Game Notes: Tennessee at Memphis
The NCAA regular season game of the year as an undefeated goes down to #2
By Cub Buenning
I will be honest with y’all. My hoops attention and focus this season has strongly wavered from the professional side of things to the collegiate game. Usually, I have attention and time for both (punctuated by excessive postseason viewing) but this season I was hooked on the NCAA from the start, thanks largely to a preseason SLAM assignment.
This past fall, I was fortunate enough to spend two days in Memphis, TN chronicling the upcoming season for the local college side. Yes, they were already being hyped up as one of the country’s top teams, but no one could have imagined where the season would have taken them.
Last Saturday was a game I had circled on my viewing calendar (yes, I actually have one) as a big rivalry game between two cross-state rivals. Memphis v. Tennessee. Before the season had started, I surely underestimated how large this game would become, as the teams entered the contest as the nation’s top ranked teams. The Worldwide Leader fed us endless pre-game build-up about how rare this occurrence (1 and 2 from same state) was, how poorly Memphis shoots free throws, and the gaggle of celebrities that would be in the Bluff City for the game.
Did the game live up to the hype? Sure, in terms of end-of-game excitement, but not relative to how I saw the game unfolding. I relate it somewhat to the St. Louis Rams/ Tennessee Titans Super Bowl of a few years ago; kind of a garbage game, until the end. Yes, it is already an “instant classic,” but this was not the game I was hoping for. Scores in the 60’s, huh? I wanted a track meet (which it was for the first ten minutes) and I got a sloppy, if not somewhat riveting chess match.
I’ve got points to make, that are mainly about Memphis.
1.) Derrick Rose was fabulous in every sense of the term. He was aggressive from the opening tip and had his way with an extremely quick and defensive Tennessee backcourt. Rose ended the game with 23, 5, and 5, but even more importantly hit some big shots down the stretch which gave the Tigers a chance to win. The freshman (who I would take 3rd in this year’s draft-behind Beasley and Gordon) also shot 40% from behind the arc!
2.) Speaking of which, why the hell were the Tigers so in love with the long-ball? Their early game success aside, the 3-point shot is just not their thing (34% as a team) and to attempt 27 in a game of this magnitude is a coaching error. Even after it was obviously not working, Coach Calipari failed to reign in his gunners. Yes, the Vols played a suffocating, packed-in zone-like defense, but this is a team built around dribble penetration and attacking the offensive glass. The situation is almost to akin to the Phoenix Suns running a four-corners stall or the Pittsburgh Steelers throwing it 50 times a game. It just ain’t gonna work.
3.) The game’s two best players were relatively MIA. Tennessee’s Chris Lofton was never able to get going after picking up some early foul trouble and Memphis’ Chris Douglas-Roberts also was unable to take control of the game. I think the world of CDR, and although his final line was still solid, in a game of this magnitude, I expected more. In last season’s contest, both guys led their team in scoring; Douglas-Roberts had 19/5/2, and Lofton killed the Tigers to the tune of 34 points.
4.) Joey Dorsey was a HUGE disappointment. Against a short and thin frontline, I looked for the senior forward to a have a large game. He didn’t. He was non-existent on both sides of the glass (where he usually makes a killing) and he was not a defensive force blocking/altering shots. As a 10 board a night guy, Dorsey was paramount in limiting the Volunteers chances. Tennessee finished the game with 17 offensive boards, you do the math.
5.) I will mostly ignore the free-throw shooting issues. This was not why Memphis lost this game. Better touch from the line would have helped seal a win possibly, but the strange offensive game plan and inconsistent defensive intensity were largely to blame.
Overall, the Tigers do have something positive to take from the 4-point loss. Despite their bizarre play, they were holding a one-point advantage with under 30 seconds remaining on the nation’s 2nd-ranked team. They forced Tyler Smith to hit a tough, guarded, turn-around shot that was ultimately the game-winner. I am not one of those guys who think, “It’s better to get a loss now.” A loss is a loss. Losers lose. While I still have faith that the Memphis Tigers (and quite possible the Volunteers) will be battling for a trip to the Final Four come late March, their quest for perfection has ended.
Image courtesy of Joe Murphy/Getty Images
42 Responses to “Game Notes: Tennessee at Memphis”
Feb.25 at 1:05 pm
white hot eboy says:
Tenn, Memphis, NC, Duke, UCLA……it’s gonna be a great tournament.
Feb.25 at 1:08 pm
H to the izzo says:
Duke?
Feb.25 at 1:11 pm
Cub Buenning says:
I got two “sleeper” teams….
Texas and Notre Dame.
Not really sleepers, but could be Final Four teams, in my estimation.
Feb.25 at 1:12 pm
TADOne says:
Memphis shooting 7 for 11 in the first half from 3 was a bad omen for them, as they kept putting them up in the 2nd half to not as much success. Also, can you really blame Dorsey when everyone was just chucking up 3’s and not even giving him a 2nd look down low?
Feb.25 at 1:14 pm
white hot eboy says:
Izzo, I’ll give credit where it’s due. They should be Sweet 16 without breaking much of a sweat.
Feb.25 at 1:19 pm
Cub Buenning says:
TAD, yes, the 3-pt shooting can hurt Dorsey, but they never give him looks in the post, his points come from crashing the glass and transition.
I like Joey a ton, but i just thought he coasted during most of the game. I have seen several games this year (both C-USA, and non-C-USA) where he was flat-out dominating the paint. He was ordinary on Saturday.
Feb.25 at 1:22 pm
H to the izzo says:
I think if Purdue get favourable match ups(ie no big men) they could go far.Cub:I agree about ND,they seem a pretty balanced team.
Feb.25 at 1:24 pm
TADOne says:
I hate ND and their 3 point shooting big men, but they are effective.
Feb.25 at 1:26 pm
TADOne says:
And Agreed Cub, but 27 3 point attempts equals alot of long rebounds. Memphis usually has a ton of penetration and attempts in the paint, where Dorsey can setup shop and collect short misses.
Feb.25 at 1:32 pm
Captain America says:
I’m not big on Gordon’s play to date. He’s a little slow for a top lottery pick IMHO. He has a good handle and can consistently make shots, but his ability to create is behind Rose and other top PGs.
Feb.25 at 1:32 pm
Cub Buenning says:
TAD, agreed. That was what i meant in my last comment about the long-ball hurting Dorsey. It was both sides of the floor, though.
Tenn shoots 38% from the floor for a game, he plays 31 mins and only grabs THREE defensive boards!?!?!? That is Roy Hibbert-like output.
Feb.25 at 1:33 pm
H to the izzo says:
Cap:If only Gordon was a PG
Feb.25 at 1:35 pm
Captain America says:
Wasn’t CDR playing injured? Also, when a team like the Tigers open up hitting long jumpers they have a tendency to resort to them when they eventually brick.
Feb.25 at 1:36 pm
Captain America says:
H, you still have to create your shot irrespective of 1 or 2. And, Gordon still remains sloooo
Feb.25 at 1:38 pm
Cub Buenning says:
Gordon is not a point guard.
Who has checked/slowed him down this year?
UNLIMITED range, strength, and a quick first step make him tough to stop in half-court.
Best College PGs? Rose, Collison, Augustin (maybe the dopest,)Lawson, Bayless (combo), Neitzel?
Feb.25 at 1:39 pm
Cub Buenning says:
SIDE NOTE: Mark my word, Antonio Anderson CAN play in the leauge. Bruce Bowen incarnate. Strong, athletic, can hit the open 3, and is a lockdown defender.
Might even go the same route as BB.
Feb.25 at 1:41 pm
H to the izzo says:
Cap:I’m not sure where you’re getting slow from because he’s as athletic as they come,huge leaper and can shoot off the dribble and stop up.Probably the best scorer.
Feb.25 at 1:41 pm
TADOne says:
I like Gordon, but I like Rose better. And Cub: “Roy Hibbert like output” is quite funny. That guy is WAY overrated. Saw him play in person earlier this year and he looked awful. He will get owned in the NBA.
Feb.25 at 1:43 pm
H to the izzo says:
Spot up*.
And Cub:I can see Darnell Jackson from Kansas playing in the Lig also.
Feb.25 at 1:45 pm
Cub Buenning says:
Roy will have a decent long pro career, but he is SO OVERRATED! Looks lost at times, and just doesn’t look like a “basketball player.” 13 and 7 in college when you are 7-2 is not impressive. Even less impressive is his 2 bpg.
Thabeet (4 blocks per)is a better prospect; he CAN dominate. Izzo, thanks for the support on Gordon, although, Cap’n, i will have what you are smoking.
Feb.25 at 1:45 pm
H to the izzo says:
David Padgett is better than Roy Hibbert at being Roy Hibbert.
Feb.25 at 1:47 pm
Cub Buenning says:
Agreed on DJackson, Izzo….
like a Paul Milsap or Craig Smith type. Lunchpail in hand
Feb.25 at 1:48 pm
TADOne says:
And to think, if he came out last year, he was a guaranteed top 5 pick. This year? Not so much.
Feb.25 at 1:49 pm
Captain America says:
Okay, H, you’ve said he’s athletic (check), he’s a huge leaper (check), and shoot off the dribble (check). But he is still slow afoot for a top five pick by NBA standards. And, after seeing him over a dozen times, I’m not swayed by his defensive skills. What I like most about him is his maturity for a freshman and level demeanor.
Feb.25 at 1:50 pm
H to the izzo says:
He also has a lightning quick first step Cap,are we talking about the same person here?
Feb.25 at 1:52 pm
Captain America says:
I don’t care for Hibbert either and Thabeet dominates when he’s engaged. H, I was very impressed with Padgett when I watched him. He’s solid.
Feb.25 at 1:57 pm
Captain America says:
This might be far afield, but it’s pretty disappointing about D.J. White’s injury. Hope he’s full strength for the NCAA tournament.
Feb.25 at 2:01 pm
ciolkstar says:
I disagree with yall about Hibbert. I think he’s gonna take some time in the L but will become a competant big. He seems like a more fluid athlete than(”speaking of overrated”)Greg Oden. Oden will hurt Portland’s development and will take up time/;touches in their offense
Feb.25 at 2:14 pm
Captain America says:
Ciolkstar, I hope you’re right on Hibbert. You have to admire him for finishing school along with Jr. Ewing. But my mind tells me he’s going to be a long project for some team.
Feb.25 at 2:16 pm
TADOne says:
I’m not quite sure, but are you saying Hibbert is better than Oden??
Feb.25 at 2:20 pm
ciolkstar says:
…not to mention Oden looks like Lebron;s Grandpa and his legs aren’t the same length !!!
Feb.25 at 2:22 pm
H to the izzo says:
Like Ewing Jr had a choice of staying in school
Feb.25 at 2:30 pm
ciolkstar says:
I’m saying I like Hibbert as a mid 1st rounder alot better than Oden as a top selection and future “franchise player” or whatever it is that Portland expects him to be
Feb.25 at 2:52 pm
TADOne says:
With the way Roy and Aldridge have developed, I’m not quite sure Portland is looking at Oden as the “franchise player”. He will be the third banana of that group, and quite the upgrade over Pryzbilla.
Feb.25 at 3:53 pm
lockedc says:
what about thabeet??give him 2-3 more years to learn the game and he will be a beast
Feb.25 at 3:55 pm
Captain America says:
H, you need to take your prozac. Any baller that completes their undergrad work is a good thing. Did Jr. Ewing have a choice? Yes. Last I checked college is still voluntary.
Feb.25 at 3:58 pm
Captain America says:
lockedc, with Thabeet it’s tenacity not talent. He is as agile as any college level pivot.
Feb.25 at 4:20 pm
lockedc says:
i mean he hasn´t so many years of true ballin like all the other highschool players got.he is playin for 3or 4years now
Feb.25 at 10:40 pm
Jake says:
derrick rose played like a man, i expected more out of CDR and Lofton for offensive production and agree with anyone who said Dosey should have controlled the boards
Feb.26 at 7:38 am
Russ Bengtson says:
Where’s the love for J.P. Prince? Sure, he doesn’t have the pro prospects of a lot of those other guys, but kid killed it against the Tigers.
Feb.26 at 3:18 pm
Cub Buenning says:
word, Russ. killed ‘em that second half…..
I was focused a bit myopically on the Tigers.
Mar.2 at 10:59 pm
23JRL23 says:
haha memphis went down!!! UNC is tha best!!!