A college basketball team plays between 30 and 40 basketball games a season. Some of those games are forever etched in your memory. Other games are forgotten nearly as soon as the game is over. Going into this game there was probably only a couple of ways that this game could be remembered. We could probably remember it if we scored a lot of points. We would certainly remember it if Southern Miss won. Neither one of those things happened today. As a result this game will soon only be remembered as Win Number 56 in our conference winning streak. Read the rest of this entry »
Archive for February, 2009
Alabama State Playoffs
On February - 28 - 2009
2011 Prospect Trevor Lacey:
With Memphis assistants Orlando Antigua and Josh Pastner on hand, 2011 Memphis recruit Trevor Lacey and his Butler team won 90-75 to advance to the 5A Final in the first of two semi-final games yesterday at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Center. Lacey is a 6′4″ combo guard with an extremely good frame and a knack for making plays.
Tigers look for 20th straight win vs USM
On February - 27 - 2009
The Tigers are back in Memphis, after completing a successful two game road trip at UTEP and UAB. After winning what some would call the hardest conference road game of the season, the Tigers look to continue their CUSA dominance when they take on Southern Miss on Saturday at the FedEx Forum. Memphis is riding a fifty-five game conference win streak and has the nation’s longest current win streak at nineteen games.
Memphis over UAB
On February - 27 - 2009
If someone would have said before the UAB game that:
- Lawrence Kinnard would make 5 three-point shots and score 25 points.
- Paul Delaney would score 18 points.
- Memphis would commit 19 turnovers.
- Tyreke Evans would shoot an atrocious 3-14 from the field, commit 9 turnovers and only score 8 points.
You would say with near certainty that Memphis lost the game and lost badly. Well what if Memphis won that game and won it by double-digits? Sounds crazy doesn’t it. Memphis in fact won this battle of CUSA rivals 71-60. Memphis as they have done for the last 19 games figured out a way to win. When they needed a bucket Shawn Taggart gave them one. When they needed a free throw Antonio Anderson gave them one or two or seven. When they needed a stop on the defensive end they also turned to Anderson. Robert Vaden, UAB’s leading scorer was 0-17 with 0 points mostly due to Anderson’s super defense.
In the movie, Airplane, Leslie Nielson steps into the cockpit at a critical time and says that “We are all counting on you”. This same scene is repeated several times. In the same way Doneal Mack stepped in and stepped up at a critical time. He made 3 three-pointers all of them at critical junctures. He popped in a couple of floaters also at critical times. Without Mack’s 17 points and critical plays we would have likely lost. Thank you Doneal Mack for deciding not to transfer.
20 games ago Memphis just lost to Syracuse at home. Memphis was 6-3 and had just dropped out of the rankings. Some Memphis fans were ready to write this season off. Now 19 straight wins later Memphis is rolling like an avalanche down a mountain burying teams that they play. Memphis nearly has a 2 seed wrapped up in the tournament. Now is time to work on a 1 seed.
Memphis played a highly emotional game on Thursday night. They now must play again at noon on Saturday. Normally because of the emotions that were spent and the possible fatigue of the players that game on Saturday may be dangerous no matter whom you play. Memphis game Saturday is against Southern Miss, a team which Memphis beat by 25 on the road. Thankfully Southern Miss has seen to it that Memphis will be up for this game. Earlier in the week the following comments 
were made:
“I think UAB is a better team, if you ask me,” USM guard Courtney Beasley said when asked about his prediction for Thursday’s game. USM coach Larry Eustachy and guard Jeremy Wise both picked the Blazers to end the Tigers’ long winning streak through conference competition.
Now instead of being a possible trap game Memphis will likely open up a 55 gallon drum of whoopass on Southern Miss.
Memphis to Birmingham: Discovering Corridor X
On February - 25 - 2009
The stats going into this game don’t lie. Memphis has a clear advantage in almost every category. Scoring offense, rebounding, blocks, steals, assists, defensive efficiency and the list goes on. But stats? You can throw them out the window while you’re cruising down Highway 78, also known as Corridor X, on your way to the game.
In the spirit of the drive from Memphis to Birmingham, what is that one factor that may determine the outcome of this game? What will make the difference? Diving into the unknown, MemphisRoar sheds some light on the Tigers own version of Corridor X.
College Basketball’s Bruno Sammartino : “The Italian Superman”
On February - 24 - 2009
College basketball’s history is rich with legendary coaches. Adolph Rupp, John Wooden, Dean Smith, Jim Boeheim and Jim Calhoun have set the standard to which success is to be judged. Bob Knight and the unforgettable Jim Valvano reached the same status, yet doing so in their own fashion.
