Tim Miller: When it comes to running the point, Andre Allen is the best option for the Tiger basketball team. Darius Washington may be the one getting the all the publicity, but Allen is the one doing what needs to be done: taking care of the basketball. In five games played, Washington is averaging 3.2 turnovers per game. He has the tendency to recklessly push the ball up court, put up circus shots in transition, and turn the ball over. Allen, meanwhile, is a much better ball handler and only averages 1.5 giveaways per game. With all the scorers on the team this season, The U of M doesn't really need a floor general with a score-first mentality. The Tigers needs someone to control the up-tempo pace that Calipari wants and someone to play good defense. Allen has locked opponents down, stealing 10 balls in six games. Washington is an offensive threat (only because he jacks up a ton of shots), but he gets beat on defense more than a point guard should. UCLA's Jordan Farmar lit up Washington and went for 28. That almost cost the Tigers the game and their chance at facing Duke in the Preseason NIT Final. Washington is going to cost Memphis a game down the road.
Matthew Laurie: While I was thoroughly impressed with Andre Allen's play in Wednesday night's win against Jackson State, the best option at the point guard slot is still Darius Washington Jr. You don't have articles written about yourself in Sports Illustrated and ESPN the magazine if you aren't one of the premier players in the country. Washington is turning into the floor general head coach John Calipari wants, and this year he's led Memphis to wins against three quality opponents. Stats are nice, and later I'll use them to back my argument up, but putting the other players and the team in position to win is the most important factor. Washington has done this with flying colors. Washington's scoring may not be as needed as it's been in the past, but use the NIT game against Alabama as an example. Washington scored 23 points while the next leading Tigers scorer tallied 11. If not for Washington's scoring mentality we may have lost.
TM: If you take 18 shots, which by the way was the most on the team (Rodney Carney was second in field goal attempts that night with 10), I'd hope you could get at least 25 to 30 points. Washington's role was to get other people involved, and he didn't. He gunned all night. D-Wash would finally get a crazy shot to fall, and he'd start hitting his chest like he was untouchable. It was funny to me because about 10 other times I remember the Crimson Tide's Chuck Davis and Jermareo Davidson sending his lay-up attempts into the seats. In the biggest game of the season against #1 Duke, D-Wash dished out a whopping 1 assist. He's on his way to being Steve Nash, isn't he? Allen, meanwhile, had 3 steals, 2 assists and 2 rebounds in just 11 minutes of play. Someone please tell me why he doesn't get more minutes because I really don't get it. Allen play high school ball at Booker T. Washington in Memphis, and he plays like he grew up: hard. I'm taking Andre if I have to pick a team.
ML: The reason Washington had a sub-par game against Duke because he had suffered a deep thigh bruise against Alabama. This is the same injury that caused him to miss Monday's game against Lamar and threatened to take him out of Wednesday's game against Jackson State. However, Washington toughed it out and played against Duke. Here are they stats that I promised would back up my argument. Washington has hit 46 percent of his shots even with his injury. He also gets to the free throw line more than any of his teammates, and shoots a good percentage. His 79 percent free-throw percentage is far and above Allen's 40 percent and Washington leads the team in free throws taken. Since all the other stats are essentially a wash, Washington's ability to get to the line and score the easy points are what make him a starter.
