Hey MemphisNLA, I hope that you've got security well in hand there surrounded by bitter, angry and sullen Bruin fans! Graduated from Memphis State (shortly after the 73 championship run) & a longtime Memphis fan. I have followed the Tigers for years now and congratulate them and my home town on tonights victory. Sweet revenge over UCLA, a loooong time in coming! On a thread to Doyel's article pointing out Memphis "weaknesses" at center & pointguard depth, I had mentioned that Collison was the key, bottle him up and down go the Bruins. I also mentioned Love's lack of quickness, speed and leaping ability. Finally I said that the best thing that I loved was the intensity of the WHOLE Memphis team. But that Doyel and Bruin fans kept zero rating my comments. I feel justified though the way the game turned out. Frankly, now the Tigers are seeing just how good they can be when they play Cal's script AND hit their free-throws and it has built confidence. It doesn't hurt that Derrick Rose is one of the most gifted basketball athletes I have every seen. Watching earlier Memphis games, he was never pressed, but he never let loose like what I've seen in the last 3 games. TX Augustin was right, he controls the ball, his team and the game!
As for the championship game, I gotta say though that this is a Kansas team with as much athleticism, size, frontcourt and backcourt depth, speed and quickness as the Tigers have. Stats show that Kansas shoots the ball overall better than Memphis does in every facet of the game, 2 pt, 3 pt and ft and against stiffer competition than in C-USA. I had figured North Carolina to be the last game for Memphis. Didn't give Kansas much of a chance against NC. Of what I saw, Carolina choked in the opening minutes of that game and every player did their part in that. They clanked, bricked and air-balled so many shots it was pathetic. They were digging a hole too deep to climb back out of. Did a credible job at coming back to within 4 in the 2nd, but expended double the energy to do it, empty tank at the end. Meanwhile Kansas was bombing everything in. It will be a challenge to hold down their perimeter 3 pt bombers, because there are 3 or 4 of them! CDR will not get a free pass with no scoring threat to guard. And how will that affect his offensive production, stamina? Memphis did slam Texas, a team that beat Kansas and lost by 10 to them in a terrific hard fought Big 12 title game.
I was concerned about Carolina because I saw that d@mn 1-3-1 zone from them in that game against Louisville. Miss. St.'s Stansbury used it to great advantage in their game with us by clogging the middle against our dribble attacks with a potent shot blocker. We muddled through it, but gave up too many turnovers and blocked shots. If the Tigers had hit their throws agains MSU, it wouldn't have been as close. A writer, DeCoursey I think, said Cal's dribble drive offense was on the shelf during much of the regular season because of zones and junk defenses. He said that in the tournament, coaches who, out of arrogance, play a man-to-man against the Tigers will pay. He has been dead on! I hope Self doesn't do a 1-3-1...
Two things: Which team's set of NBA players will grit it out to the end? And, Is defending Memphis dribble drive motion offense a bit too difficult to impart to young players with a day, day & a half of prep time? Those two will be the keys to this game in my opinion.
I hope Memphis wins. I was in a pool of 12 guys and I was the only one who took Memphis, I couldn't believe it. I think everybody was listening to all the talking heads as most picked UCLA and North Carolina. By the way, only one guy chose Kansas. It should be a good game. GO TIGERS!!
If our Tigers keep playin' with the same intensity that they have been playing with the whole time in Texas.....nothing is gonna keep us from the title. Plain & simple. I keep it short & sweet and just keep sayin.....
GO TIGERS GO!!
PS. I have enough security over here, especially at work. I was surrounded by Baby Blue & Gold all day on Friday. I was the only Dark Blue dot in the city....that I know of anyway!!!
We would like to invite all the nation that doesn't appreciate the Tiger Nation to come on down to Memphis and enjoy some great Barbecue and music. The Memphis Tigers have taught more schools how to sing the Memphis Blues than any team in NCAA history. Chef has come up with some new menu items:
Longhorn Strip Steak
Bruin Burgers
Smoked JAYHAWK !
Oh yeah, and be sure to wash it all down with a Double Orange Crush (TN TX) .
Be careful with the smack talk on the front end.....Kansas is known for BBQ as well.
I have no doubt we will win either, but you have to be smart when you post. Never disrespect anyone or talk trash unless you can back it up. We haven't played them yet so you shouldn't make things tough on yourself just in case!
Sorry, I'm a realist and I know on any given day even the best teams can be beaten.
Here, here! I think it was one of the most hotly contested Championship games in recent memory. Watching as the cameras scanned both benches and seeing players from both teams huffing and puffing. Lotta pressure on both teams, it came down to momentum, Kansas had it down the stretch, it isn't a choke when it happens DURING the game on runs, only at the end according to Doyel. Cause both teams went stretches where they couldn't play well. But both defenses likely had something to do with that. Yes Memphis lost it as a team, as they had won a record 38 together as a team. Both teams were evenly matched, Kansas had the better inside game by far. Their post players had a lot of moves with good interior passing, that contributed to the Kansas higher shooting percentage. That being said, Memphis had a better perimeter game. CDR outplayed Rush and Rose & Anderson had the Kansas perimeter. Ditto both teams defensively, Kansas had few treys, not a great deal of penetration, Memphis couldn't get much down low. I would have used Niles more underneath to bang those Kansas guys down low, give more of a blow to the other bigs. Have him hack more, like the Kansas bigs were doing. They were slapping at the ball and surrounding our big guys all night.
