Memphis-Drexel: Tigers Show Flashes of Elite Play in Victory

There is only one statement to sum up the Tigers’ victory over Drexel, and it came from the 10-year-old girl sitting next to me in the throwback Joey Dorsey jersey.  She yelled out to the Drexel players as they ran out on the court, "Don't make me make it rain!"

This brought a huge grin to my face—thinking about Mr. Dorsey a few blocks away on top of a bar “making it rain” as a fight was breaking out.  These are the memories Memphis fans cherish and take pride in.

Former Memphis player Dorsey displayed a level of dominance on the court every game that the fans have yet to see this season.  His presence on the court is a concern the team may not have to worry about much longer.

In the past two games, Pierre Henderson-Niles has been stepping up his level of toughness and is using every pound of his massive stature to get the rebounds.  The big men of Memphis have shown their defensive abilities by making 13 blocks and retrieving 39 rebounds.

The Tigers’ footwork has looked exceptional at times in their cycling movement of the ball, but also abysmal at other points.  Robert Dozier lost the ball several times while dribbling and even by bouncing the ball off his own foot when taking it to the basket.  Robert Sallie really stepped up and made three clutch three-pointers.

It is evident that John Calipari wants the team to penetrate the paint more often.  The Tigers’ shooting percentage of 47.7 percent should be considered an improvement over the last three games, where the team shot under 35 percent.  The Tigers made 31-65 field goals, 10-22 three-pointers, and 15-20 free throws.

The entire team has shown a level of intensity for the entire game that has been reminiscent of last year's finals squad.  Sallie has ended up diving out of bounds on every side of the court.  Taggart has made several big saves to keep the play going off a rebound. Tyreke Evans made a huge steal on a pass that allowed Memphis to get the momentum that Drexel was unable to contain.

After the Syracuse loss this past Saturday, the Tigers finally began to look like an elite team today, and they showed their ability to take control at both ends of the court and truly dominate a game.

by Brett Speer