Believe the Hype: Memphis Tigers Open Legacy

[Hester1114]

Associated Press
In a surprise development, and to the shock of the world of college basketball, the preseason Top 5 Memphis Tigers have been offered and accepted a bid to play in the Big East.

It had been well documented when the Big East raided C-USA that Memphis wanted to be part of the transition. Instead, the Big East choose South Florida, keeping the annual power Memphis in a now Mid-Major conference. It seemed that the decision permanent, until early this Summer when Memphis' athletic director and the commisioner of the Big East began talking.

Needless to say, this adds intrigue to an already exciting college basketball season. Memphis returns five starters from an Elite Eight squad last year, and welcome top freshman point guard Derrick Rose into the fold.

The Big East favorite prior to the move was Georgetown, with 7 footer Roy Hibbert a lock for Conference Player of the Year. Marguette and Louisvillle are also Top 25 talented teams.

No matter how it turns out, the move is a positive for both the Big East and Memphis. The conference may now contend as the toughest in the country, and Memphis can now get the respect they lacked while playing a soft C-USA schedule.

[Hester1114]

2007-2008 Memphis Tigers Preview

Fr; Derrick Rose (6’4” 195 lb. via Chicago, Il)
Incoming Freshman
The top recruit in the nation. A pass-first point guard who not only sees passing lanes well, but has the rare ability to create passing lanes through his own positioning and spacing. Explosive athlete who puts on displays running fast breaks with his speed, size, and spectacular dunking abilities. A top five NBA prospect who, sadly for the College game, is most likely a one-and-done freshman.


Jr; Chris Douglas-Roberts, (6’6” 200 lb. via Detroit, MI)
06-07: 15.4 ppg, .543 FG%
The top returning scorer of an Elite Eight team. Perfect height for a two guard, although slightly light. Good shot from close to mid-range, but simply mediocre from three. Not a versatile player, averaging under four rebounds a game while often playing against smaller defenders. Scoring average should improve close to twenty per game with the addition of Rose. A fringe pro prospect.


Jr; Antonio Anderson, (6’6” 200 lb. via Lynn, MA)
06-07: 8.0 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.6 apg, 1.6 spg
The weak link of the starting five, but that may be more of a testament to the depth of talent on Memphis than on Anderson himself. The exact same build as Douglas-Roberts, but finds a way to grab more rebounds and dish the rock more consistently. Perhaps could be a 13 ppg, 6 rpg, 4 apg player on a lesser team.


Jr; Robert Dozier, (6’9” 215 lb. via Lithonia, GA)
06-07: 9.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.5 bpg
Thin for a 6’9” frame. Still rebounds relatively well, and blocks shot regularly. The most consistent scorer in the frontcourt.


Sr., Joey Dorsey, (6’9” 260 lb. via Baltimore, MD)
06-07: 8.5 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 2.2 bpg
The third best player on the team, although it could be argued that due to his defense he’ll end up the second. Short for a true center, as he plays out of his natural power forward position. The only senior in the starting five. Has a good chance to average a double double in points in rebounds, and is a dark horse candidate for the Defensive Player of the Year. A crafty shot-blocker.

Team Strengths
-Depth (Five returning starters, the best freshman in the country, two excellent backup guards in Andre Allen, Doneal Mack, and Willie Kemp)
-Definite Roles (A true point guard, a two guard who’s only responsibility is to score, and two bigs who clog the lane)

Team Weaknesses
-Perimeter Shooting (The only real threat from deep is Doneal Mack, a backup guard)

[Hester1114]

2006-2007 College Basketball Preview

Pre-Season Top 25
1. MEMPHIS TIGERS, Big East
2. Kansas Jayhawks, Big 12
3. North Carolina, ACC
4. Michigan State, Big 10
5. Louisville Cardinals, Big East
6. Georgetown Hoyas, Big East
7. UCLA Bruins, Pac-10
8. Tennessee Volunteers, SEC
9. Marguette Golden Eagles, Big East
10. Duke Blue Devils, ACC
11. Wisconsin Badgers, Big 10
12. Kentucky Wildcats, SEC
13. Arizona Wildcats, Pac-10
14. Pittsburgh Panthers, Big East
15. Oregon Ducks, Pac-10
16. Arkansas Razorbacks, SEC
17. Texas A&M Aggies, Big 12
18. Indiana Hoosiers, Big 10
19. Texas Longhorns, Big 12
20. Florida State Seminoles, ACC
21. Illinois Fighting Illini, Big 10
22. Clemson Tigers, ACC
23. Ohio State Buckeyes, Big 10
24. Syracuse Orange, Big East
25. Maryland Terrapins, ACC

Pre-Season All-America
PG: Darren Collison, UCLA
SG: Chris Lofton, Tennessee
SF: Martin Zeno, Texas Tech
PF: Tyler Hansborough, UNC
C: Roy Hibbert, Georgetown

Second Team
PG: DERRICK ROSE, MEMPHIS
SG: Jajuan Smith, Tennessee
SF: Tyler Smith, Tennessee
PF: Joseph Jones, Texas A&M
C: Kevin Love, UCLA

Pre-Season All-Freshman*
PG: Derrick Rose, Memphis
SG: Eric Gordon, Indiana
SF: Kyle Singler, Duke
PF: Michael Beasley, Kansas State
C: Kevin Love, UCLA

*Derrick Rose, O.J. Mayo, Eric Gordon, Michael Beasley, Kevin Love, and DeAndre Johnson all have had their stats bumped. All are the best players on their team aside from Love. I did this to produce better draft classes.

[Hester1114]

Big East Preview

Ranked Teams: #1 Memphis, #5 Louisville, #6 Georgetown, #9 Marquette, #14 Pittsburgh, #24 Syracuse

Best Player: Roy Hibbert, Georgetown Center
Best Freshman: Derrick Rose, Memphis Point Guard
Best Shooter: Ronald Ramon, Pittsburgh Point Guard
Best Playmaker: Derrick Rose, Memphis Point Guard
Best Pro Prospect: Roy Hibbert, Georgetown Center
Best Defender: Joey Dorsey, Memphis Forward

Projected Finish
1. Memphis
2. Georgetown
3. Louisville
4. Marquette
5. Pittsburgh
6. Syracuse
7. Providence
8. Connecticut
9. Villanova
10. West Virginia
11. Seton Hall
12. Notre Dame
13. Seton Hall
14. Depaul
15. St. Johns
16. Rutgers

Info: The definition of a Power conference. Game in, game out, a challenge to win. The only cupcakes are St. Johns and Rutgers. Six ranked teams, with an outstanding four in the top ten. Every team rated above eighty overall aside from the aformentioned SJU and RU. Providence may end up cracking the top five. The top 10 teams all have the talent to finish ranked, it all depends on who beats up who in conference play. Memphis and Georgetown are both serious title contenders, led by two possible All-Americans in Derrick Rose and Roy Hibbert. Arguably the strongest conference in the Country.


MEMPHIS TIGERS 2006-2007 SCHEDULE
11/9-Cleveland State
11/13-@Buffalo
11/16-@Rhode Island
11/17-@Florida Atlantic
11/18-@#20 Florida State
11/24-East Carolina
11/26-@Florida International
12/1-UCF
12/5-Richmond
12/8-UAB
12/19-@Wake Forest
12/22-St.Francis(NY)
12/29-winstom-Salem State
1/2-Rutgers
1/5-@#24 Syracuse
1/9-#14 Pittsburgh
1/12-@Providence
1/17-@Seton Hall
1/20-West Virginia
1/23-#5Louisville
1/29-@#6 Marguette
2/2-St. John's
2/5-@#6 Georgetown
2/9-@DePaul
2/13-#24 Syracuse
2/16-Connecticut
2/20-@Cincinnati
2/26-Seton Hall
3/1-@Rutgers
3/5-@Villanova
3/8-Notre Dame

[TheHurriKane]

Def Gonna Follow

[Hester1114]

vs.
#1 Memphis Tigers (0-0, 0-0) Big East
vs.
Cleveland State Vikings (0-0, 0-0) Horizon League

The Memphis Tigers start their season off against Mid-Major Cleveland State. All eyes are on Derrick Rose in his first collegiate game, and whether or not he's as good as advertised.

First Half
The Vikings scored the first basket of the game on a flashy entry pass into the lane. Memphis forward Joey Dorsey scored the first point of the season for Memphis, going 1 of 2 on two free throws. The Vikings actually kept up with Memphis throughout the half. Lead by J'Nathan Bullock in the paint (12 points), and Norris Cole's passing ability (7 assists), they held pace with the heavily favored Tigers. They were aided by Chris Douglas-Roberts, who had a horrendous first half shooting wise, going 0-4 from three, and 2 for 9 overall. With their best scorer in a funk, Joey Dorsey picked up the slack. He scored 8 first half points, six of which came of off offensive rebounds. Derrick Rose played half of the time, notching six points, two rebounds, four assists, and a steal. The Vikings did put up a valiant effort, but the Tiger's perservered through their shooting woes to end up ontop 29-25.

Second Half
Derrick Rose took the game over, and with him the Tigers pulled away decidedly. Hitting two threes to start the second half, he put Memphis ahead by ten, and they never lead by less the rest of the game. Rose scored ten points, grabbed three rebounds, passed for three assists, and swiped the ball away twice in the second half. Joey Dorsey continued his dominance on the boards, grabbing three more offensive rebounds, and scoring off two of them. The sleep-walking Douglas-Roberts woke up for a three minute stretch in which he dominated the game, scoring eight consecutive points, and totaled twelve points on 5 of 8 shooting for the half. After showing some weakness in the first, Memphis played like the #1 team in the Country throughout the second half.

Final Score: 54-77, Memphis
Memphis Notables
D. Rose: 16 pts, 5 rebs, 7 asts, 3 stls, 60% FG, 1 t.o.
C. Douglas-Roberts: 16 pts
A. Anderson: 12 pts, 2 rebs, 4 asts
R. Dozier: 4 pts, 4 rebs
J. Dorsey: 14 pts, 14 rebs, 1 blk
-
P.Niles: 7 pts, 7 rebs

Cleveland State Notables
N. Cole: 4 pts, 1 reb, 7 asts
J. Davis: 10 pts, 2 reb, 2 asts
J. Bullock: 12 pts, 2 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl

[BigTenChamp]

Nice move moving to the Big East. Good win against a mediocre at best CSU team!

[titans2410]

looks nice man im following

[TheHurriKane]

Good Win Rose Looked Good And Dorsey Was A Beast On The Boards
I'm Looking Forward To The USC Game (O.J. vs Rose)

[Hester1114]

Hey guys, thanks for the replies. I've played about three more games, but I haven't had time to post the summaries. I got a kid due at the end of January, and someone commited six hundred dollars worth of fraud on my banking account, plus I've been working. Expect some more updates soon.

1) I'm not doing summaries for all the games I've played. Since I moved to the Big East, the non-conf schedule for the team got completely changed. The only ranked team I play is FSU, and every single team so far since Cleveland has been from Florida. I don't play USC.

2) I'll post the results and stats of the games I've played thus far. From here on out I'll do that for this ridiculously easy non-conf, and start the summaries for all the Big East games.

The next update will be about recruiting thus far.