Last night was the first exhibition game of the 2011-2012 season for Memphis Tigers Basketball! It goes without saying, last night was awesome. This is the most excited I have been about Memphis Basketball since the days of Derrick Rose, Joey Dorsey, and Chris Douglas-Roberts. As much as I hate to watch a blow-out game, it was nice that Memphis—as a rebuilding team— got a game under their belts where they weren't stressed. Having received the nickname "Cardiac Kids" last season, it is apparent that this season will continue to keep us all on the edge of our seats.
Recent recruits Stan Simpson and Adonis Thomas played exceptionally well last night and both are sure to be well received by Memphis fans. Losing Will Coleman last season due to graduation was a hard loss for the team's unity and leadership. I am glad to see that Tarik Black will be stepping in as the team's sole captain to take the reins and lead this team to undoubtedly another conference victory and hopefully a trip to the Final Four. Becoming a co-captain last year as a freshman speaks volumes of how Tarik is perceived by his fellow teammates. Another local favorite, Joe "The Real Deal" Jackson, put on one heck of a show last night. It was nice to see that over the summer Joe figured that passing the ball was more advantageous to the team than his typical turnover. I think that these two will make the city of Memphis proud and represent Memphis in a good light.
Overall the team played well and I expect great things from these young Tigers. I have been uneager to jump on the Coach Pastner bandwagon over the last two seasons, but I feel confident now in his skills as a coach. To say the very least, he is an amazing recruiter. I would venture to say that Coach Pastner may even be a more efficient recruiter than Coach Calipari ever was. A major flaw in Coach Calipari's recruitment process was that he never tried to keep local talent here in Memphis. Over the last decade, there was an abundance of skill in the city that seem to always trickle away to other teams. I was always sad to see other teams snatch up the great potential that was here in our own backyard. I am excited for the almost certain onslaught that is to befall Christian Brothers University next Friday, and hope that with this the Tigers can do all of the last minute adjusting needed before the regular season starts.
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