Feb. 5, 2010

Complete Release in PDF Format

Tigers On TV/Radio/Web
Television: ESPN2/Comcast channel 25 or digital channel 24 (Terry Gannon, play-by-play; Stephen Bardo, color analyst) Radio: WREC 600 AM (Dave Woloshin, play-by-play; Matt Dillon, color analyst; Forrest Goodman, studio host) Web: ESPNM360.com

TIGERS HOST NATIONALLY-RANKED GONZAGA ON SATURDAY AT FEDEXFORUM
The University of Memphis squad (16-6, 6-2 C-USA) steps outside Conference USA play for a final time in the regular season on Saturday, Feb. 6 to host No. 17/13 Gonzaga (18-4, 7-1 WCC) at FedExForum. The game, to be aired on ESPN2, is slated for a 3 p.m. (CT) start.

After having their 64-game Conference USA win streak snapped Jan. 20 with a 72-67 loss to UTEP, the Tigers bounced back with victories in three of their next four games. Memphis posted wins over Houston 92-77 Jan. 23, Marshall 75-72 Jan. 27 and UAB 85-75 Feb. 3. The Tigers' lone setback in the four-game stretch was a 70-60 loss at SMU Jan. 30. Prior to the Jan. 20 UTEP loss, Memphis opened Conference USA play with three-straight league victories over Southern Miss 59-57, East Carolina 77-57 and Rice 80-68.

Memphis entered league play with a 10-4 non-conference record. The Tigers' four non-league losses were to then-No. 1/1 Kansas 57-55 in St. Louis, UMass 73-72 in Boston, then-No. 14/14 Tennessee 66-59 at FedExForum and then-No. 7/7 Syracuse 74-57 at the Carrier Dome.

Memphis, picked to finish between second and fourth in Conference USA in most preseason polls, returns only one starter and six letterwinners from last year's squad that won 33 games (33-4 record) and advanced to the NCAA Tournament West Region semifinal (Sweet Sixteen). En route to the Sweet Sixteen, the Tigers swept the Conference USA regular season and tournament crowns.

Gonzaga, ranked in the top 20 of both national polls, enter Saturday's non-conference encounter having won 10 of its last 11. In that stretch of games, the Bulldogs started 7-1 in West Coast Conference play in addition to solid non-league victories over Oklahoma and Illinois. Gonzaga also posted non-conference wins over Colorado, Wisconsin and Cincinnati en route to winning the Maui Invitational title.

SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
Gonzaga brings an 18-4 overall record and a 7-1 West Coast Conference mark into Saturday's non-conference match-up. The Bulldogs, ranked in the top 20 of both national polls, have won 10 of its last 11. In that stretch of games, Gonzaga started 7-1 in West Coast Conference play in addition to solid non-league victories over Oklahoma and Illinois. The Bulldogs also posted non-conference wins over Colorado, Wisconsin and Cincinnati en route to winning the Maui Invitational title.

Matt Bouldin leads a quartet of double figure scorers for the Bulldogs with a 16.6 average. Elias Harris (16.0 ppg), Steven Gray (13.5 ppg) and Robert Sacre (10.0 ppg) also average double digits in the scoring column for Gonzaga. Harris leads the Bulldogs on the glass with an 8.4 rebounding average, while Sacre is second on the squad at 5.1 rpg. Bouldin is tops on the team with 88 assists (4.2 apg). Bouldin (39.4 percent) and Gray (32 percent) take more attempts from the arc, but Harris is the squad's most accurate shooter from the three-point line at 43.3 percent.

Gonzaga is shooting 49.4 percent from the floor, 35.8 percent from the arc and 66 percent from the free throw line. The Bulldogs are out-rebounding their foes by an average margin of +5.9 boards per game (39.1-33.2).

TIGERS, DON'T BE FOOLED
Yes, Gonzaga played a night game Thursday that finished up around 10 p.m. (Pacific Time), and then hopped a plane to Memphis on Friday, giving them only a day of preparation of Saturday's contest. However, Tiger Nation should beware if it thinks the Bulldogs will be a little weary.

Earlier this year, Gonzaga had the same schedule and won both games. The Bulldogs hosted Oklahoma in a night game (7 p.m. PT) on Dec. 31 in Spokane and defeated the Sooners 83-69. Gonzaga then flew to Chicago, Ill., to play Illinois in the United Center in a 12 p.m. CT contest on Jan. 2. The Bulldogs jumped out to a 32-11 lead in the first 10 minutes of the game and held on for an 85-83 overtime victory over the Fighting Illini.

TIGER, BULLDOG STAFFS TO EXTEND COACHES VS. CANCER RECOGNITION
It was Coaches vs. Cancer weekend in college hoops Jan. 29-31, and the Memphis basketball staff did their part by wearing sneakers on the sidelines. The Gonzaga staff participated as well.

This Saturday, both staffs plan to bring continued awareness to the fight against cancer by wearing polo shirts and sneakers. Gonzaga head coach Mark Few is one of the national leaders in the Coaches vs. Cancer movement, and asked Memphis head coach Josh Pastner and his staff to join in this Saturday's recognition.

MEETING OF NCAA WINNINGEST PROGRAMS SINCE 2000-01 ON SATURDAY
Saturday's match-up pits two of the winningest programs since the 2000-01 campaign. On the list of winningest NCAA Division programs since 2000-01, Memphis is third with 283 wins and Gonzaga is fourth with 280 victories (see box on page 6).

Both schools are also in the top 10 for most victories since the 2005-06 season. Memphis tops that list with 153 victories, while Gonzaga is ninth with 123 wins.

SATURDAY'S SWEET 16 MATCH-UP
Saturday's game between Memphis and Gonzaga features two squads that played in the 2009 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. The Tigers advanced to the NCAA Tournament West Regional in Glendale, Ariz., where they fell to Missouri 102-91. The Bulldogs moved on to the NCAA Tournament South Region in Memphis, where they dropped a 98-77 decision to eventual NCAA champion North Carolina.

PASTNER VERSUS FEW
Of course, Saturday is the first time that Josh Pastner and Mark Few are matching wits as head coaches of their respective teams. But, Pastner and Few have been foes in previous games.

Pastner was on the other bench at Arizona when the Wildcats faced Few's Bulldogs in 2000-01 and 2002-03. Arizona won both meetings (2-0 record). The Wildcats defeated Gonzaga 101-87 in the 2000-01 regular season (Pastner was an undergraduate assistant coach). The next meeting came in the 2003 NCAA Tournament, and that Arizona 96-95 double overtime win became a classic in NCAA Tournament lore (Pastner was a full-time assistant).

FEW TAKING ON THE YOUNG GUNS
For the second time this season, Gonzaga head coach Mark Few is facing one of NCAA Division I youngest head coaches on Saturday. Memphis head coach Josh Pastner is the fourth-youngest head coach in NCAA Division I.

Earlier this year, Few and his Bulldogs squared off against IPFW and won 90-55 on Nov. 20. Dane Fife is IPFW's head coach, and he is the second-youngest head coach in NCAA Division I.

FEDEXFORUM: GONZAGA'S HOME AWAY FROM HOME?
Well, Tiger Nation wants to welcome Gonzaga to the Bluff City with some Southern hospitality. Memphis doesn't want the Bulldogs to be too comfortable in FedExForum, but Gonzaga will find the surroundings familiar on Saturday.

For the third-straight season, the Bulldogs play a game at FedExForum on Saturday. In 2007-08, Gonzaga played Memphis in a regular season contest at FedExForum, and the Tigers posted a narrow 81-73 victory. Then, in 2008-09, the Bulldogs made a trip to FedExForum for the 2009 NCAA Tournament South Regional. Gonzaga fell to eventual national champion North Carolina 98-77 in the Sweet 16.

MEMPHIS VS. THE WCC
The Tigers have an all-time record of 13-7 (.650 winning percentage) versus West Coast Conference (WCC) schools. Memphis has played Gonzaga (4-1), Pepperdine (6-1), Portland (0-3), San Francisco (2-0), St. Mary's (1-0) and Santa Clara (0-2). The Tigers have never met Loyola-Marymount and San Diego.

The last time Memphis played a West Coast Conference school was last season (2008-09). The Tigers defeated Gonzaga 68-50 on Feb. 7, 2009, in Spokane, Wash.

COMMON THREADS FOR TIGERS, BULLDOGS
Despite the over 2,000 miles between the two schools, Memphis and Gonzaga share a couple of things in common with their respective basketball programs, and the following details that:

• The Tigers and Bulldogs are two of only four programs in NCAA Division I history to have won at least four-straight outright league regular season and tournament titles in the same season. Memphis made it four-straight sweeps of the Conference USA regular season and tournament crowns from 2006-09, while Gonzaga turned the same trick in the West Coast Conference from 2004-07. The other two schools to accomplish the feat were N.C. State (1947-51) and UMass (1992-96).
• Memphis and Gonzaga were the only NCAA Division I schools to finish with an undefeated record in their respective leagues in 2008-09. The Tigers went 16-0 in Conference USA, while the Bulldogs were 14-0 in the West Coast Conference.
• Both Memphis and Gonzaga had their conference win streaks come to a halt in 2009-10. The Tigers had their 64-game overall and 52-game regular season league win streaks ended with a Jan. 20 setback to UTEP. Both streaks are NCAA records. On Jan. 30, the Bulldogs saw their 27-game West Coast Conference win streak end with a loss at San Francisco.

NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS
Memphis has had a long history of success in non-league games, and that has continued in recent years. Since 1999-2000, the Tigers have a non-conference record (including postseason) of 145-49 for a 76.8 winning percentage. In 2008-09, Memphis had a 17-4 record against non-conference opponents (including postseason).

FEBRUARY FRIENDLY FOR TIGERS
While the Tigers have enjoyed success in the month of January (72-17; .810 winning percentage) since 1999-2000, February hasn't been too bad either over that same period of time. Since 1999-2000, Memphis has a 59-16 record (.787 winning percentage) in February.

Last year, the Tigers posted an 8-0 record in February. Memphis has won 30 of its last 31 games (.968 winning percentage) in the month of February, with the lone setback a narrow 66-62 loss to No. 2/2 Tennessee on Feb. 23, 2008.

TIGER SUCCESS AT FEDEXFORUM
After a rough first year at their new home in 2004-05, the Tigers have bounced back quite nicely and made FedExForum one of the toughest arenas for opponents to play in. The Tigers have a 105-12 overall record (.897 winning percentage) at FedExForum.

Since the 2005 Conference USA Tournament, Memphis has won 95 of its last 101 home games (.941 winning percentage). Furthermore, the 2009-10 seniors -- Pierre Henderson-Niles, Willie Kemp and Doneal Mack -- are 70-4 (.946 winning percentage) at home in FedExForum.

The 2009-10 seniors' only four losses at home were to Tennessee (66-62) in the 2007-08 season, Syracuse (72-65) in the 2008-09 season and Tennessee (66-59) and UTEP (72-67) in the 2009-10 season.

SCORE, SCORE AND SCORE MORE
Points may be easy to come by on Saturday, as Memphis and Gonzaga average over 75 points per game. The Tigers are fourth in Conference USA in scoring offense at 75.9 ppg. On the other side, the Bulldogs are second in the West Coast Conference at 78.9 ppg.

For Memphis, the scoring offense picked up in recent games. The Tigers averaged 78.0 ppg in their last four games (3-1 record).

A TIGER ADVANTAGE ON SATURDAY
It will be if Memphis can continue to force its foes to turn the ball over. The Tigers are second in Conference USA in turnover margin at +5.7 (11.6-17.4). Memphis is also ranked among the top 10 in the nation in turnover margin.

For Gonzaga, it is sixth in the West Coast Conference in turnover margin at -0.2 (13.8-13.6).

The Tigers are doing most of their turnover damage with steals. Memphis is second in C-USA and ranked among nation's top 20 in steals per game at 9.5. The Bulldogs are third in the West Coast Conference with 7.0 steals per game.

TIGERS TURNING 1,400
With the opening of the 2009-10 season, the countdown is on for Memphis. The Tiger basketball program entered the 2009-10 year with 1,383 all-time victories and needed 17 to reach the 1,400-win plateau. After the Feb. 3 victory over UAB, the Tigers now have 1,399 wins.

If successful, Memphis, the winningest program in Conference USA, would be the first school in the league to reach 1,400 victories.

In the 2006-07 season, the Memphis program won its 1,300th game when the Tigers posted a thrilling 78-77 overtime win over Gonzaga in Spokane, Wash. (Feb. 17, 2007).

`SPOON ON A ROLL; SCORES CAREER-HIGH 29 POINTS VERSUS UAB
It was just a matter of time, and now that time has come. Tiger Nation has been waiting for Wesley Witherspoon to become a factor, and he has done so in recent games for Memphis.

In the last 14 contests, Witherspoon averaged 13.1 points and 4.4 rebounds. The 6-foot-9 forward shot 45.5 percent from the field, 45.5 percent from the arc and 82.8 percent from the free throw line in those 14 outings.

The Atlanta, Ga., native scored double figures in 10 of the 14 games, including a career-high 29 points versus UAB Feb. 3. Witherspoon also scored 22 points versus East Carolina and 20 points against Houston.

He blocked a career-best four shots versus Tennessee Dec. 31 and tied that mark with four swats versus Rice Jan. 16.

GET THAT SHOT OUTTA HERE!!!
Wow, that's the Will Coleman Tiger fans have been waiting to see all season. The 6-foot-9 forward blocked a career-high seven shots in the Memphis 85-75 win over UAB Feb. 3. The seven blocked shots are tied for the third-most in a single game in Memphis basketball history.

Of his seven swats, four came at key moments for the Tigers. With Memphis holding on to a 61-60, Coleman blocked two UAB layup attempts with just over six minutes left to keep the Tigers in the lead. Then, with under two minutes left, the Columbus, Ga., native blocked a Blazer dunk and another layup with Memphis holding a 73-69 lead.

For more notes on the Memphis-Gonzaga game, click on the pdf link at the top of the page.