Miners face biggest challenge yet

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UTEP's young Miners have faced several challenges this year, going against good teams and doing it on the road.

Today's challenge, though, might be the biggest. The talented, athletic, deep Memphis Tigers are awaiting this band of freshmen with two sophomores, a junior and a senior mixed in. Memphis is 19-7 overall ... 19-7 against a very demanding schedule. The Tigers are 9-2 and tied for the Conference USA lead.

Perhaps most importantly, Memphis usually owns -- completely devours -- the FedExForum. Memphis is 13-1 at home this season, the lone loss a 76-72 decision to Murray State, the last Division 1 team to lose a game this season. In January 2010, the veteran Miner team beat Memphis on this court, snapping a 64-game home-winning


You get the picture. Memphis wins a lot of games in Memphis.

"Memphis is as good as any team we've played this season," UTEP assistant coach Phil Johnson said. "Talent-wise, they are as good as anyone. Depth-wise, they are probably better than UNLV, more like Kansas State. They bring three or four guys in off the bench and there is no dropoff. Sometimes it seems they even get better. If you have foul problems, like we have had at times, that can really hurt you when you can't get your best guys on the floor.

"Tulane was just one point down at the half to them Wednesday night (in New Orleans) and Memphis scored 50 points in the second half (to win 82-64," Johnson said. "And it wasn't Tulane's defense. It was them not taking care
of the ball. Memphis and their pressure can force you into a lot of turnovers. So we've really got to take care of the basketball."

UTEP has just one senior on this team, but he is certainly familiar with everything that has to do with Memphis. Gabe McCulley was a standout at Memphis' Craigmont High and was a member of last year's veteran group that dismantled the Tigers in the Don Haskins Center in the regular season. Unfortunately, McCulley was a member of last year's team that suffered a heartbreaking 67-66 loss to Memphis in the championship game of the Conference USA Tournament -- also in the Haskins Center.

"I'm definitely excited about going back home," McCulley said. "I'm looking forward to seeing my family, seeing my mom. I haven't been back since the beginning of May. Memphis, of course, has always been a good team. They've always been able to recruit talented, athletic guys. Last year's loss was really, really tough. Memphis has got another good team, but this year, in this league, anybody can be beat. We've got to go in and stick to our offense, stick to our principles on defense and we'll be all right."

Memphis is led by sophomore Will Barton, who averages 18.2 points, 8.2 rebounds a game. Sophomore Joe Jackson, who hit two free throws with seven seconds left to give Memphis that win in last year's conference tournament championship game, is averaging 10.2 points a game. UTEP's attack has been balanced all season -- Michael Perez averaging 12.1 points a game, McCulley at 11.8 (and 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists), John Bohannon with 11.3 (and 7.3 rebounds) and Julian Washburn at 11.2 points a game.

McCulley is the only Miner who has played in this building since Memphis played twice in El Paso last season. Others are excited about the opportunity.

"I think we're all looking forward to playing Memphis," said junior transfer point guard Jacques Streeter. "They play well offensively and defensively, and they can really put pressure on you. It will be a battle. I'm not sure we've played a team this athletic, that can rebound so well and that puts that kind of pressure on you since New Mexico State. We have to keep our poise, play our game ... just play UTEP basketball."

Memphis awaits the Miners. The road awaits. The challenge awaits.

 

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Memphis Tigers' zone keeping foes off balance
Opponents unprepared for Memphis' strategy



University of Memphis sophomore Will Barton was lurking at the top of the key.

Behind him were senior forward Wesley Witherspoon, sophomore forward Tarik Black and sophomore guard Chris Crawford.

And in back of them all, running corner to corner on the baseline, was sophomore guard Joe Jackson.

The Tigers (19-7, 9-2), who host UTEP (12-13, 5-6) today at noon at FedExForum, appeared to catch Tulane completely off guard Wednesday with their 1-3-1 zone.

By the time Barton got a steal that resulted in a three-point play with 11:49 left and Witherspoon got another steal that led to a Black layup, Memphis had run off 11 straight points and taken command.

For a primarily man-to-man team ranked among the nation's top 20 in field-goal percentage defense, Memphis displayed how effective it can be, particularly against unsuspecting opponents, with a 1-3-1 look more commonly associated with Michigan's John Beilein, West Virginia's Bob Huggins or Oregon State's Craig Robinson.

Though coach Josh Pastner is the first to point out every zone has its holes, Memphis' success with the 1-3-1 against Tulane -- and earlier this season against Southern Miss -- might be evidence the Tigers are becoming as versatile defensively as they have been on offense.

"It proves the diversity on our team," Black said. "The way we do it, we don't just switch (from man-to-man to zone) during the game. We play a couple of games where we're playing them man and then we'll switch to a zone in other games, and that just throws your whole scouting off."

The Tigers' 1-3-1 zone utilizes the same athleticism, length and speed that makes Memphis effective in man-to-man, though its effectiveness is likely rooted in their occasional use of it this season. As a result, opponents probably haven't prepared for it, which seemed to be the case with Tulane.

With the long-armed Barton at the top of the 1-3-1, opponents naturally look to the wings.

With Witherspoon and Crawford on the edges of the second line of defense, Memphis can close out quickly on wing shooters and join Black in defending entry passes to the post.

Jackson, the defender under the basket, has the toughest job, trying to defend the corners from the baseline, but his speed makes him the Tigers' best candidate for the job.

"When there are some shooters in there it's difficult because the man on the bottom has gotta sprint from corner to corner," Jackson said.

Said Pastner: "Obviously our foundation is man, but there's always times that's called for when you throw a zone in.

"My philosophy on zone is if the team misses some shots, it looks like a great decision by the coach. If the opponent makes shots, then it looks like it wasn't a good decision by the coach, because every zone has holes. You're going to give up some open shots."

If Pastner has his way, Memphis probably won't use the 1-3-1 today against UTEP, which is 0-8 on the road this season. As Black pointed out, the primary strength of the Tigers' zone is that opponents have likely prepared to see man-to-man.

The Miners, whom Memphis rallied to beat 67-66 in last year's C-USA Tournament championship game, have won two straight, against Tulsa and Tulane, and have had a week off.

"They run a ton of good action (offensively)," said Pastner, whose Tigers are tied with Southern Miss for first in the league standings. "They're a very high intellectual club. They're (first in C-USA) in assists. This is an extremely well-coached team."