CHRONICLING ECU & C-USA SPORTS
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View
from the 'ville
Thursday,
January 12, 2006
By Al Myatt |
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High praise from unexpected
quarters
©2006 Bonesville.net
Memphis coach John Calipari broke with
tradition after his No. 5 Tigers seemingly used several of their nine lives
to escape from Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum with a 77-67 win over a
highly-motivated band of East Carolina Pirates on Wednesday night.
Generally, coaches focus primarily on their
team's performance in their postgame analysis, but ECU's effort and the
sellout atmosphere prompted the former NBA coach to center praise on his
Conference USA opponent.
The Pirates, 16.5-point underdogs, forced
Memphis to overcome an 8-point deficit in the first half and ECU trailed by
a scant three points with less than three minutes left.
Calipari compared the arena to a Final Four
atmosphere, which provided considerable inspiration for the Pirates as it
has in past home wins over C-USA powers.
"This was a great basketball environment,"
Calipari said. "I thought with Tom Hammonds hurt they would be demoralized,
but they were in there until there was one minute left."
The crowd was announced at 7,553.
"My hat's off to the fans," said the
sixth-year Memphis coach. "This was what basketball should be. We've got to
get all the other teams in the conference like this. We're lucky to leave
here with a 'W.' I told our guys we need to run out of here after a road
win."
With the strength of C-USA greatly reduced by
the exodus of Cincinnati, Louisville, Marquette, et al, Calipari may feel
the need to promote the remnants of what used to be a basketball power
conference. He certainly adjusted his non-conference schedule to compensate
for the diminished challenge the league presents.
No. 1 Duke and No. 8 Texas are the only teams
to tame the Tigers, now 14-2 and 1-0 in the league.
"We had a tough non-conference schedule,"
Calipari said. "I did that because of the team we have. I felt we could
compete — and I have a long term contract."
The Pirates sought to capitalize on zone
defense, similar to what the Longhorns used in a 68-59 win at Memphis on
Jan. 2.
"We're going to play against a lot of zones
and we're going to be a pretty good offensive team against zones," Calipari
said. "People don't want to play man against that driving motion."
ECU (6-8, 0-1) held the Tigers to 36.6 percent
field goal shooting and that left the door open for an upset for most of the
night.
"The atmosphere kind of reminded me of the
Marquette game here a couple of years ago," said ECU's Jeremy Ingram, half
of the Kinston duo that produced a pair of double-doubles for the Pirates.
"I was here to see that. I wish it had turned out the same way but they're a
great ball club coached by a great coach. One little play here and a little
play there and we'll get there."
Corey Rouse led ECU with 20 points and 12
rebounds. Ingram finished with 12 points and 11 boards.
"Give Memphis credit," said ECU coach Ricky
Stokes after expressing his pride in his own team's effort. "They were quick
to balls, they have a few more bodies and they play hard. There's no
question that they are very talented and they made plays at the end."
The Tigers hoisted 35 attempts from behind the
arc against ECU's zone. Ten of those shots fell for 28.6 percent.
"If you're open, you have to shoot 'em,"
Calipari said of the proliferation of long balls. "If they're contested,
they're bad shots."
Stokes said playing zone against Memphis was a
matter of the Pirates "picking their poison" because of the Tigers' size,
depth and versatility.
"They really overmatch you," said the
first-year ECU coach. "They're big and tall and they can shoot. They can not
only shoot but they can get the rebound."
Stokes said he couldn't ask much more of his
players than the effort they put forth against a Top Five club.
"As coaches you want them to play hard and I
thought we did," he said. "The fans and students made it a great atmosphere.
There was a great pick up on tickets all day and we thanked the students for
that. They really provided an atmosphere for us to play well.
"Other than (not) winning, I was pleased.
"Not having another perimeter guy — I thought
we got winded. Memphis presses you, which is also taxing. Those factors
added to stretches in which we didn't play well."
Speaking of stretches, Stokes played Rouse
only nine minutes in the first half because he had two fouls and the Pirates
still managed a tie at 32 at the break.
Stokes said his players were disappointed but
must begin preparing today for Saturday's league game at Texas-El Paso, the
longest trip in conference play ever for ECU. The Pirates will be at UTEP,
formerly Texas Western, on Jan. 14, the day after the national premier of
"Glory Road," the movie about the Miners' run to the NCAA Tournament
championship in 1966.
"We've addressed UTEP," Stokes said. "This is
a new season and that was one game. It's a new league and there are a lot of
teams we haven't seen.
"We've challenged our kids to come back
tomorrow. I haven't been to El Paso but I know it's a great facility and
they're well coached. They're an NCAA Tournament caliber team. It's going to
be interesting to see how we respond."
Stokes said Josh King didn't play because of
back spasms and that Hammonds is day to day with an ankle injury. Senior
forward Mike Castro is out four to eight weeks with an injured right foot.
The Pirates have won three of their last five
and the two losses were to ranked teams. ECU stunned rival UNC-Wilmington
82-69 during that span.
"I've always liked these guys," Stokes said.
"You can do a lot with players who work hard and are willing to listen. I
think it has taken some time for them to learn us as coaches and what we
expect."
Stokes has confidence in the Pirates — and so
does Calipari.
"We played well," said the Memphis coach of
his own club. "We're not much better than that. East Carolina plays like
that and they're fine."
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02/23/2007 12:29:45 AM
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