Feb. 20, 2009
Complete Release in PDF Format 
TIGERS TO TRAVEL TO EL PASO FOR SATURDAY C-USA MATCH-UP VERSUS UTEP
The University of Memphis squad (23-3, 11-0 C-USA), ranked No. 5 in the Associated Press poll and No. 6 in ESPN/USA Today poll, takes to the road this weekend for a Saturday, Feb. 21 encounter versus UTEP (16-9, 7-4 C-USA). The Conference USA contest, to be televised by ESPN, is scheduled for a 3 p.m. (CT) start.
Saturday's meeting is the only one between the two C-USA schools during the regular season.
Memphis enters Wednesday's encounter on a 17-game win streak, which is currently the longest in the nation. The win streak began on Dec. 22 with an 87-49 victory over Drexel. The streak also includes wins over Cincinnati 60-45, Northeastern 80-48, Lamar 108-75, Marshall 80-57, UCF 73-66, Tulsa 55-54, UAB 81-68, Rice 80-52, Tennessee 54-52, East Carolina 85-64, Houston 83-68, SMU (away) 79-66, No. 18/18 Gonzaga 68-50, Tulsa 63-37, Southern Miss 72-47 and SMU (home) 90-47.
UTEP is on a winning streak of its own entering Saturday's showdown. The Miners have won three straight with victories over UCF 73-68, Marshall 74-67 and Rice 67-58. UTEP's last setback was a Feb. 7 loss at Tulsa 76-65. The Miners also have solid non-conference wins over Saint Mary's, Texas Tech and New Mexico.
SCOUTING THE MINERS
UTEP brings a 16-9 overall record and a 7-4 Conference USA mark into Saturday's game. The Miners are on a winning streak of their own entering the contest, having won three straight with victories over UCF 73-68, Marshall 74-67 and Rice 67-58. UTEP's last setback was a Feb. 7 loss at Tulsa 76-65. The Miners also have solid non-conference wins over Saint Mary's, Texas Tech and New Mexico.
The tandem of Stefon Jackson and Randy Culpepper paces the UTEP offense. Jackson, who became Conference USA's all-time leading scorer earlier this season, leads the Miners with a 23.1 scoring average (second in C-USA). Culpepper, the 2007-08 C-USA Sixth Man of the Year, is second on the team in scoring at 18.3 ppg (fourth in C-USA). Arnett Moultrie leads UTEP on the glass with a 7.6 rebounding average, while Julyan Stone is tops on the squad with 157 assists (6.3 apg; second in C-USA). Culpepper has a team-high 43 steals.
The Miners are shooting 42.3 percent from the floor, 31.8 percent from the arc and 72.9 percent from the free throw line. UTEP is out-rebounding its opponents by an average margin of +2.1 boards per game (38.0-35.9).
TIGERS MAKE JUMP TO TOP FIVE IN AP POLL
For the first time in the 2008-09 campaign, Memphis finds itself ranked in the top five of the Associated Press (AP) poll. The Tigers moved into the No. 5 spot in the Feb. 16 AP poll.
In the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll, Memphis is one spot behind its AP ranking at No. 6.
TIGERS TIE SCHOOL RECORD
When Memphis jumped into the No. 5 position in this week's Associated Press (AP) poll, it marked the fourth-consecutive year the Tigers climbed into the nation's top five. Memphis also reached the top five in the AP poll in the 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 campaigns.
The only other time Memphis reached the top five in the AP poll four-straight years was from 1983-86. The following compares the two, four-year stretches of top-five AP poll rankings:
Season Highest Rk Season Highest Rk
2008-09 5 1985-86 2
2007-08# 1* 1984-85# 3
2006-07 5 1983-84 4
2005-06 3 1982-83 1^
* remained No. 1 for five weeks (school record)
^ remained No. 1 for one week
# teams reached the NCAA Final Four
CALIPARI'S TEAMS TOUGH AT THE TOP
When teams are ranked in the top five, they become huge targets for all opponents they play. That has been true for John Calipari-coached teams at both UMass and Memphis.
But, while some top-ranked teams fall easily, Calipari squads have done quite well, and in turn, have had staying power near the top of the polls. Calipari's UMass and Memphis teams have an impressive combined record of 126-12 when ranked in the top five of the national polls (.913 winning percentage).
At Memphis, Calipari's teams are 71-6 (.922 winning percentage) when ranked in the top five. During his time at UMass, the Minutemen went 55-6 (.902 winning percentage) when ranked in the top five. The following shows Calipari's record when ranked at or near the top:
Memphis UMass
No. 1 9-1 31-4
No. 2 23-1 6-0
No. 3 14-1 4-0
No. 4 12-2 4-0
No. 5 13-1 10-2
Totals 71-6 55-6
A C-USA SUMMER CHINA TRIP REUNION
Saturday's game offers a reunion of Conference USA All-Stars that traveled to China in early June of 2008 for a three-game exhibition tour. The C-USA All-Star squad played the Chinese National Team on the three-game tour.
John Calipari served as the squad's head coach, and UTEP head coach Tony Barbee served as an assistant on the staff. Seven Memphis Tigers made the trip, led by seniors Robert Dozier and Antonio Anderson and juniors Pierre Henderson-Niles, Willie Kemp and Shawn Taggart. UTEP's Claude Britten and Julyan Stone represented the Miners on the trip.
CALIPARI VERSUS FORMER ASSISTANTS
John Calipari doesn't like to play former assistants, but one couldn't tell that from the Tigers' schedule in 2008-09. Saturday's game against UTEP is the fifth and final regular season game in which Calipari will match wits versus a former assistant this campaign -- this time, Tony Barbee.
Calipari already faced Derek Kellogg (UMass), Chuck Martin (Marist), Bruiser Flint (Drexel) and Steve Roccaforte (Lamar) this year.
Prior to the 2008-09 season, Calipari had coached against Roccaforte in 2006-07 and Barbee in 2006-07 and 2007-08.
MEMPHIS' CONNECTION TO UTEP'S 1966 NCAA TITLE TEAM
In 2005-06, the Miners celebrated the 40th anniversary of the school's 1966 NCAA title, along with the release of the movie "Glory Road" that chronicled the team's season. And, Memphis has a tie to that squad.
Former Tiger head coach Moe Iba served as an assistant coach on Don Haskins' staff in that NCAA championship year. Following that season, Iba took over the Memphis program, and his first year at the helm was the 1966-67 campaign. Iba coached four years (1967-70) and had a 37-65 overall record.
2008-09 TIGER SENIORS SET SCHOOL'S WINS RECORD FEB. 18
The Tigers set the NCAA record for wins in a three-year period (2005-06 through 2007-08) with 104 victories, and as a result of that success, it put the 2008-09 Memphis seniors in a position to set the school's all-time wins record. Now, the Tiger senior trio of Antonio Anderson, Robert Dozier and Chance McGrady has set the school record for most wins by a four-year class with Memphis' victory over SMU Feb. 18.
With its 23 victories so far in 2008-09, the senior class has 127 career wins, which broke the previous school record of 126 wins set by the 2007-08 class (Joey Dorsey).
The following shows the top-five winningest four-year classes in Tiger history:
Class Wins
2005-06 to present 127
2004-05 to 2007-08 126
1983-84 to 1986-87 111
2002-03; 2004-05 to 2006-07 111
1982-83 to 1985-86 108
2008-09 TIGER SENIORS ALSO CLIMBING NCAA WINS LIST
While the 2008-09 Tiger senior class (Antonio Anderson, Robert Dozier, Chance McGrady) already has the school's wins record, it is continuing to make its mark on the NCAA Division I chart for most victories in a four-year span. The record is 133 wins by Duke from 1998-2001.
The 2008-09 Tiger senior class is tied for the seventh spot on that NCAA Division I wins list with 127 victories. The 2007-08 Memphis senior class is tied for 11th on that list with 126 wins. The following is the top-10 list of the most wins in a four-year span in NCAA Division I history:
Team Year Wins
1. Duke 1998-2001 133
2. Duke 1999-2002 132
t. Kentucky 1995-98 132
t. Kentucky 1996-99 132
5. Kentucky 1946-49 130
6. UNLV 1987-90 129
7. Memphis 2006-present 127
t. Kentucky 1947-50 127
t. UNLV 1984-87 127
t. UNLV 1986-89 127
GET YOUR TRACK SHOES ON
If fans like scoring, then they will love Saturday's Memphis-UTEP game. The Tigers are second in Conference USA in scoring offense at 76.4 ppg, while the Miners are third at 76.2 ppg.
The game also features three of C-USA's top 10 scorers. UTEP's Stefon Jackson is second in the league in scoring at 23.1 ppg, and his teammate, Randy Culpepper, is fourth at 18.3 ppg. The Tigers' Tyreke Evans is seventh in the league in scoring at 16.8 ppg.
THREES MAY BE HARD TO COME BY
Treys may be tough to get in Saturday's Memphis-UTEP encounter, as both squads shoot a low percentage from the arc and both defend the arc well. The following shows how hard it may be for threes to fall on Saturday (C-USA rank follows stat):
Memphis Stat UTEP
32.9/9th 3-pt. FG Pct. 31.8/11th
31.1/2nd 3-pt. FG Pct. Def. 31.4/3rd
6.38/5th 3-pt. FG Made/Gm 5.36/10th
BATTLE OF FLOOR GENERALS
Although neither Memphis' Antonio Anderson or UTEP's Julyan Stone are true point guards, both play solid floor games and are among Conference USA leaders in assists and assist-to-turnover ratio.
Stone is second in assists in C-USA at 6.3 apg and third in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.75. Anderson is sixth in assists at 4.3 apg and seventh in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.02.
WHICH DEFENSE IS BETTER?
It's something fans everywhere do -- compare teams from year to year. And it's no different for Tiger Nation, especially when asked about the defense of the 2007-08 and 2008-09 squads. Well, here's the comparison:
2007-08 Stat 2008-09
(Through 26 Games)
12 Opponents Held Under 60 Pts 13
61.2 Scoring Defense 59.0
37.5 FG Pct. Defense 37.3
30.0 3-pt. FG Defense 31.1
+7.8 Rebound Margin +4.9
6.5 Blocks/Game 6.4
8.6 Steals/Game 9.5
WE'RE TALKING DEFENSE
The Tigers have been tough on the defensive end of the floor since Dec. 22 which has fueled their 17-game win streak. But, Memphis turned up its defensive intensity a notch in the last four games, and the following details that:
Opp FG Pct. 3P Pct. Reb Blk Stl
SMU 30.9 37.5 +1 10 11
USM 37.5 16.7 +9 4 4
Tulsa 35.9 22.2 -3 6 16
Gonzaga 36.7 26.7 +14 5 7
Pct./Avg. 35.1 28.3 +5.3 6.3 9.5
* also TO margin +8.0 (10.3-18.3)
** opponent scoring avg. 45.2
STREAKING TIGERS
Don't look now, but Memphis has quietly put together a 17-game win streak. The streak is the longest in the nation, and the following shows the top-five current win streaks in NCAA Division I:
Top-Five NCAA Division I Win Streaks
(Through Feb. 20)
Team Streak Next Game
1. Memphis 17 UTEP/Feb. 21
2. Oklahoma 13 Texas/Feb. 21
3. Tenn.-Martin 11 Mo. State/Feb. 21
4. The Citadel 10 Furman/Feb. 26
North Carolina 10 Maryland/Feb. 21
HERE WE GO AGAIN/PART I
For a third-consecutive year, Memphis has the longest win streak in the nation. The Tigers' current win streak is 17 straight entering Saturday's game at UTEP. Memphis' streak is the second-longest for the 2008-09 season, as Utah State's streak reached 19 games before its Feb. 14 loss.
The previous two years, the Tigers posted the longest win streak for each season. Memphis won 25 straight in 2006-07 and 26 straight in 2007-08.
HERE WE GO AGAIN/PART II
For the third-straight year, Memphis is vying to go unbeaten in conference play. The Tigers enter Saturday's game with an 11-0 Conference USA mark, and is one of three schools in NCAA Division I with an undefeated mark in league play to date.
In 2006-07, Memphis and Winthrop were the only two teams in the nation to finish unbeaten in their respective leagues. Last year (2007-08), the Tigers and Davidson were the only two schools in the country to go undefeated in conference play.
The following shows the current unbeaten teams in league play (through Feb. 20):
Team Conf. Record Next Conf. Game
Oklahoma 11-0 (Big 12) Texas/Feb. 21
Memphis 11-0 (C-USA) UTEP/Feb. 21
Gonzaga 11-0 (WCC) Pepperdine/Feb. 21
"TAG" TEARING UP THE GLASS
Whatever has inspired Shawn Taggart of late, Tiger Nation hopes it continues the remainder of the regular season and into postseason play. In the four recent Memphis victories over No. 18/18 Gonzaga, Tulsa, Southern Miss and SMU, the 6-foot-10 forward averaged 7.5 boards per game.
Taggart pulled down 11 rebounds versus Southern Miss Feb. 14, and outplayed Tulsa's Jerome Jordan on the glass Feb. 11, winning the board battle 8-3. Taggart also played outstanding defense on Jordan, holding the Tulsa center to eight points and forcing him to turn the ball over six times.
Taggart also shot the ball well from the charity stripe in those four games. The Richmond, Va., native was 20-of-22 from the foul line (90.9 percent). In the victory over SMU Feb. 18, Taggart netted 19 points on 5-of-7 field goals and 9-of-10 free throws.
SPOOOOOOON MAKES HIS RETURN!!!
Freshman Wesley Witherspoon underwent surgery on Jan. 26 to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. The surgery, performed by Dr. Barry Phillips of the Campbell Clinic, was a success.
After missing court time the previous six games (Jan. 28-Feb. 14), the Atlanta, Ga., native returned to play in the Tigers' win over SMU Feb. 18. In 18 minutes of action against the Mustangs, Witherspoon scored six points and added one rebound, one assist, one block and one steal.
Witherspoon returned to practice Feb. 16. Prior to the surgery, Witherspoon played in 19 games and averaged 5.1 points and 2.4 rebounds.
COUNTDOWN TO A SECOND 500
Everyone knows Antonio Anderson's game is an all-around one, and the stats prove it. Earlier this season, the senior became the 45th member of the Tiger 1,000-point club in a win over Northeastern (Dec. 31, 2008).
Against UAB on Jan. 17, the 6-foot-6 guard grabbed his 500th rebound and now has 550 career boards. Up next for Anderson is to reach the 500-assists mark.
The Lynn, Mass., native has 483 career assists (seventh on career assists list), and on his pace of 4.3 dishes per game this year, he would reach the mark. If he is successful in reaching 500 assists, Anderson would become the only player in Memphis history to have 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists in a career.
Even more proof of his all-around game is that he has 200 career steals (fifth on career steals list).
For more notes on the Memphis-UTEP game, please click on the pdf link at the top of the page.
