Willie Kemp, Doneal Mack, and Pierre Henderson Niles. Each of these players belong to the senior class of the Memphis Tigers this season. Each of these players were highly touted coming out of high school. None of them seemed to be able to live up to the hype. Kemp had a good freshman year, leading the Tigers to an Elite Eight, but lost confidence after being stuck on the bench behind Derrick Rose and then Tyreke Evans. Niles gained an extraordinary amount of weight before starting his freshman season and was never able to contribute the way he was supposed to. Mack has been streaky. Sometimes he's on sometimes he's cold.
This year marked a new chance for all of them as the roster was depleted and a new coach came in. Niles hasn't been magnificent, in fact he has shown a lot of weakness on the offensive end, but his loss of weight over the offseason has given him the ability to contribute significant minutes. He has racked up an average of 18.3 minutes per game. Last season it would have been amazing to see him play for more than ten minutes on any given night. During this time he can do what he does so well, rebound. He has averaged 5.7 boards per game.
Willie Kemp has played with confidence and passion. Last season he just seemed nervous to be on the court. Now he seems comfortable. He appears to relish the coaching change and available playing time. His leadership role as a point guard and senior doesn't bother him one bit either. He has an average of four assists per game. He's only taken four, but he has made every free throw he's shot. He has the second best three point percentage of the team at 40%, going 4 for 10 from behind the arc. I expect these numbers to get better as he went 3 for 5 in the last game against Tennessee Tech. He also averages 32.3 minutes a game, second to Elliot Williams, showing Coach Pastner's faith in him.
Doneal Mack has been the hot hand of the team. He is shooting 57.1% from the field, second only to dunk machine Will Coleman. He's even going 53.3% from behind the arc. These numbers have made him the second leading scorer for the Tigers, behind Elliot Williams, at 11.7 points per game.
Showing posts with label willie kemp. Show all posts
Showing posts with label willie kemp. Show all posts
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
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.
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.
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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