Tigers to battle Storm in NIT first round matchup
By: Joseph Brewer
Issue date: 3/17/10 Section: Sports
The University of Memphis men's basketball team is set to face St. John's in the first round of the NIT at 8 tonight at FedExForum.
The Tigers, who narrowly missed out on an NCAA Tournament bid, are now shifting their focus to bringing home a second NIT championship. The U of M won its first NIT title in 2002, with a team that consisted of future NBA players Dajuan Wagner, Antonio Burks and Earl Barron, plus the Tigers' all-time leader in the double-double category, Kelly Wise.
This year's group wants to join that group of Tigers and head into tonight's game with a purpose. Players like junior guard Roburt Sallie believe that postseason play should not be taken lightly.
"This is still postseason, so we're taking it very seriously. We're going to do the best we can to win this," Sallie said. "Now it's to the point where if we lose, our season is over. Our back is against the wall, so I think there's desperation, and we just have to play with a different mindset now knowing if we lose, we go home."
Some analysts wonder whether or not the Tigers will be disinterested and suffer a lack of enthusiasm for tonight's game. Sophomore guard Elliot Williams disagreed.
"Personally, I'm really excited," Williams said. "Obviously, you want to go to the NCAA Tournament. That was the goal from the beginning of the year but reality is set. You have to move on, and this is a great NIT with a lot of great teams, and starting off against St. John's, you can get up for it."
St. John's enters tonight's game with a record of 17-15 that features impressive victories. In its nonconference schedule, the Storm piled up victories over Siena, Temple and Georgia. Then, in the rigorous Big East, St. John's managed to knock off Cincinnati, Louisville and Connecticut at home, and won road games at Notre Dame and South Florida.
The Red Storm are led by 6-foot-6 guard/forward D.J. Kennedy. The 213-pound junior leads the team in scoring, averaging 15.1 points per game. He also is the team's leading rebounder, pulling down 6.1 rebounds per game.
The Tigers, who narrowly missed out on an NCAA Tournament bid, are now shifting their focus to bringing home a second NIT championship. The U of M won its first NIT title in 2002, with a team that consisted of future NBA players Dajuan Wagner, Antonio Burks and Earl Barron, plus the Tigers' all-time leader in the double-double category, Kelly Wise.
This year's group wants to join that group of Tigers and head into tonight's game with a purpose. Players like junior guard Roburt Sallie believe that postseason play should not be taken lightly.
"This is still postseason, so we're taking it very seriously. We're going to do the best we can to win this," Sallie said. "Now it's to the point where if we lose, our season is over. Our back is against the wall, so I think there's desperation, and we just have to play with a different mindset now knowing if we lose, we go home."
Some analysts wonder whether or not the Tigers will be disinterested and suffer a lack of enthusiasm for tonight's game. Sophomore guard Elliot Williams disagreed.
"Personally, I'm really excited," Williams said. "Obviously, you want to go to the NCAA Tournament. That was the goal from the beginning of the year but reality is set. You have to move on, and this is a great NIT with a lot of great teams, and starting off against St. John's, you can get up for it."
St. John's enters tonight's game with a record of 17-15 that features impressive victories. In its nonconference schedule, the Storm piled up victories over Siena, Temple and Georgia. Then, in the rigorous Big East, St. John's managed to knock off Cincinnati, Louisville and Connecticut at home, and won road games at Notre Dame and South Florida.
The Red Storm are led by 6-foot-6 guard/forward D.J. Kennedy. The 213-pound junior leads the team in scoring, averaging 15.1 points per game. He also is the team's leading rebounder, pulling down 6.1 rebounds per game.