by Dennis Freeland
ven the floor of The
Pyramid has been changed. George "Tic" Price made his
debut as the University of Memphis' 14th head basketball coach
Monday night, and clearly he has already placed his stamp on the
Tiger program. From all-new assistant coaches to mostly new
players to new trainers, there were barely any reminders of the
past in sight. Here is a top-10 list of differences at the
Tigers' 1997-98 debut.
1. A Finch-less bench.
The last time Memphis played a basketball game without Larry Finch sitting on the bench was March 2, 1979, at the Mid-South Coliseum. In a game played before the advent of the shot-clock, Memphis lost a 35-34 Metro Conference semi-final game to Florida State.
2. No "Finch Bench."
Many of Finch's most ardent supporters had said they would not be back to The Pyramid after Finch was forced out during the 1996-97 season. They kept their word. Like much of The Pyramid, the seats directly behind the Tiger bench, where the Finch Bench previously sat, were mostly empty. One exception: the striking Jamie Price, wife of the new coach.
3. Only two Memphis players.
The Tiger program has made its reputation on Memphis players. Almost every player of consequence since Gene Bartow left has come from the Memphis prep ranks. This year there are only two Memphis high-school grads -- freshman Marcus Moody from Overton and junior-college transfer Detric Golden from Kingsbury.
4. Five juco starters.
Never before Monday night had a Tiger team started five junior-college transfers. Juco-dominated rosters are not unheard of in college basketball (Cincinnati and UNLV have made junior-college players a staple of their programs), but Memphis has always relied on high-school talent. On this team, only Golden and Shyrone Chatman came directly from high school to the U of M program. Redshirt freshman James Harris went from high school to UTEP to Memphis. The others arrived via junior college.
5. Amy, what you gonna do?
For the past five seasons -- dating back to the days when Anfernee Hardaway ruled The Pyramid, Amy French was a visible member of the Tiger program. First as a student-trainer and then as a graduate assistant, Amy sat at the end of the Tiger bench. In case you don't recognize the name, she was the short woman with long blond hair. She is now student-teaching at White Station Junior High School.
6. A missing cloud.
For several years a funk surrounded the Tiger basketball program. By the time last year's death march began, the cloud in The Pyramid was so thick it had begun showing up on Doppler radar. Monday night a disappointing crowd of 5,635 showed no signs of the old malaise. It was a positive, joyful crowd which responded enthusiastically to the unselfish efforts of its new team.
7. No TV.
Naysayers will point to the attendance at the exhibition game Monday and argue that taking the game off live TV did nothing to improve the gate. That would be premature and shortsighted, but there is no question that not having the game on TV made a difference. On Tuesday morning only a few people were able to talk conclusively about Moody's "elegance," the athleticism of Jermaine Ousley, or the quickness of Golden. You can't describe what you didn't see, and 30 seconds on the TV news is just an appetizer.
8. Zack.
Regular readers of this space know how much we like Zack McMillin, the new, young beat reporter at The Commercial Appeal. Much like Price, Zack has some big shoes to fill. His predecessor, Mike DeCourcy, is unquestionably one of the best basketball writers working today. But Zack brings a new energy to the position. The fact that he is only a few years older than the players he is covering should make for more personal coverage of the guys in uniform, not just the coach on the sideline.
9. Paul.
On a sadder note, it seemed strange not to see the late Paul Hartlage in his customary spot at the end of press row. Hartlage had been the radio voice of Tiger basketball on KIX-106 since 1986. He is replaced by his friend Dave Woloshin. One of several new wrinkles this year is the post-game coach's show, which is now broadcast over the P.A. system at The Pyramid. Price and a player (Monday it was Golden) join Woloshin and Hank McDowell at courtside for the show. It looks like a good move.
10. Nike.
Converse is gone. Memphis joins most of
the college basketball world by adding the ubiquitous swoosh to
its basketball look. Of course, the Nike label does not insure a
winning season. Just ask the football team.
ODDS & ENDS --The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) will distribute free identification kits to parents attending the Louisville-Memphis football game Saturday. The kits contain an inkless process for fingerprinting children and provides space for information such as identifying marks and doctor's phone numbers. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 450,000 children run away, 345,000 are abducted by family members, and 4,600 are abducted by non-family members each year. Memphis coach Rip Scherer is chair of the publicity committee of the AFCA. New faces in the News Channel 3 sports department: Casey Norton, a graduate of the University of Texas journalism school, will work as a sports reporter. Norton was most recently at Tyler, Texas, where he covered new U of M assistant Fred Rike and Jermaine Ousley. Mike Ceide arrives from a station in Ft. Lauderdale. Ceide will be the new weekend sports anchor.