The Good , Bad, and Downright Ugly: Observations from the

[HixsontoLeVias]

Front Row:

GOOD: I'm a Bamba fan! Blocking shots, altering shots, schooling / intimadating their big, bad, ugly centers, SEVERAL, SEVERAL times. Blocked a shot which flew out of bounds and I yelled, "That's Mr. Bamba to you, pal!" Put 20-25 pounds on him, gain some experience...good things on the horizon. Morris looks promising, too. He seemed a bit out of shape, winded, to me, but, had some nice moves down low...tone him up a bit, put some muscle on that boy, gain some PT, Morris and Bamba could create some havoc down low. BHop held his own, some nice 3's...seems like the only guy on our team who wants to score, however...and PS: Memphis' lead was 10-11-12 points for most of the game..let me tell ya, the Memphis fans HATED that, they wanted BLOOD..way to hang tough, at times, Ponies...

BAD: Why is Rackafacukalaesus on this team? What value does he bring? What is his role? "Hey Tubbs, let Rackafackulausgous shoot ONLY 2 and 3 foot shots from now on at practice, please!!" Also, besides Bhop, we have nobody that looks like a scorer, nobody who acts like a scorer, and certainly nobody that appears like they are even planning on taking a shot. Some nice passing around guys, BUT WOULD SOMEBODY SHOOT, PLEASE!, or how 'bout PENETRATE!!! No free throws in the first half....Free Throw shooting, when we had the chance, was horrible...

UGLY: Plain and simple, the spoiled, wannabe, "chip on their shoulders", inferiority complex Memphis State fans!! Guy next to me was laughing when Bamba went down hard in the second half..LAUGHING! Free tacos for all if Mempho scored 75, some ex-summo wrestler Memphis State "alum" in front of me was PISSSED that Memphis High only scored 75, MAD, angry, YELLING at his beloved Tigers. I tell ya what, I have sat in countless "hostile" environments in my day, the Memphis fans wanted freaking BLOOD...they wanted to win by 40, if you noticed, Coach cal keep his primary 7-8 guys in for most, if not all of the game....sorry you didn't get your tacos boys, and to bad your wonder boys didn't cover the line...too bad!! Memphis State fan cheering was arrogant, condensending, cocky, mocking, spoiled, ugly, rude and crude....trust me, drilling us by 20 was not at all what they had in mind.....happiness for this crowd would have been a 92 - 60 final.

For some more memphis perspective, I beg each of you to read Geoff Calkins column in today's Memphis Commercial Appeal.....I hope Tennessee drills this bunch. Long LIve the Mighty Mustangs from SMU!!

[PK]

Thanks for the report from the trenches. Interesting reading. I now have a clearer perspective on Memphis fans. Sound like UT fans.

[Pony_Fan]

Front Row:

BAD: Why is Rackafacukalaesus on this team? What value does he bring? What is his role? "Hey Tubbs, let Rackafackulausgous shoot ONLY 2 and 3 foot shots from now on at practice, please!!" Also, besides Bhop, we have nobody that looks like a scorer, nobody who acts like a scorer, and certainly nobody that appears like they are even planning on taking a shot. Some nice passing around guys, BUT WOULD SOMEBODY SHOOT, PLEASE!, or how 'bout PENETRATE!!! No free throws in the first half....Free Throw shooting, when we had the chance, was horrible...

Thank you for the update and way to support! I see Bamba making an impact in the future.

Rack is a joke, I agree. Teach him some defense and don't let him shoot.

Very accurate - I have noticed as well, everyone seems afraid to shoot, - I have hardly seen many square up and take shoots this year. Very strange.

[mustangbill67]

Here is the Caulkins article.

Calkins: U of M's new theme - Ignore the score
By Geoff Calkins
Contact
January 15, 2006

SMU scored the first basket of the game. And then, well, this is the new Conference USA after all.

So time passed.

Memphis scored a few buckets.

More time passed.

The officials called a media timeout.

More time passed.

Memphis ran the score to 18-2.

More time passed.

Another media timeout.

More time passed.

A lucky fan hit a 3-pointer to win free chicken for a year.

(Lucky fan 3, SMU 2).

At long last, SMU scored again. After a drought of nearly nine minutes.

Welcome to the New Conference USA, everyone.

John Calipari's advice after the 73-53 victory?

"Don't look at the scoreboard," he said.

Which could work as a motto, couldn't it?

It used to be Refuse to Lose. Now it's Refuse to See How Much You're Winning By.

"We need to be playing against ourselves," said Calipari.

Ourselves would be a much tougher matchup.

Not that Memphis fans didn't know the new Conference USA would be an atrocious basketball conference. But there's a difference between knowing something and seeing it play out before you, live and in person, on the first big weekend of conference basketball.

All across the country Saturday, teams were hooking up with their old rivals. Washington played UCLA. Tennessee played LSU. Alabama played Kentucky.

In Freedom Hall, old friend Louisville hosted Pittsburgh. In Cincinnati, the Bearcats hosted Syracuse.

South Florida played St. John's. Marquette played West Virginia.

Meanwhile, Memphis got SMU, which used to be pretty good in football.

"It's hard to keep your focus," said Rodney Carney.

Hey, Rodney: Don't look at the scoreboard!

Officials said 14,443 fans showed up for the game, which was darn impressive, really.

Would you go see a movie if you already knew the ending? Would you read a mystery if you already knew who done it?

Everyone knew the Tigers were going to beat SMU, it was just a matter of how they'd look in the process.

Even that depended on your view of things.

Calipari: "I wasn't overly pleased with our energy and emotion."

SMU coach Jimmy Tubbs: "Memphis is the best team we've had all year long."

(Maybe Tubbs didn't know the rule about the scoreboard?)

But it's hard to guage anything after 18-2, no matter how you approach it.

"Coach Cal is saying he wants to chase history," said Chris Douglas-Roberts.

Ahh, another gimmick. But you have to give the coach credit for trying, because it's the central challenge for this basketball team.

How can you stay sharp against dull opponents? How can you prepare for greatness against mediocrity?

C-USA was supposed to be a three-team league: Memphis, UAB and Houston.

Central Florida beat Houston Saturday.

Don't look at the out-of-town scoreboard!

Which isn't to say there wasn't suspense in this one, just not the usual sort.

Carney stole the ball in the second half, swooped in for a dun...

Hey, Rodney. Why didn't you dunk it?

"The fans expect it every time," he said.

Just doing his part to keep you interested.

And then there was Mark Goodfellow, the car dealer and basketball fan, going absolutely nutso in the final minute.

"I need this, I need this," he yelled, as Memphis brought the ball up, leading 72-50.

He needed it? Up 22?

Wait, the point spread was 22, wasn't it?

Douglas-Roberts hit 1 of 2 foul shots. Tigers up 23.

So Goodfellow was on his feet, screaming, as SMU brought the ball up one final time. SMU lost it (yeah!), got it back (arrrgh!), put up a shot (nooo!), had it blocked (yessss!), then saw the ball trickle out to Brian Epps beyond the 3-point arc.

Epps fired one up just before the red light flashed on.

Swish.

Goodfellow slumped back into his seat, disconsolate.

Who knows if the guy actually had a bet on the game? But if he did, he could always try the line from Calipari.

Uh, Mr. Bookie?

Don't look at the scoreboard.

[RGV Pony]

somehow I think in about two-three years we'll be chomping at the bit to see Memphis on the football field. Then we can moan how it is, after all, CUSA...game starts....Willis hits Burley for a TD...Memphis 3 and out...DeMyron carries three Tigers into the end zone...Memphis punts...Columbus Givens pass for 40, Sanders pass for 20, VChase TD.

Peruna runs across the field to start the second half. Peruna rushing yards 55, Memphis 45.

DeAngelo graduated this year, boys.

It is, after all CUSA.

And we thought we had it bad dealing with the attention diverted to the "UT" in our state.

[StangEsq]

What the he!! has Memphis ever done? I can barely even remember the college sensation Keith Lee. Talk about a bunch of wanna-bes. Until you win anything, shut your traps...

[HixsontoLeVias]

Memphis.........KINGS of the N.I.T.....where are #65!!!

[ALEX LIFESON]

sounds like a ut fan starter kit!

[SWC2010]

What the he!! has Memphis ever done? I can barely even remember the college sensation Keith Lee. Talk about a bunch of wanna-bes. Until you win anything, shut your traps...

---
Exactly.

Of course Mem ST did make Final 4 back 30 yrs ago.

I remember that great MemSt. team of '73 when UCLA's Walton made all but 1 shot for 40+ points (as I recall) over MSU Larry Kenon (sp?).

[Hoop Fan]

Hixson, sounds like you got a good picture of things. People bag on Hopkins, and he does have some off nights, but he is usually one of the only guys that is willing and able to score. I have no idea what Pearson's deal is. He should be playing much better.

Bamba Fall is certainly not a wasted scholarship as some people were saying when we got him. He is not a savior by any stretch and never will be, but he can be part of the puzzle. Same with Morris. We need to consistently get guys who bring something effective to their position. That is what I see Tubbs doing. Getting guys who can defend, getting other guys who can shoot etc. You have to get the right pieces in place and you have to start somewhere. Think about this team when Dement left and think about what you had: no natural rebounders, no defensive specialists, no pure shooters, and a score-first point guard. That is not a recipe for beating many good teams. Tubbs has to change all that and get personnel who can reall do the various jobs on the floor. Dez should be a good distributing point guard, although he isnt having a great year probably because the team lacks offensive firepower. Bamba is a defender, thats what he is here for. Morris has a knack for scoring, and eventually should be a superior rebounder. Need Matt Williams to be the pure shooter in the future when he recovers from injury. You dont have to love everything Tubbs does to see that he is trying to change the makeup of this program and to recognize what he started with. Next time we go to Memphis (year after next?), they will be in for a bigger fight I would guess.

[EastStang]

I watched the delayed broadcast on CSTV and here are some thoughts I had. First, someone please teach Fall, Rack, Epps and Morris not to dribble when the get a pass in the low post, just put it up (or teach them a head fake). Second, we were passing the ball well- the big men weren't ready to catch the pass and that led to a bunch of turnovers. Hopkins and Whittingham were making some great passes inside. After the game got lopsided, BH started bombing it which is fine with me. Our defense was pretty good and Fall did a good job of making life difficult for the Tigers inside. We pushed the ball up the floor which was good, but led to a bunch of turnovers from sloppy ball handling. Our rebounding was solid all night. They didn't get many second shots and we did get some offensive rebounds (then missed the shots over and over and over). We kept fighting the entire game which was a real good sign. We actually got it down to 10 at one point and then missed a couple of shots.

[vismatt]

I just got back from Memphis last night, and have to say I agree with HixsontoLeVias' comments on the Memphis fans. We were sitting up in the upper deck behind the Memphis bench, and got very excited in the first half when SMU cut it to less than 10. We stood up and cheered and whistled only to be be yelled at by a couple of drunk Memphis fans behind us to "Sit down."

Later in the game when Bamba twisted his ankle and was down on the ground, this little punk behind us was yelling in our ears about "Simba" being hurt, and kept yelling "Stick Boy, Stick Boy." Real classy to yell at an injured player.

As a whole, Memphis is a very hospitable town, but it appears that the average Memphis fan in the upper deck is pretty low class.

PS - the ribs at the Rendezvous and the pulled pork sandwich at Corky's rock.

[ALEX LIFESON]

Sounds like a good shoe salesman and a dentist, could have made a killing in that arena.