After last nights game, Tiger fans and players alike can let out a collective sigh of relief. After dropping a road game to SMU, Memphis bounced back to defeat one of the top teams in conference USA, UAB.
The game brought as much intensity as fans have ever seen in a conference game before (yes I am counting the buzzer-beating Tulsa win last season). While this game may not have been decided by less that double digit points in the final seconds, it was a battle the whole way through. 30 lead changes and 10 ties resulted from the UAB Memphis rivalry game. Luckily, Elliot Williams and Wesley Witherspoon stepped up by scoring 25 and 29, respectively. Towards the end when a UAB win was still possible, UAB employed a tactic that Tiger fans have become used to seeing, they fouled. With the Tigers forced to earn the win at the line, they delivered. In the second half, Memphis shot over 90% from the charity stripe.
Will Coleman also had another good game with 9 rebounds and 7 blocks. He looked a lot more like that Dorsey-style player that Memphis fans were hoping for. Twice last night, he blocked back to back shots. These were crucial blocks as they came in the final minutes when Memphis was starting to go on a run.
Pastner also showed his ability to be a good X's and O's coach. He switched the defense often to keep UAB confused. The came ready for man to man and had to face zone for the entire first half. The defense switched to man, box and one, and triangle and two to keep UAB from getting comfortable offensively.
All in all it was a very encouraging game. Memphis has yet to lose back to back games since Kemp, Niles, and Mack stepped on campus, and I bet they're glad it stayed that way. The Tigers remain in the hunt for the regular season title, they're currently tied at third with UAB behind UTEP and Tulsa, who are tied for first. Not to mention a two game losing streak puts you in a bad state of mind to face a top 25 team like Gonzaga on Saturday.
Showing posts with label wesley witherspoon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wesley witherspoon. Show all posts
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
A Slow Start
Last nights exhibition had much the same problem as the one before it, a slow start. Contrary to most people, however, I believe the slow start was more an offensive problem. The defensive pressure definitely picked up. Kemp and Mack were doing solid as always, but guys like Witherspoon and Barham were playing defense with much more intensity. The problem was that CBU exploited their defense. Memphis likes to play fast. The play fast offense, so they practice defense against a fast offense. CBU was perfectly content to slow it down and get a lot of ball movement. I can't tell you how many times it looked like Memphis' defense looked like they would force a clock violation when, suddenly, a shot would be made with two seconds left, usually a three pointer.
Memphis played very poorly in the first half. This can probably be attributed to a poor performance by Elliot Williams. Although he still was the leading scorer, with 15 points, he was not the same team leader we saw against LeMoyne Owen. Its obvious the team will rely on him as they were down by as much as 14 at one point, and they were still trailing by one at half time.
Wesley Witherspoon was really the reason this team survived. It's not often that we see Witherspoon play with that passion for that amount of time. He finished with 14 points, six rebounds, and six assists. He was confident, and he was good.
Will Coleman also looked good at the end of the game. He didn't play much early after being yanked for not diving after a loose ball. The loss of playing time must have affected him because he came back with a force. He ended the game with six points, making all of his attempts, excluding those from the charity stripe. He also ended with the second most rebounds, behind Witherspoon, with 5 which is pretty impressive considering his limited minutes. He also got two key blocks that helped the Tigers to get their confidence.
The only other players that stood in this game were Kemp and Sallie. Sallie did a great job in the paint once again with 11 points. He also made the only three point shot that went in for this team. Kemp was confident. I see him having a very good season this year. He wasn't afraid to drive. He didn't do it often, but when it was needed, he got to the glass. He didn't over dribble, and he didn't attack the rim with too much force like he has in the past. His stat line was nothing to write home about, but Pastner apparently agreed with me about his production as he spent more minutes on the floor than any other player.
Interesting to note, I'm not sure this team will be the three point shooting team it has been made out to be. Against LeMoyne Owen, they had a good three point shooting percentage but didn't seem comfortable relying on it. This time they shot a horrible 1 out of 12 from behind the arc. A big part of the problem is that they want to be a three point shooting team so bad that they force it. They settle for the low percentage shots when it isn't necessary. They must first establish a drive. Once they get the defense worried about them attacking the glass, they will find the open three's more readily.
Also, Memphis used a full court press during the entire second half. Will they be able to do this in future games? Roburt Sallie played point guard for small portion of the game. I Knew he played point as a JUCO, but with his shooting mentality, I never thought I would see it at Memphis.
Memphis played very poorly in the first half. This can probably be attributed to a poor performance by Elliot Williams. Although he still was the leading scorer, with 15 points, he was not the same team leader we saw against LeMoyne Owen. Its obvious the team will rely on him as they were down by as much as 14 at one point, and they were still trailing by one at half time.
Wesley Witherspoon was really the reason this team survived. It's not often that we see Witherspoon play with that passion for that amount of time. He finished with 14 points, six rebounds, and six assists. He was confident, and he was good.
Will Coleman also looked good at the end of the game. He didn't play much early after being yanked for not diving after a loose ball. The loss of playing time must have affected him because he came back with a force. He ended the game with six points, making all of his attempts, excluding those from the charity stripe. He also ended with the second most rebounds, behind Witherspoon, with 5 which is pretty impressive considering his limited minutes. He also got two key blocks that helped the Tigers to get their confidence.
The only other players that stood in this game were Kemp and Sallie. Sallie did a great job in the paint once again with 11 points. He also made the only three point shot that went in for this team. Kemp was confident. I see him having a very good season this year. He wasn't afraid to drive. He didn't do it often, but when it was needed, he got to the glass. He didn't over dribble, and he didn't attack the rim with too much force like he has in the past. His stat line was nothing to write home about, but Pastner apparently agreed with me about his production as he spent more minutes on the floor than any other player.
Interesting to note, I'm not sure this team will be the three point shooting team it has been made out to be. Against LeMoyne Owen, they had a good three point shooting percentage but didn't seem comfortable relying on it. This time they shot a horrible 1 out of 12 from behind the arc. A big part of the problem is that they want to be a three point shooting team so bad that they force it. They settle for the low percentage shots when it isn't necessary. They must first establish a drive. Once they get the defense worried about them attacking the glass, they will find the open three's more readily.
Also, Memphis used a full court press during the entire second half. Will they be able to do this in future games? Roburt Sallie played point guard for small portion of the game. I Knew he played point as a JUCO, but with his shooting mentality, I never thought I would see it at Memphis.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Player Performance
Elliot Williams:
By far the best player on the team, and he showed it against LeMoyne Owen. When the Tiger's where starting slow, and everyone had some anxiety about initiating a drive, Williams stepped up. He scored the first two points of the night, free throws. He is obviously not afraid to make a play through contact. Williams led the Tigers in scoring with 24 points and 8 of 11 from the floor. Also hit 3 of 4 from behind the arc and 5 of 6 free throws. Tied for highest assists with 6. Had a few too many turnovers, however, and I did not see the pesky on the ball defending he is so highly regarded for.
Wesley Witherspoon
Definitely the second best player on the team. The Tigers will need him and Williams to perform consistently if they want to win. He solidified his status as a playmaker in this game. It shows as he is tied with Williams for most assists with 6. Second leading scorer with 13 points. Second leading rebounder with 7 boards. Almost had some foul trouble in early second half but managed to keep it under control after that. Very versatile, very athletic, and very confident. Considering what a slow first half he had, his stats are phenomenal. If he learns to play with a high effort every minute of every game, he could become more of an asset than Williams.
Pierre Henderson-Niles
Leading rebounder with 11 boards. It should be noted, however, that four of these rebounds came one after another as he would shoot, miss, rebound, and repeat. The main thing about Niles was he looked a lot better. He can jump, he can run, and he played 20 minutes without looking tired.
Willie Kemp
Very strong defense. He tripped up the guards fairly consistently. 3 assists to 1 turnover. Did not have an extremely strong night offensively, but he shot 4 of 5 from the field. Kemp did play with a lot of confidence, which is also true for the rest of the senior class. 1 of 1 from behind the arc and 3 of 3 from the free throw line. Scored 12 points.
Roburt Sallie
Showed something we rarely saw from him last year, a great ability to drive. Sallie had a suprisingly low 3 point percentage as he only hit 1 of 3 from behind the arc. He did, however, his 5 of 10 overall. Scored 11 points.
Doneal Mack
His best attribute was his smoothering defense. When he was trying, he made LeMoyne Owen's guards look foolish. Hit 1 of 1 from behind the arch.
Will Coleman
Pretty much what was expected. No outstanding stats, but he showed amazing athleticism. Definitely slammed a few alley-oops. Almost had some foul trouble early on that had hit sit out a good portion of the first half. Needs to do a better job of rebounding. Scored 11 points, mostly from other Tigers' missed shots.
DJ Stephens
Did good. A lot better than I expected. I had my doubts about his ability to play power forward with his lack of height, but when you see him stretch his arms, you know it won't be a problem. Very athletic. Dunks with ease and is pretty fast. Wouldn't be surprised to see him contribute significant minutes this season.
Drew Barham
Almost non existent. 0 for 3 from the field, two of them from behind the arc, but he's a freshman, and it's early. This is what exhibitions are for.
By far the best player on the team, and he showed it against LeMoyne Owen. When the Tiger's where starting slow, and everyone had some anxiety about initiating a drive, Williams stepped up. He scored the first two points of the night, free throws. He is obviously not afraid to make a play through contact. Williams led the Tigers in scoring with 24 points and 8 of 11 from the floor. Also hit 3 of 4 from behind the arc and 5 of 6 free throws. Tied for highest assists with 6. Had a few too many turnovers, however, and I did not see the pesky on the ball defending he is so highly regarded for.
Wesley Witherspoon
Definitely the second best player on the team. The Tigers will need him and Williams to perform consistently if they want to win. He solidified his status as a playmaker in this game. It shows as he is tied with Williams for most assists with 6. Second leading scorer with 13 points. Second leading rebounder with 7 boards. Almost had some foul trouble in early second half but managed to keep it under control after that. Very versatile, very athletic, and very confident. Considering what a slow first half he had, his stats are phenomenal. If he learns to play with a high effort every minute of every game, he could become more of an asset than Williams.
Pierre Henderson-Niles
Leading rebounder with 11 boards. It should be noted, however, that four of these rebounds came one after another as he would shoot, miss, rebound, and repeat. The main thing about Niles was he looked a lot better. He can jump, he can run, and he played 20 minutes without looking tired.
Willie Kemp
Very strong defense. He tripped up the guards fairly consistently. 3 assists to 1 turnover. Did not have an extremely strong night offensively, but he shot 4 of 5 from the field. Kemp did play with a lot of confidence, which is also true for the rest of the senior class. 1 of 1 from behind the arc and 3 of 3 from the free throw line. Scored 12 points.
Roburt Sallie
Showed something we rarely saw from him last year, a great ability to drive. Sallie had a suprisingly low 3 point percentage as he only hit 1 of 3 from behind the arc. He did, however, his 5 of 10 overall. Scored 11 points.
Doneal Mack
His best attribute was his smoothering defense. When he was trying, he made LeMoyne Owen's guards look foolish. Hit 1 of 1 from behind the arch.
Will Coleman
Pretty much what was expected. No outstanding stats, but he showed amazing athleticism. Definitely slammed a few alley-oops. Almost had some foul trouble early on that had hit sit out a good portion of the first half. Needs to do a better job of rebounding. Scored 11 points, mostly from other Tigers' missed shots.
DJ Stephens
Did good. A lot better than I expected. I had my doubts about his ability to play power forward with his lack of height, but when you see him stretch his arms, you know it won't be a problem. Very athletic. Dunks with ease and is pretty fast. Wouldn't be surprised to see him contribute significant minutes this season.
Drew Barham
Almost non existent. 0 for 3 from the field, two of them from behind the arc, but he's a freshman, and it's early. This is what exhibitions are for.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Who should start point guard for the Memphis Tigers?
The three names that are most commonly tossed around are Willie Kemp, Elliot Williams, and Doneal Mack. Roburt Sallie and Wesley Witherspoon are certaintly possibilities, but I wouldn't bet on it.
Sallie does a great job as a shooter. Also, his ability to energize the offense off the bench shows his perfect role for this particular team. Witherspoon could mature into a decent point guard. With his skill set, I find it difficult to believe coach Pastner would use him in this way unless he adapted it to a Penny Hardaway style point forward position.
Most likely, Elliot Williams will be the starting point guard for the Memphis Tigers. His more natural position is shooting guard, but in the tigers team, he could work out quite well at point. I mean hey, it worked out for Tyreke Evans.
In all honesty, I personally feel that Willie Kemp should be given the first chance to start as the Memphis Tigers point guard. During his freshman year he started, and that year the Tiger's team made it to the Elite 8.
During his sophmore year, he lost confidence when losing his role to one-and-done player Derrick Rose. He did, however, do a fairly good job as a shooting guard as he developed an admirable 3-point shot.
By his junior year, Kemp was playing with a tremendous lack of confidence. Once again he lost his starting point guard position to a one-and-done player by the name of Tryeke Evans. Even worse, Kemp struggled to find the 3-point shot he had developed during his sophmore year.
While Pastner will most likely use an offensive style similar to the Dribble Drive Motion that Memphis basketball has become famous for, he will probably also run slightly more set plays, and implement a Lute Olsen style Motion Offense. Willie Kemp will fit into that style of play better and will most likely gain confidence by working with a player-developement driven coach. The fact that no one and done players threaten to take his spot, will work to his advantage as well.
Then, Elliot Williams could take on an Andre Allen type role. Most of the time he would play as a shooting guard while Kemp played at point. When needed, Kemp could take a break. Then Williams would man the point guard position while Sallie jumped in for that shooter role he plays so well.
Sallie does a great job as a shooter. Also, his ability to energize the offense off the bench shows his perfect role for this particular team. Witherspoon could mature into a decent point guard. With his skill set, I find it difficult to believe coach Pastner would use him in this way unless he adapted it to a Penny Hardaway style point forward position.
Most likely, Elliot Williams will be the starting point guard for the Memphis Tigers. His more natural position is shooting guard, but in the tigers team, he could work out quite well at point. I mean hey, it worked out for Tyreke Evans.
In all honesty, I personally feel that Willie Kemp should be given the first chance to start as the Memphis Tigers point guard. During his freshman year he started, and that year the Tiger's team made it to the Elite 8.
During his sophmore year, he lost confidence when losing his role to one-and-done player Derrick Rose. He did, however, do a fairly good job as a shooting guard as he developed an admirable 3-point shot.
By his junior year, Kemp was playing with a tremendous lack of confidence. Once again he lost his starting point guard position to a one-and-done player by the name of Tryeke Evans. Even worse, Kemp struggled to find the 3-point shot he had developed during his sophmore year.
While Pastner will most likely use an offensive style similar to the Dribble Drive Motion that Memphis basketball has become famous for, he will probably also run slightly more set plays, and implement a Lute Olsen style Motion Offense. Willie Kemp will fit into that style of play better and will most likely gain confidence by working with a player-developement driven coach. The fact that no one and done players threaten to take his spot, will work to his advantage as well.
Then, Elliot Williams could take on an Andre Allen type role. Most of the time he would play as a shooting guard while Kemp played at point. When needed, Kemp could take a break. Then Williams would man the point guard position while Sallie jumped in for that shooter role he plays so well.
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