Was Memphis Overrated?

Missouri's Tigers knocked Memphis' Tigers over and out of the NCAA tournament

This is too easy, right? You watch all year as Memphis rolls through Conference USA without a challenge. You listen to the debates about whether it'd finish any better than sixth in the Big East. You ponder its tournament seeding, weighing the impressive lack of losses against the unimpressive quality of the competition against which the record was built. And then Memphis gets smacked in the mouth and knocked out in the Sweet 16 by a team from the Big 12 and you get to say, "See?? See?? We TOLD you they couldn't play with the teams from the real conferences! Oh-ver-RAY-ted!"

This was supposed to have been put to bed a year ago, when Memphis hit all its free throws and steamrolled its way to within one miracle Mario Chalmers 3-pointer of the national championship. But looking back now, in the wake of this follow-up season, it becomes easier than ever to dismiss the 2008 run as a Derrick Rose phenomenon (anybody else wish we'd got to see Rose and Tyreke Evans play together?) and file these 2009 Tigers in the same bin as those that preceded Mr. Rose.

The history books will tell you that Memphis' four losses this season were to Xavier, Georgetown, Syracuse and Missouri. That's three Sweet 16 teams and another team from the Big East. No shame in any of those losses (our mighty Hoyas still looked good back in mid-December when that happened, and it was an overtime loss), but the 27 wins the Tigers piled up in between the Syracuse loss and the Missouri loss can't mean much now that they have to watch the tournament's final three rounds on TV.

On this night, Missouri was just the better team. In a zany game that saw both teams shoot over 49 percent from the field and under 67 percent from the free-throw line, Missouri got more defensive stops (in transition and in the half-court) and made more plays on offensive (including a dazzling 70-footer at the halftime buzzer to go up by 13 at the half). Memphis' second-half comeback attempt was valiant and drawn-out, but by the end it had as much to do with Missouri's inability to put the game away from the line as it did with Memphis' ability to play with them. Both teams were gassed about midway through the second half, and the difference was that Missouri had the massive lead.

In an earlier post, I outlined some reasons why I don't like the UConn-Missouri matchup for Missouri, and I stick by that analysis. Missouri was brilliant in the first half of this game, but it was sloppy in the second half, and UConn is going to play much tougher defense than Memphis did. As long as the UConn guards can handle the press (they should be able to), the Huskies will get Missouri into enough half-court sets to accentuate their advantages in size and strength. Missouri will contest shots and passes, but UConn likes to do those things too, and its players are better. Much as I loved watching Missouri tonight, its next game is going to be a lot tougher, and probably part of this ongoing coronation of the Big East.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

3-27-2009 @ 12:35AM

subocarlin said...

Cal & Memphis may get away playing that style in there league,put not in the NCAA tournament----no one sets a screen,no true three point shooters and the defense was horrid and soft.
The freshman was great but the play selection was terrible because they have one shooter in Sallie for three's and they can't make free throws---get your self a three point guy,forget about Mack,who was awful tonight and save the freshman.

3-27-2009 @ 12:55AM

cajuncook155 said...

Banked in 3 pointer + 65 foot buzzer shot + 2 technical fouls = -10 points = shut up.

On top of that, Memphis shot under 50% from the field (basic research, much?) and the teams combined for 49 fouls and 77 free throws (????). Nobody could possibly be called a better team on any given night when that kind of stuff that was going on. That was a hilariously bad basketball game, and we all know it.

3-27-2009 @ 1:03AM

jeffthrow6892 said...

As usual, it's all about Memphis being over-rated & all about the Big East. How about them MIZZOU TIGERS!!!! This is a GREAT TEAM, PEOPLE!! Wake up & realize this!! Yes, UCONN real be yet another big test. But I think Mizzou might just surprise people! AGAIN!!!!

3-27-2009 @ 5:32AM

jcsgroove said...

For whatever reason,Memphis came out a bit flat to start the game and let it get out of hand.They are not overrated...Anybody remember the fact they lost THREE player to the NBA??? Anybody? They just got out-hustled by a team a lil bit hungrier.I even think they underestimatd Mizzou a bit.

In a series,Memphis would win but this ain't the NBA,it's college...one and done! Lookout for Memphis next year though!! They're still one of the best 5 teams in the country regardless of how people try and put them down for playing in C-USA.As I recall,Louisville,Marquette,and Cinncinati were in C-USA not long ago.Does that mean they're better just cause they play in the Big East?

It's not about what conference you play in,it's about TALENT! memphis showed it last year and this year.You guys should stop hating and just recognize that Memphis is turning into a premier program that happens to play in a sub-par leauge. How quickly we forget that UNLV was the same type of team playing in a weak conference.Get you history straight!

Memphis Tigers 2010 Champs!!! :-)

3-27-2009 @ 1:19AM

mdkin01 said...

Missouri would have beaten the Boston Celtics the way they were putting in outworldly shots tonight. If they continue to shoot the ball like that, they will win the tournament, then all of the sudden Memphis doesnt look so bad. Unfortunately, they wont shoot the ball like that again and will probably lose to UConn. If Memphis had hit any free throws and had played just a little bit of defense, they would have won the game, so I cant give Missouri too much credit. I think Memphis thought they were going to win the game easily and basically just didnt come to play in the first half, got too far behind and then couldnt hit any shots from outside to came back and win it. They will be very good again next year, better then this year, especially if Evans comes back, which I doubt.

3-27-2009 @ 1:56AM

drron101 said...

Memphis can't shoot free throws and are lazy on defense. Memphis played a step slow all night long. Overrated? God I hope not, all those those sports analysts can't all be incompetent, and as those two TV broadcasters kept bragging and bragging and bragging about those Memphis Tigers, Mizzou made it's own luck and quietly built a lead and Memphis let the game slip away. Plain and simple, Mizzou was the better team tonight and Memphis is only a memory now, shouting out the back of the bus, "WAIT TIL NEXT YEAR!!!!!! PRICELESSSSSSS!!!!!!

3-27-2009 @ 7:27AM

Mo-Man said...

Well, I totally expected this one! No respect for Missouri and Memphis was just never that good! Whatever! Give MU credit here and give them a chance against UCONN. They are undersized and not quite as athletic, but that has not stopped them all season. It will be like killer bees swarming the giants! MIZ ZOU!

3-27-2009 @ 9:12AM

mellowreb1 said...

What is with you guys? No matter what Mizzou does they get no respect. Every headline gloryifies the winning team, Vill destroys so and so. Uconn does so and so, etc. With what is a great win for a team that has turned their program around the headline is Was Memphis overrated. How about just one time you give these guys sdme credit. is that to much to ask?

3-27-2009 @ 3:26PM

tpbhome said...

I think Missouri deserves a lot of credit and Memphis had a bad night. Memphis is not over rated at all. Regarding the big east I think that the top 5-6 teams are very good but the bottom 5-6 stink. The big east needs to start playing a tougher nonconference schedule with home on home games against good teams (e.g. Xavier, Dayton, etc.). The BCS conferences have way too much power now and it is due to football not basketball.