The 2013-2014 Memphis Tigers basketball season was dominated by for better or worse by the “four senior guards”. Joe Jackson, Chris Crawford, Geron Johnson and Michael Dixon Jr. led the Tigers to their best season under coach Josh Pastner, and all graduated to what were supposed to be greener pastures.
Joe Jackson was the most heralded of the group even if his Memphis Tiger career was a bit rocky. He came into college as a top-20 recruit and was branded “The King of Memphis” before he had even stepped on the court in a college uniform.
His college career was filled with frustrations, Jackson even thought about leaving Memphis at one point. Instead of leaving, Jackson transformed into one of the best point guards in Tiger history.
Unfortunately, Joe Jackson didn’t bring championships to the University of Memphis, as many fans expected he would, but he did do something else. He improved his game every single season he was in college. By his senior year, the 6-foot guard was averaging 14 points, 4.5 assists and 3.6 rebounds. He was the leader of the Tigers team.
After his senior season, Jackson went undrafted in the 2014 NBA Draft. He was signed to a contract by the Suns and sent to their NBA Developmental League affiliate the Bakersfield Jam. The D-League is the NBA’s minor league system. Jackson missed the first 12 games of the D-League season, but ended up being one of the biggest surprises of the season.
The former Memphis guard caught the attention of NBA scouts with averages of 14.2 points, 4.9 assists and 3.5 rebounds for the Jam. During the season, Jackson has shown off his complete game by accruing five double-doubles. The speedy guard could get an NBA shot next season.
Chris Crawford was in the same recruiting class that brought Joe Jackson to Memphis. He was the lowest ranked guard of his class, but made the most impact outside of Jackson. He was with the program for four years and stuck with the Tigers no matter what.
Much like Jackson, Crawford had an up and down tenure at the U of M, but he was a much better player by the time he graduated. Under the tutelage of coach Pastner, Crawford got better every season. He developed as a defensive player, and a point guard with a nice floor presence.
After his senior season, Crawford went undrafted and signed a contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was sent to their D-League affiliate the Canton Charge where he has not shown the same skills he did in college. He’s struggling from three-point range where he’s only shooting 32.4 percent in 46 games. He’s only averaging 8.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists overall, and isn’t getting the same buzz as his former backcourt mate, Joe Jackson.
Geron Johnson joined the Memphis Tigers in the 2012-2013 season after spending two years in Junior College. He bounced around from junior college to junior college due to legal problems. Coach Pastner initially took flack for taking a chance on a player with such off the court problems.
Johnson proved everyone wrong with his play on the court. He averaged 10.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists in his junior season. He quickly became a fan favorite due to his crowd-pleasing feats of athleticism and his tenacious defense. He was easily the best perimeter defender the Tigers have had under Josh Pastner.
After only averaging 8.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists in his senior season, Johnson went undrafted. He signed a contract with the Houston and was sent to their D-League affiliate The Rio Grande Vipers. Johnson has not turned heads like Jackson. He has done the exact opposite by averaging only 5.2 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists.
Michael Dixon Jr. was the last of the four to join Pastner’s squad. He transferred from the University of Missouri after being suspended from the program due to his name surfacing in connection with sexual assault claims. He was never charged with a crime.
When Dixon joined the Tigers he was looking for tournament success just like the other Memphis guards. He never made it out of the third round in three attempts while at Missouri. He averaged 13.5 points and 3.3 assists the year before he joined Memphis.
The Kansas City product averaged 11.8 points and 2.4 assists in his senior season at Memphis. At times when the other guards were flat, Dixon would come through for the Tigers by hitting big shot after big shot. The Tigers were unable advance past through the third round with Dixon, though.
After college, Dixon’s NBA dreams fell short as he went undrafted like the other three guards. Unable to find a D-League suitor, Dixon found a new home overseas in Lithuania where he was named to the All-Star team after averaging 16 points per game.
The four guards are having varied successes at the moment, but the future is still bright for each of them.
Former Tiger point guard Joe Jackson averaged 12.1 points and 4.1 assists a game in 139 games in Tiger blue. Photo by David Minkin
