Conference USA report

SportsLine Report
April 7, 2000

A Glance at 2000-2001

It was the worst kept secret in all of college sports and the worst-case scenario for interim coach Johnny Jones.

Memphis wanted a high-profile coach to lead its program. Jones, though he did an admirable job in a tough situation following the program's ugly divorce with Tic Price, was not that guy.

John Calipari is, and he will make his return to the college game next fall in The Pyramid. He returns to coaching after a failed stint in the NBA with the New Jersey Nets. Before that, he built UMass from nothing to a Final Four competitor.

His task at Memphis won't be quite so daunting. Though it's been a while since the Tigers have been heavy hitters on the national stage, it's not like they're a lost cause. Before his well-documented tryst with a Memphis student knocked Price out of the box, the program had taken a step back. Still, the forecast ahead was hardly gloomy.

Price had recruited well and had ample backing from the school, not to mention a great facility with a fertile recruiting territory right in his own backyard. Now all those toys are left for Calipari, who, for all his NBA struggles, knows how to motivate college kids and how to win at the highest level in college.

The program just absorbed its second consecutive losing season for the first time in nearly 20 years, but in the wide-open Conference USA National Division, there's no reason to think Memphis couldn't make a run at the crown right away.

The Coach

Calipari was the hottest name on the coaching landscape, and Memphis is thrilled to have him. Though the team has been fine, it hasn't had a 20-win season since going 22-8 under Larry Finch in 1996 and hasn't won an NCAA Tournament game since 1995.

In eight seasons at Massachusetts, Calipari had a 193-71 record and led the Minutemen to five Atlantic 10 regular-season and tournament titles, two appearances in the NIT and five straight trips to the NCAA Tournament. UMass went to the Final Four in 1996.

Calipari has promised to pack The Pyramid.

"Is there a better area in the country for high school players and high school coaches than Memphis?" Calipari said during his initial press conference. "That's why I looked at this and said this is a great situation. I am excited, and I want to do this."

Who'll Be Back

The Tigers return eight of their top nine scorers, including Kelly Wise (14.5), Marcus Moody (10.8) and sophomore point guard Courtney Trask, who was third in Conference USA in assists and seventh in steals.

After becoming eligible in January, Wise was the team's MVP as a sophomore and the 6-10 forward could be one of C-USA's top players next season. If Calipari can put another big body next to Wise, it would make him that much more effective.

The players were loyal to Jones, but there have been no defections and Calipari has yet to cut anybody loose. Moody expressed his pleasure with the change -- though he lost his starting job toward the end of the season.

"Everybody's in a different situation," Moody said. "I signed with the university. I want to play in front of my family, and I'm a senior," he said. "I'm looking forward to it and I wish all those guys would stay so we can play together."

Who's Gone

Keiron Shine was a nice player for the Tigers, but the shooting guard who averaged 8.6 points is replaceable. Shine had moments of brilliance (39 points against Miami), but his time declined late in the year and so did his stats. Also gone are Aaron Mulvagh and James Harris, a pair of forwards who provided bulk but not much else.

Key Newcomers

Jones signed a pair of local players in the early period and Calipari has said he will honor the scholarships. The Tigers have two more scholarships to give and expect to have them both filled. There are still several high-profile players left unsigned. Don't be surprised to see Calipari land at least one of them.

G Scooter McFadgon, 6-3, 170: Calipari isn't honoring Jones' scholarships just because he's a heck of a guy -- McFadgon was a nice get for the Tigers. A consensus pick as one of the top 100 players in the nation, he should come in and play right away.

F Lou Wright, 6-6, 180: A high school teammate of McFadgon and the younger brother of Atlanta Hawk Lorenzen Wright, he is seen as more of a project ... but is expected to see minutes right away.