March 10, 2009

ST. LOUIS, Mo. - University of Memphis head coach John Calipari has been named the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) District 4 Coach of the Year, the organization released Tuesday. It is the second time in the last three years Calipari received the district honor. He also earned the accolade in 2007.

Tiger freshman Tyreke Evans was selected to the USBWA All-District 4 Team. It is the fifth-straight year that a Memphis player earned all-district honors. Evans is the seventh player in the Calipari era to received USBWA All-District 4 honors. Dajuan Wagner (2002), Chris Massie (2003), Darius Washington Jr. (2005), Rodney Carney (2006), Chris Douglas-Roberts (2007, 2008) and Derrick Rose (2008) also were named USBWA All-District 4 in their respective years.

Calipari and Evans are finalists for the USBWA National Coach (Henry Iba Award) and Player (Oscar Robertson Trophy) of the Year honors, respectively.

Calipari has guided the Tigers to a 28-3 overall record and 16-0 mark in C-USA play. It is the third-straight perfect league season for Memphis under Calipari. Memphis, ranked No. 4 in the Associated Press poll and No. 3 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll, jumped into the top five in both national polls in mid-February, marking the fourth-straight season the Tigers achieved a top-five national ranking.

Calipari also directed the Tigers to a fourth-straight C-USA regular season title in 2008-09. It is the first time in the program's history that Memphis has claimed four-consecutive regular season crowns.

Earlier this season, Calipari became Memphis' all-time winningest coach, moving past Tiger legend Larry Finch. Calipari now has a record of 247-68 in his ninth season at Memphis. With the Tigers' fifth win in 2008-09, Calipari jumped into the No. 2 spot for most victories by a head coach in his first 17 years at the Division I level. Only Roy Williams has more wins by a head coach at the NCAA Division I level in the first 17 years than Calipari.

Last year, Calipari was named the Naismith National Coach of the Year for the second time in his career. Calipari and Duke's Mike Krzyzewski are the only two-time recipients of the Naismith National Coach of the Year honor.

Evans leads the Tigers in scoring (16.9 ppg) and steals (65). He is averaging 5.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists, while shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 69.6 percent from the free throw line. The eight-time Conference USA Rookie of the Week is ranked among the league leaders in scoring (7th), rebounding (12th), field goal percentage (10th), assists (9th) and steals (2nd).

The Chester, Pa., native is ranked third on the Memphis all-time freshmen steals list with 65 swipes. He is also closing in on the top five on the Tiger all-time freshman scoring chart.

Joining Evans on the USBWA All-District 4 Team were Florida's Nick Calathes, Florida State's Toney Douglas, Tennessee-Martin's Lester Hudson, Miami's Jack McClinton, Kentucky's Jodie Meeks, Tennessee's Tyler Smith, UCF's Jermaine Taylor, Mississippi State's Jarvis Varnado and Louisville's Terrence Williams.

Meeks was named the USBWA District 4 Player of the Year.

Memphis (28-3, 16-0 C-USA) returns to action in the quarterfinal round of the Conference USA Tournament on Thursday, Mar. 12. The Tigers will meet the East Carolina-Tulane first round winner in the 6 p.m. (CT) quarterfinal game on Thursday.