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Home > Mark Bradley > Archives > 2008 > April > 04 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USMemphis is most intriguing team at Final Four
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
San Antonio - If UCLA or North Carolina or Kansas wins the national championship, nobody will be surprised. If Memphis wins, more than a few folks will be. So we need to take this opportunity to prepare ourselves.
Because the Tigers are really, really good.
In a Final Four for heavyweights only, Memphis arrives having landed the biggest blows. It won its regional by beating Michigan State and Texas by 18 points apiece, having led at halftime in those two games by an aggregate 41 points. The No. 1 seed expected to lose first seems the most talented, most focused No. 1 on the board. Where’d that come from?
Not, as you might have been led to believe, from John Calipari’s espousal of the hoary Us-Against-The-World motivational tack. “We never talk about that,” guard Antonio Anderson said Friday.
Said Calipari, who during a previous Final Four run with UMass copyrighted the slogan, “Refuse To Lose”: “We haven’t had [that underdog mentality] all year. We won most of our games [37 of 38, to be precise]. But in the NCAA tournament most analysts picked us to lose — is that not true?”
It’s true. (I know I did.) But Memphis is the most intriguing team in this Final Four because it’s taken the least seriously. Calipari again: “The other programs are more highly thought of, and they should be. Between UCLA and Memphis, we’ve won 11 national titles.”
This generated the desired laugh — UCLA has, as we know, won 11 by itself — but the cold truth is that the regal Bruins will take the floor tonight at the Alamodome as the betting-line underdog. Apparently the boys in Vegas rate Memphis somewhat more highly than we grizzled college basketball observers.
Certainly the Tigers themselves, having lost only nine times (against 103 victories) the past three seasons, don’t discount their chances. “It’s not everybody who expects us to lose,” said Chris Douglas-Roberts, the team’s leading scorer. “It’s just some. And that’s how it’s supposed to be. Some people don’t think UCLA is going to win, or North Carolina or Kansas. It’s just a matter of opinion. We know we’re a pretty good basketball team.”
The Tigers were pretty good the past two seasons, when they lost in regional finals. They’re rather better now. As UCLA coach Ben Howland, whose Bruins beat Memphis in the Elite Eight in 2006, said: “Adding Jason Kidd [meaning freshman point guard Derrick Rose] to that lineup makes it doubly difficult.”
None of these teams lacks talent, but Memphis might well have the most. The Tigers made tough-minded Michigan State look slow and weak. (UCLA, as Howland noted, barely beat the Spartans in December.) Asked if Memphis resembles any Pac-10 opponent, the Bruins’ Darren Collison mentioned Oregon.
Said Kevin Love, the freshman center: “Oregon on steroids.”
Last spring, Memphis center Joey Dorsey raised a ruckus before the regional final by calling Ohio State’s Greg Oden “overrated.” (On cue, Oden outscored Dorsey 17-0.) This year’s Dorsey story line revolves around the stories Calipari demands that he write regarding the Tigers and their season and Dorsey’s role therein.
Calipari: “I said, ‘I want you to write a story about how you want your season to end. It’s your fairy tale, your dream — write it.’ … For my team, I keep saying, I want you to expect good things to happen because your only other option is to wait for bad things to happen. I want these young men to learn that it’s OK to expect good.”
A significant chapter in the Memphis story will be told tonight. Maybe the Tigers will trip over their moment. Maybe they’ll revert to missing the free throws they made against Michigan State and Texas. Maybe they’ll be revealed, as many have expected all along, as the least of these No. 1 seeds. Then again …
“We’re really not paying attention to what people are saying,” Douglas-Roberts said. “We’re creating our own happiness.”
Comments
By Whopper Dawg
April 4, 2008 8:26 PM | Link to this
I live right outside Memphis (GA transplant) and the Tigers could beat UCLA by 20 or lose by 10. Really. If those guys are on, and they have been, watch out, they can blow out, I mean blow out any team. They have been playing smart and when they play smart, you almost can’t beat them. We’ll see, but it really comes down to how Memphis plays, because if they play well, UCLA, Carolina and Kansas can’t hang.
By Gordon
April 4, 2008 10:08 PM | Link to this
I think UCLA will win because of the experience of playing in the Final 4 the last two years. Kansas and Memphis will be too juiced up and won’t play their best. UCLA over UNC by 5 in the final, with the game being in the high 70’s.
By HEIDELBERG
April 4, 2008 10:32 PM | Link to this
Memphis is by far the most athletic team in the Final Four. The Tigers are in complete control of their destiny. Should Memphis score 70 points, UCLA, UNC nor Kansas will come close. Speed and determination will prevail!!!
By Texas Tiger
April 4, 2008 11:39 PM | Link to this
I’m with Heidelberg— Memphis made me believer in the South reigional. Their reigional competion—Michigan State and Texas— were never in either game. I see KU/ Memphis in the final. Both have the spped and bench depth to beat most NBA teams!
By Brandon
April 5, 2008 12:18 AM | Link to this
MEMPHIS!!! It is our time to dance! I have been a TIGER fan since 1984 and went to school there in 1990. This is the best class I have seen and I really think they will start proving that a conference USA is only a conference, but a Champion will be born on April 7, 2008 - MEMPHIS!!!!
By Bud Wiser
April 5, 2008 6:53 AM | Link to this
Whoever tries to challenge Memphis’ game mano-a-mano will lose. Whoever makes the Tigers shoot free-throws will win. Michigan State and Texas were the loops in the bell curve, all you have to do is check the stats. Memphis was third from the bottom in total NCAA basketball this year…..318 out of 321 to be exact. I was say that was the trend, the real Memphis, and the region games were the blip. BTW, I am a 1971 Memphis State grad, and have mourned our ‘72 loss to the Bruins ever since…Walton played a fantastic game, but should have been charged with a 4th foul late first half, that was called a block, and not a charge. Changed the whole aspect of the game, but take nothing away from his devastating performance.
By mark
April 5, 2008 7:56 AM | Link to this
Wait? Number one seed Memphis is really good? I’m glad we have this column to clear that up.
Honestly, I think Kansas would be the biggest surprise to win it all at this point.
By Come on
April 5, 2008 8:04 AM | Link to this
Really? If Memphis is on, then NOBODY can hang w/them? PLEEASE! Man for man, UCLA AND UNC BOTH match up with Memphis. Memphis does not…I repeat does NOT have superior talent to these teams. Now, can Memphis win it all…sure. But, lets don’t act like they are so superior talent wise..because they are NOT
By jeff
April 5, 2008 8:15 AM | Link to this
Ku beats UNC. Memphis beats UCLA. Memphis beats KU.
By I Have A Way With Words...
April 5, 2008 8:29 AM | Link to this
I don’t believe that ANYBODY should be surprised if Memphis wins.
They’d have had to not watch a single game all year for that to be the case.
By FLJacket
April 5, 2008 10:13 AM | Link to this
Alright, alright… i’ll agree with W Dawg… except for the last statement. I think even if Memphis does play well, UCLA, Kansas or UNC could ALL hang with them. It will definitely be two excellent final four games… and a great championship game regardless who makes it.
By TW
April 5, 2008 10:22 AM | Link to this
WAIT A MINUTE!!
That dunk Ewing did last night in the competition, the one he’s getting all the props for (Yahoo even tells Dwight Howard to move aside) was the same dunk that high school kid down here did in the ajc slam dunk competition they held online! And that kid only got second place…same dunk!!!
By dawgsig
April 5, 2008 10:42 AM | Link to this
YAWN! I love all these basketball “experts.” “Expert” is someone who used to spurt, but can’t spurt anymore. UNC wins it all. Go “spurt” on that for a while.
By Harry Odom
April 5, 2008 11:17 AM | Link to this
The Tigers are flying high this year. Only one loss. It will be the Tigers and UNC in the finals. GO TIGERS
By Bill
April 5, 2008 11:42 AM | Link to this
I think any team in can win.North carolina looks real strong and Kansas looks like the weakest team.There you have it folks Bill”s opinions.
By J
April 5, 2008 2:42 PM | Link to this
Memphis has the talent and the coaching staff to win. If they hit free throws, they go all the way!
By Mark Bradley
April 5, 2008 3:16 PM | Link to this
The prevailing mood here in San Antonio — among the media, for what it’s worth — is that Memphis will beat UCLA. (I picked UCLA to win the tournament, so I personally am sticking by that.)
By Whopper Dawg
April 5, 2008 10:25 PM | Link to this
Well, Mr. Come On, looks like I was close. Tigers by 15 and could have been more. The Tigers have two first round NBA draft choices and one probably in the late first or second. UCLA - none. The UCLA center is sound on the fundamentals, but is slow, can’t jump and not in condition. Kansas however looks like they could beat the Lakers, so we will see.