SCOUTING REPORT
The Tigers are deep and versatile. All of their pieces fit together when they are committed as individuals to playing their role within the big picture. That's particularly true in the backcourt with freshman point guard Derrick Rose, junior guards Chris Douglas-Roberts and Antonio Anderson, sophomores Willie Kemp and Doneal Mack, and senior Andre Allen. The Tigers are capable of setting a fast pace and controlling a game with defense and rebounding. They're also capable of taking one look at a zone defense and deciding to forgo any sort of offense in favor or settling for too many 3-pointers. For a team that can be erratic from 3-point range, this can be a dangerous choice. The inside trio of senior Joey Dorsey, junior Robert Dozier and sophomore Shawn Taggart can be Memphis' best strength -- as well as its most critical weakness -- depending on who shows up and who doesn't.
GAME REVIEW
Memphis 87, Texas-Arlington 73
Memphis 77, Mississippi State 74
Memphis 92, Michigan State 74
Memphis 85, Texas 67
GAME PREVIEW
Vs. UCLA, NCAA Tournament, Final Four semifinal, San Antonio, Saturday, April 5.
IN FOCUS
The marquee matchup will be Dorsey against UCLA's Kevin Love, but there are many other key factors. Dorsey, at the very least, has to hold his own against Love, especially when the Bruins go inside to Love and he takes the ball right at Dorsey in an attempt to get Dorsey into foul trouble. Even then, the Tigers need Dozier and Taggart to make good use of their height and length advantage over UCLA's Luc Richard Mbah a Moute. Memphis' big guards succeeded in forcing Texas' smaller guards, D.J. Augustin and A.J. Abrams, away from the basket. The Tigers will try to do the same against UCLA's Darren Collison and Russell Westbrook. If UCLA forward Josh Shipp continues to struggle with his perimeter shooting, don't be surprised if that leaves Douglas-Roberts to double up on other UCLA players and create some havoc on defense.
ROSTER REPORT
--Rose may be a freshman, but he's not playing like one. With 27 points, five assists and four rebounds against Michigan State and 21 points, nine assists and six rebounds against Texas, Rose earned the South Regional MVP award. Rose made 17 of 26 shots from the field and 13 of 15 free throws, and often proved to be the catalyst for Memphis' decisive runs and responses.
"He's got a will to win," Memphis coach John Calipari said. "... He's got to improve, got to get on the range a little bit and get that stroke right, but he also has the mental capacity and the mental toughness and the intelligence to be unique and special. And it sets him apart. He's been that way since we got him, so it's nothing I've done with him. He just has a will to win. It may be with a defensive stop. It may be with a rebound that he nicked his head on the rim as he went to get it. It may be outrunning the entire field when he started behind everybody. It may be a steal, a dive, a tip out of nowhere, and then again it may be a drive baseline and dunk on their team. But he's got that will to win, and he's got an innate intelligence that when you give him something, when you teach him something, it's his -- he owns it. You no longer own it. When you give it to him, it's his. And that's, you know, it's just unique. He's a unique player."
--Douglas-Roberts, a first-team All-American, would have been the leading candidate for Region MVP if it had not been for Rose. Against Michigan State and Texas, Douglas-Roberts scored 25 points in both games and came through at the free-throw line by making 25 of 29. In the final 1:35 in both games he combined to make all 10 of his free throw attempts.
--Anderson doesn't make as many headlines as Rose and Douglas-Roberts, but he remains a key to Memphis' success with his all-around play, especially on the defensive end. In the Michigan State game, Anderson played tough defense on senior guard Drew Neitzel, who came in averaging 14.1 points per game and didn't score a basketball until he rattled in a 3-pointer with 1:43 left in the game. For the week, Anderson also combined for 19 points, seven rebounds, eight assists and three steals.
--Dorsey remains unpredictable and contributed only six points and four rebounds against Michigan State but he also remains capable of controlling a game inside -- as he did against Texas, when he came through with 11 points and 12 rebounds.
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