No. 9 Tigers ready to pounce

Even without a definitive starting lineup, Coach Pastner and 2011-2012 Tigers eagerly await starting

By Adam Douglas

Sports Editor

   

David Minkin

 

 

With just one more day until their first exhibition game and two weeks until the official start of the season, The University of Memphis Tigers basketball team is echoing the same sentiment they have all preseason – practice makes perfect, but the Tigers are ready to suit up against another team.

At practice on Monday, many players and head coach Josh Pastner said that come Wednesday, it'll be nice to play someone else in any type of game, albeit an exhibition.

"We're excited about the game Wednesday; it's been a long road getting here," said sophomore forward Tarik Black. "Last year, we came in during the summer and then started the season. But this year, we've been here through the whole year – the summer and Memphis Madness – and  now the season is finally about to start."

The team should be much improved from last season. They come into Wednesday's exhibition against LeMoyne-Owen College ranked No. 9 in the ESPN/USA Today Poll and No.11 in the AP Poll. With a year of maturity, the team feels they are better prepared to take on tough competition without having chemistry setbacks like last year.

"We've got to be focused from day one," said sophomore point guard Antonio Barton. "Last year, it took too long for us to click, and we can't wait that long because, like coach says, every team is good. So we have to take it seriously starting with the exhibition game."

The Tigers will again have a deep team, but a starting five and substitution pattern have yet to be determined by Pastner and his staff. Players know that they're name can be called at any minute, but when they'll hear their name is the question.

Pastner insists that it's too early to tell who will be starting, but says he will try to better manage the different lineups he will juggle in his third season as head coach.

"I haven't decided yet (on starters), but we're getting close," he said. "We literally have eight starters. We don't have a starting five – maybe a starting eight or starting nine. I want to make it easy for everybody here. I will try to keep the same starters the best I can."

Having a choice of playing eight or nine players may be a challenge for some teams, but this Tigers squad doesn't mind who starts and who comes off the bench.

"I can't speak for everybody, but it really doesn't matter to me who starts because we're so loaded," said sophomore guard Chris Crawford. "That's why in practice, everyone's competing against each other – it's so competitive."