Memphis Tigers News Archives

October 2006

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10/31/06		Feds Win Garibaldi's Series, 3-1 -- Teams split Sunday doubleheaders (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Game Three Feds (Blue) 200 000 100 - 3 Zu Crew (Gray) 000 001 21X - 4 The Zu Crew (Gray) took Game Three, 4-3, but the Feds (Blue) responded with a 7-6 win in Game Four to take home the 2006 University of Memphis Fall Garibaldi's Series. Zulli's bunch pulled the series to within one game with a 4-3 win in Game Four. The Grey squad scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning, after Chris Newsom ripped a one-out double and later came around to score on a passed ball. Senior Ben Grisham then came on to close the game out and pick up the win. Trailing 3-1 in the home half of the seventh, senior Joey Lieberman evened the score at three with a two-run single. Lieberman, who added a double in the second inning, joined Will Pteresen as the lone Zu Crew hitters to record multiple hits. The Zu Crew also got an RBI from freshman Capris Longmire. Adam Amar had a pair of doubles for the Feds, and senior Philip Utley put up a strong performance, tossing five shutout innings. Nathan Hill was tagged with the loss after allowing four runs in the last three innings of action. Game Four Zu Crew (Gray) 120 012 000 - 6 Feds (Blue) 001 100 140 - 7 Senior Kyle Norrid scored on a passed ball to break a 6-6 tie and clinch a 3-1 Garibaldi's Series win for the Feds. Norrid, freshman Marc Ashley, sophomore Trey Wiedman and junior K.K. Chalmers, all posted two hits in the contest. Redshirt freshman Mark Jobe pitched two innings of shutout ball to pick up the win. Bill Moss led the Zu Crew with a 3-for-3 outing, and freshman Kyle Aldridge went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles. Game Three winner, Grisham took the loss in relief. The Blue Team has won two consecutive Garibaldi's Series titles since head coach Daron Schoenrock took the post at Memphis. The series went five games in 2005 with the Blue squad coming away victorious, three-games-to-two.

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10/31/06		Tiger Football: Southern Miss Week (Memphis Edge)
		Eight games into a difficult season and Tiger coach Tommy West continues to be impressed by freshman receiver Duke Calhoun. Before the season began, Calhoun was the incoming freshman getting most of the ink because of his ability. West asked several members of the media to back off and not hype the ex-Raleigh-Egypt receiver too much, especially before he had played a game. But it's apparent with four games left, Calhoun has made an impact. He leads the team in receiving yards (420) and receiving touchdowns (4). While West admits Calhoun ``has a long way to go without the ball'', he is accomplished with it. And if there was a team ESPY award for catch of the year, Calhoun would have several receptions nominated, including a one-handed TD grab at East Carolina.

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10/31/06		Tigers and Wildcats Face Off Again -- Rematch with Kentucky kicks off C-USA Tournament (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn.After falling to No. 14 Kentucky 3-1 in the regular season finale on Oct. 28, the University of Memphis men's soccer team will get a second chance against the now No. 13 Wildcats in the first round of the Conference-USA Tournament on Wednesday. Kickoff is set for 5:30 pm central time at the Hurricane Soccer and Track Stadium at the University of Tulsa. "In terms of preparation, we spent last week preparing for Kentucky, so it's a matter of fixing the things we didn't do well from that game," head coach Richie Grant said. "I thought we played some really good football in the opening 25 minutes on Saturday against them. Now we need to reproduce that type of form and do it for a full 90 minutes." The Tigers were forced to prepare for the tournament without knowing their opponent until late on Monday when UCF's make-up victory over Marshall vaulted the Golden Knights ahead of the Tigers, who enter the tournament as the No. 7 seed. Memphis finished the season with a 3-5-0 record, but will be looking to regain the success they've had in recent years at the C-USA Tournament. The Tigers claimed the 2004 C-USA regular season and tournament titles, and advanced to the 2005 C-USA semifinal match before losing to 2006 tournament champion South Carolina. "Anything can happen once the tournament starts," Grant said. "These are all good teams and everyone has a shot to win this tournament. We feel confident going into the Kentucky match, but we know we're going to have a lot of work to do." The match will be the Tigers first at a neutral site since last season's C-USA Tournament in Dallas where they defeated UAB in the first round and lost to the South Carolina in the semifinals at SMU's Westcott Field. "It's going to be nice to play them at a neutral facility," Grant said. " There is no advantage to either team. Playing at home has been a tremendous advantage for everyone in conference. We won three out of four conference home games and Kentucky won all of their home conference games. So it will be nice to take home field advantage out of the equation." The first round of the Conference USA Tournament will begin on Wednesday. No. 1 SMU and No. 8 Florida International start the day with a 12:00 p.m. kickoff. No. 4 UAB and No. 5 South Carolina follow at 2:30 p.m. The No. 7 Tigers will face No. 2 Kentucky at 5:30 p.m., and No. 3 Tulsa and No. 6 UCF finish the day with an 8:00 p.m. kickoff. Should the Tigers win, they will face the winner of the UCF and Tulsa game on Friday at 7:30 p.m. Sunday's championship match will begin at 1:00 p.m.

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10/31/06		Lady Tiger Basketball to Host Exhibition Thursday -- Eight newcomers to suit up for the first time for the Lady Tigers (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The 2006-07 Lady Tiger basketball season will open with an exhibition game, Thursday, at 11 a.m. against cross-town Rhodes College. The lone exhibition game of the season for the Lady Tigers, the mid-morning game is a repeat of the first-ever mid-morning exhibition last season. In that exhibition game, also against Rhodes, over 200 local elementary school students attended as rewards for participating in various reading and citizenship programs. "We're looking forward to playing Rhodes again," head coach Blair Savage-Lansden said. "This is a great opportunity for kids from Memphis to see that there are additional educational opportunities for them here in the city and to hopefully inspire them to work hard toward their academic goals." The home game will be the first for eight new Lady Tigers. Memphis returns just five players from last year's team and one of those, Jessica Hall, will miss a lot of this season due to a third surgery. Senior Devin Necaise will also be bouncing back from a foot injury, and is listed as probable for Thursday's exhibition game. Necaise is the team's leading scorer from last season, after she averaged 14.1 points per game and helped fire a Memphis offense to a school record 154 field goals from three-point range. Also back for the Lady Tigers is local product Paris Leonard. The C-USA Sixth Player of the Year last year, Leonard finished second on the team in scoring (12.8 ppg) and third in rebounding (4.7 rpg). The Wooddale HS graduate also hit 43 shots from three-point range, meaning she already ranks 10th on the Lady Tiger career list in that category. That duo should have some scoring help with the eight new additions for this season. Junior college transfer Aroha Jennings and sophomore Ashley Thornton will lend some scoring up from the front line, as will freshmen Alysse Davis and Robin Jones. In the backcourt, true freshmen Se'erra Fantroy and Jazmyn Green will split point guard duties, while the two and three slots could get help from Hope Adams and Adria Phillips. "Our practice has gone about the way anyone would expect with eight newcomers," Savage said. "We have some moments where we do so really positive things, but we'll see where we are and will try to get everyone ready for the Louisville tournament." Rhodes comes in to the exhibition game following an 18-8 season which saw them tie a school record for wins in a season. The Lynx will be lead by first team all-conference honoree Ashley Farrell and third team all-conference honoree Crystal Jessee. Jessee has passed the 500-career rebound mark, while Farrell led the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference in three-point shooting last season. The Lynx will look to any of five freshmen to help replace the scoring lost by the graduation of Taylor Cook, who capped her Lynx career with 1,625 points and 478 rebounds and was a three-time All-SCAC honoree. The sneak peek on Thursday will be the lone pre-season look at the Lady Tigers that fans will have, as the team will open the season on the road at the University of Louisville tournament, beginning Nov. 10th, against Winthrop. Memphis will return to the Elma Roane Fieldhouse for its home opener on Nov. 17th against Ohio Valley pre-season favorite Samford. Season tickets remain available for the 16-game Lady Tiger regular season. Tickets are $75.00 for chairback reserved seats, $50 for bleacher seats, $40 for senior citizen tickets and $100 for a family pack that includes two adult and three children tickets. Parking passes for the Elma Roane Fieldhouse are also available for $45.00 apiece. The Rhodes game will be school day, where all area schools will receive free admission. It will also be Faculty and Staff day where all U of M and Rhodes Faculty and Staff will receive free admission by showing their staff IDs. Fans who cannot attend Thursday's game can hear it on WUMR, 91.7 FM, in Memphis, or can listen to it via the internet by subscribing to the Yahoo Sports broadcasts available for $4.95 a month. To set up a season subscription for all Tiger and Lady Tiger broadcasts, please select Audio from the left hand column of the www.gotigersgo.com website. Live stats will also be available for free of charge by clicking on the Game Tracker link on the schedule page.

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10/31/06		Walsh, Gilbert Claim All-Conference USA Awards -- Walsh named Newcomer of the Year (GoTigersGo.com)
		IRVING, Texas - The University of Memphis men's soccer team placed two Tigers on All-Conference USA teams on Tuesday, as the league office announced the results as voted on by the conference's head coaches. Junior midfielder Kevin Walsh was named Newcomer of the Year as well as an All-Conference USA second team selection, and senior defender Jamie Gilbert received third team All C-USA honors. Walsh, who transferred to Memphis from Christian Brothers University, has led a potent Tiger offense all season. Walsh leads the team and is second in Conference USA in goals (10), assists (7) and points (27). Walsh finished the regular season among the national leaders in points per game (12th, 1.8), goals per game (18th, 0.67) and assists per game (28th, 0.47). The Shrule, Ireland, native recorded a goal or an assist in six straight games from Sept. 3-24, totaling 14 points (5 goals, 4 assists). The Tigers are 8-2-0 in games where Walsh finds the scoring column. Gilbert also made a good impression in his first and only season in the Tiger defense. The Broken Arrow, Okla., native transferred from Vanderbilt last spring after the Commodores dropped their men's soccer program. Gilbert captained a defense that recorded three shutouts and led Tiger defenders in goals (3), assists (1) and points (7). "I'm really pleased for Kevin and Jamie. They both had great seasons and were very deserving of those honors. Kevin being named the best newcomer is a terrific accolade for him. However, the most important thing about our sport is that it's a team game. Only one team can win the tournament, and we're focusing on giving ourselves a chance to do that." The awards were announced one day before the start of the 12th-annual Conference USA Tournament, which is scheduled Wednesday Nov. 1 through Sunday Nov. 5 at the Hurricane Soccer and Track Stadium at the University of Tulsa. The Tigers will face Kentucky in the first round on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. central time. 2006 C-USA Men's Soccer Awards Player of the Year Bruno Guarda, SMU Defensive Player of the Year Jay Needham, SMU Freshman of the Year Jeff Scannella, South Carolina Newcomer of the Year Kevin Walsh, MEMPHIS Coach of the Year Schellas Hyndman, SMU All-Conference First Team F: Jerson Monteiro, UAB F: Riley O'Neill, Kentucky F: Mike Sambursky, South Carolina MF: Mike D'Agostino, Kentucky MF: Bruno Guarda, SMU MF: Dejan Jakovic, UAB MF: Chase Wileman, SMU D: Mynor Gonzalez, SMU D: Ryan Leeton, South Carolina D: Jay Needham, SMU GK: Matt Wideman, SMU All-Conference Second Team F: Zak Boggs, UCF F: Adrian Chevannes, SMU F: David Hope, Florida International F: Jose Parada, Tulsa MF: Two-Boys Gumede, UAB MF: Ralph Pace, South Carolina MF: Matt Thomas, Tulsa MF: Kevin Walsh, MEMPHIS D: Makan Hislop, South Carolina D: Jeff Lenix, Marshall D: Nathan Marks, Kentucky GK: Mike Gustavson, South Carolina All-Conference Third Team F: Ayo Akinsete, South Carolina F: Karim Boukhemis, Marshall MF: Dadi Kristjannson, Florida International MF: Jeff Scannella, South Carolina MF: Ben Shuleva, SMU MF: Masumi Turnbull, Kentucky D: Chris Clements, Tulsa D: Jamie Gilbert, MEMPHIS D: Ryan Mirsky, SMU GK: Dan Williams, Kentucky All-Freshmen Team Christian Caporaletti, Florida International Barry Rice, Kentucky Dan Williams, Kentucky Leone Cruz, SMU Stephen Grant, SMU Jeff Scannella, South Carolina Mark Wiltse, South Carolina Hunter Christiansen, Tulsa Jose Parada, Tulsa Akin Akinrinade, UCF Cam Jordan, UCF

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10/31/06		Lady Tigers Receive No. 3 Seed in C-USA Championship -- Memphis finishes season with its best ever conference record (GoTigersGo.com)
		DALLAS - After posting the best conference record in program history, the Memphis women's soccer team is looking to carry the momentum of its three match-winning streak into the first round of the Conference USA Tournament on Wednesday where it will face on East Carolina at 8:30 p.m. The Lady Tigers (10-6-2, 6-2-1 C-USA) received the No. 3 seed in the tournament after finishing third in the C-USA standings. Memphis' 6-2-1-conference record is the its best ever, topping last season's 6-3 mark. The third seed is also the highest position the team has had going into a conference tournament. "We're really excited about how we did in the conference schedule," said Memphis head coach Brooks Monaghan. "We were picked to finish fourth and we beat those expectations so I'm proud of that. Now we just have to turn our attention to the task at hand, and trying to win this week." This is the third consecutive year that Memphis has made the C-USA Tournament, and its fourth time in seven years. Now the Lady Tigers are looking for the opening round win that has eluded them on their last four trips. "I think it's wide open," said Monaghan. "We're healthy and in good shape coming in, and now we just have to compete and let the chips fall where they may." Memphis and East Carolina met earlier this season when the two squads battled to a 1-1 draw on at Mike Rose Soccer Complex. Senior Geneil Newbern put Memphis up 1-0 with a goal 31 minutes in, but ECU's Jessica Swanson tied the match just 26 seconds later. Since that contest, the Lady Tigers have gone on a tremendous run winning six of eight matches to claim their third place finish. Should Memphis win tomorrow it would tie its second highest win total ever, trailing only last season when the Lady Tigers recorded 12 wins.

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10/31/06		Stalled season -- West faces a complex puzzle in trying to figure out why Tigers just can't win (Commercial Appeal)
		By PhilStukenborg Contact October 31, 2006 There's been an adjustment to a new defensive scheme, introduced four games into the season after the dismissal of coordinator Joe Lee Dunn. There've been uncharacteristic errors -- mental and physical -- on both sides of the ball. There has been an uncanny amount of injuries for the second straight year. And there's been inconsistent play at quarterback and on the offensive line. Unfortunately for University of Memphis football coach Tommy West, he could piece together a film highlighting the reasons for his team's 1-7 start. It would show a second-half collapse here (see East Carolina). It would show a "Hail Mary" pass there (see Arkansas State). And it would include two fourth-quarter turnovers in the red zone (see Marshall). After Saturday's 41-27 Conference USA loss at Marshall, the Tigers were beaten for the sixth straight time, eliminated from bowl contention for the first time since 2002 and left searching for answers. "The hardest thing for me is I haven't been able to fix it because we are still trying to find a way to win," West said. "That's been the hardest thing. "A year ago we had some pretty critical injuries, offensively and defensively, but we found a way to win and pull off seven wins. This year, from the mistake standpoint, we haven't been able to fix it." The Tigers had what they thought would be a key interception early in Saturday's loss at Marshall, but it slipped through the hands of defensive back Wesley Smith and into tight end Cody Slate's for a 75-yard touchdown pass. In the fourth quarter, running back T.J. Pitts fumbled at the Marshall goal line -- after tripping over an offensive lineman -- to end a scoring chance and damage a comeback try. West said the breakdowns -- about two-to-four per game -- have been discouraging. But he's determined to make the UofM's final four games, beginning with Sunday's C-USA game against Southern Miss, a better representation. "My first thing is, how do I keep me motivated?" West said. "And I mean that sincerely. I've never been here. The first thing I have to do is get my mind right and have a plan for how I'm going to keep them right. What you hope is you've recruited the right people and, if you have, it won't be a problem. "One thing I won't have is we're not going to be bickering back and forth and blaming someone else because we haven't been successful. We're all going to take our responsibility; we're going to blame ourselves." West met with his team Sunday, a normal day-after-the-game gathering, and said they have created high expectations. The Tigers broke a 32-year bowl drought in 2003 by earning a New Orleans Bowl invitation and followed it with trips to the GMAC and Motor City bowls. While this team won't be going to the postseason, West said it must understand it's not as far away from four straight bowls as the record indicates. "I think they realize how close they are right now," West said. "I talked before the season how much I liked this team and I really felt like we had a chance to repeat as a bowl team. "East Carolina is leading our (division) now, a team we had a 20-7 lead on early and looked like we might run them out of their own stadium. Within our division, I don't think we are that far off. We're just a team right now that finds a way to lose games." It's that aspect of the losing streak that has West mystified. The Tigers have turned the ball over a league-high 12 times. "We've never been a team that makes mistakes to lose games and now, all of a sudden, we're making mistakes to lose games," West said. "I don't think teams are more talented than us. We've helped other teams." The Tigers rank last in Conference USA in opponents' third-down conversions (59.2 percent). Tulsa converted 7-of-9 in a 35-14 win and Marshall was 8-of-14 last weekend. West said an offshoot of a non-winning season is its effect on recruiting. "It's not as easy recruiting when you don't win," West said. "Recruiting is not easy at any time, but I think it's a little bit harder sell. "It helps that (the UofM went to three straight bowl games from 2003 to '05). And it helps that a lot of people we recruit against aren't in bowl games. The bottom line is recruits want to play, and they want a chance to win. I think we can show 'em that. We can show 'em we're gonna win." Tiger running back Joe Doss said West reminded the players "things don't always go your way" and "you learn a lot about what kind of person you are by how you handle adversity." West said if his players learn anything from this year's reversal of fortunes, it will be gaining respect for success. "I do think this about this team," West said. "They will appreciate winning. Sometimes you take winning for granted. ... This team won't take it for granted anymore. We're learning how hard it is to win. It's hard." -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543 -------------------- Memphis vs. Southern Miss When, where: Sunday, 7 p.m., at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium TV: ESPN Tickets: Call 678-2331; go to gotigersgo.com

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10/31/06		Tigers' Cooper suspended -- Calipari says sophomore center violated team rules (Commercial Appeal)
		By Dan Wolken Contact October 31, 2006 University of Memphis sophomore center Kareem Cooper was suspended indefinitely by coach John Calipari on Monday for violating team rules. Calipari declined to discuss specifically why Cooper was suspended and didn't outline when -- or if -- Cooper would come back. Asked whether the suspension stemmed from a particular incident, Calipari said it was "all-encompassing. I'm not going to be specific ... You draw the line, here it is, this is what we do here." Cooper has not been at practice since Thursday, when Calipari said he was dealing with personal issues. It's the second time Cooper has been suspended from the team. In January, Cooper was arrested during a traffic stop for marijuana possession. The 6-11 Washington, D.C. native pleaded guilty to the possession charge and was suspended four games. Calipari said Cooper's situation would be re-evaluated before a determination is made on his future at Memphis. "We'll probably deal with it in another week or two to figure out what's next," Calipari said. "But at this point, I'm just suspending him, keeping him away from us." Asked to discuss what Cooper would need to do to return to the program, Calipari said: "That's more in-house." When Cooper first missed practice, freshman center Hashim Bailey also was absent. Bailey, however, returned Friday and had a breakout weekend in two upbeat scrimmages. "We're holding guys accountable," Calipari said, describing Bailey's emergence. "You have meetings, and I don't think a whole lot gets done in a meeting. I think a crisis brings about change. But there have been some meetings about what's acceptable and what's not, and I think he's having fun out here because he's doing what he has to do to help the team. "You can be in the back arguing ... and you're miserable and then you make us miserable and then we don't want you here. We really don't. We don't want you here. Or you come back out here and enjoy this, which is what he's doing, and then all the sudden his teammates love playing with him." Cooper averaged 4.4 points and 3.1 rebounds in 11 minutes per game last season. He likely would have seen similar playing time this year behind junior Joey Dorsey and freshman Pierre Niles, who is roughly a week away from practicing again after knee surgery. The Tigers will play two exhibition games -- beginning Thursday at FedExForum against LeMoyne-Owen -- before opening the regular season Nov. 16 against Jackson State. -- Dan Wolken: 529-2365

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10/31/06		U of M Football Notebook (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact October 31, 2006 Williams returns Sunday to have No. 20 retired Former University of Memphis running back DeAngelo Williams, the school's career rushing leader and the fourth-leading rusher in NCAA history, will return to Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium on Sunday. Williams, who rushed for 6,026 yards in four seasons, will be honored in a pregame ceremony before the Conference USA game against Southern Miss. Williams, a first-round draft pick of the NFL's Carolina Panthers, will have his No. 20 jersey retired. Williams is able to make an appearance Sunday because the Panthers are off this weekend. His appearance, before the UofM's nationally televised game Sunday night on ESPN, should give the team, and the fan base, something to cheer about in the midst of a 1-7 season. "I wanted to retire his jersey while I was still the coach, that's why we're going to hurry up and do it now," said Tiger coach Tommy West, trying to retain his sense of humor during a difficult year. School officials said the first 10,000 fans will receive commemorative DeAngelo Williams prints. "We talked about (retiring Williams' jersey) last year before the last game of the year," said Tiger athletic director R.C. Johnson. "But the reason we didn't was because it was Senior Day. So we told him we were going to do it at a later date. We had to find the right time." In addition to being fourth on college football's rushing list, Williams is the NCAA career leader in all-purpose yardage (7,573). For the Panthers, Williams has rushed 26 times for 139 yards and a touchdown in a reserve role. He leads the team with 302 kickoff return yards. Williams will be one of two former Tiger athletes honored Sunday. Florida Marlins second baseman Dan Uggla, a National League rookie of the year candidate, will be recognized, too. On the injury front West said running back Miguel Barnes, who had his best game of the season in last weekend's loss at Marshall, is out for three to five weeks -- and likely the season -- after suffering a medial collateral ligament injury. Barnes, a former Millington standout, rushed five times for 40 yards. "I thought he played really well," West said. "He had an eight-yard average running the ball, and I thought he (showed) speed and power." Center Stephen Schuh (neck) and defensive back Wesley Smith (ankle) also were injured in the game. West said Smith isn't expected to play against Southern Miss. West said defensive end Corey Mills, held out of last weekend's game with an ankle injury, should play Sunday. "He wasn't well enough to play at the pace we have to play at," West said. "He probably could have gimped through it and then missed this week. So I held him out the game myself."

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10/31/06		Tigers fall to Herd (Daily Helmsman)
		By: From our wire services HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Ahmad Bradshaw scored three touchdowns and backup Jimmy Skinner threw a pair of TD passes to lead Marshall to a 41-27 win over Memphis on Saturday night. Marshall (3-5, 2-2 Conference USA) won for the second straight week as it tries to avoid back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since 1982-83. Memphis (1-7, 0-4) lost for the sixth straight time and was eliminated from bowl consideration after appearances in three straight seasons. The Tigers have been outscored 178-100 in the five games since coach Tommy West fired defensive coordinator Joe Lee Dunn. Skinner went 13-of-21 for 184 yards in relief of injured starter Bernard Morris. Morris, who was questionable for the game with a toe injury, went down on the final play of the first quarter and did not return. His injury wasn't disclosed. Bradshaw finished with 125 yards rushing a week after he exploded for 242 yards in a win at UAB. He had TD runs of 1 and 52 yards and caught his first TD pass of the season, a 26-yarder from Skinner in the third quarter that put the Thundering Herd ahead 35-13. Memphis scored on the first series of the game but didn't find the end zone again until late in the third. In the fourth, Marshall's defense forced a fumble at its 1-yard line, and C.J. Spillman later intercepted a tipped pass on fourth down and went 85 yards for a score to give Marshall a 41-20 lead. Memphis' Martin Hankins went 26-of-42 for 322 yards but was intercepted three times.

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10/31/06		Kareem Cooper suspended (Daily Helmsman)
		By: Justin Kissell Staff Reporter Memphis basketball coach John Calipari announced yesterday that sophomore forward Kareem Cooper has been suspended for violating team rules. Cooper had missed practice since last week due to "personal matters." "How long (the suspension) will be, at this point, I don't know," Calipari said. "I'll probably deal with it in another week or two. "I'm not going to be specific...it's like anything else. I'm here to help, but you draw the line and say, 'This is what we do here.'" Calipari said that an opportunity for Cooper to return to the team would be decided "in a couple of weeks." The 6-10, 290-pound forward played in 28 games last season, starting against Cincinnati. He averaged 4.4 points and 3.1 rebounds and shot 84 percent from the free throw line. He was arrested last season on Jan. 23 on marijuana charges. He missed four games because of the incident. Cooper entered preseason practice as the apparent backup to Joey Dorsey. PRACTICE NOTES: Calipari said the team is shaping up well - almost too well for his liking - for The U of M's Thursday night exhibition game against LeMoyne-Owen. "We're not supposed to be this good this early," he said. Calipari said at times it seems the team is playing at a Jan. 28-type level rather than an early November pace. "The young guys are so responsive in practice every day," he said. He noted freshmen Willie Kemp and Hashim Bailey are progressing well. With another deep team poised to dominate Conference USA again, Calipari has several options in terms of substitutions and lineups. "I might play these five the first four or five minutes of the game and then the next five the next few minutes," he said, noting the platoon system might only be used in the exhibition games. The Tigers open the regular season Nov. 16 against Jackson State before heading to the Maui Classic to play Oklahoma on Nov. 20. -With quotes from Kendall Jones

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10/30/06		Kareem Cooper Suspended (Memphis Edge)
		As you hopefully read in Tuesday's edition of The Commercial Appeal, John Calipari on Monday suspended sophomore center Kareem Cooper from the team. The news wasn't surprising. When Cooper missed Thursday's practice -- along with freshman Hashim Bailey -- Calipari said they could be back Friday. But only Bailey came back Friday, and Cooper was gone all weekend. Though Calipari didn't talk about why he suspended Cooper, he did characterize it as "all-compassing." A lot of other folks around the program have told me that there wasn't necessarily one specific thing that led to the suspension. After watching Cooper for a couple weeks in practice, here are my observations. 1) He wasn't even close to being in the kind of physical condition he needed to be in, and 2) He wasn't having much fun on the court. I think it's also worth nothing that Memphis had some very good scrimmages this past weekend (without Cooper). Sunday's practice was so good, in fact, Calipari stopped it 30 minutes early -- kind of like George Costanza in that old Seinfeld episode where he tells a good joke and leaves the room on a high note. The team had good chemistry, competed hard and appeared to really enjoy playing with one another. Monday, Calipari said this team was the most enjoyable group to coach that he's had at Memphis. In other words, there are some serious questions about whether Cooper will ultimately come back to the team or look for an opportunity elsewhere.

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10/30/06		Men's Soccer Draws Seven Seed at C-USA Championship -- UCF's 4-2 make-up victory over Marshall pits Tigers and Wildcats (GoTigersGo.com)
		TULSA, Okla. - The University of Memphis men's soccer team can finally stop wondering about their position in the upcoming Conference USA Tournament. The UCF Golden Knights defeated the Marshall Thundering Herd 4-2 on Monday in a make-up of a postponed match that had heavy applications for the C-USA Tournament. The Golden Knights' victory over the Herd was enough to vault UCF (6-8-2, 3-3-2 in C-USA) past the Tigers (10-7-0, 3-5-0 in C-USA) into sixth place. The Tigers would have finished sixth if Marshall had been able to claim a victory in its final match of the season. The Tigers will now face a familiar foe, the No. 14 Kentucky Wildcats, who defeated the Tigers on Saturday 3-1 in Lexington. Kickoff is set for Wednesday evening at 5:30 p.m. at Hurricane Soccer and Track Stadium. It will mark the Tigers first match at a neutral site all season. "In terms of preparing, we spent last week preparing for Kentucky, so it's a matter of fixing the things we didn't do well from that game," head coach Richie Grant said. "I thought we played some really good football in the opening 25 minutes on Saturday against them. Now we need to reproduce that type of form and do it for a full 90 minutes."

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10/30/06		DeAngelo Williams To Be Honored Sunday -- Jersey retirement ceremony to be held pre-game of Memphis-Southern Miss game (GoTigersGo.com)
		Memphis, Tenn. - In a special pre-game ceremony on Sunday, former All-American tailback DeAngelo Williams will be honored by having his jersey retired. Game time is slated for 7 p.m. with the game to be broadcast by ESPN. The ceremony is slated to begin at approximately 6:40 p.m. The first 10,000 fans to enter the stadium will receive a commemorative DeAngelo Williams print. A consensus All-American, Williams closed out his career as the most decorated player in Memphis football history. He led the Tigers to their third straight bowl appearance for the first time in school history, winning the Motor City Bowl. At the end of the 2005 season, Williams was named the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year for the third consecutive season after leading the nation in rushing at 178.6 yards per game. A native of Wynne, Ark., Williams ranked fourth in all-purpose yardage (188.6 ypg) and seventh in scoring (10.4 ppg) after rushing for 18 touchdowns. Williams ran for more than 200 yards in five games in 2005 and closed out his career with 6,026 rushing yards, the fourth-highest total in NCAA Division I history. He also became the NCAA's career leader in all-purpose yardage, finishing with 7,573, and holds the national record for most 100-yard games with 34. Selected by the Carolina Panthers as the 27th overall pick of the NFL Draft, Williams became Memphis' first, first-round pick since Jerome Woods was selected as the 28th pick of the draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. Williams holds all-time Tiger records in rushing yards (6,026), rushing attempts (969), rushing touchdowns (55) and all-purpose yards, as well as multiple season rushing records. As a senior, Williams was named an All-American by the American Football Coaches Association, the Walter Camp Football Foundation, the Associated Press and Playboy. He was a finalist for the Doak Walker Award, and was also presented the inaugural ARA Sportsmanship Award. A 2005 Heisman Trophy candidate, Williams rushed for more than 200 yards in nine career games, including a 238-yard effort in the Motor City Bowl. He was named the MVP of the Motor City Bowl after helping Memphis to a 38-31 victory over Akron. He later was also named the Offensive MVP of the 2006 Senior Bowl.

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10/30/06		Tommy West Press Luncheon Quotes (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, TENN. - Tommy West Press Luncheon Quotes October 30, 2006 "We ran the ball a little bit better than we have. We got in the red zone and ran it in for a touchdown. The negatives are we had a chance in the red zone to run it in again but fumbled it going in. Of course, the four turnovers are way too much. We finally had a game where we won the rush, which is important to us, but then we lost the turnovers, 4-2. That basically takes you out of the game. That, and some big plays defensively." "The positives defensively were we knew going in that, really for two weeks now, Tulsa had the No. 1 rushing team in the league. We knocked them out of it by holding them to about 130. Then Marshall went into the lead, and we held them to 130. We did a good job on their back (Bradshaw) except for the first play of the second half where we let him go 52 yards. I thought overall we played their run game really well." "The negatives right now defensively are we go from an intercept, to them having a 75-yard touchdown on a ball we ought to have intercepted. We got a guy on block and we let him go for 52 yards. We have them 4th-and-10 on the drive right before the half, and we played man and one of our linebackers doesn't take their man. And as the year has gone, it is the man they are throwing it to. Those are the errors that are killing us right now. I've got to somehow get it stopped." "We did make some plays in the kicking game. We got a turnover in the kicking game, which was a big play for us. Then we lost yards after we got it and couldn't get any points off a turnover. We've got to improve our turnovers. We threw an interception for a touchdown and we fumbled going in. We've got to get points off of turnovers. That's two weeks in a row we haven't gotten points off of a turnover." "The positive, like I said, is we ran it better. We were better on our shots. I thought we really tried to play more physical than we had. We've got to be able to convert when we get our chances. This has been really difficult. I haven't been in this situation before. All of a sudden we have a team making these kinds of errors, and we're not making them stop. I've never had that where you plug some holes and you get some things fixed. We were a bad rush defense. Now I feel like we have that under control. We're playing the run really well right now. All of a sudden we're breaking down in the pass game, or all of a sudden you get the red zone fixed and now the sudden change goes crazy and we start turning the ball over. We're finding ways to make just enough mistakes. If you go back and look at the year, there's anywhere from two to four errors in the game that cost us the game. If I could go back and take two to four plays out of each game, then I could probably get us to 6-2 right now. But you can't take those plays out of the game, and you don't know when they're coming. Trying to correct it has been somewhat difficult because of the rotation of players right now due to injuries. We have guys start playing good, and then we lose them." "I thought the guy who played the best for us Saturday as far as doing his job every play and making his plays was Greg Hinds. Greg Hinds has improved. I think he's learned what we do. He makes really big plays for us catching and running. He does bring a little bit of power. " "Offensively, I think we've been inconsistent. That was my thing Saturday. I thought we were better at times offensively. I thought we were a little bit more physical. We ran the ball better, and we did hit our shots down the field. Now if we can become a little bit more consistent with it and not have the negative plays and the four turnovers, then we can get that. I thought our quarterback played well and gave us a chance. I thought some young people played their best games. (Carlos) Singleton played his best game. (Miguel) Barnes played his best game. (T.J.) Pitts probably played his best game outside of the turnover on the goal line." "I thought our line played better. I thought we pushed them a little bit. If you look at who we are and who they are, for us to go there and win the rushing game was phenomenal. I'm kind of making light of it. They were the best rushing team in the league and we were the worst running team in the league. We were averaging under a 100 yards rushing a game. For us to stop their run game should have given us a great shot to win the game. But we gave up three big plays defensively and then turned the ball over on the offense." "The one thing I do like about these young men as they continue to still go out there and play their tails off. That's why it's really frustrating right now; it's hard to fix it right now. They're trying their butt off. If they weren't, I would understand it, but they're trying really hard. I thought they came out really well."

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10/30/06		Shelby Burton and Christen Clayton Earn C-USA Weekly Honors -- Both receive weekly accolades for second time this year (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Senior libero Christen Clayton and junior middle blocker Shelby Burton earned this week's Conference USA Volleyball Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week awards after leading Memphis to league wins over UTEP and Tulane to stay in third place in the standings, only a game behind the co-leaders in the win column at 9-3. Both players garner the league's weekly awards for the second time this year. For Clayton, this is the second time in three weeks she has been tabbed the Defensive Player of the Week. Memphis has earned the league honors for the last three weeks. The league's leading hitter, Burton was the driving force behind a successful weekend for Memphis. Burton downed 12 or more kills in all three matches to average 4.18 kills per game and 5.27 points per set (58 points) as Memphis raced to its fifth and sixth-straight C-USA wins. In three matches this week, the Tiger middle hitter pounded a combined 46 kills, hit .384 and made 15 blocks. In addition, she served up three aces to move into the league's top spot in service aces. Burton's week was highlighted by a stellar performance at UTEP, in which the Memphis junior put away 18 balls, hit .517 and made six blocks in a sweep of the Miners. She then answered that outing with 12 kills, a .346 hitting percentage and six more blocks to help guide Memphis to victory at Tulane. She downed 16 kills and added a pair of service aces to three blocks at Ole Miss on Tuesday. Clayton was the anchor for the Memphis' back row defense this week, posting 7.00 digs per contest in three matches. For the week she posted 77 digs, making 24 or more in all three matches. She opened the week with a 29-dig (9.67 dpg) effort in four games at Ole Miss, and then helped Memphis to a pair of league wins on the road at UTEP and Tulane. In the Tigers sweep of UTEP, Clayton turned in a match-high 24 digs to go with a service ace and an assist. The Houston, Texas native closed the week out with yet another strong outing, making 24 digs, with two assists and an ace as Memphis posted its second-straight road win and sixth consecutive Conference USA victory with a 3-1 win at Tulane. With her 77 digs this week, Clayton moved into fifth place on the all-time digs chart in C-USA history. Memphis will wrap up its home schedule, and put its 13-match win streak on the line this weekend with matches against Marshall on Friday, and ECU on Sunday. Sunday will be senior day for the Tigers two senior co-captains Clayton and Melissa Nance.

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10/30/06		Soccer's Newbern Named C-USA Player of the Week -- Memphis native led Lady Tigers with two goals against UAB (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS - Memphis senior Geneil Newbern was named Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week following a two goal performance against UAB that helped the Lady Tigers secure the third seed in the C-USA Tournament. Newbern scored two goals including the gamewinner against UAB to help Memphis defeat the Blazers 4-2. The Memphis native scored her first goal eight minutes in to the match, putting the Lady Tigers ahead 2-0. Following a UAB rally, Newbern netted the game winner seven minutes into the second half to give Memphis the lead for good. It is the first honor of the year for Newbern, who is in her first year at Memphis after transferring from Georgia. Newbern was named All-SEC Honorable Mention as a freshman with the Bulldogs in 2002. Newbern is currently third on the team in goals with six and points with 14. She and the Lady Tigers will be in action Wednesday as they open the C-USA Tournament against No. 6 seed East Carolina in Dallas at 8 p.m.

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10/30/06		Tiger basketball camp report (Commercial Appeal)
		Point, counter-point Coming into preseason practice, one of the Tigers' biggest questions was whether freshman Willie Kemp or junior Andre Allen would be the team's primary point guard. Coach John Calipari, however, said Sunday he's now toying with the idea of using them on the court together at times. "It's perfect because they kind of play off one another," Calipari said. "One will shoot it a little better. One is a little longer and will defend in a different way, so you're talking about having two guys that, because of the way Willie's shooting the ball right now, I may play them both together. Willie's shooting the ball as well as anybody we've got on our team right now." Allen's experience -- and Kemp's inexperience -- has been obvious in early scrimmages. But that doesn't necessarily mean Allen will start the Nov. 16 regular season opener against Jackson State. Indeed, because freshmen like Doneal Mack and Pierre Niles are likely to come off the bench early in a game, it may make more sense to bring in a veteran like Allen along with them rather than a third freshman. "(Allen) has a really good feel for how we play, and it just shows," Calipari said. "If you played a halfcourt game, an offense where he wouldn't be able to penetrate or push it, he's not going to be real effective because of his size, but this game for him is perfect. The other thing I told my team, he's really, really smart. He has a feel for what we want, but he can think quickly on the run, which has really helped him." Injury report Niles, who had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Oct. 16, is jumping, jogging and progressing well enough to possibly return to practice in another week. "It would be an incredible story because he's never been one with a high pain threshold," Calipari said. "It's a big step for him to have knee surgery and come back within the three weeks. He's walking, he's pushing it, and he's doing what he needed to do." When Niles returns, Calipari said, he'll likely play center. The 6-foot-8, 280-pound Niles moves well enough to play power forward. But with all the practice time he's missed, center might be a more realistic option. "The (center) position is rebounds, run like crazy, relocate under the basket," Calipari said. "If you rebound it and screen the ball, it's the easiest positionm, really. It's more of an effort position." Etc. Calipari said there was no update on the status of sophomore center Kareem Cooper, who has been absent since last Thursday's practice because of "personal reasons." -- Dan Wolken

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10/30/06		New guard for Tigers has ability to score -- As prep, Willis overcame wide variety of defenses (Commercial Appeal)
		By Dan Wolken Contact October 30, 2006 When University of Memphis freshman Tre'Von Willis began dominating high school basketball in Fresno, Calif., opponents would try almost anything to stop him. Double teams. Junk defenses. Every game. For three years. "They played box-and-one," Willis said. "That was frustrating." Unlike many high-level Division 1 prospects, however, Willis didn't have the sheer size or athleticism to overcome it. He did, however, have the instincts. And after finishing with 2,842 points -- fifth-most in California prep history -- those instincts are serving Willis well in his first year with the Tigers. Though Memphis' depth at the wing positions has made competition for minutes intense, Willis is squarely in the mix because he understands the most fundamental element of basketball: how to score. "He has ways of getting balls down in the basket," coach John Calipari said. "There's guys that are gorgeous players; they look like Tarzan and play like Jane. There's others that, you look at them and they don't look like they should get it done. But the stat sheet says they're efficient, they get it done, and they understand. "He's getting better. I'm really happy for him. I've got to get him to play a little bit faster and play with the control he's playing under, just a little faster pace." In some ways, Willis at 6-4 is reminiscent of sophomore guard Chris Douglas-Roberts, who isn't necessarily a physical specimen at 6-6 and 190 pounds but has good body control and is crafty around the rim. For that reason -- as well as their similar, outgoing personalities -- Douglas-Roberts said he has taken Willis under his wing. "He can play," Douglas-Roberts said. "He's not the quickest, but he thinks the game, and that reminds me of me." Out-thinking opponents is what Willis had to do in high school once teams began going to extreme measures to defend him. He started passing more. He started moving more away from the ball. He went to the offensive glass. He found ways to get open he never needed before. Oh, and he also dished out more than 1,000 assists. "I really did get doubled every game," Willis said. "It was tough, it was a challenge. I had to figure out new ways to do what I do." It's pretty safe to say Willis won't garner the same kind of attention at Memphis. Though Hoop Scoop rated him No. 67 among high school seniors last year, he's not even the most highly rated freshman in the program. But Willis will come in handy this year. He's been among Memphis' best 3-point shooters in nearly every practice, he makes layups and can even play some point guard if necessary. Calipari said Sunday he envisions nine or 10 players in his rotation, with each playing at least 15 minutes per game. "I'm a very competitive player, a very competitive person and I'm coming in here trying to do my best," Willis said. "It's great because I can't slack off. I've got to play good all the time and do what I'm supposed to do and things will play out." -- Dan Wolken: 529-2365

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10/29/06		Volleyball Sweeps Weekend with 3-1 Win at Tulane -- Season-high 18 blocks leads Memphis to victory (GoTigersGo.com)
		NEW ORLEANS - Memphis 3, Tulane 1 Memphis (23-5; 9-3 C-USA) 30 25 30 30 Tulane (11-10; 7-5 C-USA) 26 30 25 27 Sarah Bury led all players with 20 kills and Laura Côté dished out 52 assists offensively, while Christen Clayton made 24 digs and Melissa Nance made a career-high 10 blocks, as the Tigers improved to 23-5 with a 3-1 win over Tulane Sunday afternoon. Memphis improves to 9-3 in Conference USA play. Memphis had four players record 10 or more kills, led by Bury's 20. Shelby Burton and Ashley Liford downed 12 kills, while Nance finished with 11 kills. Memphis made a season-high 18 blocks. Colette Ramirez and Burton made six blocks, and Côté and Liford each had five rejects. For the match, Memphis recorded 30 block assists. Down 15-10, Memphis used six Tulane hitting errors to make a 9-1 run and take a 19-17 lead. The Green Wave battled to claim a 26-24 lead late in the game to threaten a fifth set. But a kill by Bury followed by a kill by Côté knotted the game at 26. Burton capped a 5-0 run with her 12th kill of the night and Liford ended the match with a kill. The two teams see-sawed through nine ties and three lead changes in the opening frame. The Tigers emerged with a 16-14 lead midway through the set, but the Green Wave promptly posted a 6-1 run to pull ahead 20-17. A kill by Liford ignites a Memphis rally that saw the Tigers erased the three-point deficit by scoring on eight of the next 11 rallies to surge 26-23. The Tigers used a strong 5-0 run in the rally to take the lead for good. The Wave out hit Memphis by three points (.265-.262) and had two more digs (17-15), but a 16-14 advantage in kills and four service aces proved to be the difference in 30-26 Memphis win. Tulane broke a 17-17 tie with a 4-0 push, and controlled the set from there to tie the match a 1-1 going into the intermission. After taking a 21-17 lead, Tulane extended its cushion to six points on three occasions, with the last coming at 28-22. Memphis hit just .176 in the game and did not help its cause by committing four service errors. The Memphis block proved to be the deciding factor in a 30-25 game three win. Both teams downed 17 kills and served up a pair of aces, but Tulane led the assists battle and had a19-15 lead in defensive digs. The Tigers won the battle at the net, 5.0-0.0. Tulane cut an early Memphis lead to 13-12 before the Tigers answered with a 6-2 push for a 19-14 lead. The Green Wave again chipped away at the U of M lead and trimmed it to 21-19. A pair of kills by Bury and a service ace by Clayton gave Memphis its largest lead at 26-20, and Tulane never threatened. Sara Radosevic led Tulane with a double-double of 19 kills and 14 digs, and Ksenija Vlaskovic added 11 kills and 10 digs. Jenn Miller led all players with 26 digs Memphis will now return home, where it has a 13-match win streak, to take on Marshall and ECU on Fri., Nov. 3 and Sat., Nov. 5. Friday evening's match versus Marshal is set for 7 p.m.

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10/29/06		Tigers Finish Fall with Second Straight Top-Five -- Benjamin's eighth place finish leads Tigers at Landfall (GoTigersGo.com)
		WILMINGTON, N.C. - The University of Memphis men's golf team placed three players in the top-20 and shaved 17 strokes off of their second day total to jump from sixth to fifth in the final round of the Landfall Tradition on Sunday. As a team, the Tigers shot 908 (305-310-293) at the three-day event and concluded their fall season with their second consecutive (third overall) top-five finish of the season. Sophomore Brad Benjamin was the top finisher for the Tigers. The Rockford, Ill., native claimed his second career top-10 finish by claiming sole possession of eighth place. Benjamin's three-day total of 223 (75-75-76) gave him his first top-10 finish since finishing third at the Conference USA Championships last fall. The Tigers benefited from final round rallies from the rest of the lineup as juniors Kyle Ritchie and Ian Rochester and freshmen Kyle Peterman and Mark Trow all improved on their second-round scores. Ritchie took seven strokes off of his second round score by firing a 1-under-par 71 en route to a 225 (76-78-81) and a tie for 15th place. Rochester was the third Tiger in the top-20 as he also improved by seven strokes on Sunday. Rochester's even-par 72 vaulted him into a tie for 19th place at 227 (76-79-72). Peterman turned in a three-day total of 233 (81-78-74). His four-stroke improvement on day three put him in a tie for 31st. Trow also showed improvement for the second consecutive day. After opening the tournament with an 81 on Friday, Trow turned in a second-round 79 and a third-round 78 to post a 237 (81-79-78). Memphis finished two strokes behind fourth-place Ohio State. The Tigers finish the fall with back-to-back top-five finishes and three top-fives overall. The men's golf team will now return to Memphis and prepare for the spring season which begins with the Rio Pinar Invitational in Orlando, Fla. Feb. 18-19. 5) Memphis 908 (305-310-293) 8) Brad Benjamin 223 (72-75-76) T15) Kyle Ritchie 225 (76-78-71) T19) Ian Rochester 227 (76-79-72) T31) Kyle Peterman 233 (81-78-74) T49 Mark Trow 238 (81-79-78)

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10/29/06		Malinowski Named to C-USA All-Academic Team -- Sophomore one of five female athletes named to all-academic team (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS - Memphis sophomore Emily Malinowski was one of five female athletes named the 2006 Conference USA Cross Country All-Academic team announced by the C-USA office this weekend. The teams consisted of five men and five women that have at least a 3.2 cumulative grade point average and competed in more than half of the scheduled meets. This is the first year of the conference office has sponsored individual sports all-academic teams. Malinowski was a recipient of the 2006 C-USA Academic Medal and was named to the C-USA 2005-06 Commissioner's Honor Roll. In both of her previous semesters she was named to the U of M's Dean's List, Tiger 3.0 Club and Tiger Academic 30. On the course, Malinowski was the Lady Tigers top finisher in every meet this season while maintaining a 3.87 GPA in biological sciences. The New York native finished 35th overall at the Conference USA Championships this past weekend with a time of 19:42. She broke 19 minutes in the 5k twice in 2006. Malinowski and the rest of the Tiger track athletes will open the indoor season at the Arkansas State Early Bird meet on Dec. 3.

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10/29/06		Herded into oblivion -- Loss drops Tigers to 1-7, ends bowl streak at three (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact October 29, 2006 HUNTINGTON, W. Va. -- Stopping Ahmad Bradshaw, Conference USA's leading rusher, wasn't a problem for the University of Memphis Saturday on a crisp, cool and windswept West Virginia day. Well, at least in the first half. In a matter of several touches in the second half, Bradshaw, perhaps the most exciting tailback in the league since the departure of Memphis' DeAngelo Williams, changed the game. Bradshaw, held to 32 yards on 13 carries in the opening half, scored on a 52-yard run on his first carry of the second half. Four touches later he caught a slant from quarterback Jimmy Skinner and turned the reception into a 26-yard scoring play. It was the insurance Marshall needed to pull away from Memphis and post a 41-27 C-USA victory before 29,204 at Joan C. Edwards Stadium. The Tigers lost their sixth straight -- matching a similar slide in 2002 -- and continued a season trapped in a downward spiral since a second-half collapse at East Carolina Sept. 16. Marshall, which upset UAB at Legion Field last weekend, won its second straight to improve to 3-5 overall and 2-2 in C-USA. Memphis dropped to 1-7 and 0-4 and won't play in a bowl game for the first time since the 2002 season. Bradshaw finished with 125 yards on 25 carries to help Marshall amass 408 yards, and he wasn't the only Thundering Herd player making significant contributions. Marshall also got an impressive performance from Skinner, a reserve filling in for injured starter Bernard Morris. Morris, who injured his left foot against UAB, left the game early in the second quarter after re-aggravating the injury. Skinner completed 13-of-21 for 184 yards and two touchdowns and was not intercepted. Tight end Cody Slate led the Thundering Herd with four catches for 135 yards and a TD. Memphis got a season-high 469 yards total offense, but it was offset by mistakes in the red zone in the second half. ''We generated some yards offensively,'' West said. ''But we can't fumble at the 3-yard line. We can't throw picks down near the goal line for touchdowns. We're a football team that does some really good things, and then we do some really bad things.'' The Tigers held the conference's top rushing team to 30 yards rushing at the half, but failed to stop the pass. In the second half, they couldn't contain Bradshaw. ''We are finding ways to lose ball games,'' West said. ''That's my fault. That's no one's fault but mine.'' Bradshaw's touchdowns -- following a 23-yard field goal by Matt Reagan -- increased Marshall's lead to 22 points (35-13) with 4:29 left in the third quarter. The Tigers rallied with a late third-quarter touchdown following Bradshaw's touchdown catch. Memphis drove 82 yards in eight plays, scoring on a 27-yard pass from quarterback Martin Hankins to Ryan Scott to make it 35-20. Following a Marshall fumble, recovered by linebacker Heath Grant, Memphis drove to the Thundering Herd 2, but T.J. Pitts fumbled. On the next Tiger series, Memphis drove to the Marshall 15, but on fourth down Hankins was intercepted -- on a tipped pass -- by C.J. Spillman, who returned it 85 yards for a 41-20 lead with 6:31 to go. Memphis got its final TD on a 45-yard pass from Hankins to Brett Russell with 5:47 left. ''We made mistakes,'' Hankins said. ''We turned the ball over I don't know how many times in the second half. It kills you. It just kills you.'' Hankins finished 26-of-42 for 322 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Joseph Doss added 80 yards on 20 carries, and Miguel Barnes rushed five times for 40 yards before suffering a knee injury that could keep him out for four weeks. While the Thundering Herd won their second straight, coach Mark Snyder said afterward ''we can be so much better. And if we do get better, we have a chance to reach some of our goals.'' The Tigers opened with a break from swirling, gusting winds to avoid a score by Marshall on the game's opening possession. The Thundering Herd moved inside the Tiger 25 -- aided by three Tiger penalties -- but missed a 42-yard field goal by Anthony Biswanger, a kick held up by the wind. The Tigers followed by driving 75 yards in 12 plays, scoring on a 1-yard run by Doss. The key play was a 38-yard completion from Hankins to Russell on third-and-6 from the Marshall 41. The Thundering Herd answered, showing their versatility. The conference's top rushing unit used a 75-yard pass from Morris to Slate to tie the game on the first play following the Tiger TD. After stopping the UofM, the Thundering Herd opted to grind it out, going 66 yards on 13 plays, converting four times on third down and once on fourth. Bradshaw got the TD on a 1-yard run for a 14-7 Marshall lead with 9:57 left in the second quarter. The Tigers cut the Thundering Herd lead to 14-10 four minutes later, getting a 31-yard field goal from Reagan. On the ensuing kickoff, the UofM's Jermaine Chambers recovered a fumble by Marshall's Brandon Souder at the Thundering Herd 32. But the Tigers wasted the opportunity. The Tiger drive stalled behind a holding penalty and a sack. The Thundering Herd took over at their 20 with 2:53 to go in the opening half and needed only 2:15 to increase their lead to 21-10. Skinner tossed a 14-yard touchdown pass to Emmanuel Spann, who beat UofM cornerback Jamaal Rufus to the left corner. -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543

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10/29/06		University of Memphis postgame (Commercial Appeal)
		Go figure 107-11: Marshall's record at Joan C. Edwards Stadium since it opened in the early 1990s. 1: Teams in C-USA eliminated from the postseason. Memphis became the league's first seven-loss team. 14: The consecutive number of years in which the Thundering Herd has won its Homecoming game. 9:20: The time remaining in the fourth quarter when Marshall attempted its first punt in two weeks. Big man on campus With the game tied at 7l early in the second quarter, Marshall quarterback Jimmy Skinner came in for injured starter Bernard Morris and directed two straight touchdown drives to give the Thundering Herd a 21-10 halftime lead. Skinner was 5-of-6 for 81 yards on third- and fourth-down plays in the first half. The game changer After Memphis had taken the opening drive of the second half and trimmed the Marshall lead to 21-13 on Matt Reagan's 23-yard field goal, the Thundering Herd needed one play from scrimmage to answer. After being held to 32 yards rushing in the first half, Bradshaw nearly doubled his total on his first carry of the second half, going 52 yards for a touchdown and a 28-13 Marshall lead. Upon further review Marshall challenged am apparent first-quarter touchdown pass of eight yards from Martin Hankins to Greg Hinds. Hinds appeared to have been downed before the end zone, and the review confirmed it. Officials took the TD away and gave the UofM the ball on the 1-yard line. The Tigers scored three plays later on Joe Doss' 1-yard run. Memphis challenged running back T.J. Pitts' fumble near the Marshall goal line early in the fourth quarter, but it was upheld. Odds and ends Corey Mills and Rubio Phillips, who had started each of the Tigers' first seven games on the defensive line, were replaced in the starting lineup. Mills, slowed by an ankle injury, was replaced by Steven Turner, who made his first start, and Phillips gave way to Brandon Douglas. Also, Stacy Jones, a redshirt freshman from Columbus, Miss., made his first start of the season when the Tigers opened in a two tight-end set. There is a buzz in the Huntington, W.Va., area about the upcoming release of the movie "We are Marshall." References to the movie, much of which was shot in this city of about 50,000 on the banks of the Ohio River, abound on the campus and throughout the downtown area. The movie chronicles the university's challenge to rebuild its football program -- and the community's recovery -- following a tragic plane crash in 1970 that killed 75 members of the football team and several community leaders. The movie is set for a national release Dec. 22. A Huntington premiere will take place the week before and select tickets are going for as much as $1,000. Saturday's homecoming parade featured Reggie Oliver, the quarterback on the 1971 team, and Arlen Escarpeta, the actor who portrayed him in the movie. The College Football Hall of Fame will host an advance screening of "We are Marshall" Nov. 14. Jack Lengyel, hired as Marshall's football coach after the crash, will attend the screening and participate in a question-and-answer session. Lengyel is portrayed in the movie by Matthew McConaughey, who has made several appearances in Huntington since the filming ended, including attending Marshall's nationally televised game against UCF earlier this month. Memphis entered the game having had no run from scrimmage this season longer than 17 yards. Doss had a 23-yard run in the final quarter to up the 2006 standard. In 2005, the Tigers had 18 running plays of 20 or more yards through the first seven games, including runs of 76 and 74 yards by DeAngelo Williams. Doss had a 31-yard run during that 2005 stretch. For the first time in nearly 20 years, former Tiger and NFL lineman Bob Rush, analyst on the UofM football radio broadcasts, missed a game. Dave Woloshin, the play-by-play announcer said Rush was summoned to the Northwest for a family emergency. Rush played for the Tigers from 1973-76 and in the NFL with the San Diego Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs through 1983. Rush is in his 19th season with the radio broadcast team. Greg Gaston, sports anchor at WPTY and WLMT and host of the weekly Tommy West coach's show, stepped in for Rush and handled the color commentary. The 25-mph, swirling winds played havoc with the kicking game. Reagan's opening kick carried out of bounds, and Marshall kicker Anthony Binswanger's 42-yard attempt in the first quarter was blown right and short. Marshall coach Mark Snyder participated in the pre-game reunion of the 1987 Marshall team, which was the first to reach the NCAA 1-AA title game. Snyder played safety on the '87 Thundering Herd team which won eight straight after a 2-4 start. UofM officials said Saturday that former Tiger second baseman Dan Uggla, a strong candidate to win National League Rookie of the Year honors, will be recognized at the UofM's next home football game Nov. 5 against Southern Miss. Uggla, in Class AA a year ago, made his major league debut this season with the Florida Marlins and batted .282 with 27 home runs and 90 runs batted in. Selected to the N.L. All-Star team, he recently was chosen N.L. Rookie of the Year in a poll conducted by NL players. A day before the on-field recognition, Uggla will join former Tiger pitchers Chad Harville (Tampa Bay Devil Rays) and Ryan O'Malley (Chicago Cubs), along with Memphian Matt Cain, also a rookie of the year candidate from the San Francisco Giants, at Saturday's Tiger Baseball Bullpen Club/Alumni Golf tournament at Plantation Golf Club in Olive Branch. For information, call 678-5041. West said after the game that running back Miguel Barnes will miss 3-to-5 weeks after tearing his MCL. Center Stephen Schuh sprained his neck and is day to day. He was uncertain about an ankle injury suffered by all-conference safety Wesley Smith. Audible ''I've got to get them better. I've been saying this for five weeks now, and I'm tired of saying it.'' -- Tommy West -- Phil Stukenborg

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10/29/06		Calipari 'having a ball' with open style (Commercial Appeal)
		By Dan Wolken Contact October 29, 2006 There were times a year ago when the University of Memphis would leave the Finch Center after a preseason practice confused and frustrated, not feeling at all like a team that would ultimately win 33 games. The reason was a new offensive system coach John Calipari installed before last season that is both fast-paced and frenetic but also complex in its spacing and timing. "Everybody was new to it," sophomore forward Robert Dozier said. "We kind of struggled and slowly got there." Though Calipari insists his current Memphis team isn't as talented and won't physically dominate opponents like it did a year ago, it is at least ahead of schedule in its understanding of the offense. At one point Friday, during what Calipari later called one of his best practices in awhile, he stopped the action after a series of good plays and exclaimed, "Are you having fun? I'm having a ball!" Though it was difficult to tell last year as the Tigers averaged 80 points per game, rolled through Conference USA and ran right into the Elite Eight, the preseason was a struggle as Calipari tried to integrate the concepts of a motion offense that is based on creating space and then driving the ball as opposed to a more traditional pass-and-screen attack. Calipari borrowed the system from Vance Walberg, who went 133-11 at Fresno City College with teams that averaged 104 points per game. Walberg got a lot of publicity during Memphis' NCAA run last year, and in April he became the new coach at Pepperdine. Now, intrigued NBA teams are taking a look, a trend Calipari believes will continue. Denver and Atlanta are running some form of the offense, while a handful of colleges have caught on, including UTEP, where former Memphis assistant Tony Barbee landed. At almost every practice this year, Memphis has hosted high school coaches who want to take a peek. "It's not something for every coach," Calipari said. "If you have to hold onto 10 strings, it's not for you. If you're willing to hold on to seven strings out of 10, you can do it. If you don't mind the pace of the game being faster, you're fine. If you want it to be (scoring) in the 60s and control the game a little more from the sideline, it's not for you." Besides needing players who can function at a rapid pace, the key to the offense is spacing. Players are spread out with large gaps between them, almost European-style. That allows good attacking players to drive for a layup or throw the ball to a wing for an open 3-pointer. Timing is also a key. Though the offense is fast-paced, players are also asked to get in a spot and wait before shifting to a new position. And experience counts, which is why Calipari has let freshman point guard Willie Kemp practice on a unit with veterans and put the more polished junior, Andre Allen, with freshmen like Doneal Mack and Tre'Von Willis. "After you get it down pat, it's a great offense to run," Mack said. "If you know where you're going, no team in the nation can defend it. "There's still some little stuff I have to get down like patience, but I have a good understanding of it. You've got to be patient, in the right place at the right time, and you have to depend on your teammates." Though players and coaches are clearly more comfortable in the second year running this system, it's unclear how that will translate to the court given the Tigers' significant personnel losses from a year ago. Also, teams are sure to be better prepared for the Tigers than they were last year, when opponents weren't used to defending that kind of system. "People still start figuring out, what's the best way to guard it?" Calipari said. "Then we'll make adjustments from what they're trying to do. It's a little bit of a chess match, but you end up being a really, really aggressive team playing this way, which is what I want." -- Dan Wolken: 529-2365 Tigers' exhibition opener Opponent: LeMoyne-Owen When, where: Thursday, 7 p.m., at FedExForum Tickets: 678-2331

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10/29/06		Tiger basketball camp report (Commercial Appeal)
		Cooper remains absent Tigers coach John Calipari on Saturday declined to specify when -- or if -- sophomore center Kareem Cooper would return to the team following his third straight day absent from practice. Calipari did say Cooper wouldn't be with the team the rest of this weekend while dealing with "personal issues." Discussing Cooper on Friday, Calipari said: "He's dealing with some personal issues right now. We'll have to see where that goes." Cooper, listed at 6-11 and 290 pounds, played 11.1 minutes per game last season and started once. He couldn't be reached for comment. Recruit talks Derrick Rose, the Tigers' top recruiting target, visited an Illinois scrimmage on Friday night and spoke to media members afterwards. Rose, who lives in Chicago, said he would hold a press conference next Saturday to announce his decision between Memphis, Illinois and Indiana. In August, Rose seemingly eliminated Illinois when he released a list of his top five schools that included Memphis, Indiana, UCLA, Kansas and DePaul. "Sometimes you think the grass is greener on the other side, but when you go take that look you say, 'It ain't like we think. Let's go take another look.'" Rose's brother, Reggie Rose, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "If Illinois wasn't on the list, we wouldn't even be down here." Rose is rated as the No. 3 player in the country by Rivals scouting service and the No. 1 point guard. An NBA Draft Web site, nbadraft.net, projects Rose going No. 1 overall in 2008. Memphis coaches can't comment on unsigned recruits. Big weekend The Tigers scrimmaged Saturday and will practice again today in what Calipari called a crucial weekend for his team's development. Memphis plays LeMoyne-Owen in an exhibition Thursday at FedExForum, marking the unofficial beginning of the season. Once that game is over, the Tigers will basically be in regular-season mode. The Tigers open the season officially Nov. 16 against Jackson State. The next day, they fly to Hawaii for the Maui Invitational. "After this weekend, we're going to be about 75 percent of (what we need to be for) Maui," Calipari said. -- Dan Wolken

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10/29/06		College football: Memphis loses sixth straight (Jackson Sun)
		By JOHN RABY The Associated Press HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - A halftime adjustment on blocking assignments was all Marshall needed to get Ahmad Bradshaw going. Bottled up in the first half, Bradshaw ran for 93 of his 125 yards after halftime and he finished with three touchdowns in the Thundering Herd's 41-27 win over Memphis on Saturday night. "We had to get some things tweaked offensively, change up some blocking schemes. They kind of had our number there, had a nice little plan," said Marshall coach Mark Snyder. "We came back and changed up our blocking schemes and bang, there goes Ahmad." Bradshaw, coming off a 242-yard performance a week ago in a win at UAB, now is 12 yards shy of becoming Marshall's first 1,000-yard rusher since 2003. The junior has 988 yards for the season. "We knew we had to stop the run," said Memphis coach Tommy West. "They ran for 300-some yards a week ago. We just don't do what we're supposed to do all the time." Marshall (3-5, 2-2 Conference USA) won for the second straight week as it tries to avoid back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since 1982-83. Memphis (1-7, 0-4) lost for the sixth straight time and was eliminated from bowl consideration after appearances in three straight seasons. The Tigers have been outscored 178-100 in the five games since West fired defensive coordinator Joe Lee Dunn. "We find ways to lose a game. It's my fault," West said. "I've got to get them better. I've been saying this for about five weeks now. And I'm tired of saying it." Marshall's Jimmy Skinner went 13-of-21 for 184 yards and threw two touchdowns in relief of injured starter Bernard Morris. Morris, who was questionable for the game with a toe injury, went down on the final play of the first quarter and did not return. His injury wasn't disclosed. Bradshaw had a 1-yard scoring run in the first half and a 52-yard TD run on Marshall's first snap of the second half. He then caught his first TD pass of the season on the next series, a 26-yarder from Skinner that put the Thundering Herd ahead 35-13. "Jimmy does a great job in stepping in for Bernard," Bradshaw said. "The coaches know he doesn't have as much speed, but he's a very smart guy. He's able to read the defenses. "Jimmy saw me wide open and I was able to get it upfield and push it in." Memphis scored on the first series of the game but didn't find the end zone again until late in the third quarter. In the fourth, Marshall's defense forced a fumble at its goal line, and C.J. Spillman later intercepted a tipped pass on fourth down and went 85 yards for a score to put the Thundering Herd ahead 41-20. Memphis' Martin Hankins went 26-of-42 for 322 yards but was intercepted three times. "We'll feel sorry for ourselves tonight and try to get better tomorrow," West said.

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10/29/06		Memphis sees its bowl dreams end (Nashville Tennessean)
		By JOHN RABY Associated Press HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — A halftime adjustment on blocking assignments was all Marshall needed to get Ahmad Bradshaw going. Bottled up in the first half, Bradshaw ran for 93 of his 125 yards after halftime and he finished with three touchdowns in the Thundering Herd's 41-27 win over Memphis on Saturday. "We had to get some things tweaked offensively, change up some blocking schemes. They kind of had our number there, had a nice little plan," said Marshall Coach Mark Snyder. "We came back and changed up our schemes and bang, there goes Ahmad." Bradshaw, coming off a 242-yard performance a week ago in a win at UAB, now is 12 yards shy of becoming Marshall's first 1,000-yard rusher since 2003. The junior has 988 yards for the season. "We knew we had to stop the run," Memphis Coach Tommy West said. "We just don't do what we're supposed to do all the time." Marshall (3-5, 2-2 Conference USA) won for the second straight week as it tries to avoid back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since 1982-83. Memphis (1-7, 0-4) lost for the sixth straight time and was eliminated from bowl consideration after three straight appearances. The Tigers have been outscored 178-100 in five games since West fired defensive coordinator Joe Lee Dunn. "We find ways to lose a game. It's my fault," West said. "I've got to get them better. I've been saying this for about five weeks now. And I'm tired of saying it." Marshall's Jimmy Skinner went 13-of-21 for 184 yards and threw two touchdowns. Memphis' Martin Hankins went 26-of-42 for 322 yards but was intercepted three times. n "We'll feel sorry for ourselves tonight and try to get better tomorrow," West said.

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10/28/06		Tigers Rally, but Fall to No. 14 Kentucky in Regular Season Finale -- Men's Soccer finishes 10-7-0, prepares for C-USA Tournament (GoTigersGo.com)
		LEXINGTON, Ky. - Senior defender Jamie Gilbert notched his third goal of the season, but a second half rally by the Tigers fell short as Kentucky forward Riley O'Neill scored two goals, including the game-winner. The 3-1 defeat drops the Tigers to 10-7-0 on the season and 3-5-0 in Conference USA. The Tigers will now prepare for the Conference USA Tournament in Tulsa beginning Nov. 1. "I thought the way we started the game was very good," head coach Richie Grant said. "We moved the ball well, we created chances. We were getting the ball wide on both sides. We had some great scoring chances in the opening 20 minutes. The first goal changed the game a little bit. I thought they had the momentum after that." Both teams had quality scoring chances right away. Kentucky had control early as Wildcat senior Masumi Turnbull fired a shot off a corner wide right in the fifth minute and Memphis sophomore Thomas Hyland broke up a pass across the front of the net two minutes later. The Tigers countered with a scoring chance in the eighth minute as sophomore Jordan Lynn pushed down the left side and served a cross into the box for classmate Tripp Harkins who put a header just over the crossbar. Junior Jared Britcher fired a shot from 20 yards out that was saved by Kentucky keeper Matt Troop six minutes later. Harkins had another close call in the sixteenth minute after freshman Brian Farrell found Tripp Harkins alone on the right side. However, Troop once again made an impressive save to keep the match scoreless. The Wildcats threatened again with a header from Micheal Strong, but, fortunately for the Tigers, freshman goalkeeper Michael Goodlett jumped to his left to punch the ball out of the box. The Wildcats finally struck first at the end of the 35th minute when Kentucky freshman Mark Halma headed in a corner kick from Turnbull to five the Wildcats a 1-0 lead. Halma nearly struck again in the 38th minute but his header hit the right post and Goodlett took control of the rebound to keep the Tigers within one. Memphis had a chance to tie the game in the 43rd minute, but Tropp snared Lynn's free kick from 25-yards out before the Tigers could get control of the ball. As the first half came to an end, the Tigers went to the locker room trailing 1-0 after being outshot 9-4 in the first 45 minutes. The Tiger defense stood strong at the start of the second half as Goodlett caught a corner kick to deny a Kentucky attack in the 47th minute and Lynn knocked away a free kick as it sailed toward the net in the two minutes later. Goodlett shone in net once again when Michael D'Agostino fired a shot toward the net from just inside the box and the freshman keeper punched the shot over the net. However, Kentucky was able to increase their lead to 2-0 when Riley O'Neill charged down the right side and pushed a ball toward the net. Goodlett tried to kick the ball out, but a deflection knocked it high in the air. When it came down, O'Neill was able to gain control and knocked the ball into the net to give Kentucky the two goal lead in the 72nd minute. The Tigers began mounting a comeback when senior Jamie Gilbert fired a shot from 25-yards out that deflected off a Kentucky defender and into the net. Gilbert's third goal of the season pulled the Tigers to within one goal in the 76th minute. "We were a bit disapointed to find ourselves doen 2-0, and I thought it showed great character by Jamie to step forward," Grant said. "Right before he was about to strike, I heard his teammates tell him to take a shot, and he did. It was a great one." However, after the Tigers turned away a couple of Wildcat scoring chances, Kentucky was able to regain their two-goal lead when D'Agostino found O'Neill down the left side. O'Neill beat Goodlett with a shot into the bottom left corner of the net for his second goal of the match. The Tigers will return to Memphis before leaving for the Conference USA Tournament in Tulsa beginning Nov. 1. "We're going to the conference tournament with nothing to lose," Grant said. "The way we played the first half is how we need to perform at conference. The second half leaves us with a bit of work to do."

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10/28/06		Memphis Falls To Marshall, 41-27 -- Martin Hankins was 26-of-42 for 322 yards (GoTigersGo.com)
		HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) -Ahmad Bradshaw scored three touchdowns and backup Jimmy Skinner threw a pair of TD passes to lead Marshall to a 41-27 win over Memphis on Saturday night. Marshall (3-5, 2-2 Conference USA) won for the second straight week as it tries to avoid back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since 1982-83. Memphis (1-7, 0-4) lost for the sixth straight time and was eliminated from bowl consideration after appearances in three straight seasons. The Tigers have been outscored 178-100 in the five games since coach Tommy West fired defensive coordinator Joe Lee Dunn. Skinner went 13-of-21 for 184 yards in relief of injured starter Bernard Morris. Morris, who was questionable for the game with a toe injury, went down on the final play of the first quarter and did not return. His injury wasn't disclosed. Bradshaw finished with 125 yards rushing a week after he exploded for 242 yards in a win at UAB. He had TD runs of 1 and 52 yards and caught his first TD pass of the season, a 26-yarder from Skinner in the third quarter that put the Thundering Herd ahead 35-13. Memphis scored on the first series of the game but didn't find the end zone again until late in the third. In the fourth, Marshall's defense forced a fumble at its 1-yard line, and C.J. Spillman later intercepted a tipped pass on fourth down and went 85 yards for a score to give Marshall a 41-20 lead. Memphis' Martin Hankins went 26-of-42 for 322 yards but was intercepted three times.

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10/28/06		Memphis at Marshall Game Notes (GoTigersGo.com)
		• True freshman Steven Turner and sophomore Brandon Douglas got their first starts of the season today. Turner started at left end ahead of Corey Mills and Douglas started at right tackle ahead of Rubio Phillips. Offensively, rs-freshman Stacy Jones started as the second tight end. It was the first time this season that the Tigers had started with two tight ends. • Linebacker Jeremy Rockette saw his first action of the season today. He had been out this fall with a broken bone in his foot. He played mostly on special teams today. • Tailback Joseph Doss registered his first pass reception in the first quarter to extend his streak to at least one catch in each of the eight games this season. He also had a season-long 23-yard rush in the fourth quarter that set up a Memphis touchdown. Doss finished the day with one receptions for five yards and 20 carries for 80 yards and a touchdown. • Sophomore tight end Brett Russell caught a 38-yard pass in the first quarter to mark his longest career reception. The pass ultimately set up a touchdown by the Tigers. He then broke the mark with a 45-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter. The touchdown is his first of the year and second of his career. Russell ended the day with three catches for a career high 89 yards. • Junior fullback Greg Hinds caught a seven-yard pass that originally was ruled a touchdown and reviewed to later mark the ball on the 1-yard line. On the next play, Joseph Doss rushed one yard for the touchdown. Hinds finished the day with a season-high four receptions for 34 yards. Hinds was moved just prior to the start of the season from linebacker to fullback. • Joseph Doss used a one-yard run to put the first points on the board today. It was Doss' second rushing touchdown of the season as he also logged a rushing TD last weekend against Tulsa. For his career, he totals four rushing touchdowns and one receiving TD. • Ryan Scott caught a six-yard pass in the first quarter to extend his receiving streak to nine games, dating back to the 2005 Motor City Bowl. Scott finished the game with six catches for 63 yards. He now ranks seventh all-time in receiving with 98 catches and seventh in receiving yards with 1,425. • True freshman Matt Reagan booted a 31-yard field in the second quarter to get Memphis within four points, 14-10. It was a season-high for Reagan who is now 8-of-10 for the year after hitting a 23 yarder in the third quarter. He has previously hit two field goals of 28 yards earlier in the year. • Jamarcus Gaither forced Marshall to fumble the ball on the Tiger kick-off after the Reagan field goal. Senior Jermaine Chambers recovered the fumble for his first career fumble recovery. • Freshman receiver Duke Calhoun extended his receiving streak today with five catches for 59 yards. Calhoun has caught at least one pass in each of the eight games this season. He has also tallied multiple catches in all but the Arkansas State game this season. • RS-freshman defensive lineman Greg Terrell logged his fourth sack of the season when he dropped Jimmy Skinner for a three-yard loss in the second quarter. Terrell leads the Tigers for the season with four sacks for a loss of 13 yards. • RS-sophomore Philip Beliles started the second half at center in place of an injured Stephen Schuh. • Tailback Miguel Barnes logged a season-high 16-yard run in the third quarter. Barnes finished the game with five carries for 40 yards. Barnes' previous high yardage for the season was 27 yards on six carries against Arkansas State. • Senior receiver Ryan Scott caught a 27-yard pass from Martin Hankins for his third touchdown reception of the season. Scott has caught nine TD receptions for his career. • Junior quarterback Martin Hankins, who started the game having completed six straight passes for 75 yards, ended the game 26-of-42 for 322 yards and two touchdowns. It was the fifth time this season that Hankins had attempted 30 or more passes and passed for more than 200 yards in a game this year. The 322 yards passing is a season high for Hankins and the second time this season he has passed for over 300 yards. • At the start of the fourth quarter, linebacker Quinton McCary logged his first forced fumble of the season, and the ball was ultimately recovered by linebacker Heath Grant. It was Grant's first recovery of the season; the third of his career. • RS-freshman receiver Carlos Singleton recorded a season-high six catches for 70 yards. Last weekend against Tulsa, Singleton had highs of five catches for 44 yards. He has caught a pass in each of the last four straight games. • The Tigers totaled over 400 yards offense for the second time this season with a season high 469 yards. Memphis had 427 yards against Chattanooga earlier this season.

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10/28/06		Memphis Sophomore in Third Entering Final Round -- Benjamin remains three strokes behind the leader at Landfall Tradition (GoTigersGo.com)
		WILMINGTON, N.C. - University of Memphis sophomore golfer Brad Benjamin followed an even-par first-round with a solid 3-over-par second round and remains in third-place, three strokes out of first place, entering Sunday's final round at the Landfall Tradition in Wilmington, N.C. As a team, the Tigers turned in a two-day score of 615 (305-310) and sit in sixth-place entering the final round. Benjamin was the lowest Tiger finisher for the second consecutive day, posting a 75 on Saturday afternoon. Benjamin's two-day total of 147 (72-75) trails only Tulsa golfers Mitch Cohlmia (144) and Nicholas Geyger (145). Benjamin will look to make up three strokes on Sunday's final round in hopes of netting his first college tournament win. Junior Kyle Ritchie fired a 78 on Saturday as the Tigers' second-lowest finisher. The transfer from Tulane has posted a 154 (76-78) and sits in a tie for 23rd, just one stroke out of the top-20. Junior Ian Rochester is right on his classmate's heels. The Cordova, Tenn., native posted a two-day score of 155 (76-79), one stroke behind Ritchie and two strokes behind the top-20. Freshmen Kyle Peterman and Mark Trow each showed improvement after shooting first-round 81's on Friday. Peterman turned in a second-round 78 and Trow fired a 79 and are tied for 42nd and 46th, respectively. The Tigers fired a second-round score of 310 en route to a two-day total of 615 (305-310) and sole possession of sixth-place. Memphis remains four strokes behind fifth-place Ohio State and will look to rebound on Sunday in search of their second-consecutive, and third top-five finish of the fall. Sunday's final round begins at 7:14 a.m. central time. Live scoring is available online at www.golfstat.com. 6) Memphis 305 310 615 3) Brad Benjamin 147 (72-75) T23) Kyle Ritchie 154 (76-78) 26) Ian Rochester 155 (76-79) T42) Kyle Peterman 159 (81-78) T46) Mark Trow 160 (81-79)

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10/28/06		Cross Country Completes Season at C-USA Championships -- Malinowski and Standen lead Memphis individually (GoTigersGo.com)
		GREENVILLE, N.C. - The Tiger and Lady Tiger cross-country teams finished their season on a sloppy course Saturday at the C-USA Championships in Greenville, N.C. with the squads taking eighth and 10th place finishes respectively. "Unfortunately, it was a bit of a disappointing day today," said Memphis cross-country coach Mike Power. "The course was really wet and there the conditions were very tough. We just weren't able to really run our race today." A steady downpour in the 24 hours leading up to the meet turned the course at Windy Lake into a muddy mess, slowing times considerably. UTEP successfully defended its men's title while UAB came away with the women's crown. Memphis sophomore Emily Malinowski took the top time of any Lady Tigers with a 19:42 and a 35th place overall finish. The men's team was led by sophomore Geoff Standen, who finished 47th overall with a 28:26 in the men's 8k. It was the final cross-country meet for the Lady Tigers' Mary-Claire Dake, Becca McMahon and Kimberly McVeigh and men's runner Avi Shaposhnik. Dake finished in 37th with a 19:44 while McMahon and McVeigh came in 59th and 77th respectively. Eryka Morris rounded out the Lady Tiger runners with an 83rd place finish. Shaposhnik was the second Memphis men's runner to finish, coming in at 29:17. Sophomore Juan Arboleda finished just two seconds behind with a 29:19. Nick Bussey and Sam James finished 57th and 60th respectively. "I'm proud of all of our athletes for the effort they put in this season," said Power. "They really worked hard and improved all year. Now we are looking forward to the beginning of the indoor season." The Memphis track team will open its indoor season Dec. 3 at Arkansas State Early Bird in Jonesboro, Ark.

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10/28/06		Tiger Volleyball Mauls Miners, 3-0 -- Shelby Burton leads all players with 18 kills (GoTigersGo.com)
		EL PASO, Texas - Memphis 3, UTEP 0 Memphis (22-5; 8-3 C-USA) 31 30 30 UTEP (5-20; 1-10 C-USA) 29 27 23 Shelby Burton hammered home a match-high 18 kills and hit .517, while Ashley Liford put up a double-double of 12 kills and 17 digs, and Laura Côté dished out 47 assists to guide Memphis to a dominating sweep of UTEP in Conference USA action Friday. The Tigers hand the Miners their 10th-straight home loss and 10th-consecutive loss. Memphis also got a match-best 24 digs from libero Christen Clayton. The Tigers hit .328 in the match, including a hitting a torrid .404 in the opening set and .350 in the final game. Sarah Bury, Melissa Nance and Colette Ramirez each posted seven kills. Defensively, Burton and Côté had six blocks each. Memphis outblocked UTEP 10.0-5.0 on the night. Keisha Hyman-Gifth led the Miners with 11 kills, and Amy Sanders added 10 kills. Elsa Reyes led a crew of four UTEP players to post at least 10 digs. Catherine Chavez, Sanders and setter Katie Smith each made 10 digs. Memphis also outdug UTEP, 65-53. The Tigers will now prepare for a battle with Tulane in New Orleans at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

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10/28/06		Herd standout Bradshaw presents huge challenge for Tigers (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact October 28, 2006 HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- Ahmad Bradshaw, Conference USA's leading rusher, must have had a difficult time being patient this week. And if you were in his cleats, you'd be somewhat eager, too. A junior from Bluefield, Va., Bradshaw rushed for a career-high 242 yards last weekend to lead Marshall to an upset win at UAB. The Thundering Herd lived up to its nickname in Birmingham, amassing 317 yards on the ground against one of the league's better run defenses. Today, beginning at 3:30 (CDT) at Joan C. Edwards Stadium, Bradshaw will line up against one of league's lowest-rated rush defenses, a group allowing nearly 200 yards per game. Until holding Tulsa to 139 rushing yards in a loss last weekend at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, the Tigers (1-6, 0-3 in C-USA) hadn't held an opponent to fewer than 200 yards rushing in three previous outings. Bradshaw, who has succeeded former Tiger DeAngelo Williams as the league's top back, ranks eighth nationally in rushing at 123.3 yards per game. His effort last weekend represented the third-highest single-game total in the program's history and the first 200-yard game in 13 years. Because of Bradshaw's C-USA Offensive Player of the Week performance, Marshall (2-5, 1-2) passed Tulsa as the league's top-ranked rushing team with an average of 185.3 yards per game. ''It will be an unbelievable challenge for us,'' West said. ''Tulsa (ran) more zone blocking. Marshall runs more of a power game. They just went crazy against UAB, which I know has a good front and a good defense. Bradshaw is playing very well.'' In seven games this season, the same can't be said of the Memphis run defense. It opened the season by allowing Ole Miss to rush for 240 yards. Tennessee gained 205, UAB had 279 and Arkansas State 216. Seven opposing backs have rushed for 100 or more yards, including two -- UAB's Corey White (129) and Marculus Elliott (109) -- who topped 100 in the same game. If the Tigers are to snap a five-game losing streak, they'll have to find a way to contain Bradshaw, listed at 5-11 and 200 pounds. ''I didn't get to play against Marshall last year (in a 28-3 Tiger win at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium),'' said Tiger linebacker Quinton McCrary. ''But (Bradshaw) is a great back. He's an elusive back.'' A Tulsa rushing offense that ranked first in the conference entering last weekend's game against the Tigers was held under 150 yards. The Golden Hurricane's top back, Oklahoma transfer Courtney Tennial, rushed for three short touchdowns, but was held under 100 yards. It marked the first time this season the Tigers had held an opposing running back to fewer than 100 yards. ''In that game we saw the best rushing team in Conference USA and held them to 139 yards,'' said Tiger cornerback Brandon Patterson. ''We are improving in our rush defense. People are getting better at being in their gaps.'' As much as Memphis has struggling stopping the run, it also has encountered difficulty running the ball. The conference's 11th-ranked rush defense is also the league's 11th-ranked rush offense. The Tigers manage but 94.9 yards per game. While UofM junior Joseph Doss is not having the year Bradshaw is having, he's showing signs of being the back the Tigers envisioned. Doss, who rushed for 112 yards in the opener at Ole Miss, fought for 80 tough yards and a touchdown last weekend against a formidable Tulsa defense. None of the UofM offense's contributions today will matter if the Tiger defense is unsuccessful stopping Bradshaw. And halting his momentum may be difficult. ''I want you to show me another back in the entire country that has more drive and more want-to than Ahmad Bradshaw,'' said Marshall coach Mark Snyder. ''If you can find one, I want to meet him.'' -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543

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10/28/06		Tiger basketball camp report (Commercial Appeal)
		Tigers ranked 14th The University of Memphis is ranked 14th in the USA Today/ESPN college basketball preseason coaches' poll, released Friday. Given the Tigers' considerable personnel losses from last season's 33-4 team, the ranking at the very least validates coach John Calipari's contention that the Tigers are a national program with national aspirations. Connecticut, Texas, Syracuse and Kentucky were all ranked behind Memphis in the poll. "We don't pay attention to rankings," sophomore forward Robert Dozier said. "It's just a number. We've got to go out on the court and do like we did last year and prove to everybody else we might be a better team than everybody thinks." Defending national champion Florida was No. 1 in the poll with 30 of 31 first-place votes. Cooper out again Though freshman center Hashim Bailey returned to practice Friday after sitting out Thursday to take care of some "personal business," sophomore center Kareem Cooper was absent for a second straight day. "He's dealing with some personal issues right now," Calipari said. "We'll have to see where that goes." Calipari declined to elaborate on the situation. "He's dealing with some personal things he has to deal with," Calipari said. Coach's corner For the last few years, Calipari has broken up the team into two groups during practice and kept score of certain drills to raise the level of competitiveness. But Calipari said he's doing it more with this year's team than he has with any other. Usually, losing a game or a drill means extra running. "Every drill we do, there are consequences to winning and losing," Calipari said. "I've zeroed in on it more with this team than any other. Because I'm looking at it saying, of all the teams I've had, this has to be one of those teams that their desire to win is off the chain. If we have that, we're going to be all right." -- Dan Wolken

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10/28/06		Tigers take aim at better shooting from line -- Top shooters gone, so improvement vital (Commercial Appeal)
		By Dan Wolken Contact October 28, 2006 John Calipari has said it so many times this month, it should be part of the local lexicon: His University of Memphis basketball team can't possibly be as good as last season after losing its top three scorers. But here's something Calipari hasn't said. Not only were Rodney Carney, Shawne Williams and Darius Washington his top three scorers, they were also Memphis' top free-throw shooters. Though free-throw shooting hasn't historically been a calling card for Calipari's teams at both Memphis and Massachusetts, it's even more of a question mark heading into this season, which begins Thursday with an exhibition against LeMoyne-Owen. Of Memphis' seven veterans, only sophomores Chris Douglas-Roberts (74.5 percent), Robert Dozier (75 percent) and Kareem Cooper (84 percent) shot well from the free-throw line last year. The rest spent a lot of the summer 15 feet from the basket. "I had to," said junior point guard Andre Allen, who made just 24-of-53 attempts last year. "I was in the mind frame that it didn't matter because, in the thick of it, I knew that nine times out of 10 that Darius would be in the game. Now I know I have a chance of being out there, so now I have to knock them down." Collectively, Carney, Washington and Williams accounted for 47.5 of the team's free-throw attempts and made 76.2 percent between the three of them. The rest of the team made 61 percent. "Last year when I got to the line, I wasn't focused at all. I was just shooting," said sophomore Antonio Anderson, who is one of the team's best perimeter shooters but made just 63.3 percent of his free throws. "After awhile, Coach told me to start thinking about it, pick a spot on the right and shoot at that spot, I started making it. "Now I'm a better free-throw shooter. I've been focusing it and working on it all summer and all season so far. It's going to be an improvement." Calipari said he usually doesn't fret about free throws because his teams, over his 14 years as a head coach, have been consistently at the 68 or 69 percent mark over the course of a season but clutch when the game is on the line. "My teams historically have shot the ball really, really well in the last four minutes," Calipari said. "Before that, it's like, 'What are you doing?'" Though Calipari hasn't devoted a significant amount of practice time to free throws, he has gotten the point across. In an early practice, he put freshman center Pierre Niles on the line and made him shoot free throw after free throw. The 6-8, 285-pound Niles kept making them, prompting Calipari to exclaim, "See what I want you to do? Get fouled!" Niles -- sidelined after he had his right knee scoped on Oct. 16 -- could be a key to the playing rotation when he gets to full strength because of his foul shooting. Junior Joey Dorsey, who figures to start at center, made 39-of-91 free throws (42.9 percent) last year, which was actually an improvement over his 39.3 proficiency rate as a freshman. Dorsey, however, doesn't want to give up those minutes easily and said he's improved, thanks to a couple of tips from veteran NBA coach Larry Brown. "He changed my shot around, told me to get the ball up a little higher and get a better arc on it," Dorsey said. "My hand was over the top of the ball, and I didn't have space to get the arc under it. Every day before practice, I shoot 100 free throws, and right now I think I'm probably 70 percent." That would be a huge bonus for a team that needs every edge it can find to be the national contender it was last year. "If Joey shoots 55 percent or 60 percent, I'll do two backflips," Calipari said. "With a bad hip." -- Dan Wolken: 529-2365

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10/28/06		Tiger Football: Marshall Game Day Update (Memphis Edge)
		PRE-KICKOFF UPDATES ** While early week forecasts had predicted rain with windy conditions and temperatues in the low 50s, sun broke through the clouds at mid-morning. It remains windy -- in the 20-25 mph range -- and the temperatures are in the low 50s, but there is no longer the threat of rain. A crowd of 30,000-plus is expected for Marshall's homecoming. ** The wind could play havoc with the U of M passing game. Most of Memphis's big plays this season have come from the passing game. ** The 30,000-seat stadium at Marshall is reminiscent of the on-campus facility at the University of Cincinnati, a former Conference USA member now in the Big East.

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10/27/06		Tigers Travel for C-USA Match-Up With Thundering Herd (GoTigersGo.com)
		The Tigers will fly out today for their first trip to Huntington, West Virginia, where they will face the Thundering Herd of Marshall at 3:30 p.m. CT on Saturday. Local fans can listen to the game on the Tigers' flagship station, WREC AM600. Saturday's game is the second meeting in as many years between the Tigers and Thundering Herd. Last year's game in the Bluff City was the first encounter on the gridiron between the two programs, and Memphis posted a 26-3 Senior Day win over Marshall. The Tigers have a 4-6 record when they play on Oct. 28 in the program's history. The last time Memphis played an Oct. 28 game was in the 1995 campaign. The Tigers defeated Tulsa 10-7 at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. The U of M will play its next three straight games at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, with two of the games being broadcast nationally. On Sunday, Nov. 5, the Tigers will host Southern Miss at 7 p.m. in a key league match-up that will be carried by ESPN. Former Tiger standout DeAngelo Williams will be honored before the game as he has his jersey retired. The first 10,000 fans will also receive a commemorative DeAngelo Williams print as they enter the stadium. The following week, the Tigers will welcome UCF to the Liberty Bowl for a 7 p.m. game to be broadcast live by CSTV. Memphis will close out its home slate on Nov. 18 against Houston. Kick-off is slated for 1 p.m., and 19 seniors will be honored prior to the game for their contributions during their careers. WEST LOOKING TO STAY PERFECT VS. HERD While Memphis holds a 1-0 series advantage over the Thundering Herd, Tiger head coach Tommy West is one better against Marshall with a perfect 2-0 mark. Last year, West guided the Tigers to a 26-3 win over the Thundering Herd at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. Prior to last year's meeting, West led his Chattanooga squad to a memorable win over Marshall in the 1993 campaign. The Thundering Herd came into Chattanooga ranked No. 1 in the country in NCAA Division I-AA, but the Mocs were not intimidated. Chattanooga pulled off quite possibly the biggest win in the program's history, defeating Marshall 33-31. In that game, current NFL wide receiver Terrell Owens caught four touchdowns to lead the Mocs to the win. That Marshall team went on to post an 11-4 record and advanced to the NCAA Division I-AA title game. SCOTT IS ONE OF TOP 10 TIGER WIDEOUTS Senior receiver Ryan Scott entered the UAB game needing just two catches and 25 yards to enter the UM top 10 in both of those categories. Despite the loss, Scott had a stellar performance against the Blazers, posting a season-high six catches and a career high 120 yards receiving. He scored on the game's very first play from scrimmage on an 82-yard pass from Martin Hankins. The Jackson, Tenn., native had six receptions for 53 yards against Tulsa, and currently ranks eighth in receiving yards with 1,362 and 10th in receptions with 92. It would take just 11 yards and four catches for him to advance one spot in each of the two categories. CALHOUN MAKING CASE FOR FRESHMAN HONORS With his five receptions for 24 yards against Tulsa, true freshman Duke Calhoun has caught a pass in each of the seven games this season. In addition, he has caught multiple passes in all but the Arkansas State game. Calhoun caught his fourth touchdown pass of the season on a 49-yard reception from Martin Hankins against Arkansas State in the third quarter. The Memphis native has caught a TD pass in four of the last five games, leading the team in TD receptions with four. He also leads the squad in receiving yards with 361 and is second in receptions with 23, behind senior Ryan Scott who totals 25 catches. STREAKING TIGERS Two receivers and one back have caught passes in all seven games this season. WRs, Ryan Scott and Duke Calhoun, and RB Joseph Doss extended their season streaks with at least one catch in the Tulsa game. Scott's streak is actually at eight games, dating back to last season's Motor City Bowl. WR Earnest Williams entered the Tulsa game on a seven-game streak but did not make a catch versus the Hurricane to halt his streak.

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10/27/06		Tiger golfers in fifth at Landfall Tradition -- Benjamin shoots even on day one (GoTigersGo.com)
		WILMINGTON, N.C. - An even par 72 by sophomore Brad Benjamin was the highlight of the day for the University of Memphis men's golf team on day one of the 2006 Landfall Tradition. The Tigers are turned in a team score of 305 in Friday's first round, and are currently fifth in the 12-team field. Benjamin had the best round of the day among the Tigers. His even-par 72 has him in a tie for third place, just one stroke behind co-leaders Mitch Cohlmia of Tulsa and Bobby Knowles of Kansas. Juniors Kyle Ritchie and Ian Rochester are in good shape as they look to crack into the top-20. The classmates fired identical rounds of 4-over-par 76 and finished day one tied for 17th. Meanwhile, freshmen Mark Trow and Kyle Peterman will have work to do on Saturday and Sunday as they look to recover from opening-round 81's. The two freshmen are tied for 48th after identical 9-over-par rounds. As a team, the Tigers score of 305 leaves them in sole possession of fifth place entering Saturday's second round action. Memphis, which already owns two top-five finishes this fall, owns a one-stroke advantage over Indiana. The Tigers are six strokes behind third-place squads Ohio State and Kansas, nine strokes behind second-place Purdue, and ten strokes behind first-place Tulsa. The Landfall Tradition will resume Saturday morning with second-round tee times beginning at 7:17 a.m. central time. Live scoring is available online at www.golfstat.com

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10/27/06		Tigers to Conclude Regular Season at No. 14 Kentucky -- Season ending trip to determine conference seeding (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - After clinching their third straight Conference USA Tournament appearance with 2-0 win over Marshall on Wednesday night, the University of Memphis men's soccer team will look to improve their seeding in the conference tournament when they travel to Kentucky to take on the No. 14 Wildcats in the final regular season match of 2006. Depending on the results of all other conference games, the Tigers could be as high as fourth or as low as eight when the C-USA Tournament seeds are handed out. However, Memphis remains focused on the Wildcats. "Kentucky's a good, solid team," head coach Richie Grant said. "Our players know that this is a chance for us to improve our conference stadings as well as to improve our place in the region." The Tigers will have their work cut out for them with Kentucky. The Wildcats have won five straight home matches and are currently tied with South Carolina for second-place in the conference, just one point behind No. 1 SMU. "They've had a really solid season again this year. I can't say enough for what Ian Collins has done with their program. Playing against Kentucky, we're going to have to prepare for a tough match," Grant said. "The one thing you know you're going to get when you play Kentucky is that they're always competitive. They're very tough and organized, which is a credit to their coach." Memphis got off to a strong start this week thanks to a 3-0 win over Marshall in their final home game of the year. The win snapped a two-game losing streak for the Tigers who had been shutout in their