Nov. 30, 2009
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Tigers On TV/Radio/Web
Television: WKNO/Channel 10 (TAPE DELAYED at 9 p.m. CT; Greg Gaston, play-by-play; Elliot Perry, color analyst; Kristin Tallent, sideline reporter)
Radio: WREC 600 AM (Dave Woloshin, play-by-play; Matt Dillon, color analyst; Forrest Goodman, studio host)
Web: Game to be streamed live on Memphis athletics web site at gotigersgo.com via All-Access (must register to view game)
* NOTE: Prior to Monday's team intros, new Memphis football coach Larry Porter will be introduced to Tiger Nation.
**** Due to a delay in equipment installation at WKNO, the Tigers' Nov. 30 and Dec .5 games will be aired tape delay. The Dec. 9, Jan. 30 and Feb. 20 contests will be broadcast live. ****
TIGERS TO HOST OAKLAND AT FEDEXFORUM MONDAY
The University of Memphis squad (3-1, 0-0 C-USA) continues its five-game homestand Monday, Nov. 30 when it hosts Oakland (3-3, 0-0 Summit). The game, scheduled for a 7 p.m. (CT) tip, is the final of four contests in the 2009 Hall of Fame Showcase.
Memphis began play in the 2009 Hall of Fame Showcase on Nov. 17 when it dropped a narrow 57-55 decision to No. 1/1 Kansas in St. Louis. The Tigers then defeated Tennessee Tech 92-59 Nov. 20 and Central Arkansas 81-49 Nov. 24 in Hall of Fame Showcase contests at FedExForum.
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.
Oakland, the preseason favorite to win the 2009-10 Summit League title, is off to a 3-3 start this season. The Grizzlies are 2-1 in the Hall of Fame Showcase with wins over Tennessee Tech 77-56 and Central Arkansas 83-75 and a loss at No. 1/1 Kansas 89-59. Oakland also suffered a 58-42 setback at Wisconsin Nov. 18.
SCOUTING THE GRIZZLIES
Oakland, the preseason favorite to win the 2009-10 Summit League title, is off to a 3-3 start this season. The Grizzlies are 2-1 in the Hall of Fame Showcase with wins over Tennessee Tech 77-56 and Central Arkansas 83-75 and a loss at No. 1/1 Kansas 89-59. Oakland also suffered a 58-42 setback at Wisconsin Nov. 18.
The Grizzlies received 34 of 35 first-place votes in the Summit League preseason poll. The other first-place vote went to IUPUI, who the Tigers play later this season. Johnathon Jones was named the Summit League's preseason Player of the Year and was joined on the All-Summit League preseason team by Derick Nelson and Keith Benson.
Benson leads the Grizzlies with an 18.2 scoring average, followed by Nelson at 15.2 ppg and Jones at 12.8 ppg. Benson is the team's top rebounder at 10.8 rpg, and Nelson is second at 7.2 rpg. Will Hudson averages 6.7 boards per game. Jones tops the squad with a 7.0 assists average (42 total assists). Nelson is the team's top three-point threat at 47.1 percent from the arc.
The Grizzlies are shooting 41.2 percent from the field, 28.7 percent from the arc and 67.9 percent from the free throw line. Oakland is out-rebounding its foes by an average margin of +5.2 boards per game (41.2-36.0).
PASTNER IN FIRST YEAR AT HELM OF TIGER PROGRAM
Josh Pastner (Arizona, 1998) is in his first season as the head coach of the University of Memphis basketball program. The Kingwood, Texas, native was hired Apr. 7, 2009, after serving the 2008-09 season as an assistant on the Tiger staff.
Pastner has a 3-1 record at Memphis. He won his head coaching debut Nov. 13 with an 82-53 victory. He suffered his first coaching loss in a narrow 57-55 setback to No. 1/1 Kansas Nov. 17.
Prior to joining the Memphis basketball family for the 2008-09 season, Pastner spent the previous 12 years of his college basketball life at Arizona as a player, staff member and assistant coach. While in Tucson, Pastner was a member of Wildcat squads that made 12-straight NCAA Tournament appearances and posted a 290-103 record (1997-2008). Pastner was a player on the 1996-97 Arizona team that won the NCAA title.
MEMPHIS VS. THE SUMMIT LEAGUE
Memphis has an all-time record of 15-7 (.682 winning percentage) against current members of the Summit League. The Tigers have played Centenary (7-5), Oakland (1-0), Oral Roberts (5-2) South Dakota State (1-0) and UMKC (1-0). Memphis has never played IPFW, IUPUI, North Dakota State, Southern Utah and Western Illinois.
The Tigers are scheduled to play a second Summit League member later this season when IUPUI visits FedExForum on Dec. 28.
The last time the Tigers played a Summit League foe was the 2006 NCAA Tournament. Memphis, the West Region No. 1 seed, posted an impressive 94-78 victory over No. 16 seed Oral Roberts in the first round in Dallas, Texas.
WIPE THE GLASS
The 2009-10 Tigers have shown a lot of effort, enthusiasm and energy on the defensive end in the early portion of the season. There, however, is one area of concern, and it's in the rebounding department.
After four games, Memphis is only out-rebounding its foes by an average margin of +1.5 boards per game (32.8-31.3). The Tigers are also averaging only 20.8 defensive boards per contest.
That could be an advantage for Oakland Monday, as the Grizzlies enter the contest with a +5.2 rebounding margin. Oakland also averages over 25 defensive boards (25.3) per game.
HOW'S THE FIRST FIVE GOING?
First-year head coach Josh Pastner is holding his own in the early portion of his tenure, and the numbers prove it. After four games, Pastner is off to a 3-1 start, and with a victory Monday, he would tie for the third-best, five-game start by a Tiger head coach since World War II.
The following shows the best five-game coaching starts since World War II:
Head Coach/Year 5-Game Record
Wayne Yates/1974-75 5-0^
Bob Vanatta/1956-57 5-0^
Josh Pastner#/2009-10 3-1
Gene Bartow/1970-71 4-1
Moe Iba/1966-67 4-1
McCoy Tarry/1948-49 4-1
Johnny Jones*/1999-2000 3-2
Tic Price/1997-98 3-2
Dana Kirk/1979-80 3-2
Dean Ehlers/1962-63 3-2
John Calipari/2000-01 2-3^
Larry Finch/1986-87 2-3^
Eugene Lambert/1951-52 2-3^
# Game vs. Oakland is Pastner's 5th as head coach
* interim coach
^ went on to 20-win season
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 96-10 overall record (.906 winning percentage) at FedExForum.
Since the 2005 Conference USA Tournament, Memphis has won 86 of its last 90 home games (.956 winning percentage). Furthermore, the 2009-10 seniors -- Pierre Henderson-Niles, Willie Kemp and Doneal Mack -- are 61-2 (.968 winning percentage) at home in FedExForum.
MEMPHIS IN REGULAR SEASON TOURNEYS/CLASSICS
The Tigers have an overall record of 86-56 (.606 winning percentage) in regular season tournaments/classics in the program's history. Memphis has won 16 in-season tournament titles/classics. The Tigers are 2-1 in this year's 2009 Hall of Fame Showcase.
The last time the Tigers carried home the trophy from an in-season tournament (more than one game) was in the 2007-08 campaign. Memphis won the 2k Sports College Hoops Classic (Benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer) with an 81-70 win over Connecticut at Madison Square Garden. The Tigers also posted a narrow 62-58 overtime win over Southern Cal in the Jimmy V Classic in New York City that same season.
Last year, Memphis finished as the runner-up in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip-Off in San Juan. The Tigers defeated Fairfield, Chattanooga and Seton Hall en route to the championship game. Memphis dropped a 63-58 decision to Xavier in the title game.
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 138-46 for a 75.0 winning percentage.
In 2008-09, Memphis had a 17-4 record against non-conference opponents (including postseason).
TIGERS IN NOVEMBER
While all head coaches focus on March and their teams ready to make postseason runs, the Tigers have done quite well in the month of November. Since 1999-2000, Memphis has a 39-15 record (.722 winning percentage) in November.
One reason for the 15 early setbacks is the rugged national schedule the Tigers have played. Of the 15 November losses, 10 were to nationally-ranked teams.
The Tigers are 26-6 (.813 winning percentage) in November since 2004-05, with five of the six setbacks coming to ranked opponents.
CALL HIM MR. SWIPE
His perimeter jump shot may not be falling right now, but Roburt Sallie is contributing in other ways -- especially on the defensive end. Three games into 2009-10, the Tigers' 6-foot-5 guard leads the squad and is second in Conference USA with 14 steals (3.5 spg). He set a career high with four steals in the season-opening win over Jackson State, and then tied the mark with four steals against No. 1/1 Kansas and Tennessee Tech. Sallie had two swipes in the Tigers' win over Central Arkansas
Sallie has also been bullish on the boards with a 3.5 rebounding average from his guard spot. The Sacramento, Calif., native grabbed a career-high seven rebounds versus Jackson State in the season opener.
HE'S BAAAAAACCCCCCKKKKK!
Who's back? Sharp-shooter Roburt Sallie, that's who. After four-straight tough shooting games to start 2009-10, Sallie found his stroke in the Tigers' Nov. 24 win over Central Arkansas.
The 6-foot-5 guard scored 17 points on 5-of-8 field goals, 3-of-5 treys and 4-of-4 free throws. Prior to the Nov. 24 game, Sallie was shooting 1-of-14 from the arc (7.1 percent) and 8-of-27 from the field (29.6 percent).
For more notes on the Memphis-Oakland game, click on pdf link at the top of the page.
