March 25, 2008
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NO. 1 SEED TIGERS TO FACE NO. 5 SEED MICHIGAN STATE IN NCAA TOURNEY SOUTH REGION SEMIS ON FRIDAY
The University of Memphis squad (35-1, 16-0 C-USA), ranked No. 2 in the Associated Press poll and No. 3 in ESPN/USA Today poll, continues its quest for the 2008 NCAA title Friday, Mar. 28 when it meets No. 5 seed Michigan State (27-8, 12-6 Big Ten) in a South Region semifinal contest in Houston's Reliant Stadium. The game, to be televised by CBS Sports, is slated to start at approximately 8:57 p.m. (CT) or 30 minutes after the conclusion of the night's first game between the South Region No. 2 seed Texas and No. 3 seed Stanford.
Memphis advanced to the NCAA Tournament South Regional with victories over Texas-Arlington 87-63 and Mississippi State 77-74 in the tourney's first and second rounds in Little Rock. Prior to the NCAA Tournament, the Tigers swept the Conference USA regular season and tournament crowns for a third-straight year in 2007-08. The Tigers posted a perfect 16-0 league mark in regular season play for a second-consecutive year.
Memphis enters NCAA Tournament South Regional play on a nine-game win streak after a Feb. 23 setback to then-No. 2 Tennessee. The Tigers defeated Tulsa, Southern Miss, SMU and UAB to close the regular season and then posted victories over Tulane, Southern Miss and Tulsa in the C-USA Tournament. Memphis defeated Texas-Arlington and Mississippi State in the NCAA Tournament Mar. 21 and 23.
The Spartans have won five of their last seven entering the NCAA Tournament South Regional in Houston. Michigan State defeated Temple 72-61 and Pittsburgh 65-54 in the NCAA Tournament first two rounds to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. Prior to the NCAA Tournament, the Spartans went 1-1 in the Big Ten Tournament, falling to Wisconsin 65-63 in the semifinals.
SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
Michigan State brings a 27-8 overall record (12-6 Big Ten mark) into Friday's NCAA Tournament South Region semifinal game. The Spartans have won five of their last seven, including wins over Temple 72-61 and Pittsburgh 65-54 to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. Prior to the NCAA Tournament, the Spartans went 1-1 in the Big Ten Tournament, falling to Wisconsin 65-63 in the semifinals.
Raymar Morgan (14.2 ppg), Drew Neitzel (14.1 ppg) and Kalin Lucas (10.2 ppg) lead the Spartan offense as the squad's three double-figure scorers. Goran Suton tops the team with an 8.2 rebounding average, while Morgan is second at 6.1 rpg. Neitzel (138 assists; 3.9 apg), Lucas (133; 3.8 apg) and Travis Walton (153; 4.4 apg) all have over 125 dimes. Neitzel is the squad's top three-point threat, hitting 40.1 percent from the arc.
Michigan State is shooting 48 percent from the floor, 37.4 percent from the three-point line and 73.9 percent from the charity stripe. The Spartans are out-rebounding their foes by an average margin of +7.3 boards per game (37.2-29.9).
AND THE WINNER GETS...
Friday's Memphis/Michigan State NCAA Tournament South Region semifinal winner will meet the Texas/Stanford winner in the South Region championship contest on Sunday, Mar. 30 in Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. Texas is the South Region's No. 2 seed, while Stanford is the No. 3 seed.
MEMPHIS IN NCAA TOURNEY
The Tigers are playing in their 21st NCAA Tournament in 2008. Memphis has an overall NCAA Tournament record of 27-20 (.574 winning percentage; see all-time NCAA Tournament results in box below).
In this year's NCAA Tournament, the Tigers defeated Texas-Arlington 87-63 and Mississippi State 77-74 to advance to the Sweet Sixteen for a third-straight year. In last season's NCAA Tournament, Memphis advanced to the Elite Eight/South Regional final, where it lost to NCAA championship game participant Ohio State 92-76.
The Tiger program made its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1955. Memphis advanced to the 1973 NCAA Tournament championship game, where it lost to UCLA. The Tigers advanced to their second Final Four in 1985, falling to Villanova in the national semifinals. Memphis earned five-straight NCAA Tournament bids from 1982-86.
A GOOD OMEN, PART I
The Tigers have been a No. 1 or No. 2 seed five times in its history (including 2008) and have advanced to at least the Sweet 16 all five times. The following shows Memphis' success as a No. 1 or No. 2 seed:
Year Seed Record/Round
2008 1 2-0/Sweet 16
2007 2 3-1/Elite Eight
2006 1 3-1/Elite Eight
1985 2 4-1/Final Four
1982 2 1-1/Sweet 16
A GOOD OMEN, PART II
Tiger Nation opens this omen will help Memphis to its third Final Four. In the Tigers' last two trips to the NCAA Final Four, their path went through Houston, the site of this year's NCAA Tournament South Regional. In 1973, Memphis defeated South Carolina and Kansas State in regional play in Houston to advance to the Final Four. The Tigers' 1985 ride to the Final Four started with the first and second rounds in Houston. Memphis defeated Penn and UAB (in overtime) to advance to regional play in Dallas.
TIGERS LOVE TEXAS AT TOURNEY TIME
There must be something in the water in Texas that the Tigers must like because they have had tremendous NCAA Tournament success in the Lone Star State. Memphis has made seven previous NCAA Tournament stops (13 games) in Texas and is 11-2 in those 13 contests.
The Tigers are 4-0 in Houston, 2-0 in Austin, 1-1 in San Antonio and 4-1 in Dallas. In fact, Memphis had won 11-straight games in NCAA Tournament games played in Texas before last year's loss to Ohio State in the South Region title game. The Tigers' only other Texas/NCAA Tournament setback was an 87-83 loss to Creighton in the 1962 tourney. The following shows the Tigers' success in Texas at NCAA Tournament time:
Tigers' NCAA Tournament Results in Texas
Year Opponent/Site Result
2007 Ohio State 76-92, L
2007 Texas A&M/San Antonio 65-64, W
2006 Bucknell/Dallas 72-56, W
2006 Oral Roberts/Dallas 94-78, W
1995 Purdue/Austin 75-73, W
1995 Louisville/Austin 77-56, W
1985 Oklahoma/Dallas 63-61, W
1985 Boston College/Dallas 59-57, W
1985 UAB (ot)/Houston 67-66, W
1985 Penn/Houston 67-55, W
1973 Kansas St./Houston 92-72, W
1973 South Carolina/Houston 90-76, W
1962 Creighton/Dallas 83-87, L
WELCOME BACK TO RELIANT
When the Tigers play in Reliant Stadium Mar. 28, the outside surroundings may look a little familiar. Earlier this season (Jan. 16), Memphis played Rice in Reliant Arena, which is next door to the stadium and also a part of Reliant Park.
The Tigers defeated Rice 77-50 in Reliant Arena. Rice had to play its home contests in other facilities in 2007-08 due to renovations of its on-campus arena, Autry Court.
HOME AWAY FROM HOME?
In the John Calipari era, the Tigers' second home has been New York City and Madison Square Garden, where Memphis has played numerous times in regular season tournaments. In fact, the Tigers played twice in New York City this year in the 2k Sports College Hoops Classic in November and Jimmy V Classic in December.
Well, Houston has New York City beat this year, as the Tigers make their third trip to "Space City." Memphis played at Rice (Reliant Arena) Jan. 16 and at Houston (Hofheinz Pavilion) Jan. 30.
TIGERS ONE OF TWO
Memphis is once again in elite company in this year's NCAA Tournament. The Tigers joined UCLA as the only two teams to advance to the NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen the last three years (2006, 2007, 2008).
FIRST TIME SINCE...
The Tigers advanced to the NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen for a third-straight year in 2008. It is the first time Memphis has advanced to three-straight Sweet Sixteens since 1983-85. The 1983 and 1984 squads made it to the Sweet 16, and the 1985 team advanced to the Final Four.
In fact, Memphis had a run of four-straight Sweet Sixteens with the 1982 regional semifinal appearance.
CALIPARI IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
John Calipari is coaching his 10th team in the NCAA Tournament in 2008. He has a 20-9 record (.690 winning percentage) in his 10 NCAA Tournament trips.
Calipari guided the UMass Minutemen to five-straight NCAA Tournaments, including a trip to the 1996 NCAA Final Four. The 2007-08 Tiger squad is Calipari's fifth NCAA Tournament team at Memphis. The 2002-03, 2003-04, 2005-06 and 2007-08 teams also made the "Big Dance." Memphis' 2005-06 and 2006-07 teams reached the Elite Eight, and his current squad is in the Sweet Sixteen.
WINS IN THREE-YEAR PERIOD
With its win over Mississippi State Mar. 23 in the NCAA Tournament second-round game, Memphis has won an incredible 101 games the last three seasons. The 101 victories since 2005-06 places Memphis in a tie for the No. 4 spot on the all-time NCAA Division I list for most wins in three years. Kentucky tops the list with 104 wins from 1996-98.
The following shows the top five teams on that list (head coaches) and where Memphis stands:
Most Wins In a Three-Year Period
NCAA Division I
1. Kentucky/Pitino-Smith 1996-98 104
2. Kentucky/Adolph Rupp 1947-49 102
t. Montana St./Ott Romney 1927-29 102
4. Memphis/John Calipari 2006-pres. 101
t. Duke/Mike Krzyzewski 1999-2001 101
MEMPHIS VS. BIG TEN CONFERENCE
The Tigers have an all-time record of 14-16 (.467 winning percentage) against members of the Big Ten Conference. Memphis has played every member of the Big Ten with the exception of Northwestern.
The Tigers have met Illinois (1-4), Indiana (0-1), Iowa (0-2), Michigan (2-1), Michigan State (1-0), Minnesota (2-2), Ohio State (0-2), Penn State (3-2), Purdue (5-1) and Wisconsin (0-1).
The last time Memphis played a Big Ten Conference opponent was in last year's NCAA Tournament. The Tigers fell to Ohio State 92-76 in the South Region championship game in San Antonio.
In NCAA Tournament play, Memphis is 2-3 versus Big Ten Conference foes in its history. The Tigers defeated Purdue in 1984 and 1995, and fell to Penn State in 1955, Purdue in 1988 and Ohio State in 2007. The 1984 and 1995 Memphis squads advanced to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.
CAL VS. THE BIG TEN CONFERENCE
Head coach John Calipari has a 6-8 record (.429 winning percentage) against Big Ten Conference opponents. Calipari has coached against Illinois (1-1), Iowa (0-1), Ohio State (0-1), Penn State (3-4) and Purdue (2-1).
As head coach of the Tigers, Calipari is 3-3 against Big Ten foes (wins versus Illinois, Purdue twice; losses to Illinois, Iowa, Ohio State). The seven meetings with Penn State came when Calipari was the head coach at UMass and faced the Nittany Lions in the Atlantic 10 Conference.
COULD GET DEFENSIVE FRIDAY
Friday's NCAA Tournament South Region semifinal contest between Memphis and Michigan State could be a defensive battle. Both squads rank among their respective league leaders in four defensive categories and the following shows that (conference rank follows stat):
Memphis Stat Michigan St.
61.1/1st Scoring Def. 61.7/6th
38.5/1st FG Pct. Def. 39.8/3rd
30.3/1st 3-pt. FG Pct. Def. 31.1/2nd
+6.6/1st Rebound Margin +7.3/1st
A BATTLE OF WILLS AT THE ARC
Analysts look for keys in all NCAA Tournament games, and an important one in the Memphis-Michigan State NCAA Tournament South Region game could be at the three-point line.
The Tigers are tops in Conference USA in defending the arc, holding their foes to 30.3 percent. However, the Spartans shoot the ball well from the arc at 37.4 percent, which leads the Big Ten Conference.
TIGERS HIT SCORING HIGHS IN 2008 NCAA TOURNAMENT
Five players set scoring highs in NCAA Tournament play this postseason (and one tied his scoring high), and the following lists those:
• Robert Dozier 12 points vs. Texas-Arlington (previous high: 11 vs. North Texas, 2007)
• Antonio Anderson 17 points vs. Texas-Arlington (14 vs. Nevada, 2007)
• Chris Douglas-Roberts 23 points vs. Texas-Arlington (16 vs. Nevada, North Texas, 2007)
• Doneal Mack 10 points vs. Texas-Arlington (8 vs. North Texas, 2007)
• Joey Dorsey 13 points vs. Mississippi State (12 vs. Bucknell, 2006)
• Willie Kemp 12 points (tied) vs. Mississippi State (12 vs. Ohio State, 2007)
TIGERS TAKING CARE OF THE BALL
Since turning the ball over 22 times in a road victory at Houston Jan. 30, Memphis has taken better care of the ball. In the 16 games since that Houston contest, the Tigers are averaging only 10.0 miscues per game. (160 total). In that 16-game stretch, Memphis' turnover high was 14 versus UCF Feb. 9 and Houston Feb. 13.
For more notes on the Memphis-Michigan State match-up, click on pdf link at the top of the page.
