Tiger Basketball

Adonis Thomas is ‘hurt’ by lack of attention from Memphis media and fans

June 14, 2013 by Kevin Cerrito Leave a Comment

Is Memphis native Adonis Thomas jealous of his former Tiger basketball teammate D.J. Stephens?

Thomas tweeted (then deleted) this comment earlier today:

Everything Thomas listed he wasn’t getting, his high-flying former teammate is.

Stephens has been generating attention with his record breaking vertical leap, his new t-shirt available at Tiger Bookstore and radio interviews (one interview just minutes before the Adonis tweet).

But, D.J. doesn’t think any of this matters:

(The above tweet was retweeted by Adonis after he deleted his original tweet.)

Both former Tigers are entered in the 2013 NBA Draft.

What do you think? Should the Memphis media and fans be giving more attention to the hometown player Adonis Thomas?

Email: kevin@memphisport.com
Twitter: @cerrito

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Filed Under: The Big Features, Tiger Basketball Tagged With: Adonis Thomas, DJ Stephens, Memphis Tigers, NBA Draft

Top 5 Sporting Events That Memphis Has Ever Hosted Besides The Western Conference Finals

May 24, 2013 by Terry Davis 1 Comment

Memphis has a very strong sports history. For decades, the University of Memphis has been an elite team on the national stage. However, Tiger basketball is not the only big time event that Memphis has played host to. The St Jude Classic is an annual event that always has signature moments. But does anything come close to the Memphis Grizzlies hosting the Bluff City’s first ever NBA Western Conference Finals?

Here are a few events that have catapulted to the top of the Memphis sports scene:

Mike Tyson vs. Lennox Lewis, Heavyweight Championship, June 8, 2002 at The Pyramid.

World championship boxing matches always bring out the A-list in the entertainment world and this was no exception. Some of the celebrities in attendance were Samuel L. Jackson, Denzel Washington, Tom Cruise, Britney Spears, Clint Eastwood, Ben Affleck, Hugh Hefner, Halle Berry, Richard Gere, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, LL Cool J. Wesley Snipes and many others.

This fight was originally scheduled for April 6, 2002 in Las Vegas, but Las Vegas and other states refused to issue Tyson a license to box. Tickets sales were slow at first because of the high cost of $2,400, but 15, 327 show to see Lewis defeat Tyson in eight rounds.

Memphis vs. Tenneseee, No. 1 vs. No. 2, February 23, 2008 at FedExForum.

The Tigers entered the game with a 26-0 record and the Vols were 24-2. Memphis was ranked No.1 in the country and Tennessee was No. 2. Justin Timberlake and Peyton Manning were among the stars to show up for this time. There was plenty of tension in the building for an in-state rivalry game on a national stage. John Calipari and Bruce Pearl were opening taking verbal jabs at each other. The Tigers had the longest home active winning streak in the country (47 games). The Vols won the game 66-62. Entertainment Tonight television show was in attendance with the 18,629 fans for the game.

Derrick Rose and Robert Dozier were not able to contain Memphis native J. P. Prince and Chris Lofton off in order to keep their undefeated record alive. The Tigers did go on to play in the National Championship game against the Kansas Jayhawks.

Illinois vs. Alabama, Bear Byrant’s last game, December 29, 1982 at Liberty Bowl Stadium.

After the 1982 season, the legendary coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide decided to end his coaching career. He announced his last game as coach would be at the Liberty Bowl. The Tide lost their final regular season game to the Auburn Tigers. Bryant stated,”This is my school, my alma mater. I love it and I love my players. But in my opinion, they deserved better coaching than they have been getting from me this year.” The Tide won the Liberty Bowl 21-15 over the Illini in front of 54,123 and and what was described as a media “circus” from around the country.

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. the Memphis Grizzlies, The Triple OT Game, May 10, 2011 at FedExForum.

The Memphis Grizzlies were coming in off of upsetting the number one seeded San Antonio Spurs and came into this game with a 2 games to 1 advantage over the Thunder. Zach Randolph 34 points and 16 rebounds and Marc Gasol 26 points and 21 rebounds were not event to defeat the Thunder. This133-123 triple overtime thriller won by the Thunder was led by Kevin Durant’s 35 points and Russell Westbrook’s 40 points. The Thunder went on to win the series in seven games. It took three-hours and 52 minutes to play the game. This was the only sporting event ever held in Memphis to be nominated for a ESPY.

Andy Kaufman vs Jerry “The King” Lawler, April 5, 1982 at the Mid-South Coliseum.

Kaufman was a frequent guest on Saturday Night Live (SNL) were he would wrestle women as part of his skits. Kaufman came to Memphis and offered any woman $1,000 if they could beat him. Lawler became tired of his antics and they began a verbal feud. They finally fought and Kaufman won the fight on a disqualification, because Lawler used an illegal move (the piledriver).

The two would meet again on July 28 on the David Letterman show and Lawler would give Kaufman the slap heard around the world. During Lawler’s appearance on the show Kauffman threated to sue Lawler for injuring him in their match and got tired of listening to Kaufman babble and he slapped him. This confrontation between the two actually brought wrestling the national stage. This was the first time wrestling and Hollywood to crossed paths. Memphis was selling out the Mid-South Coliseum every week back then. Lawler vs. Kaufman has been featured in movies (Man on the Moon) and on various TV specials.

These are just a few of the top sporting events that Memphis has hosted. There are plenty of other events that the city has played host to. What are some of your favorite sporting events of all time that has occurred within the city limits of Memphis?

Terry Davis is a regular contriburtor for MemphiSport. Follow him @Terryd515.

Reaction to Tarik Black announcing his transfer from Memphis

April 9, 2013 by Kevin Cerrito Leave a Comment

Here are the best tweets and pics reacting to Tarik Black announcing he is transferring from the University of Memphis:

Filed Under: The Big Features, Tiger Basketball Tagged With: Memphis Tigers, Tarik Black, Tiger Basketball, transfer, twitter

Why Memphis Needs Josh Pastner

March 26, 2013 by Warner Russell Leave a Comment

(Photo by Justin Ford)

If the University of Memphis lets Josh Pastner walk away to USC or UCLA, the Tigers will be making a monumental mistake.

Of course, there is a difference between Memphis letting him walk away and doing everything they can to get him to stay but coming up short in the end.

Gary Parrish and Geoff Calkins discussed the potential of Pastner leaving on the radio this week. Parrish said that he thinks Josh should use his position to try and leverage “as much as he can” out of Memphis. “As much as he can” would likely mean more money and more control. The money is there and available as the “open checkbook” story made clear before Calipari left, but Pastner still needs to prove a bit more in terms of winning before we make him the highest paid coach in the country. But, there is no question we could offer him as much as USC or UCLA would and feel OK about it.

The power issue is what worries me about the situation. As was made evident this season with the Tennessee scheduling guffaw, athletic director Tom Bowen is the boss and Pastner is the employee, which in terms of title is true. But Pastner should hold all the power in terms of scheduling, budget matters, discipline, etc., and if Tom Bowen doesn’t understand that and act accordingly, then yes, Josh should probably leave town.

If this happens and the Memphis athletic department can’t swallow their pride enough to give Josh what he needs and wants, within reason of course, then shame on them. This is not a time to let pride get in the way of making decisions that are best for the university and its basketball program. This is a time to look at a young coach who has been to three straight NCAA tournaments, who has recruited as well as anybody in the country, who has a top three recruiting class coming in next year, and above all else look at a coach who only has four years of head coaching experience and reward him accordingly so he can continue leading our program to bigger and better places.

Josh Pastner will be a star in the coaching world. Right now when people think of great NCAA basketball coaches, they think Izzo, Pitino, and Krzyzewski. In 15 to 20 years Stevens (Brad), Smart (Shaka), and Pastner will be the names synonymous with great coaching. Unfortunately, there will come a day when Memphis might not be able to provide everything Pastner deserves and a job like Duke or UNC or Kansas will open up and come calling, and in that case his leaving would be understandable, but I do not think this needs to be the year we let him get away.

Josh Pastner is good for Memphis. He is good at what he does, and his young age will only get better. He is a man of high moral value, a man that cares about his players more than winning, and a man that gives the University of Memphis a good name.

If Josh for some reason has his mind made up that he is leaving and there is nothing that the U of M can do to make him stay, then so be it. The Tigers can rebound with a decent or even above average coach for next season. But in the here and now, Josh Pastner is a rising star, and Memphis needs to grab on to him and not let go.

Warner Russell is a regular contributor for MemphiSport and The Wise Guise. Read his non-sports stuff here. Follow him @uncle_warny.

Round of 32 is about respect for America 12

March 22, 2013 by C.J. Hurt Leave a Comment

(Photo by Justin Ford)

When the “Catholic 7” decided to leave the sinking ship that was the Big East, and ironically take the name with them, they left the former Big East schools out in the cold.

With the traditional basketball powers like Notre Dame, Georgetown, and Villanova (all losing in the Round of 64) leaving to form a new Big East while and Louisville, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse commit to the ACC, we are left wondering if the former Big East schools will be able to compete with the larger conferences on the basketball court.

This year there are three teams from the America 12 (the front runner for new names for the new conference that will contain the members of the former Big East) in the tournament.

Memphis, Cincinnati, and Temple are carrying the torch for their new conference in this year’s tournament, and so far the three teams are representing the conference well. They are 2-1 (Cincinnati lost to Creighton in the Round of 64), and when Connecticut gets off of NCAA suspension next year, the conference formerly known as the Big East should be a formidable basketball conference.

Memphis hung on to beat Saint Mary’s, while Temple won a close game against North Carolina State. Both of the teams, destined to join the A-12 (or whatever the new name will be), will face steep competition in the Round of 32 from Big Ten schools, with Memphis taking on Michigan State, and Temple facing off with Indiana.

These two games are about more than a Sweet 16 appearance, they are about getting respect for the Tigers and the Owls new conference.

Since the beef of the former Big East is no more, many analysts think that the curtains have closed on the old Big East in terms of basketball relevance.

UConn will be given a level of respect that will rival that of the schools in the larger conferences, but if nobody else in the conference can hold their own against other elite schools in the nation, the conference might only get one team into the big dance.

Memphis and Temple have the chance to help shape the perception of their new conference with wins over two of the top ten teams in the nation, but it will not be easy.

Wins against two of the best teams in the Big Ten will be tough, but if they can pull it off, both programs will draw national attention for a conference in need of a helping hand.

Although the America 12 will not be an automatic qualifying BCS conference, it can become a conference on par with the Atlantic Ten or Mountain West from a basketball perspective. Both the A-10 and MWC have more teams in the tournament than the Pac-12 (4), ACC (4), and SEC (3).

That is what the “third round” is about for Memphis and Temple. The Round of 32 is bigger than the pride of the schools, the Sweet 16, and keeping the dreams of a possible National Championship alive. It is about shaping the perception of their new conference.

Perception is reality in college sports. If a conference gets labeled as weak, they will not receive as many at-large bids and lose out on millions in revenue dollars.

Wins for Memphis and Temple would go a long way in helping their new conference gain respect in basketball.

On the other hand, losses, especially in blow out fashion, could do the opposite.

CJ Hurt covers college basketball for MemphiSport. Follow him @churtj09 for live tweets from games.

Game Preview: Memphis Tigers battle Michigan State in Auburn Hills

March 22, 2013 by Terry Davis Leave a Comment

“Survive and advance” is the theme for March. The University of Memphis Tigers escaped with a narrow two-point win over the Saint Mary’s Gaels 54-52 in the NCAA Tournament Round of 64. With the win, the Tigers earned their first tournament and Top 25 victory under head coach Josh Pastner.

The prize for this accomplishment is facing the Michigan State Spartans in Auburn Hills, MI just 80 miles from the MSU campus. If The Tigers can get on a roll, the Spartans cross-state rival the Michigan Wolverines fans could become temporary Tigers fans. Michigan plays VCU in the same building prior to Memphis-Michigan State.

The Spartans defeated Valparaiso in 65-54 in their opening round game of the NCAA Tournament. Derrick Nix had a monster game scoring 23 points and grabbed 15 rebounds 9 of which were offensive.

The Tigers will enter the game as a prohibitive underdog. The Tigers played their best basketball this season when they played with a chip on their shoulder. The last time Memphis played Michigan State in the tournament the Tigers defeated the Spartans on their way to the Final Four.

Chris Crawford long range shots have to return in order for Memphis to advance. Photo by Justine Ford.

How the Tigers can advance to the Sweet 16:

Exploit the Spartans weakness.

The Tigers are one of the fastest teams in the country. The guard play of Joe Jackson is the reason why. The Spartans biggest weakness is their guard play. If Jackson, Gerron Johnson and Chris Crawford are able to push the tempo and force turnovers it will be a long day for the Spartans.

Play with no fear.

All season the Tigers have been checking items off of their list that they have never accomplished. The latest checked item on their list was never having won a NCAA or Top 25 game under Pastner. In order for the Tigers to advance to the Sweet 16, they will have to play forty minutes of basketball like they play in their first twenty minutes in the Saint Mary’s game.

Team play.

There is no time like the present to have just average games. If Chris Crawford, Johnson and Adonis Thomas can all have just their average game at the same time, the Tigers would win most games in blowout fashion. It has been very rare this season when every member of the team has clicked at the same time. The Tigers are capable of defeating the Spartans, but can they execute their game plan with perfection?

Make free throws.

The Tigers have been a good free throw shooting team for most of the season. However ,they have not been shooting free throws well of late. The Tigers have a history of not receiving favorable calls in most games and the recent history of not shooting free throws well means the Tigers need to take care of business early. The team needs to experience a blowout victory to eliminated any chances of ending their season prematurely.

ON TV: Memphis vs. Michigan State airs Saturday at 1:45 pm on CBS

Terry Davis covers the Memphis Tigers for MemphiSport. To reach Terry, email him at terry@memphisport.com. Follow him @Terryd515.

Photos: Memphians watch their Tigers defeat St. Mary’s in NCAA Tournament

March 21, 2013 by Kevin Cerrito Leave a Comment

Memphis fans sure know how to plan their day around an afternoon NCAA Tournament game.

Here are some of the best social media pictures of Memphis fans watching Josh Pastner’s get his first ever NCAA Tournament win as head coach of the Tigers:

View the story "Photos: Memphians watch their Tigers defeat St. Mary's in NCAA Tournament" on Storify

Email: kevin@memphisport.com
Twitter: @cerrito

Filed Under: The Big Features, Tiger Basketball Tagged With: instagram, Josh Pastner, Memphis Tigers, NCAA Tournament, Photos, St. Mary's, Tiger Basketball, twitter, win

Game Preview: Tigers open up NCAA play with St. Mary’s

March 20, 2013 by Terry Davis Leave a Comment

The respect that the University of Memphis was looking for from the NCAA Selection Committee was received when the Tigers were placed as a sixth seed in the tournament. However, the Tigers will be at a slight disadvantage in only having only 36 hours to prepare for the 11-seed Saint Mary’s Gaels.

The Tigers will have to do some late night cramming to find out their game plan for the Gaels. St. Mary’s defeated the Middle Tennessee State University Blue Raiders 67-54 in the First Four game in Dayton, OH and will travel to play the Tigers in Auburn Hills, MI at 1:40 Central time on Thursday March 21. The Gaels are 28-6 and three of their losses have been to Gonzaga.

Joe Jackson looks to get the Tigers their first NCAA tournament win under Coach Josh Pastner. Photo by Justin Ford

Memphis’ keys to a their first NCAA Tournament victory with Josh Pastner:

Joe Jackson being the leader.

Jackson has had his best season as a Tiger. He has made other players on the team better. Jackson does not look to be the top scorer every game. Since the tournament in the Bahamas, Jackson has been the motor that has driven the Tigers. Jackson has not complained when he was not in the game and gives the team what it needs at critical times.

Adonis Thomas.

Thomas has the ability to take over a game at any point. In the game at Tennessee, he came out with a killer instinct from the opening tip. He needs to have that commitment for the rest of the season in the opening minutes of every game. Thomas is not dependent on relying on other players to get him the ball in certain spots. Thomas can be effective as a long to mid-range shooter or as a cutter to the basket.

The big men have to play big.

Tarik Black and Shaq Goodwin have got to play more physical, but yet smarter. The Tigers will be bigger than most teams the play. However the Tigers have had a tendency to be out rebounded in most games. Black and Goodwin can be dominating forces for the Tigers, when they are not in foul trouble. Neither player can afford to continue to commit silly avoidable fouls.

Must stop Matthew Dellavdova.

Dellavedova is the heart and soul of the Gaels. If the Tigers are able to disrupt him, they will be able to get the team out of character. Dellavedova is one of the best players in the country and he can score from all parts of the floor. Dellavedova is the leading scorer in the Gaels’ history and is the second leading active assist leader in NCAA with 757.

Control tempo.

When the Tigers play at their pace, they can play with any team in the nation. The Tigers are very explosive and can score points in quickly. When the Tigers are clicking with Jackson, Chris Crawford and Gerron Johnson, their pressure defense will cause turnovers and quick layups or killer 3-pointers.

Vegas has St Mary’s favored over the Tigers by 1.

ON TV: Memphis vs. St. Mary’s airs at 1:45 pm on CBS

Terry Davis covers the Memphis Tigers for MemphiSport. To reach Terry, email him at terry@memphisport.com. Follow him @Terryd515.

VIDEO: ESPN profiles Darius Washington eight years after missing his free throws

March 13, 2013 by Kevin Cerrito Leave a Comment

Watch former University of Memphis point guard Darius Washington talk to ESPN about how his life has changed in the eight years since missing the free throws in the championship game of the 2005 C-USA Tournament:

Email: kevin@memphisport.com
Twitter: @cerrito

What seed will the Memphis Tigers get in the NCAA Tournament?

March 13, 2013 by Terry Davis 2 Comments

No matter what happens in this week’s C-USA Tournament, the Memphis Tigers are expected to receive an invitation to participate in the NCAA basketball tournament this season. The only two questions remaining: Where will the team go? and What seed will they receive?

The three mostly likely destinations that the Tigers will land for the first round are Austin, TX, Lexington, KY or Philadelphia, PA. The other first round sites are Auburn Hills, MI, Dayton, OH, Kansas City, MO, Salt Lake City, UT, and San Jose, CA.

The NCAA selection committee has stated in previous years is that they will try to make every effort to keep teams as close to home as possible. Given the history of how well Tigers fanbase travels, the committee will make an effort to ensure a manageable trip for fans. The Tigers lead Conference USA (CUSA) in total average attendance with over 16,000 tickets sold to each game. This fact will not be lost on the selection committee.

DJ Stephens and the Tigers looks to go Dancing. (Photo by Justin Ford)

As far as seeding goes, a couple of things in the Tigers’ favor are their rankings in the latest polls. The Tigers are ranked No. 20 in the Associated Press poll, No. 17 in the USA Today Coaches Poll, 19 in the ESPN Basketball Power Index and 21 in the more well-known Ratings Percentage Index (RPI).

Hear what some of the Tigers’ faithful feel were the team will land in the 2013 tourney:

The Tigers all-time scoring leader Keith Lee feels the Tigers deserve a sixth seed, but because of the lack of respect for the conference he feels they will be no higher than an eighth seed.

The “Little General” aka Andre Turner jokingly stated that the Tigers will get a 63^rd seed, but came around that said they will probably get a sixth seed.

Bank of Bartlett president Harold Byrd will very high on the Tigers and feels because of what the team did this year they deserve a fourth seed because of the body of their work.

Former Athletic Director for the Tigers RC Johnson thinks the team will receive a sixth seed.

Coach Josh Pastner feels his team deserves to be seeded fourth and at worst a sixth seed. This was said after the Conference USA regular season finale. Pastner reiterated that at this time, because there is still a lot of basketball yet to be played. In the end, Pastner stated it doesn’t really matter we are seeded we will have to take care of business.

Most national experts have the Tigers hovering around the 8^th thru the 11^th seed for the tournament.

The selection committee will meet in Kansas City, MO starting in the next few days to begin the hard deliberations on which teams will be selected and where they will play. Early in the season, some experts had the Tigers seed in the first four in Dayton, OH. It is safe to say even with an early exit in the C-USA tournament that is unlikely to occur.

The final determination will occur on selection Sunday, March 17.

Terry Davis covers the Memphis Tigers for MemphiSport. To reach Terry, email him at terry@memphisport.com. Follow him @Terryd515.

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Filed Under: The Big Features, Tiger Basketball