The University of Memphis closes its 15-session spring practice with Saturday’s Blue Gray Scrimmage. (And, yes, it’s a scrimmage, not a game).

Tiger coach Tommy West said after Friday’s workout at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium that a rash of injuries might limit the length of the scrimmage.

Receiver Duke Calhoun (knee), running back T.J. Pitts (ankle) and linebacker Tommy Phelps (chest) were among the higher-profile players who didn’t participate in spring practice because of injuries. Linebacker Josh Weaver (shoulder) and offensive lineman Dominik Riley (knee) were injured during the spring. None of the five will play in the scrimmage.

“We’re still banged up a little bit,” West said. “If it gets too bad, we just won’t be here very long.”

As for those who will play and what to watch for:

***The Quarterbacks: Arkelon Hall, the junior college transfer, and Matt Malouf, the sophomore-to-be, have been competing from the start the competition will resume in August. Hall owns a quick release and throws from various arm angles, mostly sidearm. Malouf is emerging as an accurate thrower and, as most know from watching him a year ago, is an adept runner.

***The Running Backs: Pick up a roster sheet that U of M sports information staff will provide. There’s no Joe Doss (he completed his eligibility) and there’s no T.J. Pitts (see injury list above). That leaves junior college transfer Curtis Steele, who sat out last season as a redshirt; Jeremy Longstreet, a converted linebacker; and Mike Davis, a freshman from Franklin, Tenn. Steele is the speediest of the trio, Longstreet has made strides since making the switch last month and Davis has the potential to be a powerful back.

***The Defense: Even with Weaver and Phelps out, this unit has been the story of the spring behind first-year coordinator Tim Walton. It’s been an aggressive, attacking unit not afraid to play press-man coverage.

Tiger football coach Tommy West has taken a keen interest in the basketball team’s run to the Final Four.

Before last weekend’s South Regional games in Houston, he predicted the lopsided wins over Michigan State and Texas, even when members of his staff thought the games would be a bit closer.

As the U of M prepares for Saturday’s national semifinal against UCLA, West said he’s expecting the Tigers to continue their run.

“To me, our guys have kind of been waiting on this game,” he said. “I like our chances, I think we are going to win it all. Every challenge this team has (faced), this team has responded. I believe they are going to win it all.”

West said he predicts and Memphis-North Carolina final.

“North Carolina is the second-best team in (the Final Four),” he said. “And if we get there and North Carolina gets there, I think it will be a heck of a final. Those are some talented players and I think they’ll both leave it on the floor.”

Heavy rains this month have played havoc with the University of Memphis football team’s spring practice schedule, but what has been evident during the workouts conducted between raindrops has been an uptick in intensity.

It has been particularly apparent on defense, as new coordinator Tim Walton’s aggressive approach has rubbed off on a unit that needed a boost.

“I do think there is a better intensity level,” Tiger coach Tommy West said after Thursday’s practice at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. “Everybody that comes to watch us says the same thing. There’s a lot of striking going on on both sides.”

West still would like to see better execution inside the red zone from the Tiger offense. To do that, the Tiger running game will have to improve.

West moved redshirt freshman defensive lineman Lionel Henderson to offense this week, but, unfortunately for the offensive staff, Henderson, from Mobile, Ala., injured his right ankle and may not return this spring.

“For the 20 minutes I had him on offense, he looked good,” West said.

West said even with the rainy spring weather, the Tigers find themselves shy only one of their schedule 15 spring workouts heading into Saturday’s scrimmage at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.

Spring practices at the University of Memphis routinely end with a brief scrimmage period of roughly 25 plays.

Wednesday at the Murphy Athletic Complex was no different, except for the revelation the Tigers may have yet another tall receiver adept at running the fade route and winning `jump balls’ in the end zone.

Junior college transfer Steven Joachim (6-4, 205) had two touchdown receptions in Wednesday’s scrimmage, doing a credible impersonation of 6-9 Tiger wideout Carlos Singleton. Like Singleton, Joachim simply used his height and strong hands to outleap defenders for touchdown receptions of 14 yards (from QB Dallas Walker) and 11 yards (from QB Arkelon Hall).

It’s a deep position for the Tigers, who are going through the spring without their top receiver, 6-4 Duke Calhoun. Calhoun is recovering from offseason knee surgery.

The University of Memphis football team finally was able to practice on its Murphy Athletic Complex fields Tuesday after last week’s rains had saturated the area forcing the Tigers to Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.

At the end of Tuesday’s workout, the Tigers scrimmaged for about 25 plays — all in the red zone. The defense made its presence felt for the first 16 snaps (Michael Grandberry had a pick in the end zone, freshman defensive back Jermaine Richardson added several big hits and Tony Bell and Steven Turner combined on a second-and-goal stop from the 1-yard line).

But the scrimmage ended with the offense executing as well. Junior college quarterback Arkelon Hall tossed a 15-yard touchdown pass to Carlos Singleton, converted linebacker Jeremy Longstreet ran 17 yards for another score and Hall ended the practice with a 15-yard TD run.

“A point of emphasis for us on offense (this year) is scoring touchdowns,” Tiger coach Tommy West said. “We didn’t start good (in the scrimmage), but we finished pretty good. We’re getting a little better at different things every day.”

Somewhat overshadowed by the University of Memphis basketball team’s run to the Sweet 16 has been the start of the Tiger football team’s spring practice.

The Tigers concluded their first week — including two workouts in full gear Friday and Saturday at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium — with junior college transfer quarterback Arkelon Hall getting a crash course in the U of M’s spread offense. Tiger coach Tommy West said Hall needs some help with his footwork, a component in which offensive coordinator Clay Helton excels.

Week Two will likely see the Tigers conducting full-scale scrimmages Wednesday and Saturday.

There’s been a rash of reported visits by Terrelle Pryor, the nation’s top-rated and still unsigned prep football prospect, to the University of Memphis.

As of Wednesday, Pryor, a 6-6, 225-pound dual-threat quarterback, had not scheduled a trip to Memphis. He was not here for Feb. 23 game between the then-No. 1 Tigers and then-No. 2 Tennessee and he did not attend last weekend’s game at FedExForum against UAB as was widely reported. Whether or not he’ll actually made a visit remains in question.

Pryor, who is leading his team deep into the Pennsylvania Class AA basketball playoffs, has spent the past few days dealing with the aftermath of a postgame brawl between his Jeannette (Pa.) High team and Pittsburgh (Pa.) North Catholic. Pryor and his teammates avoided suspensions earlier this week when the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League imposed a two-year probation on the participating teams and instructed the players and coaches from both teams to take anger management classes.

Pryor, the nation’s top football recruit according to Rivals.com and Scout.com, resumes his basketball career tonight in a Class AA semifinal game against Erie (Pa.) North East. Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan and Oregon remain his top football choices and he said he’ll make a decision after basketball season ends.