Trip's Tigers: News Archives June 2008

06/30/08		Witherspoon To Start Trials For USA Basketball's U18 National Team Tuesday -- Trials to be held in Washington, D.C., this week (GoTigersGo.com)
		WASHINGTON, D.C. - Wesley Witherspoon, an incoming freshman for the University of Memphis men's basketball team, begins his quest Tuesday to become a member of the USA Basketball's U18 National Team. The trials start Tuesday, July 1 and run through July 3 at the Verizon Center, home of the NBA's Washington Wizards. A Lilburn, Ga., native, Witherspoon inked with the Tiger program in the late signing period. Last season, the 6-foot-8 forward/guard averaged 18.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists in helping lead Berkmar High School to a 23-6 record and an appearance in the Georgia Class AAAAA Tournament Sweet 16. The Sweet 16 appearance was the school's deepest state tournament run since 2001. Following the season, Witherspoon was named to the 2008 Atlanta Journal-Constitution Georgia All-State Class AAAAA first team. He was also selected to play in the 2008 Jordan Brand All-American Game at Madison Square Garden in New York City in April. In that contest, Witherspoon scored 13 points and added four rebounds and a team-best three steals for the winning Blue squad (124-114 victory). Witherspoon was a consensus top-60 recruit, as he was rated No. 27 by RiseMag.com, No. 34 by Rivals.com, No. 48 by ESPN.com and No. 56 by Scouthoops.com. He was also rated as one of the top 15 small forwards in the country by Rivals.com (No. 5), ESPN.com (No. 9) and Scouthoops.com (No. 12). The trials' 20 invitees will compete for 12 roster spots. Following the trials, the 12-member U18 roster, plus alternates, will be announced. The finalists will remain in Washington for training camp July 4-10, before departing for the 2008 FIBA Americas U18 Championships for Men July 14-18 in Formosa, Argentina. Davidson College head coach Bob McKillop will serve as Team USA U18 squad's head coach. VCU head coach Anthony Grant and Georgetown head coach John Thompson III will serve as the team's assistant coaches.

06/30/08		Team Penny wins charity event with help of Young (Commercial Appeal)
		By Jason Smith (Contact), Memphis Commercial Appeal Monday, June 30, 2008 As he exploded into the air on his way to the rim Sunday at Elma Roane Field House, Philadelphia 76ers forward Thaddeus Young was met in the lane by former Fairley High standout Willie Jenkins. Jenkins, a lanky 6-6 forward who played college ball at UMass and Tennessee Tech, was looking to draw a charge against the former Mitchell High and Georgia Tech star in the championship game of the "It's All Good Memphis Showdown." Instead, Jenkins was called for a blocking foul as he and Young tumbled in a heap of arms, elbows and legs to the floor. Young's father, Felton, held his breath from his seat in the stands. "I'm not trying to keep him from playing and everything," Felton said, "but I tell him, 'Just be careful because (basketball) is your livelihood now, and this out here, this is just for fun.' "But he knows what to do and what not to. ... He's always aware of the situation." Indeed, Young, now a year into his NBA career following a debut season in which he was named All-Rookie second team, knows full well there's far more at risk for himself these days than for the other 75 or so former high-school and college standouts who participated in the charity tournament. That's one reason he's spent the summer bulking up his 6-8, 220-pound frame and working with professional trainer Scotty Mason. "It's definitely my job now, so I've got to be careful about some of the things I do," Young said. "But I'm allowed to do these types of things. It won't hurt me. "I mean, this was a big charity event, and we were just out here trying to help them out." Young, who will depart for Las Vegas later this week to participate in the NBA's summer league, finished with a team-high 23 points Sunday to lead Team Penny Hardaway past Team Anthony Rice, 71-63, in the tourney's title game. Hardaway, a four-time NBA All-Star, added 20 points and former Wooddale High standout Tayloe Taylor had 21 for Team Penny, which rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit, much to the dismay of Rice, the former University of Memphis shooting guard. "I mean, I knew going into the game they were going to get the calls (from the referees) since they were the crowd favorite or what-not," joked Rice, who's currently out of basketball and working for an ice sculpture company in Atlanta. "If we could have had five more calls, maybe we would've had a better chance." Rice, now 25, finished with 17 points, most of them coming from beyond the arc, as was his modus operandi at Memphis, where he ranks second all-time in career 3-pointers (242) behind Rodney Carney. "This was all about the fans, really. ... It was another reason for me to get away from Atlanta, too." The tournament, benefiting the China Earthquake Relief Fund and the Memphis Lady Elite AAU team, featured several other former Tiger greats, including Bobby Parks, Andre Turner, Cedric Henderson, Lorenzen Wright and Antonio Burks. "It's a fundraiser and for charity, but it's kind of competitive at the same time," Henderson said. "So it's good to come here and help raise a little money and have fun at the same time." Tournament organizer Scott Robinson, a graduate assistant coach at Memphis, said he hoped to make the Showdown an annual event, one that next year he hoped would include former Tiger point guard Derrick Rose, who earlier this week was selected No. 1 overall in the NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls. "We couldn't have asked for a better turnout," said Robinson, who organized the tournament as a tribute to Cui Wanjun, the Chinese coach who observed the Tigers last season as an intern. "Next year we want to reach out to everybody that played at Memphis. We want everybody to come."

06/29/08		Athletic Training Seminar Offered on U of M Campus (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, TENN. - The University of Memphis Athletic Training staff, in conjunction with Walters Inc, is offering a one-day athletic training seminar on July 16 at the Murphy Athletic Complex on the U of M's Park Avenue campus. The seminar is free and includes lunch. Registration is at 8:15 a.m., with the lectures to run from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Participants will earn seven BOC CEU units. A wide range of topics will be covered such as emergency action plans, AED compliance, orthopaedic bracing, cervical spine injuries, heat illness prevention and injury software usage to name a few. The event is headed by Rod Walters, who has 28 years of experience directing health care on the collegiate level. Click Here to Go To Registration Page.

06/29/08		Tommy West Featured Speaker At July Event (GoTigersGo.com)
		Memphis, Tenn. - Head football coach Tommy West will be the featured speaker at a Tiger Scholarship Fund luncheon at the University of Memphis Holiday Inn on Tuesday, July 29, from 11:45 a.m. - 1:15 p.m. The event is $15 per person for fans who register prior to July 23, and $20 per person after the deadline. Fans must RSVP to Donna LaRiviere at 901-678-2334 or by email at dlarivir@memphis.edu. Payment is by check or credit card only.

06/29/08		U of M Legends bounce back to win charity game -- 'A bunch of talent' in the spotlight (Commercial Appeal)
		By Jason Smith (Contact), Memphis Commercial Appeal Sunday, June 29, 2008 Sensing that his more-veteran Team Legends charity basketball team might be a bit winded entering the second half Saturday, NFL veteran Mike McKenzie made his way to the scorer's table at Elma Roane Field House and offered a suggestion. "We need more timeouts," pleaded McKenzie, a former University of Memphis defensive back now with the New Orleans Saints in his 11th NFL season. "You see we've got old guys!" McKenzie's Legends team, which included former Tiger basketball stars Bobby Parks and Lorenzen Wright and Memphis assistant coaches Rod Strickland and Orlando Antigua, was certainly one of the more "mature" squads in the tournament's eight-team field. Yet despite its collective age, Team Legends managed to squeeze out a 68-66 victory over an athletic Team Dion Berry thanks to a pair of clutch free throws in the closing seconds from Strickland, a 17-year NBA veteran who finished with a team-high 22 points. "I'm getting ready to go in the whirlpool or something," 41-year-old Strickland joked. "Any time I can get in some kind of shape and get some running in, it's a good thing. Plus it's for charity, which is always a good thing." The tourney, benefiting the China Earthquake Relief Fund and the Memphis Lady Elite AAU team, continues today at 9 a.m., with a championship game scheduled for 3:15 p.m. A crowd of around 400 gathered Saturday to watch a virtual Who's Who of former Tiger stars, including Penny Hardaway, Andre Turner, Jimmie "Snap" Hunter, Jeremy Hunt and Anthony Rice, get after it for charity. Hardaway's Team Penny got a game-high 33 points from former Mitchell High star and current Philadelphia 76ers forward Thaddeus Young in a 76-45 first-round victory. Young, who averaged 10.2 points and 4.5 rebounds as a rookie starter last season in Philadelphia's first-round playoff series against Detroit, raised plenty of eyebrows Saturday by scoring Team Penny's first 17 points. "That's our go-to guy. That's our man," Hardaway said of the 20-year-old Young. "We're not dumb. We're going to feed him until the well goes dry." Hardaway, a former Treadwell High star who added seven points in the victory, said he was impressed by the competitiveness in the double-elimination tournament. "There's a bunch of talent in this tournament, and hopefully this will be a yearly thing," he said. "Most of us play together like four or five times a week anyway. We compete, and it's the same way in here." Parks' entrance off the bench for Team Legends early in the first half drew one of the loudest ovations from the crowd. Parks' son, Ray, is a rising 6-3 sophomore standout at St. George's. "It felt great to be back in the Field House because this is where we used to practice every day," Parks said. "It's kind of like a reunion. "We need to do this kind of thing because a lot of us now have kids who are in high school and we've been trying to have them see us all -- like Penny and Andre -- get back together." Turner's Team Hunt was eliminated from championship contention Saturday by Team Antonio Burks, which featured the speedy former Tiger point guard and Tennessee-Martin senior-to-be Lester Hudson, the 2007-08 Ohio Valley Conference Male Athlete of the Year. Despite the loss, Turner, 44, who recently returned to the U.S. after a 16-year professional career overseas, called the experience memorable. "It was good," he said. "It's always good to be a part of something that gives back." 'It's all good' Memphis showdown What: Eight-team, double-elimination tournament featuring prominent former University of Memphis basketball players and other athletes. Where: Elma Roane Field House, 495 Zach Curlin St. on UofM campus When: Games start at 9 a.m. today, with the championship scheduled for 3:15 p.m Admission: $5

06/29/08		Tiger Basketball Notebook (Commercial Appeal)
		By Dan Wolken (Contact), Memphis Commercial Appeal Sunday, June 29, 2008 Evans getting big-screen play PHILADELPHIA --Two years ago, a film crew stopped by Tyreke Evans' neighborhood in nearby Chester and spent the day around some of the basketball courts he grew up playing on. For Evans, who has done TV interviews and been on magazine covers since he was 14, it didn't seem too unusual. In fact, he had kind of put it in the back of his mind, unaware what would ultimately become of the footage. On Friday, the University of Memphis prize freshman guard officially added "movie star" to his list of accomplishments when "Gunnin' For That #1 Spot" -- the documentary film based in part on those interviews -- opened in selected theaters. A wider release is scheduled for July. Evans, who will arrive in Memphis on July 15 to begin summer school, was one of 24 players invited to New York's famed Rucker Park to play in the inaugural Boost Mobile Elite 24 Hoops Classic two years ago. The film, directed by Adam Yauch of Beastie Boys fame, highlights the varied backgrounds of eight participants in the game and follows them on their journey to New York. Evans is one of the eight, along with Michael Beasley, Kevin Love, Kyle Singler, Jerryd Bayless, Donte Greene, Lance Stephenson and Brandon Jennings. Evans' segment includes a decent amount of biographical information and includes interviews with his brother Eric "Pooh" Evans, his trainer Lamont Peterson and some other members of his inner-circle. "They actually didn't know it was going to be a movie," Evans said. "They told me at the game they were going to make it into a movie, but me and my friends, we just happened to be together that day chilling out and they said they were going to come by and film us. "The Rucker is one of the best places to play outdoors," Evans said. "Dr. J and Kobe Bryant played there, and it's a great feeling. When I first got out there I was a little nervous, but after a while I got used to it. It was pretty fun." Once the game starts, Evans more or less disappears from the screen in favor of Beasley, who trash-talked his way through the movie. Had the film crew come back for last year's game, Evans would have played a much bigger role, as he won the MVP award. Robinson's eager Tigers sophomore Jeff Robinson didn't have to wait until Friday to see his future teammate on the big screen. He came down from Trenton, N.J., to take in a preview of the film on Tuesday in Philadelphia. Robinson said he's spent most of his time since returning from China gaining back the weight he lost -- "I just ate rice," he said -- and working on his skills. "Shooting, one dribble and pull up, ballhandling, getting to the basket," he said. Understandably, Robinson wishes he would have played more as a freshman last season, but the 6-5 guard-forward got caught up in a numbers game and appeared in just 28 of the Tigers' 40 games. He said that Memphis fans haven't yet seen the full range of what he can do, and he's hoping he'll have more opportunities to make an impact this season. "I can't wait," Robinson said. Respect for C-USA From the take-it-with-a-grain-of-salt department, ESPN.com's Joe Lunardi has projected three Conference USA teams in next year's NCAA Tournament with a fourth on the "bubble." Lunardi, who predicts the NCAA field throughout the season, released his first bracket of 2008-09 after the deadline passed for underclassmen to pull out of the NBA Draft. Lunardi pegs Memphis as a No. 1 seed in the West region, UAB as a No. 7 seed and UTEP as a No. 12 seed. He also listed Tulsa among the eight teams just missing the tournament. Given that Memphis was the league's only representative in 2007 and '08, it's a pretty big leap to three or four teams next season. But given that those four teams return most of their key players -- as does Southern Miss -- perhaps the league is ready to turn a corner. The perception of the league as a whole has been colored by the Tigers' dominance, going undefeated in consecutive years. C-USA coaches, however, have always promoted the idea that the league wasn't bad, rather that Memphis was overwhelmingly good. Tulsa coach Doug Wojcik, whose team won the College Basketball Invitational after losing to Memphis in the C-USA championship game, felt validated in that belief watching the Tigers roll to the NCAA final. A former assistant at Michigan State, Wojcik gained a lot of empathy for his old boss, Tom Izzo, after the Tigers blew out the Spartans in the Sweet Sixteen. "I love him, but I'm sitting there watching in my living room thinking, 'Now he knows,'" Wojcik said. "We held them to their lowest point total of the year (56, on Jan. 23). They had 50 on Michigan State in the first half. I don't want a medal for that, but I think the league's pretty good. I feel like we're on the verge of having a season in Conference USA like the Atlantic 10 had last year or what the Missouri Valley had a couple years ago where it jumped from one team to three." No mistake by CDR Though it would be easy, in retrospect, to say that Chris Douglas-Roberts made a mistake by entering the NBA Draft a year early, he made the right decision based on the information he had at the time. Nobody could have anticipated that he'd fall all the way to 40th based on mediocre workouts. When the Tigers' season ended, scouts were talking about Douglas-Roberts as a potential top-10 pick. The good news for CDR is that the New Jersey Nets are not stocked with wings -- their roster includes just Vince Carter, Maurice Ager, Bobby Simmons and Trenton Hassell -- so he should get a contract.

06/29/08		Soaring energy prices forcing new travel plans on college athletic directors (Commercial Appeal)
		By Jim Masilak (Contact), Memphis Commercial Appeal Sunday, June 29, 2008 R.C. Johnson has a foolproof plan for dealing with the rising costs associated with intercollegiate athletic travel. "My solution is very simple," the University of Memphis athletic director said. "I've decided that all of our athletic contests next year will be home games." Johnson was kidding. Sort of. With fuel prices soaring, the costs of charter buses and flights rising apace and the specter of baggage surcharges now an expensive reality for those flying commercial, athletic departments large and small are facing up to new financial realities. "Everybody's going to be affected," Ole Miss athletic director Pete Boone said. "We have a $45 million budget this year and we're trying to do everything we can to save on fuel. ... We're trying to be more prudent." In an ominous sign of the times, Arizona State recently cut funding for three men's programs -- swimming, tennis and wrestling -- due to what athletic director Lisa Love described as "economic realities." While ASU has $30 million in debt service on facilities and staffing to deal with, Love told the East Valley Tribune that "what sideswiped a lot of people here is what has happened with the national and local economies. Think of what it costs to move a team across the country. The cost escalation was not something anyone could have anticipated." Though there's no indication that any area schools will have to follow suit, Johnson says the UofM will almost certainly cut back on unsubsidized long-distance travel, play more regional opponents and even "look at what hotels we stay in" to save money. Having made strides in recent years toward its goal of financial self-sufficiency, the UofM athletic department now faces an additional hurdle in the form of increased travel costs. "We absolutely are concerned about it. We've had a couple meetings about it. ... We're going to have to adjust and make the best of it," Johnson said. "Nobody has an unlimited budget. I think you'll see more regional contests. The cross-country trips, you're not going to see as many of those as you used to. We're not going to be sending our teams to Hawaii again unless the trips are paid for." While tournaments such as the Maui Invitational will gladly pick up the tab to bring John Calipari's high-profile basketball team to the islands, such arrangements are less common in nonrevenue sports. To make matters even more difficult for Johnson, the school is bracing for a $500,000 budget hit as a result of statewide cuts in education spending. "We're not the only ones; it's everywhere," Johnson said. "We're just going to have to digest it and make the best of it." In some cases, athletic departments don't yet know what to expect come fall. Boone, who anticipates a 20-percent across-the-board increase in associated travel costs during the 2008-09 school year at Ole Miss, is worried that $4-per-gallon gas prices could increase significantly in the coming months. "Fuel, food, lodging -- they're all going up," Boone said. "With charter flights, for instance, they give us a base price, but we have a fuel surcharge and we don't know what that will be yet." Smaller schools such as Christian Brothers University and Rhodes College, meanwhile, must also face up to the rising costs of transporting their teams. CBU athletic director Joe Nadicksbernd said his teams will either have to go without certain perks, such as new uniforms; play fewer games during the season; or make up any increase in costs through fundraising. "There's really not much we can do about it," Nadicksbernd said. "What happens is you try to cut in other areas of your budget to make up for it." CBU, which competes at the NCAA Division 2 level, has always been creative in financing its travels. The Bucs' cross country team used proceeds from the annual Twilight Classic at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex to help fund last year's trip to the Pepperdine Invitational in Malibu, Calif. "It's pretty simple," Nadicksbernd said. "If you want to go, raise the money." As a member of the NCAA Division 3 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference, a nonscholarship alliance that stretches from Colorado to Georgia, Rhodes and its athletic director, Mike Clary, find travel a major issue. Clary anticipates that the same trips the Lynx made last year will cost them an additional $20,000 this year. Staying closer to home isn't always an option if Rhodes wants to compete against peer institutions. "The difficult part for a small school, we may have to compete against schools that do not share your same mission or divisional standards," Clary said. "Instead of playing Division 3 teams in New York, we may have to stay closer to home and play (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) teams who give scholarships." At a recent SCAC meeting, Clary said he and his fellow ADs pleaded with conference officials to provide some relief from the travel burden. "We challenged them to look at different types of scheduling models within the league that would reduce travel costs but keep us whole as a league," said Clary, who is already getting creative with his school's travel arrangements. In October, Rhodes is flying its football team to San Antonio to face league rival Trinity. It won't be a cheap trip. Clary booked the 62-member traveling party on an AirTran flight through Atlanta that he says will cost $60-$70 more per person than it did two years ago. To limit expenses, Rhodes will not let its players check baggage on that trip. Whatever can't be carried will be shipped with team equipment by rental truck to Texas. Clary estimates the school will save $2,100 as a result. "That's a set of volleyball uniforms," he said. And that's a big deal for a school on a shoestring budget compared to its more well-heeled Division 1 counterparts. "It used to take $60 to fill up the van with gas. Now it costs $110," Nadicksbernd said. "We raise money for scholarships so we can put players on the field. We'll just have to increase our efforts and try to raise even more money now."

06/28/08		Houston high on Dorsey -- Former Tiger will add a strong defensive presence to new club (Commercial Appeal)
		The Commercial Appeal Saturday, June 28, 2008 Joey Dorsey won't get to team up in Portland with former nemesis Greg Oden after all as the former University of Memphis bruiser was traded late Thursday to the Houston Rockets after being drafted by the Blazers with the third pick of the NBA draft's second round. Houston traded the rights to French guard Nicolas Batum, their first-round pick (25th overall), to Portland for the rights to Dorsey and first-round pick Darrell Arthur, a forward from Kansas who was picked 27th and later sent to the Grizzlies for Syracuse forward Donte Greene. Memphis had selected Greene with the 28th pick in Thursday's draft. "We think Joey Dorsey was the best defensive player on the best defensive team in the country this year at Memphis," Rockets general manager Daryl Morey told the Houston Chronicle. "We think he plays much bigger than his 6-7 height with the size of his body and his aggressiveness." Dorsey, a two-time Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year, said Friday at a news conference in Houston that he can contribute on offense as well. "I worked all summer on my offense," Dorsey said. "I was trying to show people that I could score the ball. "But I think my defense is gonna be great for this team. I'm a defensive specialist. I'll come here right away playing that defense with energy."

06/28/08		Editorial: Memphis sports in the spotlight -- NBA draft night news provided a boost for the city's morale and, possibly, an assist for the bottom line (Commercial Appeal)
		Saturday, June 28, 2008 "With the first pick in the 2008 NBA draft, the Chicago Bulls select Derrick Rose from the University of Memphis." David Stern's words Thursday night focused a flattering light on Memphis, which was, for a shining moment, the center of the college basketball world. When the former Tigers' star player outshone all the others on NBA draft night, he created a moment of pride for the city and a reflection of the lofty status coach John Calipari, athletic director R.C. Johnson, the staff and the players have achieved. The team's run in the NCAA postseason tournament fell just short of a championship, but it capped an incredibly successful season. A team composed primarily of Memphis players and coached by Calipari also played three exhibition games against the Chinese national team this spring as part of a five-year agreement with the Chinese Basketball Association that should bring a lot of positive attention to the program. The optimism all this has engendered has led the university to go after an all-sports agreement with an athletic apparel company -- the kind of deal that is rarely experienced by a school outside the elite college circle that participates in the Bowl Championship Series. Successful seasons for the Tigers and the Memphis Grizzlies are important for those of us who are interested in the local sports scene and those who aren't. Retiring the debt on the Downtown FedExForum, where the Tigers and Grizzlies play their home games, largely depends on sales tax revenue generated at the site. The Grizzlies left the impression that they're trying to help in that endeavor with a late-night trade Thursday for the rights to University of Southern California standout O.J. Mayo. If the potential all-star winds up in a Grizzlies uniform, it could help offset some of the ill will and the ticket sales slump generated by the Grizzlies' midseason fire sale that sent Pau Gasol to Los Angeles. Thursday's complex, multiplayer deal by contrast portrayed Grizzlies ownership and management as active and interested in turning around a franchise that has finished with 22 wins and 60 defeats each of the past two seasons. The FedExForum welcome should be tumultuous when Rose returns with his new Chicago Bulls teammates. He's the most exciting sports star to entertain the locals since Penny Hardaway, who played for the Tigers 15 years ago. And he was part of a program that is bringing in big-time players and attracting big crowds -- something to look forward to for years to come.

06/28/08		Former Tigers set for charity tourney -- Area stars round out 'It's All Good' rosters (Commercial Appeal)
		By Jason Smith (Contact), Memphis Commercial Appeal Saturday, June 28, 2008 Penny Hardaway was attempting to stack the deck in his favor in anticipation of this weekend's "It's All Good Memphis Showdown" at Elma Roane Field House. Hardaway, the former University of Memphis basketball star, wanted a fellow former Tiger, Cedric Henderson, to play for Team Penny in the eight-team event, which begins this morning at 9 and concludes with Sunday's 3:15 p.m. championship game. "Penny called up Cedric to put him on his team, and Cedric said, 'No. I'm playing for Jeremy Hunt,' said Memphis graduate assistant coach Bryan Settle, who, along with fellow Tiger graduate assistant Scott Robinson, organized the two-day event. The double-elimination tournament, benefiting the China Earthquake Relief Fund and the Memphis Lady Elite AAU team, is set to feature Hardaway, Henderson and a host of other former Tigers, including Andre Turner, Dajuan Wagner, Antonio Burks, Anthony Rice, Jimmie 'Snap' Hunter and Scooter McFadgon. Also expected to participate are former Mitchell High star and Philadelphia 76ers forward Thaddeus Young, former Carver High standout Qyntel Woods and former Tiger defensive back and NFL veteran Mike McKenzie. Admission each day is $5. "We just started this a month ago, and we didn't think it would blow up like this," Settle said. "All the Tigers wanted to play in it. This is going to be the real deal. It's going to be very competitive." Eight games are scheduled for today. Hardaway's Team Penny, which is expected to include Young, will take the court around 11:30 a.m. The tournament resumes Sunday at 9 a.m. "There's so many names that are coming, it's honestly ridiculous," Robinson said. "It's turned out to be a lot bigger than what I thought it would be." 'It's all good' Memphis showdown What: An eight-team double elimination tournament featuring many prominent former University of Memphis basketball players, including Penny Hardaway, Dajuan Wagner and Andre Turner Where: Elma Roane Field House, 495 Zach Curlin St. on UofM campus When: Games start at 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, with the championship scheduled for 3:15 p.m. Sunday Admission: $5 per day

06/27/08		Joey Dorsey will start NBA career in Houston -- Ex-Tiger dealt traded late Thursday (Commercial Appeal)
		The Commercial Appeal Friday, June 27, 2008 Joey Dorsey won't get to team up in Portland with former nemesis Greg Oden after all, as the former University of Memphis bruiser was traded late Thursday to the Houston Rockets after being drafted by the Blazers with the third pick of the NBA draft's second round. Houston traded the rights to French guard Nicolas Batum, their first-round pick (25th overall), to Portland for the rights to Dorsey and first-round pick Darrell Arthur, a forward from Kansas who was picked 27th and later sent to the Grizzlies for Syracuse forward Donte Greene. Memphis had selected Greene with the 28th pick in Thursday's draft. "We think Joey Dorsey was the best defensive player on the best defensive team in the country this year at Memphis," Rockets general manager Daryl Morey told the Houston Chronicle. "We think he plays much bigger than his 6-7 height with the size of his body and his aggressiveness."

06/27/08		Tigers' Rose picked first in NBA Draft by Bulls (Commercial Appeal)
		By Dan Wolken (Contact), Memphis Commercial Appeal Thursday, June 26, 2008 NEW YORK -- NBA commissioner David Stern strode toward the podium, the room got quiet, and Derrick Rose stared down at the black tablecloth in front of him. "Yeah," he said later, "I was nervous a little bit." As University of Memphis fans learned over the past eight months, Rose's range of facial expressions between nervousness and jubilation is remarkably narrow. So when Stern announced that the Chicago Bulls had made Rose the No. 1 pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, it was no surprise that he remained almost unresponsive. He kissed his mother, Brenda, and hugged his brother, Reggie. Memphis coach John Calipari got up from his seat and wrapped Rose in an embrace, then sent him on to the stage. Though Rose kept his poker face, it was only later that he revealed what he was feeling Thursday night at Madison Square Garden's WaMu Theater. "Man, I couldn't believe it," Rose said. "It took me a couple seconds to realize he called my name. This is the highest level of basketball, and being the No. 1 pick gets me excited already. I didn't want to get on the bloopers. That's the only thing I was thinking about. I kept my cool." Though Rose's night was Chicago's night, permanently linking him with the city where he grew up and will now play professionally, it was also Memphis' night. Fifteen years ago, the Tigers' basketball program reached its high-water mark on this stage when Anfernee 'Penny' Hardaway was taken No. 3 by Golden State. On Thursday, Rose became the 11th Memphis player to be drafted in the first round but the first to be selected No. 1 overall. Hours before the draft began, Calipari sat with Rose and talked about the Tigers' season, which vaulted Rose from one of many elite players in his class to a clear-cut top-two player in this draft. Calipari said he asked Rose how much he thought about the Tigers' loss to Kansas in the NCAA championship game, when Rose missed a free throw with 10 seconds left that would have likely secured the victory. "He said, 'You know, people bring it up but not really. We had a great year, 38-2; just a couple plays here and there,'" Calipari said. "I said, 'No, neither do I,' and we laughed and gave each other high-fives." Later, they were giving each other hugs, as Calipari soaked in yet another achievement for his program. "What a great thing," he said. "I just told him, 'I'm proud of you, and I love you.'" Rose wasn't used to losing at Memphis, and by joining the Bulls, he might not have to get used to it at the NBA level. Chicago was one of the league's promising young teams two years ago, finishing with a 49-33 record, but inexplicably slid backwards last season and missed the playoffs despite no significant personnel losses. After finishing 33-49, the Bulls had just a 1.7 percent chance to get the No. 1 pick but won the lottery and the chance to draft Rose. General manager John Paxson said during an ESPN interview Thursday night that Rose was a "perfect fit" to go alongside their established young players like Ben Gordon, Luol Deng and Andres Nocioni. "In this league, point guards are really hard to find," Paxson said. "He's got a strength about him that most guards don't have." Rose said he was fortunate to go to a team on the verge of contention rather than a complete rebuilding project. "It feels great, knowing we can go in and compete," he said. "I'm just blessed to be in this position right now because a lot of people aren't, and just knowing we're a few pieces away from really contending like other teams makes me happy. Rose should also feel comfortable in his new surroundings, which aren't particularly new. Though he grew up in an impoverished area of Chicago's South Side -- a long way from the life of riches he'll now be living -- it's still his hometown, which will offer both challenges and opportunities. Rose said he wasn't concerned about the pressures of playing at home, or the number of people who will want to be a part of his life. Growing up, Rose was sheltered from the disruptive forces by his brothers, who will likely function the same way now that he's a pro. "My situation is different," he said. "I have a small circle. I have five people that I really hang with. It's going to be real tough for people to try to get a hold of me."

06/27/08		Chris Douglas-Roberts tumbles to second round -- Nets draft former Tiger; Dorsey chosen by Blazers (Commercial Appeal)
		By Scott Cacciola (Contact) and Dan Wolken (Contact), Memphis Commercial Appeal Friday, June 27, 2008 Chris Douglas-Roberts stayed away from the NBA Draft. In fact, he stayed about as far away as he could get. He booked an early-evening flight from Memphis to his hometown of Detroit, the idea being that he would be somewhere in the North American stratosphere when NBA commissioner David Stern announced his name at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night. That did not happen. Stern kept strolling to the podium and reading other names. J.J. Hickson to the Cavaliers at No. 19. Serge Ibaka to the Sonics at No. 24. George Hill -- yes, George Hill from basketball powerhouse IUPUI -- to the Spurs at No. 26. The first round came and went, and Stern eventually handed the microphone to deputy commissioner Adam Silver. After nine more selections, which included former University of Memphis teammate Joey Dorsey going to the Trail Blazers at No. 33, Douglas-Roberts finally, mercifully, went off the board. In one of the more surprising -- and, at least according to many Memphians, unpleasant -- developments of the night, Douglas-Roberts tumbled into the second round, where he was selected by the New Jersey Nets with the 40th overall pick. "I'm stunned," Memphis coach John Calipari said. "I don't know what else to say but New Jersey got a good player." Nobody expected Dorsey to go ahead of Douglas-Roberts, a junior all-American who chose to forgo his senior season with the full expectation that he would be selected in the first round, where contracts are guaranteed. Instead, Douglas-Roberts will have to earn a deal. Most, if not all, draftniks projected him to go in the first round. "He's going to be the guy from the second round this year," said Leon Rose, Douglas-Roberts' agent. "He's going to be that guy. He's done it his whole life. His whole life he's been second-guessed." On the flip side, Dorsey was ecstatic with his position in the draft. A bruising power forward, he led Conference USA in rebounding (9.5 per game) as a senior. "It's a dream come true, getting picked by an NBA team," said Dorsey, who attended the draft in New York City. "This is a special time for me. I'm going to live it up for a minute." He said he was particularly excited about teaming up with center Greg Oden in Portland's frontcourt. "This is crazy," he said. "Me and Greg are going to be playing with each other. It's an exciting team and a young team." Sonny Weems, the West Memphis product and former Arkansas standout, went one pick ahead of Douglas-Roberts, at No. 39 to the Chicago Bulls. Douglas-Roberts, C-USA's Player of the Year after averaging 18.1 points and 4.1 rebounds, spent Thursday morning on familiar ground, helping out at the John Calipari Basketball School. He was surrounded at the Finch Center by 200-odd campers, many of whom barely reached his waist. He wore sandals, baggy shorts and an Indiana Pacers T-shirt, and when he took questions at lunchtime -- Can you dunk? How tall are you? How old is Joey Dorsey? -- one of the kids touched on his wardrobe: Did that mean he was going to play for the Pacers? Douglas-Roberts smiled and shook his head. No, it was just one of many T-shirts he had picked up over the past three weeks. He had no idea where he would wind up in the draft, but he said he was "relaxed" and "confident." Calipari indicated that he had been getting plenty of phone calls from teams who owned the 19th through 22nd picks, though he said that Douglas-Roberts could go anywhere from 15 to 30. But on Thursday night, Douglas-Roberts kept slipping. "It's inexplicable," ESPN analyst Jay Bilas said.

06/27/08		Tigers release women's golf coach Bruun (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg (Contact), Memphis Commercial Appeal Friday, June 27, 2008 University of Memphis women's golf coach Jenny Bruun, who directed the Lady Tigers to an NCAA Regional appearance in 2007, will not return for the 2008-09 season. Tiger athletic director R.C. Johnson said Thursday Bruun's contract would not be renewed. Bruun, the Conference USA coach of the year in 2007, recently completed her fourth season as Lady Tiger coach. The UofM finished fifth in C-USA this season. Bruun declined comment when reached by phone Thursday. Johnson said the change was made because "we have decided to move the program in another direction." "With the construction of the Frank Flautt Golf Center at our Park Avenue Campus, we feel that all the pieces are in place for a nationally ranked golf program at the University of Memphis." Since the 2000-01 season, the Lady Tiger golf program has struggled to find stability with its head coach. During that seven-year stretch there have been five coaches, including two -- Donna Noonan (2003-04) and Katie Rump (2001-02) -- who served on an interim basis. Sheryl Maize coached the Lady Tigers in 2002-03 but was forced to leave after one season because of a family illness. She led the Lady Tigers to three top-five finishes in the fall of 2002. Debby King spent six seasons at the UofM (1995-96 through 2000-01) and directed the program to five NCAA Regional appearances before accepting the head coaching job at Notre Dame. A search for Bruun's replacement will begin immediately. Associate athletic director Bob Winn will be chairman of the search committee.

06/27/08		After a long hiatus, I�m back with draft thoughts (Memphis Edge)
		Posted by John Stacy, Tiger fan blogger I�ve enjoyed a long summer vacation. I hope you missed me. I was going to wait until football started but I�m so angry right now I had to write something. I wrote a blog immediately after CDR declared annotating five reasons he should have stayed at Memphis. I said that he would lose millions of dollars because next year he would have been a lottery pick because this season was stocked full of freshmen. The NBA historically drafted on �potential� and this class is long on �potential.� Now as I watch the NBA draft and have yet to hear CDR�s name. Chris said he had nothing left to prove in college. I think the NBA scouts have shown they think otherwise. I don�t know who was advising him but he got some really bad advice. Now he doesn�t have a guaranteed deal. He doesn�t get those �millions of reasons� to leave school that some of you were quick to point out. It simply was NOT the year to come out early. He was drafted after dozens of players he out-played in college but that doesn�t matter to NBA scouts. He was bypassed by guys who will play in Europe for a couple of years. It has been simply heartbreaking to watch this because you know the kid is in agony and I�m pretty sure he�s filled with regret. Now he�s a 40th pick in the NBA draft and will have to work his way into a job. The millions won�t come for a few years. I think he�ll eventually get them but coming out a year early has cost Buckets 10�s of millions. I truly feel bad for the kid. But he should have returned after �testing the waters.� They were cool towards him but he went too far into the deep end and couldn�t get out of the pool in time. I was right but it pains me to say it. I felt more excited for Joey getting drafted than I did Derrick. He�s a gem of a guy and did it the right way. He got better every year. He worked his butt off. I think Portland will be happy with him in the long run. And if you ever met Joey Dorsey, you know why I feel that way. Derrick Rose�s spot was a shoo-in for the last month. For that matter it was a shoo-in in my my mind when the Bulls were awarded the number 1 pick. It was really good to see Memphis all over the place. I think he�s the first of other Memphis players that will be number 1 overall picks with Cal doing the recruiting. Rose is a 1st class player with 1st class character so it only made sense that he was the 1st pick in my mind. In the end, it�s a good feeling that three Tigers got their names called tonight. But quite honestly, I wish it had only been two and we had another senior leader on the floor next year.

06/27/08		Bulls take Rose with No. 1 pick in NBA Draft (Jackson Sun)
		By BRIAN MAHONEY The Associated Press June 27, 2008 NEW YORK - Derrick Rose is going home, and a record crowd of freshmen are following him to the NBA. The Chicago Bulls selected Rose, who grew up on the city's South Side, with the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft Thursday night, choosing the Memphis guard over Kansas State forward Michael Beasley. With Beasley going second to Miami and Minnesota picking O.J. Mayo at No. 3, college freshmen made up the first three picks for the first time in draft history. "We actually talked about this earlier," Beasley said. "We all grew up together and we all grew up playing against each other and we all made a pact together that we would all be here. Just to see it all fall into place and see it all happen is kind of crazy." Five of the first seven players selected were freshmen, also an NBA record. It was also a big night for the Pac-10 Conference, which had five of the first 11 picks. Rose led the Tigers to the national championship game in his lone college season. The Bulls opted for the point guard's playmaking ability over the scoring and rebounding of Beasley, who ranked in the top three in the nation in both categories. Rose is the Bulls' first No. 1 overall selection since they grabbed Elton Brand in 1999. He's the second straight freshman taken with the top pick, following Portland's Greg Oden last year. The 6-foot-3 guard put on a red Bulls cap, hugged some supporters, including Memphis coach John Calipari, and shook hands with Beasley, seated at a nearby table, before walking onto the stage to meet NBA commissioner David Stern. "I was a little nervous when they came back out, but I always had that in mind that I want to be No. 1," Rose said. "So it was great hearing my name and being the No. 1 pick." Rose should be an upgrade over Kirk Hinrich, who now could be traded, and gives the Bulls another option if they don't re-sign guard Ben Gordon. Expected to contend for a division title, the Bulls instead stumbled to a 33-49 record and eventually replaced two coaches. But with just a 1.7 percent chance, they won last month's draft lottery, giving them a chance to quickly return to the playoffs. "It feels great to go in and compete," Rose said. "I'm just blessed to be in that position right now, because a lot of people aren't. And just knowing that we are a few pieces away from really contending as a team, it just makes me happy." Miami settled for Beasley at No. 2, even though he wasn't sure if the Heat would go for Mayo instead. Beasley averaged 26.2 points, third in the nation, and topped Division I with 12.4 rebounds per game. But with questions about his size - he may be 2 inches shorter than the 6-foot-10 he's listed at - the Bulls may not have believed he could play the 4 spot in the NBA. After Mayo's selection, UCLA guard Russell Westbrook was the first non-freshmen taken, going fourth to the Seattle SuperSonics - with new teammate and reigning Rookie of the Year Kevin Durant standing and applauding the pick from the back. Kevin Love gave UCLA consecutive picks, going to Memphis at No. 5. The New York Knicks followed with Italian forward Danilo Gallinari, whose father played with new coach Mike D'Antoni overseas. Fans in Madison Square Garden weren't impressed, booing loudly. "It's part of the game, all the players have got to hear this," Gallinari said. "Not every time can you hear good things. It's normal." Indiana guard Eric Gordon became the fifth freshman taken, going to the Los Angeles Clippers at No. 7. West Virginia's Joe Alexander, whose stock began to rise after a strong run at Madison Square Garden in the Big East tournament, went to Milwaukee with the next pick. Charlotte gave new coach Larry Brown a point guard, taking D.J. Augustin of Texas with the ninth pick. New Jersey took Stanford center Brook Lopez at No. 10, and Arizona's Jerryd Bayless joined fellow Pac-10 guards Mayo and Westbrook by going 11th to Indiana. Bayless' rights were later traded to Portland along with Ike Diogu for the rights to Brandon Rush, the No. 13 pick from national champion Kansas, Jarrett Jack and Josh McRoberts. Rush's agent, Mark Bartelstein, told The Associated Press about the deal shortly after Rush was taken. The Pacers also had a proposed trade with the Toronto Raptors. Indiana would send six-time All-Star forward Jermaine O'Neal to Toronto for T.J. Ford, center Rasho Nesterovic, the 17th pick in the draft and a player to be determined. Sacramento pulled a surprise at No. 12 with Rider forward Jason Thompson, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference player of the year and the first senior taken. Golden State grabbed LSU forward Anthony Randolph - yet another freshman - with the 14th and final lottery pick. Robin Lopez joined twin brother Brook in the NBA when Phoenix chose him at No. 15. That started a run of big men in which Philadelphia took Florida's Marreese Speights, Toronto picked Roy Hibbert of Georgetown at No. 17, and Washington drafted Nevada 7-footer JaVale McGee with the 18th pick. After taking guards earlier, Seattle and Charlotte both went big with their second first-round picks. The Bobcats selected French center Alexis Aninca at No. 20 and the Sonics took Congo's Serge Ibaka four picks later. Darrell Arthur of Kansas was the final player in the green room, lasting until the 27th spot, where New Orleans grabbed him. The Hornets already agreed to send his rights to Portland for cash in a deal that is awaiting league approval. NBA champion Boston chose J.R. Giddens of New Mexico with the 30th and final pick of the first round.

06/27/08		Bulls pick Rose at No.1 -- Chicago is a homecoming for former Memphis star (Nashville Tennessean)
		By BRIAN MAHONEY Associated Press June 27, 2008 NEW YORK �Derrick Rose is going home, and a record crowd of freshmen are following him to the NBA. The Chicago Bulls selected Rose, who grew up on the city's South Side, with the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft on Thursday, choosing the Memphis guard over Kansas State forward Michael Beasley. With Beasley going second to Miami and Minnesota picking O.J. Mayo at No. 3, college freshmen made up the first three picks for the first time in draft history. "We actually talked about this earlier," Beasley said. "We all grew up together and we all grew up playing against each other and we all made a pact together that we would all be here. Just to see it all fall into place and see it all happen is kind of crazy." Mayo was later traded to Memphis for UCLA's Kevin Love, their top pick, along with others in the eight-player swap. Five of the first seven players selected were freshmen, also an NBA record. Western Kentucky's Courtney Lee was the only other area player taken in the first round. He went to Orlando with the No. 22 pick and is the first Hilltopper chosen in the first round since 1987. Vanderbilt's Shan Foster was selected by the Dallas Mavericks with the No. 51 pick. UT's Chris Lofton and former Glencliff star Jamont Gordon of Mississippi State went undrafted. Chris Douglas-Roberts of Memphis was taken 40th by the New Jersey Nets. Rose led the Tigers to the national championship game in his lone college season. The Bulls opted for the point guard's playmaking ability over the scoring and rebounding of Beasley, who ranked in the top three in the nation in both categories. Rose is the Bulls' first No. 1 overall selection since they grabbed Elton Brand in 1999. He's the second straight freshman taken with the top pick, following Portland's Greg Oden last year. The 6-foot-3 guard put on a red Bulls cap, hugged some supporters, including Memphis Coach John Calipari, and shook hands with Beasley before walking onto the stage to meet NBA Commissioner David Stern. "I was a little nervous when they came back out, but I always had that in mind that I want to be No. 1," Rose said. "So it was great hearing my name and being the No. 1 pick." Rose will be an upgrade over Kirk Hinrich, who now may be traded, and gives the Bulls another option if they don't re-sign guard Ben Gordon. Expected to contend for a division title, the Bulls instead stumbled to a 33-49 record and eventually replaced two coaches. But with just a 1.7 percent chance, they won last month's draft lottery, giving them a chance to quickly return to the playoffs. "It feels great to go in and compete," Rose said. "I'm just blessed to be in that position right now, because a lot of people aren't. And just knowing that we are a few pieces away from really contending as a team, it just makes me happy." General Manager John Paxson said the Bulls will try to bring him along slowly, but Rose says he's a quick study. "I think I'll come in and lead the team," Rose, 19, said. "That's how I feel." Can a rookie do that? "I think I can be a leader on the court and off the court," Rose said. "Age doesn't really matter. It's about how effective you are, and I think I'm getting better with my leadership skills." Miami settled for Beasley at No. 2, even though he wasn't sure if the Heat would go for Mayo instead. After Mayo's selection, UCLA guard Russell Westbrook was the first non-freshmen taken, going fourth to the Seattle SuperSonics. Kevin Love gave the Bruins consecutive picks, going to Memphis at No. 5. He was later traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves for O.J. Mayo in an eight-player deal. The New York Knicks followed with Italian forward Danilo Gallinari, whose father played with new Coach Mike D'Antoni overseas. Fans in Madison Square Garden were booing loudly. Indiana guard Eric Gordon became the fifth freshman taken, going to the Los Angeles Clippers at No. 7. West Virginia's Joe Alexander went to Milwaukee with the next pick. Charlotte gave new Coach Larry Brown a point guard, taking D.J. Augustin of Texas with the ninth pick. New Jersey took Stanford center Brook Lopez to round out the top 10. Arizona's Jerryd Bayless joined fellow Pac-10 guards Mayo and Westbrook by going 11th to Indiana. Bayless' rights were later traded to Portland for the rights to Brandon Rush, the No. 13 pick from national champion Kansas, Jarrett Jack and Josh McRoberts. Rush's agent, Mark Bartelstein, told The Associated Press about the deal shortly after Rush was taken. The Pacers also had a proposed trade with the Toronto Raptors. Indiana would send six-time All-Star forward Jermaine O'Neal to Toronto for T.J. Ford, center Rasho Nesterovic, the 17th pick in the draft and a player to be determined. Sacramento pulled a surprise at No. 12 with Rider forward Jason Thompson, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference player of the year and the first senior taken. Golden State grabbed LSU forward Anthony Randolph � yet another freshman � with the 14th and final lottery pick. Robin Lopez joined twin brother Brook in the NBA when Phoenix chose him at No. 15. That started a run of big men in which Philadelphia took Florida's Marreese Speights, Toronto picked Roy Hibbert of Georgetown at No. 17, and Washington drafted Nevada 7-footer JaVale McGee with the 18th pick.

06/26/08		Tiger legends hit the court for quake relief (Daily Helmsman)
		By: Joseph Russell Issue date: 6/26/08 From "Penny" to "The Little General," this weekend's charity basketball tournament at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse will be full of former NBA players and Tiger greats that Memphians will always remember. Scott Robinson and Bryan Settle, graduate assistant coaches with the men's basketball team, have organized an 8-team double-elimination basketball tournament. The "It's All Good Memphis Showdown," sponsored by Mark Goodfellow's It's All Good Auto Sales, will take place June 28-29. Games will begin at 9 a.m. both days, with the championship game tipping off at 3:15 p.m. Sunday. Tickets will be $5, with proceeds going to the Chinese Earthquake Relief Fund. The tournament will feature four amateur teams from the city and four teams made up of former Tiger basketball players. Captains for the U of M teams are Jeremy Hunt, Antonio Burks, Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway, and Cedric Henderson. Joining Henderson will be Chris Garner, Lorenzen Wright and Jimmie "Snap" Hunter. It will be a reunion for Henderson, Garner and Wright, who played together during the Tigers' Sweet Sixteen run in the mid-90s. "It was a no-brainer, having the chance to go back and see all of the guys," said Garner, who was point guard for the Tigers from 1993-97 and still plays internationally. "Anything I can do for The University is a good opportunity." Other players expected to attend include Earl Barron, Bobby Parks, Shyrone Chatman, Leon Mitchell, Clyde Wade, John Grice, Dajuan Wagner, Andre Turner, Qyntel Woods, who originally signed with Memphis but turned pro, and Rodney Newsom. Even current assistant coaches Josh Pastner, Orlando Antigua and Rod Strickland are expected to play. "Coach Antigua can still dunk, no problem. They'll have to watch out for him," Robinson said with a laugh. Robinson said the idea for a charity tournament came to him after spending last season with Cui Wunjun, the coach who spent the season with the team as an intern from China. "I can't even imagine being over there when the earthquake happened. Almost 70,000 people died," Robinson said. "This is our way that we can help out." Robinson developed a friendship with Cui during the Tigers' run to the national championship game last season, and this was a way Cui could help his people overseas. "The tournament was just thrown together this past month or so. I wasn't even sure it was going to happen," Robinson said. He started getting in touch with former players and the whole event "steamrolled" from there. Newsom, who now works with after-school programs in the Memphis City School system, was a forward for the Tigers from 1992-96. "It's good for us and the community to come back and play, especially with the success from this past season," he said. "I'm a Memphian. I try to give back any way that I can." While the tournament was created for a serious matter, it also was to give people a fun time and a good show over the weekend, said Robinson. Even though Newsom only plays once every two or three months, he says there will be plenty of trash talking on the court this weekend. Garner agreed. "When you lose a little bit physically, you need every bit of the psychological advantage," Garner said. "But of course, my team's going to win. Every time we hit the floor as Tigers, we planned on winning. This weekend won't be any different." If the event goes as planned and everybody has a good time, Robinson doesn't see any reason why it couldn't become an annual event with more players coming back each year. "Most of these guys are from Memphis," Robinson said. "What would be better than have these Memphis guys come back to the city they love? This could be something the city could back and get involved with for years to come." Next year Robinson plans to get Rodney Carney, Jared Sandridge, and possibly Derrick Rose, Chris Douglas-Roberts and Joey Dorsey.

06/26/08		Tigers� draft wrapup (Memphis Edge)
		Posted by Dan Wolken NEW YORK � When David Stern went to the podium to announce the Memphis Grizzlies� 28th pick, John Calipari sat in the green room clinching his left fist and yelled out, �C�mon Memphis!� It was not hard to figure out what Calipari was rooting for. Clearly, the Tigers� coach was hoping the Grizzlies would take Chris Douglas-Roberts, who worked out with them yesterday and would have clearly been the best PR pick available. When he declared after the Tigers� season ended, CDR was projected to be anywhere from 10-25 and suddenly here he was in the Grizzlies� lap if they wanted him. Even after the Grizzlies passed on him, however, Calipari felt that he might go to Boston at No. 30. After they picked J.R. Giddens, it was not a lot of fun watching Calipari mill around for the next several minutes, typing furiously on his Blackberry while Leon Rose, CDR�s agent, was working the phones and likewise looking a bit nervous. After CDR finally got taken by the Nets at 40, Calipari and Rose left Madison Square Garden pretty quickly, obviously disappointed at how the night unfolded. The question that will now be asked for a long time to come is whether Douglas-Roberts made a mistake by leaving Memphis a year early. I find it hard to second-guess him, since every single person in the basketball business felt his stock was at its peak coming off a season in which he was a first-team All American and led the Tigers to the NCAA title game. The only reason to stay is that next year�s draft would have been weaker, but there didn�t seem to be much risk that he would slip out of the first round. It seemed like a safe move. The reality is, Chris just didn�t perform well in workouts, and obviously teams put a lot of stock into those workouts. I find it remarkable that a player like J.R. Giddens, with a spotty personal history and only one effective season at the college level, would be selected ahead of CDR. I find it even more remarkable that Walter Sharpe, a complete head case who washed out of Mississippi State and UAB, would go ahead of CDR and Joey Dorsey. CDR won�t get the guaranteed money, but he�ll have a chance to make a team. Time will tell whether the NBA executives who passed on him were right or wrong.

06/26/08		Memphis' Derrick Rose Selected No. 1 In 2008 NBA Draft By Chicago Bulls -- Dorsey, Douglas-Roberts picked in NBA Draft second round (GoTigersGo.com)
		NEW YORK, N.Y. - Well, after a season of since thens and firsts in 2007-08, the University of Memphis men's basketball program made more history Thursday night when freshman guard Derrick Rose was selected as the No. 1 pick in the 2008 NBA Draft in New York City. The Chicago Bulls, who owned the No. 1 pick, drafted the Tigers' point guard, making it the first time in school history that a Memphis player went No. 1 overall in the NBA Draft. Later in the NBA Draft's second round, Joey Dorsey was the No. 33 pick by the Portland Trailblazers and Chris Douglas-Roberts was the No. 40 selection by the New Jersey Nets. It is the third time in Memphis hoops history that three Tigers were taken in the same draft. Memphis also had three players selected in the 1973 (Larry Kenon, Ronnie Robinson, Larry Finch) and 1986 (William Bedford, Baskerville Holmes, Andre Turner) NBA Drafts. Like this year's Tiger players, the 1973 and 1986 Memphis draftees all played in the NCAA Final Four (1973 NCAA title game, 1985 NCAA Final Four). As for the Rose selection, the previous highest Tiger player drafted was Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway in 1993 when he was the No. 3 overall pick by the Golden State Warriors. Hardaway was later traded on draft night to the Orlando Magic. Overall, Rose is the 11th Tiger selected in the NBA Draft first round, joining Win Wilfong (1957), Wayne Yates (1961), Keith Lee (1985), William Bedford (1986), Hardaway (1993), David Vaughn (1995), Lorenzen Wright (1996), Dajuan Wagner (2002), Rodney Carney (2006) and Shawne Williams (2006). Rose is only the second guard selected with the No. 1 overall pick since the NBA Draft lottery began in 1985. Allen Iverson was the other guard taken with the first overall selection in 1996 by the Philadelphia 76ers. Rose is also only the second Conference USA player to be a No. 1 overall pick, as New Jersey selected Kenyon Martin No. 1 in the 2000 NBA Draft. Rose, a Chicago, Ill., native, is the third NBA Draft lottery pick for head coach John Calipari. In the 1996 draft, Marcus Camby (UMass) was the No. 2 overall selection, and Wagner (Memphis) was the No. 6 pick in the 2002 draft. The Tigers' 6-foot-3 guard was the team's second-leading scorer at 14.9 ppg, and also averaged 4.5 rebounds and 4.7 assists. He shot 47.7 percent from the field and 71.2 percent from the free throw line. A consensus All-America Freshman Team pick, Rose was an Associated Press All-America third team selection and a Bob Cousy Award finalist. He also was selected to the All-Conference USA first team and was the league's Freshman of the Year. Dorsey finished his four-year Memphis career as the program's winningest player with 126 wins, which is also the 10th-best, four-year mark in NCAA history. The two-time Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year, the 6-foot-9 forward is the No. 2 rebounder and No. 2 shot blocker in Tiger basketball history. Dorsey is the No. 1 rebounder in Conference USA history. As a senior in 2007-08, Dorsey averaged 6.9 points and 9.5 rebounds while blocking 74 shots. Douglas-Roberts, a 2007-08 consensus All-America first team pick, led Memphis in scoring with an 18.1 average. The 2007-08 Conference USA Player of the Year, the 6-foot-7 guard was a finalist for three National Player of the Year awards (Wooden, Naismith, Robertson) and was named to the NCAA All-Tournament Team. Douglas-Roberts, who became the 43rd Tiger in school history to score 1,000 points last season, shot 54.1 percent from the field and 71.2 percent from the foul line. The Detroit, Mich., native was a part of the Tigers' junior class that won an NCAA record-tying 104 games the past three years (104-10 mark). This past season, Rose, Dorsey and Douglas-Roberts helped lead the Tigers to the program's best campaign in school history. Memphis won an NCAA record 38 games (38-2 record) and advanced to the NCAA title game. The Tigers, who spent a school-record five-straight weeks in the No. 1 spot in both national polls, won the Conference USA regular season and tournament titles and the NCAA Tournament South Region crown en route to the NCAA championship game.

06/26/08		Bruun Contract Not Renewed at Memphis (GoTigersGo.com)
		The University of Memphis Athletic Director R.C. Johnson announced today that the contract of women's golf coach Jenny Bruun would not be renewed for the 2008-09 season. "We have decided to move the program in another direction," said Johnson. "With the construction of the Frank Flautt Golf Center at our Park Avenue Campus, we feel that all the pieces are in place for a nationally-ranked golf program at the University of Memphis." A search for a new head coach will begin immediately with Associate Athletic Director Bob Winn serving as the chair of the search committee.

06/26/08		Derrick Rose set to make history as Tigers' first No. 1 draft pick (Commercial Appeal)
		By Dan Wolken (Contact), Memphis Commercial Appeal Thursday, June 26, 2008 NEW YORK � On the morning of March 30, with the University of Memphis just 40minutes of basketball from the Final Four, a realization hit freshman point guard Derrick Rose. Until that moment, he said Wednesday, he had been "kind of iffy" about whether he would leave Memphis after just one year. Rose awoke that morning, however, not only with a sense that the Tigers would beat Texas, but that doing so would be a watershed moment in his personal journey toward the NBA. "I knew I was going to have a great performance," Rose said. "Before the game, I was feeling good about myself and the team, and I just knew that if I played well and performed well, I had to leave." Eight days after the Tigers' season ended with a loss to Kansas in the national championship game, Rose announced he would enter the NBA Draft. The decision was clearly a good one since Rose is a heavy favorite to be chosen No. 1 overall by his hometown Chicago Bulls tonight at Madison Square Garden, making him the first top pick to play at the U of M. "I'm excited," he said. "It's getting to me a little bit right now but not that much. It would mean a lot; it would mean that my hard work has finally paid off." Though Rose was raised in Chicago and will likely begin his pro career there, his nine-month excursion in Memphis will not be forgotten any time soon. That's why Tigers coach John Calipari said Wednesday the school is hoping to commemorate his achievement by putting up billboards around town. The school will also try to organize an event for Rose the first time he comes to town as an NBA player, whether it's with Chicago or the Miami Heat, which holds the No. 2 pick. Either way, he'll be the highest draft pick from Memphis since Penny Hardaway went third overall to Golden State in 1993. Rose, who has not been back to Memphis since leaving school, said playing in FedExForum as a professional will be a moving experience. "Really, I might tear up or something," he said. "I haven't seen (Calipari's wife, Ellen) or (his son, Bradley), nobody, and just seeing them again is going to be emotional." Calipari said he expects Rose to sustain a connection to the program and proudly carry the mantle of being Memphis' first No. 1 pick. "Marcus Camby, to this day, if he sees me will say, 'Coach I love you, I love you coach,'" Calipari said, referring to the player who went No. 2 overall in 1996 out of Massachusetts. "I think Derrick Rose will be the same way because they appreciate what you're doing for them, no question." A potential clue about how Rose will represent Memphis came Wednesday, when he showed up for a media session wearing a blue-and-gray suit. He was also wearing a large diamond-encrusted watch on his left wrist, a mere token of the riches he is about to encounter. After growing up in the crime-ridden Englewood neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Rose stands to make $4,019,000 in guaranteed salary next season if he's the first pick and $3,595,800 if he goes No. 2. That doesn't include the millions of dollars in endorsements he'll receive, numbers that still seem a bit surreal. "I'm just happy; all the stuff is overwhelming," Rose said. "It's a real long (road), knowing I wanted to play in the NBA ever since I was in the fourth and fifth grade. It's going to be emotional; my mother's going to be crying. I know that for sure. I'm going to try not to look at her that much so I don't tear up." Though Rose would likely have been one of the top picks straight out of high school, he's one example of a player who has benefited greatly by the NBA's age limit. "It was incredible," Calipari said. "When he was in high school, (his family) never let him deal with the media. He never had that experience, and now he does, and look at him. He's off the chain; he's grown up. He needed another year to mature and grow." NBA Draft When, where: 6-11 p.m., CDT, today in New York TV: ESPN Grizzlies' picks: No. 5 and 28 overall.

06/26/08		Grizzlies last team to evaluate weary Douglas-Roberts (Commercial Appeal)
		By Scott Cacciola (Contact), Memphis Commercial Appeal Wednesday, June 25, 2008 Forget about attending the NBA Draft at Madison Square Garden. Forget about even watching it unfold on television. No, Chris Douglas-Roberts plans to be cruising at 30,000 feet when his name gets called tonight. He made sure to book a flight home to Detroit during the draft. Not before. Not after. During. "It'll drive me crazy," Douglas-Roberts said. "It'll drive me crazy. I can't watch. I can't watch people get picked in front of me and then wait. I just can't. It'll drive me crazy." These were the angst-ridden words of a young man who had just finished his 11th and final pre-draft audition, an hourlong session with the Grizzlies on Wednesday morning. Douglas-Roberts, the former University of Memphis standout, said he had been on the road for 22 straight days, and ending the process back in Memphis seemed fitting. He chose to forgo his senior season after helping lead the Tigers to the national championship game in April, and now he found himself on the cusp of joining the NBA. "I mean, this is a dream come true," said Douglas-Roberts, a 6-7 wing projected to go in the first round. "People don't understand, this really is a dream come true. This is doing what you love doing for a living. No matter what the situation is, I'm going to make it work." Douglas-Roberts has picked up several new tattoos since the end of the college basketball season -- a large map of Michigan now occupies some prime real estate on his upper left arm -- but he has the same old-school, spin-to-the-basket game, one with which Grizzlies officials are well acquainted. Tony Barone Sr., the team's director of player personnel, said he knows Douglas-Roberts and did not necessarily need to see him in this sort of setting. But he was useful as a "measuring stick" to help evaluate three other prospects: Jamont Gordon, a point guard who passed up his senior season at Mississippi State; Sonny Weems, a defensive-minded forward from West Memphis via the University of Arkansas; and Deron Washington, a raw but athletic forward from Virginia Tech. The Grizzlies own the fifth and 28th picks, and Gordon was particularly impressive. He made 8-of-10 3-pointers during one stretch, and his size and strength -- 6-3 and 225 pounds -- appeals to NBA types. Most pundits have him going early in the second round. "Jamont Gordon is going to play in this league," Barone said. "He's a physical, tough, hard-nosed guy who defensively probably doesn't have the quickness that you would like, but his physicality eliminates some of those shortcomings." Gordon spent Monday in Boston and Tuesday in Milwaukee before making the trip to Memphis, and he openly campaigned for the Grizzlies to select him. He grew up in Nashville, has a young daughter and said he loves the area. He sees himself as an underdog. "All the politics and stuff, some of the guys get evaluated because of the school they went to and they've had the hype since high school," said Gordon, who averaged 17.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists as a junior. "But I really think I'm a first-round guy. I can play multiple positions. I'm not one-dimensional. I can play defense." He also showed he can score, driving past Douglas-Roberts during a 1-on-1 drill and drawing Barone's attention: "That's (expletive) defense, CDR!" Douglas-Roberts had his moments, displaying a deft shooting touch and using all his trademark up-and-under moves to get to the basket. But he looked tired and acknowledged as much. He said all the flights were exhausting. "He's beat down right now," said UofM coach John Calipari, who watched the workout. "Anybody who's still working out at this time, who's done as many workouts as him, they're beat down. So I would tell you that his statement has been made all year. He is not a snapshot." Douglas-Roberts, a first-team All-American who averaged 18.1 points and 4.1 rebounds, has been sliding up and down various mock drafts over the past two months. For a time, he appeared to be flirting with the back edge of the lottery before drifting back into the 20s. The most recent rumor mill had him going to New Orleans at No. 27. Then, on Wednesday, the Hornets shipped that pick to Portland for cash. Douglas-Roberts was coy when asked if he knew where he might land tonight -- besides Detroit Metro Airport, that is. "We'll see," he said with that familiar grin. "I have an idea, but I don't want to leak that out."

06/26/08		University of Memphis hopes to land all-sports athletic outfitter deal (Commercial Appeal)
		By Jim Masilak (Contact), Memphis Commercial Appeal Thursday, June 26, 2008 One constant during John Calipari's eight-year tenure as the University of Memphis men's basketball coach has been his relationship with adidas. In addition to outfitting his team, which advanced to the NCAA title game last season, the athletic apparel giant pays Calipari about $225,000 per year to be associated with him. It's been a pretty sweet arrangement, but it's one Calipari said he's willing to give up if Memphis is successful in landing its first all-sports apparel deal. Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson said Wednesday that the school is sending requests for proposals this week to companies including adidas/Taylormade, Nike and Under Armour in the hope of achieving uniformity in its athletic apparel. "For them to have the opportunity to go out there and do this, it would be big," said Calipari, whose four-year deal with adidas is expiring. "What non-BCS team has an all-sports deal? None. To have something this significant for the university and athletic department, I'm all for it." If all goes well, Johnson said, a deal to outfit the school's varsity teams under one brand name could be in place by the end of July. "We thought that now is the time to try for an all-sports deal. We're having a lot of success with our sports and there seems to be interest in us," Johnson said. "We've never had an all-sports deal, but we're going to take a run at it and see what happens. "Hopefully we'll have people bidding on it," he said. "Hopefully we'll get multiple bids." At the moment, the U of M has a hodgepodge of deals in place for various sports. While adidas sponsors the men's basketball team, the football team is outfitted by Nike and the golf teams have a deal with Bridgestone. Under Armour is involved with various programs. The potential benefits of consolidating those deals under one supplier are many. Teams that currently lack apparel contracts would no longer have to dip into their own travel and recruiting budgets to buy uniforms and equipment. The prestige of such a deal would put Memphis on a higher plane than most of its non-Bowl Championship Series brethren. And for an athletic department facing an estimated $500,000 budget cut as a result of decreased state spending on higher education, the money and sponsorships that could come with an all-sports apparel deal are extremely attractive. "It's kind of like when FedEx got the postal deal," said Calipari, referring to a 2001 agreement with the U.S. Postal Service that allowed FedEx to begin hauling some of its mail. "This, for us, is like the postal deal. It's found money." While Johnson stressed that Calipari would "be taken care of" in any new apparel deal, he is willing to stick with individual deals if an acceptable bid is not forthcoming. If a deal is struck, Johnson said it would take effect "as soon as possible" even though some fall sports programs already have made orders for the upcoming season. "We talked to John and (head football coach Tommy West) and (new women's basketball coach Melissa McFerrin) and they're on board with this," Johnson said. "We're trying to move as quickly as we can. ... It's a good time to throw it out there in the water and hopefully we get a big old whale that latches onto it."

06/26/08		NBA Draft: Rose, Beasley set to lead 2008 class (Jackson Sun)
		By BRIAN MAHONEY The Associated Press June 26, 2008 NEW YORK - Michael Beasley strolled into a hotel ballroom Wednesday, spotted the swarm of cameras surrounding his table, and jokingly asked Brandon Rush if he wanted to switch spots. The guy Beasley really may want to swap with is Derrick Rose. Rose is Beasley's competition for the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, and the winner will be announced tonight when NBA commissioner David Stern announces the selection shortly after 7 p.m. The Chicago Bulls own the pick, and Rose would love to play for his hometown team. When the Bulls won the lottery despite only a 1.7 percent chance, Rose immediately thought of LeBron James, the Akron, Ohio kid picked first in 2003 by nearby Cleveland. "I thought that LeBron James was the luckiest person because he got to play in his hometown," Rose said. Rose, the point guard from Memphis, and Beasley, the Kansas State power forward, sit atop a deep freshmen class that could gobble up most of the spots in the top 10. O.J. Mayo of Southern California, UCLA's Kevin Love, Arizona's Jerryd Bayless, and Indiana guard Eric Gordon are among the other first-year stars who might already be earning NBA paychecks if not for the age requirement forcing American-born players to be at least 19 years old and a year out of high school. "We can have possibly eight players from our class in the lottery, so just hearing that I feel like we have a lot of star power in this class," Love said. "We're a pretty deep class as well, and I feel like hopefully we'll be able to step up our games and impact the NBA." Beasley had the best individual year, leading the nation with 12.4 rebounds per game and ranking third with his average of 26.2 points. But if the Bulls opt for Rose, Beasley isn't even guaranteed to go second, with Miami possibly more interested in trading the pick and grabbing a guard to pair in the backcourt with Dwyane Wade. "One, 2, 3, 78, I just want to get there," Beasley said. Hurting Beasley's chances of going first are questions about his height. The draft media guide lists him at 6-foot-10, and he said a doctor measured him at 6-8 3/4 in bare feet. Still, there are some concerns he may be smaller - perhaps too small to play the 4 spot in the NBA. "I didn't know there was a height requirement in the NBA," Beasley said. The Bulls haven't revealed publicly which way they are leaning, but Rush, sitting at the next table, said Beasley was the "best player I've seen in college, since I've been in college." His Kansas team faced Beasley in Big 12 play, then beat Rose and Memphis in the national championship game. "I would go with Beasley because he makes things look so much easier," Rush said. "He just looks effortless out there. He had 39 on us in our own house." Having played three seasons for the Jayhawks, Rush was one of the old-timers in the room. He may have to wait until after the kids have had their fun tonight.

06/25/08		U of M notes: Track, Football, Baseball (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg (Contact), Memphis Commercial Appeal Wednesday, June 25, 2008 King set for Olympic Trials -- Lady Tiger shot putter also honored as C-USA's best Susan King, a University of Memphis senior shot put champion, will have something to pack in her luggage when she leaves for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials next week in Eugene, Ore. King has been named Conference USA's Female Track and Field Athlete of the Year. A native of League City, Texas, King is earning multiple honors as her college career ends. She claimed All-America distinction in the shot put at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships earlier this month in Des Moines, Iowa. At the NCAA Mideast Regionals, she won the shot put competition as she did in the C-USA Track and Field Championships. At the C-USA Championships, King was named the Outdoor High Point Scorer of the Meet with 26 points. She also earned Performance of the Meet honors after winning the shot put. She holds the school record in the shot with a throw of 59 feet, 43/4 inches and also owns the discus record. ''She did a phenomenal job at the NCAAs,'' said Tiger track coach Kevin Robinson, a former UofM shot put champion. ''She finished second, but she fouled all three of her final-round throws. Two of the three were 591/2 - to 60-foot throws, which were far enough to win the meet.'' Robinson said King is a legitimate threat to earn a spot on the U.S. Olympic team. ''She competed with everything she had (at the NCAAs),'' he said. ''She competed with a lot of heart. She's been training well and she is focused on the Trials. I think she's going to do a great job.'' The U.S. Olympic Team Trials begin Friday, but qualifying for the shot put doesn't start until July 3. She'll be joined in the event by former Tiger Gail Lee, an assistant to Robinson on the Tiger track team. In other UofM track developments, junior men's thrower Seth Major was named C-USA men's track and field newcomer of the year after an impressive performance at the C-USA Championships. A transfer from Rend Lake College in Illinois, Major finished second in the discus and third in the shot and shared newcomer honors with UTEP's Aggrey Chirchir. Malouf to Samford Former U o fM quarterback Matt Malouf, who played in 12 games as a freshman reserve last fall for the Tigers and announced he was leaving the program last month, has transferred to Division 1-AA Samford in Birmingham. Malouf, who left the UofM for personal reasons, will be eligible to play immediately. Had he signed with another 1-A program, he would have been required to sit out the 2008 season. At Samford, which went 4-7 last year, Malouf will play for former Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Pat Sullivan. Sullivan, in his second year as head coach at Samford, will be seeking a replacement for the team's starting quarterback from 2007. Malouf, 6-3 and 210 pounds, rushed for 166 yards and three touchdowns last fall and completed 7-of-12 passes for 46 yards and two touchdowns. Baseball signs pitcher Brandon Showmar, a standout pitcher for Little Rock Central, has signed a National Letter of Intent to play for the U o fM, adding depth to a staff depleted by the major league baseball draft earlier this month. The Tigers had four pitchers -- including Scott McGregor, Will Hudgens and Neil Schenk and -- taken in the draft. Showmar, a dual-position player for Little Rock Central, compares favorably to ''a young McGregor'' according to UofM coach Daron Schoenrock. A 6-3 righthander, Showmar overpowered hitters his senior season, striking out 53 in 50 innings and finishing with a 1.28 earned-run average in 13 appearances. "He has a tremendous amount of upside and a great work ethic,'' Schoenrock said. ''I'm excited because it gets us into the Little Rock area, which has been a good baseball area." Odds and ends The Highland Hundred football booster group is organizing a bus trip to Marshall in Huntington, W. Va., for the Tigers' Sept. 13 game against the Thundering Herd. There is a July 1 deadline for those interested in the two-night trip. For more information, call Charlie Smithers at 634-8447 or contact him at smithersc@bellsouth.net. ... Tiger reserve quarterback Will Hudgens, drafted by the Cincinnati Reds earlier this month, won his pro baseball debut with the short-season Class A Billings Mustangs last week by pitching three shutout innings in relief. ...The UofM football program has added late signee Lavaris Edwards, a 5-10, 185-pound defensive back from Miami Bay Point. Edwards won the state 100-meter title as a freshman and ran a 4.4 40-yard dash in the Miami Hurricanes' camp before his senior season.

06/25/08		Paxson: Wait for draft (Jackson Sun)
		DEERFIELD, Ill. - Derrick Rose or Michael Beasley? Chicago Bulls general manager John Paxson wasn't about to announce a decision on Tuesday, though he might have hinted at his intentions for the No. 1 pick despite his best effort to hide them. Surveying the microphones and notepads, he grinned and said, "If anybody thinks I'm going to give something away today, I'm not." The Bulls have the top pick in the NBA draft on Thursday and a big decision to make, and Paxson said he's thinking about the long term. Considering he believes Beasley will have a more immediate impact, that could be an indication he's leaning toward Rose. "I know we can't go wrong either way," he said. "Every team would like to think when they have a bad year, they can turn it around overnight. But we sit here and we have to look a few years down the road and how we're going to be better then to establish something." The Beasley-Rose debate began in Chicago when the Bulls defied 1.7 percent odds and won the lottery. Do they go with Rose, who grew up on the city's South Side and played at Simeon High School before leading Memphis to a record 38 wins and the NCAA finals in his lone season? Or Beasley, who delivered one of the best seasons ever by a college freshman? Rose averaged 14.9 points and 4.7 assists and was better in the postseason when his scoring jumped to 20.8 per game before things ended on a sour note. He missed one of two free throws with 10.8 seconds left in regulation, and Kansas' Mario Chalmers took advantage, hitting a 3-pointer to send the game into overtime and, ultimately, the Jayhawks to the championship. Then there's Beasley. He became the third freshman in NCAA history to lead the nation in rebounds at 12.4 per game while averaging 26.2 points. He had the second-most rebounds and third-most points by a freshman in NCAA history, helping Kansas State to its first NCAA tournament victory in 20 years. Paxson said he will keep the pick unless "somebody calls and wants to offer the best player in the game," and there are no indications that LeBron James and Kobe Bryant are being shopped. That leaves Chicago in a situation similar to Portland's last year. The Trail Blazers were also a long shot to get the first pick, and they had to decide between a potentially dominant big man (Greg Oden) and perimeter player (Kevin Durant). Unlike Chicago, Portland did not have the added bonus of a coaching search. "Thank God," Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard said. Trying to pick the cornerstone of the franchise was difficult enough. The Blazers ultimately drafted Oden, who had microfracture surgery on his right knee and missed his rookie year. Pritchard said deciding between two players posed "a lot more challenges than you expect. But it allows you to get very deep into two players." Pritchard told his staff last year to "keep an open mind until right before the draft." He gave Paxson this advice a few weeks ago: "Relax, you got two good guys to look at. Have fun with it." Paxson said, "I don't think we've had as much fun as they might have. I'm a little more uptight than that." He has reason to be following a difficult season. After three straight playoff appearances, the Bulls expected to contend in the Eastern Conference but went 33-49 instead. Coach Scott Skiles got fired in December, and interim coach Jim Boylan was let go after the season. They ended a drawn-out search by hiring Vinny Del Negro after high-profile courtship's with Mike D'Antoni and Doug Collins fell through. The Bulls did catch a big break when they won the lottery. Now, they need to capitalize. If they go with Rose, the Bulls would have a crowded backcourt with Kirk Hinrich, Larry Hughes and Thabo Sefolosha even if restricted free agent Ben Gordon leaves. There would be a similar scenario up front if Chicago drafts Beasley, with Drew Gooden, Joakim Noah and Tyrus Thomas in place along with restricted free agent Luol Deng. Either way, the Bulls would need to make a trade, right? "That would be the quick reaction," Paxson said. "But it's not a given. It really isn't. We haven't had one guy who has distinguished himself as the real leader on our floor. And we have to be real careful to make any snap decisions. ... You don't want to jump into something, making a move, and then a year from now if something doesn't work out, you don't have a roster."

06/24/08		Baseball Lands Little Rock Central Pitcher Brandon Showmar -- Schoenrock continues to rebuild pitching staff after 2008 MLB Draft (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - University of Memphis Head baseball coach Daron Schoenrock continued his efforts to rebuild a Tiger pitching staff, which lost four of its top hurlers in the 2008 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, by signing Little Rock Central's Brandon Showmar to a National Letter of Intent it was announced today. "We are extremely excited about Brandon's decision to be a Tiger," said Schoenrock. "He is a very projectable pitcher and he brings a great work ethic to our program. We expect that he will have a brilliant future at Memphis." A dual-position player for Head Coach Mike Johnson at Little Rock Central, Showmar saw time at shortstop as well as on the hill. However, it was his dominance on the mound that caught the eye of the Memphis coaching staff. In 39 career outings, the Tiger's ace posted a 1.44 ERA with 135 strikeouts in 127 innings. He limited opponents to a lowly .189 batting average. As a senior, Showmar dominated opposing hitters, striking out 53 in 50 innings of work. The 6-3 righthander hauled in 2008 Pro-Day Baseball High School All-American honors after posting a stifling 1.28 ERA in 13 appearances (nine starts). Showmar started in 15 of his 20 appearances as a junior in 2007. He tossed five complete games and finished the year with 74 strikeouts and a 2.43 ERA in 75 innings.

06/24/08		Seth Major Named C-USA Men's Track and Field Newcomer of the Year -- Earns individual honor from league (GoTigersGo.com)
		IRVING, Texas - - Junior men's thrower Seth Major was named the Conference USA men's track and field newcomer of the year by the league office, Monday. Major was an all-conference honoree in the shot put and discus throws at the C-USA Championship meet in May. He finished second in the discus and third in the shot at the event. A transfer from Rend Lake College in Illinois, Major also qualified for the NCAA Mideast Regionals in both the shot and discus in his first year as a Tiger. A native of Decatur, Ill., Major shares the newcomer award with UTEP's Aggrey Chirchir.

06/24/08		Susan King Named C-USA's Female Track and Field Athlete of the Year -- Senior thrower adds to her individual honors (GoTigersGo.com)
		IRVING, Texas - Memphis senior women's track and field athlete Susan King was named the C-USA Female Track and Field Athlete of the Year it was announced by the league office Monday. The honor helps cap an outstanding career for King at the University of Memphis, after she captured a silver medal and All-America honors in the shot put at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships earlier this month. The senior also won the shot put at the NCAA Mideast Regionals and the Conference USA Championships and was named the 2008 C-USA Outdoor High Point Scorer of the Meet with 26 points. She was also earned Performance of the Meet after winning the shot put crown at the league championships. A native of League City, Texas, King wrapped up her Tiger career with school records in both the shot put (18.10 meters) and the discus (51.23 meter) and will be competing in the USA Olympic Trials, which begin Friday, June 27th in Eugene, Ore. Women's qualifying for the shot put will be held on July 3rd, beginning at 9:20 p.m. (PT). She will be joined in that competition by former Tiger and current assistant coach Gail Lee.

06/22/08		Expectations for basketball Tigers fluctuating (Commercial Appeal)
		By Dan Wolken (Contact) Memphis Commercial Appeal Sunday, June 22, 2008 A year ago, there wasn't much debate about the University of Memphis' expectations heading into the 2007-08 season: Final Four or bust. Setting the bar this time around, however, will be a bit trickier. In some quarters, the Tigers will not be considered Final Four contenders because of their significant and well-chronicled personnel losses in Derrick Rose, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Joey Dorsey, Andre Allen and Doneal Mack. Others will see another long NCAA Tournament run behind star freshman Tyreke Evans and veterans like Antonio Anderson and Robert Dozier, both of whom came back for their senior seasons. Many prognosticators will be in between, preferring to proceed cautiously until key questions are answered like whether Shawn Taggart can give the Tigers some physical presence inside or whether junior college transfer Roburt Sallie is a starter-quality guard. Joe Lunardi's first edition of "Bracketology" on ESPN.com this week gave the Tigers a No. 1 seed. Meanwhile, commentator Doug Gottlieb wondered whether Memphis should even be considered the favorite to win Conference USA. To begin the discussion on where Memphis' expectations should be, I turned to four of the best college basketball writers in the country. Here's what they e-mailed me last week when I asked why Memphis will be or won't be a top-level team once again: Gary Parrish, CBSSports.com: "Robert Dozier, Antonio Anderson, Willie Kemp and Shawn Taggart provide an experienced nucleus, and there's no reason to think Tyreke Evans won't be an elite-level scorer from the start. So if John Calipari can count on that and then get anything from the rest of the recruiting class, what he'll have is a team that WILL win Conference USA, SHOULD go to the Sweet 16, COULD make an Elite Eight for the fourth straight season and just MIGHT crash the Final Four again, if everything breaks beautifully. Far as rebuilding years go, that's not bad." Mike DeCourcy, The Sporting News: "In following college basketball, I've always been a huge believer that it's of no consequence who a team loses -- it's all about what players a team has in place. So many analysts will dismiss a team that loses such gifted players as Rose and CDR, but there still are good pieces here, certainly enough for a top-10 type of finish. "The two problem areas are a lack of physical force and the uncertainty at point guard. There's no question in my mind that Pierre Niles could help with the muscle if he'd lose a lot of weight. It's up to him whether he wants to make a difference. The point guard thing might come down to Willie Kemp fitting into the offense. It's obvious it hasn't suited him to this point. Antonio Anderson and Tyreke Evans can initiate offense, but I don't think either is best suited to handling the basketball full-time. Willie needs to become more confident, comfortable and alert. I think he has it in him." Pat Forde, ESPN.com: "Having spent the spring covering horse racing and golf, I am not fully equipped to presage the Memphis 2008-09 basketball season, but I'd expect it to be somewhere between Big Brown's Belmont and Tiger Woods' U.S. Open. There will be a precipitous drop in prowess, a la Big Brown going from the Derby-Preakness double to the Belmont flop. But as we learned at Torrey Pines, never write off wounded Tigers. I don't expect Memphis to have another fourth straight 30-win season or reach a regional final. Not after losing its three most important players from last year in Rose, Douglas-Roberts and Dorsey, plus a shuffling of the coaching staff. The freshmen are talented (caveat: Tyreke Evans is no Derrick Rose). Getting Robert Dozier to return is big. Antonio Anderson seems like a very solid leader. This is a Top 25 team, maybe better. But like (Big Brown trainer) Rick Dutrow, it's time for Memphians to reacquaint themselves with a little humility." Luke Winn, SI.com: "I fully expect Memphis to rise into the top five of the polls at some point during the C-USA season. This team is still deep enough to dominate its league and -- in a best-case scenario -- earn a (No. 2) or (No. 3) seed in the NCAA Tournament. The difference between them being good and great will be 3-point shooting. That's been the annoying, unoriginal knock on the Tigers for years, but it's actually valid this time. "The line is moving back one foot, and the Tigers just lost two of their best long-range guys in CDR and Doneal Mack. Their offense requires spacing and some semblance of a 3-point threat to thrive, and I'm not sure if Antonio Anderson, who's an average-at-best shooter, or recruits Tyreke Evans and Roburt Sallie, who are both strong scorers off the dribble but not pure shooters, can provide that threat. The onus will be on Willie Kemp and Wesley Witherspoon to knock down treys with regularity; otherwise they're going to see some heavily sagging defenses." Change of venue Next weekend's "It's All Good Memphis Showdown" has been moved from Streets Ministries to Elma Roane Fieldhouse on campus due to scheduling conflicts. The eight-team adult tournament will feature several former Tigers, including Jeremy Hunt, Cedric Henderson, Andre Turner and many others. Members of the Memphis coaching staff, including Josh Pastner, Orlando Antigua and Rod Strickland, will also be playing. The tournament is the brainchild of Bryan Settle and Scott Robinson, graduate assistant coaches on the Tigers' staff. Tickets are $5, and the proceeds will benefit the China Earthquake Relief Fund and a local girls' basketball program. The championship game will be held at 3:15 p.m. Sunday, June 29. Games will be taking place all day Saturday and Sunday. Etc. For the second straight year, The Racquet Club of Memphis will host an "Italian Night for John Calipari" on Tuesday, hosted by Tony Barrasso and Bobby Byrd. Tickets are $50 per person, including dinner, wine and taxes.

06/21/08		Whetstone Leaps to a Seventh Place Finish at Junior Nationals (GoTigersGo.com)
		COLUMBUS, Ohio - University of Memphis track star Aaron Whetstone competed at the 2008 USA Junior Outdoor Track and Field Championships today. Whetstone earned a seventh place finish in the triple jump. Whetstone finished the meet with a final mark of 15.39 meters (50-06.00). He fouled his last two jumps to finish the competition. He will be back in action in two weeks as he will compete at the Olympic Trials in the triple. The 2008 Olympic Trials will be held from June 27-July 6 in Eugene, Oregon. Along with Whetstone will be Susan King and Gail Lee both competing in the shot put vying for a spot on the Olympic team.

06/20/08		NBA Draft: Memphis' Rose could be top pick (Jackson Sun)
		By ANDREW SELIGMAN The Associated Press June 20, 2008 DEERFIELD, Ill. - Derrick Rose's response was as direct as one of his passes. The best player in the draft? He reiterated it's Michael Beasley. "Hands down he is," Rose said after working out with the Chicago Bulls on Thursday. The No. 1 pick? It could be Rose. While he was quick to praise Beasley again, just as he did at the NBA's pre-draft camp, Rose also made it clear he would love to play for his hometown team. The Chicago Bulls have the top pick in the draft next week and an important decision to make. Do they go with Beasley, the forward from Kansas State who would give them a scoring presence? Or Rose, the point guard from Chicago who led Memphis to the NCAA championship game? While Beasley indicated earlier in the week that he would visit Miami, which has the No. 2 pick, Rose had no other trips planned. The workout on Thursday was his first - and perhaps only - one. "Right now, he's not scheduled to work out with the Heat," said Reggie Rose, his older brother. "This might be the last stop, I hope." Reggie Rose said they are willing to visit Miami, but, "This might be it." If the Bulls are it, that would be just fine with Derrick Rose, who grew up on the city's South Side and played at Simeon High School before leading Memphis to the NCAA final in his lone season with the Tigers. Rose averaged 14.9 points and 4.7 assists while leading Memphis to an NCAA Division I record 38 victories and was particularly good during the NCAA tournament. He averaged 20.8 points and dominated Kansas in the championship game until the final seconds of regulation. Memphis was leading by two when Rose stepped to the line with 10.8 seconds left and a chance to seal the victory. Instead of making it a two-possession game, he made one of two free throws. That gave Kansas a chance to tie it and the Jayhawks' Mario Chalmers did just that after Memphis couldn't foul, sending the game into overtime with a 3-pointer that crushed the Tigers. "It was real tough knowing that I was one of the reasons we lost, not hitting a free throw," Rose said. Now, he could be the man who helps the Bulls rebound from their most disappointing season in years. Expected to contend in the Eastern Conference after three straight playoff appearances, Chicago lost 49 games as players bickered with each other and their coaches. Scott Skiles was fired in December, and interim coach Jim Boylan lost his job at the end of the season. The Bulls finally hired Vinny Del Negro after a two-month coaching search in which they seemed ready to go with Mike D'Antoni and then Doug Collins. Along the way, Chicago's luck took a turn for the better when it defied 1.7-percent odds and won the lottery. "When I signed with (agent) Arn Tellem, we were in a room," Rose said. "He was like, 'Which team do you want to play for?' And he was like, 'I know your hometown.' Everybody in the room started laughing because we thought it was impossible. That night when the Bulls got the No. 1 pick, I was looking at the TV like this can't be true."

06/19/08		Andy Smith Receives 2008 C-USA Sportsmanship Award -- Four-year Tiger football letterwinner one of three recipients (GoTigersGo.com)
		IRVING, Texas - Conference USA Commissioner Britton Banowsky announced today that University of Memphis football player Andy Smith is one of three student-athletes who were selected as recipients of the 2008 C-USA Sportsmanship Award. The conference sportsmanship awards are presented to student-athletes, coaches or teams that perform an individual act of sporting behavior or generally conduct themselves with a high degree of good sportsmanship. It is the second-straight year one of the C-USA Sportsmanship recipients has come from the Memphis football team. Last year, former deep snapper Rusty Clayton was one of five student-athletes to receive the award. Along with Smith, Geoffrey Handsfield of East Carolina University and Tara Watts of Rice University were recognized for the 2007-08 season. Smith is a veteran offensive lineman for the Tigers football team who completed his playing eligibility during the 2007 season. He helped anchor the offense and is one of the vocal leaders on the squad. Smith also leads by example on and off the field and takes his role as a leader very seriously. The senior has participated in various community service events, including speaking to elementary school children and working youth football camps. On Martin Luther King Day, he joined several other Tiger athletes in volunteering at the National Civil Rights Museum and he often speaks to students at Sea Isle Elementary School. Most recently, Smith helped raise money for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital through the University of Memphis' Up `Til Dawn promotion. Handsfield has participated in the championship final in all three of his individual events at the last four C-USA Championship Invitationals. He was voted captain of the team as a sophomore and has held that distinction for the last three seasons. The senior holds a 3.97 GPA in physics and has been on the Student Athlete Advisory Committee the last two years. The Morehead City, N.C. native is in charge of all the swim team's community service activities, including working with the Pitt County Latino students, Project ARISE, Pitt County Humane Society, the Special Olympics and the ALS Walk. Watts just concluded her second season with the Rice women's basketball team. The sophomore serves at a tutor and has volunteered her time to local elementary schools by reading to younger children and speaking to them about being a student-athlete. The British Columbia native has also done similar activities with the local Children's Hospitals. Rice associate head coach Carlos Quintero added "Tara is a positive force to her teammates with both encouraging words and her relentless hard work. She truly cares about everyone just as much as she cares about herself."

06/19/08		Women's Basketball Adds University of Georgia Transfer -- Brittany Carter will be eligible to play for the Memphis roster for the 2009-2010 season (GoTigersGo.com)
		The University of Memphis women's basketball team filled another open scholarship Monday with the addition of University of Georgia transfer Brittany Carter (Covington, Ga./Newton County HS). A 5-9 guard, Carter played one season at Georgia. Following her prep career, Carter was the No. 21 ranked prospect in the country by the All-Star Girls Report. She was also ranked No. 27 in the country by hoopgurlz.com and No. 39 by scout.com. Blue Star Basketball had Carter ranked as the No. 105th player in the country. "Brittany is a player that believes in our vision to become the class of Conference USA. She believes that she is a player that can help us get back to the NCAA tournament and advance," McFerrin said. "She is an athlete that wants to play in a fast-breaking, fast-tempo style. She will fit in perfectly in that regard, and she is motivated to be a builder in this program and wants to make her mark. She wants to be able to look back four years from now and say that she has helped build Memphis women's basketball back to prominence in our conference, regionally and nationally." Carter played last season at Georgia, appearing in 14 games and averaging 3.4 points and 1.6 rebounds per game. She will sit out the 2008-09 season per NCAA transfer rules and will have three years of eligibility remaining beginning with the 2009-2010 season at Memphis. She is already somewhat familiar with the women's program at Memphis as she is a former AAU teammate of rising sophomore guard Alex Winchell. Both Carter and Winchell played AAU basketball for the Georgia Nike Elite team. Carter played her prep ball at Newton County High School. There, the high-flying guard was a three-year starter after transferring from Redan following her freshman season. An honorable mention All-America by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association, Carter averaged 19.0 points, 8.0 rebounds 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game as a junior at Newton County for head coach Angela Holley. Her 2004 team reached the quarterfinals of the Georgia Class 5A state tournament, but ankle injuries sidelined Carter for large portions of her sophomore and senior seasons. Also a letterwinner in volleyball and track and field as a freshman at Redan, Carter was voted "Most Athletic" in her senior class. The daughter of Daisey Carter, Brittany is also the niece of former Georgia Bulldog basketball player Charles Carter. She plans on majoring in Exercise and Sport Science or Sports Administration.

06/19/08		Thomas and Whetstone Set to Compete at Junior Nationals -- Two freshmen will represent Memphis over the weekend (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis men's and women's track and field teams will have two of its freshmen competing in the 2008 USA Junior Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The championships will be held from June 20-22 in Columbus, Ohio hosted by Ohio State University. Holland Thomas will be competing on Saturday, June 21 in the 400 meter hurdles. The event is set to start at about 6:05 p.m. Thomas had a season best time of 1:03.08 in the event. Aaron Whetstone will compete in the triple jump that has an approximate starting time of 6:10 p.m. on Saturday. Whetstone has one of the top jumps in the nation with a mark of 16.26 meters, with hopes of improving his Olympic Trial provisional qualifying mark. The top nine in the event will advance to the finals.

06/18/08		Memphis Youth Soccer Camp Big Success (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS,Tenn. - Head men's soccer coach Richie Grant hosted the 2nd Annual Youth Soccer Camp at the U of M's South Campus. The camp was held in a two part session from May 27-30 and June 2-6, everyday from 9 a.m. - noon, for boys and girls ages 5-14. In just its second year, the camp brought in about 100 campers and tons of energetic young soccer players. The camp taught players the fundamentals of soccer including passing, receiving, dribbling, shooting, and heading, while also giving emphasis on player development. "I think the camp was a big success. The amount of young kids in the community that came out was remarkable. We're starting to notice a big increase in the quality of the players. It was a very enjoyable couple of weeks and the staff was very excited about the growth of the camp", said Grant. The Tiger coaching staff will conduct the annual Richie Grant Soccer Camp on July 6-10 at Lambuth University in Jackson, Tenn. The five-day camp held for males and females ages 5-18 has become well known for its instructional demonstrations, which use quality collegiate players from the U of M and other programs to support its lead staff. Campers ages 12-18 can enroll in the camp for $340, which also covers the cost of staying in the campus dorms and all meals. The fee for those wishing to commute is $290. The children's camp for ages 5-11 is $85 and runs July 6-10 from 8:45-11:30 a.m. For more information contact Jodi Grant at 901-678-2598. A camp brochure and application can be found on the men's soccer page at www.GoTigersGo.com.

06/18/08		Women's Basketball Adds Bahamas Booster Package -- Fans can join the team in the Bahamas this December (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - - The University of Memphis women's basketball team will participate in the Bahamas Sunsplash Shootout in Nassau, Bahamas, Dec. 19-20th and the tour's organizer, Sport Tours International, has a Booster Package available for fans that would like to watch the women's basketball team play. The Booster Package is for Dec. 17-21, 2008, and includes four-star hotel accommodations for four nights at the Sheraton Cable Beach, all-inclusive three meals daily, roundtrip game transfers to/from the game venue, discounted game tickets for $5.00 per day, and hotel taxes and service charges. Additional nights can be purchased at $150 per person/double and $250 per person/single. The double room package is $695.00 per person, while the single room rate is $1175.00 per person. A $200 nonrefundable deposit is required and final payment is due November 1, 2008. Price does not include airline tickets, airport transfers, baggage trip cancellation and interruption, medical emergency evacuation, excess baggage charges on flights, personal items, laundry and telephone/fax services. Memphis is one of four teams participating in the Bahamas Sunsplash Shootout. The Tigers will be joined by Florida Atlantic, Mercer and UT-Arlington in the two-game tournament. For more information, contact Bret Seymour at Sport Tours International at 414-228-7337 or via email at info@sporttours.net. A brochure for the package is available at www.gotigersgo.com on the women's basketball page in the right hand column.

06/18/08		Where Are They Now? -- Catching up with former Lady Tiger golfer Stacey Tate (GoTigersGo.com)
		Stacey Tate (Auckland, New Zealand) graduated from the University of Memphis in May of 2007 after helping the Lady Tigers to the 2007 Conference USA Golf Championship, where she finished second. She turned pro in November of 2007 and has been competing on the Duramed FUTURES Tour since March. She has made the cut in five of seven events and currently ranks 79th on the money list and 18th on the Rookie of the Year chart. She is getting ready to compete in the next tour stop, the Duramed Championship in Mason, Ohio, June 20th-22nd. So far on tour, she has a career-best finish of tied for 53rd (for which she won $515). Last week she finished tied for 67th in the Michelob ULTRA stop i