Memphis Tigers News Archives

November 2006

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11/30/06		Early C-USA analysis (Memphis Edge)
		About six weeks ago, the feeling at C-USA Media Day was that the league would be much better this year. There was hype about Houston. There was hype about Morris Almond and Rice. There was hype about Mike Davis landing at UAB. It all sounded good at the time. But I'm here to tell you, the league doesn't appear to be any better. In fact, it might be worse. I know that's a horrifying thought for Memphis fans, but the early returns aren't looking good. Though C-USA is actually seventh as a league right now in the RPI ratings -- ahead of the Big East and the ACC -- I wouldn't put much stock in that. The RPI is very volatile and a little bit wacky early in the season, and if I were to look into my crystal ball, I'd say C-USA will only get one NCAA Tournament bid come March (going to Memphis, of course). Here's my breakdown of where each C-USA team stands as we flip the calendar to December: THE DISAPPOINTING Houston -- Tom Penders insisted his team deserved to be in the NCAAs last year ahead of teams like Utah State, Air Force and Seton Hall. But he'll have another sob story this year if he keeps losing games he's supposed to win, like last Saturday at St. Louis, which a week earlier lost by 36 to Texas A&M. Houston will get a shot at Arizona and Kentucky, and they better win one or else kiss their at-large hopes goodbye. Rice -- There was a lot of talk about Rice as a surprise team and potential at-large contender, but that talk is pretty much gone now after losses to North Texas and an awful Utah team, not to mention their 38-point embarrassment at Gonzaga. UAB -- It's starting to look like Mike Davis just doesn't have enough players this year. UAB's losses to Washington State, Wyoming and Western Kentucky should signal the end of their run of three straight NCAA Tournament appearances. UAB might improve as the season goes on, but they don't look like a challenger to Memphis. Marshall -- Suffered "good" losses to California and Hofstra. But also suffered bad losses to Robert Morris and Missouri-Kansas City. THE SURPRISING SMU -- Matt Doherty has the Mustangs playing some good ball. They lost a close game at Florida State and then came back four days later to beat Dayton, which subsequently knocked off Louisville. Outside of a trip to Oklahoma on Dec. 28, the rest of the non-conference schedule is Cupcake City. Don't be suprirsed if they're 12-2 entering conference play. Tulsa -- They're 4-1, including a nice victory over Kansas-killer Oral Roberts. Suffered a two-point loss to North Texas, which isn't that bad. Nobody expects Tulsa to be a contender, but so far they look like an improved club. THE REST Southern Miss -- Haven't played anybody of significance. Central Florida -- See above comment. East Carolina -- Ditto. Tulane -- That 40-point home loss to Butler is looking better and better, I guess. UTEP -- Tony Barbee's debut victory over Penn was a nice surprise, but the home loss to Chicago State on Wednesday was probably a more realistic indicator of the current talent level.

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11/30/06		Mikami Named NSCAA All-Region -- Senior ends career as one of program's top scorers (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS - Memphis women's soccer player Shoko Mikami continued to cap off an already impressive career resume Thursday when it was announced that she had received National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-Central Region Second Team honors. It is the second consecutive year that senior has been named to an NSCAA All-Region team. In 2005, Mikami was voted to the All-Central Region Third Team. This season, Mikami was named to the All-Conference USA First Team for a second consecutive year after being the C-USA Player of the Year in 2005. Mikami led the Lady Tigers in points (32) and assists (8) in 2006 and co-led the team in goals (12) along with sophomore Kylie Hayes. In just over two seasons with the Lady Tigers,Mikami became one the top statistical leaders in school history. The Chiba, Japan native finished her career with 28 goals, 21 assists and 77 points, placing her at second on the all-time goals and points lists and third in assists. Earlier this month, Mikami was honored for her scholastic achievents when she became the first ever Memphis women's soccer player to be named to a national academic team after being selected for the CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American Second Team.

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11/30/06		Walsh, Gilbert Earn All-Region Honors -- Tiger soccer's offensive and defensively leaders earn second-team nods (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn.- Junior midfielder Kevin Walsh and senior defender Jamie Gilbert capped off stellar 2006 individual campaigns by earning All-Midwest Region Second Team honors, the National Soccer Coaches Association of America announced on Tuesday. Walsh, who transferred from cross-town Christian Brothers University during the 2006 spring semester, was the U of M's most consistent scoring threat all season long. The Shrule, Ireland, native recorded a goal or an assist in 10 of 16 matches. Walsh found the scoring column in eight of his first nine games and helped spark the Tigers to an 8-2-0 record, their second best start in school history. He finished the season as the team leader in goals (10), assists (7), points (27), shots (53) and shots on goal (28). Walsh also placed himself among the national leaders in points per game (16th, 1.69) and goals per game (22nd, 0.63) while leading the nation's 23rd best scoring offense (1.89 goals per game). Jamie Gilbert captained the team and provided needed leadership. Like Walsh, Gilbert transferred to Memphis for the 2006 spring semester. The Broken Arrow, Okla., native played at Vanderbilt for three years, but joined the Tigers after the Commodores dropped their men's soccer program following the 2005 season. Gilbert left his mark on the program in his only season in Memphis, leading the Tigers to three shutout victories. The six-foot defender also helped spark the Tiger offense from the back. Gilbert led Memphis defenders with three goals, including two game winners. His first goal of the season came in overtime of the season-opener at Louisville and gave the Tigers, who were down 3-0 in the second half, a 4-3 victory. As the only senior on the squad, Gilbert served as team captain and provided much-needed leadership for a starting defensive crew that included two freshmen (goalkeeper Michael Goodlett and defender Rick Alleman) and two sophomores (defenders Thomas Hyland and Robert Sausaman). Walsh and Gilbert are the sixth and seventh Tigers to earn at least second team NSCAA All-Midwest honors joining first team selection Dayton O'Brien (2004) and second team honorees O'Brien (2005), Daniel Dobson (2004), Andy Metcalf (2003), and Sean Fraser (2001). 2006 NSCAA/Adidas All-Midwest First Team Pos. Name Year School Hometown GK Matthew Wideman Sr. SMU Fairview, Texas D Jay Needham Sr. SMU Fort Worth, Texas D Ryan Junge Sr. Creighton Omaha, Neb. D James Hedges Sr. Bradley Peoria, Ill. M Bruno Guarda So. SMU Cedar Hill, Texes M Dejan Jakovic So. UAB Etobicoke, Ontario M Chase Wileman Sr. SMU Dallas, Texas F Michael Kraus* Sr. Creighton Omaha, Neb. F Cory Elenio Jr. Evansville Ann Arbor, Mich. F Riley O'Neill Sr. Kentucky Campbell River, B.C. M Matthew Wieclaw Sr. Western Illinois Chicago, Ill. M Michael D'Agostino Jr. Kentucky Langley, B.C. 2006 NSCAA/Adidas All-Midwest Second Team Pos. Name Year School Hometown GK Matt Allen Jr. Creighton Omaha, Neb. D Justin Douglass* Sr. Missouri State Narco, Calif. D Jamie Gilbert Sr. Memphis Broken Arrow, Okla. D Mynor Gonzales Jr. SMU Guatemala City,Guatemala M Mick Galeski Jr. Eastern Illinois Blackburn, England M Kevin Walsh Jr. Memphis Shrule, Ireland M Carlos Pinto So. Oral Roberts Santa Cruz, Bolivia F Jerson Monteiro Sr. UAB Houston, Texas F Ryan Anderson Jr. Missouri State St. Charles, Mo. F Martin Browne Fr. Western Illinois Brooklyn Park, Minn. F Brad Peters* So. Eastern Illinois St. Charles, Mo. D Blake Siberz Sr. Drake Urbandale, Iowa F Zach Bell Sr. Bradley Springfield, Ill. * - indicates prior selection to All-Region team

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11/30/06		Track and Field Ready to Open Indoor Season at Kickoff Klassic -- Meet to be the first under new head coach and staff (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS - The Kevin Robinson era of Memphis track and field officially begins Friday as the Tiger track and field squads head to Jonesboro, Ark. for the Arkansas State Kickoff Klassic. The meet will open Memphis' indoor season and will be the first for Robinson as a head coach. "I'm really excited to see where our kids are," said Robinson. "I think our sprinters have trained harder than I've ever seen them train before, and I am excited to see how they will compete. We have an entirely new staff, and we're all looking forward to working together for the first time." The meet will be a two day competition with events split between Friday and Saturday. Memphis will take a small squad, including just 12 men and 15 women. However, the Tigers should be very competitive, particularly in the throwing events where senior All-American Gail Lee will compete indoors for the first time since the 2005 NCAA Championships. Lee, the school record holder in the indoor and outdoor shot put, weight throw and hammer throw, redshirted the 2006 indoor season. Fellow throwers Susan King and Sivan Aballi both qualified for the 2006 NCAA Regionals and should challenge Lee for the meet title. On the men's side, Robinson is eager to see senior jumps competitor Brandon Winbush. Winbush is a two-time NCAA Regional qualifier with a personal best of 23-06 in the indoor long jump. "Brandon has been amazing in training so far," said Robinson. "I think he's got a chance to go 25 feet in the long jump this season, and hopefully he can get off to a good start tomorrow." Robinson and his staff are also anxious to see the debut of transfers Andre Hicks and Glen Edwards. The pair helped to lead Barton Community College to a junior college national title last year. Hicks will specialize in the high jump as well as the 60 meters during the indoor season. Edwards should be one of the team's top scorers in the shot put.

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11/30/06		SPECIAL PRESENTATION OF SATURDAY'S MANHATTAN VS MEMPHIS BASKETBALL TO BE MADE AVAILABLE NATIONWIDE -- LIVE VIDEO STREAMING OF THIS MATCHUP TO BE OFFERED (GoTigersGo.com)
		NEW YORK - CSTV Networks, Inc. has announced that the Saturday, December 2, men's basketball contest featuring Manhattan and Memphis will be available across the nation as part of a special pay-per-view event. The special presentation of this match-up will be available live and on-demand via Internet video streaming. Availability Online # Exclusive online pay-per-view events offering live, streaming game video from tip-off to post-game. # Available nationwide. # Fast and easy sign-up online at cstvppv.com. # Pricing for this game will be $9.95. # These pay-per-view events are one-time special video presentations. Purchase price of an event entitles viewer to that game only. About CSTV Networks CSTV Networks, Inc., now part of the CBS Corporation is the leading digital and cable programming company dedicated to college sports. Connecting more fans to more college sports than any other company, its many platforms for programming distribution include CSTV: College Sports TV, televising regular-season and championship events for 35 men's and women's college sports; CSTV.com and its network of nearly 250 official athletic sites; CSTV All Access, broadband services providing live audio and video of more than 10,000 events annually; as well as satellite television and radio, in-flight entertainment, wireless networks and more. Further information is available at www.CSTV.com.

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11/30/06		ASU's Banks takes his best shot before Tigers take control -- No. 14 University of Memphis 86, Arkansas State 60 (Commercial Appeal)
		By Dan Wolken Contact November 30, 2006 It didn't matter whether Adrian Banks was off balance, four feet behind the 3-point line or being knocked to the ground by University of Memphis guard Antonio Anderson. Regardless of the circumstances Banks faced in the first 10 minutes at FedExForum on Wednesday, the former Trezevant High star needed just one thing to keep Arkansas State in the game: The ball. But Banks, the son of former Tiger Arthur Banks, could only do so much for so long. Despite 25 points and some acrobatics that lifted Arkansas State to an early lead over Memphis, the No. 14-ranked Tigers absorbed Banks' best effort and raced off to an easy 86-60 victory. "You know, me being in my hometown, I had a lot of support from the people here and my coaches," Banks said. "They understand how it is, and my teammates, they understood how it is and leading up to this game, they just keep on pushing me and letting me know, I'm the man today." There was no doubting that as Banks made six of his first nine field goals, giving ASU an 18-17 lead 7:39 into the game with an array of shots, including a pair of leaning 3-pointers and some nifty runners over Anderson, the Tigers' best defensive player. "He was hitting a lot of tough shots, difficult shots," Memphis sophomore Chris Douglas-Roberts said. "He's a good player. We knew that before we came into the game. "There's some guys we play like that this year, they're just good players and they have the ultimate green light. It's hard to check people like that." Banks, who finished 11-for-21 from the field, admittedly tired out after his early spurt, and the Tigers (4-1) finally woke up after a sluggish start that could probably be attributed to a week layoff following their trip to the EA Sports Maui Invitational. Memphis took a 26-20 lead on Anderson's 3-pointer from the top of the key 11 minutes into the game and then went on a 23-0 run that spanned both halves, expanding the margin to 55-26. And the Tigers did it despite an off night shooting the ball from distance. Memphis made just 4-of-25 from the 3-point line, scoring 52 points in the paint and 28 off the fast break. Some second-half offensive lulls irked coach John Calipari, who didn't like seeing his team miss wide-open looks after Memphis broke the game open. "It was a good effort coming off a trip back from Hawaii," Calipari said. "We did what we had to. They went zone in the first half and we drove the ball, shot some 3s, did some good stuff. "The second half, we went five minutes of missing every shot, missing layups. We also had three or four turnovers for no reason and that's not how we do this. We finish games." One early trademark of this Memphis team has been offensive balance. Four players scored in double-figures against ASU, led by Anderson's 17 points with five assists and no turnovers. Senior guard Jeremy Hunt scored 15 off the bench on 6-of-9 shooting, and sophomore forward Robert Dozier had 13. Once again, Memphis' ability to use nine players ultimately overwhelmed a less talented opponent in Arkansas State, which suddenly was even more short-handed when coach Dickey Nutt suspended starting forward Isaac Wells on Wednesday. "I was proud of our guys, and I give a lot of credit to the University of Memphis," Nutt said. "There are not a lot of teams that will beat them this year. Memphis is talented at every position and as good as I have seen them in many years. Maybe the best I have seen as a team." -- Dan Wolken: 529-2365

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11/30/06		Tigers replay (Commercial Appeal)
		AS THE GAME TURNED With fewer than six minutes left in the first half, Arkansas State trailed just 32-26 and had the ball after a steal by Abayomi Ajasin. But a missed layup by Yual Banks turned into a big missed opportunity. On the ensuing possession, Memphis freshman Doneal Mack smartly passed up an open 3-pointer and scored on a driving layup. After that, the Tigers dominated the final five minutes of the half, going on an 11-0 run to take a 45-26 lead into the locker room. AS THE ROTATION TURNED Mack left the game early due to an ankle injury but came back to play six minutes in the second half. He finished with six points on 2-of-5 shooting from the field. RIM GEMS Just 4:19 into the game, Memphis senior Jeremy Hunt challenged the Arkansas State defense with a drive through the right side of the lane. Hunt, however, lost his balance on the way there but threw up a one-handed shot anyway that kissed off the glass and dropped through. HIDE YOUR EYES The performance of officials Larry Rose, Doug Shows and J.B. Caldwell on a sequence toward the end of the first half was curious to say the least. With 6:11 left before halftime, Tigers junior Joey Dorsey got locked up with little under the basket with Theo Little. Little grabbed Dorsey's arm, Dorsey attempted to swat it away and then walked off. Initially, only Little was called for a technical foul. The call was then changed to a double technical, inspiring a strenuous objection from Memphis coach John Calipari. SCORER'S TABLE Adrian Banks, ASU's leading scorer, took 21 shots, nearly half the entire team's total of 53. Banks failed to record an assist. ODDS AND ENDS Sophomore guard Chris Douglas-Roberts said Wednesday night he has been bothered by a toothache and might need to have a wisdom tooth removed. Memphis senior guard Clyde Wade did not suit up Wednesday. He sprained his left ankle in Monday's practice and will likely be out for the next five or six days. Sophomore center Kareem Cooper, whose suspension for a rules violation was lifted Saturday, was on the bench but wasn't in uniform. Calipari has been non-committal about when Cooper will next play. LOOKING AHEAD Tigers vs. Manhattan, Saturday, noon, at FedExForum -- Dan Wolken

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11/30/06		Dorsey's inconsistency vexes (Commercial Appeal)
		By Jim Masilak Contact November 30, 2006 Twice during the second half of the University of Memphis' 86-60 victory over Arkansas State on Wednesday night, the crowd at FedExForum lavished Tiger forward Joey Dorsey with standing ovations. But following another maddeningly inconsistent performance from the 6-9, 260-pound junior, his teammates and coach John Calipari expressed growing frustration with a player who all too often shows only the rarest glimpses of his considerable potential. "He can be so much better than what he sometimes plays like," senior guard Jeremy Hunt said. "When he plays to his potential, he knows he's a real superstar. I don't see why he wouldn't want to come out and do that every game." Dorsey scored all 10 of his points during a breathtaking 2-minute, 24-second stretch after halftime during which he followed a layup and a pair of free throws with three straight slam dunks. Prior to that outburst, however, Dorsey's only contribution came in the form of two rebounds and a technical foul for his part in a tussle with Indians center Theo Little. Dorsey played just nine minutes in the first half after picking up two fouls and failing to take a shot from the field. "He's a huge part of this team. (But his inconsistency is) what makes us mad at him," sophomore guard Antonio Anderson said. "We tell him he should be doing it the entire game. If he plays like (he did in the second half), it'll be the best thing for us." Although he pulled down 13 rebounds in the season-opening win over Jackson State, Dorsey has not had more than seven boards in any of the four games since. While he came in averaging a respectable 8.5 points and 7.8 rebounds per game for the 14th-ranked Tigers (4-1), those numbers have largely been posted during spurts similar to the one he had against ASU (4-5). "Joey's very explosive. He can go off at any time," Anderson said. "He's my friend, my teammate, and he's playing real good at times. "Everybody goes through slumps. Maybe he's going through his. He's just got to get out of it." Dorsey's second-half awakening Wednesday didn't last long, either. He fouled out with 9:15 left with 10 points and seven rebounds to his credit. While Calipari also expressed concern with the play of forwards Robert Dozier and Pierre Niles, he saved his most stinging critique for Dorsey, who is consistent only in his inconsistency. With sophomore forward Kareem Cooper still suspended, it is imperative that the Tigers get more consistent production from their most seasoned post player. "It's going on three years now," Calipari said. "We've got to get these other guys ready just in case. We're trying to win at the highest level. If that's the way it is, and it ain't changing, we'll deal with it." Dorsey declined an interview request after the game, but his teammates had plenty to say in his stead. "We get frustrated with him because we know what he's capable of doing. We think he's the best rebounder in the country," sophomore guard Chris Douglas-Roberts said. "We all say something to him. We congratulate him when he's doing something good and when he's in lackadaisical mode, we tell him. "Some games we just have to be patient with him. That's just Joey." Given his physical gifts and undoubted talent, Hunt suspects it won't be long until Dorsey finds his stride. Hunt, however, also added this caveat: It will only happen if Dorsey decides he wants it to happen. "If you want to be a superstar at this level of basketball, if you score 20 (points) and 10 (rebounds), of course Coach is gonna want you to do that every night," Hunt said when asked if he thought Dorsey might be afraid of success. "Once he realizes he's capable of living up to those expectations, it's gonna be real ugly." -- Jim Masilak: 529-2311

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11/30/06		Early miscues punish Memphis -- (8) Georgia 95, U of M women 46 (Commercial Appeal)
		By Our Press Services November 30, 2006 ATHENS, Ga. -- Ashley Houts scored 16 points and had 10 steals and Tasha Humphrey returned from suspension a game earlier than expected to help No. 8 Georgia to a 95-46 rout of Memphis Wednesday in a women's college basketball game. Georgia coach Andy Landers suspended Humphrey, the team's top scorer last season, for six games before the start of the season after she was arrested for underage possession of alcohol. She entered with 17:25 to play in the game and finished with 11 points. Memphis scored the first basket of the game, but seven of the Lady Tigers' next nine possessions ended in turnovers. Georgia (6-0) reeled off 14 points before the Lady Tigers (2-6) added another field goal. The Lady Bulldogs' defense forced 18 first-half turnovers and disrupted Memphis' shooting, and Georgia led 54-24 at halftime. "I thought in the first few minutes of the game, we got intimidated," Lady Tigers coach Blair Savage-Lansden said. "We just didn't do the little things, and you can't come out that way against a quality opponent like Georgia. Former Wooddale High star Paris Leonard and Aroha Jennings each scored eight points to pace the Lady Tigers.

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11/30/06		No. 14 Memphis playing 'unselfish' ball (Nashville Tennessean)
		Tennessean News Services Memphis Coach John Calipari has liked the unselfishness he has seen so far from his young team. Antonio Anderson scored 17 points and had five assists in No. 14 Memphis' 86-60 win over Arkansas State on Wednesday night. "We have a team right now that really passes to one another, probably as unselfish as any team in the country," Calipari said. "We're trying to work on us, and how we play. Overall, I thought it was a good effort. We've got a pretty good basketball team." Jeremy Hunt added 15 points for the Tigers (4-1), while Robert Dozier scored 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Joey Dorsey finished with 10 points. Adrian Banks scored 25 points to lead the Indians (4-5).

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11/30/06		Tigers Roll (Daily Helmsman)
		By: Tim Miller Sports Reporter Issue date: 11/30/06 Arkansas State guard Adrian Banks scored 25 points, but it was not enough to keep the Indians competitive with The University of Memphis. A 23-0 run by the no. 14 Tigers spanning both halves blew the doors open in a game that was close early thanks to the hot shooting of Banks, a former Trezvant High standout. Memphis coasted to an 86-60 win to improve to 4-1. Memphis coach John Calipari said he was not concerned with Banks' performance. "What are you going to do?" Calipari said. "He's a good player. We have a lot of guys score 25 on us, but we win all those games." Memphis struggled from the three-point range, finishing 4-for-25, but dominated down low. The Tigers outscored the Indians 52-16 in the paint. Joey Dorsey started slow in the first half with no points and two fouls. The junior forward emerged in the second half, though, and had two highlight-reel dunks courtesy of Andre Allen. "He came out in the second half and gave us a spark," said freshman guard Willie Kemp. Dorsey scored 10 points and pulled down seven rebounds on the night. With just under six minutes to go in the first half, Arkansas State trailed Memphis 32-26. Calipari gave Kemp the task of slowing down Banks after Antonio Anderson failed to do so. Kemp held Banks scoreless the last seven minutes of the first half. Chris Douglas-Roberts said it would be difficult for any team to stop a good player like Banks who can shoot whenever they want. "When they have the ultimate green light, it's hard to check people like that," Douglas-Roberts said. Banks shot the ball 22 times, but had no assists. The Tigers, meanwhile, opened things up in the last five minutes of the first half thanks to the slashing efforts of Anderson and Jeremy Hunt. Anderson had a team-high 17 points on 4-of-8 shooting and made eight free throws. Hunt finished the night with 15 points. Arkansas State was unable to keep the Tigers from getting to the basket. "Drive, drive, drive," Douglas-Roberts said. "That's always the emphasis for us." Banks said the depth for Memphis was too much for his team to overcome. "I feel we were a little overmatched," Banks said. "They had the depth and the different match-ups." Despite a 40-point lead in the second half, Calipari stayed on his players. Unhappy with the effort of Pierre Niles late in the game, the coach shouted to the freshman big-man who stood in the paint with his hands on his shorts. "If you don't want to play, I'll take you out," Calipari said. Calipari said he was happy with the overall effort of his team, but he would like the Tigers keep opponents down. "We finish games," Calipari said. "It doesn't mean try to beat anybody by 40. This is not playing down at the Y(MCA). We're trying to work on us and how we play. Overall I thought it was a good effort. We're a pretty good basketball team."

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11/30/06		Men's Tiger basketball promises good show -- Seeing it may be the problem (Daily Helmsman)
		By: Kendall Jones Staff Reporter With a win-total already better than the football team's entire season, the Tiger basketball team promises to give fans something actually worth watching during the spring semester. And with an Elite Eight appearance fresh on their minds, some fans have begun to wonder if there will be enough seating to see the dunks, jump shots and free throws. "You have to get there really early to get any kind of a good seat," said Thomas Rich, a freshman criminal justice major. "The closer you are to the floor, the closer you are to the action and you're more within the student section." That's why Student Government Association president Maegan Ratliff has been speaking with University of Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson about the possibility of more student seating in the lower bowl of the FedEx Forum. "I think they have plenty of (student) seating, but I think students want that good seating," she said. "I was talking to him about getting more seating in the lower levels and the 'good spots.'" But Ratliff said the number of reserved student seats in the lower bowl would stay the same for now because of a lack of student participation. "If we had more student participation for every single game, I think we'd have to do something immediately," she said. "I do believe it's going to improve and as of right now I think (Johnson) is doing the best he can." The increasing quality of the team combined with dedicated Blue Crew members helped to increase student turnout last year, which makes Ratliff believe students will soon get more seats in the lower bowl. "Last season, there was wonderful student turnout for the Gonzaga, Texas and a couple other games, and then there were some that were less than 1,000," said Bill Lofton, associate athletic director. "We, as an athletic department, would hope that students would come no matter who we are playing. It's just as important to the ball team for students to come out when we play Jackson State or Arkansas State." Currently, there are between 2,500 and 2,800 seats reserved for students and they are "rarely" filled, Lofton said. Unique Hill, a sophomore psychology major, said she would come to more games if she could buy more guest tickets to bring more people. "I'm a family person and I'd like to be able to go places with my family," she said. "It would be nice to sit up close, but I'm not going to die if I'm not sitting up front." Students are only allowed to buy two guest tickets per "regular" game and one for big games, Ratliff said. That is not acceptable, said Terrence Graves, a junior electrical engineering major. "I guess there's a limit to the tickets they can give out, but they want to make some money," he said. Ratliff said booster club members and similar groups pay around $5,000 to get tickets for the games. "I actually think that's the cheapest and that's not even the lowest level," she said. "If it wasn't for the donors and those other people buying the tickets the athletic department wouldn't have that money and they need that money to operate." Money is what Aaron Banks, a sophomore graphic design major, said he thinks is driving The U of M's policy on student guest tickets. "They want people to pay," he said. Dean of Students William Porter said leaders of SGA and student affairs based the guest ticket policy on student turnout figures from last season. "If you sell too many student guest tickets, you can keep a regular student from coming to the game," Lofton said. Still, Banks said he would have five guest tickets for normal games and two for the big ones. "Some talks of three tickets per game had come up, but I don't think that's fair," Ratliff said. "I think two tickets is plenty. It would get out of control if there was no ticket policy."

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11/29/06		Tigers Crush Arkansas State 86-60 -- Antonio Anderson scores 17 points in the win (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- Antonio Anderson scored 17 points and had five assists Wednesday night to lead No. 14 Memphis to an 86-60 victory over Arkansas State. Jeremy Hunt added 15 points for the Tigers (4-1), while Robert Dozier scored 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Joey Dorsey finished with 10 points. Adrian Banks scored 25 points to lead the Indians (4-5). He was 11-for-21 from the field, including 3-for-7 from behind the arc. Memphis was never threatened after the midpoint of the first half, and began running away from the Indians with a 33-6 run spanning the halves. That gave Memphis a 55-26 lead, and the Tigers would eventually lead by as many 37 in the second half. Arkansas State played without leading rebounder and second-leading scorer Isaac Wells, who was suspended by coach Dickey Nutt prior to the game. That meant the Indians had to overcome the loss of 15.4 points and 7.9 rebounds. They were unable to come close. Memphis shot 52 percent from the field in the first half and outscored Arkansas State 24-6 in the paint to carry a 45-26 lead into the locker room at the break. Anderson and Dozier led the Tigers with 10 points each, while Banks had 14 for the Indians.

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11/29/06		Memphis Basketball Postgame Quotes -- #14/17 Memphis 86, Arkansas State 60 (GoTigersGo.com)
		Memphis Head Coach John Calipari "I thought that it was a good effort coming back from the trip from Maui. A couple of guys didn't bring it like we needed them to. I thought Joey (Dorsey) played in the second half like he is capable of playing." "When you play that hard, with that much intensity, you are always around the ball. When you don't, you are always behind the ball, and you foul or miss lay-ups. That's the game. So your job is to make sure that you are ready, fired-up and ready to go." "We have a team right now that really passes to one another, probably as unselfish as any team in the nation. We did what we had to. They went zone in the first half, and I loved what we did (against the zone). We did some good stuff." "In the second half, what bothered me was that we went five minutes missing every lay-up. Our shooting percentage went from 55 percent to 46 percent in about four minutes. We also had three or four turnovers during that shift and for no reason. That's not how we do this. We need to finish games." Arkansas State Head Coach Dickey Nutt "We knew coming in this would this would be a tall task against Memphis. I was proud of our guys, and I give a lot of credit to the University of Memphis. There are not a lot of teams that will beat them this year. Memphis is talented at every position and as good as I have seen them in many years. Maybe the best I have seen as a team." "We played together as a team and hung around and stuck together and that is a good team. I told our guys to put this game behind you and to not let it worry you one second. At the end of conference play, games like this will help us. We have played three games in six days, and we have been all over the country in the last 48 hours." "Memphis was very big on the inside, and offensively, we were missing Isaac Wells. We could not hold the gates shut, but the other guys stepped up and I was proud of that." "Darrel Jackson and Adrian Banks really played well tonight, and I was very proud of both of them."

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11/29/06		Lady Tigers Outmanned by No. 8 Georgia, 95-46 -- Memphis falls for the first time in three games (GoTigersGo.com)
		ATHENS, Ga. - Eighteen first half turnovers handed the Lady Tiger basketball team its first loss in three games at No. 8 Georgia, Wednesday night, 95-46. Georgia converted the 18 turnovers to layups at the other end, negating a 21-17 Lady Tiger rebounding edge in the opening half. "I thought in the first few minutes of the game, we got intimidated," head coach Blair Savage-Lansden said. "We talked all weekend about penetrating and pitching, and the one person would penetrate and the other four players stood around, we just didn't do the little things, and you can't come out that way against a quality opponent like Georgia. Memphis actually got on the board first, as Robin Jones, on her 19th birthday, scored the Lady Tigers' opening bucket. But Memphis struggled catching the ball and when Georgia forced three turnovers from the Lady Tiger point guards on consecutive trips, Memphis found themselves down 14-3 at the first media timeout. But using their work on the glass, Memphis cut the deficit to nine, at 17-8 behind a three from freshman Jazmyn Green and a reverse layup from Devin Necaise. But Georgia managed to get their hands on a few rebounds, and shot 55 percent in the opening half to take a 54-24 lead in to the locker room. In the second half, Memphis picked up the offensive intensity, but the first half deficit had left the Lady Tigers in too deep a hole to make a real run, and when Georgia's Tasha Humphrey came in after serving a five game suspension, the Wade Trophy Candidate beefed up the Bulldog rebounding effort and post offensive effort to help keep the Lady Tigers off balance. Paris Leonard and Aroha Jennings each scored eight points in the loss, while Green added a career-high seven points, all in the first half. Memphis will return home to face UT Martin, Sunday, at 2 p.m. That game will be played at FedExForum and will be Memphis Zoo night, where all kids with a zoo membership card will receive free admission. There will also be a post-game animal display on the court to close out the afternoon.

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11/29/06		Indians usually a tough foe -- U of M rivalry with ASU is dead-even heading in (Commercial Appeal)
		By Dan Wolken Contact November 29, 2006 University of Memphis coach John Calipari didn't need to dig through the school's record books to understand why tonight's game against Arkansas State has upset potential written all over it. Two years ago, Calipari coached a Memphis team that came into its matchup with the Indians ranked 25th and barely escaped with a 79-75 victory. But go back even further through the pages of Memphis' basketball history and here's what you'll find: a series even more intense than that game, even closer than the 70 miles that separates the two campuses. In 56 meetings, Memphis has won 28 times. Which means the other 28 have been won by Arkansas State. "I didn't know about that," Memphis sophomore Chris Douglas-Roberts said. A deadlock. "That says a lot," Calipari said. Of course, 24 of Arkansas State's 28 victories came between 1921 and 1954, long before Memphis became a nationally relevant program. However, Arkansas State has had its share of big wins in the modern era, including a 61-60 shocker in 1986 over a Memphis team that finished 26-8. The Indians notched an even more historic win in 1991 over an Elliot Perry-led Memphis team, knocking the Tigers out of the NIT with a 58-57 victory. But that matchup is famous for another reason. Played on March 18, 1991, it was the Tigers' last game in the Mid-South Coliseum before moving to The Pyramid. "It was a pretty exciting game, us being in the NIT and having a chance to play Memphis" said Brian Reaves, a guard on that Arkansas State team. "Nobody ever gave us a shot to win that game, so to win it was great. "Me being from Indiana, I didn't really understand the rivalries ASU had. I just know that when people would say we were playing Memphis State, it was a pretty big deal. We knew we had a pretty good ball team and we thought we could play with anybody. Man for man, they had us outmatched by far, but we played really well as a team." While the Indians closed Memphis' building in 1991, the Tigers helped open Arkansas State's Convocation Center in 1987. After pulling out a 60-59 win -- avenging a loss to ASU in Memphis the year before -- coach Larry Finch vowed the Tigers would never return to Jonesboro. Memphis, however, did return under interim coach Johnny Jones on Dec. 16, 1999 and absorbed an 84-72 beating at the hands of Memphians Jamie Rosser and Odie Williams. As a historical sidenote, the following morning's edition of The Commercial Appeal not only included a story describing Arkansas State's victory but also one reporting that Calipari had spoken with Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson about the head coaching position. Tony Madlock, a former Tigers player and nine-year Arkansas State assistant coach who is now an assistant at UTEP under Tony Barbee, said the fact that Arkansas State attracts Memphis-area players helped produce intensely competitive games. Arkansas State this year has three Memphis-area players, including leading scorer Adrian Banks, a Trezevant High product. "Odie really wanted to go to Memphis, but he wasn't recruited there," Madlock said. "It was good for those guys to be able to play against some of the friends they know. They were excited about playing against Memphis. It's one of those deals, you're so close and you always know somebody, especially being from Memphis." Which, of course, means it will likely be a chore once again to beat the Indians, despite Memphis' No. 14 national ranking and its huge talent advantage. "Arkansas State is well coached," Calipari said. "They've got good players. Two years ago, it was a four-point game, and they could have beat us. We were lucky to win the game, so we know how good they are." -- Dan Wolken: 529-2365 -------------------- No. 14 Tigers vs. Arkansas State When, where: Today, 7 p.m., at FedExForum TV, radio: WLMT (30), WREC-AM (600) Tickets: $18, call 678-2331

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11/29/06		Tigers in review -- The highlights and lowlights of the 2006 season (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact November 29, 2006 Tommy West was speechless. It happened seconds into his postgame radio show following a season-ending victory Saturday night at UTEP, a win that snapped a nine-game losing streak and allowed the University of Memphis to move into the offseason with a smile. Smiles were in short supply in 2006. That the Tigers were able to continue fighting opponents -- and never one another -- during a lengthy losing streak was among the reasons causing West to briefly fight back tears of pride in the locker room at the Sun Bowl. It was a difficult season, more problematic than anyone would have predicted, even with the departure of All-America running back DeAngelo Williams to the NFL and the dismissal of defensive coordinator Joe Lee Dunn after three games. The Tigers struggled to run the ball and stop the run. The passing game lacked consistency. And, of course, injuries only contributed to what became a 2-10 season, the first 10-loss campaign in 20 years. Despite the hardships, there were some highs mixed in among the lows during a season that began with an entertaining effort at Ole Miss and ended with last weekend's 38-19 triumph, a performance that could substitute for the 2006 highlight film. Biggest disappointment When West fired Dunn after the team's 35-20 loss at East Carolina, he warned media and fans the revamped defense ''could get worse before it gets better.'' What he didn't inform media and fans of at the time was his hope for the offense. He expected it to step up while the defense wrestled with a new scheme. Instead, it went through some difficult stretches, too. In three of the team's following four games -- Tennessee, UAB and Tulsa -- the UofM failed to rush for more than 77 yards. Quarterback Martin Hankins, in his first year as the starter, passed for an impressive 2,550 yards and 18 touchdowns, but struggled with consistency. Not getting first downs late in games kept the Tigers from pulling out wins against Arkansas State and Central Florida. Biggest surprise There were two. Sophomore Michael Grandberry, who began the season as a reserve receiver, was moved to defensive back during the season and gave the much-maligned secondary a cornerback who, in West's words, ''would compete.'' Grandberry also emerged as one of the conference's best kickoff-return specialists, finishing the season ranked second in C-USA with a 24.6-yard average. As for the other surprise, it was three-time all-league selection Wesley Smith losing his starting job at safety when West took over the defense, although Smith returned to the starting lineup the following week at UAB. Least-biggest surprise Proving to be as good as advertised, freshman Duke Calhoun separated himself from a pack of experienced receivers. Called by West the best high school player to come out of Memphis last season, the former Raleigh-Egypt High star led the Tigers with 681 receiving yards and six touchdowns. He averaged a team-leading 16.2 yards-per-catch. ''Duke is a guy we thought could make an impact,'' West said. ''And he did.'' Best loss Pushing C-USA West Division champ Houston to overtime was a window into next season, showing how effective the new defense can become. The Cougars entered the game ranked first in total offense (445.8 yards per game) and first in scoring (33.5). The Tigers allowed 20 points in regulation -- 23 overall -- but 10 of those came off UofM turnovers. In the second half, the Tigers limited the Cougars to a field goal before the overtime period. Toughest loss The second-half collapse at East Carolina was painful (Memphis squandered a 20-7 halftime lead and was outscored 28-0 in the second half). Losing to Central Florida and Houston hurt, too. But no loss was as excruciating as the one to Arkansas State. Ahead 23-20 with six seconds left, the Tigers watched as ASU quarterback Corey Leonard rolled left and heaved a perfect 53-yard spiral into a sea of hands in the end zone. ASU's Patrick Higgins leaped to make the game-winning reception to stun the Tigers. ''It's one of those things you practice a lot,'' said ASU coach Steve Roberts. ''It doesn't work very often.'' Best quote Amid a losing streak that would reach nine games, West had this to say about his team, one that had been to three straight postseason games: ''I do think this about this team. They will appreciate winning (after this season). Sometimes you take winning for granted. This team won't take it for granted anymore.'' Most prophetic quote The week before the Tigers played Houston -- and two weeks before ending the season at UTEP -- West was asked about the state of his team: ''I would really like at some point in time to put our bunch out there and see them not make errors and see what kind of team we'd be.'' The Tigers did not turn the ball over against UTEP and ended the season with an emphatic 38-19 victory. Best win See above. The victory over the Miners was a much-needed confidence boost as the Tigers head into the offseason. ''I said last week this team was becoming one of the better teams in this conference,'' West said. ''I really felt that after the last three quarters against Southern Miss, after Central Florida, after Houston. ''I said if you can go on the road and beat a team that is fighting to get into a bowl and you have nothing to play for except your own pride, then I think you can prove you are one of the better teams in the league.'' Worst win Not applicable. During a two-win season, there was no such thing as a worst win, although beating 1-AA Chattanooga lost some of its luster when the Mocs stumbled to a 3-8 finish. Worst decision Tiger running back Joseph Doss failing to set the hotel alarm clock before the Tennessee game. Doss had lost his faithful alarm -- his cell phone -- the night before by accidentally dropping it in the toilet. As a result, Doss was late to a team meeting and West sat him out of the first half. Most improvement Although it was an arduous task, West gradually put together enough of the right pieces to field a representative defense. The unit held the opposition to fewer than 150 yards rushing in four of the Tigers' last six games, after giving up 200 or more in three straight. At UTEP, the defense limited the Miners to 5 rushing yards, the lowest allowed by a Tiger defense in 13 years, and forced four turnovers. Best what-just-happened moment The players could not recall the crowd at the Liberty Bowl being as loud as it was when Brandon McDonald sailed into the Houston backfield and blocked kicker Ben Bell's 24-yard attempt in the closing minutes. Greg Jackson returned the block 80 yards for a game-tying touchdown with 2:07 left to force the overtime period. Oh, no, not again Injuries cost the Tigers eight starters in 2005, including quarterbacks Patrick Byrne and Will Hudgens. In 2006, it was more of the same. The Tigers lost 14 starters, or potential starters, to injuries. Twenty-two players missed at least one game and nine were lost to season-ending injuries, including DB Derek Clenin, WR Antonio McCoy, WR Carlton Robinzine, LB Mike Snyder, LB Rod Smith and WR Dave Thomas. Best national TV moment With the Tigers going winless in four C-USA games and losing two of three non-league games at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, it had to be Nov. 5 against Southern Miss on ESPN. In pregame ceremonies, DeAngelo Williams was honored by having his No. 20 jersey retired. At the end of the first quarter, former Tiger baseball player Daniel Uggla, who was a leading candidate for National League Rookie of the Year honors, received a framed jersey from his playing days. Best statistic to build on The Tigers lost only six fumbles during the season, all but one by the special teams. One fumble was lost by a running back and none by the receiving corps. That's 606 touches (372 rushes, 234 receptions) on offense and one turnover. -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543 -------------------- Memphis' 2006 (2-10 overall, 1-7 C-USA) S.3 / at Ole Miss / L, 28-25 S.10 / Chattanooga / W, 33-14 S.16 / at E. Carolina / L, 35-20 S.30 / Tennessee / L, 41-7 O.7 / at UAB / L, 35-29 O.14 / Arkansas St. / L, 26-23 O.21 / Tulsa / L, 35-14 O.28 / at Marshall / L, 41-27 N.5 / Southern Miss / L, 42-21 N.11 / UCF / 26-24 N.18 / Houston / L, 23-20 N.25 / at UTEP / W, 38-19

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11/29/06		Five Tigers land All C-USA football honors -- Long-snapper Clayton named to first team (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact November 29, 2006 Despite a 2-10 season and missing the postseason for the first time in three years, the University of Memphis placed five players on the Conference USA Media All-Conference team, including one on the first team. Tiger deep snapper Rusty Clayton was the lone UofM representative on the first team, making the squad during the first year in which his position was included. Punter Michael Gibson and defensive back Brandon McDonald made the second team and offensive lineman Blake Butler and receiver Ryan Scott made the third team. Gibson was a second-team selection last year, his first as a Tiger after transferring from Itawamba (Miss.) Community College. Voting was conducted by a selected panel of media members in each conference city. C-USA West Division champion Houston, led by quarterback Kevin Kolb, placed 13 players on the team and East Division champion Southern Miss had 12, including freshman running back Damion Fletcher, who set a freshman conference record with 1,240 rushing yards. The Tigers also placed three -- receiver Duke Calhoun, defensive lineman Greg Terrell and kicker Matt Reagan -- on the league's all-freshman team. Tiger coach Tommy West called Clayton's selection deserving, noting the four-year starter ''was perfect'' on each of nearly 450 snaps during his career. ''I've never had anyone do that before,'' West said. Gibson finished third in C-USA with a 43.1 average and had 12 of his 42 punts land inside the opponent's 20-yard line. Against Tennessee, he booted two punts of more than 70 yards and averaged 50.9 yards in the game. McDonald led the defense with 84 tackles, four interceptions and four pass breakups. He had two interceptions in last weekend's 38-19 win at UTEP that broke a nine-game losing streak. Butler started 12 games for the Tigers and was part of an offensive line that allowed only 14 sacks. Scott led the team with 47 receptions. As for the trio making the all-freshman squad, West envisions Calhoun and Doss becoming even more productive. ''Of our freshmen, I recommended Greg Terrell and Duke as offensive and defensive freshmen of the year,'' West said. ''I think both had outstanding years as freshmen.'' Calhoun, who attended Raleigh-Egypt High, led the team with 681 receiving yards. His six touchdowns trailed only running back Joe Doss (7) for the team lead. ''Duke will get better and better and better because he is a (dedicated) practice guy,'' West said. ''Now Duke becomes a guy we've got to find ways to get the ball in his hands. He has proven he can not only be a good player, he can be a special player. He can be a guy you have to defend. You better decide how you are going to defend this guy.'' Terrell finished the season strong. He led the UofM with five sacks and tied for the team lead with seven tackles for loss. ''Greg Terrell is going to be a really good player for us,'' West said.

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11/28/06		Cooper back at request of teammates (Daily Helmsman)
		By: Justin Kissell Sports Reporter Issue date: 11/28/06 Section: Sports Kareem Cooper's return to practice for the Memphis Tigers was brought on by underclassmen - underclassmen Antonio Anderson, Chris Douglas-Roberts and Robert Dozier. The three players went to coach John Calipari's home to speak with him about Cooper's suspension, something Calipari said made him consider the matter even more closely. "Now we've got to make sure Kareem cares as much about them as they do for him," he said. Anderson, Douglas-Roberts and Dozier all spoke together with the media yesterday about Cooper's return. "It's a good situation for the team now," Anderson said. "It's a good thing for (Cooper) because he just made a mistake. Kareem will be a big help for us." Each player stressed that Cooper's attitude is better now and that he is truly a kind person away from the court. "He's really not a bad guy," Douglas-Roberts said. "Kareem is just like us, and he made a couple of mistakes, but we need him back." Cooper, Anderson and Dozier were all teammates at Laurinburg Prep in 2004-05. "I've known him for a long time and he's just a really good person," Dozier said. "It seems like he's focused now." Cooper spent the early part of practice working out with assistant coach Chuck Martin on post-up moves and shooting free throws. He was not available for comment. The 6-11, 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. "I want (Kareem) to be the biggest cheerleader out there during games," Calipari said. He said there was still no decision on when Cooper could play again this season. Calipari and the players also discussed their recent trip to Hawaii for the EA Sports Maui Invitational, in which they went 2-1 with a loss against Georgia Tech. "We learned we're a pretty good team or that we could be pretty bad, too," Calipari said. "This team has to rely on each other, and we've got to learn how to ride it out when we have to in some games." The Tigers defeated Oklahoma 77-65 in their opening game. Dozier led the team with 13 points and seven rebounds. But the team regressed in their second game against Georgia Tech. Memphis gave up a 16-point halftime lead and allowed the Yellow Jackets to score 62 points in the second half before losing 92-85. "We just had a bad half of ball," Dozier said. "We've got to learn to play 40 minutes every game." The team rebounded to handily defeat Kentucky 80-63 in the first-ever match-up between the two storied programs. In the new polls released yesterday, Memphis fell six spots to No. 17 in the ESPN/USA Today Poll and slipped two spots to No. 14 in the AP Poll. The Tigers (3-1 overall) host Arkansas State (4-3) Wednesday night at FedExForum.

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11/28/06		Three Tigers Named to C-USA Media All-Freshman Team -- Calhoun, Reagan and Terrell honored in first season at the U of M (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, TENN. - University of Memphis receiver Duke Calhoun, defensive lineman Greg Terrell and kicker Matt Reagan were named to the Conference USA Media All-Freshman Team as selected by a panel of media members in each conference city. Ten of the league's 12 schools were represented with at least one selection, while East Carolina and SMU placed a league-high five players on the squad. SMU's Emmanuel Sanders was named to the team as both a wide receiver and kick returner. A local product out of Raleigh-Egypt High in Memphis, Tenn., Calhoun led the Tigers in receiving yards with 681 and played in all 12 games this season. He totaled 42 catches and averaged 16.2 yards per catch, which ranks ninth in C-USA. Calhoun also led the team in receiving touchdowns with six and registered at least one reception in all 12 games. He caught multiple passes in 10 of the 12 games and posted 100-plus yards receiving in three games. Terrell, who came to Memphis from Wenonah High in Birmingham, improved greatly this season and became an integral part of the Tiger defensive front. He started seven of the last nine games and ranks ninth in the league in sacks with five. He finished the year ranked eighth in tackles with 43 and is tied for the team lead in TFL with seven for a loss of 32 yards. Terrell also logged two forced fumbles and two pass breakups for the Tigers. Rounding out the Tiger honorees is kicker Matt Reagan who prepped at Bearden High in Knoxville. Reagan earned the starting nod at kicker for the East Carolina game and ended the year ranked seventh in C-USA in scoring by a kicker with 61 points as well as fifth in field goals made per game. He improved each of the last three games this season, registering new career highs in field goals against UCF (40), Houston (41) and last weekend against UTEP (42). Reagan turned in a 25-of-26 mark on PATs and was 12-of-17 on field goals in his first season. He has made 23 consecutive PATs, including all five of his attempts against UTEP. Conference USA will announce its Media Freshman of the Year on Wednesday. The Coaches' All-Freshman Team will be announced on Dec. 5. 2006 C-USA FOOTBALL ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM OFFENSE Quarterback - Justin Willis, SMU Running Back - Damion Fletcher, Southern Miss Running Back - James Mapps, SMU Offensive Lineman - Jake Seitz, UAB Offensive Lineman - Terrence Campbell, East Carolina Offensive Lineman - Cory Dowless, East Carolina Offensive Lineman - Carl Bennett, Houston Tight End - Cody Slate, Marshall Wide Receiver - Emmanuel Sanders, SMU Wide Receiver - Duke Calhoun, Memphis Wide Receiver - Jeremy Williams, Tulane DEFENSE Defensive Lineman - C.J. Wilson, East Carolina Defensive Lineman - Greg Terrell, Memphis Defensive Lineman - Troy Wilson, Tulane Defensive Lineman - Scotty Robinson, East Carolina Linebacker - Van Eskridge, East Carolina Linebacker - Andrew Sandejo, Rice Linebacker - Gerald McRath, Southern Miss Defensive Back - Bryan McCann, SMU Defensive Back - Eddie Hicks, Southern Miss Defensive Back - Braxton Amy, UTEP Defensive Back - Brandon Brinkley, Houston SPECIAL TEAMS Placekicker - Matt Reagan, Memphis Clark Fangmeyer, Rice Kick Returner - Emmanuel Sanders, SMU Long Snapper - Sam Bennett, SMU

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11/28/06		Five Tigers Land on All-Conference USA Media Team -- Deep snapper Rusty Clayton is a first-team selection on the All-C-USA team (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, TENN. - The University of Memphis Tigers landed five players, all of whom were seniors, on the 2006 C-USA Media All-Conference Team as released by the league office Tuesday afternoon. The team was selected by a panel of media members in each conference city. Each school was represented with at least two selections, with West Division Champion Houston producing a league-high 13 total selections, followed by East Division Champion Southern Miss with 12 players on the squad. Memphis' Rusty Clayton was named a first-team selection in the first season ever that a long snapper was added to the prestigious team. Clayton, who was named to the C-USA All-Academic Team yesterday, wrapped up a stellar career for the Tigers in which he was perfect during his four-year stint as the deep snapper, starting in all 49 of his career games. For his career, he logged flawless snaps on 160 PATs, 100 field goals and 189 punts. Memphis placed two Tigers on the second team as defensive back Brandon McDonald picked up his first league honor, and punter Michael Gibson enjoyed his second consecutive nod to the all-C-USA team. Gibson was also a second-team pick following the 2005 season. McDonald had a stellar season for the Tigers and led the defense with 84 tackles, four interceptions and four pass breakups. Most recently, McDonald blocked a key field goal in the Houston game, and the ball was picked up by Greg Jackson and returned for a game-tying touchdown. He also had two interceptions in the win over UTEP last weekend. Gibson finished the season third in C-USA in punting with an average of 43.1 yards per punt. He booted 12 of his 42 punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line, including six inside the 5-yard line. In addition, more than half of Gibson's punts were for 40 or more yards, and he also totaled eight punts over 50 yards. His most impressive game this season was against Tennessee when he booted two punts over 70 yards and averaged 50.9 yards per punt in that game, which ranks fourth all-time in school history. The Tigers also placed offensive lineman Blake Butler and receiver Ryan Scott on the third team. Butler started all 12 games this season and was part of an offensive line that allowed only 14 sacks in 2006, which ties for the C-USA lead. He ends his career having started 34 of his 49 games and participating in over 2700 offensive plays. Butler had previously been named to the All-C-USA Freshman Team in 2003. Scott led the Tigers in receptions with 47 and was second on the squad in receiving yards with 520. He scored three touchdowns as a senior and had caught a pass in each of the last 13 straight games. He ends his career ranked seventh all-time in the career record books with 1,527 receiving yards and also ranks fourth with 114 total catches. C-USA will announce the media's selections for Offensive, Defensive, and Special Teams Players of the Year, as well as the Freshman of the Year and Coach of the Year on Wednesday. The coaches' selections for the All-Conference and individual awards will be released on Tuesday. Dec. 5 and Wednesday, Dec 6. Conference USA will stage its second annual Championship Game this Friday night when Houston hosts Southern Miss (8 p.m. EST on ESPN 2). FIRST TEAM OFFENSE Quarterback - Kevin Kolb, Sr., Houston Running Back- Ahmad Bradshaw, Jr., Marshall Running Back- Damion Fletcher, Fr., Southern Miss Offensive Lineman- George Batiste, Sr., Southern Miss Offensive Lineman- Sterling Doty, Sr., Houston Offensive Lineman- Travis Cooley, Sr., Southern Miss Offensive Lineman- Doug Legursky, Jr., Marshall Offensive Lineman- Jeff Perrett, Sr., Tulsa Tight End- Cody Slate, Fr., Marshall Wide Receiver- Jarett Dillard, So., Rice Wide Receiver- Johnnie Lee Higgins, Sr., UTEP Wide Receiver- Mike Walker, Sr., UCF DEFENSE Defensive Lineman- Adrian Haywood, Sr., SMU Defensive Lineman- Albert McClellan, So., Marshall Defensive Lineman- Larry McSwain, Sr., UAB Defensive Lineman- Justin Rogers, Sr., SMU Linebacker- Nelson Coleman, Jr., Tulsa Linebacker- Troy Collavo, Sr., UTEP Linebacker- Marcus Raines, Sr., Rice Defensive Back- Quintin Demps, Jr., UTEP Defensive Back- Will Gulley, Sr., Houston Defensive Back- Curtis Keyes, Sr., Marshall Defensive Back- Joe Sturdivant, Sr., SMU SPECIAL TEAMS Placekicker- Reagan Schneider, Sr., UTEP Punter- Ryan Dougherty, Sr., East Carolina Kick Returner- Chris Johnson, Jr., East Carolina Punt Returner- Johnnie Lee Higgins, Sr., UTEP Long Snapper- Rusty Clayton, Sr., Memphis SECOND TEAM OFFENSE Quarterback - Jordan Palmer, Sr., UTEP Running Back- Anthony Alridge, Jr., Houston Running Back- Quinton Smith, Sr., Rice Offensive Lineman- Jeff Akeroyd, Jr., Houston Offensive Lineman- Eric Graham, Sr., East Carolina Offensive Lineman- Robby Heos, Jr., Rice Offensive Lineman- Ben Poynter, Jr., SMU Offensive Lineman- Aaron Dannenhauer, Sr., Tulsa Tight End- Shawn Nelson, So., Southern Miss Wide Receiver- Aundrae Allison, Sr., East Carolina Wide Receiver- Vincent Marshall, Sr., Houston Wide Receiver- Idris Moss, Sr., Tulsa DEFENSE Defensive Lineman- Courtney Gordon, Sr., Rice Defensive Lineman- Robert Henderson, Jr., Southern Miss Defensive Lineman- Phillip Hunt, So., Houston Defensive Lineman- Cory Muse, Jr., SMU Linebacker- Nick Bunting, Sr., Tulsa Linebacker- Reggie Carrington, Sr., SMU Linebacker- Matt Couch, Jr., Marshall Defensive Back- Bobby Blackshire, Sr., Tulsa Defensive Back- Andray Downs, Sr., Rice Defensive Back- Brandon McDonald, Sr., Memphis Defensive Back- Pierre Parker, Sr., East Carolina SPECIAL TEAMS Placekicker- Ben Bell, So., Houston Punter- Michael Gibson, Sr., Memphis Kick Returner- Jessie Henderson, So., SMU Punt Returner- Joe Burnett, So., UCF Long Snapper- Aaron King, Sr., UTEP THIRD TEAM OFFENSE Quarterback - Paul Smith, Jr., Tulsa Running Back- Jackie Battle, Sr., Houston Running Back- Matt Forte, Jr., Tulane Running Back- Kevin Smith, So., UCF Offensive Lineman- Blake Butler, Sr., Memphis Offensive Lineman- Chris Clark, Jr., Southern Miss Offensive Lineman- Josh Coffman, Sr., East Carolina Offensive Lineman- Dustin Dickinson, Jr., Houston Offensive Lineman- Robby Felix, So., UTEP Tight End- Ryan Kennedy, Sr., SMU Wide Receiver- Donnie Avery, Sr., Houston Wide Receiver- Emmanuel Sanders, Fr., SMU Wide Receiver- Ryan Scott, Sr., Memphis DEFENSE Defensive Lineman- Leger Douzable, Jr., UCF Defensive Lineman- Robert Latu, Sr., Tulsa Defensive Lineman- Marquay Love, Sr., Houston Defensive Lineman- Martavius Prince, Jr., Southern Miss Linebacker- Trent Allen, Jr., Houston Linebacker- Quentin Cotton, So., East Carolina Linebacker- Gerald McRath, Fr., Southern Miss Defensive Back- Jamar Flournoy, Sr., East Carolina Defensive Back- Caleb Hendrix, Sr., Southern Miss Defensive Back- David Skehan, Jr., Tulane Defensive Back- Brandon Sumrall, Jr., Southern Miss SPECIAL TEAMS Placekicker- Darren McCaleb, Sr., Southern Miss Punter- Thomas Morstead, So., SMU Kick Returner- Marculus Elliott, Sr., UAB Punt Returner- Emmanuel Spann, So., Marshall Long Snapper- Stephen Daigle, Sr., Southern Miss

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11/28/06		Coach Tommy West Press Luncheon Quotes, Nov. 28 (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, TENN. - Opening Remarks I said last week that I felt this team had become a much better team. I really felt that way. After the last three quarters with Southern Miss, after Central Florida and after Houston, I told our team that I think right now you're one of the best teams in this league going into the game with UTEP. I think that if you can go on the road to one of the toughest places in our league to play and beat a team that is fighting to get into a bowl and you have nothing to play for except your own pride, then I think you can prove that you are one of the better teams in the league. If you can't do that, then I'm wrong. But if you do, I think you're sticking a feather in your hat. And they did it, and they did it in surprising fashion. We didn't really win a game because another team made errors. We won a game because we took control of that football game and had a 24-6 lead at one time in the game. At that time it wasn't a game. They pulled their quarterback and it was over. On the End of the Season I'm really excited about the way they got better through the year. It puts a better taste in your mouth. I'm not ready to jump up and celebrate a two win season. That's not the point I'm trying to make. I'm disappointed in our season. I've said that before. I'm really excited about our potential in the future because of the way this team has improved as it went along. We go now into the off-season and into recruiting. On Preparing the Team for Next Year What I do now is I've got to take some time to sit down and evaluate. Obviously, when you win two games there are some broken pieces to the machine. I've got to first identify all of the broken pieces; there may be one, there may be two, there may be three. And then start the process of fixing the broken part or parts. That's what I'll start doing immediately to get it fixed for next season. I know the system works, and I think that was proven in the last game. The system is not broken. Something went wrong somewhere. If you don't identify all of the broken parts, then what happens sometimes is you're in such a hurry to get it fixed you'll fix one part but then there are two or three other parts that may be broken also. You get the one part fixed and it cranks, but it never runs as good as it should. You can't fix them until you know exactly what they are. Even though that is a very simplistic approach, it's not quite as easy as you've got to fix this and it's done. I've got to look at all the errors, and then we've got to start the process of getting it fixed. On the Talent of this Year's Team It's so hard to feel good about progress when the end result is to win; bottom line. Even though you know there is progress being made in places, if it doesn't turn into a win, it's hard to feel good about it. I really felt on the defensive side we were making some progress and then we'd do something to go backwards with it. Offensively, I thought we kind of went into the tank and got worse as the year went on. But we ended it doing what we do in a good fashion. I feel a positive right now. I wish I could say we just aren't good enough. We've got to go recruit and we've got to get better in places. Without question we have to go recruit and we have to get better in places, but that wasn't the problem this year. We didn't lose to Arkansas State because we weren't talented enough. We didn't lose to Central Florida because we weren't talented enough or UAB. We're talented to play and win those games. Mentally we were a bad football team at that point in time. We struggled to get it going. Ending it that way kind of reinforces what I thought. On Michael Grandberry Remaining on the Defensive Side of the Ball I thought Mike got better as the year went on to the point where he can be a great player for us. His maturity was noticeable just from kickoff returns. He'd been doing it, but all of a sudden a light came on and he started understanding what we're doing. He started to understand the blocking schemes that we were using and understanding where to start it and where to get the ball back to. In the secondary, he started and still had some mistakes against UTEP. But the thing about Mike is Mike competes. The disappointment I had in our secondary is I didn't think they competed very hard. We were way too soft in the secondary and not physical enough. But Mike competed, and that's why I took a wide out and in three weeks was starting him. He still was way vague in what was going on, but he would compete and got better as the year went on. I think this spring he'll get a lot better. On the Team's Running Game Our running game is going to be fine. I believe in our run game. I think that Joe Doss got much better as the year went on. I was disappointed in Joe through probably game three to game six. I didn't think Joe gave us what we've got to have at running back. But I felt like at the end in the last four or five games he gave us what we needed to have. All of a sudden Joe started making the first guy miss. He ran extremely well against Houston. He ran really well at El Paso. At El Paso, finally we were able to take the ball and run it to win the game. For us to be effective running the ball we have to do what we do and not try to find gimmicks or tricks to run the ball.

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11/28/06		Former Sports Editor Makes Generous Contributions to Tiger Athletics -- George Lapides made a cash and gift donation to the Athletic Department (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, TENN. - Former Memphis Press Scimitar sports editor and current WHBQ-AM radio talk show personality George Lapides has made a cash and gift donation to the University of Memphis athletic department which will generate funds for future athletic department projects designed to aid the student-athlete. "My wife Barbara, and I have always felt that those of us who have made our livings and provided for our families in Memphis, especially those of us who have lived and worked here for most or all of our lives, should give whatever they can afford back to the community," Lapides said. Lapides' gift to the Tigers includes his sports memorabilia collection, which is made up in part of the old Memphis Press Scimitar sports library, as well as items from former All-American Bo Jackson's professional career in Memphis. "I feel very fortunate that I've been able to do something to which I first aspired when I was in the fifth grade at Vollentine School -- that is, work in journalism, and I know that whatever success I've enjoyed has helped enable Barbara and I to make contributions to some of the causes we feel strongly about," he continued. "A major reason for any success I've had is that I have been able to cover hundreds, maybe thousands, of athletic events sponsored by the University of Memphis. And that's why when R.C. Johnson asked me to make an additional contribution to the university, I agreed - with Barbara's consent and blessing - to do it. There are four or five entities, some profit and some non-profit, that rank near the top of the list of what has made Memphis a better place for us to live and the University of Memphis is certainly high up on that list." Items from Lapides' sports collection are expected to bring sizable bids during future U of M athletic auctions. Expected to generate interest are Jackson's Memphis Chicks jerseys (home and away), his first in professional baseball. Lapides obtained the uniform parts during his tenure as president and CEO of the Memphis Chicks. Also donated were a new set of Ben Hogan irons, complete with long iron hybrids. "I want to thank George and Barbara for their generosity not only to the University but the City of Memphis as well," said Tiger Athletic Director R.C. Johnson. "George's name has long been synonymous with athletics in the Mid-South and his dedication to the Tigers and our athletic programs has never wavered. "As our way of saying thank you to George and Barbara, we are naming Associate Athletic Director Bob Winn's office in their honor. We will have a plaque mounted at the entrance of the room so that our visitors, our student-athletes and those athletes who will come in future years, will know they are in a special place made possible by some very special friends."

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11/28/06		2006 Women's Soccer Review -- Lady Tigers end successful season with 11 wins and their best ever C-USA finish (GoTigersGo.com)
		The 2006 Memphis women's soccer season will likely go down as a stamp of validation on the growth of the program. Led again by senior forward Shoko Mikami, the Lady Tigers posted an 11-6-3 record and went 6-2-1 in Conference USA, finishing with double digit wins for a fourth straight season and earning their highest-ever finish in conference play. Memphis picked up its first C-USA Tournament win in nine years with a thrilling 2-1 double overtime victory against East Carolina. "This was a season that will probably raise expectations for our program for here on," said Memphis head coach Brooks Monaghan. "We were able to go to the conference tournament and pick up a big win. Now our goals for next year will be even higher." The Lady Tigers were stellar on both ends of the field. Memphis registered 48 goals on the season, with Mikami and sophomore Kylie Hayes each scoring 12. Defensively, the Lady Tigers posted new team records with eight shutouts and a 1.07 goals against average. Sophomore Kate Murphy was named second team all-conference as a defender. Memphis opened the season with expectations at an all-time high and Soccer Buzz Magazine ranked the Lady Tigers 13th in the Central Region in its preseason poll. Monagahan's squad looked as good as advertised in their opening weekend with an offensive explosion during a two game road trip at Tennessee Tech and UT Martin. The Lady Tigers cruised to easy 8-0 and 7-0 wins respectively. Mikami scored hat tricks in both matches, finishing the weekend with 13 points while Hayes scored five goals and ended the weekend with 11 points. Despite the opening weekend fireworks, the Memphis offense sputtered through much of the non-conference schedule. Despite out-shooting almost every opponent and creating multiple chances in most of their matches, the Lady Tigers were unlucky and unable to find the back of the net in several contests. Memphis dropped a pair of heartbreaking matches in the 2006 Nike Lady Tiger Fall Invitational, falling 2-0 to an Alabama team that it out shot 21-7 and losing 1-0 to a talented Samford squad. The Lady Tigers battled back to split an SEC road trip the next weekend, beating Mississippi State 2-0 before falling 3-0 to Ole Miss. Memphis picked up its first home win of the season, blanking a 2006 NCAA Tournament SEMO team 2-0 at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex. After another tough loss to Arkansas, the Lady Tigers fought Missouri State to a 0-0 tie to take a 4-4-2 record into conference play. "We played a tough non-conference schedule, and we struggled to find the goal in some of those matches," said Monaghan. "I think we took some knocks that really prepared us for the conference season. We never questioned what we were capable of, and I was proud of the team for the way they responded once we got to conference play." It was during the conference season that the Lady Tigers came together. Following a 1-1 tie with East Carolina, Memphis exploded on Marshall to the tune of eight goals. That set the stage for the Lady Tigers to go on a three match winning steak that included an impressive road win against UCF and a 4-0 drubbing of Southern Miss. After dropping consecutive road matches against two of the league's top teams in Colorado College and UTEP, Memphis fought back once again to win its final three matches and take the No. 3 seed heading into the C-USA Tournament. In the first round of the conference tournament, the Lady Tigers faced the same East Carolina squad they tied with to open the C-USA season. The rematch showed just how even the two squads were. After an early goal by ECU, Memphis forward Geneil Newbern scored to tie the match at 1-1. The teams stayed even until double overtime, when Halley Jo Sullivan found Hayes in the box to give Memphis its first conference tournament win under Monaghan. The Lady Tigers came precariously close to making their first ever championship match but fell to eventual champion UAB 4-3 on penalty kicks in the semifinals. "I'm very pleased overall with the way the season went," said Monghan. "It's a little disappointing because we were so close to the NCAA Tournament. As a whole, I think it was step in the right direction and gives us something to build off of for next year." SAYING GOODBYE Memphis said goodbye to four seniors in 2006. Nicky McLeod and midfielder Melissa Savage ended their careers among the most active players in school history, playing in 74 and 76 matches, respectively, during their careers. Geneil Newbern was only with the Lady Tigers for one season, but dazzled fans with her athleticism and ball handling skills. The Georgia transfer finished the season third on the team in goals (7) and points (16). "Each one of our seniors was here for a different amount of time, but all of them have contributed tremendously to the program," said Monaghan. "Melissa and Nicky both provided phenomenal leadership, and Geneil, even though she was only here for one season, was able to do a lot things to help us be successful this year." LEAVING HER MARK After earning the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year award in her first full year with the Lady Tigers, Shoko Mikami proved that she was among not only the best in C-USA, but also the nation in 2006. After a stunning opening weekend that saw her score six goals and total 13 points Mikami was named the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week for the second time in her career. More impressively the senior was named the National Soccer Coaches Association of America/Fox Soccer Channel Female Player of the Week. The Chiba, Japan, native was also named to the Soccer Buzz and Soccer America National Teams of the Week. Mikami ended the season with 12 goals, eight assists and 32 points. She led C-USA in points during the regular season for a second straight year, was second in goals and third in assists. She was named first team All-Conference USA and finished her career with 28 goals, 21 assists and 78 points, placing her at second in goals and points and third in assists on the Memphis career lists. "It's tough to even explain what Shoko has done for our program both on and off the field," said Mongahan. "She's absolutely irreplaceable, and her talent and unselfishness are hard to find." ON HER WAY With two years remaining in her Lady Tiger career, forward Kylie Hayes is on pace to smash several of Memphis' offensive records. Hayes scored five goals and notched an assist in the first two matches of 2006 and ended the season with 12 goals, six assists and 30 points. The Piqua, Ohio, native now ranks third on the career goals (26) list and fourth on the points list (63). She needs just seven goals and 36 points to pass assistant coach Jodi Grant for the all-time lead in both categories. LITTLE MAIKO MAKES A BIG SPLASH At just five feet tall Maiko Higashiyama was certainly not the Lady Tigers most intimidating player, but the sophomore transfer showed blinding quickness and became one of the team's top offensive threats in conference play. Higashiyama scored all six of her goals in C-USA matches, including game-winning goals against Marshall, Rice and Houston, en route to the league's Newcomer of the Year award. The Japan native became the first Lady Tiger to ever receive the award. BRIONES MOVES UP LISTS With a 3-0 win over Houston Lady Tiger goalkeeper Isabel Briones moved to No. 1 on Memphis career shutout list, passing Katrina Wicksell for the top spot. Briones is also third on the career saves list with 183 stops. Briones picked up the 22nd win of career in the Lady Tigers regular season-ending win against UAB. The win made Briones the all-time winningest keeper in program history. She was also named as a Conference Defensive Player of the Week, following a pair of shutouts in Memphis first two matches. ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE Throughout Monaghan's tenure the Lady Tigers have been one of the leading programs on campus academically. In 2006 Memphis players received numerous honors for their scholastic achievements. Shoko Mikami added to her plethora of awards by becoming the first Lady Tiger to ever be named to a national academic team. The senior was named to the ESPN/CoSIDA Academic All-American second team and District IV first team. In addition, she was voted to the All-Conference USA Academic Team. Sophomore Kate Murphy also picked up a pair of academic honors. The defender was named C-USA Academic honorable mention as well as to the ESPN/CoSIDA District IV All-Academic second team. Senior Melissa Savage also received conference academic honorable mention honors.

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11/28/06		U of M's Hunt returns with same ol' hustle (Commercial Appeal)
		By Dan Wolken Contact November 28, 2006 This last chance, this unlikely final shot at redemption for Jeremy Hunt was supposed to give the University of Memphis a little more of everything this season. Maybe the toughness they lacked in the Elite Eight against UCLA. Perhaps another body to eat up minutes. A senior on a team full of freshmen and sophomores. But something happened over three games last week in Hawaii, something as unexpected as Hunt's mere presence on the team: "Jeremy Hunt," coach John Calipari said, "may be our best player right now." When the No. 14-ranked Tigers (3-1) resume their season Wednesday at FedExForum against Arkansas State, Hunt likely will not be in the starting lineup. He probably won't lead Memphis in minutes or points, either. But Hunt, who has always been the Tigers' uber-spark plug, has become even more so far this season. Not only is he making the same hustle plays and providing the same intangibles that made him one of Calipari's favorite players his first three years, he's been as productive offensively as anybody on the team. "Hunt is a gamer," sophomore guard Chris Douglas-Roberts said. "That's what we say. We know going into every game he's going to take charges, do all the extra stuff, and that's contagious. That makes us do it. And he's got the total offensive game too." This, of course, is exactly what Hunt said he was going to do in the preseason, to make the most of this opportunity he wasn't ever sure he'd get. Until August, remember, Hunt was still "permanently dismissed" from the program for two off-court incidents in a nine-month span -- a physical altercation on Beale Street before last season and a misdemeanor assault charge following an incident with ex-girlfriend Tamika Rogers (the charge is on course to be dismissed next year). Hunt's contrition and the university's compassion gave him another chance. Now, Calipari sees "a totally different person." Hunt, in some ways, feels like a different player. A career 9.5 points per game scorer, he's averaging 13.5, second to Douglas-Roberts' 16.8 points. A career 31 percent 3-point shooter, he's made 11-of-21, many of them at key times in games. And nobody is playing with more passion. "It feels good," Hunt said. "When you're making shots, taking charges, diving on the floor, getting extra possessions for your team, it feels good. The shooting part, I work at it. I come out before practice, try to get extra shots, and sometimes after practice I'll shoot. I just try to stay consistent by shooting the same way every time, and when you're knocking them down, there's nothing you can say. I'm just happy." And so is Calipari, not just with the points or the steals (2.8 per game) or assists (2.5), but with how Hunt is playing the most efficient basketball of his life. "He could always shoot the ball," Calipari said. "The thing he did before, he just made so many errors because he tried to make hard plays. So he would just lead us in shots and turnovers because every pass was like a highlight tape. Now, if you watch him, he makes easy plays. So he's making shots, diving on the floor, taking charges and he's not turning it over that much. So I've been very, very pleased." Hunt's other issue in the past was his tendency to get hurt, a product of how recklessly he throws his body around on the court. The Craigmont High product played just 20 games his first two years due to foot and knee injuries. But even then, his value was clear: Memphis went 51-15 over three seasons with Hunt in the lineup. And given that the circumstances that have provided him one last go-round, it will be hard to take him out of it. "I'm just happy to be here, period. It's just been real fun," Hunt said. "You'll never know if I'm hurt. The only person that will know is the trainer, and from time to time I probably won't even tell him. When I get on the court I'm looking to give everything I've got." -- Dan Wolken: 529-2365

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11/28/06		Tiger Basketball Notebook (Commercial Appeal)
		By Dan Wolken Contact November 28, 2006 Sophomore leaders go to bat for Cooper Through all the events of this young University of Memphis basketball season -- good, bad or otherwise -- it's been fairly obvious that sophomores Robert Dozier, Antonio Anderson and Chris Douglas-Roberts have emerged as the team's core leadership group. The most recent beneficiary of that was sophomore center Kareem Cooper, who returned to practice Saturday after a 26-day suspension for violating team rules. Had that trio not gone to bat for Cooper in a meeting at coach John Calipari's house, his future might still be in limbo. "Everybody makes mistakes," Anderson said Monday, the first day Memphis allowed players to talk publicly about the situation. "He apologized to the team, and we felt as teammates and as his best friends that everybody deserves a second chance. We went to coach's house and talked to the staff and told them we feel that we should give him a chance, even if he doesn't play at all this year." Though Memphis hasn't let Cooper talk to the media yet, Douglas-Roberts said he was confident that Cooper had purged himself of the attitude issues that played a role in the suspension. "He's a good dude, he just made a couple mistakes," Douglas-Roberts said. "We need him back. He's a big body, he's got skill around the basket, and he can rebound. It's the best decision with him being back on the team, on and off the court." Poll work Memphis fell two spots in Monday's new Associated Press poll, from No. 12 to No. 14. The Tigers came in at No. 17 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll. Georgia Tech, the only team that has beaten 3-1 Memphis, is ranked 21st in the AP and 24th in the ESPN poll. Memphis was No. 26 in Monday's RPI ratings, according to Ken Pomeroy's calculations, though the RPI is fairly irrelevant this early in the season (for instance, Texas-Arlington is No. 5). Conference USA foe UAB is No. 27, despite losses to Washington State and Wyoming. Big publicity This week's issue of Sports Illustrated includes a lengthy feature story on point guard Derrick Rose, the Tigers' top recruit who signed his letter of intent earlier this month. The story, written by George Dohrmann, is the centerpiece of the magazine's high school basketball preview and details how Rose's three older brothers have spent the past few years sheltering him from the pitfalls that claimed the lives and careers of previous Chicago-area phenoms.

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11/28/06		U of M's kick returner wins C-USA honor (Commercial Appeal)
		By The Commercial Appeal November 28, 2006 University of Memphis kick returner/defensive back Michael Grandberry has been named Conference USA's Special Teams Player of the Week on the strength of his performance in the Tigers' 38-19 season-ending win at UTEP Saturday. The former Covington High standout recorded the second 100-yard return game of his career with 118 yards on two returns against the Miners, and he had a long return of 60 yards in the fourth quarter that set up a touchdown. Grandberry had a 139-yard effort on six returns on Nov. 11 against UCF. Grandberry, a sophomore, also led the Tigers defensively with nine tackles, including six solo stops, against the Miners. Academic honors Also Monday, deep snapper Rusty Clayton and defensive back Brandon Patterson were named to the C-USA All-Academic Team. The team consists of 11 student-athletes who have earned a 3.2 cumulative grade point average or better and are a starter or key reserve on their team. A native of Sumrall, Miss., Clayton is working on a master's degree in criminal justice after earning bachelor's degrees in history and psychology. Patterson (Germantown High) carries a 3.73 GPA in finance.

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11/27/06		Tiger Football Senior Banquet Slated for Sunday (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, TENN. - The annual Tiger Football Senior Banquet, which is hosted by the Highland Hundred booster organization, is slated for Sunday, Dec. 3, at the Holiday Inn on the U of M campus. The event is open to the public and the cost is $75 per person and $300 for a table of four. There will be a President's Reception beginning at 6 p.m. for a cost of $25 per person. The dinner begins at 7 p.m. All who are interested in attending should contact Sherri Schwartz in the Tiger Football Office at 678-5119 to reserve space at the banquet. In addition to dinner, the 19 honored seniors will be presented a framed action photo as well as their jersey. The post-season ceremony also features special awards presented by the coaching staff and the Highland Hundred.

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11/27/06		Tiger Hoops and St. Jude Marathon Highlight Big Saturday Downtown -- Fans are asked to be aware of marathon participants and spectators (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis Athletic Department is alerting fans attending Saturday's Memphis-Manhattan men's basketball game that the St. Jude Memphis Marathon and half-marathon is taking place at the same time. The marathon, which starts at 8:00 a.m. (CT), is expected to be close to completion when the game tips off, but fans driving to the game should be aware of the participants in the event and parking concerns in and around downtown Memphis. Fans coming from east Memphis and east Shelby County are asked to use Peabody, which leads to Linden Avenue that runs by FedExForum. Fans can also use I-55 to Riverside Drive to get to the arena. Miles 13 and 14 of the marathon will run around FedExForum, and although many of the runners should be past that point by 11:00 a.m. (CT), there still may be several participants in the area. The marathon will proceed down Peabody and across East Parkway and then back down North Parkway. About 7500 runners are expected to participant in the event. In addition, there will be spectators watching the marathon.

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11/27/06		Lady Tigers Travel to No. 8 Georgia -- Memphis to face second of three opponents currently in the top 25 (GoTigersGo.com)
		The Lady Tiger basketball team is coming off its first two wins of the season, but the task will get much more difficult beginning with a game at No. 8 Georgia, Wednesday. It will be a significantly different Lady Tiger line-up than the one that faced Georgia in FedExForum last year, as Memphis started three true freshmen and a sophomore transfer in both games over the weekend. Senior Devin Necaise is the team's lone returning starter from the Georgia game last year. Georgia is also different, as the Lady Bulldogs lost a number of players last year due to injury which have returned to the UGA line-up this year. Georgia is coming off a 74-69 win over No. 11 Stanford and even with a depleted roster due to injuries, the Lady Bulldogs are averaging 78.0 points per game and have three players averaging in the double-digits. Senior guard Cori Chambers leads Georgia with 18.0 ppg, while fellow senior Janese Hardrick averages 13.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. Junior Megan Darrah is the third double-digit scorer, averaging 11.4 points and a team-high 7.8 rebounds per game. At the point, freshman Ashley Houts has already made a big name for herself, averaging 9.8 points per agme and leading the team with 22 assists and 15 steals. Tennessee native Rebecca Rowsey, who missed last year's game at FedExForum due to injury, leads the team with nine blocks, adding 8.0 points and 5.6 rebounds a night. Devin Necaise and Paris Leonard were each named to the All-Tournament Team at the Lady Tiger Classic, as Necaise averaged 19.5 ppg and moved to fourth all-time in career threes with six over the weekend, while Leonard averaged 13.0 ppg and had her best defensive night of the season with three steals in 23 minutes of play in the championship game. Freshman Robin Jones continues to develop nicely for Memphis. In her second career start, Jones had 12 points and seven rebounds, five of those off the offensive glass. Leonard Two Points Shy of 400th Career Point Sophomore Paris Leonard bounced back from her first career scoreless night with 12 points off the bench in the win over Central Arkansas, Friday. Leonard was 2-for-11 from the field, but had her best career night at the free-throw line, going 7-for-7. On Saturday in the championship game, Leonard turned up the defensive pressure and converted some transition buckets to lead the Lady Tigers with 14 points in the win. Memphis vs. Georgia The series history between these two schools is very short, having met for the just the second time last season. Memphis is making its first-ever trip to Athens and is also looking for its first-ever win against the Lady Bulldogs. Prior to last year's meeting at FedExForum, the only other meeting between the two programs was in 1981-82. Very Different Lady Tiger Line-up Compared to the Last Time We Met The winning line-up for Memphis this past weekend included three true freshmen. Point guard Se'erra Fantroy (Lincoln, Neb.) has started all seven games so far for Memphis, but she was joined in the line-up by freshmen center Robin Jones (Waco, Texas) and freshman guard Hope Adams (Oxford, Miss.). Jones had a career-high 12 points with seven rebounds, including five offensive, in the championship game against Lipscomb, while Adams added four rebounds and two points in that game. Also different from last year's Lady Tiger line-up when Memphis hosted Georgia, is sophomore transfer Ashley Thornton. Thornton averages 10.4 points and 9.0 rebounds per game for Memphis and the Big South All-Freshman team member already has three double-doubles through the first seven games. Thornton transferred to Memphis from Birmingham Southern after BSC announced plans to move its athletic department to NCAA Division III in 2007-08. Senior guard Devin Necaise is the lone starter from last weekend that also started against Georgia last year. Defense Improving Each Game Out With eight new players and with six of them making the transition to college basketball, the Lady Tiger defense struggled through the first four games, managing just 32 steals against some stiff competition. In the last three games, Memphis has had 30 steals, notching 10 in each game last week. Freshman point guard Se'erra Fantroy had a career-high five steals against Lipscomb in the championship game of the Lady Tiger Classic, Saturday. How Our Previous Opponents Are Faring Memphis went 0-5 through the first five games of the season. Here is how our early season opponents are doing: Winthrop (2-5 overall): Suffered a second straight loss and are 0-5 when not scoring more than 50 points in a game. Dayton (4-3 overall): Are 4-3, but their three losses are to Louisville, Indiana and Cincinnati. Louisville (6-0): Remains undefeated and broke in to the top 25 last week..currently ranked No. 19 in the nation. Samford (4-1): Have won four straight and won the Birmingham Southern tournament last weekend. UL Monroe (5-1): Won the Texas Pan-American Tournament last weekend to end their season-opening six game road trip with a 5-1 record. Their only loss was at Arkansas. Necaise Moves to Fourth All-Time in Career Three-Point Field Goals With her five three-point field goals against Central Arkansas and one against Lipscomb, senior guard Devin Necaise has moved to fourth all-time in that category at Memphis. She passed former Lady Tiger Kelly Herron and is now just two three-point field goals shy of tying former teammate Tamika Butler (2002-2006) for third all time with 137 threes. Leonard Ties Reed for Ninth in Career History Sophomore guard Paris Leonard tied Yolanda Reed (1997-2000) for ninth all-time in career three-point field goals with 48. Leonard needs four more to catch Heather Newlon (1993-1997) for 8th all-time. The sophomore has struggled with her shot this year as other team's have her on the scouting report after her 43 threes in her freshman campaign. Necaise Looking to be Next Lady Tiger to 1,000 Career Points Senior guard Devin Necaise (Necaise Crossing, Miss./Hancock HS) needs 168 points to be the next Lady Tiger to hit the 1,000 career point mark. She would be the 18th Lady Tiger to pass the one-grand mark, and with 22 regular season games remaining and at least one guaranteed game in the conference tournament, she needs to average 7.3 points per game to tie Princess Swilley with 1,000 career points. Memphis Goes to Work From the Charity Stripe Memphis had its best night of the young season from the free-throw line Friday night against Central Arkansas. Memphis was 23-for-25, both season highs, and five Lady Tigers were perfect. Paris Leonard was 7-for-7 from the line, while Devin Necaise was 6-for-6. Three freshman were perfet at the line, as Robin Jones and the two point guards were 2-for-2. Jazmyn Green and Se'erra Fantroy both hit clutch free-throws in the last minute of play to help Memphis hang on for the win. Another Tough Schedule Three top 25 teams, three Wade candidate trophy candidates on opposing rosters -- the Lady Tigers may have been obsessed with the number three when they were putting together their non-conference schedule. Memphis will face three teams that were on the CBSSportsline Pre-Season top 25, including No. 9 Georgia, No. 14 Kentucky and No. 21 Louisville. Memphis will face two of those opponents (Georgia and Louisville) on the road, and will face Kentucky at the UT-San Antonio tournament at the end of December. Memphis will also face three Wade Trophy candidates -- Georgia's Tasha Humphries, Louisville's Jazz Covington and Tulsa's Jillian Robbins. Memphis held Covington to just four points in the Louisville game, as Covington's teammates did most of the damage from the perimeter to put the game out of hand in the second half. Balance Powers Memphis to First Win of Season 10 of the 11 Lady Tigers who played in Friday night's win over Central Arkansas scored, and 10 of the 11 had a rebound. That kind of balance is what the Lady Tiger coaching staff hopes to build on for the rest of the season. Memphis had four players in double-digit points for the first time this season, and while no Lady Tiger had double-digit rebounds, four Lady Tigers had five or more rebounds during the game. Devin Necaise was the game-high scorer with 25 points, her season-best effort, which also saw her add a team-high three steals. The senior from Necaise Crossing, Miss., also was 6-for-6 from the free-throw line. Playing 30 regular season games Memphis will suit up for 30 regular season contests this season. The four-team tournament at Louisville was an exempt tournament, meaning all three contests counted against just one competition date for all the teams involved. The tournament will feature some stiff competition, as Winthop, Memphis' regular season opening opponent, was picked to finish third in the Big South, while Dayton was picked to finish seventh in the Atlantic Sun after finishing sixth last season. Host Louisville was listed on the cbssportsline.com Pre-Season top 25 at No. 21 and features Wade trophy candidate Jazz Covington. The 30 regular season games is the longest regular season schedule since 1980-81.

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11/27/06		2006 Women's Track Preview: A New Dawn -- First-Year Coaching Staff Looks to Move Lady Tigers to New Ground (GoTigersGo.com)
		After finishing eighth in Conference USA in 2006, first year head coach Kevin Robinson is looking to move the Lady Tiger track program to a level of success that it has not experienced for many seasons. Rebuilding the program will be a difficult task, and Robinson is looking to add new talent to his squad. However, the first-year head man inherits a number of experienced athletes, particularly in the field events where he has worked as an assistant for five years. Sprints For the first time in years, the Lady Tiger sprint group looks as though it will have legitimate conference title contenders, and first-year sprints coach Nic Fortenberry has an abundance of raw talent on his hands. Freshman LaShundra Kershaw turned heads in fall practice with her blinding speed in the 100 meters. The freshman from Lambert, Miss., was a state champion in both the 100 and 200-meters in high school. The Lady Tigers' other challenger in the sprints will be senior LaShunda Flake. Flake is the team's top returning sprinter, after setting a personal-best 11.92 in the 100 meters last season. "We have two really solid sprinters in LaShundra Kershaw and LaShunda Flake," said Robinson. "LaShundra runs under 12 seconds in the 100-meters, and she's had almost no training up to this point. Flake is another athlete with a lot of potential, and she just needs to continue to improve." Ashley Stewart, who hails from nearby Little Rock, Ark., will compete for the Lady Tigers in the hurdles, as will heptathlete Eryka Morris. Middle Distance Mary Claire Dake and Becca McMahon will lead the Lady Tigers in the 800 and 1500 meters. Both competitors are coming off strong cross country campaigns that saw them set new personal best marks. Dake ran particularly well developing in to a strong No. 2 runner for Memphis in the cross-country season. McMahon and Dake are two of only five seniors on the Lady Tiger squad, and their meet experience should help to make them competitive this season. Distance Emily Malinowski is coming off of a cross country campaign that saw her lead the Lady Tigers in every meet. In the 2006 outdoor season Malinowski set school records in both the 3000 meters (9:58.94) and the 3000-meter steeplechase (10:55.92). The sophomore was just four seconds from qualifying for the regionals in steeplechase in 2006, and should be one of the league's top competitors in the event again this season. "Emily is just great to coach," said Robinson. "She is a great athlete, and great student. We expect her to be a contender for the conference title in the steeplechase. She's probably the best returning competitor in Conference USA in that event." With the addition of Coach Mike Power, look for the distance events to explode in the near future. Jumps Memphis' jumps group will be led by former Lady Tiger triple jumper Lisa-Marie Hyman, who is in her first year as a coach. Gaylon Muhammad and Cassandra Harding will represent Memphis in the triple jump and long jump, and the duo should be very competitive. Harding owns the Memphis career record in the pentathlon (2999) and holds a personal best of 40-07.75 in the triple jump. Sprinter LaShundra Kershaw will also participate in the long jump along with heptathlete Eryka Morris. In addition to her high school titles on the track, Kershaw was third in the state in the long jump in 2006 with a mark of 17-11. Whitney Bolton returns after remarkable freshman campaign that saw set the school record in both the indoor (10-6) and outdoor (11-5.75) pole vault. Now a sophomore, she looks to improve on her fourth-place-finish from last year at the C-USA Outdoor Championships. She will be complemented by the arrival of sophomore transfer Ashton Baldwin, whose personal best last year at Texas State would have placed her second in C-USA. Junior Chen Edri will also be a strong performer for Memphis in the high jump. After struggling somewhat in the high jump last season, Edri will try to return to her 2005 form when she qualified the NCAA Regionals and was named the C-USA Freshman of the Year. Throws With the return of several promising athletes, including two-time national championships qualifier and 2005 All-American Gail Lee, the Memphis throws group looks to be one of the best in Conference USA in 2007. The only All-American in the history of the Lady Tiger track program, Lee returns for her final season and for the first time will compete both indoors and outdoors. The senior reached the NCAA Championships for a second consecutive season last year, and was also the conference champion in the outdoor shot put. This year, she will look to claim her second C-USA outdoor and indoor shot titles and will try bring home the national championship that has eluded her over the past two years. "The only person that can beat Gail is Gail," said Robinson. "She's the best there is and one of the best that I've ever coached. She has every opportunity to go to the national championships and compete at the highest level." Lee will be joined in the shot by Sivan Aballi, Susan King and Nicole Jackson. Aballi and King both qualified for the NCAA Regional in the shot and discus. The pair was among C-USA's top five in the shot put and discus in 2005 and should push Lee for the title again this season. Robinson also has high hopes for thrower Angela Wigley, another freshman who possesses a lot of raw talent. Rounding out the throws group will be Edri, who in addition to her jumping ability has twice qualified for the regionals in the javelin, and last season set a school record in the event with a throw of 143-6. Multi Eryka Morris will compete for Memphis in the heptathlon and pentathlon. Morris was a 19-foot long jumper and state champion sprinter coming out of high school, but nagging hamstring injuries have hampered her through much of her collegiate career. Healthy again, Morris is expected to perform well and provide the Lady Tigers with valuable points in the conference championships.

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11/27/06		C-USA Announces Football All-Academic Team -- Rusty Clayton and Brandon Patterson picked to first-ever C-USA Academic squad (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, TENN. - The University of Memphis was one of two C-USA squads to have two players named to the C-USA All-Academic Team as announced by the league office today. Deep snapper Rusty Clayton and defensive back Brandon Patterson both made the team that was voted on by each institution's sports information director. Nine of the 12 C-USA institutions are represented on the prestigious list. The inaugural All-Academic Team consists of 11 student-athletes who have earned a 3.2 cumulative grade point average or better and are a starter or key reserve on their respective football teams. Clayton and Patterson were both also named to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District IV team. Clayton was a first-team selection, while Patterson earned second-team accolades. A native of Sumrall, Miss., Clayton is currently working on a master's degree in criminal justice after earning bachelor's degrees in history and psychology. He is a three-time member on the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA All-District team, including this season, and has been named to the U of M Dean's List five semesters. Clayton wrapped up a stellar career for the Tigers in which he was perfect during his four-year stint as the deep snapper, starting in all 49 of his career games. For his career, he logged flawless snaps on 160 PATs, 100 field goals and 189 punts. Patterson carries a 3.73 GPA in finance and was named to the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll in 2005 and 2006. He also received the Commissioner's Academic Medal in 2006 and has started 11 of the Tigers' 12 games this season. He ended his sophomore campaign ranked sixth on the team with 47 tackles, including 30 solo stops. A native of Germantown, Tenn., Patterson also tallied three interceptions, a pass breakup and a fumble recovery this season. Houston's Wade Koehl and Tulsa's Paul Smith were unanimous Conference USA Football All-Academic selections. Koehl, a 2006 ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District VI first teamer, has helped lead the Cougars to the C-USA West Division title with a conference record of 7-1 and an overall performance of 9-3. The Cougars will host the Conference USA Football Championship game against Southern Miss on Fri., Dec. 1. A four-year starter, Koehl has been a C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll Member three times and holds a 3.52 GPA in accounting. Smith guided the Golden Hurricane to an overall record of 8-4 and 5-3 in C-USA action and was recently named to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District VI first team. Smith was also a Commissioner's Honor Roll member in 2005 and carries a 3.80 GPA in communications. He is joined on the team by teammate Mike Mengers. Mengers, a senior, has a 3.74 GPA in mechanical engineering and has played every snap in 2006. He has also been a Dean's List member for five semesters. Kevin Roach of East Carolina and Travis Cooley of Southern Miss are currently working on their master's degrees. Roach`s focus is in accounting and holds a 3.44 GPA. He was recently named to the 2006 ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District III first team and has been a C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll member four times. Roach ranks fourth on his team in receiving yards and receptions. Cooley has a 3.65 GPA in human resource management. He was an All-Conference USA second-team member in 2005 and is part of ECU's offensive line that is No. 3 in C-USA and No. 33 in the nation in rushing offense. Seniors Michael Purcell of Tulane and Reagan Schneider of UTEP were also honored on the all-academic team. Purcell is a three-time member of the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll and carries a 3.64 GPA in finance. He has been named to the Dean's List for five semesters and has 29 starts at defensive end in 35 career games. Schneider holds a 3.34 GPA in kinesiology and ranks second in the league in kicking scoring average. His 56-yard field goal against Memphis to conclude the season was the longest of the year for a C-USA player. Two sophomores finalize the 11-member all-academic team. SMU's Thomas Morstead leads C-USA and ranks 16th in the nation in punting average and holds a 3.55 GPA in mechanical engineering. Morstead is also a C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll member and is on the 2006 Ray Guy Award "Watch List." Sha'reff Rashad of UCF was named ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District in 2005 and has a 3.61 GPA in criminal justice. He leads his team with four interceptions, a total that ranks second in C-USA, and became the first Golden Knight since the squad moved to Division I-A to intercept a pass in three-consecutive games. 2006 Conference USA Football All-Academic Team Name Cl. School GPA/Major Kevin Roach Sr. ECU 3.44 / Accounting (Grad) Wade Koehl Sr. Houston 3.52 / Accounting Rusty Clayton Sr. Memphis 3.61 / Criminal Justice (Grad) Brandon Patterson So. Memphis 3.73 / Finance Thomas Morstead So. SMU 3.55 / Mechanical Engineering Travis Cooley Sr. USM 3.00/Sports Admin.(undergrad) & 3.65 Human Resource Mgt. (Grad) Michael Purcell Sr. Tulane 3.64 / Finance Mike Mengers Sr. Tulsa 3.74 / Mechanical Engineering Paul Smith Jr. Tulsa 3.80 / Communication Sha'reff Rashad So. UCF 3.61 / Criminal Justice Reagan Schneider Sr. UTEP 3.34 / Kinesiology

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11/27/06		2006 Men's Track Preview: Making The Turn -- Tiger Track Team Looks to Join Conference Elite (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS - While it may only be his first season as head track and field coach at the University of Memphis, Kevin Robinson is already expecting to see his athletes make major improvements and for the Tigers to have one of their highest ever finishes in Conference USA. The Tigers' 2007 schedule reflects the lofty expectations of their new head coach. The team is slated to compete in several events hosted by national powerhouses such as Arkansas and LSU as well as the widely respected Texas Relays. Sprints One of the most improved areas on the team should be the sprints, where Memphis returns a host of experienced runners. Senior Willie Green figures to be one of the Tigers' biggest standouts in the short events. Green has one season of outdoor eligibility remaining, and the school record holder in the 100 meters will try to improve on his third-place conference finish from 2006. "I think we're going to be the best that we've been in sprints for years," said Robinson. "We bring Willie back, and he's taken as high as third in three different conference championships, both indoor and outdoor. He's the best sprinter we've had here in the past five years." During the indoor season look for Barton Community College transfer Andre Hicks to make an impact in the 60-meters. The Tigers will also look for points from Daemien Jefferson, Larry Harris and Stephon Greenlee in the 200-meters and the 400-meters. Greenlee missed much of last season with an injury, and will return to shore up an already strong squad of hurdlers. Harris, a 2004 NCAA Regional Qualifier, took fourth in the conference in the 100-meter hurdles at the 2006 outdoor meet and second in the 60-meter hurdles at the indoor meet. Fellow Tiger hurdler Amaechi Oselukwue took second in the 400-IM. "Our hurdlers will be among the best in the conference," said Robinson. "We return both Amaechi and Larry who were solid scorers last year and we get back Stephon, who we didn't have last year in the outdoors. I'm look