Memphis Roar

In 2000, the film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon took the United States by storm, grossing $128 million in the U.S. alone and garnering ten Academy Award nominations (winning four of those). “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” is a common expression which refers to the mysteries that lie below the surface. More specifically, the phrase refers to a Chinese proverb where loosely, one that is powerful often hides his strength so that when offensive measures are needed, the attack seems out of proportion to his apparent strength.

With all of the analysis, stats and breakdowns down to the most minute detail already covered extensively, MemphisRoar has approached this pre-game in a different fashion. The goal of this pre-game article is to determine, in methodical fashion, which team fits this Chinese proverb and likely moves on to the Elite Eight. In order to do this, we are breaking down the proverb into its two main parts: 1) Crouching Tiger and 2) Hidden Dragon.

Crouching Tigers

The Memphis Tigers and the Missouri Tigers will circle around center court Thursday night to distinguish which brand of stripes is superior. In analyzing the personnel that each team brings into the game Thursday night, it is very easy to tell which set of Tigers sets itself apart as “King of the Jungle” (or Court for our purposes). With subspecies ranging from Bengal, Indo-Chinese, Sumatran, Siberian and others, only one of these real-life cats is justifiably considered the “King of the Jungle”. That specific brand would be the Bengal Tiger. What qualities determine which one of these Tiger teams will become the “King of the Court”?

Characteristics of the “King of the Jungle/Court”:

• Incredible Size: Royal Bengal Tigers can have an incredible size ranging in length from under 6 feet to over 9 feet, while the length of its tail can be over 3 feet. A reoccuring theme over the last three seasons has been the common statement of how freakishly big, long and athletic the Memphis Tigers are. Possessing only one player getting regular playing time under the 6′3″ mark (Willie Kemp), the Memphis Tigers more accurately fit the bill of the incredible size common to the Bengal Tiger.
• Adaptability: The Bengal Tiger can shed its short thick fur in summer and it grow thicker fur in winter in order to adhere more properly to the changing climate. Missouri, a team who plays the ‘Fastest 40 minutes in Basketball’, is a team that survives one way and one way only. They play fast. They run. They do not adapt. The Memphis Tigers play fast or slow or somewhere in between. According to John Calipari, they can win in the 50’s and they can win in the 80’s. That’s what they do; adapt. They change their style in order to adhere to what will most likely result in survival.
• Status: Royal Bengal Tigers are an endangered species and hold rarefied air. This group of Memphis Tigers includes three of the most rarefied and endangered Tigers in history. With the accomplishments that Antonio Anderson, Robert Dozier and Chance McGrady have piled up, there are none who can match the status of these Tigers. Not only have these three garnered high status, but the juniors on this team in Doneal Mack, Willie Kemp and Pierre Niles are set on a course to meet or exceed their grand accomplishments. Greatness is in their blood-line now. The pedigree of the Missouri Tigers cannot match that of these Memphis Tigers.

The Memphis Tigers are Kings of the Court.

Hidden Dragon; a.k.a. Former Dragon

Besides personnel, the other aspect of this game that potentially determines the outcome is coaching. With all of the attention drawn to the match-up between head men John Calipari and Mike Anderson, is there really anything about it that will make a difference? Mike Anderson, former UAB Blazer (Dragon) coach, is the last coach to beat Calipari in Conference USA. In our opinion, this will not amount to a hill of beans. The current offensive approach by Calipari has very few similarities to the one that was employed in the game in March of 2006 at Bartow Arena. No familiarity advantage is gained by Anderson based upon his coaching experience at UAB. On the other hand, John Calipari knows Mike Anderson. Mike Anderson’s system has not changed. The defensive and offensive schemes he will carry out are the same as they were three years ago. If any advantage comes from the time period in which Mike Anderson was a Blazer, it goes to Calipari.

Despite the continued doubt on the part of national media, this Memphis team continues to win. Demonstrating an undeniable moxie, the Memphis Tigers have shown that that have the ability to often hide their strengths while playing in Conference USA until offensive measures are needed. At the point of that offensive, the attack seems out of proportion to his apparent strength. The TRUE Tigers overwhelm opponents, rendering them helpless. This crouching tiger is a dangerous one.

For a more analytical outlook on the game Thursday night, please read Andy Arnold’s pre-game article at TrueBlueTigers.com.

* The following is a breakdown of the players that Memphis will have to match-up against on Thursday night from the perspective of a Missouri fan.

DeMarre Carroll:

Transfered from Vandy after his sophomore year; Anderson is his uncle; nicknamed “junkyard dog” because of how he plays; a true “point forward” in every sense of the description; 110% max effort player; intelligent; undersized against true 4 and 5 players; extremely active in deflecting passes and getting steals; leader of Missouri.

Leo Lyons:

Best talent on the roster, doesn’t always show it though; has played extremely well for the most part of this his senior year; 6′9″ and can guard the post but is relatively a face up 4; lacks ideal strength; can step out and hit the 17 foot jumper; finishes well around the basket; doesn’t always dunk the ball when he should; not the best defender, but adequate; plays full court defense and cuts off passing lanes with incredible reach.

J.T. Tiller:

Gutsy, hard-nosed player; plays the 2, but is not a good shooter; prefers to drive the basket and finish at the rim or dish to a cutter; outstanding assist to turnover ratio; heart and soul of the team; has played most of the season with an injured right wrist; best defensive guard in the Big 12, one of the best in the nation; good free throw shooter; lacks range on his jump shot; looks for teammates in transition; team player.

Zaire Taylor:

Great defensive combo guard; not a terrific shooter, but better than Tiller; big-game player and performer; terrific assist to turnover ratio; looks to the post and sets up teammates for easy scores; can knock down the three point shot if given space, usually from the top of the circle; presses well in the full court; leader on the court, usually plays the point; very similar to JT Tiller but slightly better on the offensive side of the ball.

Matt Lawrence:

Pure shooter; good size for the 3; lacks ideal speed and quickness to cover other teams’ wingman; tough; will do what is necessary to help the team win; marginal defender, will need help against superior athletes; best three point shooter on the team, one of the best in Missouri history; not a typical “40 minutes of hell” type of player; not overly athletic, but plays within himself and doesn’t do things on the court that he knows are out of his game.

Kim English:

Freshman; great shooter; suspect defender at this stage of his career; confident in his abilities, but still erratic from time to time; will heat up the gym when he’s hot – can lead to bad shots though; 6′6″ and very athletic; high ceiling for this young man; plays about 15 minutes a game.

Marcus Denmon:

Freshman; true point guard with a good stroke from outside; can penetrate with ease and dish to teammates; suspect finisher in the lane at this stage of his career; good on-ball defender; plays defense with his feet; prone to committing “freshmen” mistakes; plays more minutes than English typically as he’s asked to handle the ball; Ideal point guard size.

Justin Safford:

Big small forward at 6′8″ 235; good stroke from distance; takes a long time to shoot the ball, not quick on his release; can play above the rim; average defender; not a great rebounder and is erratic in the box out; plays well in transition; very athletic; sophomore that will probably start next season.

Keith Ramsey:

Does the little things to win games; not gifted on the offensive side of the ball; good defender; power forward with typical power forward range on his shot; shows innate ability to take a charge; good post defender in the half court; active hands in the passing lanes; draws cheap fouls when out of position; as mentioned, somewhat of a liability on offense.

Laurence Bowers:

Freshman; 6′7″ wing with tremendous upside; plays above the rim and throws down in traffic; can play out of control at time; average defender; #10 off the bench typically; injured currently, may not play against Memphis; 110% max effort player.

Miguel Paul:

Freshman; is NOT related to Chris Paul, despite what you may have heard; true point guard; not a great shooter, but that doesn’t stop him from chucking it up; makes silly mistakes; has not matured (in basketball) like the other freshman have matured this season; decent defender, but not great; will play minutes to spell Taylor and Denmon.

Steve Moore:

Freshman; big man down low; rarely plays; if he’s on the court, it means Missouri is leading by 25; lots of upside here but very few minutes this year.

Michael Anderson, Jr.:

Coach’s son, rarely plays; he’s not that good.

Jarrett Sutton:

Walk on; typical walk on, practices hard, pumps up the team, will not play.

* Taken from THIS THREAD on MemphisTigers.org