Memphis

Poll: What is the Best One Loss Team?

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 12:50:47 -0500

GameNight: Memphis vs Seton Hall (Puerto Rico Tip-Off)

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 01:23:17 -0500

Start: Nov 21 2008 - 7:00pm

Preview & Prediction: By Raphielle Johnson

The 83-71 victory by Memphis (3-0) over Chattanooga in a quarterfinal on Thursday was rather routine, with Shawn Taggart going for 16 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks in the win. What also helped was the shooting of guard Doneal Mack, who went 5-for-9 from downtown in scoring nineteen points. The entire buzz heading into this season was about freshman guard Tyreke Evans, and given his talent it’s deserved. But to focus solely on him is to ignore some of the players back from last season’s 38-2 team. Forward Robert Dozier is back and could be headed towards a breakout season in his senior year, and classmate ~~Anthony~~ Antonio Anderson is a solid perimeter defender with the athleticism to make plays on the offensive end of the floor.

But instead of facing a ranked team in this semifinal, they’ll take on a gutsy yet undermanned Seton Hall (3-0) team that came back from fifteen down at the half to knock off USC 63-61. Guard play will be the focus in this one, with head coach Bobby Gonzalez having a talented group of backcourt players himself. Jeremy Hazell, who gave the Hall a 62-59 lead on a three with 1:20 to go, scored seventeen while Eugene Harvey added sixteen and five assists. Paul Gause and Jordan Theodore round out a backcourt that will be without Robert Mitchell due to suspension, so keep an eye on the stamina of this team since only seven played against the Trojans.

And for their lack of depth up front, the few big men that the Pirates do have will need to step up in this one. John Garcia brought his lunch pail to the arena in the quarters, going for eleven points and eighteen rebounds. Memphis doesn’t have true bulk outside of Pierre Niles-Henderson, but they’ve got more than enough bodies to come at the Pirates in waves. That’s the area in which the Tigers have a clear advantage, but don’t underestimate the fight that lies within this Pirate team. They’ll give Memphis all they want before the lack of bodies becomes too much.

Winner: Memphis Margin: 10+

College Basketball: Top Freshmen

Joey Whelan — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:45:42 -0500

Ah the new kids on the block. This year’s freshman class will have some big shoes to fill after last year’s epic group. While they probably won’t be on the same level, the class of 2013 has more than enough talented players to have a serious impact at this level before shipping off to the NBA. This group has a little bit of everything: freakish athletes, bruising post players, talented wings and speedy guards. While some of them will be expected to lead from day one, and others will fill in nicely as role players, all of them will have a major impact from the moment they step on the court.

Pick Six: Top Freshmen

CHN's Pick Six series highlights the Top 6 players by position, league, and class.

1. B.J. Mullens – Ohio State

There isn’t a better combination of size and athleticism in this class, or maybe in the country. Mullens is a legitimate 7-footer with the ability to run in the open floor, shoot from the perimeter and explode to the basket. He has soft hands and is able to score with either his right or his left; throw in his nicely developing footwork and Mullens could have a post game capable of putting up big numbers in the Big Ten this season. More often than not, Mullens will probably rely on his athleticism in the early going, but should be plenty to allow him to dominate the opposition.

2. Jrue Holiday – UCLA

UCLA is absolutely spoiled with backcourt talent and Jrue Holiday is a big reason why. He already possesses a pretty solid all-around offensive game at this point in his development; owning a strong perimeter shot with range out to the NBA line. Holiday showed last season that when defenders play him tight on the outside he is more than capable of taking them to the basket with a solid first step and excellent handles, or pulling up to drain a mid-range jumper. Holiday is such a valuable commodity because he can beat teams either as a point where he shows great passing instincts, or he can put up nice scoring numbers off the ball. This combo-guard will be a headache in Pac-10 play this season.

3. Al-Farouq Aminu – Wake Forest

This inside/outside threat is going to be a major part of the Demon Deacon resurrection this season. Aminu is an explosive athlete, able to take almost any defender to the basket and elevate with them for points around the rim. He’s long enough that he’ll be able to score in the paint on a regular basis, but also shows a nicely developing mid-range game at this point. His perimeter shooting needs to improve, but as he works on his range, these numbers will get better. Aminu is built in the same kind of mold that Marvin Williams is, but unlike Williams who spent his one season in college coming off the bench, Aminu will be a go-to player for Wake this season.

4. Demar DeRozan – USC

Yes, my love affair with the high flyer from out west continues. DeRozan has off the charts athleticism, capable of elevating with and over anyone in the country. While he is really only known at this point for his gravity defying dunks and impressive range on his jumper, the USC coaching staff has been raving about his ability to score points within the flow of the offense while not dominating the basketball. Is the freshman going to put up the kinds of numbers that OJ Mayo did last season? Probably not, but the Trojans don’t need him to. The real key for DeRozan won’t be how many points he gets, but how he gets them.

5. Tyreke Evans – Memphis

Being the MVP of the McDonald’s All-American game certainly comes with its share of expectations; don’t be shocked when Evans lives up to them. The freshman already has an NBA body and the offensive ability to boot. He can beat teams from the outside with his shooting range, or cut his way to the basket with ease. Evans’ ability to hang in the air and adjust in traffic around the basket is very impressive for a player at his stage. He will excel in the up tempo style that the Tigers play, he just needs to avoid becoming too trigger happy as was sometimes the case in high school.

6. Samardo Samuels – Louisville

This beast out of New Jersey is going to feel right at home in the rough and tumble Big East and Cardinals fans should be excited. His frame alone will make him tough to stop on the block, standing an imposing 6’8” 240 pounds of solid muscle, but Samuels also has a very polished post game already. Once in a while he will choose to face up when he receives the ball inside and surprises with a pretty good first step for a player of his size. His jumper isn’t great at this point and he often winds up fading away when turning to shoot. Despite that, he more than has enough bulk and polish to do some damage in the post this season.

Next in Line: Scotty Hopson, Tennessee; Greg Monroe, Georgetown; Devin Ebanks, West Virginia; Chris Singleton, Florida State; JaMycal Green, Alabama

Love it or hate it? Let’s hear it!

Xavier Henry: #1 Prospect Chooses Memphis

Matthew Ryter — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:02:57 -0500

The Story: The top ranked player in the ESPNU 100, Xavier Henry, announced he will be joining his brother at Memphis next season. Henry chose Memphis over Kansas Tuesday morning. Both of his parents played basketball at Kansas. His father, Carl, played for Larry Brown and his then assistant John Calipari. Henry's brother, C.J., currently plays for Coach Calipari at Memphis. "Ultimately playing with my brother and keeping the family together helped make my decision," said Henry. "My parents are okay with it; we're together." The 6'7" Henry averaged 26.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game as a junior last season. The start of his senior year will be delayed six weeks following surgery to repair a broken cheekbone that occurred in an automobile accident. Henry should be cleared to play in late December.

Ryter's Block: Xavier Henry couldn't pass up the opportunity to play with his brother. Having a sibling or best friend attend the same college can bring a sense of comfort to anyone. Oklahoma's Blake Griffin gave up the potential opportunity of being an NBA lottery pick this year to play another year with his older brother, Taylor. "I wanted to get better prepared for when I do make the jump, and this could be my last chance to play with Taylor," Blake said in a recent Sports Illustrated. Players can get lost in partying too much or skipping classes but Xavier will have his brother to keep him in line. There is already that special bond between brothers that teammates try to obtain over time during practices and games. Xavier and C.J. Henry have a chance to do something special at Memphis...together.

Matthew Ryter keeps you up to date on the world of college basketball with his "Ryter's Block" column. What do you think about this story? Post your comments below:

GameNight: Memphis vs UMASS

Fairway Jay — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:26:20 -0500

Start: Nov 18 2008 - 12:00am

Preview & Prediction: By Fairway Jay

Memphis and Massachusetts will tip-off ESPN's 24 hours of basketball coverage.

Along with some key player match-ups, a pair of friends and coaches will display their team’s dribble-drive up-tempo motion offenses. New Massachusetts head coach Derek Kellogg was a star point guard for the Minutemen in the early/mid 1990’s while playing for coach John Calipari. Kellogg then became an assistant coach and worked under Calipari the past 8-seasons at Memphis.

Plenty of up-tempo pressure offense and defense as each team relies on superior and experienced guard play. UMASS features a talented trio led by point guard Chris Lowe, a senior who is widely considered the Atlantic 10’s top point guard. He struggled in the new offense with 10 turnovers in UMASS’ loss at Southern Illinois last Wednesday. He’s a solid scorer and led the A-10 in assists last season. Junior shooting guard Ricky Harris is a talented shooter with no conscious and is already 9-18 from the expanded 3-point arc in two games. Anthony Gurley transferred from Wake Forest and provides another scoring threat for one of the nation’s most feared back courts. UMASS lost the services of 7-foot center Luke Bonner for a month when he was injured in the Southern Illinois contest. The Minutemen lack the needed depth and that could show again versus Memphis after UMASS wore down in the second half against Southern Illinois. Still, coach Kellogg should have a solid working knowledge of how to defend the Memphis dribble-drive offense and have his players prepared for the challenge.

Memphis is not rebuilding but reloading following the losses of three stars and major contributors from last year’s national championship game runner-up team. Willie Kemp provides experience at the point, and the national TV audience will get to see one of the nations top freshman talents in 6-6 shooting guard Tyreke Evans. He scored 19 points in his debut Saturday versus Fairfield, but is less than 100% as he nurses a right ankle sprain. Antonio Anderson is a multi-talented 6-6 swing/guard that can score, dish and rebound. He was the leader with 7 assists versus Fairfield as they used a zone defense and tried to slow the Tigers attack, but ultimately wore down to the more talented Tigers. But UMASS will push the pace much more and make Evans and his Memphis teammates work much harder on both ends of the floor. Senior forwards Robert Dozier of Memphis and Tony Gaffney of UMASS each lead their teams in rebounding and will be instrumental in minimizing second chance opportunities.

Calipari can become the winningest coach in Tigers history with a victory tonight. He’ll likely get it, but not without a contested challenge from his former team and assistant coach.

Winner: UMASS

Memphis Basketball Preview: #8

Joel Welser — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 17:23:27 -0500

Memphis Tigers

Overall Rank: #8

Conference Rank: #1 C-USA

2007-08: 38-2, 16-0, 1^st

2007-08 postseason: NCAA

Memphis lost three starters from a team that reached the NCAA Championship game, but Coach John Calipari still has enough talent on this roster to make another run at a national title. With a seemingly improved Conference USA, the Tigers should be well prepared come March. Over the last few years, as their 16-0 conference record of a season ago signifies, Memphis has dominated C-USA. And that can leave a team not playing their best basketball at the end of the year. If teams like UAB, Southern Miss, UTEP and Tulsa can battle for a spot in the big dance, Memphis will actually be playing some important and tough conference games in January and February.

Who’s Out:

More importantly than the strength of the conference is finding a way to replace Chris Douglas-Roberts and Derrick Rose. Douglas-Roberts led the team with 18.1 points per game and Rose added 14.9. Finding somebody who can score from the wing like Douglas-Roberts will not be easy. Finding another freshman point guard who can score, grab some rebounds and lead the team in assists will also be difficult, but Coach Calipari has a capable replacement in mind. High flying forward Joey Dorsey is the third starter that needs to be replaced. He was an inconsistent scorer, but led the team with 9.5 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per contest. The depth in the backcourt also takes a hit with the departure of Andre Allen.

Who’s In:

Memphis is replacing one freshman point guard with another. Tyreke Evans might not be another Rose, but he will not be a big drop off either. Like Rose, Evans can do just about everything. Unlike Rose, Evans is 6-6 and he will use that size and strength to his advantage and score around the basket. Evans is not as quick as Rose, but he is a capable ball handler who can use his strength to drive to the basket and either score or find his teammates. The biggest negative about his game is his jump shot. He is not a bad shooter, but his shot selection can be a problem. C.J. Henry, Roburt Sallie and Wesley Witherspoon will add depth on the wings. Sallie, a sophomore transfer from City College of San Francisco, is a versatile player who can play any position on the perimeter. His defense and rebounding will make him a valuable contributor off of the bench. Witherspoon might not have to contribute off the bench. The 6-8 small forward is a great scorer and could be starting at some point this season. He has a decent jumper, but he needs to continue to add more strength before he can battle in the paint and emerge as a solid inside-outside player. Power forwards Angel Garcia and Matt Simpkins will need a little time to adjust to the level of play, but both are capable big men who are expected to be major contributors in the near future.

Who to Watch:

Antonio Anderson started all 40 games last year, but he was pretty much a glue guy who left the scoring and leadership to others. Now this is the 6-6 senior’s team. Anderson is a capable scorer when given the opportunity and he will hit the outside shot and drive to the basket effectively. After averaging 8.6 points per game last year, Anderson could be a consistent double-digit scorer this time around. Willie Kemp and Doneal Mack could be starters on this team if they can hold off Witherspoon. Either way, Kemp and Mack will be major contributors in the backcourt. Jeff Robinson and Pierre Henderson-Niles give the group on the perimeter plenty of options.

Final Projection:

Averaging 9.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks last year, Robert Dozier is the team’s returning leader in all of those categories. It will be his ability to score in the paint and stretch out the defense with his mid-range jumper that will keep the Memphis offense effective. Shawn Taggart will replace Dorsey in the starting lineup. Taggart started nine games last year and if he can develop into a presence in the paint and manage to stay out of foul trouble, something he did not do last year, Memphis will be a team that can make another run in March.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

Tyreke Evans, Freshman, Guard, DNP last season

Antonio Anderson, Senior, Guard, 8.6 points per game

Wesley Witherspoon, Freshman, Forward, DNP last season

Robert Dozier, Senior, Forward, 9.2 points per game

Shawn Taggart, Junior, Forward, 5.9 points per game

CHN Preview: CHN Top 144 Ranking | 2008-09 Preview & Awards | Coach Interviews | Discuss the Preview

Conference USA Basketball Preview: 08-09

CHN — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 00:59:49 -0500

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Conference Rank: 11th

10 year average: 8th

Conference USA Page

All-CUSA Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Stefon Jackson	UTEP	Sr
G	Robert Vaden	UAB	Sr
G	Tyreke Evans	Memphis	Fr
G	Jermaine Taylor	Central Florida	Sr
F	Jerome Jordan	Tulsa	Jr
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
CHN All-Americans Robert Vaden High-Major All-Americans Stefon Jackson Jerome Jordan Jermaine Taylor Ben Uzoh Robert Vaden Jeremy Wise All-Freshman Team Tyreke Evans		Points: Stefon Jackson 23.6 Rebounds: Jerome Jordan 7.9 Assists: Jeremy Wise 4.2 Team: Memphis 79.9

Conference USA Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

?	Memphis**	CUSA	1	NCAA
47	UAB	CUSA	2	NCAA
68	Southern Miss	CUSA	3	NIT
75	UTEP	CUSA	4	NIT
106	Tulsa	CUSA	5
119	Marshall	CUSA	6
131	UCF	CUSA	7
137	Houston	CUSA	8
185	Tulane	CUSA	9
221	East Carolina	CUSA	10
260	SMU	CUSA	11
285	Rice	CUSA	12

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

** returning conference champion

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the CUSA?

Other CUSA Content

Head Coach Interviews

Larry Eustachy: Southern Miss

Mack McCarthy: East Carolina

Other

Rise & Fall: CUSA

Top Non-BCS Players: Vaden/Evans

Top Centers: Jerome Jordan

Conference USA on National TV

Clip of the Day: Tyreke Evans Highlights

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 20:55:44 -0500

Clip of the Day

Thanks to the genius of YouTube, the world has access to thousands of great college basketball videos to keep us busy every second of every day. We'll be featuring daily movies to whet your college basketball appetite. Even if you've seen them before, some clips are just too good not to watch again and again.

Tyreke Evans Mix

If Memphis is going to have another big year, hot shot newcomer Evans needs to have a big year

- Watch all of CHN's favorite College Basketball Videos!

- Also check out past Cheerleaders of the Day!

- And finally the Picture of the Day!

Top Six Non-BCS Players

Jeff Fox — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 11:40:51 -0400

It’s not just the under-the-radar high school prospects that end up playing their college ball at non-BCS schools nowadays. 15 out of Rivals.com’s top 150 prospects for 2008 committed to non-BCS schools. Add to that the 18 players from the year before and you’ve got a serious influx of talent for the Davids to help fight off the Goliaths.

Pick Six: Non-BCS

Throughout the week, check back for articles highlighting the Top 6 players in each BCS league. Tomorrow we’ll be rolling out the Top 6 at each position.

1. Stephen Curry – Davidson – Junior

The biggest no-brainer of all-time was putting Stephen Curry atop this list. Not only is he heads-and-shoulders above the rest of the non-BCS talent, he will give Tyler Hansbrough a strong run for national player of the year honors.

Stats: 25.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.9 apg

2. Jeremy Pargo – Gonzaga – Senior

After flirting with following his brother into the NBA, Jeremy Pargo wisely decided to return to Spokane. Extremely quick but also very big for a point guard (6’2” 219lbs) he’ll be looking to lead perhaps the best team ever at Gonzaga deep into the NCAA tournament.

Stats: 12.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 6.0 apg

3. Eric Maynor – Virginia Commonwealth – Senior

Eric Maynor isn’t quite as hot a commodity as he was after his sophomore season, when he led the Rams over Duke in the NCAA tournament. While he might not be the trendy player to talk about like he was then, he is still a dangerous player. A terrific scorer, rebounder and assist man, he’ll have plenty of NBA scouts venturing down to Richmond this season.

Stats: 17.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 5.5 apg

4. Dionte Christmas – Temple – Senior

Temple’s Dionte Christmas fills up the hoop like Santa fills stockings. After leading the Atlantic 10 in scoring the past two seasons, he’ll try to go for an unprecedented third scoring title this year. Even if he doesn’t accomplish the feat, he will no doubt still be lighting up the league’s scoreboards like a Christmas tree.

Stats: 19.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 2.5 apg

5. Robert Vaden – Alabama-Birmingham - Senior

What Tom Crean would give to have Robert Vaden still in Bloomington. After two seasons with the Hoosiers, Vaden followed coach Mike Davis to UAB where he exploded last year for 21.1ppg and 142 three-pointers made. His total points scored and threes made were both school records.

Stats: 21.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.6 apg

6. Tyreke Evans – Memphis – Freshman

Tyreke Evans had a similar high school career as O.J. Mayo. Both hyped since they were youngsters, Evans spent a good portion of his life considered the top player in his class before falling out of favor and dropping in the rankings his senior year. Still, he is a dangerous player and brings an explosive scorer to the Tigers backcourt.

Stats: DNP Freshman

Next in line: Lester Hudson – Tennessee-Martin; Lee Cummard, BYU; Patrick Mills, Saint Mary’s; Marqus Blakely, Vermont.

Tomorrow: Top 6 PG's

More: Pick Six Archive -- The Big List: CHN's Preview Index