This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for The University of Memphis basketball team. After losing to UCLA in the Elite Eight last season, the Tigers had to cope with the loss of two first round NBA draft picks and a starting point guard. A return to the Elite Eight seemed out of the question.
Try telling that to Chris Douglas-Roberts or Antonio Anderson. The duo led Memphis to a 33-4 record, an unblemished mark in Conference USA and a nation best 25-game win streak.
The No. 2 seeded Tigers, however, fell short of reaching the Final Four on Saturday with a 92-76 loss to No. 1 seed Ohio State in the NCAA tournament.
"It's tough," Douglas-Roberts said. "Any loss is tough, but in the Elite Eight? Your season's over. You can't imagine, because you're not playing, but it's not easy."
The night before the game, junior forward Joey Dorsey created a buzz when he called Ohio State big man Greg Oden overrated. Dorsey then referred to himself as Goliath and the 7-foot, 260-pound Oden as David. Dorsey also said that he would have a 20-rebound game.
Dorsey finished with four fouls, three rebounds and no points. Oden poured in 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds.
After sitting on the bench with three fouls for nearly a five-minute span in the second half, Oden returned to the floor and sparked a 20-8 run for the Buckeyes that put the game out of reach. Ohio State (34-3) will play Georgetown Saturday in Atlanta in the Final Four.
"We lost to a good team," Anderson said. "It happens. That's all I can say."
Jeremy Hunt led Memphis with 26 points, including 17 in the first half. The senior guard hit 5-of-11 3-point attempts and went 9-for-10 from the foul line. Douglas-Roberts added 14 points, freshman Willie Kemp scored 12 and Anderson had 10.
Despite exceeding expectations, Douglas-Roberts said it hurt to get so far and then lose.
"Two Elite Eight games in two years," he said. "To lose both is tough. We just knew this is the one where we are going to get over the hump, but we couldn't do it. We didn't bring everything. They're a well executed team, but little things that happened just separated them from us."
While the preseason expectations for this season were modest, the Tigers are expected to be ranked in the preseason top five heading into next year.
Hunt will be the only non-returning scholarship player. The Tigers will add at least three new scholarship players, including prep standout point guard Derrick Rose. Rivals.com listed Rose as the No. 3 overall recruit in the class of 2007. Jeff Robinson, a 6-foot-5 guard out of New Jersey considered the No. 35 overall recruit, will accompany Rose in the backcourt next year. Iowa State transfer Shawne Taggert will also be eligible next season.
Even with the bright future, the loss to Ohio State hurt Hunt, who played in his last game as a Tiger.
"It's not a good feeling," Hunt said.
