Sports Editor
David Minkin
The U of M men’s basketball team before tipoff of a game last season. The team will benefit from a more well-rounded roster this season.
This year's University of Memphis men's basketball team, unlike the past two seasons, expects to be good.
Not only do they boast some of the best talent in the country with a few former McDonald's High School All-Americans, but they bring a No.9 ranking into the season. And one of the biggest reasons is their depth. But third-year head coach Josh Pastner said it's still tough to evaluate this year's team, which was the third youngest in the country last year.
"Guys are competing, guys are getting after it, but it's hard to judge right now because we're beating up each other," he said. "I think we look good, but we're only playing ourselves."
Though the season won't officially start until Nov. 15 when the Tigers open up against Belmont, players are very eager to play against Lemoyne-Owen College next Wednesday in an exhibition match. The Tigers will no doubt have a deep roster this season, but Pastner says he doesn't yet know how his starting five will look once it takes the floor in a real game. What he does know is how deep they will be. So picking starters will be something of a puzzle for him and his staff.
"We talked about it a little bit today," he said. "Just out of fairness, I want to give our guys a little more time. But the way our talent is, we're not going to be a five-starting team – those are just the facts."
So with this team being deep as it is, there shouldn't be a problem when someone gets into foul trouble. Last year's undersized team struggled to rebound the ball effectively, but Pastner said he will ensure such Tigers' deficiencies are addressed this season.
"Every day we keep a plus-minus chart on everything the guys do," he said. "Every day in practice, the two stats I'm talking about are defensive and offensive rebounding, along with assists-to-turnover ratio. I don't talk about nothing else."
One of the main cogs in the Tiger offense will be sophomore Joe Jackson, who said that though he's more than ready for the responsibility, his teammates will be ready to step up as well.
"Our team is so loaded that it's like playing another team in practice," he said. "We have a lot of weapons. Adonis (Thomas) can post guys, Will (Barton) can slash and shoot, Chris (Crawford) can pass and shoot and Wesley can handle the ball just as good as me, so if we play the right way, we can win easy."
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
With talent aplenty, Tigers bench goes deep
Lady Tigers climb to No. 4 in poll
Sports Editor
U of M media relations
The University of Memphis women’s soccer team celebrates after scoring a goal during a match last week.
The Lady Tigers are ranked No. 4 in this week's Soccer America poll, marking the team's second straight week as one of the top five teams in the country. The National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) poll ranked The U of M No. 8 in its 10th poll of the season.
"We try not to get caught up in the rankings," said head coach Brooks Monaghan. "But as a coach, it makes you feel proud to take a look at where this program has come from where it was."
Memphis has been ranked in the top 10 in both the NSCAA and Soccer America polls for six straight weeks. With the best win percentage (.972) among all NCAA Division 1 Women's Soccer teams, Memphis (17-0-1) continues to rewrite the record books with this week's program-best rankings in the national polls. Despite not landing atop the polls, the Lady Tigers show no signs of slowing down in their quest for an unbeaten season.
"I don't think we get caught up in not being No.1," Monaghan said. "I know those other teams that are ahead of us are undefeated too, but I don't think it affects us one bit."
Memphis closes its regular season schedule at the University of Alabama-Birmingham on Thursday at 7 p.m.
Postseason play begins on Nov. 2 with the Conference USA Tournament hosted at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Tigers drown Green Wave 33-17
Tigers pull ahead early in New Orleans, thwart Tulane’s second-half comeback attempt to snap 16-game
Sports Editor
David Minkin
Freshman cornerback Bobby McCain intercepts a pass in the third quarter before returning it 79 yards for a touchdown.
Entering last Saturday's game against Tulane, The University of Memphis Tigers football team had lost 23 of their last 25 games dating back to the 2009 season. They also owned a dubious 16-game Conference USA losing streak, with four of those losses suffered this season. But the Tigers (2-6, 1-3 in C-USA) put those streaks to an end as they defeated the Tulane University Green Wave 33-17 in New Orleans.
"I would like to compliment our team for coming out and staying focused and playing a 60-minute game," said head coach Larry Porter. "We were able to counterpunch and fight off some negative momentum, which gave this team some energy and more passion to fight through for 60 minutes."
That "negative momentum" came after halftime, when Tulane captured the lead midway through the second half against a Tiger defense that controlled the tempo from the outset. Down 14-10 at the break, Tulane took the second-half kickoff and drove 80 yards on only six plays to regain the lead, 17-14. Tulane quarterback Ryan Griffin was perfect on the drive, going 4-of-4 on passing for 77 yards, including a 29-yard touchdown strike to Wilson Van Hooser.
The turning point of the game happened when Tigers cornerback Bobby McCain intercepted Griffin on Tulane's next possession, returning the ball 79 yards for a touchdown. A blocked extra point left the Tigers with a 20-17 lead.
After blocking a Tulane punt attempt the next possession, Tigers quarterback Taylor Reed gave Memphis a 26-17 lead after scoring on a one-yard touchdown. Kicker Paulo Henriques missed the extra point attempt.
Redshirt senior Billy Foster would add to the lead by scampering 22 yards for another touchdown, putting the Tigers up 33-17 late in the fourth quarter and dashing any hopes for a comeback by Tulane.
"It feels good to get a ‘w' on the road, and to top it off this was a conference game," said senior linebacker Terrance Thomas, who had a team-leading 14 tackles in the game. "Practice will be more fun this week, the enthusiasm will be there and everyone will come out with the will to practice."
The Tigers' performance, though leading to a win, was still flawed.
Tulane gained more total yards than The U of M (459-289), had more first downs (26-15) and a greater time of possession (32:46 to 27:14). Despite those shortcomings, some players still had high hopes for the rest of the season.
"Truth be told, if we win out, we can still go to a bowl game," said sophomore tight end Justin Henderson.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Tigers will debut ranked No. 9 in coaches’ poll
Sports Editor
The University of Memphis men's basketball team is ranked No. 9 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll released on Thursday. The Tigers return all players, except graduating senior forward Will Coleman, from last year's squad that finished 25-10 on the season with a berth into the NCAA tournament and losing to Arizona in the second round.
The Tigers will boast two players on the John R. Wooden Award pre-season watch list in sophomores Will Barton and Joe Jackson. Sophomore forward Tarik Black also joins Barton and Jackson on the pre-season All-Conference USA team.
North Carolina was selected No. 1 in the poll, receiving 30 of 31 first-place votes. Kentucky, which received the other first-place vote, is ranked No. 2. Ohio State, Connecticut and Syracuse round out the top 5. Vanderbilt, which went 23-11 last season, is ranked No. 7.
As it stands right now, the Tigers will face three opponents on their schedule that are ranked in the Top-25 in Michigan (18), Louisville (8) and Xavier (15).
Michigan, which Memphis will face in its championship-round opener of the Maui Invitational on Nov. 21, opens the season at No. 18. If the Tigers advance deep in the tourney, they could face more opponents ranked in the Top-25 this season.
Memphis will begin their season against Belmont on Nov. 15th at 11 a.m. as a part of ESPN's 24-hour college hoops tipoff marathon.
Tigers on parade
Sports Editor
The talent, glitz and glamour of Memphis Madness lured a capacity crowd to FedExForum on Friday night as The University of Memphis Tigers basketball team officially kicked off its 2011-2012 season. Doors opened for the free event at 5:30 p.m., and with the anticipation of seeing Rick Ross and this season's Tigers basketball team, some attendees were waiting in line as early as 1:30 p.m.
"First of all, you've got to give all the credit to the fans for coming out and supporting their team," said Josh Pastner, men's basketball head coach. "The fans are the best in the country and this has become an event."
The event that Pastner was referring to was the fact that the main act, Rick Ross, had gotten sick on his plane and had to be rushed to the hospital in Birmingham, Ala. It was said that the rapper had two seizures and couldn't make the trip. But in a matter of minutes, Pastner was able to bring in another rapper to replace Ross, Yo Gotti.
"My prayers go out to Rick Ross," Pastner said. "But only in Memphis can you replace an ‘A-list' guy with another ‘A-list guy.' He was plan B, and if he said no, plan C was to try to see where Justin Timberlake was at and what he was doing, or Drumma Boy, or could we get Lil Wayne in here – but we had to get someone. And Yo Gotti did us an unbelievable favor because he loves Memphis so much."
The festivities started with the women's team introductions and a short scrimmage. After hearing from women's head coach Melissa McFerrin and pre-season Conference USA Player of the Year Brittany Carter, the men took center stage. They opened with intros and a spectacular pyrotechnics display, followed by three-point and dunk contests and ending with a scrimmage.
Sophomore guard Antonio Barton won the three-point contest. Junior D.J. Stephens won the dunk contest, judged by celebrity judges Penny Hardaway, Thaddeus Young, Drumma Boy, Andre Iguodala, Elliott Williams and Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph.
But his dunks didn't impress everyone.
"I really won the dunk contest again (this year) because D.J. wasn't even in the dunk contest," said Will Barton, sophomore guard. "At first he wasn't supposed to do nothing. Then he was supposed to do just one dunk and sit down. So technically I won because you can't win something that you're not in."
The Tigers began full practice on Sunday. They host Lemoyne-Owen in their season-opener on Nov. 2.
Pirates sink Tigers with big 2nd half
Football team plunges to 1-6 record
Sports Editor
Through three quarters, the University of Memphis football team put up a good fight against East Carolina University. It wasn't enough, as the Tigers (1-6, 0-3 in Conference USA) eventually folded to the Pirates, 35-17, The U of M's 17th loss in its last 19 games.
Though the Tigers played well in the first half with senior quarterback and Wake Forest transfer Skylar Jones running the offense, the Pirates' offensive attack overwhelmed Memphis' defense in the second half. ECU carved up the Tigers defense for more than 400 yards of total offense.
"I want to thank ECU for playing a 60-minute game," said Tigers head coach Larry Porter. "We didn't play a full ball game and as a result in the second half, they pulled away from us."
The Tigers led 10-7 at the half, though both teams had yet to find their stride offensively.
With a 54-yard touchdown pass to Curtis Johnson taken away after review in the first half, the Tigers were forced to settle for a field goal from junior Paulo Henriques. The would-be touchdown was a momentum-killer for the Tigers.
"Certainly you want to have seven points instead of three," Porter said. "But by it being so early in the game, you never want to take points off the board."
Jones completed 10 of 18 passes for 124 yards and threw two interceptions. He started in place of freshman Taylor Reed, who was nursing a sore back, and sophomore Andy Summerlin, who was out with an ankle injury. Though a third-string quarterback, Jones said that as the most experienced of the trio, he has to play better.
"I got a little greedy out there in throwing those interceptions," he said. "I just need to be (better) in my decision-making. Mistakes are going to happen; you just have to bounce back. Hopefully I showed coach that I am capable of making explosive plays."
Though Jones did look like he had the potential to lead the Tigers the rest of the season, if need be, Porter wasted no time in saying who would be the starter this weekend against Tulane University in New Orleans.
"Taylor (Reed) is our starting quarterback," he said. "Certainly Skylar opened our eyes, and we'll see what we can do with him as we go forward."
Monday, October 17, 2011
Who pays attention to Tiger football?
Sports Editor
Adam Douglas
I, like everyone else that goes to The University of Memphis, got an email on Wednesday on behalf of Tigers football head coach Larry Porter asking for everyone to please come out and help support Tigers football this weekend as they take on East Carolina. But there are three things wrong with that email.
One: Will anyone really pay any attention to that email and actually show up?
Two: With the Tigers having a 1-5 record on the season, why are you just now asking for students and fans to come out to the game?
Three: Since today is the start of basketball, will and should people in this city care anymore about Tigers Football?
Well, if you've been paying attention so far to my rants, then the answer is yes. I do understand that our football team is not the best team ever. I understand that over the last two and a half seasons, including this one, we've only won four games total. But the fact of the matter is that they need our help. True, this is a basketball town and everyone cannot wait until the doors of FedEx Forum open tonight at 5:30, when the Tigers' basketball season officially begins. But our football team does need this city's support.
The only thing I don't like about this situation is that I think it's too little too late to start asking fans, supporters and students to show up to games now. Plus, it's fall break and the last thing we as students and fans want to do is go to a game where we know what the outcome will be, especially when we're on a break.
And speaking of which, I get tired of hearing how students have never been to a football game and how they don't have any interest in going to one. The only thing that they're interested in going to see is basketball. I also get tired of hearing the bandwagon fans talk bad about our football program, but when they're winning, the team is the best thing since sliced bread. And when my dad, who's an avid fan and has been one for years, doesn't want to go to games anymore, it's got to be a sad football team we're putting out there on the field, because he goes to and supports everything that has the ‘Memphis' name on it.
"I don't want to drive all the way down there, find somewhere to park for 30 minutes and then leave," he said.
So when you have people with the mindset like this, then there must be something wrong with the program. Now, don't get me wrong, I enjoy basketball just as much as the next fan, mostly because I grew up playing it and who doesn't like a winner. But just because our football team is clearly not a winner, does that give us the right to treat them like a red-headed stepchild?
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Sherrod scores hat trick in Tigers’ rout of Mavericks
Sports Editor
Greg Anderson
U of M sophomore midfielder Liam Collins heads a pass to a teammate for a goal during a match against Wisconsin.
Sophomore forward Mark Sherrod scored three goals on Tuesday as The University of Memphis men's soccer team (7-3-1, 1-2 in Conference USA) defeated the visiting Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks 5-0 at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex.
"We moved the ball well, but I thought we got a little impatient in the first half," said Richie Grant, head coach of the men's soccer team. "(Mark Sherrod's) all-around game is very good. He's been immense for us this season, and he's going to need to continue to be as we go on into the end of the season."
Andreas Guentner and Tiago Reichert also added goals for Memphis. In addition to assists by Chandler Gagnon, Wilson Linder and Lewis Ellis, Liam Collins recorded three assists on the evening, giving him nine on the year. Tiger great Dayton O'Brien is the last to record double-digits in assists, posting 14 in 2004.
"Mark makes it easy for me to get him the ball," Collins said. "He's always in the right space for me. He just has to be looking for (the ball)."
The Tigers were aggressive from the beginning of the match, taking a 1-0 lead in the 32nd minute with an Andreas Guntner goal. Guentner's shot nicked the bottom of the crossbar before going in. Sherrod added the second goal of the evening for Memphis, scoring off a through ball from Wil Linder.
The Tigers entered halftime with a 2-0 lead over the Mavericks. Sherrod started the second half for the Tigers by scoring his second goal of the match. Collins served the ball into the box for Sherrod, who scored on a header. Collins and Sherrod connected just under nine minutes later in the match after Collins stripped a UNO player of the ball. Sherrod took the feed from Collins at the top of the box and drilled a shot to the far post.
Including Tuesday's hat trick, Sherrod has scored 11 goals on the season, the most since Andy Metcalf recorded 12 in 2005. Gordy Gurson scored a hat trick against Alabama A&M last season in the Tigers 8-0 win.
"I give all the credit to Liam," Sherrod said. "Every game it seems like he can always find me. My job is to just get in the box, and Liam just serves it up on a silver platter to me."
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Women’s basketball picked to win C-USA
Carter named C-USA Preseason Player of the Year
Sports Editor
Aaron Turner
Coming off of back-to-back 20-win seasons and consecutive post-season berths, The University of Memphis women’s basketball team was picked as the preseason favorite to win the Conference USA crown in a poll of league coaches announced on Thursday.
Coming off of back-to-back 20-win seasons and consecutive post-season berths, The University of Memphis women's basketball team was picked as the preseason favorite to win the Conference USA crown in a poll of league coaches announced on Thursday. Also, senior guard Brittany Carter was named preseason Player of the Year and senior Jasmine Lee was named to the preseason all-conference team.
"When you get that vote among your peers, it means something," said Melissa McFerrin, head coach of the women's basketball team. "But it also comes with a tremendous amount of responsibility. Being preseason number one in October is not our goal – our goal is to be number one in March. But we've been building to this point for three and a half years now, so it's not a big surprise, but it is a big responsibility. "
Carter, who's repeating preseason all-conference honors from last year, is a two time, first team all-conference honoree that averaged 13.8 points per game last year. The senior guard battled a foot injury last season, missing five conference contests, but returned at the C-USA championships to help Memphis to its first semifinals appearance since 1997-98.
"I'm humbled," Carter said. "I didn't expect it. I just want to work hard for my team because if I am the best player in the conference or become that person, then ultimately it helps us out as a team to get to where we want to be."
Carter becomes the first Tiger to earn preseason Player of the Year honors from Conference USA since Tamika Whitmore prior to Memphis' 1998 and 1999 seasons. Only Carter, Whitmore and LaTonya Johnson have been named to multiple preseason All-Conference USA squads.
Senior post Jasmine Lee earned a preseason all-conference nod after leading Memphis last season in rebounding (8.2 rebounds per game) and finishing second in points per game (12.4). Lee also added 21 steals on the season and shot 49.5 percent from the field.
"Jasmine spent last year trying to get consistent, to bring an eight or nine or ten in effort level all the time," McFerrin said. "Last year, early on, we had some games where she was not at that level, and this year we need her to show up every day and be the same player in games that we see on the practice court."
Fans will get their first full look at the team at Memphis Madness on Friday. Doors open at FedEx Forum at 5:30 p.m., and fans can watch the team practice until about 7:15 p.m.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Three Tigers named to preseason All-C-USA
Sports Editor
David Minkin
Sophomores Tarik Black, left, and Joe Jackson, middle, were named to the Conference USA Preseason All- Conference Second Team on Monday.University of Memphis sophomores Will Barton, Tarik Black and Joe Jackson were named to 2011-12 preseason All-Conference USA teams, as announced by the league office on Monday. Barton was a preseason All-C-USA first team pick, while Black and Jackson were second team selections.
Last season, Barton led the Tigers in scoring with 12.3 pints per game and was second on the team in rebounding with 4.9 per game. The 6-foot-6 guard also handed out 99 assists and was second on the squad in steals with 54. He shot 42.8 percent from the floor and 69.9 percent from the free throw line. The Baltimore, Md., native was named to the All-Conference USA third team and the Conference USA All-Freshman Team in 2010-11.
Black, who joined Barton on the Conference USA All-Freshman Team last year, averaged 9.1 and 5 rebounds in his first collegiate season. The Memphis native was the Tigers' third-leading scorer and top rebounder. The 6-foot-8 forward also posted 56 blocked shots and 27 steals, while shooting 52.8 percent from the floor. A co-captain for the Tigers in 2010-11, Black finished the year ranked among C-USA freshmen leaders in scoring (7th), rebounding (4th), field goal percentage (6th) and blocked shots (1st).
Last season, Jackson was the Tigers' second-leading scorer at 9.9 points per game, and was also second on the team with 109 assists. The 6-foot guard collected 35 steals, shot 43.1 percent from the field and hit 72.6 percent of his free throws. The Memphis native saved his best play for the 2011 postseason, averaging 16.5 points and 3 assists in three Conference USA Tournament games and one NCAA Tournament contest. For his outstanding play, Jackson was named the C-USA Tournament MVP.
Tigers fall to Rice Owls 28-6 in road matchup
Sports Editor
After beginning the half with 107 yards of total offense, compared to their opponent's 245 yards, The University of Memphis Tigers football team (1-5, 0-2 in Conference USA) ended the game on somewhat a positive note – they moved the ball to the tune of 307 yards.
But, they were scoreless in the process.
Rice University (2-3, 1-1 in C-USA) finished the game with just 350 total yards of offense, but still managed to defeat the Tigers 28-6 in Houston.
"First and foremost, I take my hat off to Coach (David) Bailiff and his team," said Memphis head coach Larry Porter. "All in all, we didn't play a balanced game in terms of offense, defense and special teams. We have to have more from every phase of our team."
Two Tiger quarterbacks led the Memphis attack, with freshman Taylor Reed going 15 of 30 in passing for 100 yards, and sophomore transfer Andy Summerlin, who entered the game for Reed at the end of the third quarter, finished the game and completed 9 of 13 passes for 137 yards and no touchdown. Though the offense was at one point 0-7 in third down conversions during the game, Porter said that the offense will be different once some subtle changes come about.
"The thing that we've got to do is glue our offensive line together," he said at his weekly press luncheon. "We've been very inconsistent with injuries, and it showed on Saturday. You have to start there because when you can't run and you can't throw, it doesn't matter who your quarterback is."
The Tigers are still having problems on offense, but the defense is picking up the slack by creating turnovers. The Tigers forced three Rice turnovers, one of which was senior linebacker Akeem Davis' third interception in three games. But it went to spoils as the offense managed just two field goals on the turnovers.
"On a day in which you get three turnovers, that certainly gives you a good opportunity of putting points on the board and also victory," Porter said. "Obviously offensively, we couldn't get anything established throughout the day, which put us in a bad position."
Senior wide receiver Tannar Rehrer continued to be reliable target in the game, finishing with a career-high 11 receptions for 89 yards, tying him with Duke Calhoun for third-most receptions in school history.
Freshman wide receiver Kevin Wright also finished with a career high in receiving yards with four catches for 82 yards. But despite their efforts, the offense just couldn't find their stride.
"We didn't have any rhythm or continuity at first,'' Rehrer said. "I don't know why. We've got to be consistent. It can't be one week here, one week there."
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Anticipation looms for eager Tigers
Sports Reporter
Aaron Turner
University of Memphis men’s basketball head coach Josh Pastner talks to the media about the Tigers’ upcoming season and of Memphis Madness.
In just one week, The University of Memphis Tigers men's basketball team will once again open its doors for Memphis Madness at FedEx Forum. But this year, there will be no Yo Gotti, the Memphis-born rapper, who opened the show last season for the Tigers. Instead, it will be Mississippi-bred rapper Rick Ross – or "Ricky Rozay" as head coach Josh Pastner put it – helping officially start the 2011- 2012 season for the No. 9 Tigers.
And of all the people ready for the season, Pastner seems to be the most eager.
"Most people know (Rick Ross) as Rick Ross, but I know him as ‘The Boss,'" he said. "For those recruits out there that don't know, I've got to plug myself for being a cool coach and for getting the boss-man here."
With the Tigers starting the season ranked in the Top-25 for a second straight year, Pastner and his players said that they like the idea of playing with a target on their backs once again.
"I tell my players that those rankings are nothing, that it just comes from recruiting," Pastner said. "Of course, last year we were ranked and you all saw how it panned out with this team, but I think we just weren't ready. This year I think we're more than capable, and I wish that we could start out being No. 1."
The Tigers will have plenty of chances to prove themselves this season, as they play one of the toughest schedules in the country. But with some of the best talent on in college basketball on the court, meeting the high expectations placed on Tiger basketball every season is a welcome challenge, some players said.
"We aren't really worried about what other people think or say," said sophomore guard Will Barton. "No one's expectations of us are higher than the ones we put on ourselves."
Those expectations should be taken lightly because of maturity and leadership. And one of the most important things to look for this year will be the play of senior forward Wesley Witherspoon. Coming off a disappointing junior year in which he was often injured and suspended, Witherspoon knows how important his last season at Memphis will be for the Tigers and himself.
"This is my last one, and it's supposed to be the best one," Witherspoon said. "Coach expects me to be Wesley Witherspoon – Wesley's going to stay healthy and as long as I'm healthy, I'll be able to play basketball. I'm an active basketball player, and that's what got me here."
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Tigers announce 2012 schedule
Sports Editor
Joe Murphy
Entering his 8th season at the helm of the Tiger baseball team, head coach Daron Schoenrock has a tough non-conference schedule prepared for his young team.
The University of Memphis baseball team will have a tough non-conference schedule ahead of them in 2012 thanks to games against eight clubs that advanced to the 2011 NCAA Tournament. They will also feature 30 home games, including a clash with the University of Tennessee at FedEx Park, eighth-year head coach Daron Schoenrock announced Wednesday.
"Every schedule is unique in college baseball, in the fact that you start planning a schedule far more in advance," Schoenrock said. "A lot of these opponents we started working on in 2008 or 2010."
The Tigers' 2012 schedule features 25 matchups against nine teams that clipped 30 wins last season and six games against 40-win programs in Conference USA foes Rice and East Carolina. Memphis will play 18 games against 2012 NCAA Tournament qualifiers, eight of which will be played at home. The Tigers will play 29 games at FedEx Park and one game, against Ole Miss, at AutoZone Park on April 24.
"When you put a schedule together, you don't have a grasp on what your team will be like that season, but this schedule is conducive to getting some young guys ready to play at home," Schoenrock said. "We are going to have new players in the mix behind the plate, at second base and in center field, as those positions were left void due to those players being drafted to play professionally."
For the third straight season, Memphis will open at FedEx Park. The Tigers open with a three-game set against Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, a midweek contest against Austin Peay and a three-game series against Kennesaw State. A home-and-home series with Tennessee showcases the Tigers and Volunteers on the diamond for the first time since the 1995 season. The Tigers begin a five-game road trip in Knoxville, Tenn., on April 4 against the Volunteers. Memphis will host Tennessee for the first time since 1993, when the two teams battle on May 9 at FedEx Park.
"I like the fact that we play at home a lot early in the season, because it gets us ready for the grind of the season," Schoenrock said. "And with Tennessee, there was a change in coaching staffs. I had this game in the works with the previous coaching staff, and when the new staff came in, we solidified it – it's huge for our local Memphis fan base to play and have a home-and-home series with them."
The Tigers return 18 letter-winners from the 2011 squad that posted Memphis' fourth 30-win season since 1995. Five position players who earned 40-plus starts return and two-thirds of the weekend starting rotation will take the mound in 2012. Schoenrock believes that though this team is relatively young, its expectations are high.
"I always expect us to compete for a C-USA title," Schoenrock said. "Four out of my seven years here we've finished either third or fourth in conference, and that's a big accomplishment for the level of competition in this conference."
U of M’s Jackson and Barton on Wooden Watch List
Sports Editor
Two University of Memphis basketball players are among players from eight schools named to the preseason watch list for the John R. Wooden award, an annual honor recognizing the nation's top player.
Sophomore guards Will Barton and Joe Jackson are among the 50 players named to the watch list, putting Memphis behind only North Carolina (four players), Ohio State (three players) and Vanderbilt (three players) in selections. California, Connecticut, Syracuse and UCLA also had two selections each.
"It's a wonderful honor for each young man to be on there, just to be under something with the name of Wooden, arguably the greatest coach in basketball history and maybe the greatest coach in all of sports," said head coach Josh Pastner.
Barton, the Tigers' leading scorer last season (12.3 ppg) and second leading rebounder (4.9rpg), and Jackson, the Conference USA Tournament MVP, were the only players selected from C-USA.
"I think we have multiple guys on our team that deserve to be on that list," Pastner said. "But, for Joe and Will, it's about team and they want to win, and that's how it is with everyone else. Guys are locked in about togetherness, about ‘we' and about ‘us.'"
The 6-foot-6 Barton, an all-C-USA third team and C-USA all-freshmen team selection last year, said he was honored by his selection to the Wooden watch list, but shared Pastner's sentiments that team goals come before individual ones.
"I have a lot of individual goals for myself, but in order to reach those, I know I have to do well within the team concept. Plus, we have to win," he said. "I always put my team first. I know my team is depending on me. Individual accolades will come by themselves."
Jackson, a 6-foot standout point guard from White Station High School in Memphis, was the Tigers' second-leading scorer (9.9 ppg) and assist man (3.1 apg) last season. Over the summer, Jackson elevated his game, averaging 11.6 points, 4.1 assists and 3 rebounds in a starting role for Team USA at the FIBA Under-19 World Championships in Latvia.
"It's a great honor, but no award is bigger than my team," Jackson said. "It's a great honor to be mentioned in the 50 finalists, but my focus is on team goals right now."
The Wooden watch list will be trimmed to 30 players in January, when freshmen, transfers and other players who didn't play last season will be eligible to make the list. The award will be presented on the weekend of April 6 at the Los Angeles Athletic Club.
The heartbreak kids
Tigers strike early and often but allow go-ahead touchdown with just 11 seconds to play in loss at M
Sports Editor
It was supposed to be another easy win for The University of Memphis Tigers football team.
At first glance it started out that way – as the Tigers built a 17-0 lead en route to having a 17-10 lead by halftime. The Tigers (1-4, 0-1 in C-USA) ended up succumbing to a late rally by Middle Tennessee, losing 38-31 in devastating fashion on the road in Murfreesboro.
The Tigers were spurred early by senior running back Billy Foster and freshman quarterback Taylor Reed, both of whom scored on the ground to help the Tigers build a lead midway through the second quarter. MTSU responded with 17 straight points to tie the game. The Blue Raiders eventually would capture the lead in the late stages, winning their first game of the season and handing the Tigers their fourth loss in five games this season.
"We were ready to play this game," head coach Larry Porter said. "Even when they came back, we responded. This is a painful loss, and there were a number of opportunities we had to win this game and we could not get it done. I hurt deeply for this team because I thought the effort they brought tonight was good enough to get a win."
The Tigers played one of their best games, this season, offensively on Saturday. The ground attack accumulated 165 yards of rushing, totaling three scores, and was led by Foster's two touchdowns on 23 carries and freshman Artaves Gibson's 54 yards on 14 carries. Reed completed 23-of-32 passes for 230 yards and one score, with 10 catches going to senior Tanner Rehrer. Seven of Rehrer's career high 10 catches were for first downs.
"The ball didn't bounce our way,'' Rehrer said. ‘‘This one hurts …hurts real bad. But on another note we battled our butts off and proved we can put up points.''
The 31 points were the most by a Porter-led team thus far in his tenure. But this time the defense struggled more so than the inept offense that hasn't shown progress over the last few weeks. The defense couldn't maintain the lead the offense gave them and allowed the winning touchdown in the closing seconds of the game. With only 1:41 remaining in the game and the score nodded at 31 apiece, MTSU drove down the field and scored, putting them up 38-31 and sending the Tigers home with another heartbreaking loss.
"It was a great effort by our team as a whole," junior defensive tackle Dontari Poe said. "There is a lot we can learn from this game. But at the end of the day, we have to learn how to pull out the win."
‘W’ on the horizon for Tigers?
Sports Editor
David Minkin
The University of Memphis Tigers football team looks to win their second game in two years against Middle Tennessee. The Tigers defeated the Blue Raiders 24-17 last season.
For possibly the first time this season, the Tigers enter gameday with at least one statistical advantage over an opponent — a notch in the win column.
Though the Tigers (1-3, 0-1 in C-USA) come into tomorrow's contest against a currently winless (0-3) yet heavily favored Middle Tennessee State University team, the host Tigers will suit virtually the same roster that topped MTSU 24-17 in Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium last season. Of course, the win constituted UM's lone victory on the season.
"I understand that (MTSU) have been struggling, but they're probably better than their record," head coach Larry Porter said at his weekly press luncheon. "Offensively, with Kilgore, Cunningham and McDonald they have some talent and we expect them to be explosive on that side of the ball."
The Blue Raiders come into tomorrow's game ranked 23rd nationally in total yardage (461.3), 20th in passing yards per game (317.7) and 63rd in rushing yards per game (147.0). This will be a tough feat for a defense that is ranked near the bottom of the NCAA in every major statistical category, but Porter still believes in his defense.
"I stand strongly encourage on our defense and there were some things in this past game that we can build on," Porter said. "The first three games we gave up 15 plays over 20 yards, this last game we had only four. When you look at the film, there's a lot to be encouraged about defensively."
Porter said the defense is coming along, though numbers would suggest the opposite. But the offense is the focus of the team this week. The Tigers are averaging 11.0 points per game, ranking 116th in the nation, 115th in total yards per game (272.8) and have only converted on third downs at a 31 percent rate (21-of-67); thus not allowing the defense to catch their breath. Porter understands that the offense has to do its job.
"Offensively, we definitely have a lot of work to do," Porter said. "It's not just fixing one thing or another, but it starts with the offensive line and putting the skill guys in position to step up and be playmakers and take some of the pressure of our young quarterback. Our offensive line will be challenged to perform better."
Most of the problems start not only with the offense, but rather the morale of the team. Porter admits that it gets tough to coach when you're constantly losing.
"Losing's never fun, never has been and never will be," Porter said. "But knowing that you've got a locker room full of young men who care and who are fighting, my frustration comes through them not being able to experience success from winning.