Our Tiger Bloggers will give us their thoughts throughout the University of Memphis’ run through the NCAA Tournament

From David Rubio, Franklin, Tenn.:

What a great time to be a Tiger! First of all, I fully expected this to be another amazing stretch in the magical run that Calipari has the U of M on. (BTW, do you know how many teams in history have won 100 games in a three year span? We will be #5 at this time next year!) Did I expect 30 wins…no, but I expected us to get pretty close. And while I didn’t exactly expect to go 19-0 against CUSA competition this year, I figured it was a strong possibility. I expected better shooting than Seth Davis predicted & suffocating defense, but, for this blog – rather than discuss the season as a whole, I want to break my pre-season expectations down a bit.
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Our Tiger Bloggers will give us their thoughts throughout the University of Memphis’ run through the NCAA Tournament

From Felix Caldwell, Memphis.:

After watching the 2005-2006 Tigers fall just short of a Final Four appearance, I tried to lower my expectations for the upcoming season. How could this year’s squad duplicate or exceed a nearly flawless run excluding the first and last games of 2006. Besides, we lost three starters,two first round NBA draft picks and last but not least 60% of our offense. Last year’s team had no expectations to live up to like this year’s team.

While it took a little while for this team to find its identity the 2006-2007 Tigers have surpassed my wildest expectations and continue to amaze me with their unselfishness, intense defense, explosive offense and most importantly having players that can step up with the game on the line. Who could have imagined this team would go undefeated at home and in conference play and own the nation’s longest winning streak when the season began? This team I truly believe with a little luck (and you have to be lucky) can make a run to the Final Four and who knows a chance to play for the championship in Atlanta. Whatever happens this team has been a true pleasure to watch.

I know my expectations will be running high for next season but not until I finish seeing where this special group of student athletics takes me during March Madness!!

Our Tiger Bloggers will give us their thoughts throughout the University of Memphis’ run through the NCAA Tournament

From Kenneth Brasel, Glasgow, Ky.:

Coach Cal To Run Halliburton?

Rumors are only rumors but sometimes there is a caveat of truth somewhere within its statement. All of us are keenly aware that we lost 3 great players last year and the dozens of pundits who labeled this year’s team with the hideous cliché, “Rebuilding year for Memphis.” Admittedly there was some truth to that statement but with the depleted league we now play in, most of us were still positive. I was. I was confident we would win the conference, but fully expected to lose more than a few in league play before the job was done. With a tool bag of assorted players, some allegedly damaged by off-court problems, Cal had his hands full. However he had a well-developed blueprint for success. I watched along with the rest of you as he built this season, one amazing game at a time. It was simply amazing to see how one player would shine one day, and another would shine the next. We never knew who would be his lead man to run the paint on any given day. But he always had 5 hard working players on the floor for 40 minutes. When the final shot clock wound down at Memphis last week, the job was done. The finished product went way beyond any of my wildest expectations for the depth, breadth, and simply wealth of entertainment value of quality Memphis basketball. Cal’s attention to detail has built what none of us dared to expect, a perfect season. So don’t be surprised to see Cal heading up the boardroom of Halliburton, the nations largest rebuilder in the off-season. At the very least, he should be selling those infamous sunroom attachments on Saturday morning commercials

Our Tiger Bloggers will give us their thoughts throughout the University of Memphis’ run through the NCAA Tournament

From Patti Yancey, Bartlett.:

Several songs come to mind when I think of the Tigers….”On The Road Again”….is the one I’m singing today (alone of course)…Last year, after the first game, I couldn’t stop thinking about how great we looked…Carney breaking away and then stopping at the free point line (or at least it seemed like it) and bounding into the air without using a trampoline for the dunk to end all dunks….I knew we were headed into greatness and I told everyone (I didn’t have to know them to brag on my Tigers)!…After the first game this year I thought we had a building year ahead of us…ever the fan…still bragged but just not to strangers as much….
About midway thru…(rolling my eyes at the Tennessee fans that gloated)….I saw the team move up to another level….they had leaders…the ones that would bring their best, then when called on for another ‘degree’ as Coach Cal would say…stepped up to the stove and turned up the knob….at first there were only a few…but it caught on….and now most of the team does it…While, the analysts haven’t seen that side of us…(how could they, they only watch the highlights)…we know what we can do…and while Im not on the floor with them…I send positive energy every game, always a ‘cook’ at heart…..Both teams, last year and this, have their greatness qualities but this year we have something else….’Chefs’…..they can taste “it”….and so can I!