The leaves are changing, and the sun is setting earlier, which means one thing in the Bluff City – basketball season.
With a little over a week before its first action, the University of Memphis men’s basketball team have been rounding into shape at the Larry O. Finch Center.
The Tigers, who finished 24-10 last season, lost five key contributors in the offseason, and coach Josh Pastner is the first to say they have a lot of work to do.
Last March, the Blue and Gray bowed out during the round of 32, losing to a solid Virginia squad. Pastner scheduled a plethora of tough opponents early in the season in hopes of improving upon the success from the 2013-14 season.
How good is this Tigers’ team? Pastner said do not ask him because he will not know until the first few games have been played.
“People are always asking me what I think about my team,” Pastner said. “And I just don't know. This is the type of team that we won’t know until we play games.”
Memphis returns a trio of forwards from the 2013-14 squad – junior Shaq Goodwin and sophomores Austin Nichols and Nick King. Nichols and Goodwin started for the Blue and Gray, and King, despite limited playing time, came through for the Tigers when Pastner called his number.
In addition to losing the seniors, the Tigers lost forward Dominic Woodson and guard Damien Wilson to transfer. Neither player contributed a large amount, but they would have been heavily relied upon this year.
Eight of the 15 players on the Tigers’ roster are new on campus this fall, but the vibe around the team seems to be all positive. At media day, nearly every player mentioned how well this team gets along, including Nichols.
“I think our chemistry this year is better than last year’s,” Nichols said. “I say that in all positives, nothing against the seniors last year. It’s just we’re jelling together better this year.”
The Frontcourt
Last year’s focus centered around the senior guards, but the Tigers, arguably, were more successful when they played through Goodwin and Nichols on the block. The ball found its way to the two towering forwards early in game, but the offense moved away from the front of the rim as the game waned.
Pastner said it is absolutely clear the Tigers must play through the post in the upcoming campaign, but he added that doesn’t always mean slowing the game down.
“There’s no doubt we have to play through the post,” the sixth-year coach said. “Pace is still important. We just have to be very conscientious to make sure those guys (Nichols and Goodwin) get as many touches as possible. Those guys have got to be our leading shot takers.”
That does not mean the high-octane pace Tiger fans have grown accustomed to will slow down, according to Pastner. He still wants his team to get up and down the hardwood, adding that the U of M’s frontcourt players are good runners.
Goodwin and Nichols will be relieved by senior transfer Calvin Godfrey, sophomore Kuran Iverson and junior Chris Hawkins, who transferred from Southwest Tennessee Community College.
Pastner described Godfrey as a “hard-nosed, physical player.” The 6-foot-8, 233-pound forward earned an All-Southwestern Conference first team selection last season, leading the team in scoring (12.9 per game) and rebounding (8.8 per game).
Hawkins, a 6-foot-6 forward, has been described as a “one-through-five player,” meaning he could play any position on the court. The Wisconsin native only played in nine games due to injuries, but he averaged 15.2 points and 6.8 rebounds.
Iverson struggled to get time on the floor last season. He played mostly on the perimeter, but he expects to play more near the basket this season.
“I like being in the paint more,” Iverson, a Harford, Connecticut, native said. “I can make my move easier because I don’t have to start at the top of the key. I just told coach ‘I want to do whatever it takes to win,’ and that’s what I’m doing.”
The Backcourt
The guard spots are a grey area for the Blue and Gray this season. It is impossible to know how the new stable of guards will mesh.
After leading Vanderbilt in scoring, assists and steals in 2012-13, Kedren Johnson will likely get the starting nod at point guard. The junior sat out last season at Vanderbilt, but Pastner said he has been working hard to get back into playing shape.
There are several different candidates to flank Johnson at the other guard spot – Pookie Powell, Trahson Burrell, Markel Crawford, Dominic Magee, Avery Woodson and D’Marnier Cunningham. Each should see playing time at the beginning of the season until Pastner begins to narrow down his rotation.
No one thought Cunningham, who played at Kaskaskia College last season, would break the rotation, but Pastner said the Chicago native impressed him during the Tigers first few practices.
Crawford redshirted last season. The Memphis native plays menacing defense, and is one of the smartest players on the court.
Burrell’s game looks very similar to former Tiger Will Barton. The 6-foot-6, 169-pound wing, who transferred from Lee College, scores the bulk of his points slashing toward the rim from the perimeter.
Woodson, who transferred from East Mississippi Community College, can shoot the cover off the ball, and Pastner said Memphis has to be able to knock down open 3-pointers with team crowding the lane on the experienced Tiger frontcourt.
Magee, the Tigers’ lone true freshman, was the 27th-ranked recruit in the nation by Scout.com. The Harvey, Louisiana, native averaged 22.3 points as a senior at Helen Cox High School.
With so many new faces, Pastner said the biggest challenge this offseason has been the inability to put in a lot of new plays. However, he added that coaching this year’s group has been a blast.
Memphis opens with an exhibition against Christian Brothers on Nov. 12, and they tip off the regular season against No. 11 Wichita State on Nov. 18.
Memphis’ offseason slate includes games against Baylor, Stephen F. Austin, Oklahoma State and Gonzaga. Stephen F. Austin and Oklahoma State each visit FedExForum in December.
In addition to a tough non-conference schedule, the American Athletic Conference presents a tough challenge. The AAC coaches picked the Tigers to finish third in the conference behind SMU and UConn.
