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Luke Walton officially joins Tigers staff
By Adam Douglas-->Sports Reporter
Published: Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Updated: Tuesday, August 30, 2011 02:08
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University of Memphis head basketball head coach Josh Pastner officially welcomed current Los Angeles Lakers forward Luke Walton to the Tigers coaching staff on Saturday at the Larry O. Finch Center.
Walton worked mainly with post players during an afternoon workout, while giving other Tigers some pointers on how to take their games to the next level.
"He was one of the most vocal coaches out there," said sophomore forward Tarik Black. "I want to listen to everything he has to say. He's where we want to be, as far as being in the NBA. So if it's a pool of knowledge that he's trying to teach, then I want to swim in it."
A picture taken of the 1973 NCAA championship game hung nearby as Walton spoke during a media session on Saturday. Hi father, Bill Walton, was 21-of-22 from the field in the game, leading his UCLA Bruins to the title over a U of M team coached by Larry Finch.
"Yeah that's ‘Big Red' right there," Walton said, gesturing to his father in the photo. "I know my name has a historical reference in this city. It's kind of funny how all things come full circle. My father took a championship away from Memphis back then – now I'm here to help bring one here."
Pastner said he was pleased with Walton's transition to coaching since his arrival on Friday.
"I've got to give coach Walton credit," Pastner said. "He dove right in and began coaching. He did an exceptional job, as did coach Stoudamire and coach Murphy."
Walton said that the longer he's here, the more involved with the team he'll become.
"Today was a take-in day today," Walton said on Saturday. "I really didn't want to get involved as much – I will get more vocal as things progress. But I was just trying to see how things ran around here, getting to know the personnel and getting to know the kids."
Walton getting closer to the team, Pastner said, means Tigers players benefiting from the experiences of a seasoned professional who has competed against, and alongside, some of basketball's greatest current players.
"Luke will be a great coach because he brings a wealth of knowledge and a winning attitude to the Tigers program," Pastner said. "His experiences, which include playing in four NBA Finals and winning two NBA world championships, are lessons that he can share with our players to help them grow and develop their games – that's something that you cannot teach at this level."
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Tuesday, August 30, 2011
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Sunday, August 14, 2011
All the king’s horses - Sports - The Daily Helmsman
All the king’s horses
Sports Editor
U of M media relations
Tigers running back Jerrell Rhodes sprints upfield during a recent practice. The 5-10, 215-pound sophomore led the Tigers in rushing in the 2010 season with 505 yards on 115 carries.Related Articles
After a tough first season where his Tigers finished with a 1-11 record, University of Memphis head football coach Larry Porter thinks that his 2011 team is more talented and deeper than last year's group. No longer taking snaps for Memphis are last year's two starting quarterbacks. Ryan Williams transferred to Miami and Cannon Smith switched positions to defensive back. Also gone is quarterback Tyler Bass, running back Marcus Hightower, wide receiver Jermaine McKenzie and his cornerback twin brother Tremaine, cornerbacks Mohammed Seisay and Todd Washington, all of whom transferred. And despite the departure of several key seniors, Porter said that his second season as head coach looks much brighter than the first.
"I'm really excited to try and complete this team by putting it together," Porter said. "Obviously there are still a few positions that we are looking to try and fill, but overall I feel as though we are much deeper, stronger and faster across the board. I feel as though we are two-deep at every position," Porter said. "And also the players are holding one another more accountable this year due to the leadership we have. So you will see a different team this year."
The Tigers will continue using the spread offense — a strategy that brought success to the program while going to four bowl games during former head coach Tommy West's 10-year tenure — with two quarterbacks. Wake Forest transfer Skylar Jones, a 6-feet 1-inch dual-threat quarterback, will be featured in the offense, Porter says, and if he's not the starter, he should see significant time under center with his own package of plays. Jones should push 6-5, 220-pound sophomore Andy Summerlin, who is currently No. 1 on the depth chart, for the starting QB job. Still lurking behind them will be 6-1, 190-pound sophomore Will Gilchrist and 6-3, 215-pound true freshman Taylor Reed, both of whom are looking to get chances to lead the first-team offense. Wide receiver Marcus Rucker, a 6-4, 185-pound junior who led Tigers receivers in every major statistical category last season, is the lone veteran of the young and inexperienced group. Alongside Rucker will be sure-handed 6-1, 180-pound senior wideout Tanner Rehrer, who hauled in 23 catches for 284 yards in 2010. Senior Billy Foster, a 5-10, 185-pound receiver and running back will also be featured at times in the backfield. Running back Jerrell Rhodes, a 5-10, 215-pound sophomore is the returning leading rusher from last year's squad. As a true freshman, he showed flashes of brilliance in the backfield for the Tigers. Sharing the load with senior Greg Ray, Rhodes played in 10 games last season with one start, amassing 505 yards and one touchdown on 115 carries. He should carry the load this year along with dual-threat wide receiver and running back Billy Foster and freshman Artaves Gibson spelling him at times.
"Offensively, we have bigger, stronger, faster guys at every position," Porter said. "We are two-deep and have speed, something that we didn't have in the past. Plus guys are competing against one another in practice," Porter said. "And that's what every coach looks for out of his team – competition at every level."
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
The Daily Helmsman - Tigers avoid sweep by powering past UCF, 12-7
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Tigers avoid sweep by powering past UCF, 12-7
By Adam Douglas-->Sports Reporter
Published: Monday, April 25, 2011
Updated: Monday, April 25, 2011 23:04
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University of Memphis Tigers' third baseman Jacob Wilson had two three-run homeruns to help Memphis avoid a sweep at the hands of Central Florida, 12-7, Sunday at FedExPark. The Tigers scored four runs in the seventh and five in the eighth to bring home the victory after being down 6-3 as late as the top of the seventh.
"The dugout was really good today," coach Daron Schoenrock said. "Even though we were down, I felt like we were getting some pretty good swings off."
The Knights took a 6-3 into the seventh, but the Tigers refused to go down. They quickly posted a four-run outburst to take a 7-6 lead on back-to-back singles by Zach Willis and Drew Martinez. That allowed shortstop Chad Zurcher to drive in a run with a single through the left side. And with two runners on, Wilson blasted a three-run home run to left field to catapult Memphis to the lead.
"We definitely felt like we could have won the last two games," Wilson said. "And with the wind blowing out of this park like it was today, we knew we weren't out of it."
Although this was an Easter Day contest, the sense of urgency kicked in when the Tigers needed it most. Aware that there are only a few games left in deciding a postseason birth, the Tigers still needed late-game heroics to put away a pesky UCF squad.
The bottom of the next inning decided the contest for the Tigers. Wilson hammered another three-run homerun in the eighth to increase the Tigers' lead to 10-6 over the Knights. First baseman T.J. Rich followed with a single and scored on an RBI-double by Phillip Chapman. The U of M added another run after a fielding error allowed Chapman to score from second, and the Tigers took a 12-6 lead into the ninth inning.
The Knights would rally in the ninth, however, by putting two runners on and connecting on back-to-back hits, but reliever Sam Moll would get out of the inning with a groundout and a fly out. The 12 runs by the Tigers provided enough firepower to narrowly avoid a dreaded sweep on Easter Sunday.
Moll earned his third victory of the season, throwing 3 2/3 innings in relief of starter Clayton Gant. Moll allowed two runs on four hits and struck out one. Clayton Gant tossed 5 1/3 innings and allowed five runs and six hits.
The Tigers return to action for a regional matchup with Austin Peay on Wednesday. First pitch is slated for 6:30 p.m. at Raymond C. Hand Park in Clarksville, Tenn.
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Friday, April 22, 2011
Might as well face it
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Might as well face it
Technology addiction is no joke to those whose lives have been turned upside down
By Adam Douglas-->Contributing Writer
Published: Thursday, April 21, 2011
Updated: Thursday, April 21, 2011 02:04
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For those who doubt that technology addiction is real, encompassing the social consequences of a dependency on drugs or other substances, consider 26-year-old housewife Heather Westridge, who said her technology addiction has gotten so bad that her husband of five years now wants a divorce.
"He has been mad at me for some time now," said Westridge, a Memphis native now living in Louisiana. "It has gotten to the point where I would rather sleep with my computer than to sleep with him. I had gotten accustomed to a routine that included me waking up with the laptop next to me, checking my Facebook, my Twitter, Skype, Yahoo, Gmail, anything you can think of — I had to check it.
"Also, I had to get a second laptop because I ran out of memory on the other one," she continued. "I was spending too much money on the Internet and on other various forms of technology that my husband couldn't believe it, and it almost cost us our house and kids. That's when he stepped up and said he wanted a divorce. There's nothing I can do to change things now."
Despite anecdotal evidence that some people are truly addicted to technology, such as social media, technology addiction is not clearly defined, said James P. Whelan, associate psychology professor and co-director of the Psychological Services Center for the Institute for Gambling Education and Research at The University of Memphis.
"Today, there is no recognized addiction to technology, although colloquially we understand that people use things excessively," Whelan said. "But there are two ways to understand what we view as an addiction. In society, we think of it as something that someone does too much or abuse(s). Another way to think of it is that someone engages in a behavior that causes harm in their life, and they continue to engage in that behavior, coincidentally causing harm to others around them that they care about."
Whelan said if people are checking Facebook and other social networking sites many times a day and then forgetting about other daily happenings, those people may be in over their heads.
"When you get to being on your Facebook, Twitter and checking email 30 to 40 times but then forget to go to work or do your homework or go to class, then that's when you may have a problem," Whelan said. "That's maybe because they're using technology to get away from doing the things they need to do in their life — or getting away from the stress that they may have in their life."
Although some research indicates that as little as 6 percent of Internet users are compulsive with social media and other electronic pastimes, a 2009 study by Andrew Kakabadse, a professor at leading business school Cranfield School of Management at the United Kingdom's Cranfield University, found that 60 percent of teenaged respondents described themselves as addicted to the Internet. However, the teenagers' personal ideas of what constituted an addiction were not clear.
Even if technology addiction hasn't been fully defined or accepted in the psychological community, there are treatment facilities for Internet abuse around the world, including the Center for Internet and Technology Addiction, a research and treatment center in Hartford, Conn. Treatments at the center include a variety of behavior therapies, psychotherapy, group therapy and holistic and alternative medical approaches.
A less serious but nonetheless problematic side effect of social media is complaints from teachers and prospective employers that some people are using the abbreviated language that is common in texting and Twitter when formal writing should be used. A magazine editor complained that she received an email that said: "R U hiring? Call me." She did not.
Monica Kinnard, a recruitment manager at Servicemaster, said using abbreviated language is by far the worst thing you can do to get the attention of a prospective employer.
"I see it all the time," Kinnard said. "It is very unprofessional to go and either talk to someone or read their resumes and see that they are talking like they have been texting their entire lives. I mean, even when you talk to them face-to-face, they still use words that people use during texting or on Facebook or Twitter or something."
Kakabadse's research on teen technology addiction found that 39 percent of 11-18 year olds surveyed said that text shortcuts damaged the quality of their written English. Twitter is the type of social media most often blamed for abbreviated written language among the young, but a study led by assistant professor of journalism Carrie Brown-Smith at The U of M found that Twitter attracts only 8 percent of American Internet users.
Ayyanna Nailing, sophomore psychology major at The U of M, said she considers herself a former social media addict.
"I used to be on Facebook and Twitter all day to where I never got off of it," Nailing said. "I used to have very easy classes, which allowed me to have free time, and I would be on the social networks all day with my best friends. But now since I changed my major, I don't have the time to really be addicted to anything but class."
However, Nailing said she has traded social media addiction for another type of technology addiction.
"I am now addicted to my phone," she said. "I sleep with it and everything … I feel incomplete without it."
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Tuesday, April 19, 2011
The Daily Helmsman - Tigers close spring practice with Blue-Gray game
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Tigers close spring practice with Blue-Gray game
By Adam Douglas-->Sports Reporter
Published: Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Updated: Tuesday, April 19, 2011 02:04
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U of M media relations
U of M quarterback Andy Summerlin finished with 269 yards and three scores with one interception on 16-of-27 passing. Summerlin is expected to be the starter for the Tigers in their opener against Mississippi State on Sept. 1.
The University of Memphis football team closed its spring practice sessions with the annual Blue-Gray spring game that was held Saturday at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.
The Tigers finished last year with a 1-11 record, but coach Larry Porter expects this year to be much different given the strong recruiting class.
"On the offensive side of the ball we started slowly, but picked it up towards the back end of the scrimmage and started scoring and executing well. I have mixed emotions right now," Porter said. "Overall, I thought the spirit of the day was good, the attitude was good, and I'm now looking forward to carrying this momentum on into the summer."
The defense was expected to improve from last season, and they didn't disappoint, Porter said. The defense racked up 11 sacks on Tigers redshirt sophomore quarterbacks Andy Summerlin and Will Gilchrist and also recorded 17 tackles for loss.
"Defensively, we started strong but when we got to certain situations like on third down and in the redzone, we stumbled a bit," Porter said.
Junior defensive lineman Dontari Poe, one of the leaders on the front line, recorded two tackles, two sacks and a fumble recovery. Poe was also named one of the game's two MVP's.
"It really feels great to know that I won the MVP," Poe said. "My fellow defensive lineman Frank Trotter won it last year and it became a goal of mine coming into the spring to win the award this year."
The game's other MVP was sophomore running back Jerrell Rhodes. The Hargrove Military Academy product rushed 20 times for 101 yards and three scores.
Redshirt freshman Brandon Hayes, Rhodes' back-up, also had a productive day. He gained 131 yards on nine attempts with one score.
Dual threat WR/RB Billy Foster split time in the backfield as well as at receiver. Foster caught five balls for 42 yards, but looked a bit shaky in the running game with only nine yards on eight carries.
Summerlin and Gilchrist, who both are vying for the No.1 spot, split duties during the game.
Summerlin was 16-of-27 passing for 269 yards and three scores with one interception, while Gilchrist went 10-of-17 for 93 yards. Summerlin also connected on three touchdown strikes during the red zone portion of the scrimmage. He found redshirt freshman Reggie Travis on two of the scores from six and 25 yards out, and then hit Marcus Rucker on a 25-yard touchdown.
"I still got a long ways to go and I'm going to just keep pushing," Summerlin said. "I'm still a little rusty, so I'm just looking forward to getting into the film room and learning the offense so I can know it like the back of my hand like all the great quarterbacks do."
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Tuesday, April 12, 2011
The Daily Helmsman - Two Tigers earn weekly honors from C-USA
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Two Tigers earn weekly honors from C-USA
By Adam Douglas-->Sports Reporter
Published: Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Updated: Tuesday, April 12, 2011 00:04
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University of Memphis junior first baseman T.J. Rich was named Conference USA hitter of the week and freshman pitcher Sam Moll earned C-USA co-pitcher of week, the league announced Monday.
Rich helped the Tigers clinch the series against No. 14-ranked Southern Miss by going 9-for-17 (.529 average) with two home runs and eight RBIs. Rich reached base in 12 of his 17 at-bats on the week and only struck out three times. After entering the weekend batting .300, Rich raised his batting average to .345 on the year. Rich is batting .480 with 10 RBIs in conference play.
In his third career start, Moll pitched a strong game against rival Ole Miss. The lefty struck out eight batters in seven innings of work and allowed just two walks. He struck out the side in the third inning following a two-out single and allowed just two base runners to reach scoring position in seven innings of work. Moll collected his second-straight midweek victory with the win, improving to 2-1 on the season.
This week's awards are Rich and Moll's first weekly honors, but it marks the third for the team overall this season.
U of M sophomore pitcher Dan Langfield earned C-USA Pitcher of the Week honors on Feb. 28.
Moll will make his fourth start on Tuesday as the Tigers host Arkansas State at FedExPark. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.
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The Daily Helmsman - Tigers take series against No. 14 ranked Southern Miss
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Tigers take series against No. 14 ranked Southern Miss
By Adam Douglas -->Sports Reporter
Published: Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Updated: Tuesday, April 12, 2011 00:04
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All signs pointed to a series sweep of the nation's No. 14-ranked team in Conference USA foe Southern Miss this weekend at FedExPark, but The University of Memphis bullpen couldn't hold a 5-1 lead in the final three and two-thirds innings.
The Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles rallied against the Tigers' bullpen to score seven runs in the late stages of the game to prevent a sweep.
Still, the Tigers took the series 2-1 and take plenty of momentum into this weekend's series with Arkansas State.
The fireworks began Friday night with the Tigers (19-12, 3-3 in C-USA) trailing the Golden Eagles 5-4 in the bottom of the ninth. A leadoff walk to senior shortstop and nation's leading hitter Chad Zurcher initiated the comeback. Third baseman Jacob Wilson followed with a bunt to advance Zurcher into scoring position, and Wilson reached base after Southern Miss closer Collin Cargill was late on his throw to second.
With runners on first and second and nobody out, U of M first baseman T.J. Rich laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance both runners into scoring position. Catcher Phillip Chapman was intentionally walked to load the bases. During the next at-bat, designated hitter Eli Hynes hit a grounder to second, and the Golden Eagles' second baseman Isaac Rodriguez attempted to turn a double play.
His throw was wide, however, and Zurcher and Wilson scored to give the Tigers the victory.
After Friday night's theatrics, the Tigers were ready to clinch the series with a win on Saturday afternoon. Both teams scored early and often, and the score was tied at six going into the bottom of the fifth. That's when the Tigers seized control and scored six unanswered runs over the next two innings to finally set themselves apart from the No. 14-ranked Golden Eagles.
Rich collected four hits in the game, including two home runs, one being a timely three-run homer to break the game wide open. Starting pitcher Ryan Holland allowed six runs, five earned, and 10 hits in four innings of work. Tyler Farley earned his first win at The U of M in relief of Holland as he allowed two runs in four innings on three hits. Farley struck out a career-high four batters.
Zurcher continued his hot hitting, and went 4-for-8 in the series and still leads the nation with a .514 batting average.
The Tigers will now turn their attention to a home-and-home series with Arkansas State. The first game of the mid-week slate is scheduled for Tuesday at FedExPark. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.
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