Put On Notice

The Tigers held their own against the top ranked team, Kansas. They didn't play perfect. In fact, by many standards they didn't play well. They shot the ball awfully. They were bad on free throw attemps, bad on three point attempts, but good on defense (is it just me, or does that sound familiar?)

What the Memphis Tigers did was show heart. They played a scrappy game that oozed determination. They never gave up. There was a time when Kansas stretched the lead to ten. It was the second half. That's what was supposed to happen, right? Kansas winning by double digits. Memphis letting it fall towards the end. Not this night. Memphis clawed their way back into the game. They were constantly nipping at the heals of Kansas, and the look on Bill Self's face said it all. Unbelievable.

This game showed a few things. One is that Memphis' low numbers may not be as much of a problem as previously thought. On most nights, the Tigers will stick to a nine man rotation. On this occassion it was only seven. While Kansas' players were cramping up and taking IV injections, Memphis was putting it all on the floor,and they did so with tireless speed. It also showed us that Memphis' strong point will continue to be their defense. They held Kansas to only 57 points. Three pointers did not go as well as has been expected for this season, but I wouldn't be surprised to see that change very soon.

Finally, it put the nation, C-USA in particular, on notice that Memphis will be a national contender. They will be a team to fear, and you won't have to wait until 2010. This game will definitely give the Tigers a healthy boost of confidence. Williams, Coleman, and Kemp all let it be known that they feel good about how they performed, and they plan on keeping Memphis a powerhouse.

Two best players of the night had to be Willie Kemp and Elliot Williams. Williams stepped it up. He had a career high 21 points. My favorite part of watching him play is how well he manages his shot through contact. Kemp displayed an air of confidence that I haven't seen in him since his freshman year. He may not be a scorer, but he is certainly a play maker. His best attribute is how well he knows his seniors. If he drives and dishes, and that ball lands in the hand of Pierre Henderson-Niles or Doneal Mack, it's going in. He also seemed to desire more of a leadership role. For the most part, when him and Williams are on the floor together, Williams brings up the ball, although they do switch. When the game was winding down and it was close, however, Kemp stood next to Williams, who was waiting for the inbound pass, and said he wanted to bring the ball down. This is good because it frees up Williams to play off the ball in a role that better fits his style.

The worst plays came in the post, but Niles, Coleman, and Witherspoon can sleep well knowing they won't play a athlete with a post presence as strong a Cole Aldrich for a long time.