Bluff City Classic: Thursday

Thursday night the suns played. The team consisted of Antonio Barton, Chris Crawford, Jelan Kendrick, Drew Barham, DJ Stephens, and 5 others who will not play for the Memphis Tigers. Luckily, the coach of that team subbed five players at a time, so anytime one Tiger was on the floor, they were all on the floor.

Chris Crawford was absolutely amazing. He has a great feel for the game and is very unselfish. He looked like he would make a better point guard than either Antonio Barton or Jelan Kendrick. He dished out somewhere between 5-7 alley oop passes including one to either Stephens or Kendrick (He did so many I might be getting them mixed up) off the back board. Not suprisingly, he also showed a great touch from the behind the three point line. He's really fun to watch because it looks like he's doing nothing. His hand barely moves, and all the sudden, an alley oop or three point shot is happening.

Jelan Kendrick was pretty good as well. It seemed like he was using this time to practice on things he doesn't normally do. He also appeared very eager to play the point guard position. At one point in the game, he attempted an alley oop pass from half court, and it ended up going in.

Antonio Barton seems like he will be a great point guard by his junior year. He is very quick and athletic. What he is lacking is court vision and decision making skills. He had quite a few turn overs on bad passes.

Drew Barham appeared about the same. He can still hit the three, but hasn't shown a superior talent. He does seem like he's been working on his defense some, though.

D.J. Stephens obviously listened to Pastner about working on his wing skills. He hasn't gotten them down yet, but he is trying. He attempted several three pointers. One of them went in. Still has that really high jump which is always fun to watch.

In the crowd, Wesley Witherspoon, Joe Jackson, Will Barton, Angel Garcia, and Will Coleman were all there to cheer on their team mates. While most of them sat down to enjoy the game, Coleman was on his feet the whole time. He seemed really eager to play.

2010 Memphis Recruiting

The Memphis Tigers have done it again. The number one recruiting class in the nation has officially been secured over the past few days. Before the spring signing period, it was already strong with commitments from Joe Jackson, Chris Crawford, Will Barton, and Antonio Barton. Anyone else joining was questionable.

Hippolyte Tsafack was a lock for the Maryland Terrapins. Who knew what Jelan Kendrick was thinking. It didn't matter anyway, he was going to sign late for sure. Tarik Black even appeared to be drifting away from Memphis. His coach convinced him not to attend Memphis Madness, and whispers were that he was leaning towards Marquette.

Then the spring signing period started. All the players who committed signed. That was enough for most Tiger fans. After the last offseason, seeing names on the dotted line was a sigh of relief. Then they got a pleasant suprise, Hippolyte Tsafack committed to Memphis. He isn't the best post player in the country, but he can rebound, defend, and has amazing potential. If that wasn't enough Jelan Kendrick committed. Kendrick was ranked as the fifth shooting guard in the nation, and is capable of playing positions ranging from the point guard position to the small forward position. As soon as he made his announcement, he urged Tarik Black to follow. Tarik Black did follow. Tarik Black has risen to the ranking of elite post players. The recruiting class of Memphis has risen to the top spot for 2010.

One of the more interesting things about this recruiting class, aside from the extreme depth and talent, is the versatility. We have two combo guards Antonio Barton and Joe Jackson. They both primarily play point guard, but they are more than suited to play the shooting guard position. Chris Crawford and Will Barton are both swingmen. They play shooting guard, but they can also play small forward. Crawford has even dabbled in the point guard position before. Jelan Kendrick is versatile enough play point guard, shooting guard, or small forward. Tarik Black and Hippolyte Tsafack can both play power forward and center. With the talent that will likely return next year (Wesley Witherspoon, Elliot Williams, and Will Coleman) the lineup possibilities will be endless.