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October 24th,
2006
By Joel Welser
Broadcast Basketball
Memphis Tigers
Overall Rank:
#21
Conference
Rank: #1 C-USA
2005-06:
33-4, 13-1, 1st
2005-06
postseason: NCAA
 It
says a lot about
Memphis when the top three scorers are gone, but the squad
is still garnering top 25 accolades. With what will evolve into
a deeper team than last year’s Elite Eight squad, Tiger fans
have high expectations for another top seed come March.
Who’s Out:
Point
guard Darius Washington, Jr. and forward Shawne Williams left
Memphis early for the NBA. Washington averaged 13.4 points and
a team high 3.1 assists last year, while Shawne Williams added
13.2 points and 6.2 boards. The loss of Rodney Carney and his
17.2 points per game may be the most painful of them all.
Sparingly used Simplice Njoya and Waki Williams round out the
list of players who won’t be suiting up for the Tigers in
2006-2007.
Who’s In:
Jeremy Hunt
will return for his final season in Memphis. Hunt averaged 9.5
points and 3.5 rebounds in 2004-2005 and will provide more
experience on the wings. Once again Coach John Calipari is
bringing in a solid class of freshmen. Point guard Willie Kemp
has all the attributes to be a great team leader. He needs to
continue working on his outside shot, but the 6-2 Bolivar,
Tennessee product will battle for the starting role. Doneal
Mack is a big time scorer. He’s a crafty player who can find
the bottom of the net and will do so as a freshman. Tre’Von
Willis is a quick, slashing shooting guard and will provide more
depth off the bench. Up front Pierre Niles will need to
contribute as a freshman. The 6-8, 285 pounder can play either
forward position and has the versatility to battle in the post
or run the court. Center Hashim Bailey, a teammate of Niles at
The Patterson School in North Carolina last year, is another big
body to come off the bench this year.
Who to Watch:
After
starting 25 games and averaging 8.3 points per game as a
freshman, Chris Douglas-Roberts is ready to emerge as the star
of the perimeter. However, the play of two other returning
perimeter players may have a bigger impact regarding how
successful this season is for Memphis. Andre Allen isn’t a
flashy player or a prolific scorer, but he consistently and
steadily ran the point off the bench last year. He averaged 3.0
assists while playing in less than 16 minutes per contest. If
that number can improve with more minutes, the Tigers will be in
good hands. Antonio Anderson is expected to start at the
shooting guard spot, at least early in the year. With the top
three long range shooters gone, Anderson will have to maintain
consistency from behind the arc.
Final
Projection:
The depth up
front will have to mostly come from the newcomers, but Robert
Dozier and Joey Dorsey are a solid starting duo. Dozier started
three games as a freshman and the 6-9, 215 pound forward has the
size to play under the basket and the skills to play on the
perimeter. He’s a solid rebounder and could develop into a good
Shawne Williams replacement. Dorsey, one of two returning
starters, will handle the center duties. The 6-9, 260 pound
Baltimore, Maryland product is a great leaper, a solid rebounder
and an excellent shot blocker. Sophomore Kareem Cooper is a
good big body off the bench after averaging 4.4 points and 3.1
boards as a freshman. The frontcourt has enough talent to pick
up the scoring slack, but the main concern is finding a shooter
or two. Hunt, Anderson, Allen and Mack are the candidates to
hit the long balls and a couple of those players will have to
step up if the Tigers are dreaming of the Elite Eight once
again.
Projected
Post-season Tournament:
NCAA
Projected
Starting Five:
Andre Allen,
Junior, Guard, 4.1 points per game
Antonio
Anderson, Sophomore , Guard, 7.2 points per game
Chris
Douglas-Roberts, Sophomore, Guard, 8.3 points per game
Robert Dozier,
Sophomore, Forward, 5.6 points per game
Joey Dorsey,
Junior, Forward, 6.9 points per game
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