in hand. It was no way to end his great career at The University of Memphis. He finished as the third all-time leading scorer in Memphis history. He leads the school in three-point shooting. On Monday he was named to the second team Associated Press All-America team. Who can forget his dunks? The eye-popping jumps he made while getting back on defense to swat a shot to the third row? The gleaming shooting form he displayed 50 feet in the air as he rose to shoot a three? UCLA guard Arron Afflalo hounded him throughout the game. Bruins coach Ben Howland said his team spent hours focusing on tape of Memphis. But the Tigers weren't a one-man team this season. Against Cincinnati in December, Carney had no points and The U of M still won. Depth was their strength. But he was the only player with any NCAA Tournament experience in his career. Carney was a quiet superstar. He displayed emotion during big plays in big games, but most of the time he led by example. He never complained about not getting to play tons of minutes this season with such a balanced team. If his coach told him to focus on defense and forget shooting for a while, he'd do it. When he fell to the court Saturday night at the Arena in Oakland, he wasn't alone. Sophomore point guard Andre Allen - one of many underclassmen on this extremely young team - picked him right back up and put his arm around him on the way back to the locker room, a sign that the future of this team has been influenced well by No. 10. |
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| 03/28/06 | |
Sports in Short (Daily Helmsman) |
| Baseball Tigers first-baseman Adam Amar was named Conference USA hitter of the week yesterday for his play against Tulane last weekend. The junior hit .583 with three homeruns and eight RBIs. In the series opener on Friday night Amar had three homeruns to lead The U of M to a 11-4 win. The Tigers went 1-2 in the series. Softball Softball was swept over the weekend by Tulsa. Memphis was outscored 16-2 in three games. Soccer In the Tim McCage Tournament held in Memphis, the Tigers earned two shutout wins to take the title. Memphis tallied a 1-0 win against Christian Brothers University and a 3-0 win against Lambuth. Tripp Harkins was named MVP with one goal. Tennis Women's tennis was shutout by UAB Sunday 7-0. The match was one of three for Memphis in Myrtle Beach, S.C. The Lady Tigers dropped the other two as well, losing 7-0 to Coastal Carolina and 6-1 to East Carolina. |
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| 03/28/06 | |
Tiger Spring Football Update #8 (GoTigersGo.com) |
| Practice #8 Tuesday, March 28 The squad practiced at the Murphy Athletic Complex today, and early on things seemed like it would be the same as other days. But, after the team stretched, Coach West called them to line up for about 40 minutes of up-downs as some players had missed class. "We had to start off this way today because this team hasn't been very accountable as far as going to class, and they know my number one rule is that you go to class," said West. "We took care of that here today. Actually, I thought they were going to get to feeling sorry for themselves, but they came out and worked hard during practice and it turned out to be a good practice." Coach Joe Lee Dunn was working with the Tiger secondary today while Coach Tim Keane was in the hospital having heart surgery today. He had a procedure similar to that of Coach West who had bypass surgery on Feb. 3. Cornerback Dustin Lopez was back on the field after missing the previous seven spring practices with a sprained ankle. Receiver Earnest Williams was at practice in a boot after spraining his left ankle in last Saturday's scrimmage. The Tigers will practice again on Wednesday. |
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| 03/28/06 | |
Baseball Unable to Hold Early Lead, Loss 14-6 at AustinPeay -- 14 unanswered runs by Austin Peay doom Tigers (GoTigersGo.com) |
| CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Memphis (12-11) 000 150 000 - 6 5 4 Austin Peay (14-8) 000 053 60X - 14 15 3 Memphis scored the first six runs of the game, but Austin Peay scored 14 unanswered runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to claim a 14-6 win in the first game of a home-and-home series between the two schools. The Tigers dropped their third-straight game with the loss. Austin Peay began the comeback in the home half of the fifth inning, with a leadoff home run by Jacob Schroeder. Consecutive singles by James Ray and Tommy Smith set up an RBI fielder's choice groundout by Rafael Hill to cut the Memphis cushion to 6-2. Consecutive infield errors by the Tiger allowed two more unearned runs to cross for a 6-5 game. Four-straight singles by the Governors offense led to three runs in sixth frame and an RBI-single by Smith started a six-run seventh inning that gave APSU a 14-6 cushion. The inning was capped by a two-run double off the bat of Jake Lane. The Tigers benefited from Austin Peay errors to put together a five-run fifth inning. Joey Lieberman's third home run of the year--a three-run blast over the centerfield fence--highlighted the Tigers' big inning. Memphis sent nine batters to the plate and scored all five runs with two outs thanks to Governor miscues. After an infield error allowed Alex Fennell to reach, Will Petersen reached on a fielder's choice groundball to first base. Michael Murray was hit by a pitch and Kyle Norrid walked to load the bases for Adam Amar. The junior came through with a two-run single to right to score Petersen and Murray. Memphis broke through first in a pitcher's dual. Amar reached base on a fielding error by the Austin Peay infield. Joey Lieberman followed with a groundball to third. Amar was forced out on the play, but Governor second baseman Andrew Clement's throw to first sailed high and into the U of M dugout, allowing Lieberman to advance to second. The Tigers capitalized on that error as Ben Grisham lined a single to right centerfield to bring Lieberman home for a 1-0 Memphis lead. Josh Langley (1-1) was the loser, while APSU reliever David Vicini (2-0) earned the win. The Tigers will head back to Memphis to host Austin Peay in the finale of the home-and-home series tomorrow at Nat Buring Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Listen to live action as "The Voice of Tiger Baseball" Jeff Brightwell calls the play-by-play action on WUMR 91.7FM. |
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| 03/28/06 | |
Softball Hosts Austin Peay in Mid-Week Twinbill -- Lady Tigers look to rebound after tough weekend at Tulsa (GoTigersGo.com) |
| MEMPHIS, Tenn. - After a tough weekend in Conference USA action at Tulsa, the Memphis softball team will look to get back on the winning track Wednesday, as it hosts Austin Peay in a double-header at Greenbrook Park. Despite dropping three games to Tulsa, the U of M, at 17-14, remains above the .500 mark on the spring, and will look to improve upon that record against the Lady Govs. Austin Peay enters the twinbill with a 9-17-2 record on the season, but has played well recently and is coming off a 2-1 performance over the weekend in Ohio Valley Conference action against Jacksonville State. The pair of contests against the Lady Govs will be Memphis' only games on the week, with the squad taking a rare weekend off following Wednesday's games. Game one of the double-header is set to get underway at 3 p.m. in Southaven, Miss., with the second game to follow at approximately 5 p.m. |
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| 03/28/06 |  |
Men's Tennis Wins Fourth Straight Home Match -- Downs UC Riverside, 4-3 (GoTigersGo.com) |
| MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis men's tennis team picked up their fourth straight win with a 4-3 victory over UC-Riverside, on the MUS Courts, Tuesday. With just five home matches on the 2005-06 schedule, Memphis has used what little home court it can find while playing on numerous courts throughout the city to remain undefeated at home. Memphis has just one home match remaining, when the Tigers host Auburn-Montgomery, the No. 2 ranked team in the NAIA, on Apr. 7th.
Memphis started off with a win of the doubles points, powered by an 8-2 win at No. 1 doubles from James Spence and Sam Withell and an 8-3 win at No. 3 from Garrison Pilant and Michael Jetter. Jetter then posted Memphis' next point with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Joe Cartledge at No. 3 singles to put Memphis up 2-0. UC-Riverside would answer back with wins at No. 1 and 5 singles, but Memphis would close out the victory with wins from James Spence at No. 2, 6-3, 7-5, and a 6-2, 6-7 (4), 6-3 win from Matt Brewer at No. 4 to decide the match. UC Riverside pulled it within one more point when Gorjan Kovacevic won a third set super tiebreak 10-8 to claim the No. 6 singles match.
The Tigers will pack up and head to Dallas, where they will face No. 60 SMU in a Conference USA match-up. Memphis is looking to even its C-USA record at 2-2 with the SMU contest. Memphis 4, UC Riverside 3 Doubles No. 1 - No. 24 James Spence/Sam Withell (UM) def. Mark Contreras/Frick, 8-2 No. 2 - Joe Cartledge/Norman Tam def. Tezar Putra/Matt Brewer (UM), 8-6 No. 3 - Garrison Pilant/Michael Jetter (UM) def. Peana/Bobby Tam, 8-3 Singles No. 1 - Mark Contreras def. Sam Withell (UM), 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 No. 2 - James Spence (UM) def. Norman Tam, 6-3, 7-5 No. 3 - Michael Jetter (UM) def. Joe Cartledge, 6-0, 6-0 No. 4 - Matt Brewer (UM) def. Bobby Tam, 6-2, 6-7 (4), 6-3 No. 5 - Giancario Cava def. Tezar Putra (UM), 6-2, 6-4 No. 6 - Gorjan Kovacevic def. Garrison Pilant (UM), 7-5, 6-7, 10-8 |
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| 03/28/06 | |
Coach Tim Keane Recovering from Surgery -- Football assistant underwent heart surgery Tuesday morning (GoTigersGo.com) |
| MEMPHIS, TENN. - University of Memphis assistant football coach Tim Keane is recovering at a local hospital after undergoing successful heart surgery today. Keane, who recently completed his fourth season at the U of M, coaches the Tiger secondary. He joined the Tiger coaching staff from the University of Kentucky where he was an assistant from 1997-2000. He also had previous coaching stints at Louisiana Tech, Tennessee and his alma mater, Arkansas State. "Coach Keane came through everything fine," said Head Coach Tommy West following today's practice. "I know what he is going through, and I know what he is going to be facing in the next couple of weeks. We all wish him well during his recovery." West had a similar procedure on Feb. 3, and has been out at spring practice since its start on March 14. |
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| 03/28/06 | |
Short-Handed Lady Tiger Tennis Team Falls 7-0 -- Memphis falls to 3-10 on the season (GoTigersGo.com) |
| MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Playing without No. 2 singles player Brooke Cowie and No. 3 singles player Kristin Noble, the Lady Tigers fell 7-0 to visiting Troy University at WellWorx in a non-conference match, Tuesday.
Memphis was forced to default the No. 3 doubles match with just five healthy players, and suffered an 8-1 loss at No. 1 and an 8-2 loss at No. 2 doubles to fall behind 1-0 early. With a forfeit at No. 6 singles, Memphis was down 2-0 with everyone from No. 4 and back in the singles roster playing up two slots. The result was a Troy University sweep that dropped the Lady Tigers to 3-10 on the season.
Memphis will have a little more than a week to get healthy, as the Lady Tigers next host Auburn-Montgomery, Apr. 7th. Troy 7, Memphis 0 Doubles No. 1 - Tsitsi Masviba/Claudia Strauss def. Andrea Feichtinger/Alex Tjioe (UM), 8-1 No. 2 - Rawia Elsisi/Annabelle Bares def. Christina Wieser/Ekin Zafir (UM), 8-2 No. 3 - Memphis defaulted Singles No. 1 - Rawia Elsisi def. Andrea Feichtinger (UM), 6-1, 6-0 No. 2 - Tsitsi Masviba def. Ekin Zafir (UM), 6-1, 6-2 No. 3 - Claudia Strauss def. Christina Wieser (UM), 6-2, 6-1 No. 4 - Annabella Bares def. Alex Tjioe (UM), 6-2, 6-2 No. 5 - Shamiaa Elsisi def. Flavia Russo (UM), 6-1, 6-1 No. 6 - Memphis defaulted |
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| 03/28/06 |  |
Tigers Place Sixth at Carter Plantation with Four Top 24 Finishes -- Fortin-Simard and Greenwell Tie for 10th (GoTigersGo.com) |
| For Immediate Release Contact: Brandon Kolditz wkolditz@memphis.edu, (901) 678-2444 SPRINGFIELD, La. - Despite three golfers finishing in the top 17 and four in the top 24, the University of Memphis men's golf team finished sixth at the Carter Plantation Intercollegiate on Tuesday. For the second-straight tournament, sophomore Robbie Greenwell finished in the top 20. After tying for 17th at the Border Olympics, Greenwell earned a career-best finish, tying for 10th. The Georgetown, Ontario native shot a team-tournament best even-par 72 in the final round to finish with a 226. Greenwell finished 10-strokes behind medalist Julian Colmenares of Jacksonville State. Matching Greenwell's 226, sophomore Keven Fortin-Simard also finished in a 10th place tie. The Roberval, Quebec native fire rounds of 78-74-74 to place in the top 10 for the fourth-straight tournament. Sophomore Ian Rochester also finished in the top 20 with a 229 to place in a tie for 17th. It is the Cordova, Tenn., native's second top 20 finish in the spring and third of the year. The Tigers shot their best round of the tournament on the final day with a 297 to finish at 911. Memphis ended 15 strokes behind tournament host and champion Southeastern Louisiana University and seven strokes from second place Mississippi State and Jacksonville State. Junior Lewis Clarke ended fourth on the Memphis team with a 230, good enough to tie for 24th overall. Senior Mike Regenold finished 57th with a 253. Memphis will next compete in the Bridgestone Golf Intercollegiate hosted by UNC-Greensboro on April 3-4. Carter Plantation Intercollegiate Dates: 03/27-03/28, 2006 Round: 3 Final Results Par-Yardage: 72-7049 6 Memphis, U. of 313 301 297 911 T10 Keven Fortin-Simard 78 74 74 226 T10 Robbie Greenwell 78 76 72 226 T17 Ian Rochester 75 78 76 229 T24 Lewis Clarke 82 73 75 230 57 Mike Regenold 82 87 84 253 |
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| 03/28/06 | |
Carney To Compete In Slam Dunk Contest Thursday In Indianapolis -- Event tips off NCAA Final Four weekend festivities (GoTigersGo.com) |
| INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - University of Memphis senior Rodney Carney has been selected to participate in The College Basketball Slam Dunk and 3-Point Shooting Championships presented by Dell. Carney is scheduled to compete in the slam dunk portion of the event. The College Basketball Slam Dunk and 3-Point Shooting Championships will be held on Thursday, Mar. 30 at Hinkle Fieldhouse on the Butler University campus. The event starts at 6:00 p.m. (CT), and will air on ESPN at 8:00 p.m. (CT). The ESPN announce team for the show includes Brad Nessler, Steve Lavin, Jimmy Dykes and Erin Andrews. The Tigers' 6-foot-7 forward will vie for the slam dunk title with Michigan State's Maurice Ager, Minnesota's Vincent Grier, Gonzaga's Errol Knight, North Carolina's David Noel, Cincinnati's James White, Western Kentucky's Elgrace Wilborn and Bradley's Lawrence Wright. Carney, an Indianapolis native, was a 2005-06 consensus All-America pick. He was the Conference USA Player of the Year and helped lead the Tigers to a 33-4 overall record and a spot in the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight. Those players participating in the three-point shootout are Illinois' Dee Brown, St. Peter's Keydran Clark, Marquette's Steve Novak, West Virginia's Kevin Pittsnogle, Notre Dame's Chris Quinn and Butler's Bruce Horan. In the women's three-point contest, the contestants are UCLA's Nikki Blue, Michigan State's Lindsay Bowen, Notre Dame's Megan Duffy, Texas Tech's Erin Grant, Miami's (Fla.) Tamara James, Utah's Julie Larsen and Rutgers' Cappie Pondexter. For fans interested in attending the event, tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students and those under 18 years of age. Tickets can be purchased at the box office or through ticketmaster.com. |
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| 03/28/06 | |
Ticket Information for 2006 Football Season (GoTigersGo.com) |
| MEMPHIS, TENN. - We are pleased to offer Tiger fans the convenience of renewing their 2006 Tiger Football Season Tickets online at gotigersgo.com/tickets Tiger fans who renew their season tickets online by April 30, 2006 will receive a complimentary Tiger Football Media Guide (mailed out at the end of July). This offer only applies to orders placed online through www.GoTigersGo.com by April 30, 2006. As an added bonus, fans who renew season tickets by April 30, will also receive a limited edition print from the 2005 Motor City Bowl. Season renewal orders must be at the same quantity (or more) as 2005 in order to receive the media guide and Motor City Bowl print. There are additional items that can be purchased and added to your football renewal. Below is a listing of options for purchase. Chairbacks - Be the most comfortable fan in the stands! For only $28 per seat per season you can have a cushioned seat back installed to your seat at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. No more need to pack a seat back or cushion for every Tiger football game. Your waterproof "Tiger Cushion" will be waiting for you. Revenues from the "Tiger Cushion" program help support the U of M Athletic Program. Blue Lot Season Parking is available for $70. The pass is good for six Tiger home games. The pass is NOT good for the Tennessee game on September 30 due to the Mid South Fair. The Blue Lot is located on the Mid South Fairgrounds and is a reserved lot. The entrance to the lot is located on Central Avenue. CBU Lot Season Parking passes are available for only $35 and include all seven home games. The parking lot is located at Christian Brothers University and the entrance to the lot is on Central Avenue. Tiger Football Media Guide - Reserve your very own copy of the Tiger Football Media Guide and be in the know about all the players. Media Guides will not available to mail until July 30. To experience a fast, easy, and immediate confirmation of your renewal order, go to gotigersgo.com/tickets/mem-tickets.html, click on the Order Tickets Online link, then click on the Season Renewals link, and proceed to register. To renew your season tickets, you will need to register your account to access your season ticket renewal using your season ticket customer number and PIN number 9876. If you are unsure of your ticket customer number please give the Athletic Ticket Office a call at (901) 678-2331 and they can help you with your customer number. When you have logged into the site, follow the easy steps to complete your online renewal. After submitting your renewal application and payment, you will receive a confirmation page as well a confirmation email indicating the successful completion of your order. Act Now! Don't risk your paper application getting lost in the mail - renew online today for immediate confirmation. We hope you enjoy the efficiency and convenience of ordering your season tickets online. If you need assistance or have any questions, please feel free to call the ticket office at 901-678-2331. Thank you for supporting the Tigers! |
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| 03/28/06 | |
Men's Soccer Plays Final Spring Home Game Wednesday -- Tigers undefeated in three previous spring home games (GoTigersGo.com) |
| For Immediate Release Contact: Brandon Kolditz wkolditz@memphis.edu, (901) 678-2444 MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis men's soccer team will host its final spring home game on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex against Ireland's Colaiste Ide. The event is free to the public. The Irish team has produced Memphis head coach Richie Grant as well as current Tigers Michael Coburn and Thomas Hyland. Memphis is 3-1 in spring competition and enters the exhibition after winning the Tim McCage Cup over the weekend. The Tigers defeated Christian Brothers University, 1-0, in double overtime and Lambuth University, 3-0. The U of M defense has allowed only two goals in the four games, both coming in a 2-0 loss to FC Dallas. Memphis will play its final game of the spring against Major League Soccer's Kansas City Wizards in Kansas City, Mo., on Sunday at 10 a.m. The Tigers will hold its annual silent auction on Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Murphy Athletic Complex on South Campus. Seats are still available for the event. |
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| 03/28/06 | |
Adam Amar Earns Recognition on College Baseball Foundation's Weekly Honor Roll -- Three home run outing earns Tiger first baseman more accolades (GoTigersGo.com) |
| MEMPHIS, Tenn. - A day after being named Conference USA's Hitter of the Week, junior first baseman Adam Amar earned a spot of the College Baseball Foundation's Weekly Honor Roll. Amar is the second Tiger to garner CBF Honor Roll recognition this year. Freshman Scott McGregor was named to the weekly list back on Feb. 28 after a being tabbed the league's Pitcher of the Week. Amar's week was powered by a three home run performance that led Memphis to an 11-4 win over No.14 Tulane in Friday night's C-USA opener. The Lake Mary, Fla., native hit .583, with 16 total bases, seven hits, three home runs and eight RBI in the weekend series versus the 14th-ranked Green Wave. In five games last week, 6-4 250-pound first baseman hit .444, with a triple, three homers and nine RBI. He now leads Conference USA in hitting with a .377 average. Amar's went 4-for-5 with seven RBI in his career-night against Tulane. Amar's first-career multi-home run outing tied him for the school record for homers in a single game. The seven runs driven in tied a season-high and was just one RBI short of the program-record for RBI in a game. It was the second time a Tiger hitter has reached the seven-RBI mark in the span of a week. Kyle Norrid hammered a pair of homers and drove in seven in a 15-1 win over Southeast Missouri State on March 18. Amar is the ninth Tiger to hit three home runs in a game. Josh Payne was the last Tiger to hit three round-trippers, doing it in a 24-1 route of UT-Martin in 2003. The Tigers are in action today at Austin Peay in Clarksville, Tenn. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at APSU's Raymond C. Hand Park. Memphis will return to Nat Buring for a 6:30 p.m. contest with the Govs tomorrow. |
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| 03/28/06 | |
If the Tigers are 'fair', Cal won't go anywhere (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Gary Parrish Contact March 28, 2006 Amid rumors and speculation, John Calipari was clear. So long as the University of Memphis is "fair" and stays committed to having a "Top 10 basketball program" he will continue to coach the Tigers even if the likes of Indiana come calling. "Why would I leave? We have a Top 10 program. Why would I choose to leave?" Calipari said Monday night after a newspaper report -- one he ultimately disputed -- named him as the leading candidate at Indiana. "I know how high the expectations are (at Memphis), and if I didn't think this program could meet those expectations, then I wouldn't stay. But I think we can meet the high expectations people have." Calipari's comments came on the same day a report in The Bloomington (Ind.) Herald-Times suggested he was the top candidate at Indiana and cited unnamed sources stating he was already "negotiating" with the school. "I haven't negotiated with anybody," Calipari said. "That's not true." Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson said Monday nobody from Indiana or a firm working on behalf of Indiana had contacted him seeking permission to speak with Calipari, which is a general courtesy in most coaching searches. Johnson added he plans to meet with Calipari soon and implied he will likely redo parts of his contract that already runs through 2010 and pays the Tiger coach nearly $1.5 million per year. "John has done a great job, and we want to recognize that," Johnson said in reference to a 33-4 campaign that ended with Saturday's loss to UCLA in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. "Obviously, I will do anything possible to keep him and his staff." According to Calipari, it shouldn't take much. Time after time Monday, he said he did not want to "go back-and-forth" with Johnson and only desired to have all aspects of his program rival those of other Top 10 programs. Among the things Calipari mentioned are increased salaries for his assistant coaches and assurances that neither the academic funding nor the recruiting budget nor the number of chartered flights the Tigers enjoy during the season will be decreased. Beyond that, he offered few specifics while only repeating that if the UofM continues to show the commitment it's forever shown then he is committed to remaining its basketball coach. "They've always been more than fair to me, so I don't expect anything other than that they're going to be more than fair," Calipari said. "I want to be the coach here. I think they want me to be the coach here. Let's just go." With that, it appears Calipari is all but certain to return to Memphis for a seventh season. Now the question is whether he'll be joined by freshman Shawne Williams and sophomore Darius Washington. On Monday, Calipari said he still hasn't sat down with either player, and that no decision is imminent. But he placed the early odds at "60-40" that both Williams and Washington will enter the NBA Draft. "Right now I think Shawne would be in the middle of the first round, and Darius would be late in the first round," Calipari said. "But all I'm going to do is get them all the information they need, and then let them make a decision. It's not about us. It's about what's best for those two kids." |
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| 03/28/06 | |
AP honors Carney with All-America second team (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Gary Parrish Contact March 28, 2006 Rodney Carney on Monday became just the fifth University of Memphis basketball player in history to be named an Associated Press All-American. He was on the second team. Carney is the first AP All-America at Memphis since Penny Hardaway was on the first team in 1993. The only others were James Bradley (third team in 1978), Keith Lee (second team in 1982, second team in 1983, third team in 1984 and first team in 1985) and William Bedford (third team in 1986). "I'm proud of Rodney," Memphis coach John Calipari said. "He had a great career." A 6-7 forward, Carney averaged 17.2 points and 4.3 rebounds this past season. He finished his career with 1,901 points, which ranks third in school history behind only Lee (2,408 points) and Elliot Perry (2,209 points). The skill that made Carney a constant highlight during his four-year career will be on display this week in Indianapolis despite the Tigers not making the Final Four. He will participate in the dunk contest on Thursday. Memphis sophomore Darius Washington was named an honorable mention AP All America. He averaged 13.4 points and 3.1 assists per game. Duke standouts J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams headlined the first team. They were joined by Gonzaga's Adam Morrison, Villanova's Randy Foye and Washington's Brandon Roy. Dee Brown (Illinois), Rudy Gay (Connecticut), P.J. Tucker (Texas) and Leon Powe (California) joined Carney on the second team. Craig Smith (Boston College), Tyler Hansbrough (North Carolina), Nick Fazekas (Nevada), Allan Ray (Villanova) and Glen Davis (LSU) comprised the third team. "Both J.J. and Shelden are deserving of this honor," said Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski. "They have produced on the court at a high level all season and throughout their entire careers at Duke. They both understand that individual awards like this come about as a result of throwing themselves into what is important for our team. It is quite an accomplishment for teammates to be named first team All-America by The Associated Press." A rematch with UCLA? Calipari said Monday night that earlier in the day he received an offer to play UCLA in next season's John R. Wooden Classic. It would be a rematch of the Elite Eight game that Memphis lost this past weekend, 50-45. "We might do it," Calipari said. "We've just got to look at the dates." If Calipari accepts the invitation, the Tigers will play UCLA on Dec. 9 at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, Calif. USC would play a yet-to-be-determined opponent in the first-half of the doubleheader. Tip-ins Calipari said Monday he is working to get Waki Williams invited to the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, which serves as a combine of sorts for seniors trying to embark on a professional career. Calipari added that Grizzlies president Jerry West is also working on behalf of Williams. ... After sleeping in Monday, Calipari will be back on the road today. He said he's going recruiting, looking at juniors who could help fill the Class of 2007. Some information from the Associated Press |
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| 03/28/06 | |
Tigers fans sound off (Commercial Appeal) |
| Congratulations, Tigers, for the long run In reading Sunday's paper, I was astonished at the negativity of the articles relating to the Tigers loss to UCLA Saturday. They had a bad game. It happens. What everybody fails to realize is the magic that the Tigers created for the city this year. Once again, whether the national media recognizes it or not, Memphis basketball has given everybody in Memphis something to rally around. It was refreshing to see updates for the Tigers blazened across the evening news. It gives the citizens of Memphis a break from the overwhelming bad news that we see on a daily basis. To Rodney Carney: Thanks for a great career at Memphis. Your poise, leadership, grace and love for your team and adopted city is the legacy of your career here, not whether or not Memphis was able to win the national championship. As a grateful fan, I will greatly miss your high flying, always smiling effort on the court. You are a credit to your family, and Memphis wishes you nothing but the best for your career. We will never forget you! To Coach Cal: Thanks for a memorable season. We loved to watch you coach and can't wait to see you in action with our beloved Tigers again next year. You're the greatest. Scott Wilkinson Southaven A sports therapist could make a lot of money in this town right about now. Trying to uncover what went wrong with this dream season. This is as bad as it gets. We heard all the stories about how we were going to be the first No. 1 seed ever beaten by a sixteen; all righty then, got past that hurdle. And how fortunate we were to be in the Elite Eight considering who we played to get there, that one still lingers. Why is it that so much of Memphis' national reputation and identity seems to run through our college basketball program? Why do we feel like we're the Rodney Dangerfield of the sports world? I'm personally OK with that, everyone loved Rodney. Speaking of Rodney, Carney that is, you made us proud. We're going to miss your circus slams, your ever-present smile, and that thing you did hitting you head with your fists. You were never mired in controversy, always out there doing yeoman duties, doing whatever it took to get the win. So what, you weren't on your game against, well you know, I still can't bear to utter the name. You won with class and unfortunately lost this last one the same way. How fitting, however insignificant, that your last shot would be a three. That's the Rodney Carney I'll always remember, always trying, never giving up no matter how insurmountable the odds. Thanks for the memories and good luck at the next level. So, no this doesn't mean we somehow don't measure up with the elite of the college basketball programs in the nation. We know who we are and how tenaciously we played all season, we don't care if some Big East-loving, so-called analyst says we were never serious contenders. Or do we. Barry S. Blancq Bartlett To the Memphis Tigers and Coaching Staff: The song has ended, but the melody lingers on. Thank you for a million thrills. We're proud of you! Eleanor and Bert Canfield Germantown Congrats to our Tigers!!! We should be so proud. I graduated from Memphis and have been a Tiger basketball fan since I can remember things. I was a Coliseum kid -- we ran around the Coliseum and were allowed on the floor right next to the cheerleaders and the team. My brother and I would wait around after the game for the stat sheets. I have since moved to Charleston, S.C., and have been distraught that I have not been able to attend a single Tiger game this year. I have been proud to call this team my own and have watched every national game or followed along via Game-tracker online. Although losing in the Elite Eight hurts, Memphians should be proud of this team and the spirit they inspired in this city. Although a young team, they made us believe in greatness and they were. I know that if I still were in Memphis I would be the first in line at their parade. These Tigers deserve that honor. Proud to wear blue, Christie Johnston Charleston, S.C. Did flying over 2,000 miles to Oakland, Calif., to watch a basketball game get me down? Noooo. Did staying in a 12-by-13-foot hotel room get me down? Noooo. Did paying more for that small room than some paid for a suite get me down? Noooo. Did paying $50 for breakfast get me down? Noooo. Did watching our young team play the worst game I have ever seen get me down? Noooo. Did sitting on a bus for 2 hours and 45 minutes waiting for the plane get me down? Noooo. Did waiting another hour on the plane because someone stopped up the toilet get me down? Noooo. Did not being able to have a beer on the plane because of some stupid NCAA rule get me down? Noooo. Did finally getting in my bed at 5:30 in the morning get me down? Noooo. Why am I not down? Funny you should ask, it's because I'm a fan, I don't play, I don't coach, I don't second guess. My job is to cheer loudly for my team. Thank you, Coach Cal and the UofM Tigers for a wonderful year and loads of good memories. Rommy Hammond Memphis |
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| 03/28/06 | |
Editorial: Wait until next year (Commercial Appeal) |
| The 2005-2006 basketball season was a heady experience for the University of Memphis men's team and its fans: Most wins (33) in Tiger history, Conference USA regular-season and tournament champs, a rare trip to the round of eight in the national championship tourney and a brand of fast, risk-oriented play that made the games a pleasure to watch. Even when the Tigers were bounced from the tournament by UCLA, as it turned out, they were losing in good company: just one among four top-seeded teams that fell short of the semis. Coach John Calipari and his very likeable, youthful squad deserve credit for a fabulous season. We believe that every player with remaining eligibility should return next season, which holds a lot of promise for players and fans alike. With all due respect to senior superstar Rodney Carney, who must move on to the next level, and Shawne Williams, a likely departure, the 2006-07 team will have the goods for greatness. More seasoning on the court and in the classroom will have positive effects on these players' skills and maturity. After tasting the Elite Eight, just imagine how a bite of the Final Four would taste. They could make a lot of basketball fans in this roundball-crazy town very, very happy this time next year. Whatever happens, the season provided lasting memories. This team will be mentioned in the same breath as the 1973 Tigers, the 1985 Tigers and the brilliance of players like Larry Finch, Keith Lee and 'Penny' Hardaway. In Memphis, that's about the closest thing to immortality we have to offer. |
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| 03/27/06 | |
Johnson: Calipari-to-Indiana rumors untrue (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Gary Parrish Contact March 27, 2006 University of Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson has taken issue with this morning’s report in The Bloomington (Ind.) Herald-Times that cited unnamed sources stating John Calipari is in negotiations to be the next basketball coach at Indiana. "I talked to (Calipari) this morning," Johnson said. "That’s not true." The report – admittedly sourced on "rumor" – states Calipari is in discussions with IU about improving facilities. It suggested he is now the leading candidate to replace Mike Davis, who resigned amid criticism during this past season. When read the above excerpt from the article, Johnson replied "That’s news to me." He added no one from Indiana or a firm working on behalf of Indiana has contacted him to request permission to speak with Calipari in what would be a gesture considered common courtesy among coaching searches. Advertisement Calipari, fresh off Saturday’s loss to UCLA in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment this afternoon. But Johnson said he and his sixth-year coach will reconvene soon to have the normal season-review meeting, one that could result in an increase to a package that already pays Calipari roughly $1.5 million per year. "He had a great year and we always want to recognize that," Johnson said. "Obviously, I will do anything I can to keep him and his staff." -- Gary Parrish: 529-2365 |
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| 03/27/06 | |
Tigers Tied for Sixth after Opening Day at Carter Plantation -- Four Memphis Golfers in Top 28 (GoTigersGo.com) |
| For Immediate Release Contact: Brandon Kolditz wkolditz@memphis.edu, (901) 678-2444 SPRINGFIELD, La. - Four University of Memphis golfers finished the first day of the Carter Plantation Intercollegiate in the top 28 on Monday, helping the Tigers end the second round in a tie for sixth. Southeastern Louisiana heads into the final round in first place with a 600. The Tigers are 14-strokes back in the 12-team field with a 36-hole 614 after rounds of 313 and 301. Only two golfers shot rounds below par in the first two rounds of the tournament hosted by Southeastern Louisiana University. Jacksonville State's Julian Colmenares leads the tournament with a 1-over 145. Reigning National and Conference USA Player of the Week Keven Fortin-Simard leads the Tigers with an 8-over 152 through the first 36 holes. The sophomore is tied for 14th after rounds of 78 and 74. One-stroke behind Fortin-Simard is fellow sophomore Ian Rochester who had opening rounds of 75 and 78 to end the day tied for 20th with a 153. Sophomore Robbie Greenwell is tied for 23rd at 154 after rounds of 78 and 76, and junior Lewis Clarke is tied for 28th with a 155 after shooting 82 and 73. Senior Mike Regenold rounds out the team with a 169 and is in 57th. The Tigers will compete in the final round of the three-round tournament on Tuesday. Carter Plantation Intercollegiate Dates: 03/27-03/28, 2006 Round: 2 Par-Yardage: 72-7049 T6 Memphis, U. of 313 301 614 T14 Keven Fortin-Simard 78 74 152 T20 Ian Rochester 75 78 153 T23 Robbie Greenwell 78 76 154 T28 Lewis Clarke 82 73 155 57 Mike Regenold 82 87 169 |
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| 03/27/06 | |
Tiger Men's Tennis to Face UC-Riverside Tuesday at MUS Courts -- Memphis looking to improve on 4-3 mark against non-ranked opponents (GoTigersGo.com) |
| MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis men's tennis team (4-10, 1-2 C-USA) is 4-3 against opponents that are not ranked in the ITA National rankings. The Tigers are 0-7 against ranked opponents after suffering a 7-0 loss at No. 13 Ole Miss last week, and are looking to get back in the win column, Tuesday against UC-Riverside. That non-conference match will be held at 12 p.m. on the MUS Courts. UC-Riverside is 8-5 heading into this week. The Highlanders are playing at UAB, Monday, and their eight wins on the season is a new school record for team victories during the spring dual season. Norman Tam is the team's top singles player, sporting a 5-9 record at No. 1. The team of Mark Contreras, who is 7-7 at No. 2 singles, at Christian Frick, are 4-10 at No. 1 doubles heading into Monday's match at UAB. Memphis is led by the No. 1 doubles team of senior James Spence and sophomore Sam Withell, who are the No. 24 ranked doubles team in the country. The duo is 9-2 on the season after suffering an 8-5 loss to the No. 15 ranked team of Eric Claesson and Erling Tveit. The twosome is 1-1 against ranked doubles foes, and will look for a win Tuesday to get them back on track before facing No. 60 SMU in Dallas, Saturday, and hosting an Auburn-Montgomery team that ranks No. 2 in NAIA Division I, Apr. 7th. Spence also leads the Tigers with six singles victories on the season, including a 5-4 mark at No. 3. The New Zealand native is still looking to post his first win at No. 1 singles, having lost the last four matches atop the singles line-up, including one three-set loss to Murray State's Fadi Zamjaovi last week. Freshman Matt Brewer is second on the team with five singles wins, including a 2-1 mark at No. 2 and a 2-4 mark at No. 1. Like Spence, Brewer is looking to snap a skid, having lost his last three outings. Brewer missed the Murray State match, and faced the No. 72 ranked singles player in the country in his first match back at Ole Miss, falling 6-3, 6-2. Brewer is 1-2 against ranked singles opponents on the year, with his Feb. 4th win over Tulsa's Diego Camacho (No. 73) helping him win three of his first four collegiate dual matches. Sam Withell is tied with Brewer at the five singles victory mark, sporting a 4-6 record at No. 4 singles despite just rejoining the team in January and not playing college tennis in over a year. Withell, who has teamed with Spence in all but three doubles matches, also lost to a ranked singles opponent at Ole Miss, falling to No. 40 Eric Claesson, 6-3, 6-2. Memphis has just two home matches remaining, counting Tuesday's match. The Apr. 7th match against Auburn-Montgomery will be the last home match for senior James Spence. Spence and fellow senior, Alex Jago, had a solid fall season, posting a 6-4 mark in doubles, before Jago missed the entire spring semester due to a wrist injury. |
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| 03/27/06 | |
Adam Amar Tabbed Conference USA's Hitter of the Week -- Amar's .377 average leads all C-USA hitters (GoTigersGo.com) |
| MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Junior first baseman Adam Amar was named Conference USA's Hitter of the Week the league office announced today. Amar's week was highlighted by a three home run performance in an 11-4 win over No.14 Tulane in Friday night's C-USA opener. "This is a very deserving for Adam after the weekend he had," said head coach Daron Schoenrock. "He carried us on Friday night and continued to have good at-bats against a very solid Tulane pitching staff Saturday and Sunday." The Lake Mary, Fla., native garnered his first league honor after leading Memphis with a .583 average, with 16 total bases, seven hits, three home runs and eight RBI in the weekend series versus the league's defending champs. For the week, Amar racked up a .444 average, with a triple and three homers, while driving in nine in five games. The 6-4 250-pound first baseman is now second on the team with two triples and, before his three home run outburst, had more triples than home runs. Amar's went 4-for-5 with seven RBI in his career-night against Tulane. It was his first multi-home run outing and tied a school record for homers in a single game. He is the ninth Tiger to hit three home runs in a game. Josh Payne was the last Tiger to do so, with three round-trippers in a 24-1 route of UT-Martin in 2003. He tied a season-high and fell one RBI short of the program record with seven RBI in the contest. The seven RBI is the second time a Tiger hitter has reached the mark in the last week. Kyle Norrid hammered a pair of homers and drove in seven in a 15-1 win over Southeast Missouri State on March 18. Amar, who now leads all C-USA hitters with a .377 average, homered in three consecutive at-bats. He belted his first home run over the centerfield wall in the fourth. He then highlighted a five-run sixth-inning with a three-run blast to rightfield. His last home run was a seventh-inning two-run shot over the left centerfield wall. Amar is the second Tiger to earn weekly honors from the league this year as freshman Scott McGregor was noted as C-USA Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 27. Ryan Martin was the last Tiger hitter to earn C-USA Hitter of the Week accolades last year after being named MVP of the Service Academies Spring Classic. The Tigers are in action next when they play the season's home-and-home series with Austin Peay. Memphis will travel to Clarksville, Tenn. on Tues., Mar. 28, and then will return to "The Nat" for a 6:30 p.m. meeting with the Govs on Wed., Mar. 29. |
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| 03/27/06 | |
Lady Tiger Tennis Kicks Off Four-Match Home Stand, Tuesday -- Memphis will face Troy in a non-conference competition beginning at 2:30 p.m. at WellWorx (GoTigersGo.com) |
| MEMPHIS, Tenn. After catching a 6 a.m. flight back from the Carolinas, Monday, the Lady Tiger tennis team (3-9, 0-3 C-USA) will look to a non-conference Tuesday afternoon match to snap a three-game losing streak. Memphis will host a hot Troy University squad, which recently won the Southern Miss Lady Eagle Classic, with wins over Syracuse, UALR and Southern Miss to improve the Lady Trojans to 10-3 on the season. The two teams will face off at 2:30 p.m. at WellWorx, Tuesday afternoon. Memphis enters the Tuesday afternoon match after having their normal line-up for just one of the three matches last weekend. Playing Saturday and Sunday without sophomore Brooke Cowie, who is tied for the team lead with four singles victories on the season, Memphis moved everyone from No. 3 and below up one spot in the ladder to compete against a 14-1 Coastal Carolina squad and against C-USA foe UAB. After picking up her first win of the year at No. 1 singles, Andrea Feichtinger dropped both matches at No. 1 in straight sets, then teamed with Alex Tjioe to suffer a pair of close losses, 8-7 and 8-6, at No. 1 doubles in the Saturday and Sunday matches. Feichtinger is now 3-8 on the season in singles and has played doubles with three different partners. Juniors Alex Tjioe and Christina Wieser are also tied with Cowie with four singles wins on the season. Wieser is 4-5 at No. 5 singles, while Tjioe is 4-5 at No. 6 singles. Tjioe, who started out the year with three straight wins at No. 6 is now looking to snap a three-match losing streak after picking up her last win at home against SIU, blanking her opponent at No. 6, 6-0, 6-0. Likewise, Wieser is looking to snap a three-game skid, having moved up to play No. 4 in two matches last weekend after playing all but one match prior to this past weekend in the No. 5 slot. Senior Kristin Noble played two matches at No. 2 singles this past weekend, and the Germantown, Tenn., native, who has stretched a match to three sets in four matches already this season, is looking to snap a three-game skid heading into Tuesday's match. Memphis is starting a four-match home stand, which will feature non-conference matches against Troy, Auburn-Montgomery, UALR and Middle Tennessee, before the team finishes the regular season on the road against Saint Louis and at Missouri. Memphis will complete the season at the C-USA Championships at SMU in Dallas, Apr. 20-23rd. |
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| 03/27/06 | |
Lady Tigers Finish Doubleheader Undefeated in Starkville -- Memphis defeats Southern Miss; ties Mississippi State (GoTigersGo.com) |
| For Immediate Release Contact: Brandon Kolditz wkolditz@memphis.edu, (901) 678-2444 STARKVILLE, Miss. - Going undefeated in a spring tournament hosted by Mississippi State on Saturday, the University of Memphis women's soccer team beat Southern Miss 3-1 and played MSU to a 0-0 tie. The Lady Tigers are 3-1-1 in spring competition with the only loss being a 2-1 defeat to the University of Missouri on March 19. "We played very well as a team," said Memphis head coach Brooks Monaghan. "Last weekend against Missouri, we struggled playing together. We were able to turn things around for these two games, and I'm pleased with the result. We created several opportunities to win both games." Against Conference USA foe Southern Miss, the U of M struggled early and ended the half tied at 1-1. Memphis beat the Golden Eagles in 2005, 5-1, at home toward the end of the season. Freshman Kylie Hayes scored the Lady Tigers opening goal on an assist from sophomore Elaine Sedgewick. "We came out flat and allowed Southern Miss to control the tempo early," Monaghan said. "Southern Miss came out with a lot of energy and played like they had something to prove after the results from the fall. It was an evenly played game in the first half, but we weren't winning many of the 50 percent chances." In the second half, Memphis came out with a higher level intensity and put the Golden Eagles away with two goals. Junior Shoko Mikami scored both second-half goals with Geneil Newbern assisting on the two scores. Despite numerous scoring chances against Mississippi State in the second game of the doubleheader, Memphis was unable to finish on its opportunities. The two teams finished scoreless in double overtime. "Our focus is not necessarily on scoring but on making progress toward what we're trying to accomplish," Monaghan said. "Although we didn't score, I'm pleased with our performance. I'd rather have us play well and see no results than to have us play poorly and get the result." The Lady Tigers played solid defense in the two games, allowing only one goal in the 200 minutes of play. Sophomore goalkeeper Isabel Briones put together two strong performances for Memphis. The U of M will next play a spring doubleheader in Decatur, Ala., against the Region III ODP team and Kennesaw State on Sunday. |
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| 03/27/06 | |
Tulane right-hander handcuffs Tigers -- Green Wave shows U of M there's still work to do (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Phil Stukenborg Contact March 27, 2006 Tulane 10, U of M 2 What started as a promising opening Conference USA baseball weekend for the University of Memphis ended with a realization that, as much as the Tigers have improved this season, there's some ground to cover. Defending league champion Tulane used a second straight strong pitching performance, this one from righthander Stephen Porlier, to win 10-2 Sunday at Nat Buring Stadium. Porlier (4-1) pitched seven innings and held the Tigers to one run on five hits. Porlier had five strikeouts. The 14th-ranked Green Wave backed Porlier by scoring seven runs with two outs, another trait of a championship program. "Their experience in winning came into play," said Tiger coach Daron Schoenrock. "They expect to win. They are used to winning. But I think the longer our guys play together, it will be an expectation for them, too." Memphis (12-10, 1-2) had opened the series with an 11-4 win behind a strong outing from freshman righthander Scott McGregor and a power display by first baseman Adam Amar. McGregor pitched a complete game and Amar blasted a school record-tying three home runs. After Friday night's power show, Amar's and most of the Tiger bats were relatively silent. In Saturday's Tulane win, righthander Brandon Gomes pitched the first complete game of his career in a 7-1 Green Wave win. Memphis starter Dusty Davis (1-1) took the loss, replaced after the second inning. He was replaced by righthander Stephen Gostkowski, the U of M's standout field goal kicker. Gostkowski, who is scheduled to try out for two NFL teams Tuesday, kept the Tigers within striking distance during his five innings. He scattered three hits and struck out four and allowed only one run. "The bright spot for us was Stephen Gostkowski," Schoenrock said. "He gave our offense a chance by hanging up four zeroes (scoreless innings) in a row. We may give him a start next weekend (at Southern Miss)." Tulane (16-9, 2-1) opened Sunday's game by scoring five times in the first two innings. In the first inning, the Green Wave took advantage of a Tiger error to go up, 2-0. After Brad Emaus reached on a dropped pop fly, Nathan Southard ripped a two-run homer to left-center. In the second, Tulane added three runs on three hits. Mark Hamilton's bases-loaded, two-run single was the key blow in an inning in which the Green Wave sent eight batters to the plate. The Tigers got their first run in the fifth on a 1-out balk by Porlier that scored Josh Irvin. Hamilton added a two-out RBI single in the seventh to boost the Green Wave's advantage to 6-1. "Tulane took advantage of our mistakes," Schoenrock said. "I think it may have been a different game had we not made that error in the first. I think had we got out of that inning Dusty would have settled down. We were hoping to get five innings out of Dusty." -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543 |
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| 03/27/06 | |
Fans cheer Tigers at 3 a.m. arrival -- Walk-on Allen: 'Good to see city is still behind us' (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Jason Smith Contact March 27, 2006 Amber Norton was clutching her 3-year-old daughter, Kylie, in the cold night air early Sunday, desperately hoping to catch a close-up glimpse of University of Memphis senior Rodney Carney following the Tigers' arrival home from Oakland, Calif., at Wilson Air Center. "I wish he'd come off the bus," Norton pleaded. "He should. He's the one that's a senior." Norton was one of about 60 Memphis fans there to greet the Tigers around 3 a.m. Sunday following their 50-45 loss to UCLA Saturday evening in the finals of the Oakland Regional. And while she got her chance to congratulate Tiger players Darius Washington, Andre Allen, Waki Williams, Chris Douglas-Roberts and Memphis head coach John Calipari -- who had all come over to sign autographs and thank those gathered outside Wilson Air Center on Sunday -- Norton never got her chance to thank Carney, who unassumingly made his way from the plane to the team bus. "I'm proud of him," she said. "We would've been in bed, but we wanted to tell them we were proud of them. "I'm from California, born and raised, but I really wanted the Tigers to beat UCLA." So did Memphis fans Tish Martin, 24, and Morgan Beene, 25, who like Norton, braved the early morning cold to offer their support. "They deserve our respect," Martin said. "They did a great job. I mean, how could you not support a team that went that far, and they're so young?" Beene, a self-professed "professional student" at Memphis, had a message for the prognosticators and analysts who'd wrongly predicted the Tigers' demise earlier in the tournament. "ESPN? (Shame on) them," Beene said. "You make sure you put that in there. (ESPN) didn't anticipate that we would make it this far." Allen, the first Tiger player to make his way over to the line of fans, said he appreciated the love from those gathered at the airport Sunday. "It feels good to see that the city is still behind us," said the walk-on Tiger point guard as he signed autographs and thanked his supporters. Calipari, limping badly Sunday following the long flight home, was the first off the plane, and like his players, thanked the entire line of Memphis supporters gathered to greet them. "That was a rough one," he told one fan. "Great run, Coach," another answered back. Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson, though visibly drained, seemed happy to be home. "We wish it could've ended on an even happier note, but when everything calms down, we'll all reflect on a great year," Johnson said. "Right now, none of the players care about any of it." Washington, the Tigers' leading scorer Saturday with 13 points, said it felt good to see the 60 fans Sunday, especially after a season-ending loss. "They've supported us through the ups and downs, he said. "It's been great." -- Jason Smith: 529-5804 |
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| 03/26/06 | |
Softball Drops Series Finale to Tulsa -- Lady Tigers swept as offense and pitching struggle (GoTigersGo.com) |
| Memphis 001 000 - 1 4 1 Tulsa 213 003 - 9 10 0 TULSA, Okla. - The Memphis softball team again struggled on offense and Tulsa scored nine runs off Lady Tiger pitchers, as the Golden Hurricane defeated the U of M 9-1 on Sunday to gain a sweep in the three-game Conference USA Series. Memphis could muster just four hits and one run off Tulsa starter Julie Fennell, and that was not nearly enough, as the Golden Hurricane offense posted nine runs on ten hits to win by the eight-run rule. Tulsa got its bats going early, putting two runs on the board in the bottom of the first with clean-up hitter Sara Dyer doubling to score Brooke Smart and Katie Torres. The Golden Hurricane added another run in the second, using three singles to take a 3-0 advantage. Memphis came back to plate its lone run in the top of the third, as Leila Dolfo shot a double down the leftfield line to score Cara Stiles, who reached on a walk, and cut the deficit to 3-1. Tulsa, however, increased its lead to 6-1 in the bottom of the third, using three walks, a two-run single by Lindsay Galloway, and a throwing error to plate three runs. Fennell then kept the Lady Tigers off the board for the next three innings, as Memphis managed a hit each in the fourth and fifth frames, but could not mount a serious attack. That kept the Tulsa lead at five entering the bottom of the sixth before Torres belted a three-run homer to leftfield to make the score 9-1 and end the game in walk-off fashion. Dolfo took the loss in the circle for the U of M, working 2.1 innings and giving up five earned runs on five hits and three walks. The freshman falls to 3-4 on the season. Fennell pitched the full six innings to pick up her second win of the series and move to 8-4 on the year. Four different Lady Tigers picked up a hit each on the day, with Dolfo doubling and Kimmi Hayden, Tori Gross and Leandra Hines each recording a single. With the loss, Memphis falls to 17-14 overall and 3-5 in Conference USA. Tulsa improves to 21-10 overall and 8-1 in the conference to claim sole control of the C-USA lead. The Lady Tigers will next be in action Wednesday, March 29, when they play host to Austin Peay in a double-header at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. at Greenbrook Park. |
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| 03/26/06 | |
Women's Tennis Swept by UAB, 7-0 -- Lady Tigers fall to 3-8 on the season (GoTigersGo.com) |
| MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - The Memphis women's tennis team (3-8) suffered a second straight 7-0 loss, this one to league foe UAB, to wrap up a trio of matches in Myrtle Beach, Sunday.
Memphis battled at the top two doubles spots, while playing a second match without sophomore Brooke Cowie, a member of the normal No. 1 doubles team and the team's No. 1 or 2 singles player. Andrea Feichtinger, Cowie's normal partner at No. 1, instead teamed with Alex Tjioe, taking the Blazer's No.1 team of Anniemieke Elsholz and Julia von Samson to an 8-6 UAB win. The Lady Tiger No. 2 team of Christina Wieser and Kristin Noble also battled, but fell 8-6, to the team of Gulsah Esen and Ornisha Maier-Knapp.
The loss is the second straight loss after Memphis snapped a five-game skid with a 6-1 win over Southern Illinois last weekend. Memphis will play a non-conference match against Troy, Tuesday, at 2:30 p.m. at Wellworx. UAB 7, Memphis 0 Doubles No. 1 -- Annemieke Elsholz/Julia von Samson def. Andrea Feichtinger/Alex Tjioe (UM), 8-6 No. 2 -- Gulsah Esen/Ornischa Maier-Knapp def. Christina Wieser/Kristin Noble (UM), 8-6 No. 3 -- Antonio Nugent/Seden Soyalp def. Ekin Zafir/Flavia Russo (UM), 8-3 Singles No. 1 -- Ornischa Maier-Knapp def. Andrea Feichtinger (UM), 6-2, 6-2 No. 2 -- Julia von Samson def. Kristin Noble (UM), 6-4, 6-1 No. 3 -- Annemieke Elsholz def. Ekin Zafir (UM), 6-4, 6-3 No. 4 -- Antonio Nugent def. Christina Wieser (UM), 6-1, 6-3 No. 5 -- Samrin Tanzeem def. Alex Tjioe (UM), 6-1, 6-2 No. 6 -- Seden Soyalp def. Flavia Russo (UM), 6-2, 6-2 |
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| 03/26/06 | |
Baseball Falls to No. 14 Tulane 10-2 in Series Finale -- Tigers again unable to find clutch hit (GoTigersGo.com) |
| MEMPHIS, Tenn. - No. 14 Tulane (16-9; 2-1 C-USA) 230 000 113 - 10 13 0 Memphis (12-10; 1-2 C-USA) 000 010 010 - 2 7 1 No. 14 Tulane scored five runs in the first two innings and Memphis was unable to recover as the Tigers dropped the series finale 10-2 at Nat Buring Stadium. For the second consecutive game, the Green Wave got most of its run production with two-outs, scoring seven two-out run to claim the opening series win. The Wave poured it on early with a pair of tallies inthe opening frame of the contest. Brad Emaus reached on a Tiger error and Nathan Southard got them on the board with a two-run home run to leftfield. Southard made it 3-0 with an RBI-double to left. Mark Hamilton's RBI-single through the right side gave Tulane an early 5-0 advantage. Memphis countered with a fifth-inning run via a balk by TU starter Stephen Porlier. Porlier (4-1) earned the win and gave up just one runin seven strong innings of work. He scattered five hits and struck out five. Memphis reliever Stephen Gostkowski came on in relief of Dusty Davis, who started for the first time for the Tigers. Davis was the losing pitcher. Gostkowski was solid, and kept Memphis in the game in the middle five innings of play. He gave up three hits and held Tulane to just one run, while fanning four. Tulane went ahead 7-1 with single runs in seventh and eighth. Memphis responded with its final score of the day on an RBI single by Adam Amar. The Wave put the game out of reach on a three-run, two-out double by Matt Riser. Memphis was out hit 13-7 in the game and had just one hitter--Michael Murray--with multiple hits. The Tigers will now play the season's home-and-home series with Austin Peay. Memphis will travel to Clarksville, Tenn. on Tuesday, and then will return to "The Nat" for a 6:30 p.m. meeting with the Govs on Wednesday. |
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| 03/26/06 | |
Lee Qualifies for Regionals, Sets School Record in Shot Put -- Erickson wins hammer, improving Regional mark (GoTigersGo.com) |
| OXFORD, Miss. - Gail Lee qualified for NCAA Regionals and set a school record in the shot put, while J.D. Erickson picked up a victory and improved his regional qualifying mark in the hammer to headline the Memphis track and field teams' performances at the Ole Miss Dual Meet. Lee won the shot put with a NCAA Mideast Regional qualifying mark of 49-09.00" (15.16m). The mark was also a new Lady Tiger record, bettering the previous record that Sivan Aballi set just a week ago at the Rhodes Open. Lee added a third-place finish in the hammer with a throw of 163-00.00" (49.68m). Erickson won the hammer and improved his regional qualifying mark in the event with a throw of 187-09.00" (57.23m), while finishing second in the shot put with a mark of 55-07.75" (16.96m). Susan King was the only other Memphis athlete to take home an event title on the day, but she did so in two events. The junior won the discus with a throw of 146-00.00" (44.50m) and won the hammer with a personal-best effort of 169-07.00" (51.70m). Whitney Bolton added a second Lady Tiger record, as she cleared a height of 10-06.00" (3.20m) in a second-place finish in the pole vault, equaling her indoor school record in the event. The Lady Tiger team had an outstanding showing in the shot put, claiming each of the top-five spots, including Lee's victory. Aballi placed second with a toss of 45-07.75" (13.91m). King finished third with an effort of 44-09.75" (13.66m). Nikole Jackson placed fourth with a throw of 41-01.75" (12.54m), and Annette Uzoh placed fifth with a mark of 40-09.75" (12.44m). The women's squad saw three additional top-five performances. Aballi posted a second-place showing in the discus with a throw of 144-05.00" (44.01m). Emily Malinowski finished third in the 1500m with a time of 4:48.79 and Cassandra Harding placed fifth in the triple jump with a mark of 36-06.25" (11.13m). On the men's side, Amaechi Oselukwue and Norbert Gulyas were the only athletes outside of Erickson to register top-five finishes, but both did so in two events. Oselukwue finished third in the 400m hurdles with a time of 55.54 and fifth in the 110m hurdles with a time of 15.13. Gulyas finished fourth in the discus with a throw of 155-10.00" (47.50m) and placed fifth in the shot put with a throw of 47-08.50" (14.54m). Both the Tiger and Lady Tiger squads will be back in action next Saturday, April 1, when they travel to Starkville, Miss., for the Bulldog Invitational, hosted by Mississippi State University. |
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| 03/26/06 | |
Spring Football: Day 7 (Commercial Appeal) |
| Observations from Day 7 from the University of Memphis's spring football practice and scrimmage at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium: 1) What you may have heard about 6-8 freshman receiver Carlos Singleton being a threat, especially in the red zone, is accurate. Singleton easily outjumped 5-10 defensive back Deante Lamar on a third-and-6 from the 8-yard line late in the scrimmage to score. He also used his long arms earlier in the workout to reach over defensive back Bernard Key to haul in a 24-yard TD pass. As dangerous as he can be, he's not a finished product. He let a fourth-and-3 pass from Will Hudgens slip through his hands. 2) Transfer quarterback Martin Hankins continues to display poise and an ability to move the football. He completed his final six passes for 59 yards in a Wednesday workout and went 11-for-16 for 114 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday's scrimmage. 3) Receiver Maurice Jones and defensive back Deante Lamar made plays. Jones had a 54-yard TD reception and a 22-yard catch that may have been better. On a crossing route he quickly gathered in a pass that had bounced off defensive back Brandon Patterson and zipped 20-plus yards up the sideline. A few snaps earlier, Lamar's big hit kept receiver Carlton Robinzine from making a catch. On the ensuing play, his solid coverage of Ryan Scott forced another incompletion. 4) While reserve quarterback may end up at a slot receiver position if Hankins, Hudgens, Patrick Byrne and Matt Malouf are the top four quarterbacks on the depth chart in the fall, what has been apparent the first seven days is Barefield makes things happen. He had a 34-yard run Wednesday and had a completion Saturday that Jones turned into a 54-yard TD. |
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| 03/26/06 | |
Dreams of U of M players, supporters stall with miserable shooting -- Tiger supporters at game disappointed, but believe that team still had impressive season (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Jim Masilak Contact March 26, 2006 OAKLAND, Calif. -- When the final buzzer sounded, and the UCLA fans and players began celebrating, Debbie Townsend turned away in tears. The University of Memphis' Final Four dream came to an unsatisfactory end Saturday night with a 50-45 loss to UCLA amid the hostile environs of the Oakland Arena and a hail of missed shots, fouls and turnovers by the Tigers. Advertisement Click to learn more... "I'm crying but I'm proud of 'em," Townsend said. "They put us back on the map. Tiger basketball is back. It's been a great year. We just didn't play our best game today." What was indeed a remarkable season for the Tigers ended with a school-record 33 wins, Conference USA regular-season and tournament titles, and the UofM's first NCAA Tournament Elite Eight appearance in 14 years. That, however, was little consolation to the 2,000 or so Tiger fans in attendance for Saturday's regional final, which was played before a decidedly pro-UCLA crowd of 19,689 at the Oakland Arena. They came to see the Tigers advance to the Final Four for the first time since 1985. Instead they saw their worst fears come to pass. The UofM (33-4) shot a miserable 31.5 percent from the field, committed 18 turnovers and was held below 50 points for the first time all season. Jeff Welch of Memphis couldn't bear to watch the second half, and so he sat in a concourse bar and watched on a small wall monitor while continually stirring -- but hardly sipping -- his drink. It didn't help Welch's frazzled nerves that the Tigers had just played a first half in which they missed all 10 of their 3-point attempts and sent the Bruins to the foul line 17 times. "I would take losing 90-89 on a last-second shot, but we are too good a team to play that badly," Welch said. "We can't throw it in the ocean from the beach." Wearing Tiger mittens and blue-tinted Tiger-stripe sunglasses, former Memphian Kevin True refused to give up hope until the end. "I'm really, really nervous," said True, a season ticket-holder who now lives in Missouri, as the UofM tried to rally in the final minutes. "It would be such a great thing to go (to the Final Four). Even if we don't, it's still been great." But it was also hard to swallow. "It's aggravating because they're just not playing good basketball," said Joe Pierce of Memphis as he chewed on a toothpick as the Tigers tried to cut into UCLA's advantage. "We can't catch a break, and we can't hit a layup. We hold them four possessions without scoring, and we turn it over twice and miss layups. "But they're kids and it's still just a basketball game. There are other things I've got to worry about. This has been fun." Tiger fan Gwen Wrighster of Memphis and her daughter, Vicki Wrighster, sat in the front row behind center court. They got their tickets courtesy of Vicki's son, George Wrighster, a football player for the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars who was born in Memphis. Even with the Tigers trailing, 28-21, at halftime, they remained confident of a comeback. "I'm not giving up," Gwen said as she played nervously with her fingers. "We're only down by seven; it's not too bad. "I really came out here to visit my daughter (in Los Angeles). I didn't have tickets but she said, 'Why don't we go to the game?' So here we are." While Tiger fans finally let go of their fleeting hopes in the final seconds, True was already looking ahead to next season, which will begin in November with a tournament in Hawaii. "I've already got reservations for Maui," True said. "I can't wait." -- Jim Masilak: 529-2311 |
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| 03/26/06 | |
Abysmal shooting puts a bitter end to Tigers' Final Four hopes -- U of M stars unable to shine as they have throughout great season (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Gary Parrish Contact March 26, 2006 OAKLAND, Calif. -- John Calipari has a way of taking a phrase, making it his own and repeating it ... over and over again. Lately, it's revolved around stars being stars, and how that was crucial to the University of Memphis possibly advancing to the Final Four. But on Saturday, the stars weren't stars. Nobody was a star. So turn out the lights, this mostly magical season has come to a dismal close, thanks to the Tigers' 50-45 loss to UCLA in the finals of the Oakland Regional. In a matter of 40 minutes, March Madness turned into March Badness, and the Bruins (31-6) advanced to this week's Final Four despite shooting 35.0 percent from the field. Why? Because the Tigers (33-4) shot 31.5 percent, and missed their first 14 3-point attempts. So instead of making plans for Indianapolis, they simply returned to Memphis in the middle of the night, which was fitting considering the UofM spent most the game shooting as if it was playing in the dark, and blindfolded. "We couldn't get any shots to fall," said reserve point guard Andre Allen. "Nobody could make a shot." As for those stars, it adds up like this: Rodney Carney finished 2-of-12 from the field with five points. Darius Washington finished 4-of-10 from the field with 13 points and five turnovers. Shawne Williams finished 2-of-9 from the field with eight points. Together, they were the main reason the Tigers had fewer field goals (17) than turnovers (18) and made only 2-of-17 3-point attempts. In fact, Memphis didn't get its first 3-pointer of the game until 13.8 seconds remained. Too little, too late. Way too little. "We all played bad," said Carney, his college career now done. "That's why we lost." The game started like a nightmare, one where Memphis could neither make a bucket nor keep UCLA from scoring. The Tigers missed seven of their first eight field goal attempts and eventually fell behind, 21-9 with 9:43 left in the first half. Memphis trailed, 28-21, at the break. "But we felt like we still had a chance to win," Williams said. "But we just couldn't ever get anything going." Memphis cut its deficit to 30-27 early in the second half and seemed capable of overcoming this awful performance, considering UCLA only led 40-36 with 4:51 left. But the Tigers never pulled closer than that four-point spread and squandered their final opportunity at redemption. Down five with less than two minutes to play and in need of an offensive spurt, Memphis instead went scoreless on its subsequent six possessions, turning the ball over three times. Consequently, the Tigers finished with just 45 points, or 12 less than their previous low this season. Because UCLA was similarly terrible on offense, the game went into the record books as producing the lowest combined point total of any NCAA Tournament regional final since the beginning of the shot clock era. "The defense was incredible," said UCLA coach Ben Howland. "They average 81 points (per game), and they had 45." That fact wasn't lost on Chris Douglas-Roberts. "What did we have? 45? That's a first-half score for us," said the Memphis freshman. "We feel like we're a better team than this. We wanted to win it all, but we didn't. Maybe we were too inexperienced. I don't know. But we didn't play like us, and now the season is over." Still, it was a season of success. A school-record for wins. A school-record for field goal percentage defense. The first Elite Eight since 1992. The first No. 1 seed in history. Once all the tears were gone, that's what most were talking about in the locker room afterward here at The Arena in Oakland. Nobody was happy or satisfied, but everybody took some satisfaction in being a part of the team that returned Tiger basketball to its glorious roots. "This team took us for a ride," said John Calipari. "They took us all for a ride." -- Gary Parrish: 529-2365 |
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| 03/26/06 | |
West challenges Tiger backs deep in red zone (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Phil Stukenborg Contact March 26, 2006 Tommy West called it ''a coach's prerogative.'' During the final 15 minutes of Saturday's University of Memphis football scrimmage at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, West, in his sixth season as Tiger coach, called an audible. He had the officials place the ball at the 7-yard line, something he doesn't routinely do. But West was specifically looking for a team characteristic toward the end of the second week of spring practice. ''I just wanted to see a little toughness,'' West said. ''And I wanted to see us run the ball because we're going to have to run the ball. I thought our backs ran a little bit tougher but not as tough as they're going to have to. We've got to get a lot more physical with the running back position.'' Last year, and the three previous seasons, the Tigers had the best player in the program's history -- DeAngelo Williams -- handling the bulk of the running duties. Williams finished his career as college football's No. 4 rusher and is expected to be a first-round pick in next month's NFL Draft. Saturday, it was juniors-to-be Joe Doss and Jamarcus Gaither and freshmen Miguel Barnes and T.J. Pitts sharing the carries. But the longest run by a Tiger back in the 74-play scrimmage was 11 yards by Doss. Doss scored on the play, a determined, physical rush in which he carried several defenders over the goal line, but it was the only one of 10 or more yards. ''I think coach West wanted us to get tough today,'' Gaither said. ''He wants us to be a team. With all of us, we all have different styles of running.'' What had to be somewhat pleasing to West were the results of the five series that began inside the defense's 10-yard line. Gaither scored on the first series, scampering over from a yard out after sidestepping an attempted tackle by linebacker Chris Huffman behind the line. On the second series, quarterback Will Hudgens -- participating in his first contact work this spring -- tossed a 7-yard touchdown pass to Brett Russell. On the third, Barnes scored on a 2-yard run. On the fourth, quarterback Martin Hankins lofted an 8-yard TD pass to 6-8 receiver Carlos Singleton, who won a jump-ball situation with 5-10 defensive back Deante Lamar. Receiver Michael Grandberry ended the exercise, and the scrimmage, with a 4-yard run around left end. Singleton also scored on a 24-yard reception midway through the scrimmage, backpedaling into the end zone and reaching over defensive back Bernard Key for the TD. Doss and receiver Maurice Jones had the other TDs. Doss scored on a 7-yard touchdown run and quarterback Billy Barefield hooked up with Jones on a 54-yard scoring play. Jones broke free from defensive back LaKeitharun Ford near the 35-yad line and raced unobstructed to the end zone. As much as West spoke about the running backs, he didn't want to limit his critique to one position. ''I thought we were a little bit better,'' West said. ''We looked a little better offensively and a little better defensively. ''But right now we are a team that makes the easy play, but no one really makes the hard play. Like when a guy is draped all over your back, make the catch. When there's a guy in the hole, run through a pad and gain 10 more yards. (Defensively) get off the block and get some pressure on the quarterback.'' -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543 |
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| 03/26/06 | |
Sound off: Basketball, Track (Commercial Appeal) |
| A big thanks from Conference USA On behalf of all member institutions and the entire staff at Conference USA, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the City of Memphis, the University of Memphis, FedExForum and Memphis Grizzlies, the Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau and the entire Memphis community for all their support and hospitality during the 2006 Conference USA Men's Basketball Championship presented by Aeropostale. Once again, the people of Memphis showcased their warm hospitality while hosting 11 other teams and their fans. FedExForum is a beautiful facility, really second-to-none, offering tremendous amenities as well as an unbeatable location within the true heart of Memphis. Everyone felt welcome in your community and will be sure to remember their visit for years to come. For this, again, we say THANKS! Britton B. Banowsky Commissioner, Conference USA Great efforts by UofM track and field I just wanted to congratulate the University of Memphis track athletes on some incredible performances last weekend at The Rhodes Open. The Lady Tigers' Sivan Aballi (shot put), Gail Lee (hammer throw), Emily Malinowski (steeple chase) and Susan King (discus) all broke school records. Sivan, Gail and Susan's marks also met qualifying standards for the regional meet in May that gives them a chance to qualify for the national competition. On the men's team, J.D. Erickson qualified for regionals in three events: the shot put, hammer and discus. Norbie Gulyas also qualified in the discus. Congratulations to all of them! They work very hard and do a great job representing the university. They don't get a lot of press, but they deserve and appreciate our support. The team has some extraordinary athletes this year, and it will be exciting to follow their progress. Dawn Robinson Southaven |
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| 03/26/06 | |
Tiger football notebook (Commercial Appeal) |
| Hudgens springs into action Tiger quarterback Will Hudgens saw his first live action of the spring during Saturday's spring scrimmage at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. Hudgens entered midway through the scrimmage and completed 3-of-6 passes for 15 yards and a touchdown. Hudgens, recovering from a broken leg suffered early last season in an overtime loss at Tulsa, wasn't expected to participate in a scrimmage -- or any contact work -- this spring, but Tiger coach Tommy West said Hudgens had made enough progress. ''I think Will's ankle is ready for it,'' West said. ''We'll get him in there a little bit more next time.'' Although West called Hudgen's effort ''rusty, a little nervous,'' it included a 7-yard TD pass to tight end Brett Russell. Auditions? The Tigers signed kicker Matt Reagan from Knoxville's Bearden High last month as a potential replacement for the departing Stephen Gostkowski, C-USA's Special Teams Player of the Year. But during Saturday's scrimmage, three walk-on kickers on the roster -- Trey Adams, Kittrell Smith and Joey Mack -- took turns attempting 43-yard kicks. Adams, a sophomore-to-be from ECS, and Smith, a sophomore-to-be from Macon County High in Lafayette, Tenn., hit 2-of-3. Mack hit both of his. The 6-of-8 exhibition prompted West to applaud the trio as they sprinted off the field. Ready to return Defensive back Dustin Lopez, who has missed the first two weeks of spring practice with an ankle injury, said he'll return to workouts Tuesday when the Tigers resume practice. Lopez, a starter in each of the past two seasons, had 14 tackles and seven pass deflections last season. A look at the stats Quarterback Martin Hankins had another solid day completing 11-of-16 passes for 114 yards and two touchdowns. No. 2 Billy Barefield was 2-of-3 for 66 yards, including a 54-yard TD pass to Maurice Jones. Jones finished with four catches for 93 yards. -- Phil Stukenborg |
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| 03/26/06 | |
Outstanding player not so at charity stripe (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Jim Masilak and Gary Parrish Contact March 26, 2006 UCLA senior center Ryan Hollins was named the Oakland Regional's Most Outstanding Player after scoring 14 points and grabbing nine rebounds Saturday against the Tigers. That Hollins earned the honor despite being a miserable 2-for-11 from the free-throw line said a lot about the standard of play. Darius Washington, who scored a team-high 13 points for the Tigers after dropping in 18 Thursday against Bradley, was the only UofM player to make the five-man all-regional team. The others were UCLA guards Jordan Farmar and Arron Afflalo and Gonzaga forward Adam Morrison. The Tigers were 4-4 this season when trailing at halftime, as they did against the Bruins, and 1-2 when scoring 60 or fewer points. The UofM's previous low-water mark for scoring came in a Jan. 2 loss to Texas in which they scored just 59 points. UCLA extended its winning streak to 11 games, the nation's longest current unbeaten run. Calipari wasn't terribly surprised that his point guards, Allen and Washington, managed just one assist between them in 46 minutes. "It's not normal," Calipari said. "But, again, you have to understand, we missed. Every time we passed it to somebody, the guy missed a shot. You're not going to have a whole lot of assists when you give a guy a layup and he banks it off the back of the rim." Defensive stopper One of the things that bothered Washington in this game was that Ben Howland opted to guard the Memphis sophomore with senior Cedric Bozeman, a 6-6 wing. Bozeman's height kept Washington from muscling his way into the lane, and even when he got into the paint there was always somebody there to wave an arm. Study pays Calipari spent a lot of his pregame interview time explaining how he wouldn't watch a lot of tape, and would have his players watch very little. Meanwhile, UCLA stayed up until 4 a.m. Friday watching film of Memphis. UCLA got blasted by Memphis in the first meeting on Nov. 23 and allowed the Tigers to score 88 points, including 51 in the first half. This time, Memphis managed only 45 in the entire game. Successful futility Of all of UCLA's glorious NCAA Tournament victories, this was the lowest point total the Bruins have ever used to win a game in the Big Dance. It was only six more than Bill Walton scored in the 1973 NCAA Tournament title game against Memphis. |
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| 03/26/06 | |
Calkins: Offensive woes make for an ugly ending to one memorable ride (Commercial Appeal) |
| OAKLAND, Calif. -- RODNEY CARNEY stood at center court, doubled over in pain.
He shrugged off his teammates as they tried to console him. He stayed, motionless, thinking about the season, and the game, and the ugly crushing end.
He will not be making a triumphant return to his hometown of Indianapolis.
He will not be suiting up for the Memphis Tigers ever again.
"I'm going to go back home anyway," Carney said, "but not in the way I wanted to. Not to the Final Four."
So the Tigers' season is over, as well as the tantalizing dream.
They won 33 games and the conference title. They won the conference tournament and a place in the Elite Eight.
But with a chance to go to their first Final Four in 21 years, with a chance to take their place alongside the great Memphis teams of 1973 and 1985, they, well, missed.
And missed.
And missed.
And missed.
UCLA 50, Memphis 45.
If that looks like a halftime score, there's a reason for that.
Memphis scored 51 points in the first half against UCLA in November. Saturday evening, that would have been enough to win.
How painful is that? All the Tigers had to do was score as many points in 40 minutes as they did in 20 the last time the two teams played.
But they missed.
And missed.
And you getting the general idea, here?
"It was me more than anything," Carney said. "I missed almost every shot I took."
That's not an exaggeration, by the way. In his last game as a college player, Carney was 2-of-12.
One of the makes was a meaningless 3-pointer in the final seconds. It was the Tigers' second 3-pointer of the game.
Small wonder Carney was doubled over in pain after it was done. It wasn't just the losing, it was the hideousness of it all.
There's a certain comfort in knowing Bill Walton had to hit 21-of-22 to beat the Tigers in 1973. There's a certain dignity in that.
But where is the comfort in losing the lowest-scoring Regional Final since the tournament expanded to 64 teams?
And not just the lowest scoring, the lowest scoring by 15 bleeping points?
UCLA has 88 tournament victories. This is the first time the Bruins have scored 50 and won.
"We couldn't throw a rock in the ocean," said Memphis forward Shawne Williams.
Out here, the ocean is right nearby.
But Williams went 2-for-9, Darius Washington went 4-for-10, Antonio Anderson went 1-for-5, Joey Dorsey went 1-for-3, Andre Allen went 0-for-3 and, what, you can't bear it anymore?
"We picked a bad day to miss 15 one-footers," said John Calipari.
Especially since UCLA was missing 15-footers at an astonishing rate. That's the only reason the Tigers were in it, really. At one point, the Bruins were 6-of-21 on foul shots.
Ryan Hollins, the UCLA center, went 2-of-11 from the line. And he was MVP of the regional. Get your mind around that.
But the Tigers matched the Bruins, bungle for bungle, ugliness for ugliness.
Allen and Washington combined for one whopping assist. Dorsey was in foul trouble from the start.
UCLA decided to take away the Memphis perimeter game, and the Tigers couldn't -- or wouldn't -- get the ball to the rim.
"I wish we had gone out doing what we do," said Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson, and, c'mon, don't we all?
It was such a spectacular season, filled with so many moments, such joy.
Remember the trip to New York? The win over Gonzaga? The stylish, thrilling way this team played?
"I knew we were going to the Final Four," said Williams.
He knew.
They all knew.
"There's a somber, quiet locker room in there right now," Calipari said. "I think they had their visions on winning this whole thing."
So they sat on their stools, and packed up for the last time, and wondered how the vision slipped away.
Carney couldn't talk, his head buried in his jersey. Williams went from player to player, bumping knuckles, trying to lift the mood.
"We can't hang our heads," he said.
But there, in the season's aftermath, just about all of them did. To reach Geoff Calkins, call him at 529-2364 or send an e-mail. |
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| 03/26/06 | |
Tigers to have different look next year -- Washington, Williams candidates for jumping to NBA Draft; new crop of freshmen await their turn (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Jim Masilak Contact March 26, 2006 OAKLAND, Calif. -- When the University of Memphis opens the 2006-07 season, the Tigers are certain to have a different look about them. Just how different remains to be seen and will depend largely on what sophomore point guard Darius Washington and freshman forward Shawne Williams decide to do in advance of the NBA Draft, which will be held two months from today in New York City. The deadline for underclassmen to declare for the June 26 NBA Draft is May 13, and UofM coach John Calipari said he would meet with the likes of Washington and Williams between now and then to discuss their futures. Calipari wouldn't speculate on what he thought either player might decide, and Washington and Williams were equally non-committal after Saturday's 50-45 loss to UCLA in the NCAA Tournament's Oakland Regional final at The Arena in Oakland. "I can't even speak to the future," said Williams, who completed a rookie season in which he was named Conference USA Freshman of the Year by scoring eight points on 2-for-9 shooting from the field against the Bruins. "Coach and I will have a meeting, and we'll go from there." The 6-9, 225-pound Williams, who averaged 12.8 points per game this season and at one point was projected as a possible first-round pick by NBADraft.net, said he would likely declare for the draft if Calipari advises him to do so. If the Tigers' coach advises him to stay, Williams said he would likely return for his sophomore season. "I don't know where to go from here," Williams said. "It's my first time going through this. I'm gonna listen to Coach. I feel he'll tell me what's best for me. We've got to look at a lot of stuff." A muted Washington, who scored a team-high 13 points on 4-for-10 shooting against UCLA, said he had yet to decide on a course of action. With the rise of sophomore point guard Andre Allen during this NCAA Tournament and the imminent arrival Bolivar Central High point guard Willie Kemp in the fall, the Tigers would have three point guards on their roster next season. "That's just talk," the 6-2, 195-pound Washington said of speculation he might forfeit his final two seasons of eligibility and enter the draft. "I'm just thinking about what's going on right now. I'm just worried about right now." One way or another, the UofM will have some new faces come the start of practice in October. While the Tigers will lose senior forward Rodney Carney, a projected NBA Lottery selection, and reserve senior forward Waki Williams, they are also due to welcome four freshmen in the fall. Forwards Hashim Bailey (6-10, 280) and Pierre Niles (6-7, 250) and guards Kemp (6-2, 170) and Tre'Von Willis (6-3, 165) are the newcomers currently scheduled to join the Tiger fold. The UofM may take another player during the spring signing period, with the primary target being Chatham (Va.) Hargrave Military Academy forward Tyler Smith (6-7, 210), a former Pulaski (Tenn.) Giles County star and one-time Tennessee signee. Allen understands certain of his teammates will soon be weighing their futures. "I just hope they make the right decisions," he said. "I don't want to see them have to make hard decisions, but we know they've got to do it." Allen also said he would like to see all the eligible returnees come back to take another shot at leading the UofM to the Final Four berth that so narrowly eluded them this season. "I've never been on a team like this one. Everyone gets along -- we went the whole year without anybody fighting," Allen said. "It'll be better next year because we didn't know what to expect this year with so many freshmen." Washington echoed his fellow point guard's sentiments. "Next year we'll be experienced. This year we weren't experienced," said Washington, who had no assists and five turnovers Saturday. "Every day you grow. Today was a learning experience. It was a hard one, but it was still a learning experience." And what if everyone who is scheduled to return to the Tigers' fold for next season does exactly that? "We would do damage," he said. "Serious damage." -- Jim Masilak: 529-2311 |
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| 03/26/06 | |
Fans keep watching, waiting for U of M rally that never comes; 'this is unbelievable' (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Sherri Drake Contact March 26, 2006 After they cheered and jumped and chanted Saturday night, Tiger fans couldn't do anything but bury their heads in their hands as the team's hopes of winning dwindled. At Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar in East Memphis, fans pounded their fists on tables, threw down their hats and bit their nails. Advertisement University of Memphis graduate Kari Petree, 27, was on the edge of her seat, smoking cigarettes, crossing her fingers, doing anything to help the team. "Let's go, Tigers!" said Petree, sitting at a table with friends. "This is unbelievable." During the second half, fans cheered as the team hit shots, only to be let down by a foul call or UCLA score. "Let's go, defense," said 21-year-old Kevin Brown. "We can't get our head in the game. Just play better D!" Fans badly wanted to see a win, saying a trip to the Final Four would prove to all those doubters that Memphis belonged with the best of the best. Earlier in the game, Memphis firefighters at the Midtown station on Union near McLean sat in the "stadium seating" of their break room to see the Tigers play on a big screen TV. But the team wasn't giving them much to cheer about. "They can't hit anything," said battalion chief Kirk Lock. Lock shook his head each time a Tiger shot rolled off the goal. "We're still in it," Lock said at halftime. "We've just got to start hitting some shots." But the yells of Memphis fans didn't seem to reach California. "Come on, Memphis," said 40-year-old Terry Martin, beating on the top of a trash container at Buffalo Wild Wings. "I've been so pumped," said Martin, wearing the same Tiger basketball T-shirt he's worn on every game day this season. "I've been singing U of M songs all day." When the game ended, Martin was -- just as many other fans -- in shock. "I'm sick. I'm sick," he said. "I don't even want to think about next year. "Memphis just didn't step up. This just ain't a good day. It'll ruin your whole weekend," he moaned. "I'm glad they got to where they were, but you want more." -- Sherri Drake: 529-2510 |
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| 03/26/06 | |
Tigers replay: UCLA (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Gary Parrish and Jim Masilak Contact March 26, 2006 AS THE GAME TURNED Down by five with the ball, the Tigers needed a basket. There were less than two minutes remaining, and this game that seemed decided almost from the start all of a sudden seemed within reach for Memphis. The following is the subsequent five UofM possessions: A Joey Dorsey travel. A Rodney Carney missed 3-pointer. An Antonio Anderson stolen pass. A Shawne Williams missed 3-pointer. A Dorsey illegal screen. Without a bucket, the Tigers had no chance. It was the whole game summarized in a snapshot, and that's why Memphis went on to lose, 50-45. AS THE ROTATION TURNED The Tigers' rotation didn't so much turn as it did spin. Thanks to foul trouble throughout the lineup, UofM coach John Calipari was forced to substitute players even more liberally and frantically than normal. Dorsey picked up two fouls in the opening 3:26 and was forced to the bench for the remainder of the first half. With Dorsey forced to the bench, Kareem Cooper and Waki Williams combined to play 14 first-half minutes as a frustrated Calipari searched desperately for someone to slow down 7-0 UCLA forward Ryan Hollins and reserve forward Lorenzo Mata in the paint. Dorsey wasn't the only Tiger to run afoul of the refs in the opening 20 minutes. Shawne Williams, Carney and Andre Allen each picked up a pair of fouls, and forward Robert Dozier, who spelled Shawne Williams, was tagged for three personals in his nine first-half minutes of action. At least Dozier made the most of his time. The freshman was by some distance the Tigers' most effective player in the opening half, scoring six points to go along with six rebounds, Anderson once again got the starting nod at two guard, with fellow rookie Chris Douglas-Roberts coming off the bench. Allen and point guard Darius Washington once again spent time together in the backcourt but the pair combined for just one assist in a combined 46 minutes on the floor. RIM GEMS There weren't many to choose from, given the Tigers' inability to find the bottom of the net, but one in play in particular stood head and shoulders above the largely dire fare. With 4:46 remaining and the Tigers trailing by six points, Shawne Williams lost control of the ball momentarily on the right wing and was immediately double-teamed by a pair of snarling Bruins. Somehow, Williams saw an open Dorsey flash through the paint. He zipped a pass over the double team and Dorsey turned and slammed it home with both hands to pull the Tigers within 40-36. But they would get no closer the rest of the way. HIDE YOUR EYES Ideally, the Tigers would've jumped to a big lead to ensure the pro-UCLA crowd didn't get too involved. Problem is, it's difficult to make a run when you can't make a bucket. Memphis missed 26-of-36 field goal attempts in the first half -- including seven of the initial eight -- and started 0-of-10 from 3-point range. The result was a mere 21 points in the first 20 minutes, or 30 less than the Tigers put on UCLA in the first half during that game between the two schools back on Nov. 23 at New York's Madison Square Garden. Technically, the Tigers improved in the second half, but that's misleading. Instead of making 27.8 percent of their shots, they made 38.9 percent of their shots to finish with 45 points and a field goal percentage offense of .315. SCORER'S TABLE Whether the game was officiated poorly is up to the fans to debate and decide. But the fact is that Memphis shot two free throws in the first half compared to UCLA's 17. Washington shot both first-half free throws for the Tigers. Meanwhile, the Bruins' Hollins got seven attempts in the first half. When the final horn sounded, Memphis had been called for 29 fouls compared to UCLA's 15. Memphis was 9-of-15 from the free throw line. UCLA was 20-of-39. "I don't think that mattered," Calipari said. GO FIGURE 1: Number of assists Darius Washington and Andre Allen combined to get against UCLA. Allen had one assist and no turnovers. Washington had no assists and five turnovers, which means he finished this sophomore campaign with 110 assists and 111 turnovers. 2: Number of times before this season that Oakland had hosted a regional. Both times -- UNLV in 1990 and UCLA in 1995 -- it produced the eventual national champion, which could be a good sign for the Bruins going forward. COACH TALK "That's a quiet somber locker room in there. I think they had their visions on winning this whole thing. . . . But we played bad and I coached bad. It was everybody. We're all thrown in on this one." John Calipari on his team's final performance of the season. LOCKER ROOM CHATTER It wasn't as much what the Tigers said as what they didn't say. Carney, a towel over his bowed head, stayed silent in the Tigers' locker room following the final game of his sterling college career. That pretty much summed it up. |
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| 03/26/06 | |
Blogger of the day: Ken Brasel, Kentucky (Commercial Appeal) |
| Memphis fans everywhere are hurt, crushed, and feeling a little down. However those of us who have volunteered to participate in writing blogs must now put these feelings in print. There are only 12 seconds left on the television as I write this blog and I hear UCLA fans shouting "Final Four." Less than a second and Carney scores his first 3-pointer. The partial second mercifully ticks off and CBS switches to a commercial. (Gonzaga's Adam) Morrison had his chance to shed tears on national television the other night, but I guess we will get spared from this annual event this time around. It's been a great ride, but having to write about this last game with a deadline prevents me from putting things into perspective. Maybe by tomorrow, maybe not. Our program hasn't been this high in a long time and I have to admit after all of the valleys, the view looks great from up here even after a loss. I just wish I didn't have to write about the last game right now. To help lessen the pain of losing but in honor of (senior Rodney) Carney, I won't mention next season just yet, or place hopes on the next year's talent. Writing about an event when your emotions are all over the place is rough. |
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| 03/26/06 | |
Tigers can't get past Tulane righthander -- Green Wave starter establishes command early, silences U of M one day after offensive outburst (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Phil Stukenborg Contact March 26, 2006 Tulane righthander Brandon Gomes figured it was his responsibility to stop the University of Memphis' momentum. One night after the U of M used three home runs from first baseman Adam Amar and a complete-game pitching performance from Scott McGregor to win the opener of a three-game Conference USA series at Nat Buring Stadium, Gomes stepped up. Advertisement Pitching the first complete game of his career, Gomes scattered nine hits to lead the Green Wave (16-9, 1-1) to a 7-1 victory Saturday before 557. Gomes, two years removed from Tommy John surgery, struck out two and walked one. ''We needed a win to get us going,'' Gomes said. ''I had all three pitches going early. They are a good hitting team, they put the ball in play, but my defense picked me up.'' Gomes (3-3) mixed his fastball, curveball and split-finger effectively to limit the Tigers, who had scored 11 runs on 13 hits Friday night. ''Memphis swings the bat really well and I thought Brandon had them offstride,'' Tulane coach Rick Jones said. ''We played well defensively behind him, but he did a good job getting some outs early in the count. And he pitched ahead.'' Tiger coach Darron Schoenrock said what impressed him about Gomes was his control from the outset. ''He established the fastball on both sides of the plate,'' Schoenrock said. ''And when you establish that, it puts your hitters in a bind.'' Tulane was led by leftfielder Matt Riser, who went 2-for-3 with three runs scored. Aja Barto went 2-for-5 with a two-run homer. Seven of Tulane's 10 hits came with two out. The Tigers (12-9, 1-1) got two doubles from Will Petersen, but couldn't take advantage. Memphis got its only run on a seventh-inning sacrifice fly from Michael Murray. Tiger starter Neil Schenk (1-2) left the game after the third inning after being struck on the left shin by a Mark Hamilton. Second baseman Bill Moss exited in the bottom of the first after being plunked on the left elbow by Gomes. Schoenrock said the Tigers might have had better luck Saturday had they converted a sacrifice bunt in the fourth, trailing 2-0. After Kyle Norrid and Amar singled to open the inning, Robbie Goss popped out to Gomes on the attempted sacrifice. A fielder's choice groundout and a fly out to right ended the threat. ''If we could have gotten that bunt down in the fourth, who knows,'' Schoenrock said. ''Maybe we tie it and get into their pen. But I don't know. They got all the two-out hits and scored five runs with two out. Good teams do that.'' Tulane and Memphis close the weekend series with a 1 p.m. game today. -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543 |
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| 03/25/06 | |
GURGLE, GURGLE... ...If someone chokes completely, do they make a sound? (Memphis Flyer) |
| BY JOHN O'LEARY The U of M Tigers sure picked a hell of a time to have their "stinker," as they lost in humiliating fashion last night to UCLA in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA basketball tournament, 50-45. ESPN called it "winning ugly" for UCLA, so I suspect that losing ugly is, well, not much of a thing of beauty, either... The Tigers scored nary a three in the first half, going 0 for 10. Yikes! And yet here they were, in this one, in with a chance 'til nearly the end. A noble struggle, this, sorta like a blind date that you know is going all wrong from the moment you sit down, and yet politeness and protocol demand you get through the evening. We were just all thumbs, from start to finish... Although there really was absolutely, positively nothing Coach Cal could do about all this. He coached an amazing game, protecting the foul-challenged guys perfectly. So they could come back and take charge. Which they didn't. The kids simply choked. Bigtime. Joey Dorsey played like last year. Rodney Carney played like he'd never played basketball before. Shawne Williams took a long nap. And when UCLA tried its best to hand the game back to Memphis on a platter, we said, "No, thank you." Instead, the Tigers collectively threw up. Darius Washington tried to ignite, but we saw tonight, methinks, how a guy who is so much of me-fer can't be a leader. Andre Allen was in over his head. Dozier and Cooper played like the freshmen they are. And the whole thing blew up in their and our face. This was not like other bad losses where the spirit was willing, but the flesh was weak. We just choked. Probably because, in Oakland, it was virtually a UCLA home game.... And if this wasn't faux-college basketball, there would be lessons to be learned, foundations to be built upon. In the old days, coaches/communities would build on failure, and move on . That's the way it used to be, but now? Washington and Williams will be outta here, soon, the Tigers will be preseason top 10, yes, but there is no continuity, never a sense that all this hoopla, in today's world, amounts to a hill of beans. It's like transitory trailer-trash sex. There is never a tomorrow in college basketball, any more. Think John Wooden's record (and influence) can ever be matched? Think again.... Indeed, collegiate basketball today is a metaphor for Operation Iraqi Freedom. What you see is what you (do not) get. Oh, yes, everybody gets excited and screams and shouts about the phenomenal phinishes. But it's bread and circuses, my friends. Bread and circuses, no more, no less. Whoever wins today is utterly meaningless. There is no continuity to this thing that masquerades as "tradition." No there there. Case in point: my grandson. I stayed home tonight, babysitting with him (age 9), as we watched the U of M/UCLA game. Know what? He's a super-devout Grizzly fan. Know why? Continuity. Half of his life Pau Gasol and Shane Battier have been Grizzlies; he worships the ground they walk on. Half of his admittedly short life, NOBODY has been consistently a U of M'er, with the exception of Rodney Carney, who, btw, is the only Tiger whose name he knows. Almost to prove a point, JD fell asleep during the early part of the second half. At one of the "great moments" of Tiger basketball history, this exemplar of the pre-teen future of this "franchise" nodded off. This is not, I suspect, a very good sign... Tomorrow afternoon, the Grizzlies play Charlotte, in what will probably be a Griz clobber-fest at the FedEx Forum. My grandson (and all his grade-school basketball team buddies) will be on the edge of their seats watching on tv -- actually, he and two of his buddies will be there with me -- cheering on the players they know and love, as if the Tigers never existed. Which as far as the next, next generation is concerned, they don't. Respectfully: The U of M can't capture the imagination because (a) the college game is so clearly weaker than it was before the NBA started plundering the LeBron Jameses and Amare Stoudamires of the world, and (b) the good players simply don't stick around at that Division One level long enough for the nine-ten-year-olds to even notice, and (c) those same nine-ten year olds actually know the difference between the standards of college and pro ball. And they vote with their (limited) attention spans, and whatever influence they have over their parents... I took my grandson (9 years old, remember) to the Griz/76ers game a few weeks ago -- remember? -- when Allen Iverson twisted his ankle just before halftime, and was out for a few weeks. My grandson was pissed that A-I got hurt; he knows every single stat about him, admires Iverson as the best of the best, and was especially upset that the Grizzlies choked and lost that game, even though Iverson was hurt. My point? This very same grandson doesn't know Joey Dorsey from Tommy Dorsey. Darius Washington he knows a little, but Shawne Williams is a mere phantom. As of course, he is for the U of M program. When Williams is an NBA draft pick next June, and gone from Memphis as quickly as if he'd never been here, he will be recorded as a transient phenomenon. Hell, Bo Outlaw will have made as big an impact upon my grandson JD as Shawne Williams ever did.... All this is by way of saying that college basketball, with all its splendors, its emotional grips, its March TV dominance, is a sport heading towards the dustbin of history. Trust me: nine-year-olds in Memphis aren't crying in their beers tonight over the Tiger loss. They're getting pumped up for tomorrow's Grizzly game. Enough philosophy. The world is changing, in so many ways, and we should all be paying the utmost attention. Even in the world of sports, where artificial hype can carry things a long way. When a 9-yr-old basketball-mad kid in Memphis sleeps through an Elite Eight matchup involving a team he's supposed to "love," things are not what they appear. Caveat emptor, college basketball fans... |
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| 03/25/06 | |
Tiger Spring Football Update #7 (GoTigersGo.com) |
| The Tigers took Thursday and Friday off and then returned to the Liberty Bowl on Saturday for a practice that was similar to Wednesday's workout with some position work prior to a scrimmage that lasted 73 plays. The defense looked poised in the first series and held the Martin Hankins-led offense to nine yards. In the second series, Billy Barefield fumbled the snap from Michael Denning on the first play and the ball was recovered by Greg Terrell. Barefield then completed a 12-yard pass to T.J. Pitts. Pitts rolled off runs of four yards and two yards before Barefield rushed for no yardage after a muffed snap. Barefield threw an incomplete pass to Carlos Singleton, but Singleton was pressured by LaKeitharun Ford. Barefield then recorded a loss of yards on a bad snap by Philip Beliles before West called for the end of that series. The fourth series of the day saw the first touchdown of the scrimmage. Three straight rushes by Miguel Barnes yielded 11 yards, and Alton Starr set up the 54-yard touchdown after gaining five yards. Barefield reached Maurice Jones who was receiving pressure from Ford, but ultimately came up with the 54-yard touchdown reception. Jones also had catches of eight, nine and 22 yards to lead the Tiger receivers with 97 yards on four catches. Barefield finished the day having completed two of his three passes for 66 yards and the TD to Jones. The Tigers scored on the next series with Hankins under center. Hankins hit Antonio McCoy with a 21-yard strike and McCoy made an impressive grab. Jamarcus Gaither rushed five yards and Hankins hit Ryan Scott with a six-yard pass. Gaither then ran for an additional four yards before Hankins hit Jones for nine yards. Gaither fought for four more yards before Alton Starr was dropped for a three-yard loss by Arron Bentley and Brandon Patterson. Hankins then scored with the 24-yard TD pass to Singleton, who at 6-8, was pressured by Deante' Lamar, who stands at 5-11. Trey Adams was called out for the PAT and the kick was good. On the next series, Will Hudgens made his first appearance in a scrimmage. Coach West commented that Hudgens "looked a little rusty" in his first scrimmage work. His first pass attempt to Brian Hall was incomplete and he then fumbled the ball for a loss of six yards. He recovered with a two-yard pass to Stacy Jones, but then was sacked by Brandon Douglas for a loss of five yards. He completed a six-yard pass to Singleton before the drive ended with a 43-yard field goal attempt by Adams. Adams missed the first attempt, but hit his next two tries. Kittrell Smith was also given an opportunity for three attempts from 43 yards and missed his first, but rebounded with two makes. Joey Mack, a transfer from Southern Utah, made both of his attempts from 43 yards. Joe Doss had the chance to show his strength in the next drive. He carried the ball twice before Hankins hit Maurice Jones with a 22-yard completion that set up Doss' touchdown. Doss fought hard and pushed the pile into the end zone for a seven-yard TD. The Tigers had one more series before the ball was placed on the seven-yard line for the next five drives, all of which ended in scores. The first drive was all running as Chris Barnett rushed for two yards and then Gaither had runs of two and four yards before netting the one-yard TD run. Hudgens hit Russell on a seven-yard completion for a quick score in the next series. On the next play, Starr rushed for five yards and Barnes rushed for the two-yard TD. The offense recovered well on the next drive as Barnes was dropped for a four-yard loss by Chris Huffman. He then rolled off four yards before Hankins tossed the seven-yard pass to Singleton. In the final drive of the day, Barnes opened with a three-yard run and then Michael Grandberry tallied the four-yard TD run. Hankins ended the day having completed 11-of-16 passes for 114 yards and two TDs. Hudgens was 3-of-6 for 15 yards and a TD. The receiving totals on the day were: Russell 3-14-1 TD, Grandberry 1-3, Pitts 1-12, Scott 2-13, Jones 4-93-1 TD, McCoy 1-21, Singleton 3-37-2 TD and S. Jones 1-2. The Tigers rushed 42 times and gained 117 yards. Doss had the longest run of the day with his 11-yard TD. He ended the day with 8 carries for 27 yards and two scores. Pitts had five carries for 11 yards, Gaither had six rushes for 20 yards and Barnes had seven carries for 15 yards and a TD. "Our running game looked good today, but we have to get some of the tougher yards," said West. "We are going to have to get more physical with the running back position." "I thought we did well today," West added. "We looked a little better offensively and a little better defensively. One thing I spoke to the team about is that right now, we are a team that makes the easy play but nobody is making the hard play. When a guy is draped all over your back, make the catch. When there is a guy at the hole, run through a pad and gain 10 more. Get off a block and get some pressure on the quarterback. We have to work on doing all of the little things right and making some hard plays." The Tigers will return to the field on Tuesday afternoon. |
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| 03/25/06 | |
Tigers Win Tim McCage Cup with Two Shutouts -- Harkins named Tournament MVP (GoTigersGo.com) |
| For Immediate Release Contact: Brandon Kolditz wkolditz@memphis.edu, (901) 678-2444 MEMPHIS - The University of Memphis men's soccer team held Christian Brothers University and Lambuth University scoreless in two spring victories on Saturday to capture the first ever Tim McCage Cup. The Tigers defeated CBU in the opening-tournament game at Echles Field on Saturday 1-0 in double overtime. In the evening championship game at Mike Rose Stadium, Memphis shutout Lambuth 3-0. Memphis freshman Tripp Harkins, who scored against Lambuth, was named Tournament MVP and played several positions for the Tigers. "Statistically what stands out the most from our play today is that we did not concede in the two games," said Memphis head coach Richie Grant. "Our defense was solid today and looked very promising." In a scrappy back-and-forth battle, Memphis and CBU ended regulation scoreless. The Tigers beat the Bucaneers with a goal by CBU transfer Kevin Walsh in double overtime. Walsh nailed a free kick for the game-winner from about 18-yards out. The Tigers faced Lambuth in the championship game after the Eagles beat Rhodes College 4-1. Memphis freshman Grant Wise scored the game-winner with a goal in the first half to put the Tigers up 1-0. In the second half, Memphis scored two more goals from freshmen Harkins and Patrick Elkins. "Having three freshman score was very encouraging," Grant said. "I'm pleased with the performance from our younger players and the progress they have made." The U of M defense was led by solid performances from junior transfer Jamie Gilbert and sophomore Michael Coburn. Sophomore Adam Montgomery also played well after moving from midfield to the defense. Sophomore Tyler Strom started both games at goal for the Tigers. Before being changed to the Tim McCage Cup this year, Memphis area colleges competed annually in the Memphis Cup. The tournament was changed this year in honor of former U of M player Tim McCage who was tragically killed after his freshman season in 1991. The U of M is now 3-1 in spring competition and has won the Memphis spring tournament for the second-straight year. The Tigers will host its annual silent auction on Wednesday and will then host Colaiste Ide on Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex. |
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| 03/25/06 | |
Memphis Falls Short Against UCLA -- Darius Washington Jr. scores 13 points to lead the Tigers (GoTigersGo.com) |
| OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - The most storied program in college basketball is back in the Final Four. Arron Afflalo, coach Ben Howland and the rest of the Bruins have returned UCLA to the lofty level of its glory years. Afflalo scored 15 points and shut down Memphis leading scorer Rodney Carney, helping No. 2 seed UCLA defeat the top-seeded Tigers 50-45 Saturday and earn a trip to Indianapolis for its first Final Four appearance since the school's 1995 NCAA championship. Ryan Hollins added 14 points, nine rebounds and drew two charges on defense as the cold-shooting Bruins won their 11th straight game to capture the Oakland Regional in the lowest-scoring regional final since the shot-clock era began in 1986. UCLA (31-6) will play in next Saturday's semifinals against LSU, a 70-60 overtime winner over Texas in the Atlanta Regional final earlier in the day. Darius Washington Jr. scored 13 points to lead the Tigers (33-4), who saw their seven-game winning streak end along with the career of Carney, a possible NBA lottery pick who hoped to play his final game in his hometown of Indianapolis for the Final Four. As both teams expected, this wasn't nearly the high-scoring game they played last time, when Memphis won 88-80 behind 26 points from Shawne Williams in the semifinals of the Preseason NIT in November at New York's Madison Square Garden. The 88 points are the most UCLA's defense has allowed this season and Williams' 26 the highest individual performance against the Bruins. Defense has become the Bruins' trademark, a stark contrast from the last time UCLA won the title. The '95 Bruins beat Connecticut 102-96 in the regional final in an up-and-down game. These Bruins aren't even close to the offensive juggernaut of the title team with Ed O'Bannon and Tyus Edney. Memphis' only field goal in the first 8:24 of the second half Saturday didn't even go in the basket. Washington got credit for the points on a goaltending call. UCLA got this far by surviving close games, and this time by surviving serious free-throw woes. The Bruins, 20-of-39 at the line, pulled off an improbable 73-71 comeback win over Gonzaga in the third round after beating Alabama 62-59 in their second NCAA game. UCLA rallied from nine points down in the final 3:27 to beat the Zags. The hyper Howland, who has turned around the program in three years, slid along his bench all game, squatting low to applaud a great play, jumping up to celebrate his team taking a charge on defense - even raising his arms in the air late as a call for the fans to get more involved in the program's first final eight appearance since 1997. Close to three-quarters of the fans in the sold-out crowd sported Bruins' baby blue and yellow, including former UCLA great Bill Walton. Memphis shot 2-for-17 on 3-pointers. Carney was held to five points on 2-for-12 shooting in his final college game. Afflalo swarmed Carney at every chance, only two days after defending national scoring leader Adam Morrison. |
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| 03/25/06 | |
Memphis, UCLA Take Different Roads To Reach Regional Final -- Tigers are one of three No. 1 seeds still standing (GoTigersGo.com) |
| OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Memphis won each of its first three NCAA tournament games by 16 points, while UCLA had a much tougher time reaching the regional final. The top-seeded Tigers played the early semifinal game and got to bed early. The Bruins rallied late for a thrilling 73-71 victory over Gonzaga and struggled to sleep at all until exhaustion finally did the trick. Everything points to Memphis having the upper hand when these teams meet for the second time this season with a trip to the Final Four on the line. Not so fast. Both sides know better. "You know they're going to come out and play us well," Memphis guard Darius Washington Jr. said. "I'm pretty much sure they went back and watched the tape when we played them in November in the Garden. They're going to come out with a different mind frame on trying to play us. Destiny, they won a couple of games, we won a couple of games. I mean, that's behind them, that's behind us." That first matchup was so long ago there's not much either side can glean from that November game as they prepare for Saturday night's Oakland Regional final. The Tigers (33-3) won 88-80 behind 26 points from Shawne Williams in the semifinals of the Preseason NIT before a big crowd at New York's Madison Square Garden. The 88 points are the most UCLA's stifling defense has allowed this season and Williams' 26 the highest individual performance against the Bruins. Now, Memphis is one of three No. 1 seeds still standing - Duke is done after losing to LSU on Thursday night - and UCLA (30-6) is seeded second after pulling off the improbable third-round win that landed the Bruins in the final eight for the first time in nine years. That two-point victory over the Zags came on the heels of a wild 62-59 defeat of Alabama. "We'll be fine. It was last night," said UCLA point guard Jordan Farmar, who made the key pass to freshman Luc Richard Mbah a Moute for the go-ahead basket against Gonzaga with about 10 seconds left. "That's over. Got a good night's rest. ... It wasn't that draining. It was just draining for the time being. It was an exhilarating experience. It just took a lot out of you." The Bruins were still coming down from the high of what they accomplished Thursday, erasing a nine-point deficit with just more than 3 minutes left after trailing by 17 in the first half - already considered one of the best comebacks in tournament history. Most of them stayed up late reliving the game's crazy ending with each other, family and friends. Some 12 hours later, it was back to reality. UCLA has won 10 straight and is trying to reach the Final Four for the first time since their 1995 national championship. Memphis, featuring four freshmen and three sophomores playing regularly, is riding a seven-game winning streak and has 22 victories in its last 23 games. Nobody expects Saturday's game to be anything like the first meeting. "I watched the tape last night," said Memphis coach John Calipari, whose team will try to reach its first Final Four since 1985. "They're way better and we're way better. We shot 3s like fumbled balls. I really chuckled. I laughed at the tape. I'm sure Ben (Howland) did the same thing. ... I'll be honest, I did not draw a whole lot from it. But I watched it to say I watched it." Howland hopes his players can ride their latest emotional win, gaining momentum much the way the '95 title team did from Tyus Edney's game-winning, full-court drive and layin against Missouri in the second round that lifted the Bruins to a 75-74 victory. "That's my expectation, that we're going to feed off this win and it's going to make us better going into tomorrow," Howland said. "We're going to need to be better, a lot better, to have a chance to beat Memphis." The Tigers love to run and spread the floor for leading scorer Rodney Carney. The 6-foot-7 forward and likely NBA lottery pick scored 23 against Bradley in the third round, getting several powerful dunks in transition. UCLA, in its first regional final since losing to Minnesota in 1997, is speedy and aggressive like Memphis - but the Bruins are quick to acknowledge they haven't played anyone quite this athletic. "Both of us, you know, we came from a long way throughout the season," said Carney, who wants the chance to end his stellar collegiate career in his hometown of Indianapolis for the Final Four. "Now we're both great teams." |
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| 03/25/06 | |
Women's Tennis Swept at Coastal Carolina -- Memphis falls to 3-7 on the season (GoTigersGo.com) |
| Coastal Carolina Women's Tennis Memphis vs Coastal Carolina (Mar 25, 2006) Coastal Carolina 7, Memphis 0 Mar 25, 2006 at Conway, S.C. Singles competition 1. RUDMAN,Hayley (COASTAL) def. Andrea Feichtinger (MEMPHIS) 6-1, 6-2 2. JANTTI,Petra (COASTAL) def. Kristin Noble (MEMPHIS) 6-4, 6-2 3. AHLBERG,Sofie (COASTAL) def. Ekin Zafir (MEMPHIS) 6-0, 6-1 4. PAZAHANICK,Amy (COASTAL) def. Christina Wieser (MEMPHIS) 6-0, 6-2 5. COETZEE,Sarize (COASTAL) def. Alex Tjioe (MEMPHIS) 6-2, 6-3 6. LEMMERER,Nicole (COASTAL) def. Flavia Russo (MEMPHIS) 6-2, 2-6, 10-2 Doubles competition 1. DINH,Virginie/RUDMAN,Hayley (COASTAL) def. Andrea Feichtinger/Alex Tjioe (MEMPHIS) 9-8 (8-5) 2. JANTTI,Petra/PAZAHANICK,Amy (COASTAL) def. Christina Wieser/Kristin Noble (MEMPHIS) 8-4 3. AHLBERG,Sofie/COETZEE,Sarize (COASTAL) def. Ekin Zafir/Flavia Russo(MEMPHIS) 8-5 Match Notes Memphis 3-7 Coastal Carolina 15-1 |
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| 03/25/06 | |
Softball Manages Just One Run in Pair of Losses to Tulsa -- Fielding, pitching mistakes haunt Lady Tigers (GoTigersGo.com) |
| Memphis 100 000 0 - 1 7 3 Tulsa 000 301 x - 4 9 1 Memphis 000 000 0 - 0 1 1 Tulsa 002 010 x - 3 6 0 TULSA, Okla. - The Memphis softball team managed just one run in a double-header Saturday afternoon in Tulsa and the defense and pitchers made several costly mistakes, as the Lady Tigers dropped 4-1 and 3-0 decisions to the Golden Hurricane. Memphis got off to a quick start in game one, but saw Tulsa take advantage of three errors in the fourth inning to take command of the game. In game two, the blunders were on the pitching side, as Jenna Kubesch made two big mistakes that Tulsa leftfielder Brooke Smart turned into a pair of homeruns. "These were two tough losses to a good team," said Coach Windy Thees. "Hopefully tomorrow we can come out and put some runs on the board and get a win." Memphis took an early lead in the first game of the day, picking up a run in the top of the first on three hits and a Golden Hurricane error. Kimmi Hayden registered an RBI single to leftfield, scoring Leila Dolfo, who doubled. The Tigers had a chance to do more damage, but missed a big opportunity, leaving the bases loaded. The U of M had another chance to add to its lead in the third, putting runners on first and second with one out, but Hayden flew out to the wall in leftfield and Melissa Nance struck out to leave Dolfo and Bridgette McNulty stranded. Tulsa then took the lead with three runs in the bottom of the fourth, using four hits and the three Lady Tiger miscues to take a 3-1 advantage. The Golden Hurricane added its last run in the bottom sixth to set the final margin of 4-1. Memphis put two runners on in the fifth and one on in the seventh, but Tulsa starter Maren Genow prevented further damage to pick up her 11th win of the season. Nicki Johnson took the loss for the Lady Tigers, working a complete game and allowing nine hits and two earned runs to drop to 7-6 on the season. Dolfo and McNulty each went 2-for-3 at the plate, with Dolfo picking up single and a double and McNulty adding a pair of one-baggers. Game two was simply a story of the two big knocks by Smart. The freshman gave Tulsa a 2-0 lead in the third with a two-run shot and later added a solo blast in the fifth to give the Golden Hurricane a 3-0 lead. The homers were Smart's fifth and sixth on the season. Memphis had few true threats in the game, logging just one hit and five total base-runners. The only real chances to score came in the second inning when McNulty picked up the lone hit with a lead-off single and in the fifth inning when Cara Stiles and Dolfo reached with back-to-back, two out walks. However, Tulsa's game-two starter, Julie Fennell, kept the Lady Tigers off the board and registered her seventh win of the spring. Kubesch took the loss in game two, giving up six hits and two earned runs in six innings to drop to 7-4 on the year. With the pair of losses, Memphis falls to 17-13 on the season and 3-4 in Conference USA, while Tulsa moves to 20-10 overall and 7-1 in the conference. The Lady Tigers and Golden Hurricane will round out the three-game series Sunday afternoon at 12 p.m. |
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| 03/25/06 | |
No. 14 Tulane Hands Memphis 7-1 Defeat -- Tigers and Green Wave set for rubber-match on Sunday at 1 p.m. (GoTigersGo.com) |
| MEMPHIS, Tenn.-- - Tulane (16-9; 1-1 C-USA) 002 012 200 - 7 10 0 Memphis (12-9; 1-1 C-USA) 000 000 100 - 1 9 0 Tulane scored five of its seven runs with two outs and got a one-run complete-game performance from starter Brandon Gomes to even the opening Conference USA series with a 7-1 win over the University of Memphis, Saturday afternoon. Gomes scattered nine hits and held Memphis off the board until the seventh inning, when Michael Murray's sacrifice fly brought Josh Irvin home. The Green Wave broke a scoreless tie in the third inning with its first two-out rally. Matt Riser, Brad Emaus and Nathan Southard each drew walks to lead off the frame. The Tigers traded a double play groundball for a run, before Tulane first baseman lined an RBI-single off the left shin of Memphis starter Neil Schenk. The Wave put up a run in the fifth, and made it 5-0 with a two-run sixth on back-to-back two-out run-scoring singles by Riser and Emaus. A two-out, two-run blast to leftfield by Aja Barto capped the scoring for Tulane in the seventh, 7-0. The Tigers did not help themselves out in the contest, going hitless in seven at-bats with runners in scoring position, and collecting just two hits with runners on base. Adam Amar, who hit three home runs in Friday night's series opener, and Will Petersen had two hits each for Memphis. Schenk (1-2) was the loser after giving up two earned runs in three innings of work. Reliever Marcus Davis came on in the fourth and allowed five runs on seven hits in six innings on the hill. The two Tiger hurlers walked a combined seven Green Wave hitters. Tiger second baseman Bill Moss was forced out of the ball game in the first inning when he was hit in the left elbow by a Gomes fastball. The two teams will battle for the series win tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m. at "The Nat. |
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| 03/25/06 | |
Addition by subtraction (from the Grizzlies) (Commercial Appeal) |
| The best thing for Tiger fans would be if the Grizzlies lost a coach.
Confused?
Allow me to explain.
As I type, Arizona State is reportedly on the verge of hiring Pittsburgh’s Jamie Dixon to be its next head coach. If that happens John Calipari will likely surface as the leading candidate to replace Dixon at Pittsburgh. And considering it's common knowledge Calipari was interested in the Pitt job three years ago, it’s reasonable to think he would also be now, so long as the administration is interested in him this time around.
Pittsburgh is home. Pittsburgh is in the Big East.
If given an opportunity, there’s a decent chance Calipari would accept this job.
So what can Tiger fans do?
They can root for Grizzlies assistant Lionel Hollins to fill the Arizona State opening. He’s an ASU graduate and a serious candidate, according to multiple newspapers in Arizona. So if Hollins went to ASU then Dixon would probably stay at Pittsburgh, which would mean Pittsburgh wouldn’t need a coach, which would mean Memphis may not have to worry about pursuing someone like UAB’s Mike Anderson to replace Calipari.
“I know the city, and I know the program and how it got where it is,” Hollins told the East Valley Tribune. “I have an idea of how to get it back.”
Tiger fans should hope so, and hope ASU believes Hollins. Because the sooner he can get the ASU job the sooner Dixon can sign another extension with Pittsburgh. Then – and only then – will Memphis supporters sleep easy knowing Calipari isn’t leaving . . . that is until the Indiana search heats up again. by Gary Parrish |
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| 03/25/06 | |
Out of the way, UCLA (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Gary Parrish Contact March 25, 2006 OAKLAND, Calif. -- It came from the garbage. Shawne Williams will tell you this with great pride when he talks about the first time he wore a University of Memphis jersey. He didn't have money to buy his own. The NCAA frowns upon amateurs accepting gifts. So as a teenager, Williams' only way of getting a UofM jersey was to scrounge around and make the best of what he could find. But he knew where to look. "They would always throw out the old practice jerseys, and so I saw one in the dumpster and took it," Williams said. "It was in the garbage, but it wasn't garbage." The number: Double zero. The color: Reversible blue and white. Shawne Williams remembers that jersey still, and he wore it all the time. But now he's a little older, has his own jersey with his own name on the back. And when the South Memphis product puts it on today and takes the court at 6:05 CST he'll be only a victory over UCLA away from leading the Tigers -- his beloved Tigers -- to the Final Four for just the third time in their history. Take a moment to let that set in. Williams needs a moment, too. "Sometimes I can't believe it, that I'm playing for Memphis," he said. "But I know we're going to be a team people in Memphis talk about for 20 or 30 years if we can do this." So can they do this? They already did it, actually, last Nov. 23, to be exact. That's when the Oakland Regional's top-seeded Tigers (33-3) and second-seeded Bruins (30-6) met in the semifinals of the NIT Season Tip-off, and Memphis cruised to an 88-80 win that was a blowout in every way other than the final margin of victory. The Tigers led 51-34 at halftime, and Williams had 20 of those points. He finished with 26 points and seven rebounds, and the only thing that made the second half even remotely interesting was Jordan Farmar shooting UCLA back to single-digits by scoring most of his game-high 28 points. "(The final score was) not indicative of the game," said UCLA coach Ben Howland. "They crushed us. They had us down (17) at the half. I was watching (film of) that game this morning, and (the score) was not indicative of what the game was like. They handled us easily the first time we played. "We've got to do a better job of getting back in transition," Howland added, "because if they score 88 points they're going to win." Though the Tigers are capable of going for 88 -- they've hit that total 11 times this season -- it's doubtful they'll get there tonight if UCLA's recent history is any indication. Consider that no team other than Memphis has put 80 points on UCLA, and the Bruins have held opponents to an average of 55.5 points during their current 10-game winning streak. Gonzaga's 71 points in Thursday's loss to UCLA were more than anybody has scored against the Bruins in two months. Still, it's worth noting the Zags only got 29 points in the final 20 minutes while being held to a shooting percentage of .360. "I don't think we're getting 88 on them," said Memphis coach John Calipari. "I just hope we make more shots than they do because they're really good, they're really physical, they really help and they really stay in front of people driving. "Could be a 60-point game," Calipari added. "Could be 62-60." Which would be fine by Memphis, as long as it finishes with the 62. The Tigers have won games in the 50s, 60s, 70s 80s, 90s and 100s this season. So though they'd rather run and score in bunches, it's not a prerequisite to winning, evidence being a 57-46 victory over UAB in the Conference USA Tournament title game. On that day, the Tigers celebrated despite a sloppy offensive effort. On this day, they'll take a similar performance so long as it produces the same result. "We'll win 52-50 if we have to," said UofM freshman Antonio Anderson. "It doesn't matter to us as long as we win. We don't care how. We just want to win this game." -- Gary Parrish: 529-2365 -------------------- Friday's regional semifinals MINNEAPOLIS REGIONAL Villanova 60, Boston Coll. 59 (OT) Florida 57, Georgetown 53 WASHINGTON REGIONAL George Mason 63, Wichita St. 55 UConn 98, Washington 92 (OT) Greet the Tigers The team is scheduled to arrive home from Oakland at Wilson Air Center (2930 Winchester Rd.) between 2 and 2:30 a.m. Sunday morning. |
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| 03/25/06 | |
Calkins: City of Memphis enjoys a gala event of its own -- For a while tonight, Tiger fans will stop, watch, listen, enjoy (Commercial Appeal) |
| OAKLAND, Calif. -- At 6 this evening, men in tuxedos and women in gowns will gather in The Peabody ballroom for the 31st annual Marguerite Piazza St. Jude Gala.
It's an exquisite charity event. Dinner is $200 a plate. Piazza, our very own opera diva, will perform with the St. Jude Gala Children's chorus.
Eventually, anyway.
"We're showing the Tigers game on two giant screens," said Wes Kraker, co-chair of the event. "It's going to be the world's biggest sports bar."
Unless you count the entire Memphis region, of course. From Arlington to Bartlett to Collierville and so forth down the alphabet.
"There won't be any crime," said Memphis coach John Calipari. "There won't be any accidents, because nobody will be on the streets."
They'll be watching Memphis vs. UCLA.
They'll be watching Memphis try to advance to the Final Four for the third time ever, the first in more than two decades.
"If we can win this, we'll be remembered forever," said Memphis forward Rodney Carney. "We can give people joy they'll have for the rest of their lives."
Which is preposterous, of course. A college basketball team? Doing all that?
Well, yeah.
Anyone recall the 1972-73 Memphis team?
It bound a city fractured by racism and hate. After all, it's hard to remember to fear the guy who lives across town when you're giving him a high-five.
Nobody would pretend that this is anything like 1973. But the joyous principle is the same.
Oh, and so is the opponent. How's that for fate?
In 1957, the Tigers lost to Bradley in the NIT Championship.
These Tigers beat Bradley in the Sweet 16.
In 1973, the Tigers lost to UCLA in the NCAA Championship.
These Tigers play UCLA tonight.
"It's certainly interesting, isn't it?" said Gene Bartow, who coached that '73 Memphis team.
As ever, Bartow was being understated. Interesting? Ha. It's delicious beyond words.
And it gets even better, if you dare peek down the road.
If the Tigers beat UCLA, they could advance to play LSU.
LSU bounced Memphis from the NCAA Tournament in 1986.
If the Tigers beat LSU, they could advance to play Villanova for the championship.
Villanova beat Memphis in the Final Four in 1985.
So this isn't just a run through the 2006 tournament, it's a run through history, a chance to right past wrongs.
"It would be nice if it worked out," Calipari said. "But we're not thinking that way."
For proof, here's Tiger forward Shawne Williams. He grew up in South Memphis. So, how do you feel about exacting revenge on UCLA, Shawne?
"Memphis lost to UCLA?" he said. "For real? I didn't know that."
OK, Clyde Wade, then. Another Memphian. He must remember what team Memphis played in 1973.
"I want to say Georgetown," he said. "Or Houston."
Um, Andre Allen? Help us out, here.
"I just saw that on ESPN Classic," he said.
Whew.
"But I can't remember."
At least the Tigers won't be weighted down by history tonight. They'll have enough to worry about trying to defeat UCLA for the second time this season.
In November, Memphis beat UCLA, 88-80. But that game was at Madison Square Garden. This one will be in front of a heavily UCLA crowd.
No, Oakland isn't Los Angeles. But the crowd helped carry UCLA to a comeback win over Gonzaga Thursday night.
"We're going to enjoy the environment," said Calipari, because what other choice do they have? "That's the biggest thing I want the players to do. Enjoy this. And the fans, too. It doesn't happen in Memphis every year."
So at 6 p.m., the people of the city will stop, and gather, and cheer for their basketball team. They'll gather in their dens and their dorm rooms, in sports bars and nursing homes.
And, yes, they'll gather in the Peabody Ballroom, in gowns and tuxes, where the filet mignon will have to wait.
"People have been calling me all week with a question," said Kraker, the charity event's co-chair. "They say, 'Are you going to have ... '
"I don't even let them finish. I say, 'Yes, this is Memphis. Of course, we're going to have it on.' " For a ticket to the Marguerite Piazza St. Jude Gala call Wes Kraker at 849-0478. To reach Geoff Calkins, call him at 529-2364 or e-mail -------------------- Memphis vs. UCLA Where: Oakland, Calif. When: 6:05 p.m. TV/radio: WREG (3)/ WMC 790 |
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| 03/25/06 | |
Tigers' fans showing their true colors -- Blue and gray are red-hot, bringing in lots of green (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Sherri Drake Contact March 25, 2006 First thing Friday, LinD Bradley had the sign of her Midtown business changed from "SWEET" to "ELITE." The University of Memphis' standing in the NCAA basketball tournament has been updated with every win on the sign at 1910 Frameworks & Gallery, on Union Avenue, under "GO TIGERS GO." The employees are huge fans and wanted to show their support for the home team. "I think it pulls the city together more when we're winning," Bradley said. "Instead of squabbling, everybody's like, 'Go team!'" The frame shop isn't the only business to put up a supportive sign. They're everywhere, including Downtown where "M" and "Go Tigers" blaze from First Tennessee Bank. Tiger fans all over the Greater Memphis area are pumped about the way the team is showing the rest of the country what it's made of -- and fans are showing the team they've got its back. Cars sport Tiger flags waving in the wind, fans sport blue and gray gear and sports merchandising stores are fan-packed. In Southaven, J.C. Penney has long stocked Tiger gear, but store manager Allene Fleming said interest and sales have increased since the NCAA Tournament began. "We've got extra shipments (of Tiger gear) coming in Monday," she said, adding that the Tigers will win this weekend. "We must win." Dozens of fans hit the Tiger Bookstore on Walker near the university to get hats, shirts, jerseys and anything and everything else before the shop closed Friday evening. The store has sold out of car magnets and flags and will likely see a huge crowd this morning when Elite Eight shirts go on sale, said Dianne Parker, general merchandising buyer. "It's been crazy," Parker said. "Pandemonium." Ray Moore picked up some Tiger gear, including a hat for his 9-year-old son Alex, who wore a temporary Tiger tattoo on his hand at school Friday. "The town is really excited," said Moore, who lives in Memphis but works in Tunica, where blue and gray flags also fly. "They're not in Memphis, but they still have Tiger fever." There's no doubt U of M junior Daniel Cox, who's from Bartlett, is "true blue." His sport utility vehicle is a Tigers shrine -- four flags, five magnets, many stickers and pompons and "Let's Go Tigers" on the back window. "I get a lot of people honking at me going down the street. A lot of people have pompons in their cars and they start shaking them," Cox said. Staff reporter Richard Thompson contributed. |
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| 03/25/06 | |
Oakland might as well be home for UCLA (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Jim Masilak Contact March 25, 2006 OAKLAND, Calif. -- University of Memphis coach John Calipari was asked Friday if he was looking forward to today's Elite Eight showdown between his No. 1-seeded Tigers and No. 2-seeded UCLA. "Yeah," Calipari replied. "On a neutral court." Unfortunately for the Tigers (33-3), who meet the Bruins (30-6) today at 6:05 p.m. (CST) for the right to advance to next week's Final Four in Indianapolis, the crowd at The Arena in Oakland is certain to be anything but neutral. If the joyous scenes during UCLA's dramatic, come-from-behind victory over Gonzaga in Thursday night's regional semifinal are anything to go by, the Bruins should enjoy a significant home-court advantage against the UofM. That's what UCLA, which has not played a game outside of California since February, has been counting on since the moment it was awarded the second seed in the Oakland Region. "That was ideal for us," Bruins forward Arron Afflalo said. "That was why we were so focused on winning the Pac-10 and the conference tournament, to put ourselves in the best possible position to play in San Diego and Oakland. "It may not be fair, but that's the way it worked out." Actually, the situation in which the UofM finds itself today is nearly unprecedented. Since the NCAA began seeding tournament teams in 1979, only once has a No. 1-seeded team had to face a lower-seeded opponent in that team's home state. It happened in the 2003 East Regional final in Albany, N.Y., where No. 1-seeded Oklahoma had to play third-seeded Syracuse before a crowd comprised largely of upstate New Yorkers. Perhaps ominously for the Tigers, the Orangemen crushed the Sooners, 63-47, en route to the national title. Calipari, normally not one to play down an us-against-the-world angle, said the second such occurrence is merely a product of the Tigers being sent out West as the tournament's fourth No. 1 seed. "You didn't know this was gonna happen going in," he said. "We were supposed to play Arkansas in (the second round) in Dallas, and that would have been a bigger crowd than this one. I didn't know Arkansas was that big in Dallas. I don't even like Arkansas, so I didn't know that, and neither did the committee. "We went West, and that meant there were gonna be a lot of Western teams with a chance to advance." At any rate, the Tigers say they're happy to play the Bruins on what will essentially be their home turf. "We like playing on the road when everyone is against you," freshman point guard Andre Allen said. "It makes you feel good, when you win, to see all those hurt faces in the crowd." The Tigers have reason to be confident in their ability to win in a hostile environment. The UofM went 10-1 in official road games this season, its best such mark since the 1960-61 season. Among the Tigers' victims were Alabama, Cincinnati, Providence and Ole Miss. "We've only lost one game on the road the whole year," freshman guard Chris Douglas-Roberts said, "so we're prepared to play road games if we have to. We're pretty good on the road." This, however, shapes up as arguably the Tigers' toughest test to date. The Bruins come into the regional final having won 10 consecutive games, the last eight of which were played in the Golden State. After finishing the regular season at Cal and Stanford and winning the Pac-10 Tournament in Los Angeles, UCLA opened NCAA Tournament play by beating Belmont and Alabama in San Diego before overturning a 17-point deficit Thursday against Gonzaga. UCLA coach Ben Howland wasn't surprised by the number of Bruins fans who have converged on the Bay Area this weekend in anticipation of the 11-time national champion's first Final Four appearance since 1995. "I expected it, and I hope it's an advantage (today)," Howland said. "UCLA has one of the greatest traditions in college basketball, and we have a lot of fans who support the program and have for years." The Bruins' and Tigers' first meeting this season actually did come on a neutral court. While both camps have played down the relevance of the UofM's 88-80 victory over UCLA in the Preseason NIT semifinals in New York City, Tigers forward Joey Dorsey suspects the Bruins would rather have put their home-court edge to work against another opponent. "When UCLA was watching our game (against Bradley on Thursday), I know they were hoping they wouldn't play us," Dorsey said. "We saw them at the Garden, we saw the looks on their faces, and it looked like they didn't want to play us again. ... We know we can play on the road. It's not a bother to us." -- Jim Masilak: 529-2311 |
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| 03/25/06 | |
Bruins jump at chance to praise Carney (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Jim Masilak and Gary Parrish Contact March 25, 2006 OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Bruins speak in almost reverential tones about Tiger forward Rodney Carney's athleticism. "He's on SportsCenter every day, just about," UCLA forward Cedric Bozeman said. "He presents a big problem. He's one of those players you have to defend hard because he can go to the basket or shoot the 3 ball equally well." UCLA coach Ben Howland was even more effusive in his praise of Carney. "He will win the slam dunk contest next year in the NBA. He is unbelievable," Howland said. "I can't even imagine how far he can take off from. He's like he's flying. He defies gravity. "I think if (UCLA point guard) Darren Collison were to stand there, he's one of those guys that could jump right over him. ... I'm talking about the split-leg thing and go right over a 6-footer. He could probably go over a 7-footer." They zigged when they should have Zagged UofM forward Joey Dorsey wasn't impressed with Gonzaga's play in the final stages of its regional semifinal loss Thursday to the Bruins. UCLA overturned a 17-point deficit and scored the final 11 points of the game against the Zags. Perhaps the key moment came with nine seconds left, when Zags center J.P. Batista was caught in the backcourt and stripped by UCLA's Jordan Farmar. Farmar then zipped a pass under the basket to Luc Richard Mbah a Moute for what proved to be the winning basket in the Bruins' unlikely 73-71 victory. "I think Batista should have given the ball back to the point guard," Dorsey said. "He shouldn't have held it over his head like that." Tigers forward Shawne Williams agreed with his teammate's assessment. "Batista should have passed the ball to (Derek) Raivio," Williams said, "but he didn't do it, and it cost them the game." A lot of history to know When UCLA first began recruiting Mbah a Moute, a freshman forward from Cameroon, he didn't know the Wizard of Westwood from the Wizard of Oz. "Growing up, I didn't know anything about UCLA and its traditions," said Mbah a Moute, who spent two years at Montverde (Fla.) Academy. "The first time I heard about UCLA, I wasn't even playing basketball. I was playing soccer. UCLA to me was an academic school. "When I was being recruited I tried learning about the history, and it was something I wanted to be a part of." They left their cars in San Francisco ... So it hasn't been an entirely smooth trip for those members of the Memphis traveling party with rented vehicles. Thursday, WMC-TV sports reporters Jarvis Greer and Carrie Anderson borrowed Dave Woloshin's car to drive to the San Francisco hotel where a good number of Memphis fans are staying. As the two were finishing up their interviews, they noticed the car being towed away. "Jarvis put change in the meter," Anderson said, "but it said, on the post, that parking was restricted." Greer sprinted off after the tow truck, to no avail. They had to pay a fine to set it free. And that would be the end of our story. Except that Friday, Memphis assistant Tony Barbee was asked how everything was going. "Terrible," Barbee said. "My car was just towed away." Not to give things away, but ... The University of Memphis not only beat UCLA back in November. The Tigers would also beat the Bruins 90 percent of the time. That's not our opinion. That's the opinion of WhatIfSports.com, a Web site that simulates games based on data accumulated throughout the season. We simulated 10 games between these two teams late Friday, and Memphis won nine of the 10 meetings. Surprisingly, the average margin of victory for the Tigers was 21.6 points. The highlight was a 96-59 blowout in match-up No. 8, during which Carney scored 31 points. Not that injured There's been a lot of talk over the past 24 hours about how UCLA was injured in its first meeting with the Tigers. But the reality is this: There are only two Bruins who played against Gonzaga Thursday night that did not play against Memphis on Nov. 23. They are Alfred Aboya and Lorenzo Mata, a duo that combined for just five points in 18 minutes against Gonzaga and is averaging 3.8 points each per game this season. Some have also suggested Jordan Farmar was hurt that game. Truth is, he played 39 minutes and scored 28 points. So if that's hurt, then Memphis better hope he's not hurt again tonight. Memphis, athletics, blah, blah, blah Add Howland to the group of people labeling Memphis as the most athletic team in the country. After staying up until 4 a.m. watching film, he gave the following report Friday afternoon. "Memphis is the most athletic team in the country, and the only one that could even have a qualm with that is LSU," Howland said. "All you got to do is watch the tape. These guys are incredible athletically. ... They have at least three or four NBA players, minimally. Could be five." Arron Afflalo agreed. "You know, this team is complete," he said. "They're long, wiry, athletic all around." Not so fast, my friend If the Tigers are ahead tonight at halftime, don't expect John Calipari to pronounce victory too soon. He tried that once, at UMass in 1995 against Oklahoma State. It didn't go so well. "I walk in at halftime, I say 'We're going to the Final Four, boys. We just shot 29 percent. We're up three. You know we won't shoot that badly again in the second half,'" Calipari recalled Friday. "So we shot 26 percent in the second half and lost the game. "I will never again even think about making that statement." Today on TV WBHQ-TV (Ch. 13) will re-air its special on the 1972-73 Tigers this afternoon. The one-hour program, which originally aired in 2003, starts at 1 p.m. Columnist Geoff Calkins contributed. |
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| 03/25/06 | |
Tigers do it all right vs. Tulane Story Tools -- U of M 11, Tulane 4 (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Phil Stukenborg Contact March 25, 2006 So this is what University of Memphis baseball coach Daron Schoenrock meant when he said his team would be a challenge for Conference USA opposition if it hit, pitched and played solid defense at the same time. In Friday night's Conference USA opener against defending league champion and 14th-ranked Tulane, the Tigers -- minus a nightmarish ninth defensively by shortstop Michael Murray -- did all three in an 11-4 victory before a chilled gathering of about 200 at Nat Buring Stadium. Advertisement First baseman Adam Amar led a 13-hit attack by crushing a school-record tying three homers and driving in seven runs. Freshman righthander Scott McGregor tossed a complete-game seven-hitter, allowing no earned runs and striking out a season-high eight. And the Tiger defense turned key double plays in the first and fourth innings and got defensive gems from second baseman Bill Moss and Murray. In the third Moss made a diving stop of a Matt Riser one-hopper headed to right and in the seventh Murray went to his knee to snare a hard liner off the bat of Tulane cleanup hitter Mark Hamilton. ''When you put it together like that, this is what happens,'' Schoenrock said. ''There's not a whole lot of times where we've put it together like that in one night. A lot of times we've had to win games with just one or the other going.'' The Tigers -- one victory shy of matching last year's win total -- and Tulane (15-9, 0-1 C-USA) resume the three-game series at 2 p.m. today at Nat Buring. Friday, the Tigers struck early against a team that had won 26 of 32 games against them since C-USA play began in the mid-1990s. Memphis scored in the first on a Murray RBI groundout to take a 1-0 lead and added another run in the fourth on Amar's first home run. The Tigers made it 7-0 after six innings. Amar sparked a five-run inning with a three-run homer to rightfield off Sean Morgan (4-2). Amar's third homer, a two-run shot to left-center in the seventh, put the Tigers up, 9-0. Amar added an RBI-single in a two-run eighth and the Tigers (12-8) led, 11-0. ''It's the first multi-homer game I've had in college,'' Amar said. ''I think I may have had one in high school, or Little League, but nothing that counted as big as beating Tulane. ''I was just seeing the ball real well. I wasn't trying to do too much and the baseball gods were with me.'' Amar said he was fortunate against a solid Tulane pitching staff. Schoenrock said his 6-4, 245-pound first baseman benefited from tweaking his swing. Amar entered Friday night with one home run in 49 at-bats. ''All of those were shots,'' Schoenrock said. ''He shortened his swing a little bit. He has been a little long. He's got enough strength where a short swing like that can be productive for him.'' McGregor (2-2) was as impressive on the mound as Amar was at the plate. The key to McGregor's success was an effective changeup, a pitch that he has struggled with during the first few weeks of the season. ''It was the first time my offspeed pitch has been on,'' said McGregor, an Ohio native used to pitching in cold conditions. ''I finally got it down.'' He said his eight strikeouts -- one more than he had in 21 previous innings entering the game -- were the result of his success with the changeup. McGregor was one strike away from a complete-game shutout before Murray's nightmare began. He made three errors in the inning leading to four runs. ''(McGregor) had three pitches going for him (fastball, curve/slider and changeup),'' Schoenrock said. ''And when you have three pitches going for you it makes a world of difference. He hasn't been a three-pitch guy this season." |
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| 03/25/06 | |
DeAngelo flies for pro scouts -- Running back erases any doubts about speed (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Zack McMillin Contact March 25, 2006 When the Oakland Raiders scout bellowed out, "WILLIAMS," and the three dozen or so other NFL scouts readied their stopwatches halfway down the University of Memphis's outdoor track, the Memphis-based agent of DeAngelo Williams was concerned. It was blustery for the UofM football team's pro day on Friday, not quite 50 degrees and with a swirling wind strong enough to add five shots to a round of golf -- and perhaps a tenth or two to a time in the 40-yard dash. The track was hard and slippery, and none of the 13 players who ran before Williams had been pleased with their times. His agent, Jimmy Sexton, knew that this time would brand Williams, fair or no, as either worthy or unworthy of a high selection in the April 29 NFL Draft. He knew there were whispers about Williams' straight-line speed, doubts despite his 6,000-plus rushing yards in four years at the UofM and a slew of school, conference and NCAA records on his resume. Run a 4.5 or 4.6, and all the good work Williams did in college and in the three months leading up to Friday's pro day would be erased. It was in that context that Williams leaned forward, coiled into a sprinter's crouch and ... backed off. The wind had begun gusting. "Smart," said Jim Denton, who works with Sexton for Athletic Resource Management. "Let the wind die," said Reggie Barnes, also with ARM. Williams crouched again, took off running and ... whistle. "Rolling start," said the Raiders scout. As he crouched again, the few hundred people watching fell so silent that the far-off whistle of a train drifted into hearing just as Williams exploded into motion. To watch him fly past two rows of scouts, at full speed, was to appreciate the violence of NFL football. That's when the murmurs started, the scouts checking with one another to see who had what time. Denton, with a 4.40 on his watch, was thrilled, but then other numbers started dominoeing back -- someone had a 4.36, someone else a 4.37 and the Packers scout had a 4.39. "Bingo!" Denton said, giving a little pump of his fist. When Williams' second run was hundredths slower, it was official -- Williams is heretofore known as a running back with 4.38 to 4.42 speed. "The major question today coming into today was, 'Is he fast enough?'" Williams said. "A lot of them had me at 4.5 (before Friday). Hopefully I showed them today I am fast enough." By the time Williams left the UofM's turf room for outside drills, Sexton and his crew had more reason for excitement. Williams's 6.5-second run in the 60-yard shuttle was the best scouts said they had timed all year, and Judd Granzow, the trainer at D1 Sports who has worked with Williams since January, was pointing out that Williams' first 10 yards in the 40 were .15 to .20 slower than usual. Meaning, if not for the poor starts (which Williams blamed on uneasiness with the slippery track), Williams might have uncorked something spectacular. It was a strong end to a process that began with workouts on Jan. 2 at D1 Sports in Franklin, Tenn., included a star performance at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., and an impressive debut before national NFL media at the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. "The only thing that could have gone better was for it to be 75 degrees today like it's been all winter here and for us to have a better surface to run on," Sexton said. "I think the most impressive thing about today was he had the best workout any running back has had and did it in the worst conditions." Where Williams goes in the draft, however, may have less to do with his ability and more to do with what the highest-picking NFL teams need. USC's Heisman Trophy running back, Reggie Bush will be the first running back (and likely first player) selected, and Williams has solidified himself as the next best speed running back. However, he could go behind USC's LenDale White if a team determines it needs a power runner who can carry 230-245 pounds. Sexton said some teams have already asked about bringing Williams to their training facilities for workouts and interviews, but the bulk of the process is finished. "It feels like a relief, a big relief," Williams said. Other pro day news: Williams's roommate, Maurice Avery, ran times in the 4.6s, but got plenty of looks from scouts in the outdoor workouts. His athleticism should at least get him invited to a camp. ... Former UofM quarterback Danny Wimprine, now a CFL quarterback, threw to Williams, Avery and John Doucette. Much mirth was made over his first over-the-middle throw to Williams, a bullet that almost knocked Williams over and all but said, "See, my arm is TOO strong enough for the NFL." ... Stephen Gostkowski, the UofM's career-best placekicker, had a great workout with the Miami Dolphins on Tuesday at the Liberty Bowl and also kicked for scouts on Friday. He has a workout scheduled with the Packers and Cowboys next week. ARM is also representing Gostkowski and expects him to get drafted. -- Zack McMillin: 529-2564 |
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| 03/25/06 | |
Does close count? Bruins hope so (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Jim Masilak Contact March 25, 2006 OAKLAND, Calif. -- UCLA forward Cedric Bozeman felt as if his guts had been ripped out. And the sensation was a good one. Of course, fighting back from a 17-point deficit, as UCLA did Thursday night in its incredible NCAA Tournament regional semifinal victory over Gonzaga, is bound to evoke countless conflicting emotions in a senior like Bozeman. "In my five years here I've never seen anything like it. It was like somebody took something out of my body and threw it out all over the floor," Bozeman said. "A win like that builds a lot of confidence in a team. It prepares us for even harder times down the road." It's difficult to imagine a more hopeless scenario than that faced by the second-seeded Bruins for all but the final 9 seconds of their 73-71 victory over the third-seeded Zags. The Bruins didn't so much look into the abyss as plunge headfirst into it. That they lived not only to tell about it but to fight another day should give the top-seeded University of Memphis pause heading into today's 6:05 p.m. (CST) regional final at The Arena in Oakland. "They've got a lot of momentum and energy coming at us," Tigers forward Shawne Williams said. "We have to make sure we don't let that (overwhelm) us." While the Tigers (33-3) eased their way into the Elite Eight on the strength of three successive 16-point victories over No. 16 Oral Roberts, No. 9 Bucknell and No. 13 Bradley, the Bruins (30-6) have staggered to within touching distance of the Final Four with a three-point win over No. 10 Alabama and Thursday's great escape against Gonzaga. Having proved they have the stomach to respond positively in late-game situations, the Bruins hope being tested in such fashion will help them if today's game isn't decided until the final moments. "You know you've been in situations like that before, so you're not gonna be nervous even when you're down by double digits," UCLA forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute said. "That's what we've been doing all year, fighting through adversity." While the Tigers have won 21 of their last 22 games, none of those victories came by fewer than five points and 17 of them came by 10 points or more. Quite simply, the UofM has not had to make plays down the stretch to win games in some time. When the Tigers were asked to make big plays late in a tight game at UAB on March 2, they went eight second-half minutes without scoring as the Blazers took control. But they remain confident they have the talent and the nerve to win a close game if necessary. "If we have to make those plays, we've got the players to do it," freshman point guard Andre Allen said. "So far we haven't had to make those plays, and I hope we don't." The Tigers take issue with the notion they haven't had to play well in the final minutes to win. "We've been in close games and pulled it out against good teams like Gonzaga, UCLA and Tennessee," freshman guard Chris Douglas-Roberts said. UCLA coach Ben Howland said he'd have rather taken the Tigers' comparatively jaunty path to the Elite Eight. "I'd much rather win by 20," Howland said. "Are you kidding me?" His players aren't so sure. "I'd rather be tested," guard Jordan Farmar said. "Regardless of what happens, we've made a lot of memories that will never go away. Winning by 20 is nice, but games like these make us that much more prepared and that much better and that much stronger." How will the Bruins respond less than 48 hours after one of the most dramatic and unlikely victories in their program's rich and storied history? "It all depends on their team. It can go five different ways," Memphis coach John Calipari said. "It could have worn them out mentally or physically. Or it could have made them believe it was their destiny. Or it could have made them think, if we get down like this against Memphis, we're done. "You know when we'll find out? (Today) at (6 p.m.)." |
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| 03/24/06 | |
The ball is over! -- Tigers snatch slipper from Cinderella (Daily Helmsman) |
| by Janie McCauley AP Sports Writer March 24, 2006 OAKLAND, Calif. - Rodney Carney kept top-seeded Memphis from becoming another victim of Bradley’s surprising NCAA run. Carney contributed on both ends of the floor Thursday, scoring 23 points and leading a stingy defense that gave Memphis an 80-64 victory and put the Tigers in the regional final for the first time since 1992 - back when Anfernee Hardaway was the star. “Stars have to be starts out here,” said Memphis coach John Calipari. “And Rodney is our senior out there and he’s doing his thing.” Darius Washington Jr. added 18 points and Shawne Williams had 12 points and eight rebounds as Memphis won the third round of the Oakland Regional, its seventh straight victory. Carney raised his arms in the air in celebration after a two-handed jam midway through the second half, one of several emphatic dunks by the 6-foot-7 forward who was virtually unknown when he first arrived at Memphis. Now, he is one win from finishing his stellar collegiate career in his hometown of Indianapolis for the Final Four. Coach John Calipari’s young Tigers (33-3), an NIT team last season, advanced to Saturday’s regional final against UCLA The Tigers beat the Bruins earlier this season in the Preseason NIT. Patrick O’Bryant had 11 of his 14 rebounds in the first half and only scored eight points for Bradley (22-11), which at No. 13 was the lowest seed still alive in the tournament. The Braves will return home to another hero’s welcome after they put the program on the map and brought national attention to the town of Peoria, Ill., where they play. Calipari said the terrific play of his sophomore center Joey Dorsey in the second half was the reason O’Bryant’s production fell. The Braves had been the NCAA spoiler so far after beating Kansas and Pittsburgh to reach their first regional semifinal since 1955 when it was 24-team tournament, but they began the second half 4-for-16 and struggled to get open looks at the basket against speedy, aggressive Memphis. Bradley committed 14 first-half turnovers, then took better care of the ball after halftime but couldn’t make shots. Coach Jim Les was whistled for a technical with 8:29 remaining for arguing, a sign of his team’s frustration down the stretch. After the Braves cut the lead to seven with 12:25 left, Williams hit a 3-pointer with the shot clock winding down that started a 7-0 Memphis run that also featured a dunk by Carney. Another technical foul was charged to Joey Dorsey in the second half when he had some words for a Bradley player. “The technical didn’t worry me for this game,” Calipari said. “I was worried more about what would happen next game.” The tipoff time for Saturday’s game between Memphis and UCLA is to be determined. |
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| 03/24/06 | |
Tigers, Bruins Round 2 (Daily Helmsman) |
| by Trey Heath Sports Reporter March 24, 2006 The dry erase board in the Tigers’ locker room after The U of M’s 80-64 victory over Bradley had a single bracket with the only two teams — Memphis vs. UCLA. “We are taking it one game at a time,” said John Calipari, U of M coach. “This is our own mini-tournament.” A “mini-tournament” has been the theme so far for the Tigers who have been reminded after each game by the dry erase board to never look past their current opponent. And with the U of M’s first visit to the NCAA Tournament’s Elite 8 since 1992, it seems to be working. The only thing in between the Tigers and appearance in the Final Four is the legendary UCLA Bruins, which dispatched of Gonzaga 73-71 last night. The No. 2-seed Bruins entered the NCAA Tournament with the lowest seed the school has received since 1997. Despite the Bruins’ recent struggles in the NCAA Tournament, UCLA has made the best of this year’s seeding, defeating Belmont, Alabama and Gonzaga and another shot at the Tigers Saturday for a chance to go to the Final Four. “It doesn’t matter about who we are going to play,” Calipari said. “We just have to keep playing. These guys all want to keep playing. They want it as bad as I do and that is a rare thing.” Although the Tigers will face as tough of an Elite 8 opponent as any in the tournament, they do have one big advantage. The Tigers are the only team in the tournament that have already played and defeated their Elite Eight opponent in the regular season. Only Boston College and Georgetown have an opportunity to repeat their regular season meeting if both teams are victorious tonight. Despite the fact that Memphis defeated UCLA 88-80 on Nov. 23 in the preseason NIT tournament, Bruins’ coach Ben Howland said that UCLA has seen tougher opponents. “(Gonzaga) is the best team we have played all season,” he said. “Obviously Memphis is good, but Gonzaga is the best team that I’ve seen.” Howland has lead UCLA, the most successful program in NCAA history, back into the spotlight carrying the Bruins to two NCAA Tournament appearances and a 47-17 record. But most of his success has come because of the quality of players he has been able to recruit, Howland said. “It’s been all about recruiting,” he said. “I am a lot better coach when I have a lot of great players.” Some of those great players that The U of M will try limit Saturday include collegeInsider.com All-American Jordan Farmar. Farmar led all scores with 28 points against the Tigers in the two teams November meeting. “Jordan has had a great season and his success has a lot to do with our success,” Howland said. Farmar leads the Bruins in assist with 5.2 per game and is second in points averaging 13.6 per game. But besides running the offense, Farmar has been deadly this season from beyond the arc. Farmar burned Alabama in the Bruins’ first round tournament game, scoring 18 points and tying the school record with 5 three-pointers. Besides Farmar, Memphis will also try and limit the inside production of UCLA forward Cedric Bozeman. “Bozeman was our best player last Saturday,” Howland said. “He made some unbelievable plays and passes and he really played like a fifth-year senior.” Although the Tigers’ performance in the NCAA Tournament is on par with their No.1 seeding, The U of M’s rematch with UCLA may be the Tigers first opportunity to prove to the national media that they belong. “I don’t know why people have been routing against us,” said Chris Douglas-Roberts, U of M guard. “But we don’t listen to it. We use it for extra motivation.” |
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| 03/24/06 | |
Erickson Recognized as NSCA All-American -- Senior thrower receives Strength and Conditioning Athlete of the Year award (GoTigersGo.com) |
| COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Memphis senior thrower J.D. Erickson was recently honored by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) with the organization's annual All-American Strength and Conditioning Athlete of the Year award, which recognizes student athletes' dedication to strength and conditioning. Erickson, who in his second and final season at the U of M, recently won his second-consecutive Conference USA indoor shot put title, also finishing runner-up in the weight throw for the second straight year. "J.D. is one of the most explosive power athletes I have ever witnessed," said Coach Kevin Robinson. He has the unique ability to combine pure power with fluid athletic technical movements. He dominated the Conference USA Indoor Championships in the shot put and had a strong second-place showing in the weight throw." In addition, Erickson has already qualified for NCAA Mideast Regionals in the hammer, shot put and discus through just one meet of the outdoor season. "J.D.'s results are a testament to his work ethic both in the weight room and in the circle," said Robinson. ". He is intrinsically motivated to be the best athlete he can become, and he is very deserving of this award." The NSCA All-American Athlete of the Year award program is in its 27th year and is made possible by a grant from fitness product company Power Systems, Inc. This year, the NSCA awarded 242 athletes from 160 schools with the esteemed award. For a complete list of All-American Strength and Conditioning Athletes, contact the NSCA at 800-815-6826 or nsca@nsca-lift.org. |
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| 03/24/06 | |
Tiger Baseball Stuns No. 14 Tulane, 11-4 in Conference USA Opener -- Adam Amar jacks three home runs in Tigers' 12th win of the season (GoTigersGo.com) |
| MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Tulane (15-9; 0-1 C-USA) 000 000 004 - 4 7 2 Memphis (12-8; 1-0 C-USA) 100 105 22X - 11 13 4 Junior first baseman Adam Amar went 4-for-5 with three home runs and seven RBI, while freshman Scott McGregor struck out eight and held No. 14 Tulane to just four unearned runs as Memphis raced to an 11-4 win in the Conference USA opener for both teams. The win snapped a four-game losing streak to the Green Wave over the last two years. Amar homered in three consecutive at-bats. He belted his first home run over the centerfield wall in the fourth inning to give Memphis a 2-0 lead. He then highlighted a five-run sixth inning with a three-run blast to rightfield to give the Tigers a commanding 6-0 advantage. His last home run was a seventh-inning two-run shot over the left centerfield wall that made it 9-0. Amar's seven RBI is the second time a Tiger hitter has reached the mark in the last week. Kyle Norrid hammered a pair of homers and drove in seven in a 15-1 win over Southeast Missouri State on March 18. Josh Payne was the last Tiger to hit three home runs in a single game, accomplishing the feat in a 24-1 route of UT-martin back in 2003. He finished the night with eight RBI. Memphis scored a pair in the eighth on RBI singles by Norrid and Amar for an 11-0 score. While Amar was having a productive night, so was McGregor. The freshman eclipsed his year total in strikeouts in a complete-game gem. He scattered seven hits and held Tulane to just four hits through eight innings. Three Tiger errors in the ninth inning broke up the shutout and allowed the Green Wave to plate four unearned runs for the 11-4 final. Norrid finished 2-for-5 with an RBI and scored two runs. K.K. Chalmers and Cory Barton also had two hits each. Will Petersen scored two runs for Memphis. Warren McFadden was the lone Green Wave hitter to post multiple hits, finishing the night 2-for-4. Tulane starter Sean Morgan (4-2) took the loss after allowing six runs--four earned--on five hits in five innings of work. He fanned seven. Memphis and Green Wave will battle in game two of the three-game C-USA series tomorrow with the first pitch set for 2 p.m. at "The Nat". |
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| 03/24/06 | |
All Eyes on DeAngelo Williams at UM Pro Timing Day -- Fourteen Tiger seniors worked out in front of about 40 NFL scouts (GoTigersGo.com) |
| MEMPHIS, TENN. - Fourteen Tiger seniors gathered today at the Murphy Athletic Complex for what was the largest Pro Day ever for the U of M. With marquee player DeAngelo Williams as the center of attention, about 40 NFL scouts representing 22 teams observed the workout which lasted about three hours.
Included in the 14 seniors were: Maurice Avery, Carlton Baker, Greg Billingslea, O.C. Collins, John Doucette, Bobby Garafalo, Tim Goodwell, Stephen Gostkowski, Andrew Handy, Tyus Jackson, Derron Johnson, LaVale Washington and Marcus West. Former standout quarterback Danny Wimprine joined his former teammates to throw passes to Williams, Avery and Doucette. Members of the U of M coaching staff and current Tiger players were also on hand for support.
Williams was the only Tiger who had been invited to Indianapolis for the combine in February, so this was the chance for the others to showcase their talents. The event began around 11 a.m. inside the packed turf room where the players' hands and arms were measured. Once the heights and weights were completed in the weight room, the guys returned to the turf room for the vertical and broad jumps as well as the bench press.
The players, scouts, representatives and others then went outside to the track for the 40-yard dash. It was chilly and windy as the players ran one way in each direction. The local media was also on hand to film that aspect of the timing.
Once the 40-yard dash was complete, everyone returned to the turf room for the short shuttle, the L-drill and the 60-yard long shuttle.
Several Tigers then worked out individually out on the practice field. Williams, Avery and Doucette were tested on their agility and hands, while the linebackers ran drills and Gostkowski ran through a series of kick-offs and field goals.
"I thought things went well today," said Williams. "I just wanted to come out here and run fast. I wasn't too concerned with the wind. I just wanted to come out here and perform. Mo (Avery) and I have a motto that we `show up and show out,' no matter what the weather or conditions.
I was a little shocked at what I weighed in at (207 lbs.)," added Williams. "I haven't been 207 since my freshman year in college."
When asked if he was nervous today, Williams admitted that he was and that he hadn't slept too well. "I think I woke up every hour and by 6:30 this morning, I just couldn't go back to sleep," said Williams.
The NFL draft is April 29-30. The following passage was on the NFL.com website shortly after the conclusion of today's event: WILLIAMS IMPROVES HIS STOCK Memphis running back DeAngelo Williams (5-9, 207) had an exceptional workout. At his school's Pro Day on March 24, he ran his 40s in 4.40 seconds (with the wind) and 4.48 (against). He was wearing nubs, and he ran outdoors on a rubber track. He also ran the short shuttle in 4.10, the three-cone drill in 6.57 and the long shuttle in 10.61. In addition, he had a 34½-inch vertical jump and a 10-foot-9 broad jump. He caught the ball well during positional drills. -- NFL.com |
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| 03/24/06 | |
Women's Tennis Falls to ECU, 6-1 -- Memphis to play two more matches in Myrtle Beach this weekend (GoTigersGo.com) |
| MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - The University of Memphis women's tennis team (3-7, 0-2 C-USA) got a straight set win at No. 1 singles, but fell 6-1 in a neutral site match against C-USA foe East Carolina, Friday afternoon.
Senior Andrea Feichtinger downed Anca Dumitra, 6-3, 6-0, at No. 1, but that would be the lone Lady Tigers' single victory as ECU picked up straight set wins at No. 3, 4, 5 and 6 singles. Memphis sophomore Brooke Cowie won her opening set at No. 2 singles, 6-1, but then fell 6-0, 6-1 in the second and third sets.
Memphis will remain in Myrtle Beach and will face host Coastal Carolina, Saturday morning at 10 a.m. East Carolina 6, Memphis 1 Doubles No. 1 - No. 48 Gillie Bailey/Kirstin Buchanan def. Andrea Feichtinger/Alex Tjioe (UM), 8-2 No. 2 - Anca Dumitru/Hannah Priest def. Kristin Noble/Ekin Zafir (UM), 8-5 No. 3 - Christina Wieser/Flavia Russo (UM) def. Zandy Overcash/Alex Smith, 8-6 Singles No. 1 - Andrea Feichtinger (UM) def. Anca Dumitru, 6-3, 6-0 No. 2 - Gillie Bailey def. Brooke Cowie (UM), 1-6, 6-0, 6-1 No. 3 - Kirstin Buchanan def. Kristin Noble (UM), 7-6, 6-3 No. 4 - Luiza Borges def. Ekin Zafir (UM), 6-0, 6-1 No. 5 - Presley Thomas def. Christina Wieser (UM), 6-2, 6-3 No. 6 - Hannah Priest def. Alex Tjioe (UM), 6-1, 6-0 |
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| 03/24/06 | |
Lady Tigers Compete in Spring Doubleheader at Mississippi State -- Memphis will play exhibitions against Southern Miss and Mississippi State (GoTigersGo.com) |
| For Immediate Release Contact: Brandon Kolditz wkolditz@memphis.edu, (901) 678-2444 STARKVILLE, Miss. - The University of Memphis women's soccer team will play a spring exhibition doubleheader on Saturday in Starkville, Miss. The Lady Tigers will play Southern Miss at 10 a.m. followed by host Mississippi State at 1:30 p.m. The U of M is 2-1 in the spring and is coming off a 2-1 loss to the University of Missouri. Prior to the loss, the Tigers beat Ole Miss and Arkansas State by a combined 8-1 margin. Mississippi State is 2-1-1 in spring competition and is coming off a 3-0 victory against Mississippi Valley State and a 0-0 tie against Birmingham-Southern in a home doubleheader earlier in March. The Bulldogs competed in the Memphis Spring Tournament in February and lost to UAB 1-2 while shutting out Tennessee-Martin 1-0. MSU finished the 2005 season with a 4-11-4 record with one of the losses coming from the Tigers in a 2-1 victory in Memphis. Southern Miss went 4-9-2 in the 2005 season and had a 1-7-1 mark in Conference USA. The Golden Eagles lost to the Tigers 5-1 in Memphis, Tenn., toward the end of the season. |
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| 03/24/06 | |
Tigers Compete in Carter Plantation Intercollegiate -- Memphis enters tournament with two-straight top three finishes (GoTigersGo.com) |
| For Immediate Release Contact: Brandon Kolditz wkolditz@memphis.edu , (901) 678-2444 SPRINGFIELD, La. - Having consistently improved in each spring tournament thus far, the University of Memphis men's golf team will look to continue the trend in the Carter Plantation Intercollegiate beginning Monday. The tournament hosted by Southeastern Louisiana at the Carter Plantation Golf Course will begin with 36-holes the first day and conclude with a final 18-hole third round on Tuesday. The Tigers are led by sophomore Keven Fortin-Simard who is the reigning Golfweek, Golf World and Conference USA Player of the Week. Fortin-Simard is ranked No. 16 by Golfweek. No other Memphis golfer is ranked higher than 336. The Roberval, Quebec native has won two out of three spring tournaments and is averaging a 69.3. Sophomore Ian Rochester will once again compete in the No. 2 spot in the tournament. Rochester is averaging a 73.8 in the spring and tied for 28th at the Border Olympics. Also competing in the tournament is senior Mike Regenold who has a 74.2 spring average, sophomore Robbie Greenwell (74.2) and junior Lewis Clarke (73.8). Memphis is ranked No. 70 by Golfweek and is one of five teams in the top 100 competing in the tournament. Other top 100 teams competing are tournament host Southeastern Louisiana (69), Louisville (40), Southern Miss (59) and Mississippi State (74). Other teams competing in the 11-team field are Jacksonville State, Louisiana-Lafayette, South Alabama, Texas-San Antonio, Tulane and USF. Last year Louisiana-Monroe won the tournament with an 891. LMU's Tim Kunick took medalist honors with a 1-over 217. The Tigers are competing in the tournament for the first time. The U of M began the spring tied for eighth at the UCF/Rio Pinar Intercollegiate. The team then placed sixth at the All-American Intercollegiate and third at the Louisiana Classics. Memphis enters the tournament after taking second at the Border Olympics in Laredo, Texas last week. |
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| 03/24/06 | |
Track and Field Teams Travel To Ole Miss for Second Outdoor Meet -- Tigers and Lady Tigers look for more records, regional qualifiers (GoTigersGo.com) |
| MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Coming off a multitude of strong performances at last weekend's Rhodes open, the Memphis track and field teams will look for more of the same on Saturday, as they travel to Oxford, Miss., for the Ole Miss Dual Meet. The U of M saw two men and two women qualify for NCAA Mideast Regionals at Rhodes, while four Lady Tigers broke school records on the day. The squads will be in search of more top performances at Ole Miss, as they compete against better competition in the second meet of the outdoor season. Teams from Arkansas State, Arkansas Little-Rock, South Alabama, Mississippi Valley, Ole Miss and UAB, among others are expected to take part in the meet. Competition at the Ole Miss Dual Meet is set to kick off with field events at 10 a.m. Running will commence at noon with all events held at the Ole Miss Track and Field Complex. Results and a recap for the meet will be posted at gotigersgo.com following the completion of the meet, while results can also be followed at olemisssports.com. |
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| 03/24/06 | |
Sixteen-Step Program -- Charting the Tigers' course for the Final Four (Memphis Flyer) |
| BY FRANK MURTAUGH With the University of Memphis Tigers off to Oakland for their first Sweet 16 appearance since 1995 -- merely two wins shy of the program's third Final Four -- here are 16 factors that could contribute to a regional championship: 16) Come home, Rodney! If Jerome Bettis can end his NFL career by winning the Super Bowl in his hometown of Detroit, why can't Rodney Carney -- the Conference USA Player of the Year and the third-most prolific scorer in U of M history -- end his college career by cutting down a net in his hometown of Indianapolis? 15) Don't look ahead. Take this to heart, college hoops fans: There is no easy win in the NCAA tournament. Consider the odds you would have received back in November if you'd placed a bet on George Mason and Bradley knocking off North Carolina and Kansas. 14) Win this weekend's tournament. John Calipari views the NCAA tournament as a series of two-game tourneys. Win one, and you get to play another. 13) Gather, ye blue-clad faithful. With a pair of West Coast studs on hand, the Arena in Oakland will be filled with UCLA and Gonzaga loyalists. The Tiger booster club should belly up and fly the Blue Crew -- every last one of 'em -- to California before Thursday night's game with Bradley. 12) Remember Kansas City. The last time Memphis won a Sweet 16 game was on March 27, 1992, when the Penny Hardaway-led Tigers beat Georgia Tech in an overtime classic. 11) Forget Kansas City. The last time Memphis reached a regional final, they were drilled by Cincinnati on March 29, 1992. Hardaway led the Tigers with a meager 12 points. The Tigers were down by 10 at halftime and lost by 31. 10) Rewind the tape. Should the Tigers get by Bradley, they'll face a team they've already played (and beaten) this season. Back in November, Memphis topped UCLA, 88-80. Then, two days after Christmas, the U of M beat Gonzaga and its All-American, Adam Morrison. It's tough to beat a team twice in the same season. Study these blueprints. 9) Depth, times two. Much has been made this season of how deep Calipari can go on his bench. Well guess what. Bradley has a bench too. Lawrence Wright scored 14 off the pine against Pitt, and Will Franklin had 14 in the Braves' opener against Kansas. Whose subs will prevail? 8) Stay centered. Joey Dorsey had as many fouls as points (5) against Oral Roberts. He avoided foul trouble and was a force against Bucknell (12 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals). 7) Andre's Story -- Chapter Two. Every March we find "the story." A surprising star who rises to the occasion just as the arena lights get brightest. This was Andre Allen last week in Dallas. Eleven points in 19 minutes? The script is being written. 6) Shawne's game. Even with Morrison in town, the single most talented player in Oakland may be Tiger freshman Shawne Williams. My favorite number from a rather mediocre stat line against Bucknell was that only one of Williams' seven field-goal attempts came from beyond the arc. 5) Guards win championships. From Magic Johnson to Steve Alford, from Mike Bibby to Juan Dixon -- NCAA champions ride the play of their guards. So far, the Tiger guards have excelled. Darius Washington shot poorly against Bucknell, but Allen, Chris Douglas-Roberts, and Antonio Anderson combined for 30 points. 4) Keep the chip. Remember all the talk of Oral Roberts becoming the first 16-seed to beat a number one? In a world only Aretha Franklin could love, respect remains hard to come by for the 32-3 (!) Tigers. Use this as fuel. 3) Mark the date. Thursday night's game will be the 21st anniversary of one of the biggest NCAA tournament wins in Memphis history. On March 23, 1985, the Tigers beat Wayman Tisdale's Oklahoma Sooners to advance to the Final Four. 2) Anniversaries mean nothing. The Oakland regional final will be played on March 25th, the 23rd anniversary of Memphis losing to Hakeem Olajuwon's Houston Cougars in the 1983 Midwest regional semis. 1) Listen to your coach. "To have them play at their best every night is not possible. You can't have them climbing a mountain every day. ... The only way the ceiling of your team gets higher is for each of your players to get better. Now, your ceiling rises." -- John Calipari (January 26, 2006) |
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| 03/24/06 | |
Flashback -- The Tigers face Bradley in the NCAA tourney -- and it's deja vu all over again (Memphis Flyer) |
| BY BILL BURK Memphis versus Bradley: It was this same matchup in the finals of the NIT in old Madison Square Garden that first made this city Tiger basketball crazy. So crazy, in fact, that even though the Tigers lost to Bradley, 84-83, in the NIT championship, WREG-TV stayed on the air past the then-normal off-the-air time of midnight in order to televise the arrival of the team at the old Memphis terminal. Fans today have a hard time understanding just how important the NIT was in those days when the NIT and NCAA were viewed as equals. (In the 1957 NIT, NBA Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson and Elgin Baylor were early round departees.) Memphis State had had a successful season, even getting voted into the AP Top 10 a couple of times, but as I recall it, the Tigers closed the season losing to Centenary in Shreveport on a Saturday night. The team had been "on the bubble" for the NCAA; now it seemed that bubble might burst. I was then the school's first sports information director. I got a long-distance call Sunday morning from Coach Bob Vanatta informing me he had sent a Western Union telegram to the NIT selection committee, signing my name to it, informing them I had inside information the NCAA would be offering the Tigers a bid at noon Monday. Coach V was putting pressure on the NIT to get their invite in ahead of the NCAA's. It worked. A couple hours later, the invite came, and Dr. C.C. Humphreys, then athletic director, accepted. Most people expected Memphis State to serve as cannon fodder to Utah, their first-round opponent on Saturday. But the Tigers, without a player over 6'5", won 77-75. On Monday night, the Tigers played the local favorites, Manhattan. Again they were underdogs, and again Memphis won, and it was on to Thursday night's semifinal against St. Bonaventure. By now, Tiger fever had swept Memphis. Chartered buses rushed to Gotham. Some 200 cheering fans arrived at the Garden only minutes before tip-off. Memphis State won in overtime to advance to the finals against Bradley. Mayor Edmund Orgill led an entourage of Memphis dignitaries to the finals. By now, the Tigers were the talk of New York City. A Cinderella team. UPI assigned two photographers to follow us everywhere we went. Bradley, with All-Americans Barney Cable and Bobby Joe Mason (later to become a Harlem Globetrotter), jumped out to a huge lead in the first half, and it looked like Cinderella's bubble had popped. But Vanatta told the team that the game would be determined by the first five minutes of the second half. The Tigers came out of the locker room fired up and went on a 16-0 run that gave them a one-point lead. It stayed close to the very end. It was the closing moments that created most of the controversy. Memphis grabbed a defensive rebound and freshman forward Orby Arnold broke free near half-court. He got a long pass and seemed headed for a sure two points, but the Bradley defender body-blocked Orby to the ground. No foul was called, and Bradley was given the ball on a traveling call. Then, inside a minute to play, as Cable drove for a layup, Jake Butcher ever so slightly touched Cable's wrist while he was shooting. Cable sank two free throws to move Bradley ahead 84-83. Memphis' final chance came on a long jump shot from Bob Swander. I was sitting on the bench, and I could see almost immediately his shot was off slightly to the left. Bradley won, 84-83. The Tigers' Win Wilfong was voted NIT's MVP. As we left the dressing room, one of the referees from the Tigers-St. Bonnie game came up to me and said, "The referees screwed you guys." This, from a referee! That night, a generous Tiger fan took the whole team to Mama Leone's for dinner. The arrival home on Sunday night (actually, Monday morning) was at that point the biggest moment in Memphis sports history. The following week, Time magazine actually editorialized about the way the officials had stolen the game from Memphis State. So -- at least for those of us who were around in 1957 -- Thursday night's Sweet 16 game between Memphis and Bradley offers a long-overdue chance at payback. Go, Tigers! |
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| 03/24/06 | |
Tigers blitz Bradley for spot in Elite Eight (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Jim Masilak Contact March 24, 2006 OAKLAND, Calif. -- Zach Thomas didn't mind being the only member of the Blue Crew at The Arena in Oakland on Thursday to support the University of Memphis in the NCAA Tournament. Having hustled his way to California by appealing for funds on TV and canvassing friends and local businesses for assistance, Thomas was just happy to be at the Tigers' regional semifinal game against Bradley University at all. "I'm the only one from the Blue Crew here. The rest of them couldn't come -- not because they didn't want to, but because they didn't have enough money," said Thomas, a junior at the UofM. "The only bad part about my seat is that I can't stand up and cheer the whole time because people complain. I'm being constrained. It's horrible." Thomas and the 1,500 or so other UofM fans in attendance Thursday had plenty of reason to stand up and shout after watching the Tigers defeat Bradley, 80-64, and advance to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1992. Rodney Carney scored 23 points and Darius Washington added 18 as the top-seeded Tigers moved within one game of their first Final Four in 21 seasons. The UofM (33-3) will play Saturday at 6:05 p.m. CST against No. 2 seed UCLA, a 73-71 winner over Gonzaga, with a trip to the Final Four in Indianapolis on the line. The Tigers beat the Bruins in the semifinals of the NIT Season Tip-off, 88-80. Shawne Williams scored 26 points to lead the UofM Nov. 23 in New York. Memphian Caleb Jones wasn't about to be left behind on what he hopes will be the Tigers' road to the Final Four in Indianapolis. Sporting a blue wig and a faded blue and gray Lorenzen Wright jersey, Jones, who unloads planes for FedEx, flew to San Francisco Thursday morning. "I'm tired," he said. "I tried to sleep on the plane but I was too amped up." Jones said he was the only person to show up at the UofM when tickets went on sale Monday afternoon. "I was wondering where everybody was," he said. "They said everyone else was using the phone. But I was able to get tickets." And a FedEx-discounted flight and a hotel room to boot. "Airfare, $90. Tickets, $130. Hotel room, $185," Jones said. "Being right here for all of this: priceless." Dr. Sam Koja knows how Jones was feeling. He wasn't about to miss the Tigers' first Sweet 16 appearance in 11 years either. A former Memphian, Koja spent his birthday Wednesday driving from his home in Bluefield, W. Va., to Charlotte, where he caught a flight to San Francisco before finally joining five friends at the very top of the arena -- Section 201, Row 19, to be exact. "We had a friend who was supposed to be influential. We were supposed to be behind the Tigers' bench, and look where we are," said Abdo Sakaan, who sat with Koja just beneath the rafters. "But that's OK." Perhaps no one went through more to be with the Tigers in Oakland than Thomas. He woke up at 3 a.m. Thursday and drove two-plus hours to Little Rock. From there he caught a flight to Phoenix and finally to San Francisco. After finally arriving in Northern California at 11 a.m. local time, Thomas missed a bus to the Tigers' pregame pep rally in Berkeley. "By the time I go to sleep tonight I'll feel like I got hit by a train," Thomas said. "I'm really glad I got to come and glad for the people who helped me get here. "But this is just the next step on the journey to winning it all." -- Jim Masilak: 529-2311 |
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| 03/24/06 | |
High-flying Tigers are stats crews' nightmare (Commercial Appeal) |
| OAKLAND, Calif. -- THERE was 11:10 left in the game when the courtside stats monitors started to blow.
BANG!
"I saw the smoke," said Memphis guard Antonio Anderson. "I was nervous."
POOF!
"I didn't know what was happening," said point guard Andre Allen. "It was crazy."
James Young, who helps with operations, grabbed the sizzling screens and headed for the exits.
"Power surge!" he said.
OK, that's a reasonable explanation. But isn't it possible the Memphis offense had something to do with it?
Young laughed.
Which is not the same as a denial, you'll notice.
"We were putting too many stats up," said point guard Darius Washington. "They couldn't keep up with us."
Who can, at this point? Who even dares to try?
Memphis blew into the Elite Eight with a high-flying, head-turning, circuit-breaking 80-64 win over the Bradley Braves at The Arena at Oakland.
It was the Tigers' third straight 16-point win in the tournament.
The oddsmakers must be scratching their heads over that one.
Not to mention the experts who said the Tigers would be the first No. 1 seed to go ...
... uh, into the Elite Eight, they must have meant!
"We're not worrying about that," said Shawne Williams.
Yeah, but it's still entertaining to watch the stunned expressions on press row. Actual questions posed to yours truly in the wake of Thursday night's performance:
"Does the sports information guy keep track of dunks?"
"Do they always play like this?"
"When John Calipari says his three stars have to be stars, which three is he referring to?"
It was as if the nation was finally waking up to the very real possibility that the best collection of college basketball players this year might be living and dribbling in Memphis.
Not just the best collection of athletes, either.
"They're skilled," Calipari said. "What they are are skilled basketball players who can all pass, catch and have a feel for the game. That's what they are."
(Pause).
"And there's a lot of them, which makes it nice."
Unless you're the opposition coach, of course, in which case it must be hard to keep track of which player is dunking on your head at any particular moment.
Ten players scored for the Tigers Thursday, three in double figures.
Shawne Williams (12) was nearly as spectacular as Darius Washington (18) who was nearly as spectacular as Rodney Carney (23).
"I think the demoralizing part of it is, when you're coaching, you look down there and we have three more guys at the bench, and they're chomping at the bit at the scorer's table to go back in," Calipari said. "It's like, for the other team, 'Who is this guy? The tenth guy? Who is this? '"
Uh, that's Allen, the walk-on. And he just threw a no-look pass to Joey Dorsey who turned it into something hellacious.
So much for the theory that Bradley could run with the Tigers, eh? Remember that in the future, kids. There's a fine line between fearlessness and lunacy.
Oh, sure, Bradley hung in there for a while. Then Williams threw in this absurd 3-pointer, and Carney turned a rebound into a dunk, and Washington swerved through the lane for a basket and ...
POW!
Smoke, everywhere.
"We lost a neutral in one of the phases," said Young.
Yeah, yeah. There are still disbelievers, evidently.
Which is OK with the Tigers, who were as relaxed as ever in the locker room afterward. Allen, the point guard, burst into a crowd of reporters, paper and pen in hand, to ask Calipari a question.
"So how do you feel about the win, Coach?" he said.
Calipari didn't hesitate.
"If I could get that Andre Allen to play," he said
Allen cracked up over that one.
Then they were off to the hotel, to await the winner of Gonzaga vs. UCLA.
No, they weren't going to watch the game. That's what coaches are for.
"No matter who it is, we're going to do what we do," said Williams.
Memphis by 16, anyone? To reach Geoff Calkins, call him at 529-2364 or e-mail |
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| 03/24/06 | |
Tigers replay: Bradley (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Gary Parrish and Jim Masilak Contact March 24, 2006 As the game turned Though the Tigers dominated most the first half, they still only managed a 35-30 advantage at the break while failing on a couple of occasions to create serious separation. But when Memphis opened the second half on a 7-1 run that was capped by Rodney Carney's second 3-pointer of the contest, the UofM had its first double-digit lead of the game at 42-31, and that there was still 18:21 remaining meant the Tigers still had plenty of time for more dunks and 3-pointers on their way to the victory. So that's what they did, dunked more and made more 3-pointers. Consequently, the lead ballooned to as many as 19 points, and Bradley never threatened again down the stretch while the Tigers simply padded the box score on their way to an 80-64 victory. As the rotation turned The Tigers relied more on their starting five than they have heretofore in the NCAA Tournament, with Antonio Anderson, Darius Washington, Joey Dorsey, Shawne Williams and Carney all playing at least 28 minutes Thursday. Andre Allen played 16 minutes and had a team-high five assists off the bench. He again spent a good deal of his time on the court alongside Washington. Chris Douglas-Roberts, who again came off the bench, was the only other sub to play more than 10 minutes. The freshman guard scored four points in 12 minutes. Kareem Cooper came in early on for Dorsey but was pulled after chucking up an ill-advised 3-pointer. He played just eight minutes and scored two points. With Williams avoiding early foul trouble for once -- he sat for 15 first-half minutes in the second-round win over Bucknell -- freshman forward Robert Dozier was limited to six minutes of action. Rim gems While Williams missed one dunk in what with hindsight can be called amusing fashion, he made no mistake in depositing a first-half alley-oop from Allen. After a blocked shot by Carney, Allen picked up a loose ball in the backcourt, zipped down the middle of the court and tossed the ball in the air for Williams, who flushed it with both hands. "If I see them coming and I see they're wide open, I'm gonna throw it to them," Allen said. "They know what to do with it from there." Carney got in on the act later in the first half when he picked Daniel Ruffin's pocket and ran in for one of his trademark one-handed dunks. The best, however, might have come moments later when Allen faked a 3-point shot and instead rifled a pass under the basket to Dorsey, who flushed it with both hands in powerful fashion. Hide your eyes Patrick O'Bryant was an intimidating presence in the middle, and it was easy to tell by watching the way Dorsey attacked the rim. The sophomore's first shot missed badly only because Dorsey seemed more determined to avoid O'Bryant's hand than hit the basket. The result was Dorsey missing his first four shots, and his only make of the first half came on a transition dunk. Dorsey came in shooting 65.4 percent from the field. In this game, he missed 6-of-9 attempts, and despite grabbing 11 rebounds he was still beaten on the boards by O'Bryant, who got 14 rebounds to go with his eight points. Another bad spot? That was Dorsey's technical foul in the second half for getting into the face of a Bradley player. "The technical bothered me, and I'm going to tell you why," said Memphis coach John Calipari. "What if that was a close game? What could that kid have said that led you to get a technical? That's why I took him out and sat him. I'm not worried about this game. I'm worried about the next game. You don't want that." Scorer's table Memphis was getting killed on the boards at the half and trailing 23-15 in respect to rebounds. But over the final 20 minutes things changed, as the Tigers became more aggressive, and Memphis turned that 23-15 deficit into a 41-35 advantage. Put another way, Memphis was plus-14 on the boards in the second half, and it held O'Bryant to just three boards in 15 second-half minutes. "I think they just started attacking the glass a lot harder and using their athleticism to their advantage," O'Bryant said. "I don't think they came as hard in the first half. We were able to get a lot of rebounds on them (in the first half). (But) I'm sure they probably got yelled at for it or whatever by their coach, and they just came after it harder." Go Figure 2 -- Number of times Memphis has played in the Final Four. A win Saturday, and that number changes to three. 5 -- Number of assists Andre Allen produced in just 16 minutes. He added three rebounds, three points and two steals for a solid outing in a limited role. 14 -- Number of turnovers Bradley committed in the first half. The statistic offered early proof that the Braves weren't built to handle Memphis' pressure. 23 -- Number of times Rodney Carney has reached double-figures in points during his past 24 outings after scoring 23 points against Bradley. The only exception was an eight-point effort against UAB in the Conference USA title game. |
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| 03/24/06 | |
Tiger backers pack sports bars with long-distance dedication (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Sherri Drake Contact March 24, 2006 Even when things were tight going into halftime, University of Memphis junior Dave Smith had complete confidence in his Tigers. "We're going to the Final Four, there's no doubt about that," Smith said. And Thursday night, they got closer to Smith's prediction, landing in the Elite Eight with an 80-64 win over Bradley. U of M students, fans and alumni packed into sports clubs on the Highland strip Thursday night to cheer their team to victory. Waitresses, some in Memphis jerseys, hurried around the clubs bringing round after round of beer and food. Tiger fans cheered, yelled, jumped, clapped, high-fived and watched on big-screen televisions as the team stretched its lead. "We're number one, baby!" yelled 20-year-old Ryan Porter. "You can't touch us, baby!" His table of friends led the crowd at Gill's Bar & Grill in a pumped-up chant. "T - I - G - E - R - S. Tigers!" Anna Rosengarten, 22, has been proudly wearing Tiger blue and gray at her school. Problem is, she goes to the University of Maryland. "I go to Maryland, but I love the Tigers more." Rosengarten, who was raised in Memphis as a Tiger fan, was home on spring break and watched the game at Gill's with friends and her dad, who graduated from the U of M. "I've been a Memphis fan since I was old enough to walk," she said. "This is a huge deal." Nathan Davis, 26, has been watching the Tigers since he started walking, too. He and his uncle Phillip Alexander, 35, have season tickets, and Davis hasn't missed a home game in four years. Thursday night at Gill's he cheered like he was in the stands. "Believe it or not, they can hear me," said Davis, watching the game on televisions at the bar. "Really, they can't. But it helps me to yell at them." "This is big time," Alexander said. "Just like Coach Cal said, we're chasing greatness and we're about to catch it." Next door at Newby's, crowds gathered around the bar and in front of two huge televisions. Brothers and longtime Tiger fans Tee Brice and Teddy Thomas got philosophical. "We've always been like a diamond in the rough," Brice said. "But we're not rough any more, we're shining." "I just count it a blessing to be able to stand and see history be made," Thomas said. "Memphis has a lot of love for the team. It's a good time for Memphis." -- Sherri Drake: 529-2510 |
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| 03/24/06 | |
D-Wash bullies way out of slump (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Jim Masilak Contact March 24, 2006 OAKLAND, Calif. -- Darius Washington made a timely return to form Thursday night by tapping his inner bully. Reminded by University of Memphis coach John Calipari of his penchant for dominating smaller opponents, the sophomore point guard shrugged off his recent struggles by scoring 18 points in the Tigers' 80-64 victory over Bradley in an NCAA Tournament regional semifinal game at The Arena in Oakland. Faced with 5-10, 165-pound Bradley guard Daniel Ruffin, the 6-2, 195-pound Washington was energized from the opening tip, scoring five of the Tigers' first seven points and leading the UofM to its first Elite Eight appearance in 14 years. "Before the game, coach said, 'Remember back to high school,' " UofM freshman guard Chris Douglas-Roberts said. "He said he went to a couple of high school games where 'Wash' was playing where he had 5-9 guards on him, and he had big games. He reverted to that today." Washington had been subdued and largely subpar in the Tigers' previous four games, going a combined 10-for-29 from the field. The nadir came in the form of a 1-for-6 shooting effort in the Tigers' second-round NCAA win over Bucknell. It probably didn't help that as Washington was searching inside himself for answers, freshman point guard Andre Allen was earning major plaudits for his play in the tournament. "It was probably a confidence thing, and that's weird because Washington has the most confidence of anybody I've ever met," Douglas-Roberts said. "We were encouraging him and coach was encouraging him. We wanted him to have a game we knew he could have and has had." Perhaps the most welcome sight of the tournament thus far for the Tigers was that of Washington scoring five quick points, with an aggressive layup and spot-on 3-pointer, in the opening 2:15 of the game against the Braves. Washington, who attacked the basket with vigor, was 8-for-14 in all from the field against Bradley (22-11), and Thursday's game was the first in the Tigers' last 14 that he has hit at least eight field goals. "He wasn't so uptight. He was out there talking and doing his normal thing. The last few games he kind of had his head down and was quiet, almost like he was sad," Allen said. "But he was so energetic today. He came out attacking right away. (Shoot), I was happy for him. I gave him the biggest hug he had all night." That was due in part to Calipari's pre-game pep talk, which harkened back to Washington's days at Orlando Edgewater High. "I wanted the team to know, you know what, he can do this because he's gonna have a small guy on him and this is gonna be his game," Calipari said. "I'm proud of him and the way he played. We needed him at some point to step up and play like this." While Washington played down his recent slump from the field and his trouble running the point, he admitted having a smaller player in front of him helped convince him this might finally be his night. "The last few games I didn't have great games, and Andre stepped up. Today I just came out and relaxed and played my game. I did what the team needed me to do. I went in and got a few early baskets, and that was the whole key," said Washington, who had just one assist. "In high school, when I got a shorter guy on me, I used my tallness and strength to my advantage. Having a shorter guy on me gave me confidence, and I made him pay for it." It came as a major relief to his teammates, who had previously dismissed questions about Washington's performance level. "He had a breakout game, and that's what he needed," freshman guard Antonio Anderson said. "He hadn't been playing too well the last few games. He told us today in the locker room this was going to be his day, and it was." -- Jim Masilak: 529-2311 |
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| 03/24/06 | |
Sweet to Elite -- Tigers run all over upstart Braves (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Gary Parrish Contact March 24, 2006 OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Bradley players spent a lot of time leading up to this Sweet 16 talking about how they planned to play the University of Memphis straight up. The phrase they used was "no fear." Now, they're not here. Not anymore. And if teams weren't previously concerned about running with the Tigers, they probably have to be following Thursday's 80-64 victory over Bradley that put athleticism and talent on display and sent Memphis to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1992. "It played into our favor," said UofM point guard Darius Washington, who proved his worth to this team by dominating with penetration en route to 18 points mostly via floaters in the lane. "They wanted to run, and we're down with running because that's our style. That's Memphis basketball. We run. They wanted to run with us. We got the victory." Memphis is now just one win away from its third Final Four in history, and first since Keith Lee and company accomplished the feat in 1985. On Saturday at 6:05 p.m. (CST), the top-seeded Tigers (33-3) will play second-seeded UCLA (30-6) here at The Arena in Oakland, and they'll need to do only what they already did back on Nov. 23 -- beat UCLA -- to capture the Oakland Regional and advance to Indianapolis, where a possible NCAA Tournament title would await. "We're not trying to jump the gun, you know what I mean?" said Memphis freshman Shawne Williams, who helped the Tigers shoot 51.7 percent from the field. "We'll get prepared by Coach like we always do and go through the same process and procedures. But everybody knows it's hard to beat a team twice." What's not hard, however, is taking advantage of length and athleticism when an opponent is willing to play a style that allows it to happen. Such was the case in this affair, as Bradley (22-11) -- true to its word, for better or worse -- opted to pressure the ball and sprint with the Tigers against what most would call common sense. Here's what Bradley guard J.J. Tauai said before Thursday's game: "We don't want to go out there being afraid of them and go into a zone. We want to go out there and test our abilities and see how we match up. No fear." Here's what Bradley coach Jim Les said after Thursday's game: "Their pressure, their length and their athleticism bothered what we were trying to do. That created some mishaps." And fastbreaks. And dunks. And 3-pointers. And a close game ... for a while. Despite the Tigers leading by only a 35-30 margin at halftime, it was clear from the start that the tempo wasn't something Bradley could sustain. Memphis was getting handled on the boards, and still winning. So when John Calipari gathered his team in the locker room, the point of emphasis wasn't hard to guess because there was only one obvious statistical category that was preventing Memphis from pulling away. Go rebound. That's what the sixth-year Tiger coach yelled to everybody, and apparently everybody listened. Memphis turned a 23-15 rebounding deficit into a 41-35 rebounding advantage over the final 20 minutes, meaning the UofM out-rebounded Bradley by a 26-12 margin in the second half while pulling away and securing its third consecutive 16-point victory. "Basically, we knew we had to rebound," said Rodney Carney, a senior who led the Tigers with 23 points. "Once we hit the boards, that was the big difference in the game. We kicked it up. We got transition buckets. Once we started rebounding, that ended the game." Williams joined Carney and Washington as the third Tiger to finish in double-figures. He got 12 points and eight boards in 32 minutes, and was only out-rebounded by one teammate, namely Joey Dorsey (six points and 11 rebounds). "We really guarded, we rebounded in the second half and my stars were stars, all three of them," said Calipari, whose team held Bradley to a shooting percentage of .333. "Joey rebounded, and my three stars were stars. And we're pretty good when that happens." -- Gary Parrish: 529-2365 -------------------- Thursday's results OAKLAND REGIONAL Memphis 80, Bradley 64 UCLA 73, Gonzaga 71 ATLANTA REGIONAL LSU 62, Duke 54 Texas 74, West Virginia 71 Today's games MINNEAPOLIS REGIONAL Villanova vs. Boston College, 6:10 p.m.; WREG (3) Florida vs. Georgetown, around 8:40 p.m.; WREG (3) WASHINGTON REGIONAL Wichita State vs. George Mason, 6:27 p.m. Connecticut vs. Washington, around 8:57 p.m. |
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| 03/24/06 | |
Tiger Notes: Baseball, Golf, Softball (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Phil Stukenborg Contact March 24, 2006 Tiger baseball has tough schedule coming up If the improving University of Memphis baseball team is looking to boost its RPI rating, or its self confidence, it will get the opportunity. Beginning with tonight's start of a three-game weekend series against Tulane -- and ending with a two-game set against Mississippi State April 18 and 19 -- the Tigers will battle four of the nation's top programs, including No. 1 Mississippi State and No. 2 Rice. Tulane, Southern Miss, Rice and Mississippi State play 11 games against the Tigers during the one-month span and all but three -- a weekend series against Southern Miss in Hattiesburg -- will be played in Memphis. Tulane and Southern Miss also are ranked. Tulane is 18th and Southern Miss is 22nd. ''We've got a challenging gig coming up,'' said Tiger baseball coach Daron Schoenrock. ''I'm excited about it.'' If the rankings hold, the Tigers (11-8) would play, in six days, five games against the nation's No. 1 and 2 programs. Rice visits Nat Buring Stadium on the UofM's south campus April 14-16 and Mississippi State plays the Tigers April 18 at Nat Buring and April 19 at AutoZone Park. It's an imposing schedule for a Tiger program recovering from last year's 13-42 record. But Schoenrock, the former Mississippi State assistant in his second year at Memphis, has begun to make recruiting inroads and knows what is required to make the Tigers competitive in a strong baseball conference, of which Tulane, Rice and Southern Miss are members. He wants a team that is solid defensively and a pitching staff that limits its walks. ''You'd like to field (at a) .965 (percentage) and above,'' Schoenrock said. ''If you could field .970, with our offense, we'd win games, too.'' Schoenrock, whose team last year fielded at a .947 clip, said the upcoming schedule presents a barometer as much as it does a challenge. ''I expect that Tulane will be every bit as good as Ole Miss was,'' said Schoenrock, whose team dropped an 8-4 decision to the Rebels Tuesday. ''We've played well, but the difference is once you start conference play and mix in midweek games with Ole Miss and Mississippi State, those are teams that aren't going to give you anything. ''That's the kind of team I want to become, one that doesn't give you anything.'' Tulane likely will be one of those teams. The Green Wave will start Sean Morgan (4-1, 44 strikeouts in 39 innings), Brandon Gomes (five walks, 29 strikeouts in 36 innings) and Stephen Porlier (3-1, 2.54 earned-run average) during the weekend series. ''Tulane is going to be very good on the mound,'' Schoenrock said. ''They're not as potent on offense as they've been -- they lost two players that were high picks in the major-league draft -- but when you pitch as well as they do, you don't have to hit a lot.'' Fortin-Simard bags national honors The honors continue to pour in for UofM golfer Keven Fortin-Simard, a sophomore from Quebec. Fortin-Simard, a sophomore, was named Conference USA golfer of the week Thursday after winning a pair of national honors earlier in the week. Fortin-Simard was named national golfer of the week by Golfweek.com and Golf World following medalist honors at last weekend's Border Olympics tournament in Laredo, Texas. At the Border Olympics, Fortin-Simard set a school record for a 54-hole tournament by shooting 13-under 203. He had rounds of 66, 69 and 68. With his recent success -- he has been the medalist in two of three spring tournaments -- Fortin-Simard has climbed to 16th nationally in the Golfweek.com rankings. No other Tiger is ranked in the top 325. Fortin-Simard, who shot a school-record round of 9-under 63 earlier this spring at the Louisiana Classics, will lead the Tigers into the Carter Plantation Intercollegiate Monday and Tuesday hosted by Southeastern Louisiana. Busy stretch The Lady Tiger softball team, 3-2 in C-USA play, can make a move in the league standings beginning Saturday in Tulsa, Okla. Memphis battles league-leader Tulsa (5-1) in a three-game series that starts with a doubleheader Saturday. Lady Tiger coach Windy Thees' team has won three straight C-USA games and won a non-league doubleheader earlier this week from Grambling State, 13-1 and 17-0. ''We've gotten off to a pretty good start for a new program,'' Thees said. ''And we're getting better with every game, whether we're winning or losing. We're still learning.'' Thees said her team proved it belonged earlier this month in a tough loss to South Carolina in a tournament in Chapel Hill, N.C. ''We lost 2-1, but they had been running over people in that tournament and they were undefeated,'' she said. ''We actually had a 1-0 lead. We played a great game. That was really good for our players to play that well.'' -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543 |
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| 03/24/06 | |
DeAngelo set to show off for scouts today -- 40-yard dash could determine spot in draft (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Zack McMillin Contact March 24, 2006 After three months of training, DeAngelo Williams has come to this conclusion: Getting started is the hardest part of the process that will make him a very valuable professional football player. When he steps onto the track at the University of Memphis's pro day today on South Campus, at least three dozen NFL scouts will be standing 40 yards away, stopwatches out, fingers at the ready. And Williams will be focusing on one thing only -- getting off to a fast start. "We've been working on my start," Williams said. "My start is my worst thing. I've got good second and third, fourth and even a fifth gear, it's just getting on out, I kind of stall a little bit. I've been working on that extensively and hopefully it will work out for me (today)." It is an indication of the NFL's control-freak mentality that the 40-yard-dash, something so little resembling what actually happens in a football game, looms so large for Williams, who set numerous school, conference and NCAA rushing records in four years with the Tigers. Much as anything, his patience at the beginning of plays enabled him to see things develop, helping him to pass Tony Dorsett and Archie Griffith for most 100-yard games in a career. Yet, when the scouts watch him today, Williams will be leaning into an Olympic sprinter's crouch and thinking about things like elbow angles and toe positioning and staying low through 10 yards and going in a straight line as fast as he can for 40 yards. How often does a football player run in a straight line for 40 yards, without a football or pads or opponents? The pro scouts have seen him run over and around and through defenders. They have seen him catch passes, block, do the standing broad jump, bench press 225 pounds (a personal-best 25 times at the scouting combine in Indianapolis). They have not timed him in the 40, however, and that's what today is all about, even if the scouts will also take Williams and 14 other Tigers through various football drills inside the program's turf room. "I'm really excited," said Maurice Avery, Williams's roommate and teammate who will try to show his skills as a receiver today. "It seems like we've been waiting on this day forever." Williams and Avery spent most of the last three months at the lavish training facility built by D1 Sports in Franklin, Tenn., under the tutelage of Judd Granzow, a former Tennessee football player. Williams expects to weigh 210 today and feels well-prepared for the two 40-yard runs that could make the difference in him being a Top 10 pick or Top 20 pick in the April 29 NFL Draft. Williams is one of a handful of draft prospects the NFL is bringing to Los Angeles next week to film commercials promoting ESPN's coverage of the NFL Draft. "Two runs, that's it, and it can determine a lot of money," Williams said. "I put all my faith in Judd Granzow to get me right and get me ready. Four years I invested a lot of time in coach (Mike) Stark, too, and so I feel like I am ready. "I think when it all comes down to it, I will be faster than they think I am." Does he have a number in mind? 4.4 seconds? 4.3? "I do, but I'm going to keep it to myself," Williams said. Although interviews with teams and even private workouts could follow, the pro day is the final step for Williams in a three-month process he has called a long job interview. "It's been long," Williams said. "It's been long and slow. It's like this hurry up and wait mentality. It's like, 'When is this going to end?'" -- Zack McMillin: 529-2564 |
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| 03/23/06 | |
Men's Tennis Falls at Ole Miss, 7-0 -- Tigers fall to 4-10 on the season (GoTigersGo.com) |
| DOUBLES #1 Claesson/Tveit (OM) def. Spence/Withell (UM) 8-5 #2 ten Berge/Di Cesare (OM) def. Jetter/Bankester (UM) 8-1 #3 Poole/Di Cesare (OM) def. Brewer/Putra (UM) 8-2 SINGLES #1 Erling Tveit (OM) def. James Spence (UM) 7-6, 6-3 #2 Eric Claesson (OM) def. Sam Withell (UM) 6-3, 6-2 #3 Bram ten Berge (OM) def. Michael Jetter (UM) 6-2, 6-3 #4 Juan Pablo Di Cesare (OM) def. Matt Brewer (UM) 6-2, 6-3 #5 Robbye Poole (OM) def. Tezar Putra (UM) 6-0, 6-4 #6 Jakob Klaeson (OM) def. Bryan Bankester (UM) 6-1, 6-0 |
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| 03/23/06 | |
Tigers Advance to Elite Eight with Convincing Win Over Bradley, 80-64 -- Rodney Carney scores 23 points to lead Memphis (GoTigersGo.com) |
| OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Rodney Carney counts on his first dunk of a game igniting his teammates' intensity. He dunked all right, he jumped in the passing lanes on defense, and Carney kept top-seeded Memphis from becoming another victim of Bradley's surprising NCAA run. Carney contributed on both ends of the floor Thursday, scoring 23 points and leading a stingy defense that gave Memphis an 80-64 victory and put the Tigers in the regional final for the first time since 1992 - back when Anfernee Hardaway was their star. "That's what my dunks do," said Carney, who added three steals. "I spark the team with run-through dunks. It gives the team intensity. I want to dunk on 7-foot guys." Darius Washington Jr. added 18 points and Shawne Williams had 12 points, eight rebounds and four blocks as Memphis won the third round of the Oakland Regional for its seventh straight victory. Carney raised his arms in the air in celebration after a two-handed jam midway through the second half, one of several emphatic dunks by the 6-foot-7 forward who was virtually unknown when he first arrived at Memphis. Now, he is one win from finishing his stellar collegiate career in his hometown of Indianapolis for the Final Four. Coach John Calipari's young Tigers (33-3), an NIT team last season, advanced to Saturday's regional final against the winner of Thursday's late game between second-seeded UCLA and No. 3 Gonzaga. The Tigers beat both those teams early this season. "We really guarded. We rebounded in the second half, and my stars were stars - all three of them," Calipari said. "We're pretty good when that happens. ... Your senior better do his thing, and he's doing it." Patrick O'Bryant had 11 of his 14 rebounds in the first half and only scored eight points for Bradley (22-11), which at No. 13 was the lowest seed still alive in the tournament. The Braves will return home to another hero's welcome after they turned the program into a household name and brought national attention to the town of Peoria, Ill., where they play. "I think we put Bradley basketball back on the map," O'Bryant said. The Braves had been the NCAA spoiler so far after beating Kansas and Pittsburgh to reach their first regional semifinal since 1955 when it was 24-team tournament, but they began the second half 4-for-16 and struggled to get open looks at the basket against speedy, aggressive Memphis. The Tigers took Bradley right out of its preferred half-court offense. "They wanted to run, and we run," Washington said. "That's Memphis basketball." Bradley committed 14 first-half turnovers, then took better care of the ball after halftime but couldn't make shots. Coach Jim Les was whistled for a technical with 8:29 remaining for arguing, a sign of his team's frustration down the stretch. After the Braves cut the lead to seven with 12:25 left, Williams hit a 3-pointer with the shot clock winding down to start a 7-0 Memphis run that also featured Carney's dazzling dunk. "There's a reason why they're the (fourth)-ranked team in the country and a No. 1 seed," Les said. "We needed to play our 'A' game and we didn't play our 'A' game because of what they do and how they play." The 7-foot O'Bryant faced two or three defenders almost every time he caught the ball in the paint. Marcellus Sommerville led Bradley with 18 points - making nine of 10 free throws - and eight rebounds and Lawrence Wright added 14 points. Memphis forward Joey Dorsey picked up a technical, his seventh of the season, with 16:27 remaining after jawing with Wright. Dorsey's teammates were furious with his lack of composure and got in his face to let him know it. Sommerville hit both free throws to pull Bradley within 42-35. The Tigers weren't about to let one guy bring them down. This postseason is redemption of sorts for this squad boasting four freshmen and three sophomore regulars. A year ago, with Memphis down by two to Louisville in the Conference USA tournament championship game, Washington got fouled shooting a 3-pointer as the final buzzer sounded. Alone at the line, he had a chance to win the game by making all three free throws. He hit the first and missed the next two, then fell to the floor in heartbreak as the Tigers' NCAA hopes slipped away. Bradley won nine of its final 11 games and captured the attention of the country at a school that last gained this much national exposure in men's basketball during the days of Hersey Hawkins. Memphis, the Conference USA regular-season and tournament champion, led 35-30 at halftime and started the second half with a 7-0 spurt to take control for good. Bradley missed five shots and committed three turnovers in its first seven possessions and fell behind 7-0 before taking a timeout at 17:45. O'Bryant finally got the Braves on the board with a putback at 16:27. |
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| 03/23/06 | |
Tiger Baseball Hosts No. 14 Tulane in Conference USA's Opening Weekend -- Tigers looks to end two-game losing skid (GoTigersGo.com) |
| MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis will open its C-USA schedule with a three-game set against defending league champs, #14 Tulane, March 24-26. Friday night's series-opener marks the second-straight year that Memphis opened the conference schedule at home. First pitch at Nat Buring Stadium on Friday night is set for 6:30 p.m. Game times for Saturday and Sunday's contests are both set for 2 p.m. Scouting the Green Wave The Green Wave enters the Conference USA schedule with a 15-8 mark and is ranked as high as 14th nationally. Tulane is winners of four of its last six, including taking a weekend series from South Alabama last week. The Wave started the season 8-2 with wins over #7 Texas and #9 Pepperdine. In all, Tulane has played six games against four Top-25 teams. In those contests, they are 2-4 with a pair of those loses coming in games that were decided by two runs or less. This weekend will be first true road series for Tulane as 17 of its 23 games have been played at Turchin Stadium or Zephyr Field. The Wave, who were tabbed to finish second in the C-USA Preseason Poll, are not a team the Tigers want to let get a lead as TU is a perfect 11-0 when leading after seven innings and 14-0 when leading after eight. Tulane has outscored its opponents 134-97 this year. Tulane's offense is full of notables that have garnered national and conference recognitions. TU is hitting .296 on the year and is led by Baseball America Second Team Preseason All-America Mark Hamilton and Warren McFadden. Both are batting at a .349 clip. Hamilton, who was named NCAA New Orleans Regional Most Outstanding Player last year, has hit a team-high five of the team's 11 home runs and leads the Wave with 19 RBI, 30 hits and a .593 slugging percentage. Hamilton was noted as 33rd-best junior in the country by Baseball America. The redshirt freshman McFadden has started in 22 games and is the team leader in doubles with 10. He has also knocked a pair of triples and driven in 16 runs. McFadden was noted as the 34th-best freshman in the country by Baseball America. Senior outfielder Nathan Southard is the Conference USA leader in stolen bases with 14 in 16 attempts. Southard was tabbed a First Team Preseason All-America performer by Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball and Rosenblatt Report. The pitchers mound is where Tulane can attribute most of its success this year. The Green Wave staff has a 3.78 ERA and is holding opposing hitters to just .258 hitting. Sean Morgan (4-1) was listed as Baseball America's 17th-best sophomore in the nation. He maintains a 3.66 ERA and leads the team with 44 strikeouts. He is one of four C-USA pitchers with two performances of 10 or more strikeouts. Stephen Porlier is the team leader in ERA with a 2.54 clip in 28.1 innings. He has fanned 19 against just eight walks. Opponents are hitting just .206 against the freshman who is 3-1. Tulane has five saves and all five have come from the arm of Daniel Latham. Latham is one of three C-USA pitchers on the 30-man NCBWA Stopper List. He is third in the league in saves and has a 2-2 record in 14 appearances. The Series Tulane holds a 33-26 advantage in the all-time series between the two schools. The series dates back to the 1976 season in Metro Conference play. Since the construction of Conference USA, Tulane has defeated the Tigers 26 times in 32 games. The Wave swept Memphis in three game series' 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2004. In addition, Tulane defeated Memphis twice in the 2001 C-USA tournament. The Tigers last win over the Green Wave came in 2004 when Derek Hankins pitched Memphis to a 4-0 win. Memphis' lone series win against Tulane was in 1996. Memphis won two-games-to-one. Last Time Out for the Tigers Memphis dropped its second-consecutive game Wednesday night, falling to Arkansas State 5-3. A triple by Adam Amar and a two-run home run by Robbie Goss highlighted a three-run second inning, but that was all the runs Memphis' offense could muster. Memphis responded to a one-run first inning by Arkansas State with the three-run second to take a 3-1 lead. A triple by Adam Amar tied the game a 1-1 and then Robbie Goss belted a towering drive over the left centerfield wall for a two-run home run. The homer was the first of Goss' career and put Memphis ahead 3-1. ASU cut the Memphis lead to 3-2 in the third and then took the lead for good, 4-3, in the fifth inning. The Tribe tacked on one more score for the 5-3 final. Tiger starter Lance Scoggins (1-1) took the loss. The southpaw hurled four innings and allowed four runs on eight hits. Freshman Matt Yokley was effective in four innings of relief, holding the Tribe to one run on three hits. Five ASU pitchers, held the Tigers offense to just two hits over the final seven innings of play. Stat Comparison Category Memphis Tulane Batting Batting Average .310 .296 Runs 140 134 Hits 212 227 Doubles 40 38 Triples 5 6 Home Runs 13 11 RBI 127 118 Slugging Pct. .441 .404 SB-SBA 26-31 28-40 Pitching ERA 5.59 3.78 Complete Games 0 0 SHO/CBO 1/1 1/1 Saves 4 5 Innings Pitched 169.0 207.0 Hits 220 205 Runs 127 97 Earned Runs 105 87 Walks 55 49 Strikeouts 115 174 Batting Average .315 .258 Fielding Assists 226 206 Errors 36 19 Double Plays 21 18 Fielding Pct. .953 .978 |
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| 03/23/06 | |
Two-Run Fifth, Solid Pitching Propels Softball to Split With SEMO -- Lady Tigers drop first half of double-header, but rebound to claim game two (GoTigersGo.com) |
| SEMO 200 000 0 - 2 7 2 Memphis 010 000 0 - 1 7 0 SEMO 000 101 0 - 2 6 0 Memphis 100 020 0 - 3 5 1 SOUTHAVEN, Miss. - A two-run fifth inning and a strong pitching effort from Jenna Kubesch propelled the Memphis softball team to a 3-2 win in the second half of a double-header against Southeast Missouri State Thursday at Greenbrook Park. The Lady Tigers dropped game one of the twinbill 2-1 before rebounding to take game two. Memphis and Southeast Missouri were tied at one entering the bottom of the fifth in game two, but the U of M came up with two runs to take a 3-1 lead en route to the victory. Kubesch worked the full seven innings, allowing six hits and just one earned run, while tying a Lady Tiger season-high with 10 strikeouts to help the U of M earn a split in the double-header. "We pitched very well today," said Coach Windy Thees. "Both pitchers (Kubesch and Nicki Johnson) threw great games against a really tough offensive team." Johnson took a tough loss in game one, striking out nine and giving up seven hits and two earned runs to a strong Redhawk team that extended its win streak to nine games in the first game of the day. Both halves of the double-header were extremely tight throughout. Memphis struck first in game two with a run in the bottom of the first, when Cara Stiles scored on a wild pitch. Southeast Missouri came back to plate a run in the top of the fourth, using a single and a Lady Tiger error to knot the game at one. Memphis reclaimed the lead with the two-run bottom of the fifth, using two hits and a pair of walks to take a 3-1 advantage. Kara Ross dealt the big blow with a single down the rightfield line to score Stiles. Leila Dolfo added the second run, scoring on a wild pitch to give the U of M a two-run lead. SEMO cut the deficit to in half with a Lauren Bradley solo homerun to lead off the sixth. Stephanie Huffman attempted to add another run, but Stiles preserved the lead as she reached over left-centerfield fence to rob the Southeast pitcher of a game-tying homerun. Kubesch then recorded the final five outs in much quieter fashion to pick up the win and move her record to 7-3 on the season. Stiles led the U of M offense in game two, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Game one was just as close as the second contest of the day, with the squads putting all three runs on the board in the first two innings before the pitchers took over. SEMO scored both of its runs in the top of the first, with second-baseman Michelle Summers leading off the game with a solo homerun and Huffman doubling to score Charlene Ramirez. The Lady Tigers scored their lone run in the bottom of the second when Lindsey Pridgen reached on a fielder's choice, and came home on an infield single by Stiles. Memphis had a number of additional threats, but could never push a second run across, amassing 10 runners left on base. Johnson shut the Redhawks down after the first inning, but took the hard-luck loss to fall to 7-5 on the season. The U of M offense tallied seven hits on the game, with Bridgette McNulty going 2-for-4 to lead the way. "I was really proud of the way our team played today," said Thees. "We made some mistakes, but made some great plays too. We played two tough games against a very solid team." With the split, Memphis moves to 17-11 on the season. The squad will next be in action Saturday and Sunday, March 25-26 when it travels to Tulsa, Okla., to take on the University of Tulsa in its third Conference USA series of the year. |
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| 03/23/06 | |
Tigers Compete with Local Schools for the Tim McCage Cup -- Tournament honors former Memphis soccer player (GoTigersGo.com) |
| For Immediate Release Contact: Brandon Kolditz wkolditz@memphis.edu, (901) 678-2444 MEMPHIS - Battling against area collegiate soccer programs, the University of Memphis men's soccer team will attempt to capture the Tim McCage Cup on Saturday in spring exhibition action. The Tigers will compete against Christian Brothers University, Rhodes College and Lambuth University for the tournament trophy. The event is free to the public. Memphis will host CBU at Echles Field at 9 a.m. while Rhodes hosts Lambuth at the same time at Rhodes Field. The winner of the morning game will then meet in the championship at the Mike Rose Soccer Stadium at 6 p.m. The losers will play in a consolation game at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex during the same time. In previous years, local colleges competed for the Memphis Cup in the spring. Last year the Tigers won the fifth-annual Memphis Cup Tournament at Rhodes College. For the past five seasons, the U of M has also hosted an annual Tim McCage 7v7 Tournament, a tournament the Tigers also won last year. This spring the schools have combined the two tournaments to create the Tim McCage Cup. "We are proud to continue the tradition of having an event named in the honor of Tim McCage," said Memphis head coach Richie Grant. "It is nice to have his name recognized among the local colleges in this tournament." Tim McCage was a former Memphis Tiger soccer player who saw action in six games during the 1990 season. McCage scored his only collegiate goal against Rhodes College in the Mayor's Cup in Memphis on September 20, 1990. McCage also had an assist against Southeast Missouri State on November 26, 1990. He died in an accident during spring break after his freshman season. "Although he was only with us for one season, Tim McCage will always be a part of Memphis soccer," said Chris Bartels, who coached McCage at Memphis. "He is greatly missed, but the impact of his life and his death will be felt for years to come." McCage was a four-year letterman in soccer at Craigmount. He was named the captain of the Chiefs for three years. During his career, he scored 59 goals and had 40 assists. He was the CHS Most Valuable Player in 1988 and the Most Valuable Offensive Player in 1989. In 1989 he was a member of the All-District 17 team. He was the first recipient of the Peter Cordosi Sportsmanship Award at the Germantown Soccer Invitational in 1989. The Tigers are 1-1 in spring competition having lost to FC Dallas of the MLS, 0-2, and beating Portmarnock, 2-0. After the Tim McCage Cup, the Tigers will host Colaiste Ide on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Mike Rose Stadium. The U of M will then hold its annual silent auction on Thursday at South Campus at 7 p.m. Memphis will close its spring schedule on Sunday, April 2 with an exhibition against the Kansas City Wizards of the MLS in Kansas City, Mo., at 10 a.m. |
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| 03/23/06 | |
Fortin-Simard Named C-USA Golfer of the Week -- Accolades for sophomore pile up after record setting performance (GoTigersGo.com) |
| For Immediate Release Contact: Brandon Kolditz wkolditz@memphis.edu, (901) 678-2444 University of Memphis sophomore Keven Fortin-Simard was named the Conference USA Golfer of the Week on Thursday for his play during the week of March 15-21. Fortin-Simard, who was also named the National Golfer of the Week by Golfweek.com and Golf World, won medalist honors at the Border Olympics with a 54-round school record 203 (66-69-68). The previous record was 205 set by former teammate Andy Shiels last season. The Roberval, Quebec native helped the Tigers place second in the tournament held at the par-72 Laredo (Texas) Country Club. Fortin-Simard has won three tournaments this season and has had three-straight top six performances. His four career victories are the most in Tiger history. UCF senior Ashley Grier earned the C-USA Women's Golfer of the Week after posting her best finish of the season with a third-place showing at the Waterlefe Invitational. The Tigers will next compete in the Carter Plantation Intercollegiate on March 27-28. |
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| 03/23/06 | |
Spring Football: Day 6 (Commercial Appeal) |
| Observations from Day 6 of the University of Memphis' spring practice: With so much depth on the defensive front, would the Tigers entertain thoughts of going to a four-man front? Last year the Tigers were so depleted at the position by injury they were forced to resort to a two-man. Tommy West says it's too early to talk about such a change. He says there are questions that must be answered first. "Has (Cortez) McCraney gotten better? Is Ryan Williams going to chase the ball? Is Van (Houston) going to chase the ball? Is (Ole Miss transfer) Corey Mills as good as everyone thought he was? Is (Ole Miss transfer) Jada Brown going to be playing as good as we've seen? "We have to decide that before we can play with a four-man front. We're coming out of a 2-man front." It could be an enviable situation for coordinator Joe Lee Dunn. If everyone's healthy and playing up to their abilities, there's enough talent to field a formidable four-man front. |
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| 03/23/06 | |
Tiger Three Dozen (Commercial Appeal) |
| Tiger Three Dozen: Lisa From Lisa Kelly Eason, Memphis I’ll be watching the game at home with my husband and two toddler daughters, made possible with the assistance of that wonderful invention known as a digital video recorder. I’ll spend the two hours before tip-off making sure my girls are fed, bathed and happily involved in another room with whatever new toy I bribe them with, hoping that they’ll interrupt the game only minimally. As always, we’ll have to pause the game numerous times, but by fast forwarding through the commercials we should be caught up to “real time” about 8:10 (bedtime is at 8 sharp, at least for tonight). I was surprised to hear that Bradley will try to run with the Tigers. If they stick to that game plan, fatigue will be a factor in the second half as our depth proves too much for the Braves. The game may be close early, but I foresee a patented Tiger scoring spurt near the end of the first half, allowing Memphis to pull away and lead the rest of the way. Rodney Carney should score his customary 15-20 points, and I think Darius Washington is due for a really big night (I’d personally love to see him silence the critics). Joey Dorsey and Patrick O’Bryant will likely battle it out, so I hope Dorsey can avoid foul trouble. Shawne Williams and Antonio Anderson seem to have forgotten that they’re only freshmen and playing in the most important basketball games of their young lives, so let’s hope their amnesia isn’t cu red any time soon. Also, I think Andre Allen will continue to be a pleasant NCAA tourney surprise. Prediction for the final score: Memphis 78, Bradley 65. GO TIGERS! Tiger Three Dozen: Kelsey From Kelsey Hamilton, Memphis I think any Tiger fan would agree that this season has been magical. If anyone told me that the Tigers would be in the Sweet Sixteen this year, I would take that as a very successful season. With less than 24 hours away from tip-off, I am extremely excited to think of the possibilities that the Tigers have of making history. Throughout this season, we have been under the radar. The north-eastern bias of ESPN and Sports Illustrated has failed to even commend us on a more than extraordinary season. For me, it seems as though all we ever hear about are the talented UConn Huskies or the great combination of J.J. Redick and Sheldon Williams. The Tigers have something that many teams remaining in this tournament lack. We have about nine guys that can play big for us on a given night. We have a big man in Dorsey who can be a monster, a swing man in CDR who can drive, Antonio who can penetrate, Shawnee who can rebound and hit clutch baskets, Rodney and Darius who can score, and Andre who can elevate the Tigers in times when we need him. If you look at the tournament thus far, D-Wash has not played up to his potential and Carney did not play as well as he could have against Bucknell. Does that scare anybody? Well, of course not ESPN and all of the pessimists who believed that we wouldn’t live after the first round. We have so many threats that will eventually become evident as long as we continue to win in the postseason. The Tigers have my attention, and the entire city’s heart. Regardless if you questioned Calipari or doubted the Tiger’s integrity down the stretch, it is safe to say that this city is excited about the tournament. I have been raised as a die-hard Tiger fan, and I am so proud of my team. It has been the first time that my team has gone to the Sweet Sixteen, and it is a feeling that I will never forget. Tomorrow evening, I will nervously await tip-off at my home tomorrow. My dad is on a business trip, so I will not have my Tiger soul-mate with me. I am going to watch the game with my family and text my dad updated scores, which will hopefully end with a win. Bradley impressed me against Kansas and Pittsburgh, but we just have to focus on playing our game. As long as we play team ball and continue to stifle teams with our defense, I think we will be the team that no one wants to play. Go Tigers! Tiger Three Dozen: Pechone From Pechone Chambers, Memphis I was sitting here and remembering the big game between Bradley and MSU for the Championship of the NIT. Well that team was great. Then entered a new era some 12 years later; The Larry Finch and Ronnie Robinson era. That team was great as well. I think of the Big game for the final four with Ernie D of Providence and company , Great game. The teams played until you could almost feel how tired both teams were. Well the Tigers of today, with it's depth, will not have to deal with that; Only the opposite teams. This will get us in the final four. I just finished watching Sports Center and Quite Frankly, The Tigers are finally getting a little recognition. From this point on, the whole team must bring it's "A" game every night. Go, Tigers Go.............. Let's show the sports world who we are and where we come from. Tiger Three Dozen: Erik From Erik Henninger, Birmingham Wow, it's already gameday. Time flies when you’re constantly defending your team’s honor. Memphis is still getting zero respect in the national media. Pat Forde of ESPN won’t give it up! This from his most recent column: "The Braves scuttled what many figured would be Memphis' first big test of this tournament, against either Big 12 tournament champion Kansas or Big East toughie Pittsburgh." That’s funny Pat, I thought you said our first big test would be Oral Roberts, and that we would be the first #1 seed to ever go down in the first round? Tiger Three Dozen: Jim V. From Jim Vaden, Halls, Tenn. There aren’t many options for watching the Tigers play in our small community of Halls, but when the Tigers are away from home, there is a group of us that always get together to watch the Tigers on the tube. Robert and Cyndi will be the host for our “Halls Tigers” watch group tomorrow night, while plans are already in the works for a hopeful Elite 8 party on Saturday!!! By the way, we usually have a theme at our pregame meal for each opponent the Tigers play. For example, chicken for the Eagles of Southern Miss, steak for the Longhorns of Texas, etcetera. Since the mascot for Bradley is the Braves, we opted for a simpler, non-related theme: hamburgers. Of course you could say that hamburger is actually “chop” steak though. I expect the game with the Braves to go just about every other Tiger game has this season. Memphis will start out slow, throw a run on the Braves to squelch their confidence at the intermission and then sprint to the finish for a double-digit victory. Of course Bradley does pose a challenge for our frontcourt players with seven-footer Patrick O’Bryant in the middle. Joey Dorsey will have to continue his brilliant play since the start of the CUSA tournament and subs Kareem Cooper, Robert Dozier and Waki Williams will need to fill with quality time when Joey is off the floor. Look for the Tigers to continue their impressive defense and press Bradley into submission and out of the tournament. Is it 6:27 PM CST on Thursday yet? Go Tigers Go!!! Tiger Three Dozen: Alisa From Alisa D. Williams, Memphis I was invited to a Tiger Watch Party but I think I am going to watch the game at home with my two sons, ages 9 and 10, who are just getting into the Tiger Spirit. I even let them fill out Bracket Sheets for fun and they are doing very well. I will also be watching with my friend and co-worker Kay. We call each other during every commercial break and at halftime! We have to help Coach Cal out, you know! I am so proud of those boys! I will be so happy when we go all the way and shut all of those mouths! It was so funny how they had predicted the Tigers to be the first # 1 seed to lose to a # 16 seed and also as the first # 1 seed to fall but after making it to the Sweet Sixteen, we are finally getting some much due respect. All of a sudden, now, I'm hearing "The Tigers are so explosive", "The Tigers have such good defense" ,"The Tigers this...and the Tigers that" but even still, they still continue to get the least respect of all the # 1 seeds. Although Bradley is in the Sweet 16 for the first time and is one of several Cinderella teams in the tournament, the buck stops here for them because Memphis will triumph. With Coach Cal's experience and our team's athletic ability, we will go all the way! Two things are certain of tomorrow's game: 1) The Tigers will win and 2) Coach Cal will get a technical. LOL I truly believe this is going to be the first year that four # 1 seeds go to the Final Four....and if not, it won't be because Memphis isn't there! Tiger Three Dozen: Matt S. From Matt Scott, Oxford, Miss. I will be watching the game from my living room. It's hard to find other Tiger fans around here so I will most likely be joined only by my wife and my two little girls. I don't think my girls are quite old enough to remember this year like I remember the final four team of the '80s. I was 8 years old and growing up in East Memphis then, and I can still remember how much fun the games were. My dad and I would yell at the TV and he would seemingly try to start a fire clapping and rubbing his hands together each time the Tigers made a big play. I remember that they called Andre Turner "The little general." He was my favorite, but Baskerville Holmes and Keith Lee were the studs. My favorite team was the Memphis State Tigers and whoever was playing Louisville. I have been hooked on Tiger Basketball ever since. I knew after the first game I watched this year that this team was special. Calipari has loaded this team with skill and athleticism, and he's gotten them to play together. They even enjoy being around each other and honestly enjoy each other's success. Coach Cal has made them see that while draining 3's is nice they can't rely on it especially because they don't need to. The 3's they have been taking lately seem to be the open ones after the extra pass. He has also turned them into an iron curtain on the defensive end. There are times when the other team probably wonders if an extra Tiger or two has snuck into the game to help defend but they can't tell because of their blinding speed. Tiger Three Dozen: Felix From Felix Caldwell, Memphis I'll be at home watching with my wife Ann and my daughter Lauren and possible my mother-in-law Grace, who was there Sunday for the Bucknell victory. I'm superstition so I may try to make her come. I really hope the Tigers will come out focused as they've been doing since the C-USA tourney and establish a lead; letup like they tend to do but finish the game strong and in control at the end. If they keep up the hot shooting and one or more of the big three (D-Wash,Rodney, and Shawne) get it going it could be another 16 pt win. If you think about it they've been just like FedEx. They always deliver! GOOD LUCK and GO TIGERS!!!!!!!!! Tiger Three Dozen: Chad From Chad Langstraat, Germantown I am going to be watching the game with my father and hundreds of other Memphis fans LIVE IN OAKLAND ARENA! My flight leaves at 6:30am on Thursday. I will get to San Jose in just enough time to check into the hotel and then make the quick trip up to Oakland. I have been reading everything I can find on the Tigers. I have read many articles in the Commercial Appeal, USA Today, and on ESPN.com. Never in the history of the NCAA tournament has a 13 seed made it to the regional finals. I don't think it is going to happen this time. I don't care who Bradley has beaten! I think that with both Andre the Giant and D Wash running the show there is no way we can lose. My favorite part about the team this year is that other teams can not prepare for us. You think you have it figured out and then someone has a breakthrough game. You never know who it is going to be. My guess for Thursday's game: It is time for D Wash to shine! Tiger Three Dozen: Morgan From Morgan Beene, Memphis Superstitions Most colleges have a lucky charm, a statue of a mascot the students and players rub for good luck, or maybe some lucky underpants. What do the Tigers have, use, or rub for good luck? The luck that the Tigers have must run through their fans. Ever since Memphians have "caught" onto the basketball phenomenon that we know today, one thing you can ask a Memphis fan is , "What are your superstitions?" and "What is your good luck charm?" And every fan that I have conversed with on this topic has at least one lucky place they watch the game, article of clothing that must be worn, pom pons that are used, etc. What happens if the luck runs out? Do places where the game is viewed, rituals not done, articles of clothing (worn or not) become superstitious? How do fans that rely on these charms of luck rid them of their "negative" powers (if they ever attain them)? Tiger Three Dozen: Johnny From Johnny Betts, Memphis Respect. Those who truly deserve it, earn it. Nobody's willing to automatically bestow it upon you. Believe me, I know. At one time my decidedly better half (Stephanie), a displaced Texan, didn't completely understand my fascination with Tiger basketball. Most guys have probably heard the "it's just a game!" line over and over. However, her yellow rose heart began to thaw in 1996 after she had to talk me down from the ledge following the Tigers' inexplicable 75-63 loss to Drexel in the tournament. From that point forward it has been a growing process for her. She knows she's expected to cheer for her alma mater, the Houston Cougars, but it's the Tigers who have won her over. Who have earned her respect. "Why have I been forced to care so much?" she exclaimed, as she curled up in a ball on the couch, barely able to watch as Darius Washington attempted his final free throw against Louisville in the CUSA championship game last year. "That's Tiger basketball for you," I replied, doing my best to maintain my macho facade and swallow the lump in my throat. Tiger Three Dozen: Robert From Robert Oney Pruett, serving in Baghdad TIGER BLOG – II (by Robert “Oney” Pruett) It is 2:00 AM in Baghdad. I have just showered and the palms of my hands are sweating, my heart is pounding and the old throat is dry. (I need heart medicine!) I am waiting for the game to begin. Let’s get this party started! I read yesterday were the Bradley players are going to try and run with us. I think this is a mistake for them and a blessing for us…I really believe that no team can do it, as long as we are on our game and playing decent defense. I still want to prove all of these critics wrong. The players and fans are right; we will earn the respect of the nation. I think we have already, but not by most of the out-of-town news media. (The Commercial Appeal excluded, and a wonderful supporter of Memphis athletics!) I am waiting for a knock at my door and other Tiger Fans to arrive to watch the game with me. We have an Army military officer and 2 Army civilians joining me. We will crowd in my small trailer and yell until we are horse! Being over 8,000 miles away and 9 time zones will not deter our spirits! The game starts here at 3:00 am Friday morning….I hope to be bring you more updates and photos from Iraq….after the Tigers destroy Bradley…. GO TIGERS! Tiger Three Dozen: Tony From Tony Hendrix, San Francisco First, I would like to thank all the Tiger players & coaching staff for giving us an unforgettable season. I like other fans who bleed tiger blue, couldn't be more ecstatic. I remember when my whole day revolved around whether the Tigers won or lost. At age 12, I landed my first job bagging groceries at a Memphis Grocery. On my breaks I would pretend I was playing for Memphis; shooting balls made of paper & tape into a peach basket. The games would always go down to the wire, with the Tigers coming out victorious. This passion remains with me today. Now I'm living in San Francisco, and if my plans go well I'll drive across the Bay to help our boys represent. If I can't get a ticket for Thursday, I will be waiting for the 1st losing team to give up their tickets for Saturdays main event at a discounted price. I believe the Tigers will start out strong, with Bradley trying to run with us. After failing to match our pace, I think they will become more methodical & deliberate. 9-point half time lead, and hopefully we win by 18! GO TIGERS!! GO TIGERS!! GO TIGERS!! Tiger Three Dozen: Ken B From Ken Brasel in Kentucky Cyber Blue!! Deep in the bluegrass state, the CBS affiliate will not be carrying the Memphis game live, but more on that tomorrow. As a result, the next logical step to catching a game would be at the local pub, but that is a no-go there again. In the bluegrass state, Memphis is not the blue to be found coloring up the sports channel on any television set in Kentucky. Therefore its back to the Internet and the 19 inch monitor and the blessings of broadband. Many of us cyber fans have a love hate relationship with broadband. While indeed we can catch sputtering of the digital data transformed upon our screen into the creation of long white tube socks of Carney and Calipari's $1200 dollar suits, we miss the little things that make a game a true experience. The camaraderie of faceless fans in tiger blue sweaters swearing at the refs, or the anonymous high-fives that come the moment the alley-opp is lobbed; even before its grasped and dunk deep into the net. As far as this game goes, I am looking for Memphis to continue the current trend by bucking the pundits and pulling a strong 15 point lead at the end. True to the tiger blue mindset, I am sure we will be down or tied at the half. I truly think Cal enjoys those halftime "redirections" because he seems to be quite successfully with them. We have always been a second half team and there is no reason to expect anything different Thursday night. Watching these game on line is not a true Memphis experience, but neither is living in the blue-grass state. So if your in ear shot of a Memphis fan swearing at a ref, you must be home. So during the next fast break, do a double pump on the high five, one for the team, and one for all of the fans on-line. Tiger Three Dozen: Jim From Jim Lott (with son Andrew), Nashville I am going to watch the game at home. I also am probably going to watch the game by myself. I tend to get very nervous during the game and move around alot. Most people, including my wife don't understand and think I'm crazy! Because of this, it's hard to watch a game at a sports bar because I can't move around. I think the Tigers will again start out tight but quickly get into their rythym. They will start to play their style about midway through the first half and again prove to the nation that the tigers are the best team in the nation! I think eventually the Tigers will pull away and win the game by 11. Tiger Three Dozen: Ken C. From Ken Coburn, Fort Worth, Texas: Greeting from Fort Worth, Tiger Nation. I can't wait for the upcoming game against Bradley. Tara (my fiance) and I had a blast at the Bucknell game. It was so awesome to have the Tigers come to the DFW area for their first two games of the tournament. All I could say was, Thank you God! We were sitting among several Tiger fans. It felt so good to be with people from the big Mtown. We wish we were going to Oakland, but alas, my living room will have to do. Tailgating will be in order. The Tigers are playing so good right now it's scary. For the opponents! Their unselfish play and swarming defense bode well for a deep tournament run. I'm sure Bradley has a nice squad, but their fairy tale run is about to come to a screeching halt. Like everyone else, they are going to find out that the Tigers depth, length and athleticism are something they haven't faced this season. Can I get an Amen, Gonzaga? Your thoughts, UCLA? All good things must come to an end. But not for these Tigers. Not yet. They are on a collision course with destiny. If they can't get any respect nationaly, they will just have to take it. Coach Cal has done a masterful job of orchestrating a dream season. I'm hoping for a revenge matchup with Duke in Indy. Then hopefully we can get some revenge on those pesky Villanova Wildcats! Don't worry Keith Lee, these Tigers are going to settle that score for you! So until next time, Go Tigers! Tiger Three Dozen: Jonathan From Jonathan Jerkins, Memphis I will be watching the game in the heart of East Memphis at my parents house. I'm going there so I can watch all of Joey Dorsey's glory in high definition. I was at the games in Dallas, so this will be my first Tigers tournament game to watch on TV. I look forward to watching the Final Four games in Indianapolis sitting next to Geoff with my CA press pass and $100 daily stipend. I expect a Tiger victory. Congratulations are in order for Braves of Bradley. They will remember their improbable run for the rest of their lives. However they will want to forget the drubbing that they will receive tonight from the Tigers. Patrick O'Bryant and the Braves have knocked off some good teams, but the Tigers defense will be too much. I fully expect to see some Chance McGrady and Travis Long highlites as the Tigers, in an effort to truly demoralize their opponent, send in the "reserves" with about 8 minutes remaining in the 2nd half. Bradley will be sadly returning home to watch the rest of the Big Dance in Peoria. Prediction : Tigers - 77 Braves - 60 Player of the game: Antonio Anderson - 18 pts, 4 rebounds, 3 assists Tiger Three Dozen: Patti From Patti Yancey, Bartlett I was born and raised (as mother would say) in Memphis....Frayser to be exact. Having attended Memphis State University in the late 60's and early 70's I have never left their side when it comes to supporting them (unlike some so-called Tiger Fans that wear another color (orange comes to mind) when playing that opponent). My husband and I have season tickets and after the 1st exhibition game I knew this was a special team. We have been able to attend all the games this year, except one and we gave our tickets to family to use for that one. As this season has progressed, the one thing that stands out to me is that this group of young men are mature well beyond their years and THEY BELIEVE.....and "I" do, too. I remember watching in the early 70's when Larry and Company went to battle with UCLA. Our house was full of people and I can remember the excitement and the feeling of pride to be one of the last two teams left in the nation. I have that same feeling again. PRIDE!! Tiger Three Dozen: Steve From Steve Linhoss, Duluth, Ga. I plan to watch the game with my nose pressed to my computer screen. Duke and LSU play in Atlanta in the same time slot, so I'm pretty sure the local CBS affiliate will carry the SEC-ACC matchup. Streaming video on CBS.com is my ticket. Maybe we will get the Elite Eight game after Bradley's royal coach turns to a pumpkin. Tiger Three Dozen: Mike From Mike Parham, Memphis I’ll watch the game with my wife, Ilinda, probably at our house. We may go to a friend’s house, but it would have to be someone who is as big a fan as we are. From past experience we know not to be around people who have a problem with yelling at the TV screen during the game. I also need to be at a place where I can get away from the TV if I get too nervous. We went to the games in Dallas and when I watched the games again on TV, they seemed to be a lot closer than I remembered. I think it had something to do with the announcers and the fact that they had microphones close to the Oral Roberts and Bucknell sections which made it seem like their fans were louder than they really were. I’m really worried about their big man- O’Bryant. We had a lot of trouble with LaMarcus Aldridge from Texas and even Quincy Davis from Tulane. I think we will be o.k. if we can keep Joey Dorsey out of foul trouble, though. It would help if Kareem Cooper could have a good game. I haven’t seen Bradley play much, but I hear that they like to run. That should play right into our hands. Tiger Three Dozen: Frank L. From Frank Land, Forest, Va. I'll be watching the game on my trusty Mac via video streaming courtesy of CSTV with Duke-LSU my only local TV option. The screen size is too small to share. With 2 M-S degrees and having been a former SGA president and Alumni Director, I still keep up with the Tigers on a daily basis even after residing here in Central Virginia (Forest) near Lynchburg since leaving Memphis 34 years ago. It is my feeling that someone will get the message about the 1957 NIT across to the 2006 Tigers and that they will even the score for those over 2,000 of us who traveled 2,500 miles to see poor officiating hand the game to Bradley in the final seconds. The Tigers should win big! Tiger Three Dozen: Matt From Matt Williams, Memphis For the game I will be gathering with about nine to ten of my biggest Tiger fan friends and preparing to KEEP ON DANCING! Along with myself, most of the Tiger fans gathered with me are alumni (and the ones that are not, are darn sure close!) and alumni of the age that we started college off with the Drexel loss and have yearned for that excitement ever since. Lets get back to March of ’06 though, we will all gather and watch the game at the Memphis Sports Pub. Where I like to say, “the young, the medium, and the old” will gather to cheer on their Tigers, and by my college start date you could gather I am a medium. The Memphis Sports Pub is not big on lighting, but it is very big on Tiger fanatics all cheering very emotionally for the Tigers, and one thing you will be able to see is the sea, the SEA OF BLUE! As far as what I think will happen tonight, I think Bradley will jump out to a big lead. Somewhere, along the lines of 4-2, or maybe even 8-5, and the CBS announcers will go crazy pointing out that a number 13 seed has never advanced to the Elite Eight. It is about this point when a three from Antonio or Rodney will quite them down at little and get us flowing. I believe Bradley may hang around longer than ORU and Bucknell as they have great inside presence in O’Bryant (who was my favorite player in the world last Sunday, until our game started!), and it may take a minute to figure him out. Let’s be honest as well, Bradley didn’t just get this far because they didn’t beat good teams (teams that by the way according to the National Media “will” beat us, oh, wait a minute…) and they will come out ready to play. Once it nears half, and Tank (what my friend nicknamed Andre Allen at the beginning of the season) comes in with some intensity and we get our press rolling we will roll into half with about an eight point lead. In the second half, we will begin to pull away early as our depth and RIDICULOUS defense puts on one of their clinics. There will be no announcers telling us to write any times in the game down where the momentum is now on Bradley’s side, and we will be up 17 at the ten minute mark. I foresee a big game for Carney, don’t know I just think the three’s will be sticking for him, and I am going to go out on a real limb here and say I see a near 20 point performance out of Williams. Final Score (to the dismay of CBS, Seth Davis, and the games announcers): Tigers 81, Bradley 59. And the song from National Lampoon’s Vacation will keep on playing, “And...we...went…DANCIN’…………!!” Tiger Three Dozen: Shaen From Shaen Allen, Bentonville, Ark. I will be watching the game at home on the opposite side of the house from the rest of the family. I've discovered that I care a little too much, if you know what I mean. Every now and then my wife or daughter will pop in and ask who's winning. It's very heart warming. I'm very upbeat about the game. So far Memphis has been able to impose it's will on the opponent. I expect no less against Bradley. Clearly their strength is the inside game, but I think we can wear them down. Surprisingly they scored in the 70's against Kansas and Pitt. I think that had more to do with the pace that KU and Pitt like to play, but Bradley sure stayed with them both. On defense we need to keep Dorsey out of foul trouble and limit their inside opportunities. I think Kareem Cooper will play early to offset the size advantage of O'Bryant. On offense we need to run, run, and run some more. It should be exciting. I think we will see close to the same result as the first two games. Go Tigers! Tiger Three Dozen: Paul From Paul Cicala, Memphis Thursday is going to be tough for me. Really tough. For the first time in this tournament, I won’t be able to watch the game at home. I NEED to be at home for this game. I get a little too animated while watching important Tiger games. I scream at the television, I clap, I occasionally throw objects and once in a blue moon I might throw a small animal or child at the TV. Unfortunately, I have exhausted all possible ways of getting out of work on Thursday night. My plan is to sneak away for a “bathroom break” around 6:27 CST tomorrow and hide in the corner, watching the television that hangs over the bar for the next few hours. Tiger Three Dozen: Aaron From Aaron Gavant, Mt. Kisco, NY. I will be watching the game at home on my computer as we don’t actually own a television. Thankfully, there’s March Madness on Demand online otherwise I’d be scrounging for a neighbor’s television. My expectant wife will definitely be around but I can’t say that she’s gotten so into the college basketball scene quite yet so I’ll likely be watching it myself. Tiger Three Dozen: Keith From Keith Ellis, in Lexington, Ky. Thursday Morning, 7:00 am EST, 12 and a half hours until game time, and time seems like it drags on. As I head off to work, I think consistently of what bonehead thing the anchors and sports reporters on a well known station said this morning about the Tigers and how they are going to lose. I can’t imagine that half these people get paid for their opinions and 9 times out of 10 they turn out to be wrong. How can you not like this team, how can you not love this story, how can you cheer against them. I accept the fact that everybody loves an under dog, but I’ll contend that the Tigers are all the under dog anyone needs this year. A #1 seed no one thought they should be, a #1 seed everyone outside of Memphis said would lose in the first round and be the first to lose to a 16 seed, a #1 seed from a non-BCS conference, a #1 seed who in the Elite 8 will have to play what basically works out to be a game on a hostile home court of a lower seeded team. Who doesn’t want to see a school outside of the BCS win a major tournament, if you can’t count yourself among those numbers you don’t have any right cheering for an under dog, because you are entrenched in the system. Tiger Three Dozen: Frank T. From T T D member Frank Thorsberg, Alameda, Calif. I'm in the unfortunate position of living only five miles from the Oakland Arena, where the Tigers are playing their regional games, and not being able to watch the game at home with my wife Anne because CBS, in it's infinite un-wisdom, is showing the other regional semifinal game on its West Coast Stations. I'm a UofM alumni and, unless I can find a sports bar with a satellite feed to pick up the Tigers broadcast, I'm going to have to settle for watching the game on the small screen via the Internet on my laptop. That's not the optimum NCAA tourney experience that I had in mind, but I can't spring for the $200+ scalper prices on tickets to Thursday's game against Bradley. Talk about bummed out! Speaking of bummed out, I can't believe the national impression that Memphis is the weakest of the four top seeds. Their record is great and they've got the momentum to go all the way. I guess results will be hard to refute once we trounce Bradley and then sweep through the regionals to the Final Four. |
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| 03/23/06 | |
The Tigers in Regional semifinals (Commercial Appeal) |
| 1973: Tigers 90, S. Carolina 76 HOUSTON -- The Memphis State team that went on to lose to UCLA in the championship game jumped to a 15-point halftime lead and cruised to a win over a Gamecocks squad that included future NBA star Alex English and future NBA coach Mike Dunleavy. Larry Kenon had a monster game for the Tigers with 34 points and 20 rebounds. Larry Finch scored 25 points, and the late Ronnie Robinson had 11 points and 17 boards. 1982: Villanova 70, Tigers 66 (OT) RALEIGH, N.C. -- Freshman Keith Lee scored 14 points to lead five Tigers in double figures, but Villanova broke Tiger fans' hearts in overtime in a precursor of NCAA Tournament games to come. The Wildcats went on to lose to eventual national champion North Carolina in the regional final. 1983: Houston 70, Tigers 63 KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Lee and the Tigers handled a Patrick Ewing-led Georgetown squad to get this far, but couldn't fare as well against the Cougars, who would go on to fall to Jim Valvano's N.C. State team in one of the most memorable championship games in tournament history. Akeem Olajuwon scored 21 points and helped hold Lee to 13. 1984: Houston 78, Tigers 71 ST. LOUIS -- Memphis fared no better in its second tournament run-in with Phi Slama Jama. William Bedford scored 21 points, and Lee added 15, while Olajuwon scored a game-high 25 for a Houston team that again finished as the national runnerup. 1985: Tigers 59, Boston College 57 DALLAS -- In its fourth try, a Lee-led Tigers team finally cleared the Sweet 16 hurdle, though Lee himself was held to eight points on 3-of-12 shooting. Bedford picked up the slack with 23 points, and Andre Turner added 12. Memphis State went on to edge Oklahoma, 63-61, before losing to eventual national champ Villanova in the Final Four. 1992: Tigers 83, Georgia Tech 79 (OT) KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Billy Smith's layup with 10.2 seconds left sent the game to overtime, where the Tigers scored all nine points from the free-throw line to advance to another Elite Eight, where they were thumped by Great Midwest Conference rival Cincinnati for the fourth time that season. Penny Hardaway led the Tigers with 24 points, while Jon Barry led everyone with 29. 1995: Arkansas 96, Tigers 91 (OT) KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Referee David C. Hall whistled Tiger guard Chris Garner for the infamous hand check on fellow Memphian Corey Beck, and Beck hit one free throw with 11.5 seconds left to send the game into overtime. The Hogs started the extra period with a 9-2 run that that spoiled a 32-point outburst by Tigers guard Mingo Johnson. Corliss Williamson scored 27 for Arkansas. |
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| 03/23/06 | |
Top-seeded Tigers have no time for sentimentality on their journey toward Final Four (Commercial Appeal) |
| OAKLAND, Calif. -- After watching the Memphis Tigers play a midseason game on TV, the spry 87-year-old sat down at his desk and scrawled out a note to John Calipari.
"You can go all the way," the note said.
Signed, Bob Vanatta.
"His team plays the way my Memphis teams played," Vanatta now says, on the phone from his home in Jupiter, Fla. "I really feel that Memphis has a chance to go to the Final Four. And once they get there, they might win the dadgum thing."
Before any of that, of course, Memphis has to beat Bradley tonight at The Arena in Oakland.
Vanatta was the Bradley coach from 1954-56.
Vanatta was the Memphis coach from 1956-1962.
So he must be studiously neutral, hmmm?
"Oh, no," he says. "We love Memphis. I want the Tigers to win, no question."
But how about the cuddly, feel-good Bradley Braves?
"Nope," he says. "I'll be pulling for Memphis."
So take that, America.
Vanatta's a Tiger fan.
Good thing, too, as Memphis continues its string of games against sentimental favorites.
The Tigers opened with Oral Roberts, which hadn't been in the NCAA Tournament since 1984.
Then they got Bucknell, which only recently started offering athletic scholarships.
Now comes Bradley, which hasn't been to the Sweet 16 in 51 years.
That evidently makes Bradley the tournament's "Cinderella." The Bucknell coach described his game as a matchup of "David and Goliath."
So the Tigers stepped on David and now must crush Cinderella.
What's up next?
Baby seals? Puppy dogs?
"I really don't care," said Memphis forward Joey Dorsey. "I'd rather ruin their dreams than let them ruin mine."
But Jim Les, the Bradley coach, used to be a ballboy at the school. One of their players is named Tony Bennett! He's supposed to leave his heart here, not have it torn from his chest.
"Basically, it's either them or us," said Memphis guard Chris Douglas-Roberts. "We're a team that's playing with a chip on our shoulder now."
Which is something the analysts have missed about the Tigers. Even though they're a No. 1 seed, they've somehow persuaded themselves they're underdogs.
Like when the whole Cinderella issue was brought up to Memphis coach John Calipari Wednesday.
"I think our foot may fit into that shoe," he said.
Um, John, you have it wrong.
"They're the Cinderella?" he said, in disbelief. "I thought we were the Cinderella."
Sorry about that, Coach.
They don't put Cinderella in the Claremont Resort & Spa, the landmark hotel where Memphis players can perk themselves up with a Zen Trilogy Body Wrap.
"Receive a full body scrub with grape seeds from California's Napa Valley to enhance skin receptivity," the description says. "Then gently ease into a Zen Trilogy Wrap of ginger root (to stimulate and ground the mind), seaweed (to stimulate your body's metabolism) and green tea (to balance the body's Yin and Yang).
All that for a mere $115. What say you, CDR?
"Nah," he says. "But California is real nice."
Nice?
"I couldn't live here," said Rodney Carney. "The real estate is too high."
Speaking of high, you should have seen Carney at the open practice. He threw down a series of dunks that suggest his yin and yang are just fine.
"That's ridiculous," said Andrew Davenport, 16, an Oakland resident who stopped by to watch.
When Calipari put an end to the exhibition, the crowd booed.
"Memphis was much better than Bradley," said Davenport.
And why should anyone be surprised? Bradley has two legitimate pro prospects in Marcellus Sommerville and Patrick O'Bryant. They also have 10 losses and the silly notion that they can run with the Tigers in today's game.
"We want to go out there and test our abilities and see how they match up with no fear," said Bradley's J.J. Tauai.
Hmmmmmm.
That, son, is a bad idea.
But don't take my word for it. Listen to an 87-year-old man in Florida who has seen it all before.
"I didn't try to call John this week," Vanatta said. "I'm going to wait and congratulate him after the championship." To reach Geoff Calkins, call him at 529-2364 or e-mail -------------------- Tigers vs. Bradley 6:27 p.m. CST WREG-TV (Ch. 3) |
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| 03/23/06 | |
Tigers making a run for it -- Braves will try to keep up, but history shows they may get slammed (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Gary Parrish Contact March 23, 2006 OAKLAND, Calif. -- J.J. Tauai leaned into the microphone, stared at a group of reporters and explained in a low voice with a slow pace exactly how he and his Bradley teammates plan to attack the University of Memphis when the two teams meet in the semifinals of the Oakland Regional today at 6:27 p.m. CST. "We don't want to go out there being afraid of them and go into a zone," Tauai said. "We want to go out there and test our abilities and see how we match up. No fear." Predictably, the Tigers are thrilled. Though skeptical. "That's great news if they're telling the truth," said freshman Chris Douglas-Roberts. "That'll play right into our game." All week analysts have raved about how this is a dream match-up for the top-seeded Tigers (32-3) because they get to play a No. 13 seed from a so-called mid-major conference in the Sweet 16. Turns out, there's more than that, specifically that this No. 13 seed from a so-called mid-major conference has no intention whatsoever of stalling or implementing a junk defense. Tell them to slow down, they'll tell you to shut up. Bradley (22-10) has knocked off fourth-seeded Kansas and fifth-seeded Pittsburgh in the first two rounds of this NCAA Tournament by pressuring the ball and running whenever possible. So this representative of the Missouri Valley Conference that has won nine of its past 10 contests isn't going to change approaches just because the first page of any scouting report about Memphis probably has five words in bold type -- and all caps -- pasted across the top. DO NOT RUN. PLAY ZONE. Bradley coach Jim Les knows those words. He lives in Peoria, Ill., not on another planet, and acknowledged that the Tigers' athleticism is a major concern. So then why play heads up? "Even if I approached our guys about (slowing down or playing zone), they wouldn't buy into it; they wouldn't allow me to do it because they have a lot of pride," said Les, now in his fourth season at his alma mater. "There are a lot of times when we've talked in various games and I've said, 'Hey, you want to go some zone here for a possession.' Every time, they say, 'No, Coach. Put it on us. We'll guard them.' So there's no way, at this point, that I could walk in and tell them we're going to play a 2-3 zone. They would ban me." Consequently, Bradley will run and play heads up with the Tigers, a strategy many deem likely to fail, similar to punching with Mike Tyson (circa 1988), debating John F. Kennedy (on national TV with bright lights) or battling Eminem (at least in the film "8 Mile"). In fact, it's difficult to recall the last time an opponent took a straight-up approach with Memphis, or at least the last time an opponent took a straight-up approach and came anything close to succeeding. Southern Miss and Tulane tried it in mid-February. And while those two schools didn't have the talent to compete no matter the strategy, it's worth noting that with a strict man-to-man method the Golden Eagles and Green Wave lost by an average of 39.5 points. Which is why the Tigers welcome this challenge. Granted, they are concerned by Bradley's size and interior play, particularly Patrick O'Bryant, the 7-0 sophomore who put 28 points on Pittsburgh last Sunday. But as Memphis point guard Darius Washington pointed out, the UofM has always felt like it has an advantage anytime an opponent wants to run. This instance is no exception. So they'll run, and they'll like it. "Definitely," said freshman Robert Dozier. "It's going to be a fast-paced game, and we'll be ready for it." Or as Washington put it, "If another team wants to play Memphis ball, we'll play Memphis ball." -- Gary Parrish: 529-2365 |
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| 03/23/06 | |
Scrimmage gives West fresh look -- QB Hankins and RB Doss catch coach's eye (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Phil Stukenborg Contact March 23, 2006 There are 163 days left before the University of Memphis opens its 2006 football season at Ole Miss. And there are about 130 days remaining before the Tigers assemble at the Murphy Athletic Complex to begin preseason practice. After Wednesday's 67-play scrimmage at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, there are 16 days left before the Tigers end spring workouts. In other words, there's time for UofM coach Tommy West to carefully assess and analyze his team, one that lost All-America running back DeAngelo Williams and starting quarterback Maurice Avery, two players largely responsible for a third-straight postseason trip. "To be honest, right now I could care less how we look offensively and defensively," West said after Wednesday's scrimmage. "I'm looking at individuals right now and I'm looking to see who gets better. I want to see who's going to play for us in the fall. " Wednesday, quarterback Martin Hankins and running back Joe Doss, two likely candidates for considerable fall work, caught West's eye. Hankins, a transfer from 1-AA Southeastern Louisiana, is competing for the starting job. Doss, a backup to Williams the past two year, is vying to become the No. 1 running back. In the scrimmage, Hankins, working with the No. 1 offense, completed 10-of-16 passes for 108 yards and a touchdown. Doss, the team's third-leading rusher a year ago, gained 59 yards on 14 carries, ending the scrimmage with a 5-yard touchdown run. West said Hankins, who passed for 7,777 yards and 65 touchdowns in two seasons at Southeastern Louisiana, is gradually evolving after spending last year as the team's scout team quarterback while sitting out per NCAA transfer guidelines. "I thought he looked a little more confident running the system," West said. "He didn't have an abundance of mistakes. "We don't have a whole lot in, but I thought he looked more poised. He looked like a quarterback." Hankins (6-2, 205) said he felt a bit more like a quarterback, too. "I felt good, I was just a little anxious," Hankins said. "I'll get back used to it. I was just anxious to get out there, maybe a little too anxious. "But once I get used to the calls and the plays, it'll get better. It's all about finding a rhythm out there." Early in the scrimmage, Hankins, on a third-and-4 play, hooked up with receiver Maurice Jones on an 11-yard touchdown pass. Jones made the difficult catch despite double coverage and being interfered with on the play by Bernard Key. As the scrimmage closed, Hankins completed his final six passes for 59 yards, including a deep ball to Antonio McCoy that resulted in a 41-yard pickup to the 5-yard line and set up Doss's TD. "This was the first time I've run an offense in a live scrimmage in a while," Hankins said. "The more you get used to (your teammates) and the more they get used to you, your timing will get better and things will fall into place." Doss, who rushed for 440 yards and two touchdowns last season, said he's trying to find a rhythm to his game, too. "I thought I was a little bit slow out there," Doss said. "But the more reps I get and the more I play, it'll get better. "It's new being the first one up (working with the first unit). You have to come out ready. You can't wait to warm up to things." Doss averaged 5.2 yards per carry a year ago and gained 76 on 17 carries against Tennessee while starting for an injured Williams. If there's a player West isn't concerned about being mentally and physically ready, it's Doss, a former Melrose High standout. "Doss is just solid," West said. "He gives you everything, everyday. He's just like Earnest Williams." Williams, a wide receiver who'll be a sophomore, has been having a Doss-like camp, impressing West with his work ethic and attentiveness. And, when called upon, West said Williams is making his plays. "Earnest Williams is probably the best guy in camp right now at giving us, physically and mentally, what you have to give if you want to win at this level. We've just got to get more guys on his page." -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543 |
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| 03/23/06 | |
Memphis/Bradley Notes (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Jim Masilak and Gary Parrish Contact March 23, 2006 Bradley forward has surprise call -- After 7 years, biological father wants to see him OAKLAND, Calif. -- It's been an emotional few weeks for Bradley forward Zach Andrews, and not just because of the Braves' incredible run to the Sweet 16. Andrews' story may be even more remarkable. Abandoned at 3 by his biological parents, the Sacramento, Calif., native spent the next 11 years bouncing between foster homes -- some good, some bad and some worse. "There's been so many," the soft-spoken but engaging Andrews said. "I can't even remember them all." Eventually, he found a stable home in Sacramento with Steve and Valerie Lopez, and went on to star at Sacramento's Cordova High and at Yuba College in Marysville, Calif. "Basketball is my getaway," Andrews said. "If something's getting me down, I can always go to the basketball court and shoot around and erase it from my mind until later." If Andrews had any bitterness over his tumultuous childhood, it seems to have long since dissipated. "I don't feel I lost anything," he said. "If anything, I grew a lot by just staying focused and not letting anything get me down ... I look back and think about how far I made it and how much I've accomplished, it's almost been like a dream." It was just recently that Andrews, a 6-8, 225-pound junior who averages 5.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per game for the Braves, heard from his father for the first time in seven years. "It's been weird the last couple weeks," he said. "My biological father contacted me, and it was odd hearing from him. I was like, If you could get my number now, how come you didn't do it earlier?" Still, Andrews plans to give his father, who still lives in the Bay Area, a ticket for tonight's game. "Out of respect I thought I'd go ahead and get him a ticket," Andrews said. "I'm gonna take it upon myself to be the adult. "This will just make me stronger. It's not gonna take my focus off the game ... I still love the guy. It's just not as strong as it would be if he was being more of a father figure." Andrews, however, said he isn't going to just let his father walk back into his life as if nothing had happened. "There are some things he's gonna have to clean up, some of his habits, before that happens," he said. Cover boys It didn't take long Wednesday for this week's Sports Illustrated cover featuring Bradley forward Marcellus Sommerville to begin circulating through the Braves' locker room. "It's pretty nice," said the 6-7, 225-pound Sommerville, who was captured popping his collar during Bradley's upset win Sunday over fifth-seeded Pittsburgh. "It's just real exciting for our guys to be seen on a national level like that. "I thought it was a great honor. I'm really privileged to be on the cover." A manicure, perhaps? To say the UofM is enjoying its stay at the posh Claremont Resort & Spa in Berkeley would be an understatement. "We're way out in the boonies, but I'm loving it," freshman guard Chris Douglas-Roberts said. "We didn't get to do anything (Tuesday) because we got in too late, but we're gonna get pampered today." Freshman guard Shawne Williams, however, said he isn't interested in getting his nails done. Not yet, at least. "We're trying to act business-like; we aren't trying to be cute," he said. "We can do all that after the season. We ain't trying to do anything but work, work, work and prepare, prepare, prepare." Williams, who had never been to California, is impressed with what he's seen thus far. "Oh, it's the truth," he said of the Golden State. What's impressed the former Hamilton High star most? "All those big houses in the hills," he said. "I want to get me one of those someday. I'm gonna try to live big." New duds Darius Washington, Antonio Anderson and Williams sat at the elevated table for the University of Memphis' mandatory press conference in brand new adidas warm-ups picked special for this day. They were all white. They had big collars. They were fresh, and just for us. "These are for the media," Williams said. "We got these for ya'll. How they look?" They look great, Shawne. How do you think they look? "They look good," Williams answered. "Coach was out there smelling the jackets and everything. He said he likes this. This his type stuff." Jealous? After Bradley defeated Kansas in the first round, sophomore guard Daniel Ruffin got a call from his half-brother, former Indiana standout A.J. Guyton. Now playing professionally in Italy, Guyton congratulated Ruffin on the biggest moment -- to that point -- of his basketball career. But Ruffin didn't hear from Guyton after the Braves' second-round win over Pitt. "He never had a chance to play in the Sweet 16 or the Elite Eight," Ruffin said. "They always got beat in the first or second round. I think he might be a little bitter." Indiana lost twice in the first round and twice in the second round during Guyton's four seasons in Bloomington from 1996-2000. Seed don't mean nothing Bradley winning tonight would produce something that has never happened, considering no No. 13 seed has ever advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. But from listening to Memphis talk on Wednesday, it appears the Braves will not be overlooked because of their unusually low seed. "I feel like right now a number has nothing to do with it," Williams said. "A No. 1 seed? A No. 13 seed? We're all just one of the elite 16 teams right now, you know? Any team can win. Ain't nobody a lock to win." Before boys, he coached girls (and got rich) Typically when looking at bios of coaches in media guides there is a long list of stops as an assistant here or there. But Jim Les' bio is short. He was a player-assistant with the Omaha Racers of the CBA in 1994. After that, he was an assistant from 1999 to 2001 with the WNBA's Sacramento Monarchs. Then came this stop at Bradley. That's it. But Les does have a history with John Calipari. "He probably doesn't remember, but I was a counselor at the Five-Star Camp when he was back there as a coach running stations," Les said. "I have a lot of respect for him. He's been around the game for a long time, and he's just a tremendous coach. Everywhere he's gone, he's won. So it's an honor to have the challenge to go up against him." Another interesting tidbit about Les is this: In his bio, it states the former NBA point guard "enjoyed a successful venture into the financial world before returning to his basketball roots." That venture included Les starting from scratch a money-managing business that held $50 million in assets and more than 200 clients. Too much film is bad One of the developments that seemed to catch reporters off-guard during Wednesday's press conference was when the Tiger players revealed that they had not watched any film of Bradley. Later, Calipari addressed the issue. "I think you're all stunned when they say that we haven't watched any tape," Calipari said. "Does that stun you? I don't want them to worry about Bradley. ... You worry about us." Still, Calipari said he would put the Tigers through a film session today, though it will probably be brief. |
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| 03/23/06 | |
Bank's support for Tigers' Final Four push stands tall -- 10 stories (Commercial Appeal) |
| By The Commercial Appeal March 23, 2006 First Tennessee Bank will show its support for the University of Memphis Tigers' push toward the Final Four in a big way. The bank's corporate headquarters building at 165 Madison Downtown will glow in Tiger blue with two different messages, each more than 10 stories tall: an "M" and "Go Tigers." On Wednesday, First Tennessee employees worked in teams to install the blue sleeves that make up the "M" and "Go Tigers" messages that appear on the side of the building. First Tennessee also wanted to make sure the Tigers have support on the road and awarded one of its Tigers checking account customers, Tim Ephlin, with tickets, airfare and hotel accommodations to the two Tigers games in California. |
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| 03/23/06 | |
Race to Indy starts now -- Cinderella Bradley looks to be speed bump en route to Elite 8 (Daily Helmsman) |
| by Tim Miller Sports Reporter March 23, 2006 Memphis guard Andre Allen, a native of south Memphis, doesn’t get intimidated. That is why a 70-67 loss to Duke in the preseason NIT finals did not satisfy him. “Some people look at the name ‘Duke’ and get scared,” Allen said. “But not us. We’re not doing that. We’re from Memphis. So it doesn’t matter who we play, we’re going to show them how we hoop.” Allen and the Tigers understand that the letters across a team’s chest don’t win basketball games. So do the Bradley Braves. That is why this mid-major school has knocked off two traditional powerhouses, Kansas and Pittsburgh, on their way to becoming just the fourth team seeded 13 or lower to reach the Sweet 16 in NCAA history. Come tip-off today in Oakland, the Braves will not have to overcome a rich Memphis tradition to advance to the Elite 8. They’ll simply have to outplay the Tigers for 40 minutes. That, however, is easier said than done because Memphis coach John Calipari has his team playing at the top of its game. The U of M pummeled Oral Roberts and Bucknell by 16 points each in the opening rounds of the tournament. Since suffering a 12-point loss to Indiana State on Feb. 8, Bradley (22-10, 11-7 Missouri Valley Conference) has won nine out of its last 10 games, five of which have come against tournament teams. Because of these quality victories, Bradley has earned an RPI of 33. Arguably one of the best teams in the MVC down the stretch, this Jim Les-coached squad is anchored by 7-foot Patrick O’Bryant, an emerging NBA prospect. Against Pitt, O’Bryant posted 28 points on 10-of-17 shooting in just 30 minutes of action. Those are impressive numbers considering they came against Aaron Gray, also a 7-footer who was named to the All-Big East first team. Just as Memphis is loaded with long wing players, Bradley’s leading scorer, Marcellus Sommerville, is a 6’7” forward who can score from the inside and outside. Sommerville is averaging 19.5 ppg for the tournament. He’s also hit 54 percent of his three-point attempts during this stretch. Even though Sommerville leads the Braves in scoring and is second in rebounding, it is O’Bryant’s presence in the middle, both on the offensive and defensive end, that makes this team tough to beat. In Bradley’s losses this season, O’Bryant has averaged nearly four fouls. Meanwhile, he has averaged fewer than three fouls in Bradley wins. The Tigers will most likely use their athleticism to drive to the basket in hopes of getting O’Bryant into foul trouble. If he spends a lot of time on the bench, Bradley could struggle keeping the score close with Memphis. However, if Tiger big-men Joey Dorsey and Kareem Cooper have difficulty stopping the biggest center they’ve faced all season, Bradley may be wearing the glass slipper into the Elite 8. |
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| 03/22/06 | |
With Carney, Calipari Gets Chance To Groom Unheralded Forward -- Memphis has won 21 of its last 22 games (GoTigersGo.com) |
| OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - As soon as John Calipari arrived at Memphis six years ago, he earned a reputation for recruiting some of the biggest prep stars in the country. Amare Stoudemire. Qyntel Woods. Dajuan Wagner. Stoudemire and Woods never set foot on the court for the Tigers, and Wagner played one season before bolting to the NBA as the No. 6 overall pick by Cleveland in 2002. Then there's Rodney Carney, the unheralded forward Calipari has groomed into a star and likely lottery pick in the NBA draft. Now, as a senior, Carney is determined to end his career at the Final Four in his hometown of Indianapolis. The top-seeded Tigers will try to move one step closer to that goal when they take on surprising No. 13-seed Bradley in the Oakland Regional semifinals Thursday. "If Amare Stoudemire came, we wouldn't have gotten Rodney," Calipari said Wednesday. "Rodney has really developed as a player and a person. He's matured - his self-confidence, his self-esteem, his skill on the basketball court, his poise. His personality has blossomed. He's primed to be a lottery pick and no one knew who he was coming out of high school." Speaking of being unknown, Bradley's players are getting used to answering questions about where they play. And they're loving the attention. "Peoria, Illinois," they answer politely. While this may seem like a lopsided matchup between the favored Tigers and upstart Braves (22-10), everybody involved refuses to look at it that way. "They're a top, elite team," Memphis forward Shawne Williams said. "They accomplished something great, too." Memphis (32-3), an NIT team a year ago, has won 21 of its last 22 games and is riding a six-game winning streak. The Tigers won the Conference USA regular-season and tournament crowns, then beat Oral Roberts and Bucknell for their first appearance in the regional semifinals since 1995. The 6-foot-7 Carney leads the young Tigers at 17.4 points per game and helped the school to a top seed in the NCAA tournament for the first time. But Carney isn't a flashy scorer like Adam Morrison of Gonzaga, which plays UCLA in Thursday's late game. Memphis last made the Final Four in 1985. The Tigers beat Gonzaga on Dec. 27 and the Zags have won 20 straight since then. Memphis also defeated UCLA this season. Calipari, who regularly plays four freshmen and three sophomores, pointed to the fact many top players in Carney's position would choose to use the NCAA tournament forum to further boost their star status. "If you were a player and you knew you were in the top 10 right now in the draft, would you not play to get to the top five, in other words shoot every ball, try to score 30? Say, 'OK, you think Morrison is good, watch me,"' Calipari said. "He's not doing that. He only took 10 shots last game. He's trying to defend and rebound. He wants his team to win. How unique is that? ... He's unselfish." An example of that unselfishness came Wednesday when Carney opted not to speak to the media because, according to a school spokesman, he wanted to let his teammates have the spotlight for a change. Bradley is certainly enjoying its moment in the sun - the Braves are the most popular thing in Peoria right now. Marcellus Sommerville would know, too. Already a husband and father, the senior forward is a hometown product and couldn't have envisioned this kind of success when he first stepped on campus. Sommerville is the only one who could provide true perspective on this run, the school's first trip to the round of 16 since 1955. "I went to Hersey Hawkins and Jim Les basketball camp when I was in grade school," said Sommerville, averaging a team-best 15.6 points along with 6.8 rebounds. "I've heard stories. Never on this level have I heard the amount of volume that's been going around Peoria and the buzz." The Braves were loose during their shootaround at the Oakland Arena, even holding a dunk contest at the end. On the interview podium, Sommerville, Patrick O'Bryant and J.J. Tauai chuckled and looked to each other to answer questions. Coach Jim Les is encouraging his players to relish every bit of this experience. He laughed and joked around right along with them despite maintaining the same stance with his arms crossed for most of the 50-minute session. Bradley, which boasts an enrollment of just more than 6,100 students, got this far by shocking fourth-seeded Kansas 77-73 in its NCAA opener, then beating No. 5 Pittsburgh by six. "We don't want this to be a one and done," Les said. "Heck, I want to put pressure on myself to make this a yearly event, and that will trickle down to the expectation of our players having gotten a taste of this." Calipari, with six straight 20-win seasons at Memphis, doesn't need to be told about Bradley's credentials. He opted not to have his team watch tape of the Braves, instead asking them to focus only on what they need to get done. "I don't want them to worry about Bradley," Calipari said. "I'm vomiting worrying about Bradley." |
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| 03/22/06 | |
Tiger Spring Football Update #6 (GoTigersGo.com) |
| Practice #6 Wednesday, March 22 The squad went back down to the Liberty Bowl today to take advantage of the turf. The team worked for about an hour before going into a 66-play scrimmage that was highlighted by a 41-yard pass from Martin Hankins to Antonio McCoy, a 34-yard run by Billy Barefield and a solid rushing performance by Joseph Doss. Several defensive players had key pass breakups including Brandon McDonald, Deante' Lamar and LaKeitharun Ford. Tyler Griffin provided a defensive spark with a fumble recovery on a botched handoff from Barefield to Carlton Robinzine, while Derek Clenin and Brandon Douglas sacked Brett Toney for a loss of five yards. Jeremy Rockette also deflected a pass by Barefield. "I thought we did o.k.," said West. "Physically, our want-to is good. We need to get better mentally. To tell you the truth, I don't really care about how we do offensively and defensively right now. I am looking at individuals to see who is working hard, getting better and who is going to play in the fall. The spring is about finding the personnel for next season. "Today I thought Hankins looked good," added West. "He is doing a good job of running our offense and looked more poised today." The offense ran 36 running plays today, highlighted by Joe Doss who rushed 14 times for 59 yards and one touchdown. His score was the final play of the scrimmage on a five-yard carry. He was set up in the redzone by a 41-yard pass from Hankins to McCoy. McCoy also had a six-yard reception. Jamarcus Gaither and Miguel Barnes both had four runs apiece, with Gaither gaining 13 yards and Barnes gaining 18 yards. Barefield rushed three times for 38 yards and Chris Barnett rolled off eight yards on three carries. Hankins completed 10 of his 16 passes for 108 yards and one touchdown. His TD pass was an 11-yard strike to Maurice Jones during the third series of the scrimmage. Jones ended the day with two catches for 25 yards. Carlos Singleton had a pair of catches for 20 yards and Brett Russell totaled three catches for 13 yards. Barefield completed three of his 10 passes for 13 yards. "Right now, we are trying to find out who is close; who is getting better; who do we have to get better; and who is almost there?" said West. "It's our job as coaches to get them better every time we come out here." West then singled out sophomore-to-be receiver Earnest Williams before leaving the stadium. "Earnest is probably the best guy in camp right now," West said. "He is giving us what we need mentally and physically to win games. He listens and he just comes out here and does everything right. He's is a lot like Joe Doss who comes to work every day and gives everything he has." |
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| 03/22/06 | |
Baseball Held to Four Hits in 5-3 Loss at Arkansas State -- Robbie Goss hits first home run as a Tiger (GoTigersGo.com) |
| JONESBORO, Ark. - Memphis (11-8) 030 000 000 - 3 4 1 Arkansas State (12-10) 101 020 100 - 5 11 1 A triple by Adam Amar and a two-run home run by Robbie Goss highlighted a three-run second inning, but that was all the runs Memphis' offense could muster as the Tigers dropped their second consecutive game in a 5-3 loss to Arkansas State Wednesday evening at Tomlinson Stadium. Memphis responded to a one-run first inning by Arkansas State with the three-run second to take a 3-1 lead. The Tigers took advantage of the free base, as Kyle Norrid drew a walk to lead of the inning. Amar followed with a lined drive to leftfield. The sinking drive landed just out of the reach of a diving Jeremy Lyons, and rolled all the way to the wall allowing Amar to race around to third for the second triple of the season and his career. Norrid scored all the way from first to tie the ballgame. The inning was highlighted by a two-run homer by Goss. The towering drive over the left centerfield wall was the first of his career and put Memphis ahead 3-1. ASU cut the Memphis lead to 3-2 when Brett Kinning drove a one-out triple to the right centerfield gap. He then scored on sacrifice fly by Josh Yates. Yates, who finished with two hits and four RBI, struck again in the fifth with a two-run double to the left centerfield gap to regain the lead for the Tribe, 4-3. Tyler Doke and Kinning each singled through the left side before Yates' RBI-hit. Kinning, who scored three of the Indians five runs, led off the home half of the seventh inning with a home run for a 5-3 ASU advantage. The Indians senior posted three hits. Tiger starter Lance Scoggins (1-1) took the loss. The southpaw hurled four innings and allowed four runs on eight hits. Freshman Matt Yokley was effective in four innings of relief, holding the Tribe to one run on three hits. Brandon Eller (1-0) earned the win. He held Memphis scoreless in two innings of relief work. Eller, along with four other ASU pitchers, held the Tigers offense to just two hits over the final seven innings of play. The Tigers will now get ready to open Conference USA play this weekend. Memphis will host defending C-USA champs and No. 14 Tulane, Mar. 24-26. First pitch for Friday's series-opener is slated for 6:30 p.m. |
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| 03/22/06 | |
Lady Tiger Softball Sweeps Grambling State -- McNulty homers twice; Dolfo and Kubesch pick up wins (GoTigersGo.com) |
| Grambling St. 100 00 - 1 3 6 Memphis 346 0x - 13 12 0 Grambling St. 000 00 - 0 3 2 Memphis 439 1x - 17 19 0 SOUTHAVEN, Miss. - Bridgette McNulty homered twice and the Lady Tiger bats pounded out 31 hits and scored 30 runs to give the Memphis softball team to a sweep of Grambling State in a double-header at Greenbrook Park. Memphis won game one of the twinbill 13-1, before taking game two 17-0, with Leila Dolfo and Jenna Kubesch giving up just three hits apiece to pick up wins in the circle. "We had a lot of people play well today, but it was especially nice to see our girls from the Memphis area play well at home," said Coach Windy Thees. "Laura (Mahoney) and Lyndsey (Sterling) each had big hits in key situations." Mahoney belted a two-run double in the third inning of game one to give the U of M a nine run lead, while Sterling logged two singles, a double and two RBI in game two. In game one, Grambling got on the board first, taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, but the GSU lead was short-lived. Memphis came right back with three runs in the bottom of the first, with McNulty blasting the first of her two homeruns on the day. The three-run shot to leftcenter was the junior's, seventh round-tripper of the spring and scored Cara Stiles and Melissa Nance. The U of M added four more runs in the second, using hits by Lindsey Pridgen and Stiles and three Grambling errors to take a 7-1 lead. Memphis then broke the game wide open in the third, plating six runs to move the advantage to the final margin of 13-1. Mahoney dealt the big blow with her three-run double, while the U of M sent 11 batters to the plate and recorded seven hits. Dolfo took the win in game one, allowing just the three hits and one earned run, while striking out six. The freshman moves to 3-3 on the year. Stiles, McNulty, Pridgen and Leandra Hines each had two hits in the game with McNulty and Mahoney adding four RBI apiece, while Stiles scored three times. In game two, Memphis wasted little time jumping out to a lead, as it scored four runs on six hits in the first. Stiles singled, stole two bases and scored on a Kimmi Hayden base hit before McNulty hit her second homer of the day and eighth of the season, a two-run shot to centerfield. Memphis added its final run when Kubesch singled and scored on a Sterling base hit. The U of M continued the onslaught in the third, bringing three more runs across to take a 7-0 lead. Dolfo accounted for two of those runs, hitting a two-run bomb to leftcenter for her third homer of the season. Memphis then put the game totally out of reach in the third, sending 13 batters to the dish and taking a 16-0 lead. McNulty, Nance and Sterling each had doubles and RBIs in the frame, while the U of M tallied eight hits. Memphis added its final run in the fourth, when McNulty scored on a Nance single to set the final margin of 17-0. Kubesch claimed the win in game two, striking out four in four shut-out innings to move to 6-3 on the season. Sterling entered the game in the fifth to record the final three outs. Stiles, Nance and Sterling each had three hits in game two, while McNulty had four RBI and scored four runs and Dolfo added four RBI. With the pair of wins, Memphis moves to 16-10 on the season. The squad will be back in action Thursday, March 23, at Greenbrook Park when it entertains Southeast Missouri State in a double-header at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Both games versus SEMO will be broadcast on the U of M's campus radio station, WUMR 91.7, with Jeff Brightwell on the call. |
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| 03/22/06 | |
Baseball Travels to Arkansas State for Midweek Contest -- Tigers look to bounce back from Tuesday's lackluster performance (GoTigersGo.com) |
| MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis baseball squad will look to rebound from an 8-4 loss to Ole Miss yesterday when the make the trip to Jonesboro for a meeting with Arkansas State this evening. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. at Tomlinson Stadium. The Tigers, who are hitting .320 as a team, were held well under that average in last nights contest with the Rebels. Just two Tigers--Bill Moss and Kyle Norrid--finished the night with multiple hits. Moss also drove in two runs. Memphis has thrived in two-out opportunities, hitting .352 with 55 RBI prior to the last night's contest. But Ole Miss pitchers were able to hold the Tigers to an 0-for-8 outing with two outs and no two-out RBI. Will Petersen extended his season-long 12-game hit streak when he lined a double to rightfield in his final at-bat of the game. Petersen is hitting .351 and continues to pace the Tiger offense with 27 hits in his first year in the blue and gray. K.K. Chalmers and Moss also increased their hitting streaks to seven and six games, respectively. Moss hit his team-high ninth double against Ole Miss and is now one double shy of his career mark of 10, which he set as a sophomore in 2004. Norrid remains atop the team leader board with 20 RBI and 39 total bases. The junior is hitting .380. Memphis is 104-51-2 all-time against Arkansas State. The Tigers have played the Indians more times than any other opponent as the series dates back 90 years to the 1915 season. The 104 wins is also a program-high versus an opponent, while the 51 losses suffered to Arkansas State is second only to the 85 games lost to Ole Miss. The two schools have split the last 10 meetings. The Tribe swept the series in 2003 and 2004, but Memphis earned the sweeps in 2001 and 2002. The Tigers split the season series with the Indians last year, dropping a 10-1 decision, only to come back five games later to defeat ASU 5-1 in Jonesboro. Drew Kimmelman tossed 5.2 innings of no-hit baseball to guide Memphis to victory. The Indians come into the contest a game over .500, at 11-10. They started the season 6-1 and are winners of three of their last five games. Brett Kinning leads the way for the Tribe with a .427 average. He also leads the team with 38 hits, 10 doubles and 24 runs scored. Josh Yates checks in with a .338 clip with a team-best six round-trippers and 29 runs driven in. ASU hits .293 as a team. Arkansas State pitchers have a combined 6.55 ERA, but have held opposing hitters to just a .282 average. Today's starter Todd Boucher will make his first-ever start on the mound. Boucher, who also plays shortstop for the Indians, has made two appearances. He has a 6.75 ERA in four innings and has struck out three. |
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| 03/22/06 | |
Softball Set for Pair of Mid-Week Double-Headers -- Lady Tigers face Grambling State and Southeast Missouri (GoTigersGo.com) |
| Memphis, Tenn. - The Memphis softball team is set to host four mid-week home games at Greenbrook Park on Wednesday and Thursday, as it entertains Grambling State and Southeast Missouri State. The U of M will play Grambling in a double-header on Wednesday, before taking on SEMO in a twinbill on Thursday. Both sets of games are slated to begin at 2 p.m. Memphis and Grambling State have already played four times this season with Memphis winning all four games by a combined total of 65-1. The U of M took 19-0 and 10-1 victories at the ULL Tournament on Feb. 11-12, before sweeping a double-header 14-0 and 22-0 at GSU on Feb. 28. The Lady Tigers will be taking on Southeast Missouri State for the first time. The Redhawks currently have a record of 10-7 overall and 3-0 in the Ohio Valley Conference. The SEMO squad is riding a six-game win streak and will face Middle Tennessee State in a double-header on Wednesday before playing the U of M on Thursday. Thursday's contests between the Lady Tigers and Southeast Missouri will be the first of five Memphis games to be on the radio. The game will be broadcast on the U of M's campus radio station, WUMR 91.7, with Jeff Brightwell on the call. Following the tilts with Grambling State and Southeast Missouri State, Memphis will travel to Tulsa, Okla., March 25-26 to take on Tulsa in its third C-USA series. The Golden Hurricane is currently in second place in C-USA with a 5-1 mark, while boasting an 18-10 overall record. Each of the seven games this week can be followed on Gametracker at gotigersgo.com. |
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| 03/22/06 | |
First Tennessee Building lit up to support Tigers (Memphis Business Journal) |
| The First Tennessee Building in Downtown Memphis will be all aglow with messages supporting the University of Memphis Tigers as they continue their run for a NCAA Championship. A 12-story tall letter "M" and the phrase "Go Tigers" will adorn three sides of the 23-story building starting Wednesday night. The men's basketball team makes its appearance in the NCAA tournament's Sweet 16 Thursday night in Oakland, Calif., where the Tigers will face the Bradley Braves of Peoria, Ill. First Tennessee employees began installing the blue sleeves that will make up the "M" and "Go Tigers" messages Wednesday. Each blue sleeve is several feet long, and employees will work in teams to install scores of sleeves so the messages can glow tonight. The building is also know for its red and green images of a bell and Christmas tree that appear during the Christmas season and has also put up a similar message when the Memphis Grizzlies have made the NBA playoffs. First Tennessee Bank, which is owned by Memphis-based First Horizon National Corp. (NYSE: FHN), also said it has awarded one of its Tigers checking account customers with tickets, airfare and hotel accommodations to the two Tigers games in Oakland. Tigers checking account customers get Tigers logos on their checks, a special Tigers checkbook cover and a portable radio. Memphian Tim Ephlin was the lucky Tigers checking customer to win First Tennessee's Sweet 16 ticket package. Ephlin's name was drawn from among all First Tennessee Tigers checking account customers. |
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| 03/22/06 | |
5 Tiger questions answered (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Gary Parrish Contact March 22, 2006 You've seen those socks. You've seen those tights. You've seen two players race to the locker room, and wondered why. So today, we bring you the answers to five intriguing (though completely unimportant) questions surrounding the University of Memphis basketball team: 1. Why did Chris Douglas-Roberts stop wearing sleeves last week in Dallas? "The managers brought me an old wrinkled shirt," Douglas-Roberts answered. It was so bad you couldn't wear it? "On CBS?" Douglas-Roberts said. "My whole family was watching, and they want to give me a wrinkled shirt. You should've seen it, man." So then we assume you'll get an iron, and get back to wearing sleeves this week, yes? "No," Douglas-Roberts answered. "We're winning without them. I can't change now." 2. Why did Clyde Wade and Chance McGrady shave their heads before the C-USA Tournament? "We had to do something different," Wade answered. "This team had never won a championship. So I shaved my head, and we won a championship. Now we're still winning. So before every trip I'm going to shave my head." "I'm never doing it again," McGrady added. 3. Why does Rodney Carney pull his socks up to his knees? "I don't know," Carney answered. "I just started wearing the socks up my junior year, and I've been playing well so I'm going to keep wearing them. Everybody knows me by the long socks. Everybody expects me to wear them, so I'm going to wear them. 4. Why does Joey Dorsey wear black tights under his shorts? "I started it because some NBA players (Kobe Bryant, Vince Carter, Andrew Bogut, etc.) wore them," Dorsey answered. "But now I like them. They make me feel like I don't have anything on, and I feel really light out there." 5. Why do Clyde Wade and Travis Long race to the locker room at every halftime? "We started that about a month ago," Wade answered. We know when you started it. Why did you start it? "(Travis) just saw me strike out one day because I had to use the restroom, so now he just always wants to race," Wade said. "I'm undefeated, by the way." "That's a lie," Long interrupted. "OK. You beat me one time, man," Wade acknowledged. "Then you're not undefeated," noted teammate Jared Sandridge. -- Gary Parrish: 529-2365 -------------------- Seeking Top Tigers fans We're looking for about 10 Tigers fans who are worked up about the NCAA Tournament and willing to tell us about it, day by day. Here's what we'll need from you: (1) A picture of you we can post; (2) your daily thoughts as the Tigers try to get through the Oakland Region. Your thoughts will go up on our Sports blog page at TheMemphisEdge.com daily, so you'll need the ability to e-mail your thoughts to us. If you're interested, please send an e-mail to sports@commercialappeal.com as soon as possible. In the subject field, type "Tiger blogger." We'd like to begin posting your thoughts Thursday, so time's a-wastin'. |
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| 03/22/06 | |
Ex-Tiger returns to help Williams, Avery -- Former quarterback visits with old friends (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Phil Stukenborg Contact March 22, 2006 The position meeting began promptly at 1:30 Tuesday afternoon at the Murphy Athletic Complex and the University of Memphis quarterbacks settled into their desks against the meeting room's back wall. Everyone made it on time. There was Patrick Byrne, Will Hudgens, Brett Toney, Martin Hankins, Billy Barefield and Danny Wimprine. Danny Wimprine? The UofM's record-setting quarterback, who threw for 10,215 yards and 81 touchdowns from 2001 to '04, flew into town Tuesday from his home in New Orleans and re-acquainted himself with several Tigers and introduced himself to others. Wimprine, who helped the Tigers reach back-to-back bowl games in 2003 and '04, is in Memphis to throw to former teammates DeAngelo Williams and Maurice Avery at Friday's NFL pro timing day at the Murphy Athletic Complex. Williams, who holds virtually every Tiger rushing record, is expected to be taken in the first round of next month's NFL Draft. ''I'm just here to help DeAngelo and Mo on Friday,'' Wimprine said. ''And it's good time for me to visit with these other guys and see them grow up. It's good to come back and see all these faces again. It seems like it's been a while, but when I walk through the (Murphy Complex) it seems like it was yesterday.'' A reserve quarterback for the CFL's Calgary Stampeders, Wimprine said he's in the second year of two-year deal. He appeared in four games his rookie season. ''Hopefully, this year will go even better,'' he said. ''I'm in kind of a backup role right now. I'll have to wait and see what happens. Our quarterback (Henry Burris) is a like a seven-year veteran. ''It's been a good experience. I like the city. It's real nice country up there.'' Wimprine was invited to the Cleveland Browns camp after last year's NFL Draft and, after being released, was picked up by the Edmonton Eskimos of the CFL. When an opportunity to become Calgary's No. 3 quarterback presented itself, Wimprine signed with the Stampeders. A few weeks into the season injuries to Burris and backup Jason Gesser forced Wimprine to take over and he responded by going 10-of-21 for 162 yards and a touchdown in a 45-23 win over Ottawa. Wimprine, 6-0 and 220 pounds, said he's scheduled to report to Calgary for a mini-camp in late April and return May 15 to begin preseason camp. ''I went in as the third guy last year and this year I'll be going in as the second guy,'' Wimprine said. With most NFL teams represented at Friday's pro timing day because of Williams, Wimprine said it will present a chance for him to be seen again. ''DeAngelo's agent (Jimmy Sexton) called me and his secretary brought up the idea to me (of throwing to Williams and Avery),'' Wimprine said. ''They (NFL personnel) know me and I know them, and I thought it would be a good opportunity for me to be in front of scouts again. ''They know I'm under contract, but, still, it's another chance. The thing is, (Williams and Avery) needed someone to throw to them. I guess they thought I'd be the best bet, so they called. I'm looking forward to it.'' Wimprine, dressed in jeans and a hooded jacket, attended Tuesday's chilly U of M spring practice at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium and spent the two-hour session observing the quarterbacks as they went through their drills. He expects to be back at the stadium today when the U of M has a short workout followed by a scrimmage. "(Tuesday) was a like a good summer day for you," said Tiger coach Tommy West, joking with Wimprine about the temperatures, which dipped into the low-40s during the practice. West said it was nice to have Wimprine back for a few days, even if he's completed his eligibility. "That's a good sign when your former players come back around," West said. "That's really healthy." Wimprine said he's ''been through a lot'' in a year, almost as much as the Tigers went through last year keeping their bowl streak intact. Memphis overcame injuries to quarterbacks Patrick Byrne and Will Hudgens behind Avery, who switched to quarterback at midseason and directed the UofM to the Motor City Bowl. ''That's what a team is all about,'' Wimprine said. ''It's about doing whatever you have to do to compete, scrap and win. They did that and got to their third bowl game in three years, which is very exciting for those guys and this team.'' -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543 |
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| 03/22/06 | |
Tigers may not face power until Final Four (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Jim Masilak Contact March 22, 2006 If someone had plotted the University of Memphis' NCAA Tournament course a month ago, the Tigers likely would have taken it and run to Oakland, no questions asked. Should the top-seeded Tigers (32-3) defeat 13th-seeded Bradley (22-10) in Thursday's 6:27 p.m. (CST) regional semifinal in Oakland, they will move on to the Elite Eight without having faced a single team from one of the so-called power conferences. "Yeah, that's definitely surprising," sophomore point guard Darius Washington said of the lack of name-brand recognition in the Tigers' bracket. "But you can't take these teams for granted. You can't get caught up in the names. It's part of the tournament." The UofM has already disposed of 16th-seeded Oral Roberts of the Mid-Continent Conference and ninth-seeded Bucknell, the Patriot League champion. If the Tigers get past the Braves of the Missouri Valley Conference, they could face West Coast Conference titan Gonzaga in Saturday's regional final. The third-seeded Bulldogs (29-3) face second-seeded UCLA (29-6), which does play in a power conference -- the Bruins won the Pac-10 regular-season and tournament titles -- in Saturday's regional final. That the Tigers defeated both teams during the regular season only added to the sense of anticipation Tuesday as they departed for their base in Berkeley, Calif. UofM coach John Calipari, however, doesn't think there's anything unusual about a scenario that could see the Tigers advance to the Final Four in Indianapolis without facing a single power-conference opponent. "So what?" he said. "It's happened a lot of times over the years." In fact, it hasn't. Duke and Michigan State are the only teams since 1990 to advance to the Final Four without playing a major-conference opponent -- regarded as a team from the ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Pac-10, Big 12 or SEC -- along the way. In 2001, Michigan State defeated Alabama State, Fresno State, Gonzaga and Temple before losing to Pac-10 power Arizona in the national semifinals. Duke took a similar route in 1999, when the Blue Devils' road to the Final Four consisted of Florida A&M, Tulsa, Southwest Missouri State and Temple. But since the NCAA Tournament expanded its field to 64 teams in 1985, no school from outside the traditional power structure has made it to the Final Four on a diet consisting exclusively of teams from middle- and lower-tier leagues. The Tigers could change that. Their road thus far has certainly challenged the prevailing wisdom heading into the tournament. They opened with a straightforward 94-78 win over Oral Roberts. 'Nuff said. In the second round they faced ninth-seeded Bucknell, whose upset win over No. 8 Arkansas spared the Tigers the potentially tricky task of facing the Razorbacks before what would have been a largely pro-Hogs crowd at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. Now the Tigers get Bradley, which in its first NCAA appearance in a decade upset fourth-seeded Kansas and No. 5 Pittsburgh en route to the Sweet 16. "When you talk about what was being thrown at us, we beat a 16 (seed) that should have been a 12 in the first round, we were supposed to play Arkansas on their home court in Dallas and then play either Pittsburgh or Kansas," Calipari said. "It just didn't happen that way. That's why you never worry about that (stuff). I didn't worry about Arkansas or Pitt or Kansas because I know how this stuff works. "I'm just happy we're still playing." With five teams from non-Bowl Championship Series leagues crashing this year's Sweet 16 -- Memphis included -- it seems no opponent, no matter how small their league, can be overlooked. "It must mean they're good if they're still advancing," UofM freshman forward Shawne Williams said. "If it happens like that -- that we don't play one of the bigger teams -- it would be weird. But it doesn't matter who we play because we know coach will prepare us like we're getting ready to play No. 1." |
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| 03/22/06 | |
1957 Tigers captured heart of city with NIT runnerup finish to Bradley (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Zack McMillin Contact March 22, 2006 (Editor's note: In 2001, the University of Memphis was headed to the semifinals of the National Invitation Tournament in John Calipari's first year as coach. It marked the Tigers' first NIT final since 1957, when the Tigers lost to Bradley. Zack McMillin, who covered the Tigers at the time, wrote this account of the 1957 Tiger team. With the Tigers ready to play Bradley in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, McMillin's story -- published March 25, 2001 -- still resonates.) Jack Butcher remembers worrying over a haircut. Now the winningest high school basketball coach in Indiana history, Butcher arrived in New York City wondering if he could find a barber good enough to tame his curls and keep his flattop looking sharp. This was 1957, and Butcher, a scrawny but fiery basketball player, was the point guard for the Memphis State College basketball team. The Tigers were in New York, in March, to play in the oldest postseason basketball tournament in the country, the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). They would be underdogs in every game they played, Butcher's Tigers, but the junior from Loogootee, Ind., just wanted to find a good barber. A few blocks from the team's hotel -- The Paramount -- Butcher found a place. And, well, you might say he got butchered. "My hair wasn't all that easy to cut, and the guy who cut my hair, I think he just got off the boat," Butcher says. "One side of it was round; the other side of it was flat." So when Butcher came back to Memphis, one of the first things he did was take a crosstown bus to his barber shop. And the reception he got there tells a small but significant story about the city of Memphis's relationship to the game of basketball and to the campus in East Memphis that, 44 years later, has become so well known for its basketball program. "Before we went to the NIT," Butcher says, "nobody knew who I was. Well, soon as I got back to town, I went back to the barber to straighten out that mess from New York. Everybody in there knew who I was and that's all they wanted to talk about, the NIT." On Tuesday in New York, the University of Memphis basketball team makes its first appearance in the NIT semifinals since the 1957 team made a run to the finals and captivated the city. Nearly 30,000 fans came to The Pyramid last week to watch the current bunch of Tigers play. It took one glorious March week in 1957 to nudge the program onto a national stage. "That was the first time we really hit the big time," says that team's coach, Bob Vanatta, who is still living and still working in Jupiter, Fla., at age 82. "It really put Memphis on the map." Captivating a city Where were you when the city of Memphis fell in love with the game of basketball? If you lived in Memphis, well, chances are you were in someone's living room, surrounded by a few dozen other people, watching the Tigers. And if you were like Al Brown, your heart was in your gut and your fingernails were shorn clean and the Tigers of Memphis State College were the good guys and the Braves of Bradley were the bad guys. "The city just closed down while they were playing," says Brown, then a teacher at Central High and now the director of the university's M Club. "It was quiet. Streetcars and buses weren't running. Up until later, it was the biggest (sporting) event the city had seen." In The Commercial Appeal the day after the "Heartbreaking NIT Final," as the newspaper put it, the page one story ran with two photographs of cheerleader Betty Jean Lauderdale. In the first frame, she is clapping and jubilant as Memphis takes a lead over Bradley. In the second, she is dejected, with her face in her hands. That reflected the city's mood on March 23, 1957, when the Tigers lost to the heavily favored Bradley Braves after a controversial final 60 seconds that included a layup and winning free throw by Bradley forward Shelley McMillon. "Every time I see someone that goes back that far, they say, 'Boy, they cheated you out of that game,' " says Oscar Ammer, a freshman then who recently retired from the Memphis City School system. Memphis had never played in the NIT before, and, though the NCAA had by then surpassed it in significance, the tournament was still considered very prestigious. The Tigers had never before played on national TV until CBS broadcast the first-round game against Utah. And never before had the program captivated the city the way it would in its one-week run to the championship game. "Our town should be tremendously proud of these boys," Mayor Edmund Orgill said after watching the final at the old Madison Square Garden. "It is almost as if they won." The headline in the newspaper the day after the team returned would foreshadow what would become a long love affair: "City Officials, Lusty Crowd Welcome Tigers at Airport." "The team deserves a reception like this," said City Commissioner Claude Armour, who was on hand, at midnight, to present the team with a key to the city. You might say the Tigers had locked up Memphis. "When I came to Memphis the summer before, I went around town and you never saw a basket," Vanatta says. "What we did brought basketball to the forefront. Before, it was just a football town, but the next year, I'll tell you, baskets began to blossom all over town." Earning a bid They were underdogs in every game: By three points to Utah in the opener, by 21/2 in the quarterfinals to Manhattan, by six to St. Bonaventure in the semifinals, by 10 to Bradley. There was Win Wilfong, a future pro and one of the best four or five players to ever wear blue-and-gray, averaging 20 points per game on his way to being named a Converse All-American. There was Butcher, the point guard and one of the best high school coaches in the history of the basketball-mad state of Indiana. There was Bob Swander, who dropped in the game-winner against St. Bonaventure and wrote his doctoral thesis on the mechanics of shooting a basketball. There was Ron Regan, the forward everyone credits for providing toughness, and Jim Hockaday, the Selmer, Tenn., forward whose physical toughness provided the difference in the quarterfinals. It was a diverse team. Wilfong and Butcher were both married and had served in the military. There were players from Indiana and Missouri, from West Tennessee and Middle Tennessee, from city and from country. And there was the coach, Vanatta, who had actually left Bradley to coach at Memphis the year before. "He was a tremendous encourager," says Swander, 65, a semi-retired real estate developer in Sun City, Ariz. "If you made a mistake, he would always encourage you: 'That's OK. Now, make up for it.' " In many ways, Vanatta was not unlike the Tigers' current coach, John Calipari. He was an accomplished coach at a young age, had worked his way to the top by making all the right connections and knew how to sell himself and his program. Vanatta wrote Calipari a letter after he was hired at Memphis last year, and the two spoke for more than an hour on the phone. "My philosophy in coaching was always about, you know, going downtown and having coffee with the guys and talking to them," says Vanatta. "People like to know you, and I think John does some of the same things. I used to do television commercials. We sold a lot of hot dogs, but we also became a part of the people." In his first season as coach, with the Tigers carried by Wilfong's all-round brilliance as a player, Vanatta was able to sell the program to the city. The Tigers started the season with eight straight wins before losing to Seattle and Elgin Baylor in the All-College Tournament in Oklahoma City. The game Vanatta says earned Memphis its NIT spot was a showdown at Ellis Auditorium against Louisville, ranked third in the country. The Tigers won, 81-78, earned a ranking of 16th in the country and then defeated 20th-ranked Western Kentucky at the Field House. And when the NIT came calling, Memphis accepted. "The NIT in those days was considered THE tournament," Vanatta says. "The first three years I was there, we went to the NIT over the NCAA." Making a run Going into the NIT, the Tigers had played seven games decided by four points or less, and had won all of them. The trend would continue at Madison Square Garden, an arena with an old parquet floor and, as Swander remembers, "lots of dead spots out there." First up: Utah, on Saturday, March 16. Wilfong fouled out with nearly 14 minutes remaining, but the Tigers won, thanks to late free throws from Butcher and Swander. Then came Manhattan, with a squad composed entirely of players from New York City, and Memphis took the only lopsided game it played in New York, 85-73. On Thursday, Memphis earned a trip to the finals to play Vanatta's old team, Bradley, by outlasting St. Bonaventure in overtime. Swander became the game's hero when he saved a possession by throwing a ball off an opponent's shins and saved the game by throwing in the game-winning shot. "I thought my heart was about to go in the goal, too," Swander said afterward. Bradley came into Saturday's nationally televised championship game fresh off blowout victories over Xavier and Temple. The Braves were considered bigger, faster and deeper than the Tigers. "Bradley rated cinch to win NIT crown," it said in the New York Post, in big, bold headlines. The Braves took a 15-point lead, but Memphis cut it to 51-43 by half. With Wilfong, the tourney MVP, on his way to 31 points, the Tigers scored the first 15 points of the second half to take a 58-51 lead. With four minutes left and Memphis ahead, 81-75, Wilfong fouled out. With 40 seconds left, the lead was down to two, when Bradley made a steal that may or may not have involved a foul. The Braves missed, but McMillon was there to clean things up. He scored, earned a foul and hit the ensuing free throw. Even if, as one newspaper pointed out, Bradley seemed to be using "football tactics" in the deciding sequence, the ride was over for the Tigers. But the love affair had begun. A crowd of 2,000 people -- including one Elvis Presley -- greeted the team at the airport around midnight. "That had to be one of the great highlights of a coach's career," Vanatta says. "That was just a special deal. A lot of people indicated that was the beginning of intercollegiate athletics at Memphis." -- Zack McMillin: 529-2564 |
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| 03/22/06 | |
Rebels win with pitching -- Ole Miss 8, U of M 4 (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Bryan Brasher Contact March 22, 2006 Whatever freshman growing pains were plaguing Ole Miss pitcher Brett Bukvich at the start of the season, he seems to have moved past them quickly. After an 0-2 start, Bukvich won his third straight game Tuesday, striking out five batters in six near-perfect innings to help the Rebels down Memphis, 8-4. A crowd of 1,274 bundled-up fans watched on a frigid night at AutoZone Park. Bukvich improved his record to 3-2 as the Rebels won for the fifth straight time against Memphis. "I felt really good tonight," Bukvich said. "I went with just the change-up and the fastball. I didn't go with the slider a whole lot because I was getting ahead with the change-up. That's the biggest thing that has changed for me during the past three weeks -- my change-up has gotten a lot better." The 6-4, 235-pound lefthander from Brandon, Miss., looked comfortable in the 35-degree weather, allowing just two hits and two unearned runs. He retired the Tigers in order through the first three innings and didn't allow a baserunner until midway through the fourth when the Tigers' Kyle Murray reached on an error. "Every time I go out, my change-up just keeps getting better and better, and I keep gaining confidence," Bukvich said. "This is my favorite weather to pitch in -- has been since I was in high school. It doesn't bother me because I'm out there working, and the hitters are thinking about how cold it is or whether the wind's blowing in. I really like it." While Bukvich was keeping the Memphis bats cold, the Rebels were pushing runs across against Memphis senior right-hander Stephen Gostkowski. Ole Miss scored three runs in the fourth inning on an RBI double by Alex Presely and a two-run home run to right field by Mark Wright -- his fourth of the season. The Rebels added a run in the fifth on an RBI single by Chris Coghlan and led 4-2 when Bukvich left the game after the sixth inning. Memphis pulled Gostkowski after five innings in favor of Dusty Davis, but the junior lefthander couldn't keep the Rebels from lighting up the one scoreboard at AutoZone Park that hadn't been fried by the recent severe weather. Ole Miss tagged Davis for three runs in three innings and maintained a comfortable lead as a trio of relievers kept Memphis in check. Will Kline and Tommy Baumgardner each allowed one run in an inning of work, and Garrett White pitched a scoreless ninth. The Memphis offense wasn't completely stagnant, pounding out eight hits and scoring four times. But the number on the scoreboard that stood out for Memphis was the five fielding errors that helped Ole Miss keep the game out of reach. Kyle Norrid and Bill Moss led Memphis at the plate with two hits apiece. |
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| 03/22/06 | |
Fortin-Simard wins national golf honor (Daily Helmsman) |
| by Adam Comer Sports Reporter March 22, 2006 The University of Memphis men’s golf team has a rising star amongst its ranks. Sophomore Keven Fortin-Simard was named the National Men’s Golfer of the Week by golfweek.com on Monday, after medaling in the Border Olympics this past weekend. “I didn’t expect this,” he said. “I just went out and tried to play well, but this was a huge surprise, and obviously an honor.” He finished the tournament at 13-under par and one stroke ahead of Baylor’s Ryan Baca. He also set a 54-round school record, shooting a 203 and leading the Tigers to a second place finish. This isn’t newfound success for Fortin-Simard. Since his freshman season he has medaled four times and has 10 top-10 finishes. This win is also his third straight top-six performance. Coach Grant Robbins has been impressed with the development of Fortin-Simard since last season, and he said he is thrilled with the recognition both for his player and for the team. “Keven deserves this,” Robbins said. “It is hard to find a player anywhere who has been playing as hard and as well as he has over the past week, and he has a great attitude.” Robbins said that Fortin-Simard has been maturing as a player and is playing a key role in the team’s success this spring. He said anytime you have a player playing that well, it always elevates the other members of the team. “He is becoming a leader on the team, and the other guys are watching him and feeding off of his play,” Robbins said. Fortin-Simard doesn’t view himself in the same light, however. He just wants to do his best to help the team succeed, and he doesn’t think it is necessarily a question of leadership but more a desire to just go out and perform. “I’m not much of a talker, I guess,” he said. “I just lead by example with my play. I just want to play my best, and if I do, hopefully it will help the team as well.” The win in the Border Olympics was his second first-place finish in three tournaments this spring, and his third of the season. He doesn’t attribute his success to anything in particular, other than just making shots when it counts. “Everything has just been falling into place for me,” he said. “I’ve been lucky enough to make the right shots at the right moments, and I’ve been able to make birdies when I needed them.” |
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| 03/22/06 | |
Dallas Award Ceremony (Daily Helmsman) |
| by Trey Heath Sports Reporter March 22, 2006 DALLAS, Texas — There is something about Dallas that pulls at the senses. Cowboy boots and hats are considered cool. Every restaurant offers a 72-ounce sirloin steak, but they still all fail to comprehend the notion of what barbecue is. But barbecue or not, Dallas was good to The University of Memphis Tigers last weekend. The Tigers’ two victories in Dallas granted the Tigers their first Sweet 16 appearance since 1995, ensuring Memphis one more game in the NCAA Tournament and a trip to Oakland, Calif. But having only one winner come out of Dallas isn’t fun. Leave it to a sports writer to pull information that doesn’t matter and assign unneeded significance to each event in some form of numerical order. So with that being said, here are the 2006 Dallas Helmsman Awards: Best Band With all bias aside, The University of Memphis’ Mighty Sound of the South takes this category hands down. Their classic rendition of “Hustle and Flow’s” “Whoop That Trick” pushed Memphis well over the top for this category. Despite the fact that the movie won an Oscar for best original song in a movie, Bucknell’s band failed to recognize the tune. Maybe next spring break they will be able to break out of Pennsylvania. Best Cheerleaders This one has to go to Oral Roberts. The Golden Eagles’ cheerleaders never gave up during Friday’s game, so they take this year’s award. Every cheerleader on their small squad took full advantage of their on-court opportunities by cart-wheeling their way down the entire length of the court. When Oral Roberts took the lead over Memphis, cartwheels ensued. When Oral Roberts lost the lead 12 seconds later, more cartwheels. Even when the Tigers took over Friday’s game and extended their lead to 12 with five minutes left to go in the second half, The Oral Roberts’ cheerleaders’ cartwheels never stopped. What a truly great effort. Best Fans Probably the most controversial category this year, but the nod must go once again to the fan base of Oral Roberts. Eagle faithful made the 250-mile trip despite the fact they had absolutely no chance of a victory. Much has been made of the fact that a 16-seed has never defeated a No. 1 seed in NCAA Tournament history. Maybe they don’t get “Sportscenter” in Oklahoma. Best Fan Former Tiger football great and current New Orleans Saint cornerback Mike McKenzie made the trip from New Orleans to support his former team. Although McKenzie is due to start off-season training soon, he took advantage of a day off to catch the game and to congratulate the Tigers after their victory over Bucknell. Best Chant Buckell’s band had quite a witty chant after the Tigers cemented their victory in the second half. “Two, four, six, eight all of our players graduate,” the band said. After further investigation, 100 percent of Bucknell’s basketball squad has graduated over the past four years. Since their departure from the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, Bucknell’s squad should have a lot more time to study to keep up their record. Best Interview When you are the No. 1 seed and you roll through the first two games of the NCAA Tournament, you are bound to receive a little more press coverage. After Andre Allen’s stellar performance in both of last weekend’s games, even the New York City press wanted a piece of Allen. When a New York reporter asked Allen how he and his mother got to be such huge Memphis fans, his response was, “I’m from Memphis. We are both from Memphis.” Best Mascot One of the easiest decisions, this award unanimously goes to Pouncer from The U of M. Oral Roberts’ Golden Eagle may have better represented KFC. Bucknell’s Bison falls under the livestock category much like Texas’ cow. The No. 1 rule in mascot selection is to stay away from livestock. Bison don’t fight and neither do cows. Best Officiating Crew James Burr, D.J. Cartensen and Jeffery Clark get the award for best officiating crew. The crew worked the Memphis-Oral Roberts game with an iron fist. After The U of M band began to shout several chants criticizing the officials, one referee stopped play and walked over to the sideline and asked the student in The U of M band if he wanted to continue sitting there. His response was simple: “But I’m in the band.” |
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| 03/21/06 | |
Tiger Spring Football Update #5 (GoTigersGo.com) |
| Practice # 5 Tuesday, March 21 There is only one way to describe practice today --- COLD. The Tigers practiced in full pads a the Liberty Bowl because rain saturated the practice fields at South Campus. The squad worked for about two hours and was productive. Dustin Lopez (ankle) and Clinton McDonald (hamstring) remained out of practice, but spent the day running stadium steps with Brandon Farrar (shoulder), Mario Pratcher (knee) and Rubio Phillips (knee). Lopez injured his ankle prior to the start of spring practice and McDonald strained his hamstring on the first day. Receiver Taz Knockum had successful surgery today to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. He will miss the remainder of spring practice. The team will return to the Liberty Bowl on Wednesday. They will practice for about an hour, and then will get in some scrimmage work. "I expect that after six practices, we should be getting better," said West. "I want to go about 50-60 snaps tomorrow to see where we are from a coaching standpoint. We have to be getting better, and scrimmages are the best way to see that." Another familiar face was out at practice today as former standout QB Danny Wimprine made the trip in. Some of the other Tigers that have returned are Robert Douglas and Albert Means. "It's a good sign when your players want to come back," added West. "I think that says a lot about the program." Several Tigers traveled downtown after practice to support former All-American kicker Stephen Gostkowski who got the starting nod on the mound tonight against Ole Miss at AutoZone Park. |
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| 03/21/06 | |
Errors Plague Tigers in 8-4 Loss to Ole Miss -- Will Petersen extends hit streak to 12 games in loss (GoTigersGo.com) |
| MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Ole Miss (13-8) 000 310 121 - 8 9 2 Memphis (11-7) 000 101 110 - 4 8 5 Bill Moss went 2-for-3 with two RBI, but five Tiger errors combined with a lack of clutch hitting sent Memphis to an 8-4 loss to Ole Miss Tuesday evening at AutoZone Park. The loss was Memphis' fifth-straight to Ole Miss. After battling through three scoreless innings, the Rebels got the upper hand in the fourth when a double by Alex Presley scored Zack Cozart. Mark Wright followed with a two-run home run into the rightfield stands for a 3-0 Rebel lead. Memphis answered with its first run of the contest in the fourth on an RBI-double to left by Moss. Ole Miss recaptured its three-run lead with a run in the fifth, but the Tigers again responded with a run in the home half of the sixth on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Moss. Both teams scored runs in the seventh, but the Rebels extended its lead to 7-3 with a pair of runs in the eighth. Kyle Norrid, who finished as one of two Tigers to post multiple hits, drove in the Tigers final run of the night to close the Ole Miss cushion to 7-4, but that would be as close and Memphis could get. Mark Wright brought Peyton Farr across in the ninth for the final 8-4 tally. Freshman Brett Bukvich was solid, holding Memphis to two unearned runs and fanning five in six innings. Tiger starter Stephen Gostkowski went five innings and allowed four runs on four hits in a losing effort. Memphis will travel to Jonesboro, Ark tomorrow to take on Arkansas State. First pitch at ASU's Tomlinson Stadium is set for 6:30 p.m. |
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| 03/21/06 |  |
Bahnsen Earns All-America Honor -- Sophomore picks up first career All-America honor after winning conference air rifle title (GoTigersGo.com) |
| MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Sophomore shooter Krissey Bahnsen (Forest Grove, Oregon) received a second team All-America honor in air rifle from the National Rifle Association Collegiate Program it was announced by Rifle Head Coach Butch Woolbright, Tuesday. Bahnsen won the air rifle title at the Great American Rifle Conference Championships, and was named honorable mention All-GARC in air rifle earlier this spring. After competing in the NCAA Championships as a freshman, Bahnsen went on to complete in the 2005 Junior Olympics in Colorado Springs. She was a second team All-GARC honoree as a freshman after finishing fifth in the air rifle as a freshman. The rifle team completed their 2005-06 season by placing three shooters in the top 15 in air rifle at the conference championships. Andrew Hahn was ninth, Katie Benjamin was 10th. Brian Phillips and Jessica Jasis finished 11th and 23rd, respectively, in the air portion of the meet. Bahnsen finished in the top 15 individuals in the aggregate event at the league championships. |
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| 03/21/06 | |
Men's Tennis to Face No. 13 Ole Miss, Wednesday -- Tigers to face seventh nationally-ranked team on the road, Wednesday (GoTigersGo.com) |
| MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis men's tennis team (4-9, 1-2 C-USA) will continue their difficult road schedule when they travel to Oxford to face Ole Miss, Wednesday, at 2:00 p.m. Ole Miss is the No. 13 ranked team in the nation in the ITA poll released Tuesday. Memphis is 0-3 against the Rebels since 2001, falling at Ole Miss last season, 6-1. Of the seven individuals who played in that match last year, only senior James Spence is on the Tiger roster this season, and he and doubles teammate Sam Withell are currently ranked No. 24 in the country in doubles play. The remainder of the Tiger line-up will be playing their first-ever matches against Ole Miss and are looking for back-to-back team wins for just the second time this season. The Tigers are hoping for the return of Matt Brewer and Bryan Bankester, who both did not play singles in the last match due to injuries/illness. Brewer did manage to play doubles, but Memphis got into a difficult 4-3 match against Murray State without Brewer, who is 5-7 in singles on the season, including a 2-1 mark at No. 2 singles. Bankester carries a 4-5 overall singles mark, including a 3-1 record at No. 6 singles. Ole Miss is led by the No. 16 ranked doubles duo of Eric Claesson and Erling Tveit. Tveit is also the No. 16 ranked singles player in the country, while Claesson is the No. 40 ranked player in Tuesday's updated poll. This will be the final non-conference match for Ole Miss, while Memphis has just six regular season matches remaining counting the Wednesday match. The Tigers will host Cal-Riverside, next Tuesday, at a site to be determined, beginning at 1:30 p.m. Memphis will then travel to Dallas to face No. 60 SMU, a C-USA newcomer, on Saturday, Apr. 1st. |
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| 03/21/06 | |
Business Pulse poll results: Tigers not likely to win NCAA championship (Memphis Business Journal) |
| Memphians are not too optimistic about the University of Memphis Tigers' chances of winning the NCAA games this year, a Memphis Business Journal online survey found. But there was no clear consensus on how well the Tigers will perform.
Last week, we asked readers how far they think the Tigers will make it through the tournament, and 244 poll participants voted as follows: * 23 percent said the Tigers will be a Final Four heartbreaker. * 19 percent said the team will join the ranks of the Elite Eight, but will go down fighting. * 18 percent believe the next NCAA champion is Memphis. * 16 percent of voters said the Tigers will claw their way to the championship game. * 15 percent correctly guessed that the Tigers would be a Sweet 16 team, but think the team won't advance. * 6 percent foresaw Memphis going down in a Memphis/Arkansas match-up in round 2. However, the basketball gods had other plans, with Arkansas going down in the first round to Bucknell and Memphis moving on to the Sweet 16 after a win in the second round over Bucknell. * 3 percent said they thought the Tigers would make history as a first round upset. ep@bizjournals.com | 259-1764 |
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| 03/21/06 | |
Spring Football: Day 5 (Commercial Appeal) |
| Overnight rains that saturated the Murphy Athletic Complex practice fields forced the University of Memphis football team to take Tuesday's workout to Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.
With temperatures in the low 40s and light rain falling on occasion, the Tigers practiced for about two hours.
Today, the U of M will return to the the Liberty Bowl for a regularly scheduled practice followed by a scrimmage. At the end of Saturday's workout at the Murphy Athletic Complex, the Tigers ran about 36 plays.
"We ended up getting something like 40 plays in the other day, but we'll go a little bit longer (Wednesday)," Tiger coach Tommy West said. "I'd like to go somewhere between 50 and 60 snaps. I just want to see if we're making any improvement.
"(Wednesday) will be our sixth practice. We should be better. If we're not better, then we're not coaching them the right way or either they're not listening. We'll find out if we're getting what we're coaching." INJURY UPDATES: Receiver Taz Knockum underwent successful surgery Tuesday to repair a meniscus tear. He will miss the remainder of the spring. . . . Defensive lineman Clinton McDaniel continues to recover from a hamstring injury. He is day-to-day. . . . And defensive back Dustin Lopez has yet to practice because of an ankle injury. KEEP AN EYE ON . . . Ole Miss transfer Jada Brown, a freshman defensive lineman, should quickly move up the depth chart. He has had an impressive first week and given the offensive tackles, trying desperately to keep him out of the backfield, a handful. . . .Redshirt freshman running back T.J. Pitts makes plays. He had a nifty move in Tuesday's workout, reversing his field and scoring on a short run during a goal-line drill. . . . While center Michael Denning, a 6-4, 270-pound junior has struggled with the center-quarterback exchange, look for the Tiger staff to keep him there. Denning, who'll backup starter Stephen Schuh, is a newcomer to the position. He had a better day with his snaps Tuesday. |
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| 03/21/06 | |
Washington, Allen both playing well as Tigers advance in NCAA (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Gary Parrish Contact March 21, 2006 John Calipari was minutes removed from leading the University of Memphis to the Sweet 16 for the first time in 11 years, and he was now in the postgame press conference, taking inquiries from the media. First question: Coach, is Andre Allen your best point guard? Meanwhile, on a message board at MemphisTigers.org where fans debate various topics, a discussion was taking place under the heading of "Darius vs. Allen." Before long, it had more than 60 replies. So this is where we are. As the Tigers (32-3) prepare for Thursday's game against Bradley (22-10) in the semifinals of the Oakland Regional, most the talk has shifted from depth and athleticism, and it now revolves around whether Darius Washington or Andre Allen is better suited to run the Memphis offense. Consequently, Calipari finds himself in the awkward position of having to acknowledge Allen's superb play in the NCAA Tournament, while also maintaining the confidence of a struggling Washington. And it can't be an easy task. "I have two great point guards," said Calipari, refusing to pit the two against each other. "They are two hard-nosed, tough-as-nails kids, and I love coaching both of them." This debate -- which Calipari insisted is only taking place among fans and media, not with his team -- stems from Allen's emergence during the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. In a pair of 16-point wins, the Booker T. Washington High graduate averaged 9.5 points, 4.0 assists and 2.5 steals in just 19.5 minutes, and he orchestrated a pair of 20-2 runs the Tigers used to pull away from Oral Roberts and Bucknell. After each victory, Allen found himself as something of a media darling. The line of questioning stayed along a consistent path of inquiries about his past and childhood, but people couldn't help but also ask about his role as Washington's backup, and whether it was frustrating, given his obvious ability. "Darius Washington is a great player," Allen said. "He's a (second-year) starter, and I'm a walk-on. I've just got to wait my time." Problem is, many believe that time is now, among them ESPN.com's Pat Forde, who wrote the Tigers' offense "undeniably has been more efficient when (Allen's) running it. Allen's pass-first mentality and feel for the game make him more of a pure point guard than Washington, who looks to score more often." No one would argue against that last point, not even Calipari. But rather than state one player is more effective than the other, he believes Washington and Allen are assets who bring different approaches to the court. When the Tigers need a scorer who can break down opposition, Washington is the better fit. However, when they need a distributor to deliver the ball while wreaking havoc defensively, Allen is the better fit. The reason? Allen has been playing point guard his entire life, and Washington has only been doing it for two seasons. So their instincts are different, which makes their games different, too. "They're just two different point guards," said senior Rodney Carney. "They complement each other." Either way, it's worth noting Washington doesn't appear too bothered by the extra attention bestowed upon his backup, and seems to be handling it all relatively well. Monday, he was in good spirits and the last to leave practice, staying late for extra work. "Darius is the least of my worries, and he's going to win a game for us before this is over," Calipari said. "That kid's going to be fine." -- Gary Parrish: 529-2365 |
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| 03/21/06 | |
What other people are saying about the Tigers . . . (Commercial Appeal) |
| While the power conferences kept looking weaker and weaker, Memphis cruised through the tournament's first weekend with a pair of double-digit victories, the latest 72-56 over Patriot League champion Bucknell on Sunday at American Airlines Center.
Coming next, a Thursday game against Bradley of the Missouri Valley Conference.
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Look out, world. Here comes Memphis (32-3), the team sometimes derided as a one-dimensional group of athletes that presses on defense and shoots 3-pointers on offense. Mike Knobler, Atlanta Journal-Constitution • • Who are the Memphis Tigers? Apparently, the answer is not so simple. Sure, you know they're the Conference USA champions, the top-seeded team in the Oakland Regional and a major obstacle for UCLA or any other team hoping to reach the Final Four. But if every team has an identity, after two games and one contradictory interview session in Dallas, I still can't tell you who the Tigers are. "We've just got to make the game hard for the other team," Memphis coach John Calipari said. "That's all. That's what we are." They're tall, talented and two-deep everywhere. On a day when Dallas was tormented by torrential rain, flash floods and thunder so loud you could hear it inside American Airlines Arena, it was only appropriate that this Noah's Ark-ready team beat Bucknell, 72-56. The Tigers have a pair of lanky swingmen in Rodney Carney and Chris Douglas-Roberts. They have a pair of small, talkative point guards in Darius Washington and Andre Allen. They have a pair of bulky big men in Joey Dorsey and Kareem Cooper. Where's the weakness? Well, there are four freshmen, four sophomores and only one senior among the nine players who average double-digit minutes. Carney is the senior, and he can get a little too loose out there. J.A. Adande, Los Angeles Times • • As he was leaving during top-seeded Memphis's 72-56 victory over ninth-seeded Bucknell on Sunday afternoon to catch a flight, the Houston Rockets swingman Tracy McGrady admitted that he had underestimated Memphis. McGrady was at the game, an NCAA tournament second-round matchup in the Oakland Region, to watch his brother, Chance, who is a freshman guard for the Tigers. And he left impressed. "They're real athletic,'' McGrady, wearing a camouflage hat and a blinding diamond necklace, said. "They play with a lot of intensity out there. They've got the rebounding, the guys down low. They've got the perimeter. They pretty much got it all.'' Before the tournament, McGrady said, he had his doubts about the Tigers. "I thought that they were going to be one of the first No. 1 seeds that was going to be upset,'' he said. "I just didn't think they had the experience. They're showing me more. They're proving me wrong.'' So far, Memphis (32-3) has silenced critics who questioned the team's No. 1 seeding in the Oakland Region. It has coasted to victory in its first two games, winning each by 16 points. Thayer Evans, New York Times • • Memphis was the No. 1 seed everyone loved to hate when they filled out their NCAA tournament brackets last week. Remember? Oral Roberts was going to be the first No. 16 seed to win a tournament game, against Memphis. If the Tigers got past the first round, surely heavy crowd-favorite Arkansas would end their season. Well, look at the Tigers now. They stifled No. 9 seed Bucknell, 72-56, yesterday afternoon for their second cozy victory in three days at American Airlines Center in Dallas. Now, Public Enemy No. 1 (Seed) Memphis is in the Sweet 16 Thursday against No. 13 seed Bradley. Jeff Wilson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram • • Let's clear up a few things about Memphis, a 72-56 victor against Bucknell on Sunday. It might not have overtaxed the Tigers to roll through the middling Conference USA, but they're plenty tested, also taking on Alabama, UCLA, Duke, Gonzaga, Texas and Tennessee in the regular season. ... Addressing another misconception: The deep and athletic Tigers (32-3) like to fly, but they're hardly a one-note team. They can grind, and did in this game. Steve Wieberg, USA Today |
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| 03/21/06 | |
Sweet 16 exciting around Bradley -- Braves finally find solid play with consistency (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Randy Bruce Contact March 21, 2006 Eleven years is a long time to wait for your favorite basketball team to get back to the Sweet 16. University of Memphis fans know that all too well. Now imagine waiting 51 years, and you understand what the fans of Bradley University are feeling today. The Braves, the Oakland Regional's 13th seed, earned the program's first Sweet 16 trip since 1955 Sunday when they upset fifth-seeded Pittsburgh to earn a regional semifinal date with the top-seeded Tigers. Game-time is 6:27 p.m. (CST) Thursday at The Arena in Oakland. Needless to say, there's a bit of excitement in Peoria, Ill., over Bradley (22-10) ending the longest stretch between Sweet 16 appearances in NCAA history. "This success that these young men have had has energized this whole community," Braves coach Jim Les said in a Monday teleconference. "It's fun to be a part of that. "Bradley basketball is the centerpiece of this community and this university because we don't have football. It's the big show in town." A few months ago, it certainly didn't look as if this would be the season Peoria's big show returned to the big time. After a mediocre non-conference showing, the Braves lost five of their first eight to start Missouri Valley Conference play. "We had periods where we played very good basketball and displayed the potential of our team," Les said of his team's struggles. "We just weren't doing it consistently enough." Bradley found that missing consistency in a Feb. 14 home win over perennial NCAA Tournament-team Southern Illinois. A week later, the Braves traveled to face a ranked Northern Iowa team and shocked the Panthers with a 22-point blowout win. "It was their senior night; they had a sellout crowd," Les said. "We probably had every excuse in the book to go out there and lose. (The players) generated a lot of confidence off of that game." Those victories were part of a seven-game winning streak that didn't end until the Salukis got revenge in the MVC Tournament championship game. The season-ending flourish was good enough -- barely -- to earn Bradley an at-large bid as the fourth team out of the Missouri Valley. For Les, a former Bradley star sharpshooter who played seven NBA seasons with the Jazz, Clippers, Kings and Hawks, the postseason success has been especially rewarding. "It's more than an occupation," said Les, who is 62-59 in four seasons at Bradley. "I've looked at it more as a responsibility, and putting Bradley basketball back on the map is a tremendous feeling. It's great to see the impact this has on all these other people." -- Randy Bruce: 529-2822 |
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| 03/21/06 | |
Texas Two-Step (Daily Helmsman) |
| by Matt Laurie Sports Editor March 21, 2006 DALLAS, Texas — It was a two-game tournament. That’s how Memphis coach John Calipari classified it. A sub-regional of the Oakland bracket, the team to come out of Dallas would be in the Sweet 16 and earn the right to play two games in California. The winner of the Oakland bracket wins a trip to Indianapolis, the destination of the final four teams. A third of Memphis NCAA Tournament is done, and the two wins at American Airlines Center this weekend have punched the Tigers’ ticket to the Sweet 16, for the first time in 11 years. The Texas two-step started with 16-seed Oral Roberts (21-12) on Friday, and with eight first-year players and only one senior you’d think butterflies would fill stomachs. But the Tigers came out-gunning and opened up an 18-6 lead on the Golden Eagles. The first six minutes also saw the return of freshman forward Chris Douglas-Roberts from a knee injury suffered in the Conference USA tournament. ORU’s Ken Tutt scored seven points in a flash to tip the scoreboard in his team’s favor, 33-29. But an unlikely player who started the game on the bench took the game over for Memphis. Andre Allen, sophomore guard, catapulted the Tigers to a 49-35 lead as his nine points in the span sparked a 20-2 run. “They gave me shots and I made them,” Allen said. The 3s by Allen were three of the 11 Memphis made on the night. “This is the first night I’ve seen us knockdown the three consistently,” said forward Robert Dozier. “If we can keep doing that throughout the tournament we’re going to be hard to beat.” Rodney Carney had two threes himself and was the game’s high-scorer with 19 points. He also grabbed five rebounds and shot 50 percent from the field. The ability to get production from nearly every player on the roster makes Memphis a dangerous team and the depth of the team can keep players fresh in a tournament run. “Everybody on our team is a star,” said Allen. “Everyone was a star where they came from. It’s just a matter of putting it together.” The togetherness Memphis showed on defense put the game out of the reach of the Golden Eagle’s talons. The weekend’s second game was against 9th seeded Bucknell, which had previously beat No. 8 seed Arkansas, 59-55. Bucknell’s specialty was three-point shooting against Arkansas, shooting 52 percent, 11 total. Against the Tigers, Bucknell hit only two. However, the two they did make came in the first 4:15 of the game and allowed the Bison to jump ahead of Memphis 10-4. But, once again Andre Allen came to the rescue. In a span of 70 seconds, Allen hit two three-pointers and assisted Rodney Carney on a dunk, bringing every Memphis fan in the building to their feet. The Tigers quickly captured and extended the lead to 13 and never looked back. The closest Bucknell came was eight points. “You get up on a team now in the NCAA Tournament, you end the game,” said Calipari. “You grind it out. This isn’t for funsies now. It’s one and done.” Balanced scoring wouldn’t allow Bucknell to key on one person. Seven Memphis players scored between eight and 13 points. Andre Allen followed up Friday’s spectacle with eight points and six assists in 20 minutes. Carney, one of those seven players, had 10 points on the night and passed Larry Finch for third on Memphis’ all-time scoring list. “Hopefully they’ll talk about me as one of the greats,” said Carney while smiling. “But, I don’t know.” In the first two games, the ability for almost any Memphis player to carry a team should worry Memphis’ next opponent Bradley, which has two upsets under it’s belt already with wins over No. 4 Kansas and No. 5 Pittsburgh. “I tried to explain to our team that every time you advance it’s another opportunity for someone to be a star.” Watch Thursday’s game against Bradley at 6:27 (CT) to find out who the next star might be. |
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| 03/21/06 | |
Tourney continues, through hell and high water (Daily Helmsman) |
| by Trey Heath Sports Reporter March 21, 2006 University of Memphis students’ spirits may have been high after the Tigers’ victories in Dallas, but so were the floodwaters. Despite the fact that the National Weather Service classified the Dallas and north Texas area as being in a “severe drought,” the skies opened up over downtown Dallas leaving much of the area under water. Dallas received around five inches of rain on Saturday, causing flash floods throughout the city and at least one death. “The water started going down at around 11 Sunday night,” said Tiffany Liles, a Hilton Hotel clerk. “It was hard to get out with all the water on the roads.” But getting out was one of the main objectives for U of M students hoping to arrive back in Memphis Sunday evening. As soon as the buzzer sounded at American Airlines Arena, an exodus of college basketball fans left the arena only to find I-35 East — the main interstate into and out of Dallas — at a complete stand still. “It looked like a parking lot,” said Lauren McKnight, accounting major. “Luckily for us we already had checked out and we were going the other way. “ Students heading back to their hotel, however, were not so lucky. “Students who needed to go back into the city probably didn’t make class Monday,” McKnight said. “Dallas really isn’t a short trip.” High water levels and a single car accident forced officials to shut down several lanes of I-35 causing massive delays for Dallas residents and Tiger fans alike. “It rained off and on all weekend, but Sunday we could hear the thunder in the stadium,” McKnight said. “After that we pretty much waded out.” Along with delays, flooding caused Dallas authorities to attempt two water rescues. In the Dallas Metroplex area, officials reported areas with five feet of standing water. Authorities found a woman’s body floating in the area after her car was carried off the road by surging waters. Despite the large amount of rain, The National Weather Service still lists the area as 11.5 inches under the average amount of rainfall. The drought has caused several wildfires across Texas over the last month, with no hope of relief until Saturday. “I think a lot of Memphis fans were angered by all the delays the rain caused,” McKnight said. “But Texas really needed that rain and Memphis won, so there really isn’t much to be angry about now.” |
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| 03/21/06 | |
Allen, Washington invade Dallas (Daily Helmsman) |
| by Justin Kissell Sports Reporter March 21, 2006 Controversy isn’t usually a good thing to have during the NCAA Tournament. Rumors have swirled that North Carolina State coach Herb Sendek would be bought out of his contract later this year. Every basketball analyst in the world was shocked when Air Force received an at-large bid and Tennessee got a No. 2 seed. What about The University of Memphis? They’ve got their own controversy, but it’s a much more positive one. Tiger point guards Darius Washington and Andre Allen have different roles on the team. Allen is a spark plug off the bench while Washington is a team leader and smooth scorer. Against Oral Roberts and Bucknell the two have combined for 41 points, 14 assists and nine steals. The “controversial” part is that Allen has hit more 3-pointers than his teammate and his offensive game has been on par with Washington’s. “We have two great point guards,” said coach John Calipari, referring to his two floor generals. He’s given both players similar minutes so far in the tournament. Washingt |