Big expectations are nothing new for the U of M basketball team. They’ve
been a part of the program for years, particularly since 1985, the year the
Tigers went 31-4 and earned a Final Four berth and number-one ranking.

Realistic or not, the Final Four question comes around every
October: “When are the Tigers gonna get back to the Final Four?”
Coach Dana Kirk heard it. Larry Finch heard it — a lot. Believe it or not,
even Tic Price heard it. And now John Calipari is hearing questions about
post-season dancing. But can his team learn the necessary steps?

National publications have taken notice of the improvement of
last year’s existing team and the addition this year of one of the nation’s
elite recruiting classes. The two most popular magazines — Street &
Smith’s and the Sporting News — rank the Tigers number 15 and
number 10, respectively, and both have the team winning Conference USA.

“The sky’s the limit for this Memphis team,” said Scott
Smith, managing editor of Street & Smith’s, in a recent interview
on WHBQ-AM. “Coach Calipari has really helped himself out with a strong
recruiting class and I look for the Tigers to win their conference and get
some deserved national attention.”

The Sporting News took it even further: “Success-
starved Memphis basketball fans now have two teams that are likely 20-game
winners … . It’s unclear which initials will be more prominent in Memphis
this season — NBA or NCAA. But at least no one will be talking NIT.”

Not that anyone really should have wondered, but it has become
readily apparent that Coach John Calipari was the right fit for the Tigers’
coaching position. Having a coach from the NBA has not only worked wonders in
recruits’ homes, it has greatly improved the product on the floor.

The difference between the Tigers early last season and the team
that advanced through the NIT at the end of the year was staggering. It took
time for the coach to establish a system and time for that system to take
effect. Work ethic, responsibility, and professionalism are no longer
clichés at the University; they are a creed. Throw in a stellar
recruiting class featuring the nation’s top high school player (Dajuan
Wagner), a proven JUCO transfer (Chris Massie), and a returning nucleus that
includes Kelly Wise, Scooter McFagdon, Earl Barron, and steadily improving
reserves, and Calipari should have all the tools he’ll need.

It’s no secret that last year’s Tigers made their run to the NIT
Final Four largely in part to their bread and butter: the front line. The
interior play of Wise and Barron provided match-up problems for opponents as
well as shot-disrupting defense. This year that ballyhooed front court has
only gotten better. Added weight, a strong work ethic, and international
experience have Barron playing his best basketball ever. Wise spent a full
summer under the tutelage of strength coach Ray Oliver.

Much needed depth will come from Massie, sophomore Modibo Diarra,
redshirt holdout Arthur Barclay, and newcomer Duane Erwin. Massie brings a
physical presence and toughness to the paint that the team has lacked. He also
has the ability to play facing the basket, which creates a match-up nightmare
for opposing coaches.

Cal praises the efforts of Diarra, who could become an excellent
player with time. Barclay has recovered fully from knee surgery and has been
dubbed “a vicious rebounder” by his coach. Erwin’s shot-blocking
ability gained attention at Finch Center summer pick-up games.

Dajuan, “Da Man”?

When you already have the scoring record for the arena where you
have yet to play a college game, people tend to sing your praises. When you
score 100 points in a game and when you are called the best high school player
ever, YOU DA MAN! That’s Wagner’s rep coming into Memphis.

But when “da man” is on your team, there are often
consequences. Gelling with teammates who have also been told at some point
that they were “da man” could be another concern. For the
Tigers to get to the next level, Wagner needs to be a man but amongst men, and
he’ll need help in the backcourt.

JUCO standout and former BTW star Antonio Burks has made quite an
impression in practice and in pickup games. Burks is built like an NFL
cornerback at 5’10”, 190 pounds, and has exhibited a quickness at point
guard that was lacking in last year’s squad. Anthony Rice, a highly recruited
newcomer known for his shooting skills, might be thrust into duty. And
Nathaniel Root can also provide experienced depth at the one spot.

Homeward Bound

The Tigers’ road woes continue at East Carolina.

By Chris Przybyszewski

Home again, home again, jiggedy-jig. After a good, long road trip
— let’s say one that takes us down to Houston, Texas, one week and to
Greenville, North Carolina, the next — the return home can be sweet
indeed.

For this year’s Tigers football squad, it also means a return to
confidence. The team is fifth in the C-USA standings with a 4-3 record and 2-2
conference mark. The record, in itself, isn’t so bad, especially for a
historically mediocre football club. But the numbers also reveal a major
challenge for head coach Tommy West: This team can’t seem to win on the
road.

At the Liberty Bowl, Memphis is 3-0. On the road, the team is 1-3
with the one victory coming at winless Houston. Offensively, the team plays
pretty well on the road, averaging 32.5 points per game compared to 27.3 at
home. But defensively, the Tigers’ tale is woeful. The Tigers have given up
only 12 points per game at the Liberty Bowl. On the road, this same defensive
unit has allowed 33.3 points per game.

West thinks this has a lot to do with the opponents the team has
faced on the road. “Louisville and Carolina are the two best offenses in
our league,” West says of Memphis’ last two road losses. “That has a
lot to do with our stats.” But West admits that he has put an emphasis on
being a team that plays well at home. That emphasis seemed to backfire last
Saturday night as the Tigers looked outclassed, overmatched, and even out-
coached against ECU. West indicated as much after the game, saying, “We
got our butts kicked. I got mine whipped. Everybody on our football team, we
came up here and we got whipped. I wish there was some other way to explain
it, but there isn’t.”

A stranger to Tigers football might suggest that perhaps there
has been too much emphasis on rebuilding the new-look Tigers offense. West, a
defensive-minded coach, disagrees. “We’re really younger defensively than
we are offensively,” he says. “But I can’t tell our players that
because I don’t want to give them a crutch.” West also notes, however,
that veteran defenders are pulling as many boneheaded plays as the
youngsters.

The Tigers are home for three of their last four games. That’s a
good thing, since one of those teams — UAB — has what West calls “the
toughest defense we’ve seen this year” and another — Cincinnati —
currently leads the conference. Throw in the daunting prospect of playing
Tennessee at Knoxville and the Tigers have a slim margin of error when it
comes to earning six wins and the accompanying bowl eligibility.

The rest of the season begins this Saturday at the Liberty Bowl.
Appropriately enough, it’s homecoming.

QUOTABLE

· “We got our butts kicked.” — Tiger football
head coach Tommy West after his team’s 32-11 loss to East Carolina
University.

· “[Physicality] has been a mark of Pat Riley’s teams.
We’ll have to deliver that blow first to tell them we can play this
game.” — Grizzlies head coach Sidney Lowe before his team met preseason
opponent the Miami Heat. Heat center Alonzo Mourning didn’t play and the
Grizzlies won, 110-106.

· “It felt great.” — Grizzlies
center/forwardLorenzen Wright on hitting the game-winning shot against the
Heat.

· “Obviously I create excitement. Everybody wants to
sit back and watch.” — Michael Jordan on himself, after his Washington
Wizards lost 114-88 against the Detroit Pistons. Jordan’s teammates apparently
did just that, as His Airness put on an unimpressive display of seven of 20
shooting for 24 points and five fouls in 32 minutes of play. In his next game,
against the New Jersey Nets, Jordan scored 41 points on 15 of 24 shooting. The
Wizards still lost, 102-95.

· “When I had the surgery, I just wanted to wake up.
And I wanted to see smiling faces around me.” — Southwest Tennessee
Community College head coach Verties Sails on his double hip replacement
surgery over the summer. Sails will be seeking his 500th win this season (his
record is 487-185) and hopes his team will again challenge for the National
Junior College/Community College Championship.

NOTABLE

· The Grizzlies’ Lorenzen Wright has “Mr. Wright”
tattooed on his left shoulder. There’s no word on whether it refers to
himself, his father, or his paternal grandfather.

· Here are some firsts, recorded on October 9th, as the
Memphis Grizzlies took on the Portland Trailblazers in their first preseason
game:

FG, Stromile Swift

Rebound, Stromile Swift

Three-pointer, Jason Williams

Foul, Shane Battier on Scottie Pippen

Turnover, Jason Williams

Block, Lorenzen Wright

Points against the Grizzlies, Damon Stoudamire ·