Kansas Uses Second Half to Down No. 14 Memphis

Posted by CoHoops DeAnte Mitchell

The Kansas Jayhawks reached (8-0) on the season after downing the No. 14 Memphis Tigers (7-1) for the third straight year 81-68.

This was a statement game for Tyshawn Taylor. Taylor finished with 13 points, four rebounds, and four assist, but his defensive effort on Joe Jackson was dominating.

Taylor held Jackson scoreless for the most part of the game, with his only point coming at the free-throw line.

This young Memphis squad could not force enough pressure on the offensive Jayhawks. There were many times where the ball handler made a great lob pass because of the lack of pressure.

That turned into a 19-assist night, as well as a big win.

Markieff Morris scored 16 points, and added six rebounds. His brother Marcus Morris also chipped in 14 points, eight rebounds, as well as Thomas Robinson chipping in 10 points, 10 rebounds off the bench.

The Tigers dropped their first game on the season with a great experience against a top-5 squad. Will Barton stepped up for Tigers pacing them in scoring with 16 points, while adding seven rebounds, and three steals.

Two other players for the Tigers were in double-figures with Charles Carmounche chipping in 12, as well as Chris Crawford adding 15 off the bench.

Memphis leader Wesley Witherspoon turned in another disappointing effort in a game where the Tigers needed him the most. He ended the game 3-of-11 (27%) from the field, and scored eight points, with two turnovers.

With both Jackson, and Witherspoon struggling with the defensive pressure of the Jayhawks, Kansas was able to slowly pull away from Memphis in the second half.

Kansas defeats Memphis for the third straight year in a row. Despite the blemish to UCLA, Kansas has been one of the more impressive teams in the nation.

Memphis was unable to contain Kansas on the glass, and that helped the Jayhawks get over the 21 forced turnovers by the Tigers. Kansas held a 38-26 advantage on the glass, with 11 second-chance opportunities.

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Jayhawks Defense In Need of Quick Improvement

Posted by CoHoops DeAnte Mitchell

The No. 4 Kansas Jayhawks (7-0) escaped a tough one at home against the UCLA Bruins (3-3) 77-76 after a questionable call seven-tenths before the buzzer sounded.

The Jayhawks pride took a hit with the close win at home against an unestablished team like UCLA.

The game would not even have come down to a free-throw if the Jayhawks jump out on Tyler Honeycutt, who scored 33 points, and grabbed nine boards, instead of giving him a good look at the three.

This is the second straight game the Jayhawks struggled to contain the opposition. UCLA posted 76 tonight, and the Arizona Wildcats scored 79 points the game before.

Both teams used their guards to penetrate the lane, and dishing out to teammates to create offense.

Both also possessed great big men that took it to the Morris twins inside, which helped dictate the tempo.

The Jayhawks have to get their act together fast if they want to stay undefeated. Their next game is against the No. 15 Memphis Tigers at a neutral location.

Memphis has the guards to penetrate into the lane and finish around the rim. This is something Kansas has yet to stop, dribble penetration.

The dribble drive has been Kansas' weakness throughout the year, and up next is a team with some of the best guards in the country. Will Barton can break down a defense, along with 6-foot-9 wingman Wesley Witherspoon.

Kansas' huge question mark this season was who was going to match the defensive intensity that Cole Aldrich provided inside; that question has went unanswered for the most part of the season.

With, or without Josh Selby, Kansas has to defend to win. There isn't a team in the NCAA that can get by game-by-game without defending the basketball.

The Jayhawks have being aided by their offense early-on, but something tells me Memphis isn't going to allow Kansas' offense to overwhelm them.

This is a crucial game early on for both teams. Both offenses can score on every possession, but the game will ultimately be decided on which team plays defense.

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Jelan Kendrick and Memphis Part Ways

Posted by CoHoops DeAnte Mitchell

According to a source with knowledge, Jelean Kendrick, a former McDonald's All-American and the Memphis Tigers agreed it would best if they parted ways.


The 6-foot-5 guard reportedly had a meeting with Head Coach Josh Pastner that did not go in his favor. Coach Pastner and Kendrick made a mutual agreement that he should explore his options.

Kendrick scored eight points in 15 minutes of play during his Memphis debut.

This does not really surprise most. Kendrick has had problems since he put on a Memphis practice jersey.

Nonetheless, Kendrick will finish his semester at Memphis, and transfer.

There are a few schools that people are throwing out there, but he play for a school closer to home; Georgia Tech maybe?

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Jelan Kendrick Returns to Practice, Marshall Dismisses Haymon

Posted by CoHoops DeAnte Mitchell

Last time we checked in with Jelan Kendrick, the freshman guard was suspended by team officials for a possible "verbal threat" that he made to one of his teammates. However, Head Coach Josh Pastner only called it a "personal issue."

Memphis acquired Kendrick with knowledge of his off the court issues and fights that resulted in him jumping high schools, and AAU teams.

Nonetheless, the talented freshman guard has returned to practice for the Memphis Tigers. The Tigers are currently ranked No. 19 in the country and it's mostly due to its talented backcourt.

He hasn't got the nod as to when he will play his first game, but the good news is he will be playing for the Tigers this season.

The Marshall Thundering Herd dismissed their forward Antonio Haymon after being arrested Saturday Head Coach Tom Herrion said during an announcement.

The Thundering Herd didn't lose a lot with Haymon. 6-foot-6 Haymon averaged 4.9 points, and grabbed 2.9 rebounds for Marshall last year.

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John Calipari's Young Pupils Face Off In Intense Battle Last Night

Posted by CoHoops Josh Dhani

Derrrick Rose came out on top in the young and rising point guard competition versus rookie John Wall as the Chicago Bulls improve to 1-2, beating the Washington Wizards in a 107-96 win, dropping the Wizards to 2-1.

Rose had 18 points, five rebounds, and five assists while Wall had eleven points and six assists.

"When you're on the court, you want to see where a player is," Rose said. "It's just the way I am. I'm always going to attack and make sure a player is on his heels.

"It's challenging, knowing you can guard a guy that fast. It gives me confidence for the next time I'm out there against somebody that mobile. He's a good player."

Both players have both played for head coach John Calipari, who attended the game to watch his college projects perform well.

Kirk Hinrich played well against his old squad, after playing for the Bulls for the past seven seasons.

"([t's] a little bit [weird], being in the other locker room," Hinrich said before the game. "I've never seen it before. It was weird the first time I put on this uniform, too, but I've gotten over that."

He received a great ovation from the crowd.

"He don't even look right in that jersey," Rose said.

Kyle Korver had 17 points and Joakim Noah had twelve points, along with eleven rebounds for the Bulls.

Gilbert Arenas led the Wizards with 16 points.

Rose was drafted as the number one pick of the 2008 NBA Draft, playing under Calipari for the Memphis Tigers. Wall was the number one draft pick this season, playing for Calipari with the Kentucky Wildcats.

"I told these guys, don't get crazy. It's exhibition," said Calipari, adding that his advice to both players was to be "humble and hungry."

It went a bit slow in the first half, but when the second half rolled by, things started to get competitive between the two.

"I thought [Rose] gave us real good flow by getting guys involved and moving the ball," said Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau. "And then in the third quarter, he got real aggressive and took the ball inside."

The Wizards were outrebounded by Chicago, 48-32, most importantly because of their three-guard line-up.

"Our team has to rebound," Wizards coach Flip Saunders said. "It's not our guards getting beat on the glass, it's our bigs."

Saunders didn't want Wall to read Rose too much in his first match-up versus the young Bulls' guard.

"I think if John has a great game, I don't want him to think he's arrived already," Saunders said. "If he has a bad game, I don't want him to think he's not worth a [darn]. ... I think John will be more excited to play against him than he'll look at it as a measuring stick. John loves to compete, no matter who he plays against.

"[Rose and Wall] play each other four times a year, and [these matchups] are how they're going to be judged."

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College Hoops: Without Will Barton The Memphis Tigers Are Still Good!

Posted by CoHoops DeAnte Mitchell

Photo Credits to ESPN.com

The Memphis Tigers stood face-to-face with failure. There former-Head Coach John Calipari elected to leave the program for Kentucky following their NCAA Championship loss to the Kansas Jayhawks back in '08.

When that arose, nothing about Memphis' program spelled success. The Tigers lost their recruits that initially committed to putting on a Memphis jersey. When Calipari exited most of the recruits trailed him to Kentucky while one wandered off to the Jayhawks.

That took Memphis out of the nations spotlight and the story was shaping up to be a sad one about a successful program hitting rock bottom.

Little did we know, Josh Pastner was there to revive the program and feasibly make it better than it was foregoing

Coach Pastner was looked on to be a rebuilding coach. He was hired to a team that had lost three key starters from the year preceding; not to mention, most of the top recruits decommitted from the program. This indicated Pastner had to rely on the current players, Miami Dade Junior College player Will Coleman as well as Duke transfer Elliot Williams.

Just like everyone else, the Tigers proved me wrong. The Tigers lost the Conference USA streak, didn't make the tournament and didn't win the conference championship but Memphis fans did see potential in their newly acquired Head Coach.

As the 09-10' season progressed you could witness how much Coach Pastner enlightened Williams game. He was a pure combo guard and Coach Pastner played Williams at each guard position to utilize his versatility.

Williams was a very key element to the surprise Memphis brought the NCAA. It wasn't mind-boggling to assume Williams would forgo another season of College Basketball to turn pro. Coach Pastner had recruited one of the top players in the class that played the same position and Williams progressed so much during the season, it wasn't a doubt in Memphis that Williams wasn't league-bound.

Usually when teams lose a star-player they cringe until they pinpoint another caliber athlete. However, Memphis already understood who would step in and fill the void for Williams--Will Barton.

Coach Pastner brought in vaguely the best class this year. The Tigers have four highly-touted recruits that'll spark the backcourt, but you can't forget about the other recruits as well because the frontcourt looks bright with young star Tarik Black.

With most of the summer gone, Memphis looked set with their nucleus of star-power. However, Memphis basketball took an unexpected turn.

Freshman guard Will Barton was declared academically ineligible and that was anything but good news for the Tigers.

With Barton ineligible, the Tigers will have to rely on Jelan Kendrick to fill Williams void. It's not a bad thing by any means but Kendrick isn't as explosive or doesn't display the aggressive mentality similar to Barton.

You'd think the Tigers were over the hurdle but it seems like they tripped. However, they say "What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger."

I think that should be Memphis' inspiration this upcoming season. The Tigers program has been through a lot in the past few years. The program lost their coach and NCAA infractions were amongst Memphis.

Beforehand, Pastner seemed to have all the solutions to the problems at Memphis. I assume that he will also overcome the current situation, despite the loss of talent.

Memphis acquired Joe Jackson, Kendrick, Chris Crawford and Antonio Barton to play in the backcourt beside Barton (Will).

With the four other guards not named Will Barton collectively, Witherspoon on the wing, Coleman, Black and Hippolyte Tsafack as soon as he is eligible, the Tigers will compete at a high-level.

The Tigers are definitely missing a big piece of their roster without Barton. Barton was endeavored to be the leader, scorer and would have been looked on in late-game situations.

Playing basketball in 10-11' is not out of the picture. He has submitted an appeal that might go in favor. Although Barton was the most talented player in the recruiting class, the depth and talent instilled on their roster will still be tremendous.

Without Barton they're good but with him, they're really good! Memphis will have to rely on their recruiting class and experienced players to fill the role if Barton's appeal doesn't go as planned.

They'll have to step up, show heart, composure and will to succeed to hurdle Barton's eligibility problems. I assume they will do just that. They did a decent job with it last season, why not the upcoming season with more talent on their roster?

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College Basketball Rumors: Perry Ellis Memphis Bound?

Posted by CoHoops DeAnte Mitchell

Photo Credits to Rivals.com

The Memphis Tigers Head Coach Josh Pastner has proven himself as a great recruiter. As evidence, look at the recruits he brought in this year. 

He just acquired the job last year and has the ability to turn the program around. His first stint was this year’s recruiting class. In the 2011 recruiting class, there haven’t been any verbal commitments, but the top recruits are all considering the Tigers' program.

In 2012, nothing changes. They have some great talent wanting to play for their program. The most notable recruit is Perry Ellis from Wichita, Kansas.

Ellis is a 6-foot-7 power forward that will be a great addition to any frontcourt. In fact, once he reaches 2010, I believe he may be able to play on the wing. 

He has the ability to face up in the post and attack the defense. Not to mention, his pump-fake and moves in the post, solidifies him as a solid offensive threat. 

It's reported that Ellis and Pastner has great history with each other. Pastner was the second coach that offered Ellis according to therecruitscoop.com. 

Ellis and Pastner have grown a relationship with Ellis and he could be Memphis bound once he makes his decision. However, he does still have offers from Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky, and Oklahoma.

Ellis could be going anywhere once he makes his decision in 2012. But if I had a guess to where he might go; I would guess to Memphis with Josh Pastner.

Can The Memphis Tigers Make a Run?

Posted by CoHoops DeAnte Mitchell

After Coach John Calipari left Memphis, the Tigers weren't considered to be anything in Conference USA.

However, there was a back-up plan. Josh Pastner was hired and he did exceptionally well from what I thought he could do last year, and the upcoming season will only be better.

With one of the better 2010 recruiting classes, that highlights some of the top guards in the country; Memphis will rise back into the nation’s spotlight.

Not to mention, starters Will Coleman and Wesley Witherspoon return to Memphis to accompany the eight freshmen coming in. 

But can the Tigers make a run in the tournament? It's not surprising to see a young team making a run in the NCAA tournament. However, it is very rare for them to get to the big game--unless you're Carmelo Anthony.

The Memphis Tigers only have two starters from last year's team and eight freshmen. 

Something similar to what Kentucky did last year. Differently from Kentucky, Memphis has a talented core of guards versus the all-around threat of Kentucky.

Jackson and Jelan Kendrick were the McDonald's All-Americans of the recruiting list. It's no question that they will be used a lot. They're big time playmakers will the ability to carry a team to victory.

With their contributions plus the leadership from returning players, Memphis does have a chance to make a run in the tournament. However, for the Tigers to do so, Roburt Sallie will need to step up big-time playing on the wing.

But, with so many solid recruits in the backcourt, mixed with a lot of frontcourt depth, the Tigers will need more from the wing position.

This season, the toughness of Pierre Henderson-Niles will be missed tremendously. The Tigers lack toughness inside but took on a different approach in the frontcourt. The last few years with the Tigers, it has been size in the frontcourt. 

This year it will be athleticism. They have versatile and athletic forwards that will create match-up problems down-low.

There backcourt is set with talented guards, now it's up to the frontcourt. If they can step up and make plays with the guards, there is no doubt in my mind that Memphis will not be dancing for a while in the NCAA tournament. 

Why Is Everyone So Jealous Of John Calipari?

It seems like John Calipari is the talk of the globe now. 

Every since Coach Calipari joined the Kentucky Wildcats he has been faced with criticism. Heck, to some it dates back to the days at UMass.

But let's point out some key things that everybody seems to over-look. But there is also some funny things that make more sense than not. 

Here they are!

Marcus Camby Takes Money

Okay, let's say Camby does take the money but really whose fault is that? Did Coach Calipari literally give him the money? No! It was reported that an agent had given Camby the money--not Coach Cal.

Derrick Rose SAT Test and His Brother Traveling to the Games

Okay, let's say this is true. Derrick Rose did cheat on his SAT and his brother was allowed to go to the games for free.

First, the SAT test happened in High School. That is way out of the range of Coach Cal. He is a college coach, not a high school counselor. He does not have a say over who cheated on what test.

This was also never proven and their handwriting expert would only testify that she wasn't sure if he hadn't taken it or not.

Now the traveling games situation is very tricky. If you're Coach Cal, how do you not figure out how Rose's brother seems to make it to the games every time? That just seems a little funny to me and I believe he knew about this one. 

Coach Cal Hires Tyreke Evans Personal Strength Coach

Okay, now this is a really fishy situation. Coach Calipari recruited Tyreke Evans, the All-American MVP's Strength coach and promoted him as the administrative assistant.

Let's say he doesn't do that, do you believe Tyreke Evans stays with Coach Cal at Memphis?

Eric Bledsoe High School Transcript

Eric Bledsoe the 6-foot-1 guard that was drafted on June 24th by the Oklahoma City Thunder but was later traded to the Clippers.

He faced criticism for his high school transcript. He was reported to not even have the GPA to qualify for the Kentucky scholarship after his junior year in high school.

But somehow the grades "magically" appeared and he was able to be offered a scholarship. 

However, once again this happened in high school. Coach Cal has not say-so over what happened in high school.

Not to mention Bledsoe was thoroughly checked twice before entering his freshman season at Kentucky. 

Overall

So many people hate Coach Cal for some unknown reason. He has had some sticky situations in his past but most of the allegations facing him right now happened in high school. 

There is about only one I agree with and that's the Derrick Rose situation. 

Coach Cal couldn't help the fact that Derrick Rose supposedly cheated on his SAT but his brother Raymond traveling to all the games for free? Yes, because of that they lost eligibility and I believe that is a legitimate reason.

But the Rose, Camby and Bledsoe situations have all happened in high school. What I do not understand is how does the high school mistakes fall back on Coach Cal and the Universities.

It just all seems like fans are jealous because Coach Cal pulls in players that respective teams have worked hard to recruit. Yes, it has happened to a lot of our teams, including my favorite squad. 

That still doesn't give us a right to hate the man. He is a proven recruiter that happens to recruit guys that have troubles in high school. Is that his fault? Let's say somebody else got Eric Bledsoe and Derrick Rose. Do you still think Coach Cal would be facing these allegations?

I don't know. Some of the allegations are legit but some just come out of jealously.

Coach John Calipari; you either love him or hate him but you cannot call him a cheater.

What do you think? Do you agree with me when I say Coach Cal is an okay guy and doesn't deserve all the criticism facing him? Or are you anti-Calipari? Let me know what you think, hit me up on CollegiateHoops@gmail.com or simply reply below.

Written by DeAnte Mitchell