Tigers take on Magicians in exhibition tonight
By: Joseph Russell
Issue date: 11/3/09 Section: Sports
The wait is finally over.
After months of watching first-year coach Josh Pastner assemble different pieces for 2009-2010, Tigers fans will have the chance to see the finished product tonight when The University of Memphis plays LeMoyne-Owen College in an exhibition contest at FedEx Forum.
The last time The U of M faced the Magicians in an exhibition game was the 2006-07 season, and the Tigers won by a score of 113-63. Back then, the Tigers were led by Joey Dorsey's 22 points, and The U of M was ranked No. 14 in the country.
Although exhibition games in the past have often resulted in easy victories for The U of M, Pastner isn't chalking up any wins until his team actually earns them.
"They're going to play hard," Pastner said of LeMoyne-Owen. "We're going to have to be prepared to play. This isn't going to be a cakewalk."
With just eight scholarship players on the roster, Pastner said, each contest on the schedule has to be taken as serious as the next.
"We're preparing for LeMoyne-Owen like we would prepare against Jackson State or Syracuse or Tulsa or the Memphis Grizzlies," Pastner said. "We're preparing the same way for every game."
The U of M spent Monday's practice reviewing game film of the Magicians and working on their zone sets. Although they prepared for tonight's match-up as they normally would, the fact that it's just an exhibition is fresh in their minds.
"We'll be able to do some things with different lineups that we haven't been able to do at practice," Pastner said. "This will give us an opportunity to try different lineups and see how it works."
Some of these experiments include using big men Will Coleman and Pierre Henderson-Niles at the same time or going small and sliding guards Doneal Mack, Elliot Williams or Wesley Witherspoon in at power forward.
"As far as the rotation, coach is trying a lot of things," Mack said. "(Going small) might be a disadvantage on defense, but it's an advantage on offense having so many people in there that can shoot."
After months of watching first-year coach Josh Pastner assemble different pieces for 2009-2010, Tigers fans will have the chance to see the finished product tonight when The University of Memphis plays LeMoyne-Owen College in an exhibition contest at FedEx Forum.
The last time The U of M faced the Magicians in an exhibition game was the 2006-07 season, and the Tigers won by a score of 113-63. Back then, the Tigers were led by Joey Dorsey's 22 points, and The U of M was ranked No. 14 in the country.
Although exhibition games in the past have often resulted in easy victories for The U of M, Pastner isn't chalking up any wins until his team actually earns them.
"They're going to play hard," Pastner said of LeMoyne-Owen. "We're going to have to be prepared to play. This isn't going to be a cakewalk."
With just eight scholarship players on the roster, Pastner said, each contest on the schedule has to be taken as serious as the next.
"We're preparing for LeMoyne-Owen like we would prepare against Jackson State or Syracuse or Tulsa or the Memphis Grizzlies," Pastner said. "We're preparing the same way for every game."
The U of M spent Monday's practice reviewing game film of the Magicians and working on their zone sets. Although they prepared for tonight's match-up as they normally would, the fact that it's just an exhibition is fresh in their minds.
"We'll be able to do some things with different lineups that we haven't been able to do at practice," Pastner said. "This will give us an opportunity to try different lineups and see how it works."
Some of these experiments include using big men Will Coleman and Pierre Henderson-Niles at the same time or going small and sliding guards Doneal Mack, Elliot Williams or Wesley Witherspoon in at power forward.
"As far as the rotation, coach is trying a lot of things," Mack said. "(Going small) might be a disadvantage on defense, but it's an advantage on offense having so many people in there that can shoot."