By Brett McMurphy, Special to CNNSI.com
They are among the most devastating one-two punches in college basketball -- Memphis freshman guard Dajuan Wagner and senior forward Kelly Wise.
Wagner is a projected NBA Lottery pick and leading contender for national freshman of the year honors. Wise ranks as Conference USA's all-time leading rebounder and is on pace to average a double-double for a second consecutive season.
There hasn't been a better pairing in Memphis since Elvis and peanut butter and banana sandwiches.
Yet despite all of Wagner and Wise's contributions, coach John Calipari says another player holds the key to the Tigers' postseason success -- 6-foot-8 junior Chris Massie.
A junior college transfer, Massie was inserted into the Tigers' starting lineup after the start of conference play and responded with back-to-back double-doubles.
"For us to be where people had us at the beginning of the year [a Top 25 club], he has to really perform and give us a presence inside physically," Calipari said. "Some games he's done that, some games he hasn't. We need him to be consistent."
The Tigers have been among C-USA's most consistent clubs. After compiling a 10-4 non-conference record, including losses to nationally ranked Iowa and Alabama, Memphis reeled off 10 consecutive league victories.
The Tigers' win streak was snapped Friday at UAB, but Memphis, holding a four-game lead, has all but run and hidden from the rest of the National Division. Calipari's team now finds itself in a three-team race with No. 5 Cincinnati and No. 11 Marquette for the C-USA regular-season title.
The Tigers visit Charlotte on Wednesday in a pivotal league contest. Besides being winless in Halton Arena since 1996, Memphis may be without Wise and Wagner. Wise has a right knee strain, while Wagner is battling emotions after the death of Scottie Atwater, an uncle who helped raise him.
Wagner missed Monday's practice after attending Atwater's funeral last weekend.
Not having Wise and Wagner against Charlotte would be a big blow, but the Tigers feel they've established themselves as a solid NCAA tournament team.
"The most important thing," says Memphis junior Earl Barron, "is how we do in March."
Calipari, who guided UMass to five consecutive NCAA tournaments in the 1990s, already sounds like he's preparing the Tigers for their first trip since 1996.
"We're worried about March," he said. "We're not going game-to-game, we're just trying to get better. We're trying to see if our intensity is where we need it, if we're getting better defensively."
Defense has been a strength of the Tigers. Memphis is among the best defensive teams in school history, out-rebounding opponents by nearly nine rebounds a game (the nation's eighth-best ratio). The Tigers also are holding opponents to 38.3 percent shooting from the field, including 26.9 percent from 3-point range.
Memphis' success is not surprising to the league's coaches, who voted the Tigers the preseason favorites to win the C-USA regular-season title. Earlier this year when asked by an NBA scout about any potential prospects, Cincinnati coach Bob Huggins told him to grab a Memphis roster. "They have four NBA Draft picks," Huggins said.
Despite the Tigers' plethora of talent, Calipari said the Tigers continue to adjust.
"We started the season with six new guys," he said. "Now five first-year players are in our top eight. We're just beginning to come together. We're now learning about each other."
What opponents have learned is the Tigers have one of the league's most balanced teams.
"Memphis is the most talented team from [players] 1-12 in the league," South Florida coach Seth Greenberg said.
Wagner ranks sixth in the league in scoring (19.8 points), while Wise is first in rebounding
(11.2 per game) and Massie is No. 1 in field goal percentage (62.3). Memphis also has benefited from Antonio Burks, one of the league's best -- and most underrated -- point guards.
Burks is second in the conference in both assists (6.09) and steals
(2.64).
As smooth as the Tigers' run has been, playing without Wise, who also has had some minor hip problems, has been a struggle.
"As talented as they are, when you lose a guy like Kelly Wise it affects everyone," Greenberg said. "You're asking everyone to do more. It changes your team chemistry. Everyone's role changes and that's not always good."
The Tigers aren't concerned. They still have a couple of weeks before
March's madness begins.
"We are staying together and everybody is working hard and I think we can get better," Massie said.
That's exactly what Calipari wants. "All we are trying to do is get better each and every time we practice and we play. The bigger picture will come into place in about another month."
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Two years ago Louisville's Reece Gaines became only the 12th freshman in former coach Denny Crum's 29 seasons to start an opening game as a freshman. Last season, Gaines led C-USA in 3-point shooting (42.6 percent).
This year? "Reece has the size, agility and ability to be a major weapon," Cardinals coach Rick Pitino said. "He's an outstanding defensive player as well as a talented offensive player. He's by far the most explosive weapon we have."
And at times the only weapon. Against Saint Louis, Gaines scored 37 of
Louisville's 64 points. Gaines and Cincinnati's Steve Logan are C-USA's only players to score in double figures every game.
Despite being U of L's go-to guy, Gaines occasionally runs the point and ranks as the league's No. 3 scorer with a 20.9 average.
Gaines also finds it hard when the rebuilding Cardinals lose.
"I'm trying to get mine and the staff's love and passion for the game instilled in our players," Pitino said. "As far as the passion and thirst for winning and hurt over losing, it's just in Reece Gaines on our team.
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HOT: Saint Louis' Drew Diener
Diener had a career-high 22 points, including six 3-pointers as the Billikens defeated Charlotte 73-54. "After hitting some, the thought of missing doesn't cross your mind," Diener said. "It's a great state of mind to be in."
NOT: East
Carolina
Most thought the Pirates would struggle in their first season in C-USA and they were correct. East Carolina ranks last in the league in field goal percentage offense (39.3) and defense (45.3).
HOT: UAB's
Will Campbell
Campbell had 14 points and 14 rebounds leading the Blazers to an upset of Memphis. UAB handed the Tigers their first loss in C-USA play.
NOT: Southern
Miss
The Golden Eagles have dropped 12 of their last 14 contests. A year after tying for the C-USA regular season crown, Southern Miss-erable is in danger of not qualifying for the C-USA tournament.
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Talk about a tough crowd. With four minutes left in the first half of Saturday's East Carolina-DePaul game, about 50 people walked out in protest of the Blue Demons' program.
And DePaul was winning.
Specifically, they were protesting the direction the program is headed
under coach Pat Kennedy and athletic director Bill Bradshaw.
The protesters shouted, "Pat must go!" but Kennedy wasn't concerned. "Those who support DePaul support DePaul," Kennedy said. "Those who don't, frankly, that's their problem. It didn't faze me. It didn't faze us."
Bradshaw was a more sympathetic.
"I have sympathy for anyone who pays for a ticket, no matter what their passion," Bradshaw said. "We share the disappointment and frustration for this year's team, but we also share a vision for a successful future."
Added 72-year-old JoEllen Clawes: "I've been a fan since 1958, and I
walked out because of the fact that we need a new coach."
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Marquette's Odartey Blankson
One day after receiving eight stitches on his forehead cut in a rebounding drill, Blankson pulled down a career-high 16 rebounds at Southern Miss. It was the most by a Golden Eagle since Feb. 20, 1997 when Jarrod Lovette had 15.
Cincinnati's Steve Logan
Logan earned C-USA player of the week honors for the fourth time this season after averaging 27 points and 6.5 assists in the Bearcats' road victories at Charlotte and Wake Forest. Former UC center Kenyon Martin is the only other player to earn the award four times in one season.
DePaul's Andre Brown
Brown shattered the C-USA record for rebounds in a game with 27 at TCU. It's the third time the league rebounding record has been broken this season. Brown's record night increased his rebounding average from 8.2 to 9.2.
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Without question, Memphis' Dajuan Wagner and Marquette's Dwyane Wade are the league's top rookies. Yet when the conference office names the league's Freshman of the Year in a couple of weeks, it will be Wagner in a landslide.
The reason Wagner will take the hardware isn't necessarily because he's having a superior season. Wagner will win because Wade, who didn't play last year as a partial qualifier, is considered a sophomore. The league honors the freshman of the year, not the newcomer of the year.
Still picking the top newcomer is an intriguing debate. Especially since C-USA's expansion excludes each team from playing three league opponents. Wagner and Wade won't face each other unless they meet in the conference tournament.
"They're both great players," UAB coach Murry Bartow said. "They're both very talented, they're both very different. Wade is more of a slasher, more of an athletic scorer, can slash by you.
"Wagner shoots it a little bit better; he's much stronger. Both have a chance to not only be very good college players but to play at the next level."
Tulane coach Shawn Finney said the DW's are similar.
"They can go get their own shots, they're very skilled players," Finney said. "When I look at our two games [against Marquette and Memphis] so far, Wade was the big difference. He came up with big baskets and big steals in critical situations. Wagner brings up a whole other set of issues where he controls the game, can make big shots. He can shoot threes.
Louisville coach Rick Pitino said the individual awards should be determined by which team has the most success.
"I would not look at statistical things right now," Pitino said. "I would base it on which team goes further and how much of an impact he has on his team going further."
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Louisville coach Rick Pitino was asked if it was difficult to watch the Cardinals miss 11 of 23 free throws at Indiana. "No, it's not difficult because it's every night -- except for one game -- this season. I just go home and want to kill myself. I have to watch it all the time, so it's nothing that Prozac won't cure." The Cardinals rank among the nation's worst free throw-shooting teams. ... Charlotte's Jobey Thomas passed Henry Williams as the 49ers' all-time 3-point leader. Williams had 308 from 1988-92. Thomas has 313. Charlotte has lost six consecutive times to Saint Louis in the Savvis Center. "They're a totally different team here," Thomas said. 49ers coach Bobby Lutz received a contract extension through 2007. ...
Cincinnati guard Steve Logan has been selected among the top 10 finalists for the 2002 Senior CLASS Award, an acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School. The winner will be announced at the Final Four. Cincinnati's Bob Huggins after the usually defensive-minded Bearcats defeated Wake Forest 103-94: "I didn't think we could score 103 against anybody." ... With 34 points against DePaul, TCU's Junior Blount became the league's first player with four games scoring 30 or more points. ... Tulane enters Saturday's game at UAB seeking the 1,000th victory in the program's
history. The Green Wave are 999-988. ... South Florida's 76-65 win against Tulane on Saturday clinched a third consecutive winning season for coach Seth Greenberg. It's the first time the Bulls have had three consecutive winning seasons since 1989-92. USF has not been to the NCAAs since 1992. ... Sitting at three games under .500, Saint Louis could have a winning record if not for a league-worst 3-7 mark in games decided by six points or less.
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