Tigers off to good start as they handle Belmont, 97-81

November 16, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Joe Jackson goes in for the slam

Joe Jackson throws down a dunk in Memphis' win over Belmont - Photo by Justin Ford

The crowd oohed and aahed, screamed with joy and even shed a few tears. They held their collective breaths and stared in awe. Then came the starting lineups.

An energized group of 16,294 was mesmerized by a video intro that head coach Josh Pastner had predicted to media members after the last exhibition game would be the best they’d ever seen. And he was spot on. The FedExForum scoreboard displayed images of Tiger players and teams from past to present – from Forest Arnold to Win Wilfong, John Gunn to Ronnie Robinson. There were images of the iconic Larry Finch, both in his retired number 21 jersey and his suit and tie on the bench. Then there was Keith Lee, Elliott Perry and Penny Hardaway followed by Derrick Rose and Chris Douglas-Roberts. And after the current core of players finally made their appearance on Tiger Vision, the nearly packed house was primed and ready to go, and probably filled with lofty expectations.  But as hard as it might have been to believe, things were just getting started.

Before you could even blink, Tiger sophomore guard Joe Jackson had buried a three pointer to give the Tigers a double digit lead at 14-4, and it would take Belmont over 6 minutes before they converted their first field goal of the game. If Memphis big men Tarik Black and Stan Simpson hadn’t gotten into early foul trouble, things might well have been worse for the Bruins. Black picked up his second foul just 53 seconds in, and it looked as if Belmont might be able to take advantage of a thin Tiger front line

The U of M then however went on a 13-0 run with 18:53 remaining that lasted until the Bruins’ JJ Mann finally scored at the 13:27 mark. His basket would spark an 8-0 run for Belmont, with Mann scoring seven of the eight points. And with 10:35 left in the first half, the lead had been cut to 18-14.

But Memphis would respond again, this time behind the efforts of senior Wesley Witherspoon, who had one of the finest halves of his college career. ‘Spoon scored seven straight points during a 1:49 stretch midway through the first stanza and finished the half with 16 points, going 6 of 6 from the field, including 3 for 3 from long distance.

But as good as Witherspoon was, Jackson was right there. The lighting quick point guard showed that he definitely belongs at the position as he consistently blew by Belmont defenders and rarely failed to make the correct decision. He also shot a perfect 4 of 4 from the field in the first half as he and Witherspoon accounted for 27 points on 10 of 10 shooting. The rest of the Tigers combined to go only 6-20 (30 percent) before the break.

Nevertheless, the half ended with Memphis owning a 46-39 lead despite being outrebounded 21-15 (including nine offensive boards for the Bruins compared to 11 defensive for Memphis) and Belmont going 15 of 18 from the free throw line. The 7 point cushion was probably a welcome sight considering how close the Bruins had played Duke and with the Tigers top two big men stuck on the bench with foul difficulties.

“I think it was a very stupid foul I got, the first one,” Black said. “I should have just tried to block the shot… but instead, I stood there and tried to take a charge. The refs came to the gym and told us that if you’re inside the circle, you’re going to get a foul. So that was my fault. And once you rack up one, in the ref’s mind, you’re foul prone. So the second one, my teammates told me it was kind of iffy. But if it’s iffy, they’re going to call it.”

Memphis came out in the second half much like they did the first, opening up with a 13-5 run to up the lead to 59-44 with 16:58 to go and would eventually follow that up with a 6-0 spurt to push the advantage to 17, 69-52 at the 12:18 mark of the second half. Belmont later countered with a 10-0 run that would cut the Tigers lead all the way down to 7, but a crowd pleasing alley oop from Jackson to Black with 8:05 remaining tempered the threat.

With 3:45 left to go, the Bruins’ Ian Clark nailed a 3-pointer off a feed from Kerron Johnson to bring Belmont once again within 7 at 84-77, and it looked like a still young Tiger team might wilt under the pressure. But Memphis would weather the storm, allowing only four more points the rest of the way as they buckled down and applied suffocating defense, their superior quickness, length and athleticism eventually just wearing down an overmatched opponent. The Tigers also managed to make the majority of their free throws down the stretch en route to a 97-81 victory.

Will Barton had a solid, if not spectacular game, making runners and key baskets when his team needed them on his way to a game high 23 points, one of four Tigers in double figures. Witherspoon finished with 22 on a perfect 8 of 8 from the field, and Jackson wound up with 20 points and 7 assists compared to only one turnover. The Tigers committed only nine turnovers as a team, impressive considering the breakneck pace at which they played on their way to scoring 97 points (the most since the U of M put up 102 against UT Martin on Nov 23 last season).

Senior guard Charles Carmouche provided a steady contribution as well, filling up the stat sheet with 8 points, 5 assists, 5 steals and 4 rebounds. Freshman Adonis Thomas, after a forgettable first half, wound up with 12 points on 5 of 9 shooting, as he seemed to suddenly adjust to the college game after the intermission.

“In the first half I was just so anxious,” Thomas said. “This was my first ESPN game, the first big game. When I got out there, I was just excited to be out on the court. In the second half I calmed down. I figured out that I needed to attack and play with more confidence and get to the hole. And that’s what I did.”

But the star of the day had to be Witherspoon.

“I was able to get it going early tonight, and guys started looking for me, and I was knocking down shots,” he said.

And with the Tigers primary big men in foul trouble, he knew he had to step up.

“We’re able to do a lot of different things with this basketball team because we’re so versatile,” Witherspoon continued. “We have Adonis Thomas that can slide down and play that four position. He did a great job tonight.”

Make no mistake; this is a big victory for Memphis in a game against a tough opponent that came within one point of upsetting Duke just a few days before. But the win was far from flawless. The Tigers were outrebounded 42-29, including 20-5 on the offensive end. And Memphis left quite a few points on the free throw line, going only 22-34, a 64.7 percent clip. Pastner knows his team can’t afford to simply give away points like that.

“We’ve got to step up and make free throws”, Pastner said. “No question about that. We make 25 every day in practice. Each individual has to make twenty-five. We run, and the only way to get out of running is to make free throws. So we do everything with free throw shooting, we just have to step up and make ‘em.

“And of course we drill on rebounding, but you know, a lot of times we go small, and we’ve got to have everyone get on the glass. We can’t have any leak outs. We have to have all five guys have their feet on the defensive paint, and jumping and getting the ball. Guard rebounds are so critical.”

Still, the Tigers will take this one. If this isn’t the best effort they can produce, what happens when everything goes right on the same day? Periodically throughout the game, Tigers PA announcer Chuck Roberts would address the crowd with an ad that included the phrase, “Follow your Tigers all the way to New Orleans….”

If Tuesday provided any indication, they just might end up there.

Please feel free to comment on this story using the form at the bottom of the page.

Michael Jones is the Tiger basketball beat writer for MemphiSport. You can follow him via Twitter @MemphisMJ.

Photo by Justin Ford.

 

Box score:

Belmont vs Memphis Tigers
11/15/11 11:00 a.m. at Memphis, Tenn. (FedExForum)

Belmont 81

Total

3-point

Rebounds

##

 Player

p

fgm-fga

fgm-fga

ftm-fta

off-def

tot

pf

tp

a

to

blk

stl

min

14

 MANN, JJ

f

7-15

3-7

1-2

2-2

4

2

18

1

2

0

2

31

45

 BAKER, Brandon

f

0-4

0-4

2-2

0-2

2

3

2

0

0

0

0

11

32

 SAUNDERS, Scott

c

1-6

0-0

2-2

1-2

3

4

4

0

1

1

0

17

03

 JOHNSON, Kerron

g

4-10

0-1

5-6

4-4

8

2

13

6

4

0

3

31

21

 CLARK, Ian

g

5-7

2-3

4-4

1-2

3

2

16

1

1

0

0

24

00

 LANG, Chad

-

0-0

0-0

0-0

0-0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

01

 HANLEN, Drew

-

3-7

0-3

3-5

2-2

4

3

9

2

4

0

1

31

02

 JENKINS, Blake

-

1-7

0-1

0-0

2-1

3

2

2

3

0

0

0

11

04

 MOBLEY, Holden

-

0-0

0-0

0-0

0-1

1

1

0

0

1

0

0

1

05

 CAVERA, Seth

-

0-0

0-0

0-0

0-0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

11

 TURNER, Spencer

-

1-2

1-1

0-0

1-0

1

0

3

0

0

0

0

6

22

 CHAMBERLAIN, Reece

-

0-0

0-0

0-0

0-0

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

1

24

 BARNES, Adam

-

1-1

0-0

0-0

0-2

2

1

2

0

0

0

0

6

30

 NOACK, Trevor

-

0-1

0-0

2-2

0-0

0

2

2

0

1

0

0

5

34

 HEDGEPETH, Mick

-

3-7

0-0

4-6

2-6

8

5

10

0

3

0

1

23

TM

 TEAM

-

-

-

-

3-0

3

-

-

-

-

-

-

-
Totals…………..

-

26-67

6-20

23-29

18-24

42

27

81

13

18

1

7

200

38.8%

30.0%

79.3%

Team summary:

FG

3FG

FT

1st Half:

11-31

2-10

15-18

35.5%

20.0%

83.3%

2nd Half:

15-36

4-10

8-11

41.7%

40.0%

72.7%

Memphis Tigers 97

Total

3-point

Rebounds

##

 Player

p

fgm-fga

fgm-fga

ftm-fta

off-def

tot

pf

tp

a

to

blk

stl

min

10

 Black,Tarik

f

2-5

0-0

2-2

0-2

2

4

6

0

1

2

0

13

11

 Witherspoon,Wesley

f

8-8

3-3

3-6

3-2

5

4

22

1

1

0

2

28

01

 Jackson,Joe

g

6-7

1-1

7-9

0-4

4

2

20

7

2

0

0

33

04

 Carmouche,Charles

g

3-6

2-2

0-1

0-4

4

3

8

5

1

1

5

27

05

 Barton,Will

g

7-12

0-4

9-14

0-5

5

1

23

3

2

1

0

36

02

 Barton,Antonio

-

0-2

0-1

0-0

1-0

1

0

0

3

0

0

0

13

03

 Crawford,Chris

-

1-5

0-1

0-0

0-1

1

1

2

1

1

0

0

14

30

 Stephens,D.J.

-

0-0

0-0

0-0

0-0

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

3

32

 Simpson,Stan

-

2-4

0-0

0-0

1-1

2

3

4

0

0

1

0

13

35

 Thomas,Adonis

-

5-9

1-2

1-2

0-3

3

2

12

0

1

1

0

20

TM

 TEAM

-

-

-

-

0-2

2

-

-

-

-

-

-

-
Totals…………..

-

34-58

7-14

22-34

5-24

29

20

97

20

9

7

7

200

58.6%

50.0%

64.7%

Team summary:

FG

3FG

FT

1st Half:

16-30

5-10

9-16

53.3%

50.0%

56.3%

2nd Half:

18-28

2-4

13-18

64.3%

50.0%

72.2%

 

Score by Periods

 1st 

 2nd 

 Total 

  
Belmont

39

42

81

 Record: (0-2)
Memphis Tigers

46

51

97

 Record: (1-0)

 

Officials: Rick Randall, Rick Hartzell, Bert Smith
Technical fouls: Belmont-None. Memphis Tigers-Witherspoon,Wesley.
Attendance: 16294

 

Filed Under: The Big Features, Tiger Basketball, Web Exclusives Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Tigers Make Magicians Disappear

November 3, 2011 by Leave a Comment

The University of Memphis’ 119-67 victory Wednesday night over LeMoyne-Owen was far from perfect, but Tiger fans should be pleased with their team’s overall performance. Will Barton showed why he is a preseason player of the year candidate, displaying his all-around game as he amassed 22 points (on 9 of 13 shooting), 5 rebounds and 4 assists in only 20 minutes of action. There were some rough spots of course, such as allowing the Magicians a plethora of open 3s and an occasional lapse in half-court defense, but for the most part, Wednesday’s game served to reaffirm why the U of M has garnered such lofty expectations for this season.

Senior guard Charles Carmouche was one of seven Tigers who finished in double figures as he showed once again why his veteran presence is so valuable to this team. Fellow senior Wesley Witherspoon poured in 16 points and five rebounds, and junior college transfer Stan Simpson had an impressive debut, finishing with 14 points as he missed only one of his eight attempts from the floor. Even more impressive were his 7 rebounds and 3 blocked shots.

It looked for a moment as though the Tigers might struggle as they have in previous exhibitions, posting only a 28-20 advantage with 12 minutes to go in the first half. LeMoyne Owen’s Teshawn Byron torched the Tigers for 33 points, and Memphis gave the Magicians several open looks throughout the early stages of the game. But eventually the Tigers’ superior size and athleticism took their toll on an overmatched Division 2 opponent, going on a 24-4 run over the final eight minutes of the half en route to a 57-29 lead at the break. The Magicians failed to make any kind of significant run in the second stanza.

Next up for Memphis is a second exhibition on Friday, Nov. 11 against CBU at FedExForum.

Player ratings (10 = highest, 1 = lowest)

Tarik Black:  5

Black played 19 minutes and had 3 blocked shots, but for the most part, he was invisible on offense. 4 points and 2 rebounds is simply unacceptable. The good news, however, is that the Tigers top big man didn’t commit a single foul.

Wesley Witherspoon:  7

Witherspoon was impressive, showing leadership and hustle as he dove for several loose balls, grabbed 3 steals and went 6 of 7 from the line. This is exactly the kind of effort everyone should expect the senior to produce every time out. Unfortunately though, fans have seen this kind of game from Witherspoon before, and it is usually followed by several underachieving performances. Although the Tigers next opponent, CBU, isn’t exactly a jump up in class, it will be interesting to see if ‘Spoon can have another solid game.

Joe Jackson:  7

Jackson did little to captivate the crowd, but his showing was fairly impressive nonetheless. The White Station alum’s 7 assists tied for the team lead, and he committed only one turnover. Jackson seemed to relish his role as a point guard rather than trying to force the issue and make sure he got his own shot. The Tigers would probably like to get more than 10 points out of one of their main offensive weapons, but they will also certainly take a steady performance like this any day.

Charles Carmouche:  8

Carmouche played every bit like the senior leader he is, going 6 of 6 from the floor including 3 for 3 from beyond the arc. He was also a perfect 1-1 from the stripe and played steady defense. ‘Mouche is a model of consistency, something that a group of young players can learn from just by being on the floor with him.

Will Barton:  8

If this game had been against a more potent foe, Barton would have been rated even higher. Tiger fans got to see what they probably expected to witness later year, as the Baltimore native was easily the best player on the floor in just about every facet of the game. Whereas last season he often seemed to shy away from contact, Barton appeared to actually look for it at times during this game, eager to draw the foul and finish or step up to the line. If Barton plays this way consistently, this Tiger team may actually deliver on his guarantee from last year.

Antonio Barton:  7

Like Carmouche, Antonio Barton continues to be one of the steadiest presences on the roster. He once again played solid defense and made open shots as he took what the defense gave him, all while impressively running the team at the point.

Chris Crawford:  5

Crawford had a terrible night shooting the ball, going 2 for 10, but he is still a critical piece for this Tiger team. It’s possible that his concentration on guarding the opposition might have affected his shot, but that should get better as the year goes on. His court vision is second to none as his 7 assists tied with Jackson for game high honors. A full court pass ahead to Barton over the head of a Magician defender showed just how good his passing touch can be, and that wasn’t even the most impressive look of the night. His behind the back dish to Carmouche for an open 3 on the break was a thing of beauty and brought probably the biggest cheer of the night.

Stan Simpson:  8

Wednesday marked a fairly impressive debut for Simpson. Besides Barton, he probably had the best showing of any Tiger player. Showing an array of low post moves and a nice outside touch, the newcomer showed that Memphis won’t have to rely solely on Black down low. If he continues to play like this, he will easily be an upgrade over what Memphis lost in Will Coleman.

Adonis Thomas:  6

Thomas struggled early on as it seemed like the speed of the game at this level might be a bit overwhelming. As he got into the flow, however, the freshman managed to contribute some solid minutes and finish in double figures with 11 points.

Hippolyte Tsafack:  5

“Hip” provided some big minutes off the bench, gathering in 7 boards in only 13 minutes. He also committed 4 personal fouls in that time, and it’s obvious he has some adjustments to make as he learns the college game.

DJ Stephens:  3

Stephens played only 7 minutes and for the most part failed to make an impact. Didn’t play particularly poorly but also didn’t seem to be his usual passionate self.

Charles Holt:  5

Holt came in late in the game and hit his only shot, an open 3-pointer. Also committed a turnover and had 1 assist in his 3 minutes. Can’t ask for much more from the walk on.

Preston Laird:  7

The crowd was chanting for Laird as soon as it was evident the Tigers would have a blowout win. Hit a 3 and could have scored more if he had hit either of the 2 free throws he attempted. Also collected a pair of rebounds.

Please feel free to comment on this story using the form at the bottom of the page.

Michael Jones is the Tiger basketball beat writer for MemphiSport. You can follow him via Twitter @MemphisMJ.

Photo by Justin Ford.

Filed Under: The Big Features, Tiger Basketball Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

No excuses: Memphis Tigers face lofty expectations in 2011-2012 season

October 11, 2011 by 4 Comments

Will Barton is on the preseason C-USA first team. Tarik Black and Joe Jackson are on the second team. Barton and Jackson are both on the Wooden Award Top 50 List. Jay Bilas issued a tweet announcing Memphis as his number eight ranked team in the country. Several other publications are sure to have the Tigers included in their Top 15 preseason rankings. So it’s pretty obvious at this point that Josh Pastner and his team will have a big target on their back from the onset this season. And he wouldn’t have it any other way. The coach has repeatedly stated that he likes the expectations that this year brings. In fact, he wishes they were ranked number one. All these signs seem to point to one thing- For this year’s version of Memphis Tiger basketball, there will be no excuses.

In the new world of one and done players in college basketball, having a plethora of second year phenoms on your roster is about as good as it gets. Gone are the days of senior laden squads to provide experience and leadership. Show me a team that is now comprised mainly of veterans and I’ll show you a team that is no doubt bereft of talent.

But that’s a problem Memphis doesn’t have. The Tigers feature only two seniors who will see significant action this year, Wesley Witherspoon and Charles Carmouche. And neither of those two are lacking in ability. Witherspoon has always been viewed as an underachiever, and Carmouche is a transfer who at the beginning of last season looked like the only the player a young Memphis team would be able to count on for consistency.

This team’s strength however, will lie with its underclassmen. Five sophomores who made valuable contributions as freshman return this season. And with the long-standing belief that college basketball players tend to make the biggest improvements between their first and second year, it is only reasonable to expect Antonio Barton, Chris Crawford, Will Barton, Jackson and Black to step up their game to another level this year. And given how they finished last year, that’s nothing to sneeze at.

Pastner has enjoyed telling everyone how last season other coaches continually expressed to him how unbelievably athletic his team was. During the NCAA tournament, Charles Barkley told a national television audience over and over about the unparalleled quickness of the team. With the expected natural development and maturation process of these young players, it is inevitable that they will be better able to take advantage of those attributes this year. And now that legendary “Hell’s Trainer,” Frank Matrisciano has been added to the staff as Strength and Conditioning Coach, it’s possible that the team will become even harder to match up with physically.

So their coach wishes they were No. 1 in the country. In the city of Memphis, there is something he can definitely count on. With everything the Tigers have going for them this year, fans will accept nothing less. But their expectations won’t be for the preseason. They want that ranking to come at the end.

Michael Jones is the Tiger basketball beat writer for MemphiSport. You can follow him via Twitter @MemphisMJ.

Photo by Chase Gustafson

Filed Under: The Big Features, Tiger Basketball Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

2011 M Awards: Best Hair

July 27, 2011 by 4 Comments

The playoff beard is an anomaly. Swimmers and bicyclists shave their entire bodies so that they can get just a bit faster and more aerodynamic than the competition. So why do the Grizzlies care so little about speed? It seems to me that if they shaved the playoff beards they would have made the playoffs just a little faster. It’s just common sense.

The Grizzlies Playoff Beards, First Place: 48.80%
Tarik Black, Second Place: 17.87%
RC Johnson, Third Place: 12.03%
Best Write-in Vote: Josh Pastner

So what do you think, Memphis? Tell us what you think in the comments below. And look for another winner soon. Here are the winners so far…

The 2011 M Award Winners

For the first time ever the M Awards are being announced online. Check back here daily in the month of July for a new winner in MemphiSport’s annual celebration of the best in Memphis sports.

Favorite Concessions: FedExForum
Favorite Place To Tailgate: Tiger Lane
Favorite Sporting Venue: FedExForum
Favorite Race: The Grizzlies Playoff Race
Best Game: CUSA Championship Game
Most Memorable Moment: Rudy Gay Beats the Heat
Favorite Annual Event: Memphis Madness
Moment We Would Most Like To Forget: Murder of Lorenzen Wright
Best Offbeat Moment: Snoop Dogg courtside during his concert
Best Musical Performance: Yo Gotti at Memphis Madness
Best In-Game Entertainment: Memphis Tigers Dance Team
Best Place To Stock Up For The Big Game: Kroger
Best Local Sports Bar/Restaurant: Hueys
Best National Sports Bar Restaurant: Buffalo Wild Wings
Best Place To Eat Before/After The Game: Hueys
Best Place To Take The Team After A Victory: Memphis Pizza Cafe
Best Place To Play Cards: Horseshoe Casino
Best Golf Course: Mirimichi
Favorite Golf Store: Edwin Watts Golf
Favorite Sporting Goods Store: Dick’s Sporting Goods
Favorite Sports Apparel Store: Tiger Bookstore
Favorite Workout Facility: YMCA
Favorite Healthy Store: Whole Foods Market
Favorite Place To Spend A Nice Afternoon: The Memphis Zoo
Favorite Bike Shop: Peddler Bike Shop
Best Local Sports Radio Personality: Chris Vernon
Best Local Sports Radio Program: The Chris Vernon Show
Favorite Sports Talk Radio Segment: Harvard or Horn Lake Trivia
Favorite Local TV Sports Personality: Geoff Calkins
Favorite Local Sports Website: memphisroar.com
Favorite Local Sports Twitter: @aa000G9
Favorite Mascot: Super Grizz
Favorite Spirit Squad: Memphis Tigers Dance Team
Favorite Hair: The Grizzlies Playoff Beards

Click here to listen to the 2011 M Awards Nominations Special

Filed Under: The 2011 M Awards, The Big Features Tagged With: , ,

To Memphis From Memphis

December 15, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Growing up in Memphis, it’s hard not to root for the U of M — bleed Tiger Blue. There’s nothing fans in this city love more than watching their team make a deep run in the NCAA tournament – except seeing Memphians in those Memphis jerseys. Because Memphis basketball has been racking up the wins for some time now, but without the biggest high school stars from within the deep and talented pool of players this city has to offer. With one epic recruiting class, three guys who grew up playing ball in this city look to fulfill the dreams of every Tiger fan. Joe Jackson, Chris Crawford and Tarik Black tell Memphisport they’re ready to live that dream as they talk about the Tigers’ chance at a national championship, Memphis’ best local artist and the city’s best hot wings.

How important was it for you guys to be a part of the resurgence of this Memphis basketball program after what happened a few years ago?

Joe: I’ve been growing up watching the Tigers. My heart is in this city. I love that blue. But with the situation with the coaches and the team we had coming in, it was a good fit for me. So I couldn’t really see myself somewhere else.

Tarik: It’s great being from Memphis. You grow up watching them. I wasn’t even a basketball fan. I was in the band, but I knew who the Tigers were. To be on the court, wearing a jersey now; it’s every player’s dream come true.

Chris: I only wanted to be a Memphis Tiger ever since I was young. It was a dream that I wanted to come true and I always used to talk to my father about it before he passed away.

What was the best pitch Coach Pastner made to you during the recruiting process?

Joe: Well actually he didn’t have to do a lot. Like I said, I always wanted to play at Memphis. Even during the recruiting process I didn’t even take a visit to another school. That just speaks for itself. I just held out for a minute; for the fans, you know.

Tarik: There were so many. His pitches weren’t even to me really. They were to my mom. ‘We’re putting education first.’ That’s the best thing to tell my mom.

Chris: Just him saying that I’d be able to play in front of my mother. She’s never missed a game ever since I was little, so that was the biggest thing.

Were any of you close to signing with another team?

Joe: No. It was just the perfect situation for me. I just couldn’t see myself somewhere else.

Tarik: To be real honest with you, everybody knows I wasn’t coming here at first. I made my decision in one night. I was on a plane headed somewhere else. But, divine intervention.

Chris: I can’t lie to you. I was going to go somewhere else, but next thing you know, at home I was.

How big of a factor was it for you that the rest of this recruiting class was looking so good, especially with so much local talent?

Joe: It all boiled down to whether you want to win. I want to win and with coach getting a lot of good players at every position, it gives us a good chance to win. I just wanted to come in and help out.

Tarik: I hate those guys. That’s why I was going to leave. Once they signed I was like, “man I can’t go there.” No. I’m just playing. I love those dudes. Those are my dudes. It’s what’s comfortable.

Chris: We came from the same AAU team. We won the championship, so we might as well stick together.

You guys have seen Memphis Madness before as a fan, but can you explain how it felt as a player?

Joe: It was great. I went three or four years in a row and I watched Derrick Rose, Tyreke Evans, Darius Washington. It was just great to see the atmosphere like that.

Tarik: I love lights. That’s my basic motto. I love light and crowds. If there aren’t lights and there isn’t a crowd then you probably won’t see the best out of me. I felt noxious beforehand. We couldn’t settle down. Wes and Will both said, “you can tell they’re freshmen.”

Chris: Before the madness, you could tell we were freshman. We were back there going crazy.

How much did it show you how important this team and this university is to this city?

Joe: I was a fan and now I’m a player and it just showed me how much support everyone affiliated with the organization is going to give you. It’s just pleasing to know that all these fans want to see you do good – at least 16,000. You’re not going to get that everywhere else.

Some players on this team have already been talking. Will Barton has said the goal for this season is to get to the national championship. Is that something you feel is a realistic goal for this team?
Joe: That’s a big quote. But if you’re a ball player and you work hard at what you do then you feel like that sometimes. I feel like we’ve got a chance to do it. It’s just a matter of us getting experience under our belts and taking the bumps in the road and then when the tournament comes around we’ll have confidence. But we’ve got a lot of players that can produce.

Tarik: If you play for a major team, you wouldn’t think anyone else was better than you. We’re the top recruiting class in the country with two top upperclassmen still left here and two more in the back woods that folks don’t even think about that are actually going to shine this year. So why would we put ourselves behind anybody? But we’re from Memphis. A lot of people aren’t used to going through some of the stuff we have.

Chris: We just know how to get after it and go win games.

Will Coleman has said he feels there is something special about this team. What do you think he means by that?

Joe: You’ll have to watch us practice on a day-to-day basis. We always go hard. You’re not going to find that on every team. We have our problems but we resolve them. Everybody gets along. We’re brothers.

Chris: Maybe because we’re all together as a team. We’ve bonded. We hang together most of the time. We’re laughing and joking all the time. We just have a good feel for each other.

Tarik: It’s our bond with each other. For eight freshmen — and it’s really nine new guys — to just come out of nowhere on a team and for us to feel like brothers already; that’s something special to me. Another thing is, off the court we’re friends. But on the court, if you watched us practice, you would think me and Will hate each other. Talking noise. Chris and Joe get into it all the time. You would think we hate each other. But then we get in the locker room and we’re friends.

Is there a team on the schedule you were looking forward to playing the most?

Joe: Yeah. Lemoyne-Owen. I wanted to get a good feel for the game. I had never played in a college game, so it was a just different thing.

Chris: I’m going with Tennessee. That’s the game I look forward to the most.

Tarik: I think I’ve got two. One of them is not even on our schedule. I just want to play them – Duke. And I want to play Tennessee.

Who is the best shooter on the team?

Joe: Honestly, it’s up and down. Some days Chris Crawford looks like the best shooter in the world; some days Carmouche. But all our shooters are consistent. I’m not trying to say nothing bad, but they’re not like Doneal Mack. They’re not inconsistent.

Chris: We’ve got consistent shooters but…

Tarik: Any day they could outshine each other.

Chris: Yeah, yeah. We’ve just got a lot of shooters. Well Doneal was a little streaky.

Joe: Yeah. Yeah. But I tell you what, these guys if you give them an inch they’re going to make it.

Who is the best athlete on the team?

Joe: Of course, you’ve got to go with DJ Stephens. I mean, I’m a good athlete but he just soars above everything in everything he does; rebound, jump shot. It’s crazy.

Chris: Got to go with DJ.

Tarik: Will can jump, too. But DJ just gets off the floor so fast. You can’t train to do what DJ does. I don’t know how he does it.

Chris: You’re still in shock even though you see it all the time.

Does it go without saying then that he’s the best dunker?

Joe: No. I’m not going to say that. I think me and Will Barton have got the most creative dunks. We’ve got a little more flair to our game. DJ’s got the bounce, but he can’t go between his legs and stuff like that.

Tarik: DJ, too. Got to go back with DJ. If I could finish I’d be up there.

Chris: We’ve got a lot of guys: DJ, Will Coleman, Will Barton, ‘Spoon. But DJ’s just automatically in there.

Obviously, Memphisport loves Yo Gotti, but if you could pick a different local artist to play at a game, who would it be?

Joe: Dude name Cannibal. He’s good.

Chris: Yeah, yeah.

Tarik: He’s nice. He’s nice.

If you could choose a pregame meal from any local restaurant, what would it be?

Joe: You got to go with Benihana, maybe Texas de Brazil. You know what? I’d probably have to get some bar-b-q; go downtown to Rendezvous. That’s it.

Chris: You’ve got to go with Ching’s.

Tarik: Got to. Ching’s Wings. Best wings in Memphis.

I’ve never had Ching’s Wings.

Tarik: Oh my God! And you’re from Memphis?

Chris: You’ve got to go right now and get them.

I’ll go right now.

Tarik: I’m riding with him.

Written by Jan Michael Hartelust, Photos by Chase Gustafson

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