- Memphis Tigers men's basketball
-
Memphis Tigers 
2011–12 Memphis Tigers men's basketball team
University University of Memphis First season 1920 All-time record 1,406–820–1 (.632) Conference C-USA Location Memphis, TN Head coach Josh Pastner (2nd year) Arena FedExForum
(Capacity: 18,119)Nickname Tigers Student section Blue Crew Colors Blue and Gray Uniforms 
Home
Away
AlternateNCAA Tournament runner up 1973, 2008* NCAA Tournament Final Four 1973, 1985*, 2008* NCAA Tournament Elite Eight 1973, 1985*, 1992, 2006, 2007, 2008* NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen 1973, 1982*, 1983*, 1984*, 1985*, 1992, 1995, 2006, 2007, 2008*, 2009 NCAA Tournament appearances 1955, 1956, 1962, 1973, 1976, 1982*, 1983*, 1984*, 1985*, 1986*, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008*, 2009, 2011
*vacated by NCAAConference tournament champions 1982, 1984, 1985, 1987 (Metro)
2006, 2007, 2008*, 2009, 2011 (C-USA)Conference regular season champions 1972, 1973 (MVC)
1982, 1984, 1985 (Metro)
1995 (GMWC)
1996, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008*, 2009 (C-USA)The Memphis Tigers men's basketball team represents the University of Memphis in NCAA Division I men's college basketball. The Tigers compete in Conference USA, in which they have won six regular season and four conference tournament championships. They play home games at FedExForum.
Contents
History
The predecessor of the University of Memphis, West Tennessee State Normal School, first fielded a basketball team in 1920. Zach Curlin began coaching the team in 1924. The Tigers joined the Mississippi Valley Conference in 1928. The team played its early home games at a local high school gym, a local YMCA, and in a room on campus called the "Normal Cage" which allowed only six inches from the court lines to the walls. In 1929, a $100,000 facility on campus named Memorial Gym became the Tigers' home.[1]
Curlin's last season coaching the Tigers was in 1948, by which time the school had been renamed Memphis State College; it would become Memphis State University in 1957. His successor was McCoy Tarry. In 1951, the new $700,000 Field House gym was opened for Tiger home games. In 1952, John Wallisa became the first Memphis State player to be drafted by the NBA. Forest Arnold became the school's first All-American in 1954. The Tigers made the NCAA tournament for the first time in 1955 under coach Eugene Lambert. Bob Vanatta became the team's coach in 1956 and took the Tigers to the NIT final. Win Wilfong became the team's second All-American in 1957.[1]
In 1962, Dean Ehlers took over coaching duties. The Tigers began playing its home games at the Mid-South Coliseum in 1964. Moe Iba became the team's coach in 1966, the same year the team joined the Missouri Valley Conference.[1]
Larry Finch played in his first game as a Tiger in 1970, the same year that Gene Bartow took over as head coach. The Tigers shared the Missouri Valley Conference title in 1972 with Louisville (Louisville won a playoff to represent the MVC in the NCAA Tournament), and won the MVC outright in 1973. During the 1972–73 season, All-American Finch led the Tigers to the NCAA tournament championship game, which the Tigers lost to the UCLA Bruins. Bartow also won the NABC National Coach of the Year award that season. Wayne Yates took over for Bartow in 1974. The Tigers left the Missouri Valley Conference to become one of the inaugural members of the Metro Conference in 1976.[2]
Dana Kirk became head coach in 1979. During the 1980s, the Tigers made seven NCAA tournaments and won multiple Metro Conference titles. Keith Lee began playing for the Tigers in 1982, and Memphis was ranked number one in both major national polls for the first time the same year. Lee eventually led the team to its second Final Four appearance in 1985. Only a year later, however, Kirk was forced out after becoming the subject of a criminal investigation. He was also found to have committed many NCAA violations as well; the Tigers were forced to sit out the 1987 NCAA Tournament and were stripped of their Final Four appearance from 1985, as well as all of their NCAA tournament appearances from 1982-86.
Former player Larry Finch took over head coaching duties in 1986. One of Finch's first recruits, Elliot Perry, began playing for the team in 1987. In the 1988-89 season, the Tigers set a school record by starting the game against Louisville with a 24–0 run.[2]
In the early 1990s, Anfernee Hardaway and David Vaughn began their careers at Memphis. Other notable Memphis players from the 90s include Cedric Henderson, Michael Wilson and Lorenzen Wright. The 1991–92 season marked a number of changes for the Tigers. The team left the Metro Conference to become part of the Great Midwest Conference in 1990 and left the Coliseum to make the Pyramid Arena its new home in 1991. On February 6, 1993, the school achieved its 1,000 all-time basketball victory. Memphis joined Conference USA in 1995, one year after the school adopted its current name of the University of Memphis. Finch stepped down as head coach in 1997 and Tic Price took over thereafter.[2]
John Calipari era
Calipari directing his players during an away game against Conference USA rival Houston in January 2007.
John Calipari was named Memphis' head coach in 2000. Under his leadership, the Tigers won the 2002 NIT championship then made the NCAA tournament in 2003 and 2004. The Tigers left The Pyramid to play home games in the FedExForum in 2004. The 2005–06 Tigers were led by Darius Washington, Shawne Williams and Rodney Carney and set a school record by going 30–3 during the regular season that was capped by a Conference USA championship. In the 2006 NCAA tournament, the Tigers received a number one seed, and they advanced to the Elite Eight before falling to eventual tournament runner-up UCLA.
Despite losing their top three scorers from the prior season to the NBA and graduation, the 2006–07 Tigers duplicated the previous year's regular season record of 30–3 and again won the Conference USA championship, going undefeated in conference play. The Tigers earned a number two seed in the 2007 NCAA tournament. The Tigers defeated 15 seed North Texas in the first round, 7 seed Nevada in the second round, 3 seed Texas A&M in the Sweet Sixteen, and lost to 1 seed and eventual tournament runner-up Ohio State in the Elite Eight.
The 2007–08 Memphis Tigers men's basketball team achieved a No. 1 ranking in the Associated Press basketball poll in January 2008, the school's first No. 1 ranking in the poll in twenty-five years, and went on to win their third straight Conference USA title on March 15, 2008. Led by First-Team All-American Chris Douglas-Roberts and future No. 1 overall lottery pick Derrick Rose, the team received a No. 1 seed in the 2008 NCAA tournament and defeated No. 16 seed Texas-Arlington in round one, No. 8 seed Mississippi State in round two, and No. 5 seed Michigan State in the Sweet Sixteen. Memphis convincingly defeated No. 2 seed Texas in the Elite Eight round to advance to the school's first Final Four since 1985. Following this win, Memphis went on to beat No. 1 seed UCLA on April 5, 2008, advancing to the National Championship game on April 7, 2008. With this win, Memphis became the first team in NCAA history to achieve 38 wins in a single season.[3] After holding a nine point lead with two minutes and twelve seconds left in regulation, the Tigers lost to Kansas in the National Championship in overtime by the final score of 75–68, becoming the second NCAA runner-up team in Memphis history. [4]
The 2008–09 Tigers again went undefeated in Conference USA and earned a two seed in the 2009 NCAA tournament. The Tigers were defeated by the #3-seed University of Missouri Tigers in the Sweet Sixteen. On March 31, 2009, Calipari resigned to become the head coach at the University of Kentucky. Former Assistant Coach Josh Pastner has now taken the role of Head Coach to replace Calipari.
On May 28, 2009, the NCAA formally accused former Tiger star Derrick Rose of knowingly allowing another person to take his SAT college entrance exam. The accusation was denied by Rose.[5]
On August 20, 2009, the NCAA Committee on Infractions announced that Memphis must vacate all 38 wins for the 2007-2008 season as well as their appearance in the NCAA tournament. They must also return all money earned as result of playing in the Final Four and were placed on probation for three years. The penalties result from an investigation that alleged that Derrick Rose, a Chicago native, had obtained a fraudulent SAT score by allowing another person to take the test for him in Detroit, Michigan and because his brother Reggie Rose was provided nearly $1,700 in free travel and lodging with the team.[6] Memphis appealed the penalty, but this appeal was rejected by the NCAA Committee on Infractions on March 22, 2010, forcing Memphis to take down its banner commemorating the season and adhere to all other penalties handed down. [7]
Josh Pastner era
On April 7, 2009, Josh Pastner was named the team's head coach. Pastner was hired as an assistant at Memphis in 2008 after serving as an assistant coach under Lute Olson at Arizona for six years. Pastner gained a reputation as a strong recruiter during his tenure at Arizona.[8] In his first year as coach at Memphis, Pastner recruited one of the top ranked recruiting classes in division one men's basketball for the class of 2010.[9] In 2011 Pastner led the Tigers back to the NCAA tournament for the first time in his coaching career. Pastner's staff includes veteran assistant coach Jack Murphy, former NBA player and Memphis Grizzlies assistant Damon Stoudamire, and Luke Walton[10] (Los Angeles Lakers) during the 2011 NBA Lockout[11].
Top 5 coaches (by winning percentage)
Top 5 coaches by winning percentage Coach Years Winning Pct. (Overall Record) Bob Vanatta 1956–1962 76.22% (109–34) John Calipari* 2000–2009 75.6% (214–69) Fred Grantham 1920–1921 75.0% (22–7–1) Dana Kirk 1979-1986 73.1% (158-58) Gene Bartow 1970-1974 72.2% (83–32) * 38 victories from 2007–2008 vacated by NCAA
Top 5 coaches (by victories)
Top 5 coaches by victories Coach Years Overall Record Larry Finch 1986–1997 220–130 John Calipari* 2000–2009 214–69 Zach Curlin 1924–1948 173–184 Dana Kirk 1979–1986 158–58 Bob Vanatta 1956–1962 109–34 * 38 victories from 2007-2008 vacated by NCAA [12]
Overall Coaches List
Overall Coaches List Tenure Coach Seasons Record Pct. 1920–1921 Fredrick Grantham 1 22–7–1 .750 1921–1922 W. H. Depriest 1 1–7 .125 1922–1924 Lester Barhard 2 10–13 .435 1924–1948 Zach Curlin 23 173–184 .485 1948–1951 McCoy Tarry 3 40–27 .597 1951–1956 Eugene Lambert 5 87–45 .659 1956–1962 Bob Vanatta 6 109–34 .762 1962–1966 Dean Ehlers 4 53–47 .530 1966–1970 Moe Iba 4 37–65 .363 1970–1974 Gene Bartow 4 83–32 .722 1974–1979 Wayne Yates 5 93–49 .655 1979–1986 Dana Kirk 7 158–58 .731 1986–1997 Larry Finch 11 220–130 .629 1997–1999 Tic Price 2 30–27 .526 1999–2000 Johnny Jones* 1 15–16 .484 2000–2009 John Calipari** 9 214–69 .756 2009–Present Josh Pastner 2 49-20 .710 Source: [13]
* Denotes interim coach
** 38 victories from 2007-2008 vacated by NCAA [14]All-Americans
All-Americans Year Player(s) Year Player(s) 1954 Forest Arnold 1982 Keith Lee, Otis Jackson 1955 Forest Arnold 1983 Keith Lee, Andre Turner, Bobby Parks 1956 Forest Arnold, Win Wilfong 1984 Keith Lee 1957 Win Wilfong 1985 Keith Lee 1958 Orby Arnold 1986 William Bedford, Andre Turner 1961 Wayne Yates 1987 Sylvester Gray 1962 Hunter Beckman 1988 Elliot Perry 1963 George Kirk 1989 Elliot Perry 1964 George Kirk 1990 Elliot Perry, Todd Mundt 1968 Mike Butler 1992 Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway, David Vaughn 1969 Rich Jones 1993 Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway 1971 James Douglas 1994 Cedric Henderson 1972 Larry Finch, Ronnie Robinson 1995 Lorenzen Wright 1973 Larry Finch, Ronnie Robinson, Larry Kenon 1996 Lorenzen Wright 1974 Bill Cook 2002 Dajuan Wagner 1975 Bill Cook, Marion Hillard 2004 Sean Banks, Antonio Burks 1976 Bill Cook, Marion Hillard 2005 Darius Washington Jr. 1977 James Bradley, Dexter Reed 2006 Darius Washington Jr., Rodney Carney, Shawne Williams 1978 James Bradley 2007 Chris Douglas-Roberts 1979 James Bradley 2008 Chris Douglas-Roberts, Derrick Rose Source: [15]
Retired jerseys
The University of Memphis has retired eight jerseys.
Retired basketball jerseys Number Player Years played 13 Forest Arnold 1952–56 22 Win Wilfong 1955–57 44 John Gunn 1974–76 21 Larry Finch 1970-73 33 Ronnie Robinson 1970–73 24 Keith Lee 1981–85 34 Elliot Perry 1987-91 25 Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway 1991-93 Source: [16]
Notes and references
- ^ a b c Tiger Basketball History :: The early years
- ^ a b c Tiger Basketball History II :: The last three decades
- ^ "Could this year's champ be 'greatest ever'?" MSNBC. April 2, 2008. Retrieved on April 5, 2008.
- ^ "Kansas vs. Memphis Box Score" ESPN 7 April 2008
- ^ http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/aug/20/memphis-tigers-found-guilty-ncaa-must-forfeit-2007/
- ^ http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4412279
- ^ http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=5018281
- ^ Memphis promotes assistant Pastner to coach, replacing Calipari, by Gary Parrish, CBSSports.com, April 6, 2009
- ^ http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=9&c=14&cfg=bb&yr=2010
- ^ http://www.gotigersgo.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/082211aaa.html
- ^ name="MemphisCoaches">"2009-10 Roster". University of Memphis. http://www.gotigersgo.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/mem-m-baskbl-mtt.html. Retrieved 19 November 2009.
- ^ NCAA may 'vacate' Memphis Tigers victories, by Dana O'Neil, ESPN
- ^ "PDF File - History Part 1, pg. 121". Memphis Tigers. http://gotigersgo.cstv.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/mem/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/08mediaguide-section8.
- ^ NCAA may 'vacate' Memphis Tigers victories, by Dana O'Neil, ESPN
- ^ "PDF File - History Part 1, pg.142-143". Memphis Tigers. http://gotigersgo.cstv.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/mem/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/08mediaguide-section8.
- ^ "Retired Jerseys". Memphis Tigers. http://gotigersgo.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/archive/101899aac.html. Retrieved 2008-04-04.
External links
- Official website
- Tigers basketball history
- Media guide
- MemphisTigers.org (Largest online community of fans of the Memphis Tigers
- MemphisRoar (Recruiting and all things University of Memphis athletics
Athletics Memphis Tigers • Men's Basketball • Women's Basketball • Football • Women's Volleyball • University of Memphis Stadium • List of Memphis athletes • FedEx Park Baseball Field, University of Memphis • Billy J. Murphy Athletic Complex • Larry O. Finch Center • Mike Rose Soccer Complex • University of Memphis Tennis Complex • Memphis Rifle Range • Elma Roane FieldhouseJournals Southern Journal of Philosophy • University of Memphis Law Review • Mental Health Law and Policy JournalLife The Daily Helmsman • Mighty Sound of the South • FedEx Forum • Art Museum at the University of Memphis • WUMR • TOM II • TOM III • Highland Hundred • University of Memphis Foundation • Fogelman Executive Conference Center
Memphis Tigers men's basketball seasons 1921 • 1922 • 1923 • 1924 • 1925 • 1926 • 1927 • 1928 • 1929 • 1930 • 1931 • 1932 • 1933 • 1934 • 1935 • 1936 • 1937 • 1938 • 1939 • 1940 • 1941 • 1942 • 1943 • 1945 • 1946 • 1947 • 1948 • 1949 • 1950 • 1951 • 1952 • 1953 • 1954 • 1955 • 1956 • 1957 • 1958 • 1959 • 1960 • 1961 • 1962 • 1963 • 1964 • 1965 • 1966 • 1967 • 1969 • 1970 • 1971 • 1972 • 1973 • 1974 • 1975 • 1976 • 1977 • 1978 • 1979 • 1980 • 1981 • 1982 • 1983 • 1984 • 1985 • 1986 • 1987 • 1988 • 1989 • 1990 • 1991 • 1992 • 1993 • 1994 • 1995 • 1996 • 1997 • 1998 • 1999 • 2000 • 2001 • 2002 • 2003 • 2004 • 2005 • 2006 • 2007 • 2008 • 2009 • 2010 • 2011 • 2012Memphis Tigers men's basketball head coaches Frederick Grantham (1920–1921) • W. H. DePriest (1921–1922) • Lester Barnard (1922–1924) • Zach Curlin (1924–1943) • No team (1943–1944) • Zach Curlin (1944–1948) • McCoy Tarry (1948–1951) • Eugene Lambert (1951–1956) • Bob Vanatta (1956–1962) • Dean Ehlers (1962–1966) • Moe Iba (1966–1970) • Gene Bartow (1970–1974) • Wayne Yates (1974–1979) • Dana Kirk (1979–1986) • Larry Finch (1986–1997) • Tic Price (1997–1999) • Johnny Jones # (1999–2000) • John Calipari (2000–2009) • Josh Pastner (2009– )
Pound sign (#) denotes interim head coach.Conference USA men's basketball Teams East Carolina Pirates • Houston Cougars • Marshall Thundering Herd • Memphis Tigers • Rice Owls • Southern Miss Golden Eagles • SMU Mustangs • Tulane Green Wave • Tulsa Golden Hurricane • UAB Blazers • UCF Knights • UTEP Miners
Championships & awards Categories:- Memphis Tigers men's basketball
- Sports clubs established in 1920
- University of Memphis
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