Nov. 26, 2007
Complete Release in PDF Format 
TIGERS TO HOST AUSTIN PEAY TUESDAY AT FEDEXFORUM
The University of Memphis squad (5-0, 0-0 C-USA), ranked No. 3 in the Associated Press poll and No. 3 in ESPN/USA Today poll, returns to the court after a week away from game action to host Austin Peay (2-3, 0-0 OVC) at FedExForum on Tuesday, Nov. 27. The game, to be televised locally by WLMT/CW30, is slated for a 7:00 p.m. start.
Memphis, the 2007-08 preseason pick to win Conference USA, posted an 84-63 victory over Arkansas State Nov. 20 in its last contest before the Thanksgiving break. Prior to that win, the Tigers claimed the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic title with victories over Tennessee-Martin 102-71, Richmond 80-63, Oklahoma 63-53 and Connecticut 81-70.
Austin Peay brings a 2-3 mark into Tuesday's encounter. The Governors, who are playing their fifth game away from Clarksville Tuesday in Memphis, have wins over Belmont 71-56 and Florida Gulf Coast 67-57.
SCOUTING THE GOVERNORS
Austin Peay enters Tuesday's meeting with a 2-3 record. The Governors, who are playing their fifth game away from Clarksville Tuesday in Memphis, have wins over Belmont 71-56 and Florida Gulf Coast 67-57. Austin Peay's setbacks have come to Vanderbilt, Utah State and Valparaiso. The Governors, who won the 2006-07 Ohio Valley Conference regular season title, were the preseason pick to win the regular season crown again in 2007-08.
The trio of Fernandez Lockett (14.4 ppg), Wes Channels (14.0 ppg) and Drake Reed (13.8 ppg) lead the Governor offense. Lockett and Reed are the squad's top rebounders as each average 7.0 boards per game. Kyle Duncan is Austin Peay's top three-point threat, hitting 57.1 percent from the arc.
The Governors are shooting 40.4 percent from the floor, 28.7 percent from the arc and 69 percent from the free throw line. Opponents are out-rebounding Austin Peay by an average of 5.2 boards per contest (27.6-32.8). The Governors' foes are shooting the ball well, hitting 51.1 percent from the field and 41.8 percent from the three-point line.
CALIPARI IN EIGHTH YEAR AT HELM OF TIGER PROGRAM
John Calipari (Clarion State, 1982) is in his eighth season at the helm of the Memphis Tiger basketball program. He has a 186-63 record (.747 winning percentage) at Memphis.
The 2007-08 season is his 16th as a collegiate head coach. The Moon, Pa., native has an overall collegiate coaching record of 379-134 (.739 winning percentage). While at Memphis, Calipari has led the Tigers to seven-straight 20-win seasons and seven-consecutive postseason berths.
CALIPARI TO HIT A MEMPHIS MILESTONE TUESDAY
When the Tigers and Governors tip off Tuesday, head coach John Calipari will hit a milestone for his tenure at Memphis. Tuesday's game is the 250th for Calipari as the Tiger head coach.
Calipari is only the third coach in Memphis history to coach 250 or more games in the Bluff City. Zach Curlin (1924-48) coached 357 games at Memphis, and Larry Finch (1986-97) guided the Tigers for 350 contests.
MEMPHIS REPRESENTIN'
The city of Memphis will be well represented in Tuesday's game. The Tigers feature two players from the city in senior Andre Allen and sophomore Pierre Niles. The Governors have three players -- Caleb Brown, Ernest Fields and Wes Channels-- that calls the Bluff City home.
A HOMECOMING FOR LOOS
Head coach Dave Loos, a 1969 University of Memphis graduate, returns to the place where he began his coaching career. Loos served as a graduate assistant for the Tigers in 1970, and later came back as a full-time assistant from 1986-90. He is in his 18th season as head coach at Austin Peay and has a 273-240 record at the school.
A RIDGEWAY STATE TITLE REUNION
Tuesday's Memphis-Austin Peay contest will reunite three members of Ridgeway High School's 2005 Tennessee Class AAA state championship team. The Tigers' Pierre Niles and the Governors' Wes Channels and Ernest Fields helped lead the Roadrunners to that state crown.
Niles posted a double-double of 16 points and 12 boards in the 64-42 victory over Jackson North Side. Channels had four points, four boards and three assists, while Fields added 10 points and four rebounds. Niles was named the Class AAA state tournament MVP.
MEMPHIS VS. THE OHIO VALLEY
Memphis has an all-time record of 100-63 against members of the Ohio Valley Conference. The Tigers have played Austin Peay (14-4), Eastern Kentucky (3-0), Jacksonville State (1-1), Morehead State (0-2), Murray State (34-26), Samford (3-1), Southeast Missouri State (1-2), Tennessee Martin (11-3), Tennessee State (7-0) and Tennessee Tech (26-24).
The last time Memphis played an Ohio Valley Conference foe was Tennessee-Martin earlier this season. The Tigers defeated the Skyhawks 102-71 in the opening round of the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic on Nov. 5. That game was also the season opener for Memphis.
CALIPARI VS. THE OHIO VALLEY
Memphis head coach John Calipari has an 11-1 record in games against members of the Ohio Valley Conference. Calipari has faced Austin Peay (4-1), Eastern Kentucky (1-0), Murray State (1-0), Samford (1-0), Tennessee Martin (3-0) and Tennessee Tech (2-0).
TIGERS IN NOVEMBER
While head coach John Calipari focuses on March and prepares teams to make postseason runs, his Tiger squads have done quite well in the month of November. Since taking over in 2000-01, Memphis has a 29-11 record (.725 winning percentage) in November.
One reason for the 11 early setbacks is the rugged national schedule the Tigers have played in the Calipari era. Of the 11 November losses, nine were to nationally-ranked teams.
The Tigers, though, are 18-4 in November the last four seasons (includes 2007-08), with all four setbacks coming to ranked opponents.
NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS
Memphis has had a long history of success in non-league games, and that has continued under head coach John Calipari. Since Calipari took over in 2000-01, the Tigers have a non-conference record (including postseason) of 93-32 for a 74.4 winning percentage.
The Tigers are 5-0 against non-Conference USA foes this season.
FIRST TIME SINCE...
The Tigers are off to a 5-0 start this year, and it's been awhile since Memphis began a campaign with five-straight wins. The last time the Tigers started off 5-0 was the 1995-96 season. That squad started 8-0 before dropping its first game to UMass 64-61 (UMass was coached by John Calipari at the time).
The longest win streak to open a Tiger season was 20 straight to start the 1985-86 campaign. Memphis went 20-0 before losing at Virginia Tech on Feb. 1, 1986.
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. Since the 2005 Conference USA Tournament, Memphis has won 47 of its last 49 home games (.959 winning percentage).
Overall, the Tigers have a 57-8 record (.877 winning percentage) at FedExForum. Memphis had a perfect 19-0 home mark in 2006-07.
TIGERS STREAKING AT HOME
Don't look now, but the Tigers have put together another homecourt winning streak. Memphis finished the 2006-07 campaign with a 32-game homecourt winning streak, and the Tigers added to that total with three wins to open 2007-08 to extend the nation's longest homecourt win streak to 35.
35-0 IS SECOND
Memphis' current 35-game homecourt win streak is the longest in the nation, but it is only the second-longest in Tiger basketball history since the 1970-71 season. The longest homecourt win streak in Memphis hoops history is 39 straight that spanned from the end of the 1983-84 season through the 1986-87 campaign.
The previous long winning streak in the John Calipari era was 24 straight that stretched from the middle of the 2002-03 season through the start of the 2004-05 year.
KEMP ON FIRE
Dare we say it. Yes, in honor of former ESPN icon Dan Patrick, Willie Kemp was en fuego in the Tigers' Nov. 20 victory over Arkansas State. The Bolivar, Tenn., native netted a career-high 22 points versus the Indians. His previous career high was 21 points in a win over Cincinnati last season.
The 6-foot-2 guard also tied career bests for field goals made (8) and three-point field goals made (6). Kemp had eight field goals versus Rice and six treys versus Cincinnati last year.
KEMP LOVES THOSE HOME RIMS
They call it a homecourt advantage when you play in friendly confines. And there is one Tiger in particular that takes advantage of the homecourt, and Willie Kemp is his name.
In his two seasons, the sophomore guard is shooting 48.7 percent from the field (73-of-150) and 50 percent from the arc (47-of-94) in games played at FedExForum. The 6-foot-2 guard netted his career high with 22 points versus Arkansas State Nov. 20 at home, and last year, Kemp's season high of 21 points versus Cincinnati came at FedExForum.
DRE DISHIN' AND DIMIN'
After four subpar games to open the 2007-08 campaign, senior Andre Allen was back to his old self in the Tigers' victory over Arkansas State Nov. 20. The 5-foot-10 guard dished out a career-high nine assists (compared to only two turnovers) versus the Indians. Prior to the Arkansas State contest, the Memphis, Tenn., native had only seven assists in the first four games.
The nine-assist game bested his previous high of eight assists in three different games. Allen had two games with eight assists versus Austin Peay and Kentucky in 2006-07.
For more game notes, click on pdf link at top of page.
