Underestimate Josh Pastner and Memphis at Your Own Risk in 2009-10

A lot of people are sleeping on Memphis basketball.

Just to review: yes, we’re aware that John Calipari is no longer the head coach here in the Bluff City.

Yes, we know that Josh Pastner, who mere days ago turned 32 years of age, is now sitting in the captain’s chair for Tiger hoops.

Yes, the country’s consensus No. 1 recruiting class was subsequently wrecked. The bulk of it (DeMarcus Cousins, Darnell Dodson and John Wall) headed to Kentucky with Calipari; Nolan Dennis landed in Baylor, and only Will Coleman stuck with Memphis.

Yes, we realize that Martin Ngaloro, an intriguing prospect from France, tore up a knee and might never step foot on campus. Angel Garcia’s knee injury did not escape our notice, either.

Yes, there are only eight scholarship players available to Coach Pastner: Will Coleman, Pierre Henderson-Niles, Willie Kemp, Doneal Mack, Roburt Sallie, D.J. Stephens, Elliot Williams, and Wesley Witherspoon.

Yes, yes, that’s just three seniors (PH-N, Kemp, and Mack), one 23-year old junior (Sallie), one junior college transfer (Coleman), a sophomore who transferred from Duke (Williams), a sophomore returnee (Witherspoon), and a true freshman (Stephens).

Yes, even with walk-ons, there’s no way the Tigers will come close to having a full complement of 15 basketball players this fall. Likely, there will be only 12 young men on the roster.

Nor have we forgotten the stench associated with Derrick Rose and his SAT scores. First, the school was in the news non-stop for losing a head coach; then, the media hounds were publicizing the twists and turns in the Rose saga.

All of that aside—and yes, it’s a considerable amount, admittedly—things are not nearly as bleak as some people are making it out to be.

Before you pronounce me insane (you might be right, I’m just not willing to use this particular issue as proof positive!), hear me out on this one. . .

The first thing to remember is this: the 2009 edition of the Tigers is an extremely talented basketball team. The top seven in the rotation is comparable to any except the ultra-elite in the country.

Williams was a five-star recruit coming out of Memphis, and was fully expected to have a break-out campaign as a sophomore at Duke. Henderson-Niles and Kemp were both four-star, top 75 players as preps. Mack was top 50 and scored 31.1 points per game as a senior at Statesville Christian in North Carolina.

Coleman was a junior college All-American and one of the top 5 JUCO prospects this spring. Sallie was California JUCO Player of the Year two seasons ago. Witherspoon shot up recruiting boards like a rocket after his junior season in high school, and was a consensus top 50, four-star prospect.

Now, it’s true that just about everyone on that list has been overshadowed by other players on the Memphis team over the last two or three years.

But when Willie Kemp had to compete with Derrick Rose (No. 1 overall NBA Draft pick and reigning NBA Rookie of the Year) and Tyreke Evans, selected No. 4 overall in this summer’s draft, is there really any shame in being the back-up point guard?

Henderson-Niles played behind Joey Dorsey, who is expected to soak up minutes with the Houston Rockets this season, and Shawn Taggart, who is cashing checks in Europe right about now.

Witherspoon teethed as a true freshman behind just about all the upperclassmen on the team, as he played every position on the floor at some point (albeit, he was at the “one-in” power forward/center position for only a few possessions in a single game last year).

Mack was a starter, but deferred a larger role in the offense to NBA draftees Antonio Anderson, Robert Dozier (getting paid to play in Greece), and Evans.

Sallie spent a considerable portion of the season in Calipari’s doghouse, backing up Mack and being a designated zone-buster, limiting his ability to show off his all-around game.

The point is: yes, a lot of talent is gone; but an impressive amount is still on campus. And anyone who thinks these kids don’t have talent and ambitions of playing professional ball is simply fooling himself.

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