Update: Drew not interested in Memphis

According to Fox Sports, Scott Drew is not interested in Memphis job.

Also Theus is reported to be at the top of Memphis' list of coaches. We'll see if he uses this to his advantage with Arizona.

-g

BREAKING!! Memphis Narrows Search to Top Three!

Rumors are flying around Memphis that the Tigers have narrowed the list for new coaching candidates to the following three fellows...

Reggie Theus
Avery Johnson
Scott Drew

This news comes on the heels of Xavier Henry's father confirming Memphis' interest in Theus and Johnson. You can find that info on Zagsblog.

There are conflicting reports on whether Memphis has asked permission to speak with Scott Drew. Johnson or Theus would be preferable, so maybe the Tigers won't get to Drew. I don't believe Drew has the rapport or the resume to accomplish what Tiger fans have grown to expect.

Benedict Calipari...

I can think of a few others words that can't be spelled without UK, such as... pluck, shmuck, stuck, and unmasked. Feel free to add your own in the comments, Tiger fans.

Year of the Tiger Fan...

After becoming friends with The Door on Facebook, I was returned to my home page to see John Calipari's daughter dropping some tidbits on the whole fiasco.

I blacked out everyone's name except Cal's daughter, not because this came from a private forum, but because it makes me look like an investigator of some sort and makes my work look awesome. Mind you, this WHOLE EXCHANGE showed up on the PUBLIC U. of Memphis network, for all to see. Stay away from me, Corey B Trotz. You are, for once, not the way to go.

First of all, the initial status update about John Calipari taking the money is dumb. Everyone knows by now he wanted to coach at Kentucky. The issue most Tiger fans have is that he has, self-admittedly, wanted to coach at Kentucky since 1992. This isn't bad in and of itself. However, in light of all the things he has said over the years about Memphis, Calipari appears to have simply used the Tigers as fertile soil from which he can reap a vast harvest... at the University of Kentucky. Geez. Another farming analogy. I don't know what my deal is lately. I swear we're not all hicks in the South, people. We're gangsters.

Anyway, the move obviously wasn't about money. As his daughter quickly follows up, Cal would've gotten more money if he had stayed. This is probably where Fred Smith and the other big boosters come into play. Rumor has it they stopped by the Calipari residence Monday night and offered him the change leftover in their pockets, and by change I mean the kind of money that makes our pick-pocketing new president salivate. Obama was so happy about the money Calipari was going to receive that he went and splurged on a new iPod to give to the Queen of England. Isn't that super rad and hip of our president?

So after the obligatory suck-up comments from the "follow your dream" crowd, we get a somewhat disconcerting message from Little Miss Cal... "and memphis treats him like this? obviously it was the right decision." Eck. As mad as I am about the Rape and Pillage of the Memphis Tigers, her message made me feel strange.

On the one hand, thousands and thousands of Tiger fans could respond similarly with, "and cal treats us like this? obviously it was bushleague." They would be correct. The upcoming year has been heralded as the Tiger's prize after so many years of coming up short. Four years of making it to at least the Sweet 16... The supposed new schedule with some combination of Kansas, Duke, UNC, Louisville... Oh, yes, and the number one recruiting class in history. These are the stories that kept many fans devout through the first couple rough months of this past season. Even the loss to Missouri was seen as merely the last speed bump until the Year of the Tiger, when everything in Memphis falls into place.

Then two days after John Calipari lands in Memphis, he becomes the highest paid coach in NCAA basketball... at Kentucky. Sweet 16s? Probably done. Formidable out of conference match-ups? Definitely done. Number one recruiting class in history? Either heading to Kentucky or breaking up and moving in different directions. After all the years of Calipari tickling the ears of Tiger fans, this is what the Year of the Tiger has become. Disaster.

On the other hand, Megan Calipari may have a point. Where was Memphis before John Calipari? Not quite circling the drain, but looking up at plenty of teams (most of whom managed to escape the CUSA by 2005). While it took several years to build, Calipari had Memphis believing. The belief was validated by success in the NIT and then great success in the NCAA tournament.

So do Tiger fans have the right to hate on Calipari? Hate is such a strong word for someone who gave Memphis so many good memories. There is definitely room for bitterness and anger, as he's leaving the program barely better than he found it. Yet, something unique happened during Calipari's career here. The city rallied behind the team. The people supported the team. Local businesses and business people fought to keep the team happy and successful. In this sense, Calipari is leaving the program in better shape than he found it. He's leaving it in the hands of so many people who so passionately want to rally behind the team. While the anger and grumbling may last for a short time, the hope for the success of the Memphis Tigers is alive and well. We will respond. While this may not quite be the Year of the Tiger, it may become the Year of the Tiger Fan.

-JB

Cal Cheats the System, So Should You: Future NBA Players

Let’s face it Memphis fans, if it weren’t for the NBA’s One-Year rule Memphis would have never seen the likes of Tyreke Evans, Derrick Rose, Dajuan Wagner, Darius Washington, or Shawne Williams. All 5 star recruits according to Rivals.com. Recruiting the one-year-warranty players is just one of John Calpari’s tricks of the trade that he’ll teach you at his $200 a plate “A Night with Coach Cal” dinners. Who knows, had this rule always been in place Kendrick Perkins and Amare Stoudemire would have worn Memphis blue.

But just as Cal put the dribble-drive offence on the map in college hoops, he has also created a new field of study for future NBAers: One and Doneology; using your one year in college not to study fine arts or get a Facebook page, but to hone your craft to fit perfectly into an NBA style offence. Smart. Effective. Sneaky. It’s a trade off. You give me one year on my team and a championship scare, and I’ll make you a top draft pick, Mr. Rose.

In a time when the NCAA is literally making billions off of “amateur” athletes, who aren’t allowed to accept gifts or endorsements, who’s to say that Cal isn’t just beating them at their own game. As proven by this week’s events, contracts mean nothing anymore; Letters of Intent are just that, intent. “Ok, coach, you can go to Kentucky, even though you signed a new contract last year making you the second highest paid coach in NCAA basketball, behind a man that actually won a National Championship, make that two.” What are contracts these days besides pay stubs? LOI are just hype to talk about in the pre-season. College basketball recruiting this year is more like the NBA draft: speculation, chatter, rumors, repeat.

And Cal played us all, holding his cards close to his chest, and always looking for that step up. He sold himself this time. He did what he could to follow his dream: to coach at Kentucky. Turns out Memphis was just his one and done stop as well. Just like D-Rose, Cal just went number one in the draft.

sources: rivals.com, nba.com, wikipedia.com, my brain

JHob

Inspirational

The Fed Ex Forum remains dry

Bruce Pearl will continue sweating through his sport coats in Knoxville as he negotiated a new deal with Tennessee according to CBSSports.com.

Another update, Tim Floyd did not go to Arizona but instead is staying at USC.

In the meantime R.C. Johnson has now moved off campus because of "constant media interest" as he "searches for a new coach" in other words as he plays Halo 3 in his 145 yr old mother's attic. Will we ever get a coach?

-g