2007–08 Memphis Tigers men's basketball team

The 2007–08 Memphis Tigers men's basketball team represented the University of Memphis in the 2007–08 college basketball season, the 87th season of Tiger basketball. The Tigers were coached by eighth-year head coach John Calipari, and they played their home games at the FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. The team was the most successful in Tigers' history reaching the NCAA Championship game for the second time and setting numerous school records. It is also one of the most successful in college basketball history, setting the record for most wins in a season at 38–2.

2007–08 Memphis Tigers men's basketball
C-USA tournament champions (vacated)
C-USA regular season champions (vacated)
ConferenceConference USA
Ranking
CoachesNo. 2
APNo. 2
Record0–1 (38 wins, 1 loss vacated) [Note A] (0–0[Note A] C-USA, 16 wins vacated)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
Home arenaFedExForum
2007–08 Conference USA men's basketball standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
No. 2 Memphis16–0 1.00038–2  .950
UAB12–4 .75023–11  .676
Houston11–5 .68824–10  .706
Southern Miss9–7 .56319–14  .576
UCF9–7 .56316–15  .516
Tulsa8–8 .50025–14  .641
UTEP8–8 .50019–14  .576
Marshall8–8 .50016–14  .533
Tulane6–10 .37517–15  .531
East Carolina5–11 .31311–19  .367
SMU4–12 .25010–20  .333
Rice0–16 .0003–27  .100
† 2008 C-USA Tournament winner
Rankings from AP Poll

However, all wins and one loss were vacated in 2009 after an investigation into the eligibility of Derrick Rose and the Tigers officially finished the season 0–1.

Season summary

Non-conference play

The Tigers began the season ranked No. 3 as a result of a strong recruiting class led by Derrick Rose and returning veteran stars Chris Douglas-Roberts and Joey Dorsey. To start non-conference play, the Tigers defeated powerhouses Oklahoma and Connecticut in the 2K College Hoops Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York. On the same court in the Jimmy V Classic, they won an overtime thriller over USC led by O. J. Mayo. On December 22, they defeated No. 5 Georgetown by 14 and No. 17 Arizona the next week. On January 21, the undefeated Tigers were ranked No. 1 by both major polls after a loss by number-one North Carolina. The Tigers started the season 26–0, the best start to a season in Memphis history.

Conference play

Entering conference play, the Tigers were predicted to match the previous years undefeated run in the conference. Memphis started the season 26–0, the best in history. However, the record start was tested in a mid-season, non-conference bout against in-state rival No. 2 Tennessee. In a highly anticipated No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup covered by ESPN Gameday, the Volunteers beat the top-ranked Tigers at home 62–66. The Tigers finished Conference USA play undefeated for the second straight year, and won the conference tournament for the third straight year. Memphis finished the season with a 38-1 record and became the Conference USA regular season champions.

NCAA tournament

In the NCAA tournament Memphis received the No. 1 seed in the South. In opening rounds in Little Rock, they defeated No. 16-seeded Texas–Arlington and 8-seed Mississippi State. They moved on to regionals in Houston where they defeated No. 5 seed Michigan State. In the regional final, they knocked off a No. 2-seeded Texas team playing near to its home in Austin. In the Final Four, Memphis beat UCLA and proceeded to the national championship game. The Tigers fell in overtime to Kansas, 68–75 after a game-tying three-pointer at the regulation buzzer by Kansas star Mario Chalmers.

Chris Douglas-Roberts was named a first-team All-American, and prospective number-one draft pick Derrick Rose was named to the third team. The Tigers finished the season 38–2 (16–0), as Conference USA regular season and tournament champions. The 38 wins broke a record shared by the 1986 Duke Blue Devils, 1987 UNLV Runnin' Rebels, and 2005 Illinois Fighting Illini for the most wins in NCAA Division I history. It would be matched later by the 2012 and 2015 Kentucky Wildcats.

NCAA investigation

The NCAA determined in 2009 that Derrick Rose had forfeited his eligibility because the Educational Testing Service voided Rose's SAT Reasoning Test score that made him eligible to play at Memphis.[1] Additionally, the NCAA determined that even without the questions about Rose's SAT score, Rose would have lost his eligibility in December 2007 due to his brother being allowed to travel with the team for free.[2] All 38 wins and one NCAA tournament loss were subsequently vacated by the NCAA for rules violations, leaving the team with an official record of 0–1.[1][3][4] The NCAA also made Memphis remove banners commemorating the 2008 season. This included a banner commemorating three seniors who finished the season with the most wins by any player in NCAA history with 137 from 2005 to 2009. Memphis also forfeited all NCAA tournament revenues.

Recruiting class
US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Jeff Robinson
SF		 Elizabeth, NJ St. Patrick HS 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Jun 14, 2006 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 97
Derrick Rose
PG		 Chicago, IL Simeon Career Academy 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Nov 4, 2006 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:5/5 stars   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 98
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 4   Rivals: 23
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Memphis Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved July 24, 2011.
  • "2007 Memphis Basketball Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved July 24, 2011.
  • "ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 24, 2011.
  • "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved July 24, 2011.
  • "2007 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved July 24, 2011.

Roster
2007–08 Memphis Tigers men's basketball team
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearHometown
F 0 Shawn Taggart 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)238 lb (108 kg) So Richmond, Virginia
G 5 Willie Kemp 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)184 lb (83 kg) So Bolivar, Tennessee
F 2 Robert Dozier 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)220 lb (100 kg) Jr Lithonia, Georgia
G 5 Antonio Anderson 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)214 lb (97 kg) Jr Lynn, Massachusetts
G 10 Chance McGrady 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)183 lb (83 kg) Jr Auburndale, Florida
G 20 Doneal Mack 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)187 lb (85 kg) So Charlotte, North Carolina
F 32 Jeff Robinson 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)230 lb (104 kg) Fr Columbus, New Jersey
G 23 Derrick Rose 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)190 lb (86 kg) Fr Chicago, Illinois
F 3 Joey Dorsey 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)268 lb (122 kg) Sr Baltimore, Maryland
G 14 Chris Douglas-Roberts 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)200 lb (91 kg) Jr Richmond, Virginia
G 15 Andre Allen 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)205 lb (93 kg) Sr Memphis, Tennessee
F 1 Pierre Niles 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)300 lb (136 kg) So Memphis, Tennessee
F 35 Hashim Bailey 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)275 lb (125 kg) So Paterson, New Jersey
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster
Last update: 2019-02-05

Schedule
Date
time, TV		 Rank# Opponent# Result Record Site (attendance)
city, state
Regular season
11/05/07*
6:00 pm, ESPNU		 No. 3 Tennessee–Martin
2K College Hoops Classic (Coaches vs. Cancer)		 W 102–71  1–0
 FedExForum (16,555)
Memphis, TN
11/06/07*
8:00 pm, ESPNU		 No. 3 Richmond
2K College Hoops Classic (Coaches vs. Cancer)		 W 80–63  2–0
 FedExForum (16,771)
Memphis, TN
11/15/07*
7:00 pm, ESPN2		 No. 3 vs. Oklahoma
2K College Hoops Classic (Coaches vs. Cancer)		 W 63–53  3–0
 Madison Square Garden (7,308)
New York, NY
11/16/07*
7:00 pm, ESPN2		 No. 3 vs. Connecticut
2K College Hoops Classic (Coaches vs. Cancer)		 W 81–70  4–0
 Madison Square Garden (8,895)
New York, NY
11/20/07*
7:00 pm, WLMT		 No. 3 Arkansas State W 84–63  5–0
 FedExForum (16,741)
Memphis, TN
11/27/07*
7:00 pm, WLMT		 No. 3 Austin Peay W 104–82  6–0
 FedExForum (16,987)
Memphis, TN
12/04/07*
8:00 pm, ESPN		 No. 2 vs. USC
Jimmy V Classic		 W 62–58 OT 7–0
 Madison Square Garden (8,300)
New York, NY
12/15/07*
6:00 pm, ESPN2		 No. 2 vs. MTSU W 65–41  8–0
 Sommet Center (18,071)
Nashville, TN
12/19/07*
6:00 pm, ESPN2		 No. 2 at Cincinnati W 79–69  9–0
 Fifth Third Arena (8,254)
Cincinnati, OH
12/22/07*
11:00 am, ESPN		 No. 2 No. 5 Georgetown W 85–71  10–0
 FedExForum (18,864)
Memphis, TN
12/29/07*
9:00 pm, ESPN2		 No. 2 No. 17 Arizona W 76–63  11–0
 FedExForum (17,965)
Memphis, TN
01/03/08*
8:00 pm, CSS		 No. 2 Siena W 102–58  12–0
 FedExForum (16,836)
Memphis, TN
01/05/08*
12:00 pm, WLMT		 No. 2 Pepperdine W 90–53  13–0
 FedExForum (16,974)
Memphis, TN
01/09/08
7:00 pm, CSS		 No. 2 East Carolina W 99–58  14–0
(1–0)		 FedExForum (17,308)
Memphis, TN
01/12/08
7:00 pm, CSS		 No. 2 at Marshall W 68–54  15–0
(2–0)		 Cam Henderson Center (9,034)
Huntington, WV
01/16/08
7:00 pm, WLMT		 No. 2 at Rice W 77–50  16–0
(3–0)		 Reliant Arena (1,892)
Houston, TX
01/19/08
8:00 pm, CSS		 No. 2 Southern Miss W 83–47  17–0
(4–0)		 FedExForum (18,108)
Memphis, TN
01/23/08
7:00 pm, CSTV		 No. 1 at Tulsa W 56–41  18–0
(5–0)		 Reynolds Center (8,475)
Tulsa, OK
01/26/08*
11:00 am, ESPN		 No. 1 Gonzaga W 81–73  19–0
(5–0)		 FedExForum (18,152)
Memphis, TN
01/30/08
7:00 pm, CSTV		 No. 1 at Houston W 89–77  20–0
(6–0)		 Hofheinz Pavilion (8,918)
Houston, TX
02/02/08
12:00 pm, CSS		 No. 1 UTEP W 70–64  21–0
(7–0)		 FedExForum (17,722)
Memphis, TN
02/06/08
8:00 pm, CSS		 No. 1 SMU W 77–48  22–0
(8–0)		 FedExForum (16,844)
Memphis, TN
02/09/08
3:00 pm, CSTV		 No. 1 UCF W 85–64  23–0
(9–0)		 FedExForum (17,833)
Memphis, TN
02/13/08
8:00 pm, CSTV		 No. 1 Houston W 68–59  24–0
(10–0)		 FedExForum (17,527)
Memphis, TN
02/16/08
7:00 pm, CSS		 No. 1 at UAB W 79–78  25–0
(11–0)		 Bartow Arena (9,392)
Birmingham, AL
02/20/08
7:00 pm, CSTV		 No. 1 at Tulane W 97–71  26–0
(12–0)		 Avron B. Fogelman Arena (3,795)
New Orleans, LA
02/23/08*
8:00 pm, ESPN		 No. 1 No. 2 Tennessee
ESPN College GameDay		 L 62–66  26–1
(12–0)		 FedExForum (18,389)
Memphis, TN
02/27/08
7:00 pm, CSTV		 No. 2 Tulsa W 82–67  27–1
(13–0)		 FedExForum (17,179)
Memphis, TN
03/01/08
3:00 pm, CSTV		 No. 2 at Southern Miss W 76–67  28–1
(14–0)		 Reed Green Coliseum (8,129)
Hattiesburg, MS
03/05/08
7:00 pm, CSTV		 No. 2 at SMU W 72–55  29–1
(15–0)		 Moody Coliseum (7,421)
Dallas, TX
03/08/08
12:00 pm, CSTV		 No. 2 UAB
Battle for the Bones		 W 94–56  30–1
(16–0)		 FedExForum (17,822)
Memphis, TN
Conference USA Tournament
03/13/08
6:00 pm, CSTV		 No. 2 vs. Tulane
Quarterfinals		 W 75–56  31–1
 FedExForum (NA)
Memphis, TN
03/14/08
3:30 pm, CSTV		 No. 2 vs. Southern Miss
Semifinals		 W 69–53  32–1
 FedExForum (NA)
Memphis, TN
03/15/08
10:35 am, CBS		 No. 2 vs. Tulsa
Championship		 W 77–51  33–1
 FedExForum (14,071)
Memphis, TN
2008 NCAA tournament
03/21/08*
8:55 pm, CBS		 (1 S) No. 2 vs. (16 S) Texas–Arlington
First Round		 W 87–63  34–1
 Alltel Arena (16,060)
North Little Rock, AR
03/23/08*
3:45 pm, CBS		 (1 S) No. 2 vs. (8 S) Mississippi State
Second Round		 W 77–74  35–1
 Alltel Arena (16,060)
North Little Rock, AR
03/28/08*
8:57 pm, CBS		 (1 S) No. 2 vs. (5 S) No. 18 Michigan State
Sweet Sixteen		 W 92–74  36–1
 Reliant Stadium (32,931)
Houston, TX
03/30/08*
1:20 pm, CBS		 (1 S) No. 2 vs. (2 S) No. 7 Texas
Elite Eight		 W 85–67  37–1
 Reliant Stadium (32,798)
Houston, TX
04/05/08*
5:07 pm, CBS		 (1 S) No. 2 vs. (1 W) No. 3 UCLA
Final Four		 W 78–63  38–1
 Alamodome (43,718)
San Antonio, TX
04/07/08*
8:21 pm, CBS		 (1 S) No. 2 vs. (1 MW) No. 4 Kansas
National Championship Game		 L 68–75 OT 0-1
 Alamodome (43,257)
San Antonio, TX
*Non-conference game. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Central Time.

[5]

See also

Notes
^A. Due to NCAA sanctions, Memphis had 33 regular season wins, 5 tournament wins and 1 tournament loss vacated from the 2007–08 season. The team's pre-sanctions record was 38–2. The "official" record therefore stands as 0-1.[3][4]

References
  1. "NCAA rejects Memphis' final appeal of vacated wins". Associated Press. March 22, 2010. Archived from the original on March 30, 2010.
  2. "University of Memphis public infractions report". NCAA. August 20, 2009. pp. 1, 15. Retrieved May 17, 2014. In addition to issues surrounding the academic eligibility of [Derrick Rose], the investigation also revealed that [Rose]'s brother ("the brother") had received impermissible benefits in the form of cost-free airline transportation and lodging while traveling with the institution's men's basketball team to road games during the 2007-08 season....the violations involving [Rose]'s brother would also have rendered [Rose] ineligible, beginning in mid-December 2007.
  3. "Division I Records" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. p. 48. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
  4. "Forfeits and Vacated Games". sports-reference.com/cbb. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
  5. "2021-22 Memphis Tigers Schedule".
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