Tigers try to rebound this weekend at Louisville

During his press conference with local media on Wednesday after noon, University of Memphis head basketball coach Josh Pastner seemed quite upbeat following a 76-72 loss to now No. 24-ranked Murray State. Given how his players took the loss, combined with the way they played on the court (including their sluggish start), the third-year head coach surprisingly feels that the loss could possibly help the Tigers come Saturday.

"I told anyone who would listen to me, 'Let's get to the end of the year before everyone has all the judgments," Pastner said. "This season is just like last year, and there still are a lot of games to be played - there's a lot of basketball left."

Though Pastner's previous two seasons were indeed similar to this one, this season has something working against it that the former two didn't. . . a very tough schedule. Yes, there's still plenty of basketball left, but fans is this city are uneasy with the recent play of the hometown team.

This team was supposed to be the one mimicking the 2007-'08 squad that ran roughshod through non-conference and conference play, all the way to the national championship game. But unlike that team, this team still has some major flaws and Pastner isn't shying away from the obvious.

"I told people back in the day when I got the job that it was going to take some time," Pastner said. "The previous four years here of that run had never happened before in the history of college basketball. I want us to get back to that level, but I've got to tell everyone that it's not going to happen at the snap of a finger."

Well, with the snap of a finger, some help is just around the corner. Ferrakohn Hall, a junior transfer from Seton Hall and native Memphian who played at White Station, will be available for the first time this season. The 6-foot-9 post player is expected to add toughness, attitude, rebounding and a key lost post game to an already small front line.

"He (Pastner) hasn't spoken to me about how many minutes I will play or anything like that," Hall commented. "But I will key on rebounding because I know that's where we need help the most. I'm all about winning, so whatever it takes for us to win, I'll do it. I'm not expected to grab 20 rebounds or score 30 points, but I just want to contribute to the team the best way possible to help us reach our final destination."

The Tigers know that they have a tough opponent in Louisville. The Cardinals come into Saturday's contest ranked No. 4 in the nation, and they have one of the best coaches in the country in Rick Pitino. But what makes this contest so intriguing is the rivalry being renewed. The Tigers and Cardinals have met on the hardwood 85 times, with Louisville holding a 51-34 edge over Memphis. And not only the fans, but players and coaches as well know how important this game is to both cities.

"One of the reasons we're playing this game is because of the fans," Pastner said. "This was a give-back to the fans because they've been asking to get Louisville back on the schedule and this is a great rivalry.

"I can remember seeing that game where Darius Washington missed those free throws and I felt horrible for the guy. And then you can talk about all the great coaches in this rivalry - Gene Bartow, Dana Kirk, Larry Finch and of course Denny Crum who's in the Hall of Fame. So it's going to be a good basketball game."