XU vs MU .. JOHN vs SEAN ..
Posted: Sat Nov 22, 2008 12:25 pm
TIGERS TO MEET XAVIER FOR PUERTO RICO TIP-OFF CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY
The University of Memphis squad (4-0, 0-0 C-USA), ranked No. 13 in the Associated Press poll and No. 12 in ESPN/USA Today poll, continues its play in the 2008 O'Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip-Off on Sunday, Nov. 23 when it faces Xavier (4-0, 0-0 Atlantic 10) in the tournament's championship contest. Game time is 6:30 p.m. (CT) at Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Memphis advanced to the championship game with wins over Chattanooga Nov. 20 (83-71 in quarterfinal) and Seton Hall Nov. 21 (84-70 in semifinal). The Tigers began action in the tournament on Nov. 15 with a 90-63 opening-round victory over Fairfield at FedExForum (see tournament bracket on page 4).
Xavier moved to the Puerto Rico Tip-Off championship game with victories over Missouri 75-71 on Nov. 20 and Virginia Tech 63-62 in overtime on Nov. 21.
Memphis, the 2008-09 preseason pick to win Conference USA, returns two starters and eight letterwinners from last year's squad that won an NCAA record 38 games (38-2 record) and advanced to the NCAA Tournament national championship game. En route to the title contest, the Tigers swept the Conference USA regular season and tournament crowns and the NCAA Tournament South Region championship.
Xavier, the preseason favorite to win the 2008-09 Atlantic 10 Conference regular season title, brings a 4-0 mark into Sunday's game. Prior to their play in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off, the Musketeers opened the season with two home wins over IPFW 71-43 and Toledo 81-65.
Last year, the Musketeers posted a 30-7 record and won the Atlantic 10 Conference regular season crown. Xavier received an NCAA Tournament bid and advanced to the Elite Eight (West Region final), where it lost to UCLA.
SCOUTING THE MUSKETEERS
Xavier, the preseason favorite to win the 2008-09 Atlantic 10 Conference regular season title, brings a 4-0 mark into Sunday's game. Prior to their play in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off, the Musketeers opened the season with two home wins over IPFW 71-43 and Toledo 81-65.
Last year, the Musketeers posted a 30-7 record and won the Atlantic 10 Conference regular season crown. Xavier received an NCAA Tournament bid and advanced to the Elite Eight (West Region final), where it lost to UCLA.
Junior forward Derrick Brown leads Xavier with a 12.8 scoring average. Seniors C.J. Anderson and B.J. Raymond are averaging 10.0 ppg apiece. Jamel McLean leads the Musketeers on the glass with a 6.5 rebounding average. Brown is second on the squad on the boards at 5.5 rpg.
Xavier is shooting 46.1 percent from the field, 35.1 percent from the arc and 69.1 percent from the free throw line. The Musketeers are dominating their opponents on the glass, out-rebounding their foes by an average of +12.3 boards per game (41.8-29.5).
MEMPHIS VS. THE ATLANTIC 10
Memphis has an all-time record of 62-62 against current members of the Atlantic 10 Conference. The Tigers have played Charlotte (7-6), Dayton (7-12), Duquesne (0-2), Fordham (2-1), George Washington (0-1), La Salle (1-1), Massachusetts (1-1), Rhode Island (0-1), Richmond (4-0), St. Bonaventure (1-1), Saint Joseph's (1-1), Saint Louis (32-25), Temple (5- 5) and Xavier (1-5).
The last time the Tigers played an Atlantic 10 foe was earlier this week when Memphis hosted UMass in a near midnight game (11 p.m. CT) on Nov. 17. The Tigers defeated the Minutemen 80-58 at FedExForum. The game tipped off ESPN's marathon of college basketball, as the network televised 23 hours of hoops.
AN ELITE MATCH-UP ON SUNDAY
When the Tigers and Musketeers meet Sunday, it will be an encounter of two Elite programs -- as in NCAA Elite Eight. With both teams' deep runs in the 2008 NCAA Tournament, Memphis and Xavier became two of only nine teams to advance to at least two Elite Eights the last five seasons (since 2004).
Since 2004, Memphis advanced to three NCAA Elite Eights in 2006, 2007 and 2008. The Tigers went on to the NCAA title game in 2008. The Musketeers made it to the Elite Eight in 2004 and 2008.
The other seven programs to make at least two NCAA Elite Eights since 2004 are Kansas, Florida, UCLA, Connecticut, Texas, Louisville and North Carolina.
A NEAR TOURNEY MEETING IN 2008
Well, Memphis and Xavier finally meet over 40 years after their last encounter in the 1966-67 campaign. However, the two schools nearly met a year ago in the 2008 NCAA Final Four.
The Tigers won the South Region title and advanced to the Final Four, where they played the West Region champion. UCLA won that West Region title with a 76-57 victory over Xavier. If the Musketeers had been victorious, it would have been a Memphis-Xavier Final Four meeting.
A FAMILY AFFAIR?
Well, not in the normal sense, but Memphis head coach John Calipari and Xavier head coach Sean Miller are close. They are so close that Calipari has called Miller his "cousin," while Miller has stated that Calipari is his "big brother."
Both Calipari and Miller are western Pennsylvania natives, with Calipari growing up in Moon, which is located just outside Pittsburgh. Miller calls Pittsburgh home.
Calipari, who stated that he probably spent more time as a child at Miller's grandmother's home than his own, recruited Miller to play hoops at the University of Pittsburgh in the late 1980s when Calipari was a Panther assistant coach under Paul Evans.
The University of Memphis squad (4-0, 0-0 C-USA), ranked No. 13 in the Associated Press poll and No. 12 in ESPN/USA Today poll, continues its play in the 2008 O'Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip-Off on Sunday, Nov. 23 when it faces Xavier (4-0, 0-0 Atlantic 10) in the tournament's championship contest. Game time is 6:30 p.m. (CT) at Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Memphis advanced to the championship game with wins over Chattanooga Nov. 20 (83-71 in quarterfinal) and Seton Hall Nov. 21 (84-70 in semifinal). The Tigers began action in the tournament on Nov. 15 with a 90-63 opening-round victory over Fairfield at FedExForum (see tournament bracket on page 4).
Xavier moved to the Puerto Rico Tip-Off championship game with victories over Missouri 75-71 on Nov. 20 and Virginia Tech 63-62 in overtime on Nov. 21.
Memphis, the 2008-09 preseason pick to win Conference USA, returns two starters and eight letterwinners from last year's squad that won an NCAA record 38 games (38-2 record) and advanced to the NCAA Tournament national championship game. En route to the title contest, the Tigers swept the Conference USA regular season and tournament crowns and the NCAA Tournament South Region championship.
Xavier, the preseason favorite to win the 2008-09 Atlantic 10 Conference regular season title, brings a 4-0 mark into Sunday's game. Prior to their play in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off, the Musketeers opened the season with two home wins over IPFW 71-43 and Toledo 81-65.
Last year, the Musketeers posted a 30-7 record and won the Atlantic 10 Conference regular season crown. Xavier received an NCAA Tournament bid and advanced to the Elite Eight (West Region final), where it lost to UCLA.
SCOUTING THE MUSKETEERS
Xavier, the preseason favorite to win the 2008-09 Atlantic 10 Conference regular season title, brings a 4-0 mark into Sunday's game. Prior to their play in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off, the Musketeers opened the season with two home wins over IPFW 71-43 and Toledo 81-65.
Last year, the Musketeers posted a 30-7 record and won the Atlantic 10 Conference regular season crown. Xavier received an NCAA Tournament bid and advanced to the Elite Eight (West Region final), where it lost to UCLA.
Junior forward Derrick Brown leads Xavier with a 12.8 scoring average. Seniors C.J. Anderson and B.J. Raymond are averaging 10.0 ppg apiece. Jamel McLean leads the Musketeers on the glass with a 6.5 rebounding average. Brown is second on the squad on the boards at 5.5 rpg.
Xavier is shooting 46.1 percent from the field, 35.1 percent from the arc and 69.1 percent from the free throw line. The Musketeers are dominating their opponents on the glass, out-rebounding their foes by an average of +12.3 boards per game (41.8-29.5).
MEMPHIS VS. THE ATLANTIC 10
Memphis has an all-time record of 62-62 against current members of the Atlantic 10 Conference. The Tigers have played Charlotte (7-6), Dayton (7-12), Duquesne (0-2), Fordham (2-1), George Washington (0-1), La Salle (1-1), Massachusetts (1-1), Rhode Island (0-1), Richmond (4-0), St. Bonaventure (1-1), Saint Joseph's (1-1), Saint Louis (32-25), Temple (5- 5) and Xavier (1-5).
The last time the Tigers played an Atlantic 10 foe was earlier this week when Memphis hosted UMass in a near midnight game (11 p.m. CT) on Nov. 17. The Tigers defeated the Minutemen 80-58 at FedExForum. The game tipped off ESPN's marathon of college basketball, as the network televised 23 hours of hoops.
AN ELITE MATCH-UP ON SUNDAY
When the Tigers and Musketeers meet Sunday, it will be an encounter of two Elite programs -- as in NCAA Elite Eight. With both teams' deep runs in the 2008 NCAA Tournament, Memphis and Xavier became two of only nine teams to advance to at least two Elite Eights the last five seasons (since 2004).
Since 2004, Memphis advanced to three NCAA Elite Eights in 2006, 2007 and 2008. The Tigers went on to the NCAA title game in 2008. The Musketeers made it to the Elite Eight in 2004 and 2008.
The other seven programs to make at least two NCAA Elite Eights since 2004 are Kansas, Florida, UCLA, Connecticut, Texas, Louisville and North Carolina.
A NEAR TOURNEY MEETING IN 2008
Well, Memphis and Xavier finally meet over 40 years after their last encounter in the 1966-67 campaign. However, the two schools nearly met a year ago in the 2008 NCAA Final Four.
The Tigers won the South Region title and advanced to the Final Four, where they played the West Region champion. UCLA won that West Region title with a 76-57 victory over Xavier. If the Musketeers had been victorious, it would have been a Memphis-Xavier Final Four meeting.
A FAMILY AFFAIR?
Well, not in the normal sense, but Memphis head coach John Calipari and Xavier head coach Sean Miller are close. They are so close that Calipari has called Miller his "cousin," while Miller has stated that Calipari is his "big brother."
Both Calipari and Miller are western Pennsylvania natives, with Calipari growing up in Moon, which is located just outside Pittsburgh. Miller calls Pittsburgh home.
Calipari, who stated that he probably spent more time as a child at Miller's grandmother's home than his own, recruited Miller to play hoops at the University of Pittsburgh in the late 1980s when Calipari was a Panther assistant coach under Paul Evans.