Tigers cruise past Bobcats, 84-58

Freshman forward Shaq Goodwin scores two of his 20 points Wednesday night against Ohio.

 

     The University of Memphis Tigers (5-2) finally appeared to be the team everyone expected. Memphis controlled the tempo, created turnovers and got easy baskets in transition, en route to an 84-58 victory over an experienced Ohio Bobcats (6-2) team Wednesday night at FedExForum in front of an announced crowd of 15,669. 

Though starting slow and falling behind early in the first half, Memphis got a spark from junior guard Geron Johnson off the bench with his tenacious defense and dept shooting skills. Johnson gave the Tigers a much-needed boost against a team that featured mostly juniors and seniors that reached the Sweet Sixteen last season.

"Geron, for the last couple of games, has changed the tempo of the game," said Josh Pastner, head coach of the Tigers. "He's tough, he has a high motor and a great energy guy. He loves to play defense."

On the defensive end, Johnson and the Tigers did well. He totaled three steals and three rebounds - to go along with a team high 21 points. The other Tigers weren't too shabby in the steal category either. Junior guard Joe Jackson tallied five steals to go along with 10 points and five assists.

"We had non-stop pressure, just wanted to make them feel uncomfortable, Jackson said. "We just wanted to come out and give a real good effort, effort against a team that went deep into the tournament last year. We're a comfortable team and a win like this helps us play together."

The Tigers led by a small margin of eight, 36-28, at the half. But Pastner inserted Johnson into the second half starting lineup and the Tigers responded with a 12-6 run, then another mini run to open the lead up to 19 at 63-44. This time around, it was the freshman big man Shaq Goodwin doing work to help increase the Tigers' lead.

"If you look at it, every time I turned around the ball was coming at me," Goodwin said. "We just ran our systems, ran our plays and I was just at the right place at the right time. I got gassed during that run at the start of the second half, but when I looked at coach he told me to dig in, and so I did."

Goodwin finished the game with 20 points, two assists and nine rebounds, one shy of a second career double-double. Four Tigers totaled in double figures, they also outrebounded the Bobcats 38-27 and held Ohio to 37.5 percent field goal shooting and 24.0 percent from behind the arc.

Tigers will have a couple of days to practice before getting ready to take on Austin Peay on Saturday. Game is slated for a noon tipoff. 

Tigers escape Samford at home 65-54

 

photo by Spruce Durden

Junior guard Antonio Barton drives to the bucket for two points against a Samford defender

 

     In a more tightly contested game than most expected, the No. 16/17-ranked University of Memphis Tigers (2-0) survived a scare at home from the Samford Bulldogs (1-3) Saturday night, 65-54. 

Though the Tigers held a nine-point lead at the break, it was the Bulldogs who used the intermission as a reset - and it would prove helpful as they fought back and kept the Tigers on the brink of an upset all night with their zone defense and deft three point shooting.

"I was disappointed in our lack of everything," said Josh Pastner, head coach of the Tigers. "I thought we played slow. We were slow in all areas, offensively and defensively. Nobody (from Memphis) deserves game balls in this one."

Memphis looked disinterested from the tip. The Tigers weren't getting back in transition, weren't scrapping for rebounds or loose balls, and constantly left Samford shooters wide open around the perimeter, resulting in 52.9 percent field goal shooting for the Bulldogs in the first half alone. 

"Our strength is getting up and down the floor," junior forward Tarik Black said. "But things happen like this in the flow of the game. Not too many rebounds coming off if they're shooting 52.9 percent."

One bright spot for the Tigers was sophomore guard and forward Adonis Thomas. Thomas shot 50.0 percent from the field, 4-for-4 from the free throw line and had 16 points - while playing a game-high 39 minutes.

"I was just trying to be aggressive on the perimeter," Thomas said. "We're an uptempo team, and it seemed as though we played down to their zone which slowed us down tonight. They were making stops and doing what their coach told them to do. They executed their game plan."

What Thomas left unsaid was the fact that the Memphis Tigers did not execute their game plan.

The Bulldogs closed their deficit to 54-51, and missed a three-pointer to tie, but Tigers' Antonio Barton made huge threes to keep the Tigers from suffering yet another early upset at home to a lesser opponent, following a home loss to Murray State last season. Barton finished the game with 14 points, including 4-of-7 from three-point range, with two steals.

"Just getting in the gym working on my shot (helped me convert threes)," Barton said. "I'm a shooter, but I feel as though I can be a better shooter. Some of the shots I missed, I know I can make, it's just a matter of getting in there and working."

Overall, only three Tigers finished in double figures. Black and Thomas were joined by sophomore guard Joe Jackson, who chipped in with 13 points, four assists and no turnovers, while going 7-of-8 from the line. However, Pastner insists this Tigers team can do better.

"I don't want make excuses, we've got to mature as a team," Pastner said. "We're not a methodical team. Maybe last year or the year before I can say we may have overlooked an opponent, but not this year. They (Samford) dictated pace. We have to dictate pace - we work on it all week during practice, I don't know what it was tonight."

The Tigers return to action Thursday evening to take on VCU in the next round of a tournament dubbed "The Battle 4 Atlantis" in the Bahamas. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. (CDT).

Should Memphis win, they would then challenge the winner of the Duke-Minnesota contest in the semifinals on Friday, November 23. The championship is set for Saturday, and should the Tigers make it that far in the winners' bracket, they would potentially face either Louisville, Missouri or Stanford.

Tigers trounce North Florida in season opener

Junior guard Antonio Barton slashes to the hole for two points against North Florida.

 

     Though it wasn’t pretty throughout, No. 16/17 University of Memphis Tigers basketball team (1-0) defeated a scrappy University of North Florida team (1-1) 81-66 in their season opener in front of a crowd of 15,668 at FedExForum.

“Overall I loved our effort for the first 30 or so minutes,” said Josh Pastner, head coach for the Tigers. “First part of the of the game we gave up some threes, but that’s going to happen – we played hard with great energy. There’s some good things we did, some things we’ve got to work on, but the important thing is we got the W.”

The Tigers did get tested from UNF the first 10 minutes of action due to the Tigers’ inability to close out shooters from behind the arc. But once former McDonald’s-All American and freshman forward Shaq Goodwin entered the contest, the whole complexity and energy of the Tigers’ game changed. They responded with a 19-0 run to open the game up and lead thereafter.

“I thought Shaq energized Tarik Black, Pastner said. “I thought he energized our whole team. Guys were all over the floor – I had no issue with their effort whatsoever. I am really proud of the guys for the effort that they gave”

Memphis dove for loose balls, grabbed offensive rebounds and got out into transition for easy buckets, while junior guard Antonio Barton, drained three pointer after three pointer. Memphis dominated the offensive glass in the first half, grabbing 31 rebounds to UNF’s 15. The Tigers’ defense also held the Ospreys to 26.9 percent shooting during that dominating stretch.

“Coach said for me to be physical out there,” Goodwin said. “Being scrappy, diving for balls and grinding is what I’m supposed to do. The only thing that I didn’t know about tonight was the speed of the game – I was prepared for everything else.”

Goodwin and the hot shooting Barton weren’t the only Tigers to have an impact on the game. Junior forward Tarik Black and junior guard Joe Jackson also gave the Tigers a lift. Black led Memphis with 18 points, seven rebounds, while shooting 60 percent from the field. Jackson chipped in with 14 points, six rebounds, six assists and two steals.

“I’m just trying to limit turnovers and slow down,” Jackson said. “I know once I do that, and then help out the big men in rebounding, that’s what we need this year. And Shaq was beasting out there. Once they started trapping inside, it left wide-open shots for everybody else.”

Up next for the nationally ranked Tigers will be the Samford Bulldogs this Saturday at FedExForum. Tipoff is 7pm.

Tigers BLow Past Green Wave 37-23

     A second half led by blistering defense and turnovers helped propel The University of Memphis Tigers (2-8, 2-4 in Conference USA) to a 37-23 victory over the Tulane Green Wave (2-8, 2-4 in C-USA) Saturday night in front of 18,976 paid attendance at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.

The stifling Tigers' defense, led by junior defensive tackle Johnnie Farms and his 1.5 sacks and forced fumble, created turnovers that led to points and sealed the second victory of the season for the Tigers and first-year Tigers football head head coach Justin Fuente.

"I would like to thank Tiger Nation for showing up, supporting us and being vocal tonight," Fuente said. "I'm awfully proud of our guys and the way they played. Defensively and offensively we made some big plays. In the passing game, Jacob (Karam) was pretty efficient tonight."

Though it wasn't very gaudy numbers, Karam, a junior transfer quarterback, completed 14-of-18 passes for 270 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. The biggest play of the game, a 52-yard touchdown strike to redshirt freshman receiver Tevin Jones, broke open a 16-16 stalemate in the third quarter. 

"It was a fun night," Karam said. "We focused all week on trying to execute better than they did. Personally, I wish I could have taken care of the ball better, but at the end of the day we got the win. That's all that matters."

The Tigers ground game out-rushed Tulane 110 yards to 80. Memphis also gained more total yards than the Green Wave, amassing 386 to Tulane's 291. But the story of the night was the Tigers defense, intercepting Tulane four times, one for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

"It was a good game all the way around," Farms said. "The defense played good, the offense came around. I knew we were going to have a good game. We practiced really tough all week."

The Tigers travel to Birmingham (AL) to take on rival Alabama-Birmingham next Saturday in the annual Battle for the Bones game. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Tigers freshman Thomas to return for sophomore season

AP: Photo by: Lance Murphy

 

     As widely reported, University of Memphis Tigers freshman and former McDonald's high school All-American Adonis Thomas announced he'll return for his sophomore season on Wednesday. Citing 'unfinished business' as his reason to give fans and supporters of the program one more season, Thomas felt it was better for him to stay.

"I stayed because it was the best decision for my family and for the team we have coming back," Thomas said. "I was wavering because of the injury that I had and the scouts didn't really get a chance to evaluate me the way that they needed to."

Not only did Thomas's ankle play a big part in him deciding to play another year, but scouts were saying that his stock wasn't as high because he wasn't exposed enough. Thomas noted that he was expected to be anywhere from a late first-round pick to not even being selected at all.

But also, Thomas also feels as though he let city of Memphis down because they didn't get to see him play a lot of games.

"I felt like I owe the city another year," Thomas said. "The injury just held me back this year. I wasn't able to be a part of the team. There's a lot of unfinished business left, and I hate losing."

One person who is relieved that Thomas is returning is head coach Josh Pastner. Pastner, who is entering his fourth year as Tigers head coach, knows how important this announcement is to the future of the team.

"We're extremely pleased and excited to have him back," Pastner said. "That just makes our team much better, but it will also do much for Adonis as he continues to grow as a young man and as a basketball player - a real positive for Memphis, there's no doubt about that."

Tigers' fans probably should get too comfortable seeing Thomas beyond next season. If his sophomore season goes the way he and everyone anticipates, then he could be the next two-and-done after next season, following the footsteps of sophomore Will Barton, who announced his intentions to turn pro last week.

"Going to the (NBA draft) lottery is something that every basketball player dreams about," Thomas said. "I want to do everything I can do to put myself in the position to go lottery next year."

Barton chooses NBA

Adam Douglas

 

     As expected, University of Memphis Tigers sophomore guard Will Barton declared for the 2012 NBA Draft, foregoing his final two years of eligibility. His announcement came just six days after the 8-seeded Tigers were bounced from the second round of the West Region of the NCAA Tournament by 9-seeded Saint Louis, 61-54.

"I told coach after the (Saint Louis) game that I was going to go ahead and decide," Barton said. "I want to make a decision and not play around with coach (Josh Pastner) emotions. He needs to know what the team will look like and he needs to know who to go and recruit."

Head coach josh Pastner was with Barton as he told notified everyone of his decision. Pastner says he was going to support Barton in whatever he chose to do.

"We talked about it throughout the week, he and I communicated," Pastner said. "We gathered all the information and relayed it to Will and I was going to back him no matter what - he has made a great decision and will have a long time career at the next level."

Barton said his decision wasn't based on where he felt he would get drafted; it was based on his dream ever since he was a kid. He also stated that his younger brother, Antonio, helped him make up his mind but it was tough.

"The only thing I ever wanted to do was to be an NBA player," Barton said. "It was never about where I would be drafted or anything like that. I always just wanted to shake David Stern's hand."

Barton knows that he still has a lot to prove to NBA scouts. He also knows that he left empty promises to the fans of the Memphis Tigers, but assures everyone that he will always be a Tigers long after his playing career is over.

"That's what really made my decision real tough for me," Barton said. "It was about leaving this program, my teammates and coaches. I hope the real Tigers fans understand that this decision was best for me and that this place is my second home. I will come back after I leave. I will never forget these past two years - they have been the best two years of my life."

Barton departs the basketball program leaving an indelible mark. He scored over 1,000 points in just two seasons. He almost averaged a double-double (18.9 points, 8.1 rebounds per game) from the guard position and was the Conference USA Player of the Year this past season. But what fans won't ever forget is how he failed to make good on bringing Memphis a national championship like he promised.

"I almost wanted to stay," Barton said. "Watching all those NCAA Tournament games made me want to come back next year, so I had to quit watching them. But my brother said, 'you're ready to go pro' and that's all I needed to hear."

Tigers end season on sour note

     It was a somber, bitter mood in the dejected locker room of the University of Memphis Tigers basketball team (26-9), as they ended their once-promising season in losing fashion in the second round of the NCAA tournament to the Saint Louis Bilikens (26-7), 61-54 in Columbus, Ohio.

The 8th-seeded Tigers were favored in the game, but routinely looked frustrated against the Billikens' defense, which came into the contest as one of the top scoring defenses in the country.

"Offensively, our shots weren't falling, said Adonis Thomas, freshman guard/forward for the Tigers. "We got frustrated, but we should have keep being positive and kept shooting the ball. We got down after a few of our shots weren't falling."

Thomas was one of the few Tigers that actually stepped up and talked after the game. Most of the players had towels over their heads, others openly refused to talk. But the one person everyone wanted to hear from, sophomore guard Will Barton because many think he will forego his final two years of eligibility and go pro, spoke and probably took the loss to the Billikens the hardest.

"Today was my fault man," Barton said tearfully. "I let the team down, the coaches down, the city of Memphis down. Nobody wanted this game more than I did - I probably wanted too much. I didn't rebound like I normally do, didn't score points like I usually do. I made bad decisions shooting dumb shots. I just don't know what to say right now - I'm never going to forget this loss."

The Tigers had SLU on the ropes, up by eight points midway through the second half. But just when one would think Memphis was going to make a run and open up the game like in the previous seven contests, Saint Louis head coach Rick Majerus called timely timeouts.

"When you only have four assists for the whole game, you're not going to win a lot of games," said Josh Pastner, head coach for the Tigers. "We reverted back to some of our old habits by not making the extra pass. You know my thing is the open man is the go-to man. But you've got to give credit to Saint Louis and Rick for winning the game."

Will Barton led the Tigers with 16 points. Senior Wesley Witherspoon finished his Tigers career just four points shy of becoming the 48th Tiger in school history to score 1,000 career points.

Stunned Tigers recieve No. 8 seed in NCAA Tournament

Leroy Watson Jr.

A somber Ferrakohn Hall stares in disbelief as Memphis is announced as a number 8 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament

 

 

 

     

The University of Memphis Tigers basketball team (26-8), winners of seven straight games, as well as being the regular season and Conference USA Championship, drew a No. 8 seed in the West Region in this year's 2012 NCAA tournament and will play the No. 9 seed St. Louis Billikens in Columbus, OH.

Tigers supporters, friends, family, players and coaches were all on hand with the media in Southeast Shelby County at the Clubhouse at Southwind to watch the unveiling of the tournament brackets. Though everyone knew Memphis was guaranteed to be in the tourney, thanks to winning the 2012 C-USA tournament, but no one expected what came next. The Tigers were surprised by--and disappointed with--the draw that they got.

"The chip on our shoulder just got a little bigger," said Will Barton, sophomore guard for the Tigers and reigning Conference USA Player of the Year. "When I first saw our name, I thought they were going to say somebody else. And then when they said Memphis and then the other team, I thought they made a mistake - it's just a slap in the face and that makes us just go out and play harder."

Barton's sentiments were not not exactly echoed by everyone on the team. C-USA's back-to-back tournament MVP, sophomore point guard Joe Jackson thinks Memphis should have nothing to worry about.

"I look at it as if we got a gift," Jackson said. "Who does Saint Louis have? Who does Michigan State (the No. 1 seed in the West Region) have? So the way I look at it, we got a gift."

The Tigers shouldn't overlook a Saint Louis team that went 25-7 in the Atlantic-10 Conference and is coached by former Utah head coach Rick Majerus. Rather they should focus on the task at hand and try to make a deep run in the tournament.

"No matter what seed you are, everybody's good," Pastner said. "I've watch Saint Louis a few times and they're a good team. Rick Majerus is one of the best coaches out there - they're well coached."

Memphis is set to play St. Louis on Friday in Columbus, Ohio at approximately 5:50 (CDT). The game will be televised on TBS.

 

 

 

Tigers complete Back-to-Back C-USA Championships

Adam Douglas

 

     An up-and-down, see-saw battle in the first six minutes of this contest, turn out to be a no-contest as The University of Memphis Tigers (26-8) blitzed the Marshall Thundering Herd (21-13) 83-57 for their second consecutive Conference USA Championship Tournament title.

Marshall hung in there with Memphis for the better part of the first half, but once the Tigers turned on the defense, the Thundering Herd was no match for the athletic Tigers. The last five Tigers opponents have fallen in the same fashion - a blowout.

"That was obviously a well-played game. Marshall is a very, very good team," said Josh Pastner, head coach of the Tigers. "They are very well coached, and they have a lot of good players. But, the thing for us is that we did some good things defensively. I think Marshall is an NCAA Tournament team. They deserve to be in the field as does Southern Miss - you can even make a case for UCF, too."

One thing is for sure - the Tigers will be dancing for the second straight time and with the C-USA's Tournament MVP, sophomore guard Joe Jackson, peaking and playing the best basketball of his young career right now. Jackson averaged 15.3 points, 4.0 assists and 2.3 steals during the tournament run. He also led the Tigers with 19 points and six assists in the championship victory over Marshall.

"I honestly thought Tarik (Black) deserved the MVP," Jackson said. "He's been playing his butt off the last five or six games. It wasn't about winning the MVP for me, I just want to win games."

There were four other players in double figures to go along with Jackson; Will Barton, Wesley Witherspoon, Ferrakohn Hall and Chris Crawford all reached double figures. But it wasn't the offensive output that was nearly as impressive as the defense of Memphis. They held Marshall to just 35.5 percent (22-of-62) from the field for the game. And the Thundering Herd also shot poorly from the free throw line, going 8-of-18 (44.4percent).

"We ran into a team that is playing as well as any team in America," said Tom Herrion, head coach for Marshall. "That team might be the most improved team in the country in the last three or four weeks. We battled and I'm proud of my kids, but we didn't close the deal."

Up next for the Tigers is the NCAA tournament, and with the way the team has been rolling lately, head coach Josh Pastner believes his teams deserves a high seed.

"I believe right now, that there's no doubt in my mind that we should be a No. 5-seed in the tournament," Pastner said. "I think we've earned a right to be a five-seed - but whomever we play, we'll have to be ready."

 

 

 

Tigers shut down UTEP 65-47

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The crowd was electric. The atmosphere was a typical University of Memphis game and the Tigers (24-8) held serve at home as hosts of the Conference USA Tournament as they beat the UTEP Miners 65-47. Three Tigers scored in double figures and they were again stingy on defense as they held the Miners to just 34.0 percent shooting (17-of-50) on the game.

“That was a good win, UTEP’s a really good team,” said Josh Pastner, head coach of the Tigers. “They made it a grind it out game and we grinded it out and found a way through the defense to get the win – it wasn’t pretty but we got the W.”

Sophomores Joe Jackson and big man Tarik Black led the Tiger attack. Jackson scored 17 points, dished out four assists and had five steals, while logging 35 minutes at the point. Black was impressive from the floor, collecting a double-double with 15 points, 13 rebounds and playing a team-high 36 minutes. Sophomore guard Chris Crawford also cracked double-digits with 11 points, seven assists and five boards.

“I’ve been doing better with fouls by watching film and learning new ways to move my feet and positioning,” Black said. “The proof is in the pudding with how I’m playing – I’m getting better.”

Reigning C-USA Player of the Year Will Barton didn’t have his normal stellar game. Barton got into foul trouble early, causing him to sit. And with getting a technical foul after an altercation with UTEP’s Cedrick Lang, those earlier fouls kept him off the floor for a significant part of the second half. He finished with seven points, three rebounds and three assists.

But the Tigers stayed the course and managed to build on a 5-point halftime lead to eventually create a 14-point edge that UTEP would cut down to six. The resolve of the Tigers allowed them regain momentum and pull away late, thus winning by a double digit margin of 18.

“Will just had an off game today,” Pastner said. “It was just one of those things that maybe he was too ready and too pumped up to play. I don’t know if it had anything to do with winning the Player of the Year or what. But he just had an off day today.”

Freshman Adonis Thomas did see some action, but after being out for the better part of two months, he showed some rust. Thomas finished the game playing eight minutes and scoring two points. Sophomore Antonio Barton also saw playing time after missing the Tigers’ regular season finale at Tulsa due to a foot sprain. Antonio played just 11 minutes, scoring four points.

The Tigers return to action tomorrow to play the winner of the UAB/UCF game. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

Tigers gear up for C-USA tourney

Head coach Josh Pasnter talks to media

about the upcoming Conference USA tournament

 

     Few were on hand to see the open to the public practice of the regular season Conference USA champs - The university of Memphis Tigers basketball team. Though they won't know who they're opponent is until late Wednesday evening, players and coaches seemed to be very loose heading into Thursday's quarterfinal game against the winner of UTEP/Houston.

"We've had good days of practice on Monday and Tuesday and I've really liked our approach," said Josh Pastner, head coach of the Tigers. No matter whom we play, whether its UTEP or Houston, we've got to be ready to play - we just got to keep it going."

There were a couple of reasons why the team seemed to be so happy and looked like they've got that swagger back during the early morning practice - freshman Adonis Thomas and sophomore Antonio Barton. Both were back at practice, and participating in full drills, after it seemed that both had suffered season ending injuries - Antonio's foot and Adonis's ankle. So players are happy to have the team at full strength again.

"Everything's good, I give all the glory to God," Thomas said. "I want to come back better than I was before the injury. I knew I was just getting to where I wanted to be when I went down. My conditioning is good, I can get up and down the court, but defensively I got to pick it up because this is a good defensive team and I got to contribute the way that they are."

The good news didn't stop there. Sophomore guard Will Barton won the conference's Player of the Year award, an award that was his for the taking. . The 6-foot-6 guard led the team and Conference USA in scoring with an 18.7 average is also ranked among the league leaders in rebounding, field goal percentage, free throw percentage, assists, steals and minutes played. He is the only guard ranked in the top-10 of C-USA's rebounding leaders.

He is one of nine players in Tigers history to reach the 1,000-point plateau in only two seasons. The Baltimore, Md., native has 10 double-doubles this season and is one of three players in the nation to average at least 16.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists.

"I just want to thank the league for making me player of the year," Barton said. "I also want to thank my coaches and teammates as well because it's really a team award even though I won it as an individual. My teammates helped me out by setting me up and getting me the ball, my coaches had faith to run plays for me - so I want to thank the whole Memphis staff, the program and league for making me player of the year."

Tigers cruise past Tulsa 78-66

The University of Memphis Tigers (23-8, 13-3 in Conference-USA) returned back to dominance of C-USA as they won the regular season title outright for the first time in three years this afternoon, cruising to a 78-66 victory over the Tulsa Golden Hurricane in Tulsa, OK.

Tigers star sophomore guard Will Barton, whom many believe is this year's C-USA Player of the Year, backed up those sentiments with a career-high 30 points and nine rebounds as the Tigers turned a three point halftime lead into an 18-3 second half run and build a lead as big as 26 at one point.

Three Tigers scored in double figures. Along with Barton's efforts, sophomore point guard Joe Jackson added 16 points and five assists, while senior forward Wesley Witherspoon chipped in with a nice 13 points and nine rebounds - nearly missing a double-double. The 30-point barrage by Barton put him in elite company as only one of 47 Tigers to score at least 1,000-points in his Tigers career - and only the ninth to do so in two seasons.

At 23-8 and winners of 8 of their last 10, the Tigers await an NCAA tournament nod, but first is the C-USA tournament held this year in Memphis. The Tigers do have a first-round bye as the No.1 seed for the C-USA tourney, and will now turn their focus to the winner of the UTEP/Houston game on Wednesday.

The Tigers should return back to full strength next week during the tournament. Former McDonald's All-American guard and forward Adonis Thomas is expected to return from late-season ankle surgery that has kept him out the last 15 games. And Will Barton's younger brother, Antonio, will also return to the starting lineup after missing the last two games with a mild foot sprain.

Tipoff for the Tigers' quarterfinal game will be at 6:30 p.m. (CT).

Tigers beat down UCF 84-55

AP: Mark Weber

Tigers sophomore Will Barton makes one of his game-high four blocks

 

     If this game was any indication of what The University of Memphis Tigers basketball team (22-8, 12-3 in Conference USA) could do to teams, then the rest of America needs to be on notice. The Tigers embarrassed the UCF Knights last night, giving them payback from a loss earlier this season, en route to an 84-55 victory on Senior Night.

"Great win, I'm really proud of the guys," said Josh Pastner, head coach of the Tigers. "That's a good Central Florida team. They're big, they're talented, but we've gotten better and it was due to our defensive effort."

The Tigers were never threatened in this game. By halftime they had a 33-18 advantage - by way of senior Wesley Witherspoon's three-pointer to beat the halftime buzzer, and the lead had grown to 37 at one point in the game at 81-44. The Tigers shot 53.8 percent in the first half, 63.3 percent for the second half and 58.9 percent for the game. But what was more eye-popping was the Memphis defense. The Tigers held the Knights to just 7-for-23 shooting in the first half and 19-for-49 (38.8 percent) for the game.

"I sound like a broken record, but we've gotten a lot better since Christmas break," Pastner said. "I think our non-conference schedule allowed us to see some things that we needed to do, and that's why we were able perform on the defensive end of the floor."

Nine of the 13Tigers that played scored in the game. Four Tigers scored in double figures. Sophomore guard Will Barton led all scorers with 18 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks. Sophomores Tarik Black and Chris Crawford each chipped in 14 points and 11 points respectively. But no points were more beloved than the 15 points scored by Wesley Witherspoon and the three points scored by Preston Laird. Both graduating seniors went out in style on their last regular season home game.

"This was a nice way to send me and Preston off," Witherspoon said. "Our teammates said that they were going to come out and give it their all, and that's exactly what they did."

Not all news about this game came out positive. Starting sophomore guard Antonio Barton injured his foot on a play right before halftime and it was initially ruled that he had broken his foot and would be out the rest of the season. But upon further review from doctors, Barton will be listed as day-to-day with a mid foot sprain and bone bruise.

The Tigers go for the outright C-USA title this Saturday as they travel to Tulsa. Game time is scheduled for 11 a.m.

Tigers owe payback to UCF

 

     The one that slipped away - Memphis' 68-67 loss to Central Florida in the closing seconds was one tough defeat to swallow.

But the University of Memphis Tigers basketball team (21-8, 11-3 in Conference USA) has redemption on their minds as they prepare for tonight's 8 p.m. contest against a UCF team that's poised for a regular season sweep of the Tigers. And by head coach Josh Pastner's standards, this game is very important to both teams.

"It's going to be a high-level game and we're going to have to be ready to play at a high level," Pastner said. "We had a couple chances there at Central Florida at the end. We missed a dunk, a layup, free throws, didn't grab a few boards here and there - both teams are playing for a lot."

Not only is it that pressure to not lose to UCF twice in one season, but it's the added pressure of this game being senior night for two graduating seniors and one athletic director - Wesley Witherspoon, Preston Laird and R.C. Johnson. Pastner says to include the incumbent AD because this is his last game at FedExForum as Memphis' athletic director. So the Tigers would want to not only win this game to help their push for a postseason bid, but to send Laird, Witherspoon and lame duck athletic director R.C. Johnson out on a winning note.

"Preston broke his hand so he's not medically cleared to play, but I plan on starting Wesley tomorrow night," Pastner said. "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for R.C. taking a huge leap of faith, an out of the box hire on me - so I'm forever loyal to him."

Tigers senior Witherspoon needs to have a great game. And what better way to redeem yourself from that loss than to go out on senior day and have an impact against the very same team that beat you earlier in the season and have their student section storm the court. But Witherspoon ensures he's focused and will try to not let the emotions of senior night get the best of him.

"I remember Memphis Madness when I first got here and now it has went so fast that you tend to take that time for granted - and tomorrow it's going to really show," Witherspoon said. "Hopefully I'll be able to keep all my emotions in tomorrow - I don't want y'all to see my soft side."

Tigers trample Thundering Herd, win 87-67

U of M Media Relations

Sophomore guard Chris Crawford stuffed the stat sheet with 16 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals.

 

     Four Tigers scored in double figures, and The University of Memphis Tigers basketball team (21-8, 11-3 in Conference USA) used a 52 points in the paint to secure a win on the road against the Marshall Thundering Herd (17-11, 8-6 in C-USA), 87-67, Saturday afternoon in Huntingdon, West Virginia.

The game was much closer than the final score indicated. Memphis had only a five point lead at halftime, 42-37,but a see-saw battle over the next few minutes would eventually end up in the Tigers' favor.

Memphis took a 63-50 lead, its largest of the game up to that point, when sophomore guard Chris Crawford split a pair of free throws at the 10:06 mark. Marshall's DeAndre Kane connected on a three-pointer to cut the lead to the 63-54, but sophomore forward Tarik Black dunked on the other end for Memphis to regain the double-digit lead.

Will Barton made two more free throws to push the lead back to 13 at 67-54, but Johnson made a long-range triple on the next play for Marshall to make it 67-57 with 7:43 to go. DeAndre Kane made a second three-pointer for the Herd, and Marshall pulled within 67-60 with 6:45 to play, but it was the closest the Herd would come for the rest of the game.

Over the final 6:45, Memphis closed the game on a 20-7 run, spurred by back-to-back three-point plays by Will Barton (who finished with a game-high 24 points, along with six rebounds and three steals). The Tigers put four other layers in double figures: sophomores Black, Crawford and Joe Jackson.

Black finished with 18 points (8-for-8 from the field), Jackson tallied 21 points while sinking 13-of-15 free throws, and Crawford did it all with 16 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and three steals.

With the win, Memphis will have a first-round bye in the upcoming C-USA tournament held in Memphis, TN. The Tigers return to Memphis to play its final home game of the regular season at FedExForum against UCF on Tuesday night, February 28th, at 8 p.m.

Tigers football begin spring practice

by Adam Douglas

 

     Things are finally underway for the 2012 version of the University of Memphis Tigers football team. And with a new leader at the helm, former TCU co-offensive coordinator Justin Fuente taking over for now former head coach Larry Porter, the Tigers look to head into a new direction - offensively and defensively.

"I can't wait until we can teach the kids how to practice, Fuente said. "I'm not sure they understand it yet - the effort, focus and attention to detail that it takes to practice for two full hours to get a really good practice in."

Like his predecessor, Porter, Fuente has inherited a deeply inept team that has won only three games over the last two seasons. So finding someone in the locker room that has the experience and leadership to lean on for the underclassmen may be a difficult task. But Fuente knows that he and his staff should be able to carry the bulk of that role.

"I have told the kids already that what has happened in the past was the past," Fuente said. "I want them to know that we're here for them, to teach them and that we care about them and the community." "Some people may think that when a new coach comes in, that he already has his guy," Fuente said. "Well, that's not any of that here. They're all our guys and that's how we get them to lead others when they get recruited to come here."

Though spring ball has just begun, Fuente is still unfamiliar with his new team. He says that there are no starters or backups at this point, and that he also doesn't know anything about who will be taking snaps this fall. But the one thing that players can be sure of is the ability to compete for spots. Fuente has been reluctant to watch any film on the team in order to not form an opinion, rather to give each person a sure fire chance to earn his spot.

"I've watched some film, but I want them to know that they're coming in with a blank slate," Fuente said. "I find it rather hard to not form an opinion if do watch, and I don't want to do that."

Tigers stunned by UTEP 60-58

A last second three point attempt by Tigers sophomore Will Barton fell short as the University of Memphis Tigers basketball team ((19-8, 9-3 in Conference USA) lost a game that they once controlled by as many as 13 points to Texas-El Paso (13-13, 6-6 in C-USA) at home, 60-58.

Memphis easily was the aggressor in the first half. The Tigers began the game on a 9-0 run before UTEP finally scored a bucket. The lead quickly grew to 13, at 19-6, but the Miners began to fight back. By halftime the score was initially ruled 28-22. But a last second three point attempt to beat the halftime buzzer by UTEP was ruled late and the Tigers took a 28-19 into intermission.

After halftime the Tigers came out lethargic. UTEP started the second half on a 5-0 run to close the gap to 28-24. The Tigers would answer back with a couple of buckets of their own, but UTEP would not be pushed over. Poor shooting and offensive execution by the Tigers down the stretch allowed the Miners to take their first lead of the game at 57-55 after a pair of free throws by UTEP's Cedrick Lang. And that's what set the stage for an upset of the Tigers - Will Barton's missed three-pointer at the buzzer gave UTEP its second win in Memphis in six games.

"When you lose a game, the coach has to take the blame so I got to take it all," said Josh Pastner, head coach for the Tigers. "Nobody played well today, besides Tarik Black. Everyone else laid an egg today - including me."

Tigers' sophomore Tarik Black had the game of his life in a Tigers uniform. UTEP had no answer for the Memphis big man. Being the only person on Memphis to score in double figures, Black finished the game with 26 points, 10 rebounds, on 10-of-13 shooting from the field. No other Tigers player scored more than 10 points - Will Barton was the closest Tiger to Black, scoring nine points.

"It wasn't just a game we lost, we lost more than that today and it really hurts," Barton said. "I let the team down, I let my coaches down, I let myself down. I can't play like this and expect us to win. "I was terrible, defensively I was off," Barton said. "I sucked today - and I can't do that."

The Tigers will remain home for their next C-USA matchup. On Wednesday they take on the Pirates of East Carolina. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Tigers blister Green Wave 82-64

It wasn't pretty, but the University of Memphis Tigers (19-7, 9-2 in Conference USA) used a 50-point second half to pull away on the road from the Tulane Green Wave (15-10, 3-8 in C-USA) 82-64. Tigers sophomore Will Barton led all scorers with 20 points and nine rebounds.

Memphis played a bit lackadaisical in the first half, falling behind the Green Wave at halftime 33-32. The first 20 minutes was pretty much nip-tuck going into the break, with sophomore Tarik Black being slowed by two fouls, a slight ankle injury and playing only a total of five minutes, the Tigers relied on sophomores Antonio Barton and Chris Crawford to pick up the slack. They scored seven and five points respectively in the opening period.

Though the second half started much like the first, with the Tigers finding themselves behind early 45-41, it was the switch to the 1-3-1 zone defense that befuddled Tulane and eventually propelling the Tigers ahead for good.

"Teams are not used to our length and athleticism," Black said. "We play the zone well. And when you have someone like Will Barton at the top of the zone getting his hands on balls, you're not used to that - we can cover space very well."

Five Tigers scored in double figures. Along with the aforementioned Will Barton, Black finished the game with 18 points, also playing all 20 minutes in the second half. Chris Crawford chipped in 13 points, six assists and five steals. Senior forward Wesley Witherspoon and sophomore guard Joe Jackson each added 10.

Both teams shot it well during the game. Memphis shot exactly 50 percent in the first half (14-for-28) and Tulane hit 52.0 percent (13-for-25) of their shots. But it was the red-hot shooting of the Tigers in the second half that was the difference. Memphis shot over 74 percent (20-for-27) to gain the edge on the Green Wave make a tightly contested game look like a blowout.

Up next for the Tigers will be Texas-El Paso this Saturday at noon at FedEx Forum. Though this year's team is young and don't have the same players that blew out the Tigers last season, both the Tigers and Miners still remember last season's matchups.

"They're young but they have a good team, and they have some pro prospects on their team, Pastner said. "I know that they like to throw multiple defenses at us. Plus, we beat them on their floor in order to get into the tournament - so they haven't forgotten and will be ready for us."

Tigers burn Blazers 79-45

AP: Mark Weber

 

     The University of Memphis Tigers (18-7, 8-2 in Conference USA) shot 11 first half three pointers to build a 47-21halftime lead en route to a 79-45 victory over the UAB Blazers. Memphis shot 66.7 percent from the field (16-of-24) and connected on 11-for-14 from behind the arc to stymie the Blazers.

The first half saw the Tigers dominate the boards with a 15-5 advantage, commit only five turnovers, have 12 assists on 16 made baskets and sophomore guard Chris Crawford went 5-of-7 from the field, including 4-of-5 from three point range, scoring 14 points.

"Whenever we get to shooting like that, we're going to be a hard team to beat," Crawford said. "We know it's not going to happen every night, but when it happens like it did tonight, I don't think we can't lose like that."

The second half was much of the same. The Tigers continued to build their lead over UAB. Though Memphis didn't score as many points in the second half, only 32, the lead still increased. The Tigers lead by as many as 36 at one point due to the shooting of senior forward Wesley Witherspoon and junior D.J. Stephens. Both players continued Memphis' hot streak from beyond the arc, with Stephens hitting two three pointers and Witherspoon with one.

"He (Stephens) shoots it well in practice," said Josh Pastner, head coach for the Tigers. "It's one of those things that if he's open then I don't mind him shooting it as long as he can stick it."

The Tigers were pretty much thorough on both ends of the floor. They only gave up one offensive rebound, were a plus -13 on the boards (33-20), committed nine turnovers in the game, held the Blazers to 34 percent shooting and kept star forward Cameron Moore in check with only four points and one rebound. But Pastner knows that his team is not done yet.

"We're not out of the woods yet," Pastner said. "We can still clean up some things offensively when it comes to running our plays. We still need to take better care of the ball, but it still was a nice victory."

Three Tigers scored in double figures in last night's contest. Both Chris Crawford and sophomore guard Will Barton led all scorers with 16 each; Crawford added five steals and Barton grabbed nine rebounds. And sophomore guard Antonio Barton chipped in with 10.

"It feels good to get a win like this," Will Barton said. "We knew they came in here confident because they just came off a huge win and a winning streak, and then when we went down to Bartow Arena we barely escaped with a win. So for us to win like this, it just shows our maturity."

The Big East at Last!

photo by Adam Douglas

 

     After months of speculation and watching former Conference USA foes leave for greener pastures, The University of Memphis has finally reached its goal that it's been trying to achieve for so long - getting into a BCS Conference. And on Wednesday afternoon, it was formerly announced to everyone that The Big East Conference and its commissioner John Marinatto, has accepted Memphis as its newest member in all sports, beginning in July 2013.

"It's a great day to be a Tiger," said R.C. Johnson, the incumbent athletic director who will retire this June after the school's fiscal year. "We've worked long and hard to get into the Big East - and we did it. They can no longer say that we're not in a BCS conference anymore."

This is a very promising and lucrative opportunity for the Tigers. It means more television exposure, recruiting elite players for football will be a lot easier and more money will be invested into the school. Johnson says that as of right now, C-USA schools get sharing revenue of about 2.2 million dollars, and Big East schools receive around eight million. So, that means better facilities, being on a level playing field with the competition and stiffer competition.

Memphis will reunite with former conference allies Louisville, Cincinnati, South Florida, DePaul and Marquette, as well as current Conference USA members UCF, Houston and SMU. Memphis, Louisville and Cincinnati were founding members of the Metro Conference in the 1970s and competed in Conference USA in the 1990s.

"This is a historic day for The University of Memphis," said Shirley Raines, president of the University of Memphis. We are pleased to be renewing some old rivalries that our fans enjoyed in years past, and we look forward to competing against other formidable opponents from the Big East."

Though the Tigers won't officially join the Big East until 2013, Tigers first-year head football coach Justin Fuente knows that this will be a formidable challenge for a team that has won only three games in the last two seasons.

"Everybody job is harder now, Fuente said. "The expectation level, the commitment level from everybody just got raised. It's huge for the community, its huge for the athletic department and now we just have to get out there and go to work."

In 2015, the BIG EAST football membership will consist of Boise State, UCF, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Houston, Louisville, Memphis, Navy, Rutgers, San Diego State, SMU and USF.

In 2015, the BIG EAST basketball membership will include UCF, Cincinnati, Connecticut, DePaul, Georgetown, Houston, Louisville, Marquette, Memphis, Notre Dame, Providence, Rutgers, St. John's, Seton Hall, SMU, USF and Villanova.

 

Tigers struggle early, but win late against Xavier 72-68

This was the last chance to prove to the NCAA tournament committee that the Memphis Tigers (16-7) were in fact worthy of a possible at-large bid into next month's big dance just in case they didn't take care of business within their conference. And that question was answered, albeit it had its doubts, as the University of Memphis Tigers fought back from an 11-point second half deficit to down the Xavier Musketeers 72-68 in a hard fought battle.

"That was a great win for the Tigers," said Josh Pastner, head coach for the Tigers. A few key factors contributed to us winning this game - we didn't get too high with the highs and too low with the lows. We had to grind and gut it out and we converted 24-of-28 free throws."

The Tigers used a 21-4 run to close out a game in which was seemingly going to be a win for Xavier. But senior forward Wesley Witherspoon put the team on his back and hit timely three pointers and grabbing rebounds down the stretch to spark a comeback for the Tigers.

"Wesley Witherspoon came in and gave us a great lift in the second half," Pastner said. "Not only from the three point line, but getting some 'man' rebounds and Joe Jackson was terrific from the free throw line."

Memphis and Xavier fought a see-saw battle to the tune of a halftime score of 35-34 in favor of the Musketeers. But at the start of the second half Xavier opened the lead to 44-34 on consecutive made three point baskets combined with lackluster defense by the Tigers. The Tigers would cut the lead to five at 46-41, but another mini run by the Musketeers pushed the lead out to its largest of the game to 11at 54-43.

But that's when Witherspoon decided to show up and help bring the Tigers back. Witherspoon, scoring all 12 of his points in the second half, was one of four Tigers to eclipse double figures in the game. Sophomore guard Joe Jackson led the Tigers with 14 points, going 12-for-12 from the free throw line, and also dishing out nine assists. Sophomores Will Barton and Tarik Black were the other Tigers to get into double figures with 13 points apiece.

"Their length, athleticism and quickness over the last five minutes really took over and you have to give them (Memphis) credit," said Chris Mack, head coach for Xavier. "We didn't get clean looks, and then they went on that run. I feel sick for our kids - that is a tough one."

The Tigers will resume conference play on Wednesday as they take for road against East Carolina. The game is scheduled for a 6 p.m. tipoff.

Tigers cruise past Rice 73-51

A lackluster first half performance turned into a rout and then a fight between the University of Memphis Tigers (14-6, 5-1 in Conference USA) and the Rice Owls (11-10, 2-4 in C-USA). Memphis used an 11-1 run right before halftime to open the game up 35-23 by halftime, and then closed out the game in the second in en route to a 73-51 drubbing of the Owls.

"We started the game a little rusty, but by the second half everyone shot we took, we felt like it was going in," said Chris Crawford, sophomore guard for the Tigers.

The Tigers continued their hot streak as they built their lead over Rice by as many as 27 points. Three Tigers scored in double figures, led by Crawford's 15 points and seven rebounds. Antonio Barton scored 11 points, including 3-for-4 from three point range, and sophomore forward Tarik Black chipped in with 10 points on 5-for-5 shooting, but left the game early due to an ejection.

The play of the night came when a Tigers steal led to a fastbreak by sophomore guard Joe Jackson. As Jackson was going up for a dunk, Rice's Tamir Jackson fouled him hard, sending him to the ground and prompting both teams' team bench to clear - thus ejecting three Tigers players (Black, Will Barton and Trey Draper) and Rice's Jackson for the flagrant foul, and having Pastner run unto the court to help save his players.

"We got clarification that Tarik, Will and Trey will not be out for Saturday's game," said Josh Pastner, head coach for the Tigers. "I know Tamir well, Tamir's a really good young man. It was one of those things where I was protecting our players.

Both teams shot well in this game. The Tigers finished the game shooting 27-for-63 (42.9 percent) and the Owls shot 17-for-42 (40.5 percent) for the game. Both teams also shot it well from behind the arc - with Memphis going 6-for-15 (40.0 percent) and the Owls shot at a 44.4 percent clip (4-for-9). But despite the horrid defense by the Tigers, Pastner believes his team is still improving.

"I been telling you guys that the idea is to not be peaking at the beginning of the season, but to be peaking towards the end," Pastner said. "Since Christmas break, we've gotten better - we keep getting better every game and we will continue to get better every day. But it's got to carry over.

The Tigers will be back in action this Saturday at FedExForum when they take on the Thundering Herd of Marshall. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m.

Tigers race past Mustangs 63-45

AP: Mark Weber

 

After a demoralizing defeat to UCF this past Wednesday in the final seconds, the University of Memphis Tigers basketball team (13-6, 4-1in Conference USA) rebounded and got a much needed win over the SMU Mustangs, (10-9, 2-3 in C-USA) 63-45 at FedExForum. Sophomore guard Will Barton paced the Tigers with 24 points, five rebounds and 3assists. He also led the team with alley-oop plays with three electrifying dunks.

After shooting 12-for-31 (38.7 percent) and 2-for-11 (18.2 percent) Memphis came out of halftime pretty much the same, though they were able to find a way to win what was an ugly game. Memphis shot 42.6 percent in the second half and clamped down on the mustangs in the process. SMU shot an abysmal 32.6 percent from the field, (15-for-46) including 18.5 percent from downtown.

"That's a tough style to play, especially coming off that loss to Central Florida on Wednesday," said Josh Pastner, head coach of the Tigers. "I told my guys that we can't get into a three point shooting contest with them and we did do that in the first half. We're better when we take 10 or 11 three pointers, not when we're shooting 16."

The game did get a bit easier for Tigers fans down the stretch. A series of stops in the second half after both teams failed to take control of the game led to the Tigers opening up the lead on the Mustangs, a 21-2 run, eventually closed any hopes for a comeback by SMU.

"We just wanted to take out they're three point shooting, said Chris Crawford, sophomore guard for the Tigers. Coach told us coming out of halftime that the main focus was to stop the three."

Crawford, who finished with only five points and one rebound, affected the game in other areas. His task was to guard SMU's Robert Nyakundi and shut down the prolific scorer. Nyakundi finished with 10 points on 4-of-17 shooting and four rebounds.

Though many would say that tonight's game for the Tigers wasn't due to defense, rather that SMU was just ineffective from the field, Pastner believes his teams has made tremendous strides on the defensive end of the floor.

"We had hands in their face, we made them alter their shots," Pastner said. "If you just take a look at the numbers of our team from the Christmas break until now, we're a totally different team - night and day different from where we were in Maui when we were scoring points but not winning. If you look at the stats, you would think this team should be 16-3 or 17-2, not 13-6 - and that's what's frustrating.

Tigers' next game is Wednesday at FedExForum when they host the Rice Owls. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Tigers dealt tough blow heading to Central Florida

Just when things were finally starting to click, the University of Memphis Tigers (12-5, 3-0 in Conference USA) received the message that they didn't want to hear heading into tonight's conference clash with the Central Florida Golden Knights in Orlando, Fla. -freshman star and former McDonald's All-American guard and forward Adonis Thomas will miss the season due to an ankle injury.

The injury to his ankle, which is called peroneal tendon retinaculm and suffered during practice on Friday, will keep the Tigers' third leading scorer out for two to three months. But the upside is that with today's modern technology, if Thomas rehabs swiftly and the Tigers make a deep run in the NCAA tournament, then he could come back before this season is over.

"I told the guys the news about Adonis this morning," said Josh Pastner, head coach of the Tigers. "The other guys on the team have got to step up, there's no other option."

Pastner said that after talking to the doctors and with Thomas and his family, that it was in his best interest to go ahead and do the surgery now to help protect his long-term future as a basketball player. Pastner also stated that Thomas could have elected to play throughout the season with the pain in his left ankle, but wasn't going to see a lot of playing time because of the injury.

"Once I heard I needed surgery, I broke down," Thomas said. "I've never had an ankle injury before. I couldn't handle that I couldn't finish my first season as a college basketball player."

Not only will Thomas be out, but senior guard Charles Carmouche who has missed the last three games, will not be available as well. Carmouche did go through light drills in practice on Tuesday, but Pastner says he will not play Wednesday against the Golden Knights due to tendonitis in both his knees.

"Everyone's in the rotation basically," said Pastner. "Everyone's got to be ready and got to get the job done."

The Tigers' next opponent is a tough, hard-nosed UCF team (13-4, 3-1 in C-USA) that lost to a Marshall team that many think will win C-USA this year. They're led by Marcus Jordan and Keith Clanton, both of whom average double figures. And the Knights have a big frontcourt that can rebound the ball well.

"Central Florida is a big team, a well-coached team," Pastner said. "Last time we went down there, if it wasn't for Will Barton's between-the-legs pass to Antonio Barton, we lose that game. We know it's going to be a tremendous atmosphere when we go down there, and if we want to come out victorious, we will have to play well."

The Tigers and Golden Knights clash tonight, at 7 p.m. (CT).

Tigers claw Cougars 89-55

AP: Mark Weber

Last night's defensive showing was one that Memphis Tigers fans have been accustomed to. The Tigers' defense held the Houston attack to just 19-for-56 shooting (33.9 percent) and just 1-for-12 from the arc, en route to a 34-point drubbing of the Cougars on the road, 89-55.

Memphis (12-5, 3-0 in Conference USA) is now on a six game winning streak - the longest this season. Their defense has been the staple of the six game run, holding opponents under 40 percent during the streak, with the last hiccup being a lost to Georgetown in mid-December.

Sophomore guard Chris Crawford, starting in place for the injured freshman Adonis Thomas due to a sprain ankle, led four Tigers in double figures with 19 points and dishing out four assists. Sophomore guard Will Barton also had a great night. Barton tallied his ninth double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Sophomore guard Joe Jackson also scored 16 points and handed out a game high five assists. And sophomore forward Tarik Black, not to be outdone by his peers, also got into double figures and filled the stat sheet with 10 points, six rebounds and five blocks.

This game was never really in doubt from the start. Though the score was trimmed to 11 by halftime, 41-30, in a span of almost eight minutes the Tigers used an 18-0 run to run away from the Cougars - a lead that even grew to 40 at one point during the second half.

The Tigers shot 34-of-61 (55.7 percent) of its field goal attempts and 42.9 percent (6-of-14) from three-point territory. Memphis dominated nearly every statistical category, grabbing more rebounds than Houston (41-31), scoring more points in the paint (48-28), creating points off turnovers (21-8) and outscoring Houston's bench (34-19).

This was the 37th meeting between the Tigers and Cougars. Memphis has a 26-12 all-time advantage in the series, and a 23-9 lead in C-USA games. The 34-point win is the largest margin of victory in a conference game since a 43 point win over SMU 90-47 on Feb. 18, 2009.

The Tigers continue their road trip Wednesday in Orlando as they try to bring their winning streak to seven against Central Florida. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. (CT).

Defense will be Tigers' mantra Heading to Houston

Leading up to tonight's Conference USA road game for the Tigers, as they take on the Houston Cougars (9-7, 1-2 in C-USA) all talk was about how Memphis (11-5, 2-0 in C-USA) has improved their defense over the last five contests - all wins for the Tigers. And all of a sudden, ranking 22nd among the Division-I college basketball programs for defensive field-goal percentage (38.1), Memphis may have found an identity heading to Houston.

"Anytime you're on the road in conference, you're going to get everyone's best shot," said Josh Pastner, head coach for the Tigers. "They're better than their record, and I know people get tired of me saying that, but they have good players. They beat Arkansas, almost beat Oklahoma and had a chance to beat LSU at the very end."

Well another team who has sweated it out at the end of games lately, Memphis, has beaten the teams that they have faced. But that's in part because the Tigers have managed to play a lot of zone, mixing it in with man-to-man, seemed to have frustrated opponents with their back and forth style.

"Most teams think we're a man-to-man team, but we switch it up every now to play zone, said Adonis Thomas, freshman forward for the Tigers. "We have a long athletic team, so it can hurt other teams because we get into the passing lanes and take up a lot more space on the defensive end."

The Tigers have now been playing a 1-3-1 zone, going away from the ineffective 2-3 zone they employed earlier during the season. But with all things considered, they have been rebounding the ball better in the zone rather than man-to-man. And with that, it helps keep sophomore big man Tarik Black on the court longer and out of foul trouble.

"It does help a lot," Black said. "Being in man, you always playing the split-line help side, and that's how I get a lot of my fouls - either trying to front or trying to block a shot. But with zone, I'm just playing my area and keeping my man from getting the ball that's in my area - it's definitely a lot easier."

The Tigers look to extend their winning streak to six on Saturday night in Houston against the Cougars. The game will be televised by CBS College Sports and tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m.

Tigers survive scare from Golden Eagles; win 60-58

AP: Photo by: Lance Murphy

 

     With just 10 seconds to go and Memphis up by two, Southern Miss had the game right where they wanted. But just like in years past, they couldn't overcome the Tigers and their last second wide open three point shot was missed - giving the Tigers (11-5, 2-0 in Conference USA) yet another victory over the Golden Eagles 60-58.

"I thought it was good from where I was," said Josh Pastner, head coach of the Tigers. "I was happy that it didn't go in, but I slapped the table because the guy was wide open and we missed the assignment - we just can't give wide open looks like that.

The game shouldn't have come to a last second shot by either team. Once the second half began, Tigers sophomore Antonio Barton took it upon himself to put the team on his back, scoring the first seven points of the session, and help sparking the Tigers to the biggest lead of the night at 44-32. But with three point shooting came the Golden Eagles. Three straight three pointers trimmed the Tigers' lead to four. And from that point on, it was a ball game.

"We won the game because we made free throws at the end, and we got stops," Pastner said. "We were fortunate to hang to and win this ball game. We got stagnant offensively, made some bonehead plays, had eight turnovers in the second half - we just can't do that."

The Tigers did do some good in the game. They held USM to just 35 percent (20-of-57) from the field, forced 11 turnovers, blocked eight shots and were even on the boards at 36 apiece. And though the Golden Eagles only shot 28.6 percent from three point range, they were able to get wide open looks and attempt 28 shots.

"We have to keep our composure, we had took the momentum from them," said sophomore guard Will Barton. "But they well coached and we knew that they hadn't beaten us in a while so we have to keep that same energy that got us the lead. I think we just resorted back to bad habits at the end."

Barton and his brother, Antonio, led the Tigers in scoring. Will had 11 points, nine boards and four steals - not reaching a double-double for the first time in five games. Antonio finished with 13 points and two rebounds. But it was the play of sophomore forward Tarik Black that saved the game for Memphis. Black came up with five huge blocks down the stretch, including nine points and clutch free throws to help seal the game.

"I was shocked that they fouled us," Black said. "I expected that they would make us come down and run our offense, but we lucked up on that foul."

The Tigers try to keep their 5-game winning streak going as they travel to Houston to take on the Cougars on Saturday. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. local time.

Preview: Tigers vs. Southern Mississippi

Another daunting task sits in front of the suddenly surging University of Memphis Tigers (10-5, 1-0 in conference USA) on Wednesday evening as the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles (15-2, 2-0) come into FedExForum looking to beat a Tigers team that is on a four-game winning streak, and have won the last 17 meetings between the two schools.

"All I can say about that is that I hope it (their losing streak against Memphis) continues," said Tarik Black, sophomore forward for the Tigers. "They're a great team, they have a great coach and I think they're No. 1in our conference, but we just have go out there and prove we're the better team."

The Tigers know that this is a new season and that this is a different Southern Mississippi squad, especially without former star forward Gary Flowers who is gone due to graduation, but this is also a different U of M team that has an undeniable advantage over USM - Will Barton. The sophomore guard is putting up numbers (18.9 points per game, 8.9 rebounds per game) the caliber of an All-American candidate, and head coach Josh Pastner knows that if he keeps up his current pace of double-doubles, then he should garner some consideration.

"I'm surprised he (Will Barton) doesn't get enough talk about him," Pastner said. "People talk about him now because he's playing at a level of an all-American status. The rebounds he's getting is in traffic - he's at eight double-doubles right now and last year he had none. That just goes to show you the improvement of his game, his maturity level, but he needs to keep it going."

In order for Barton and the Tigers to keep it going, they will have to stop a potent backcourt of Angleo Johnson and Maurice Bolden. Not to mention they now have former Kentucky guard and Tigers recruit Darnell Dodson in the mix, so this could finally be the right team to finally get over the hump against Memphis.

"This is the best Southern Miss team since coach Eustachy took over," Pastner said. "They've got really good guard play, really good frontcourt, they've won 11 straight and they're 15-2 - they're really good."

Pastner is urging everyone to come out to the game Wednesday and to show support for the team though the game is at an earlier start time than usual. Tip is scheduled for 6 p.m., but Pastner feels this should be an entertaining game.

"It's a 6 o'clock start for the fans, Pastner said. "We need everyone there ready to rock and roll so we can get this thing going - it should be a fun atmosphere and another fun game for Conference USA."

Tigers upend late comeback by UAB; win 62-59

The third annual Bartow Classic went as advertised. In a game that's usually electric due to the heated rivalry of both schools, but this one was because of beloved coach Gene Bartow, whom lost his battle with cancer, the University of Memphis Tigers (10-5, 1-0 in Conference USA) defeated the UAB Blazers (5-9, 0-1 in C-USA) in a closely contested game 62-59 to open the C-USA play for both teams.

"That was good win, I'm very proud of our guys," said Josh Pastner, head coach of the Tigers. "That was not an easy game, that was a very good UAB team and they're better than their record. So to win on the road like this, it's very hard to do."

The Tigers and Blazers went back and forth throughout the game, with the lead changing hands 16 times and 10 ties. UAB led the game at halftime 32-31, but it was Memphis who was able to hold the Blazers to just 6-of-22 shooting (27.3 percent) in the second half en route to beating the Blazers for the 12th consecutive time in the series.

"We just wanted to play hard and stay together, and that's just what we did tonight," said freshman forward Adonis Thomas. "This is a rivalry game and that's all the guys talked about. We knew we had a chip on our shoulders because this was a home game for them and a road game for us."

Thomas was second on the team with 15 points, on 7-of-8 shooting, to go along with three assists and three blocks. But it was standout sophomore guard Will Barton who registered his eighth double-double of the season, scoring 16 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Sophomore guard Chris Crawford also scored double figures with 10 points, three steals and two blocks.

Going down the stretch, it looked as though the Tigers would let the Blazers steal one at home. But after a Witherspoon turnover with three seconds on the clock, the Tigers' defense stole a UAB inbounds with one second remaining to seal the win.

"Everybody contributed," Pastner said. "I think Wesley (Witherspoon) gave us a heck of an effort in the second half to help us win this basketball game - Adonis Thomas did some good things offensively and defensively as well."

The Tigers open C-USA at home Wednesday against another rival in Southern Mississippi. Memphis has a commanding 60-23 edge is this series and have won the last 17 meetings. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Preview: Tigers vs. Tennessee

Now that the dust has settled and Joe Jackson will remain a Tiger for the foreseeable future, the University of Memphis Tigers basketball team (8-5) must now turn their focus on heated rival Tennessee Vols (6-6). And for the second time this season, the Tigers will face a non-conference opponent twice on their schedule. And head coach Josh Pastner knows that his team has a tall order.

"Tennessee is a good basketball team, they're better than their record," Pastner said. "It's a rivalry game, it's an in-state game so you can throw out the stats."

And that maybe just what the Tigers would want to do against this tough and scrappy Volunteers team. After part one of this unusual double dip during the season between the Tigers and Vols, the Tigers were outhustled, outrebounded and almost lost a close double overtime decision 99-97 in the EA Sports Maui Invitational. The Tigers led pretty much throughout the game and even had a double-digit lead of 16 before letting the Vols back in it. But with Will Barton's 25 points and 11boards, to go along with Adonis Thomas' 19 and Antonio Barton's 21 points were enough for the Tigers to squeak out their second victory of the young season.

"I look at his game as a rivalry so I expect it to be close," Barton said. "We're going to go back and look at the film from the last game and be ready to play because they'll be ready to play."

Sophomore Joe Jackson returns to the team after a one game absence due to a personal matter. All signs indicated that Jackson hinted at transferring although Pastner decline to comment on it and Jackson said the rumors were untrue. But the one thing that was glaring during this whole debacle was that Jackson is indeed frustrated with his play and the minimal success of the Tigers thus far this year.

"I never thought about leaving here, I don't know where that came from," Jackson said. "I always wanted to play for Memphis. It's where I wanted to go since 7th or 8th grade. I just been frustrated with the way I've been playing and how he we been losing. I hate losing because I'm a winner and I guess I just need to work harder."

The Tigers look to keep the momentum going and build on a modest two-game winning streak when Tennessee comes to town on Wednesday. After that game, the Tigers begin conference play on the road against UAB on Saturday.