Grizzlies shut down Celtics

 

     In what had the makings of a blowout, the Memphis Grizzlies had to use grit-and-grind down the stretch to hold off a game Boston Celtics team 110-106 without their emotional leader Kevin Garnett, in front of a sellout crowd of 18,119 at FedExForum.

The Grizz did in fact start slow, being down in the first quarter at one point 12-2. But once head coach Lionel Hollins inserted instant offense in Jerryd Bayless, Memphis quickly fought back to close the gap to within two, 31-29 by the end of the first 12 minutes of action.

“I thought that JB gave us a huge lift early on because I didn’t know how were we going to score,” Hollins said. “He came in and started making shots, got on a roll and carried us in the first half. And Darrell Arthur also had a nice first half, and then everyone else started to chip in afterwards.”

Arthur, making just his second start of the season in place of All-Star forward Zach Randolph, had 12 points at the break to help pace the Grizzlies to a 61-51 lead. Arthur got the start because Randolph was late to a team shoot-around, but he and Bayless picked up the slack. Bayless also had a tremendous first half, scoring 20 points en route to a 30-point night. That effort was needed because the Grizz were without center Marc Gasol – whom re-injured an abdominal tear and doctors are saying that there is no timetable for his return and is listed as day-to-day, or indefinite.

“We miss Marc but it wasn’t a big impact defensively,” Hollins said. “They (Celtics) scored 34 points in the paint and was 45 percent from three-point range. Maybe from a rebounding perspective and offensively, but we did score 110 points – so it was just one of those nights.”

The Celtics now have a four-game losing streak going. But that wasn’t due to a lack of effort on their part. Being down by as many as 20, head coach Doc Rivers decided to sit captain Paul Pierce midway through the fourth quarter in favor of his younger mates and it worked. Using a smaller, quicker lineup, Boston was able to cut the big Memphis lead to just 102-98. But it became a free throw contest in the end, and Grizzlies pulled out the victory. Pierce did lead a balanced C’s attack with a team-high 26 points on 10-of-17 shooting from the field. Three other players finished in double figures as well.

The Grizzlies had their own version of a balanced attack. Seven players scored in double figures for the current five-seeded Memphis squad. Other than Bayless and Arthur, Randolph, TayShaun Prince, Ed Davis, Tony Allen and Mike Conley all did their part – scoring 15,12, 11, 10 and 12 respectively.

“We saw this challenge as an opportunity for other guys to step up,” Conley said. “Obviously JB had a great night, but Ed Davis, Tayshuan and Darrell all made big plays and showed up in Marc’s absence. We all are a confident bunch, we all have to take on a bigger role and responsibility and have to make do as long as we can without him.”

This game wasn’t without its drama either. As the tide turned in the second quarter, and in typical Celtics fashion, guard Jordan Crawford and Bayless mixed it up a bit when Bayless went to block a breakaway layup and had the ball thrown at him by the Boston player.

“I mean I’m really a nice guy, but don’t push me” Bayless said. “But it is what it is.”

The Grizzlies will next be in action when they hit the road to play the Washington Wizards on Monday night. The tipoff is scheduled for 6pm.

Tigers burn Blazers

by Adam Douglas

 

     It was four players' last home game as a Memphis Tiger. But the one that stood out was the usual suspect of the group - senior forward D.J. Stephens. He made a lasting impression on the 18,289 Tigers fans that packed the building as he and The University of Memphis Tigers (27-4, 16-0 in Conference USA) finished off the UAB Blazers (15-16, 7-9 in C-USA) 86-71 - and the regular season undefeated for just the fourth time in school history.

"To go 16-0 in league play is special," said Josh Pastner, head coach for the Tigers. "It is not a given, not a birthright, u can't take those things for granted. And to think where we started, a lot of negativity being thrown in our direction, the slow start in the Bahamas - we stayed the course and we appreciate it, because its so hard to do."

There were a lot of storylines heading into this game. The Tigers were playing their last game in Conference USA before they head to what's left of The Big East. If Memphis won, they would finish the season undefeated and become just the fifth team in conference history to do so. And it was a day to remember the four seniors - Charles Holt, Ferrakohn Hall, Stan Simpson and Stephens for their Tiger careers, but the biggest storyline of the day came from sophomore guard Joe Jackson.

In arguably his best game as a Tiger, Jackson nearly came away with a triple-double. He scored 17 points, dished out 10 assists and pulled down nine rebounds - not to mention he also had 6 steals which would have given him a rare quadruple-double if he had four more and one more rebound.

"I'm just playing within myself and not trying to do too much," Jackson said. "I had it stripped out of my hand and I was trying to get it, but it's hard when you know you're right at it - but it is what it is."

The game was not without drama either. After being up by as many as 15 points at halftime, Memphis let up on the gas out of halftime and allowed UAB to go on a 15-2 run that cut the lead to 45-44 at the 14:41 mark on a Jordan Swing three. But the heart, soul and effort machine of the team D.J. Stephens stepped up and showed that senior leadership. He converted a three-point play that eventually sparked the Tigers and they went on to pull away as they wore down the Blazers. They increased the lead to as many as 21 before Pastner emptied the bench to give the rest of the seniors a chance to play on their day.

"For all four of us to be able to walk off the court together for the last time made me happy," Stephens said. "People told me to go kiss the Tiger at midcourt when I walked off - and that's been done before. But one of the coaches said we may get a technical for that," Stephens said. So I decided to kiss the rim and that's never been done."

Four Tigers in all scored in double figures against UAB. Stephens, Geron Johnson and Chris Crawford all helped carry the scoring load with Jackson. They each finished with 13, 19 and 20 points respectively. The Tigers also shot a very respectable 52.6 percent from downtown, but struggled again from the stripe, going 16-of-23.

Up next for Memphis is the Conference USA Tournament, which starts Wednesday in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Since the Tigers are the No.1-seed in the tournament they have a bye and will play Thursday at 6pm with the winner TBD.

Grizzlies hold off Pesky Magic

Marc Gasol led the way as the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Orlando Magic at FedExForum. Photo courtesy of Warren Roseborough.

 

     Though having just seven players dressed, the Orlando Magic put to test the theory of grit and grind on Friday (Feb. 22) at FedExForum. They led early and even were close late, but when faced with just five active players they finally succumbed to a game Memphis Grizzles squad, 88-82 – the second game in a row with the same deciding score.

“You’ve got to give Orlando credit,” said Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins. “We did enough to win – it wasn’t pretty. It’s hard for them to believe that this team had a chance to beat us. They fought right from the start, and all the way to the end.”

The Grizzlies started sluggish from the outset. Letting Orlando knock down open shots from the perimeter, dictate pace, and even holding a lead from the tip through pretty much the whole first half. But Grizzlies center Marc Gasol made sure the Grizz wouldn’t have a letdown. He scored 10 of his 19 points in the first half to give Memphis a slim 43-38 lead going into intermission.

“We just have to play better basketball,” Gasol said. “We knew we had them in trouble inside, and we took advantage of it. We need to win and we’re going to take this one of course.”

The Grizz had a nice margin between them and the Magic, but once Gasol and Zach Randolph were resting, Orlando went to work. A late rally led by former St. John’s star Maurice Harkless and guard Arron Afflalo, a standout for UCLA in his own right, cut a 14-point deficit to five down the stretch in the fourth quarter. Harkless finished with 19 points and nine rebounds.

“We had one jump shot that could’ve cut it to three,” Afflalo said.  “I will never enjoy losing period but I do enjoy growing.”

Afflalo led all scorers with 20 points and dished out seven assists for the depleted Magic who were without other stars such as Glen Davis, Hedo Turkoglu and Jameer Nelson – all out due to injuries and suspension.

Memphis started settling for jump shots instead of sticking to their inside game.

“At first we made some and got the lead, but then we stopped making them and they started coming back while our bigs were on the bench,” Hollins said.  “So I decided to go back with the bigs to go back inside and get an advantage again,” Hollins said. “We were able to attack, but we were giving up too much on the defensive end down the stretch – which consistently hurt us.”

The decision to go back with the strength of the Grizzlies proved to be a great idea by Hollins. As usual, Randolph lived up to his All-Star status and carried the team the rest of the way. He finished with 16 points and 14 rebounds – another double-double, and helped put away Orlando with tough inside play. The Magic would soon have two players foul out thereafter, leaving them with no one to sub in off the bench for the players on the court.

“Yeah, they had seven players, but we won,” Randolph said. “It wasn’t pretty, but we’ll take it. It was one of them games, but we came out with the victory – you’ve got to take your hat off to them because they played hard.  Every team’s goal is to beat me up, so I’m used to it. We couldn’t get it going tonight, but I rebounded good to get my teammates second chances and good looks at shots.  It was a good team win and we’ll get ready to win the next one.”

Four Grizzlies scored in double figures against the Magic. Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley and reserve forward Ed Davis, whom coach Hollins feels is a wild card, also joined the party. Conley finished with 14 points.  Davis, adding 10 points to the win knows his role on the team and Hollins is pleased with what he brings to the table.

“I like the fact that he’s very athletic and can block shots,” Hollins said. “I’d like for him to rebound and block shots in the pick-and-roll and just make somebody guard you and get an offensive rebound.”

“I’m familiar with what coach is trying to do now and trying to bring energy and keep the tempo up, Davis said. “I’m here to do what coach wants me to do – bring athleticism and rebounding to the floor.”

The Grizzlies know that this was a test to who they really are in terms of identity and chemistry. So the upcoming games on the road and the schedule in March will be a barometer for seeding in the playoffs.

“That’s how the whole month is going to be, Gasol said. “We don’t have that many games left and we really need every single one. Its that time of the year where you need to figure out who you need to be for April and May.”

“We just gotta worry about us, that’s basically what it comes down to,” said Grizzlies guard Tony Allen. “Every game is a test. We can’t be worried about how many players the other team has or who we’re playing. As long as we execute and worry about what we need to do.”

Player Spotlight: Grizzlies guard Jerryd Bayless

Grizzlies Guard Jerryd Bayless has been a needed spark off the bench. Photo courtesy of Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images.

 

By Adam J. Douglas

     Amidst the drama, player movement rumors and the ebbs and flows that come with an NBA season, there has been a bright spot in the Memphis Grizzlies rotation since the new year began: combo guard Jerryd Bayless.

The fifth-year guard out of Arizona has been on a tear the last eight games coming into Friday’s (Feb. 8) contest against the Golden State Warriors. Bayless is averaging 16.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists. Not to mention his scorching .552 percent from the field, increasing his minutes to 31.5 minutes per game on the court, and having recorded three of his 20-point performances as a Grizzly in this current streak.

Bayless got the Grizzlies going in the 99-93 much needed win over sixth-seeded Golden State – with three three-pointers in the first half – to help put cushion between the two squads and keep pace in the Western Conference playoff race.

“I’m just comfortable and it helps that everyone is playing well,” said Bayless. “I’m just getting open because everyone is focusing on Marc (Gasol) and Z-Bo (Zach Randolph), so I just hope that it continues and I keep playing like this.”

Another move that has helped Bayless, although he doesn’t give it much credit, is the fact that during this current hot streak he has either played alongside point guard Mike Conley, or off the ball opposite Tony Wroten or whomever Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins has running the show. So it is speculated that Bayless prefers to play the two-guard spot rather than be orchestrator.

“Well right now with this team I play both and right now it’s going well,” said Bayless. “I’ve just got to continue it.”

Bayless did in fact continue his hot play. In the contest against the Warriors he extended his double-digit scoring streak to nine with scoring 14 points, dishing out three assists – all of which went to guard Tony Allen for alley-oops and layups – in the 27 minutes of his play.

“I just think everybody was helping each other, helping the helper and tonight we did great,” said Bayless. “We played together, offensively and defensively. We were just good against a tough team and played well and came out and did what we needed to do.”

Bayless’ breaking out couldn’t have come at a more opportune time. The Grizzlies have been struggling on offense since the trade of their former leading scorer and franchise all-time steals leader Rudy Gay. The defense hasn’t been there either, giving up 100 or more points in three of their last five contests. And newly anointed two-time NBA All-Star forward Randolph has struggled mightily since the roster shakeup. Dealing with his own trade rumors, the big man only went out to do what he does best – get another double-double, grabbing 12 rebounds to go along with 16 points, most of which came down the stretch when Golden State fought back to take a late fourth quarter lead.

Gasol paced the Grizzlies with an all-around performance. Gasol led with 20 points, 11 rebounds and handed out five dimes. But that didn’t stop the seven-foot center from dishing out constructive criticism towards him and his teammates.

“We try to win every game of course,” said Gasol. “Tonight was big for us, we needed this one just as bad as they did because we’ve been struggling too. Now we just have to move forward, get some rest and get ready to be consistent.”

Tigers start strong, hold on late against Harvard

     They say basketball is a game of runs. That fact couldn't have been more apparent than in today's game when the University of Memphis Tigers (14-3, 3-0 in Conference USA) saw plenty of runs from their opponent, the visiting Harvard Crimson. The Tigers saw a once 20-pont lead completely disappear before they prevailed, 60-50, in front of an announced crowd of 16,204.

"That was a very good win, that's a very good Harvard team," said Josh Pastner, head coach of the Tigers. "We won that game through defense. We had a big-time skid offensively where we were not in a rhythm, but held the third-best three-point shooting team in the country to just 25.0 percent (from three-point range) and 37.5 percent from the field."

Memphis started the game on a run, streaking to a 9-2 lead on the shoulders of junior guard Geron Johnson and freshman forward Shaq Goodwin. They would eventually take a 16-point lead into halftime, 32-16, but those pesky Ivy-leaguers would have an answer.

Harvard took advantage of poor decision-making and cold shooting by Memphis to close the gap to just seven points, 40-33. And just when the Tigers built another double-digit lead (44-33), the Crimson went on a 13-0 run to take a short-lived lead of their own, 48-46, over Memphis. 

"We knew they (were) going to make runs," said sophomore Adonis Thomas, who contributed with seven points and a team-high eight rebounds. "We broke down defensively, (weren't) getting back in transition, gave them easy layups. But coach stayed calm and went with a smaller lineup to protect the perimeter. It was all on us to do better." 

The Tigers responded out of a timeout with a mini 4-0 run that energized the crowd and also a slumping junior guard Chris Crawford. He made defensive stops down the stretch, and scored six of the Tigers' last eight points to close out the game and seal the win for Memphis.

"It feels good to somewhat break out of the slump," Crawford said. "I got a great rhythm in practice, but I gotta find it in the games. Tonight it helped me, but I will continue to keep doing what I'm doing, working hard, and hopefully I will get better."

Four Tigers finished in double figures. Not only did Crawford make it into double digits with 13 points to lead Memphis, but Goodwin (11), Joe Jackson and crowd favorite D.J. Stephens (10 apiece) all chipped in to help the Tigers earn another out of conference victory. Three Tigers (Goodwin, Stephens and Thomas) led the team to a +16 rebounding margin with 8 boards apiece.

Speaking of eight, this was the Tigers' eighth straight win - the longest such streak in Pastner's tenure. 

Much of it can be attributed to Stephens' play on both ends of the floor.

"Man, he's the MVP, he does everything right every time he touches the floor," Goodwin said. 

"To me, he's one of the five best Tigers in the history of this program - and I'm not talking talent wise either," Pastner said. "You have Penny Hardaway, Keith Lee, D.J. and the other two, I'll leave that up for debate." 

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.