SB Nation - Darius Washington

Holiday Basketball Camps Hosted by the Orlando Magic

erivera7 — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:13:00 -0000

In celebration of the holiday season, the Orlando Magic will host four holiday basketball camps throughout the Central Florida community from December 21 – 23 and December 28 – 30.

Highlights of the holiday basketball camps, which make a great holiday gift, will include:

Three days of expert instruction from the National Basketball Academy (consisting of former college standouts, semi-professional players and top individual trainers).

Stations, drills, skills contests and live games.

Every participant receives an official camp T-shirt as well as various giveaways and prizes, and is recognized during the Orlando Magic Camp awards ceremony on the last day.

Select locations will feature guest appearances by Magic celebrities.

All campers receive a ticket to an Orlando Magic home game.

Magic Camp alumni includes include Marquis Daniels (Boston Celtics), Nick Calathes (2009 Dallas Maverick NBA Draft pick), Darius Washington (formerly of the Chicago Bulls) and scores of Division 1 college basketball players.

Locations: Four convenient locations are offered while local students are off on break at the following locations:

RDV Sportsplex, December 21-23, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

8701 Maitland Summit Blvd.

Orlando, FL 32810

Pro-Health Fitness Center, December 21-23, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

8705 N Wickham Road

Viera, FL 32940

Holy Family Catholic Chruch, December 28-30, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

5125 S. Apopka Vineland Road

Orlando, FL 32810

Lake Mary Preparatory School, December 28-30, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

650 Rantoul Lane

Lake Mary, FL 32746

Participants: Offered to kids ages 7 – 16. From beginner to advanced, all skill levels are welcome.

Cost: $115 per camper

Daily Links 7/10

FLCeltsFan — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 15:59:26 -0000

Herald Rasheed Wallace deal answers offseason challenges
A sign of good times
Rasheed Wallace fan-friendly
Kevin Garnett can’t wait to play again
Gabe Pruitt bleeds for Celtics
Lester Hudson faces surgery
Cavaliers know they need Anderson Varejao
Globe Quick Celtics notes
Wallace: 'It was a good fit'
Hill stays in team’s sights
Globe 10.0 - Sports video with Bob Ryan
Welcoming committee
Garnett, Wallace find themselves in a good place
A whole new world for Wallace
Celtics welcome Rasheed Wallace

Dueling Couches Maybe The Celtics Should Just Stay Put
NECN    Wallace ready for championship season with Celtics
Big Three welcome Rasheed Wallace to Celtics
MetroWest Daily     Wallace a 'perfect fit' for Celtics
CelticsBlog    Tony Allen Confidence Check
LOY's Place    Chemistry Gives the Celtics an Edge
Red's Army    Rasheed Speaks
Gabe Pruitt really wants to come back
Celtics Circuit    Some Quick Celtic Quotes of Interest
Celtics Hub    So, Umm…Who’s Left in the Wings?
NESN    Hansbrough, Hibbert scorch Celtics in summer league game
Celtics Town   Chris Lofton, Darius Washington and Bill Walker: Summer League Warriors
17 Banners   Bring back Marbury
Examiner   Q&A on Sheed signing with Boston: Detroit's perspective
Lex Nihil Novi     Lamar Odom: Did the Asking Price Just Go Up?
The Complete Press Conference
Not Sleeping Again and It's Only July
CSNE    Ubuntu is Alive and Well
Grant Hill Update
Rasheed Wallace Interview
LA Times     In the NBA, free agency is a perpetual motion machine
Green Street    Pierce sees great things in Wallace, Celtics
Sounds of Sheed
Wallace And Garnett Go Way Back
Source: Hill leaning toward Phoenix
SeaCoast Online    Celtics sign Rasheed Wallace
ProJo   Celtics introduce Rasheed Wallace to Boston
NY Times    Signs Indicate That Hill Is Leaning Toward the Knicks
Gawkk    Ray Allen Talks About Trade Rumors, Sheed Signing on Gawkk
Orlando Sentinel    Sign-and-trade of Hedo Turkoglu gives Orlando Magic more cash flexibility for making deals
LVN    Why isn't there a place for Fazekas in the NBA?
Enterprise    CELTICS NOTEBOOK: Garnett ahead of schedule in rehab following knee surgery
Sales pitch of Garnett, Pierce and Allen paid off in Celtics’ pursuit of Wallace
WEEI Big Three Celebrate Wallace As The 'Perfect Fit'
Marc Spears, Yahoo! Sports on WEEI
Indy Cornrows    Summer Pacers Continue To Shine In Win Over Celtics
FanIQ    The Cleveland Cavaliers Can't Beat The Boston Celtics
National Sports Review    Mark Jackson, Sam Mitchell among names rumored for T-Wolves job
Examiner    Will 2009 upstage 2010?
Cs showing interest in Grant Hill, but is he headed to NY?
SI.com    Wallace chose Celtics for chance at another title
Timberwolves' Sebastian Telfair at work preparing to save job -
Celtics.com    Rasheed Wallace Press Conference Photo gallery
Rasheed Wallace Introduced As Newest Celtic
When It Comes To Pieces, Sheed a "Perfect Fit" for C’s Championship Puzzle
Kentucky.com    Top point guard prospect looking at Cats
Bleacher Report    The Cleveland Cavaliers Are Now The Team To Beat In The NBA
Rich Get Richer: Lakers, Celtics, Cavs Bulk Up in Offseason
The Lakers Will Get the Absolute Most Out of Ron Artest
I Love Portland Maine   Maine Red Claws Team with UNUM – Shooting Stars
Fox Sports     NBA free agency much like high school recruiting
Waiting for Next Year    Anthony Parker A Good Fit In Cleveland
Hoop Doctors    Does Sheed Make Boston the Team to Beat?
Metro    Allen: The Celtics need more than just 'Sheed
FanHouse    Source: Wife Will Sway Grant Hill to Sign With Knicks

Summer League Rosters - Boston Celtics

Jon L — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:00:16 -0000

Our look at the Summer League rosters moves on to the Boston Celtics. They seem to be focusing on point guards, big men and three-point shooters, and they have some...interesting invitees.

NBA Players: J.R. Giddens, Bill Walker, Gabe Pruitt, Lester Hudson
Giddens does a good job of getting inside and scoring, but his outside shot needs work and he's not very good defensively. I remember Walker getting some time towards the end of last season as Boston's injuries mounted, and he was all kinds of not good (though he was playing out of position a lot). Pruitt I don't know much about, but they don't seem very high on him over at Celtics Blog, and they would know.

D-Leaguers: none

Undrafted College Players: Bryan Mullins, Kevin Rogers
Mullins is a point guard, which they need, but it's doubtful he's what they need. Rogers is athletic but had relatively disappointing junior and senior seasons at Baylor compared to his sophomore year.

Others: Mike Sweetney, Robert Swift, Coby Karl, Darius Washington, Chris Lofton, Bryce Taylor
The first three names are those that jump out the most. Sweetney is trying to work his way back into the league after eating his way out of it, but his rebound rate was always between respectable and good. Swift was an intriguing prospect at one point, and Ainge has apparently kept an eye on him for awhile. Karl spent time in the D-League and in Spain in addition to being with the Lakers. He's mostly known for being coach George Karl's son, but maybe Boston's bringing him in to feed them Lakers secrets the way he repeatedly did for his father's team. Washington is a former Memphis point guard who went undrafted and played in Greece, the Czech Republic, Russa, and the D-League. He got called up by San Antonio but never played. He's now a Macedonian citizen. Lofton and Taylor are both known as good three-point shooters, but Taylor's defense is also pretty good.

Get To Know Your Summer League Roster

Jeff Clark — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:39:26 -0000

Nick Fazekas was added to the roster and the full team was announced yesterday. Here it is (via Green Street with my comments on each):

(F) Nick Fazekas, Nevada - Had some promise in college but is best known for being cut for a retired Kieth Van Horn. Recently played in Belgium
(G) Coby Karl, Boise State - Coach Karl's son used to play for the Lakers.
(G) Chris Lofton, Tennessee - Recently played in Turkish league.
(G) Bryan Mullins, Southern Illinois - "startled the coaching staff when he broke the Celtics record for the three-minute run - a staple for everyone during training camp." - Herald
(F) Kevin Rogers, Baylor
(G) Bryce Taylor, Oregon
(F) Mike Sweetney, Georgetown - Ate his way out of the league but is making a comeback attempt.
(C) Robert Swift, Bakersfield HS (CA) - Might have more tats than games played, but has some upside.
(G) Darius Washington, Memphis - One of the few Memphis players not involved in test scores scandals (I'm exaggerating of course)

Here's the schedule:

July 6, 7pm vs. Jazz
July 7, 1pm vs. Magic
July 8, 5pm vs. Thunder
July 9, 7pm vs. Pacers
July 10, 1pm vs. Nets/76ers

For more on the Summer Leagues and the D-League, check out Ridiculous Upside.

NBA Summer League Rosters Taking Shape

Scott Schroeder — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 02:00:21 -0000

UPDATED - check after the jump for everything updated in the past three days.

Alright, we got all of the personal mumbo-jumbo out of the way - let's begin with the Summer League coverage!

The Orlando of the NBA Summer League schedule (July 6-10) is here, the Vegas portion of the NBA Summer League schedule (July 10-19) is here and the NBA Summer League roster of your favorite team (so far) is... After the jump!

I was all drafted out, so sorry for the lack of posting going on this weekend - I sincerely apologize to all thirteen of you that were disappointed. As a show of goodwill, I worked feverishly throughout the weekend to scour my sources, google the news, and do anything and everything I could to start piecing together an accurate view of what your team will look like this Summer.

Granted, it's probably not likely to expect much out of some of these players, but each year there are players that pop up from nowhere in Summer League and impress enough to earn a spot on an NBA roster. The most recent example would be Bobby Brown from last season, though there are plenty more (and we'll look at them throughout the next week heading into the Orlando portion of NBA Summer League's).

After the jump, I've put together a list of which players I've (all but) confirmed. If you're aware of anymore, let me know in the comments! If you're unsure of one of the players, click on the link - it'll either take you to their SBNation page or, if they're a bit more obscure, whichever source linked them to said Summer League team.

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 06/29/09 9:21 AM CDT ] Added Wink Adams to New York

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 06/29/09 11:15 AM CDT ] Added Daniel Artest to Houston

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 06/29/09 9:34 PM CDT ] Added Paul Harris to Minnesota, from Cleveland

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 06/30/09 12:02 AM CDT ] Added Kevin Kruger to Utah

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 06/30/09 12:48 AM CDT ] Added Acie Law to Golden State

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 06/30/09 8:58 AM CDT ] Added Lee Cummard to Phoenix, Luke Nevill to New Orleans

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 06/30/09 10:27 AM CDT ] Added Alex Ruoff to Washington

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 06/30/09 12:59 PM CDT ] Added Trent Plaisted, Deron Washington, Will Bynum, Dwayne Jones, Clay Tucker, Ibrahim Jaaber and Matt Freije to Detroit

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 06/30/09 1:42 PM CDT ] Added Mohamed Tangara to Milwaukee

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 06/30/09 8:50 PM CDT ] Added Rod Benson to Houston, Demetris Nichols to Toronto

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 07/01/09 12:19 AM CDT ] Added Dar Tucker and Kevin Rogers to Dallas; Jaycee Carroll to New Orleans; completed Minnesota, Golden State and Utah

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 07/01/09 11:54 AM CDT ] Completed San Antonio, Orlando and Boston roster

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 07/01/09 2:08 PM CDT ] Added Phoenix roster, Robert Swift to Boston

[Note by Jon Lewallen, 07/01/09 2:50 PM CDT] Added Jim Baron to Washington

[Note by Jon Lewallen, 07/01/09 5:00 PM CDT] Completed Chicago, Sacramento and New Orleans rosters

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 07/01/09 6:40 PM CDT ] Completed Indiana, Milwaukee, New York, Oklahoma City, LA Clippers

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 07/01/09 8:02 PM CDT ] Completed Washington

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 07/02/09 4:05 PM CDT ] Completed Houston

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 07/02/09 5:31 PM CDT ] Completed Portland, Memphis

[Note by Jon Lewallen, 07/02/09 8:10 CDT ] Completed Philadelphia/N.J. roster

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 07/03/09 11:12 AM CDT ] Completed (?) Denver roster

[Note by Jon Lewallen, 07/07/09 7:45 PM CDT ] Completed Dallas, Detroit and D-League Select rosters

2009 ORLANDO SUMMER LEAGUE ROSTERS

Boston Celtics

Bryan Mullins, Lester Hudson, Chris Lofton, Gabe Pruitt, Bill Walker, J.R. Giddens, Michael Sweetney, Coby Karl, Darius Washington, Bryce Taylor, Kevin Rogers, Robert Swift,

Indiana Pacers

Aaron Jackson, Leo Lyons, Tyler Hansbrough, Brandon Rush, Josh McRoberts, A.J. Price, Roy Hibbert, Will Blalock, Trey Johnson, Anthony Smith, Derrick Byars, Courtney Sims, Scott Vander Meer,

Philadelphia 76ers/ New Jersey Nets

Blake Ahearn, Jrue Holiday, Marreese Speights, Dionte Christmas, Chris Johnson, Rob Kurz, Gary Forbes, Marcus Slaughter, Terrence Williams, Chris Douglas-Roberts, AJ Abrams, Jeff Adrien, Jason Ellis,

Oklahoma City Thunder

Serge Ibaka, Shaun Livingston, BJ Mullens, James Harden, Robert Vaden, DeVon Hardin, Russell Westbrook, Kyle Weaver, D.J. White, Marcus Dove, Moses Ehambe, DeAngelo Alexander, Richard Roby, Kyle Hines, Doug Thomas, Keith McLeod,

Orlando Magic

Ryan Anderson, Levance Fields, Richard Hendrix, Russell Robinson, Darian Townes, Maurice Ager, Lance Allred, Brian Chase, Ronald Dupree, Courtney Fells, C.J. Giles, Steven Milosevic, Jeremy Pargo, Milovan Rakovic, Jeremy Richardson

Utah Jazz

Eric Maynor, Gary Wilkinson, Goran Suton, Kosta Koufos, Kyrylo Fesenko, Wesley Matthews, Kevin Kruger, Kevin Lyde, Andre Ingram, James Augustine, Cedric Bozeman, Justin Reed, Josh Duncan, Jim Baron, Reyshawn Terry and Larry Turner

2009 VEGAS SUMMER LEAGUE ROSTERS

Chicago Bulls

Luke Zeller, James Johnson, Taj Gibson, Bryan Mullins, Tyrell Biggs, Mario Austin, AD Vasallo, Anthony Roberson, Linton Johnson, Chris Davis, Taurean Green, Lorenzo Mata-Real, DeMarcus Nelson, Julius Hodge, Brandon Costner, James Augustine, Nick Lewis

Cleveland Cavaliers

Maureece Rice, Christian Eyenga, Danny Green, Jawad Williams, Darnell Jackson, Tarence Kinsey,

Dallas Mavericks

Aaron Miles, Rodrigue Beaubois, Ahmad Nivins, Curtis Jerrells, Dar Tucker, Kevin Rogers, Quinton Hosley, Damjan Rudez, Luke Jackson, Henry Dugat, Nick Calathes, Mickael Gelabale, Herbert Hill, Shan Foster, Trent Strickland, Andre Owens, Alfred Aboya, Moussa Seck, Bryson McKenzie

Detroit Pistons

Austin Daye, DaJuan Summers, Jonas Jerebko, Walter Sharpe, Trent Plaisted, Deron Washington, Will Bynum, Dwayne Jones, Clay Tucker, Ibrahim Jaaber, Michael Bramos, Andre Owens

Denver Nuggets

Richard Hendrix, Ty Lawson, Derrick Byars, Ronald Dupree, CJ Giles, Coby Karl, Kareem Rush, Cedric Simmons, Sonny Weems

Golden State Warriors

Stephen Curry, Anthony Morrow, Anthony Randolph, Jermareo Davidson, Acie Law, Connor Atchley, Lawrence Hill, Joe Ingles, Jared Jordan, Cartier Martin, Quan Prowell, Lawrence Roberts, Jamal Sampson

Houston Rockets

Garrett Temple, Will Conroy, Jermaine Taylor, Chase Budinger, Rod Benson, Hassan Adams, Marcus Cousin, Joey Dorsey, Charles Gaines, Mike Green, Brad Newley, Maarty Leunen, Darryl Watkins, James White

Los Angeles Clippers

Kyle McAlarney, Kevinn Pinkney, Blake Griffin, Eric Gordon, DeAndre Jordan, Mike Taylor, Sean Banks, Dionte Christmas, Marcellus Kemp, Nik Caner-Medley,

Los Angeles Lakers

Tony Gaffney, Chinemelu Elonu, Alan Anderson, Aron Bynes, Dominique Coleman, Terrel Harris, Justin Hawkins, Ben McCauley, David Monds, Adam Morrison, Taylor Rochestie, Luke Schenscher, Mustafa Shakur,

Milwaukee Bucks

Brandon Jennings, Salim Stoudamire, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Joe Alexander, Jodie Meeks, Dominic James,Mohamed Tangara, Will McDonald, Juan Palacios, Chris Richard, Szymon Szewczyk, Lorrenzo Wade

Minnesota Timberwolves

Ben Woodside, Corey Brewer, Jonny Flynn, Wayne Ellington, Paul Harris, Oleksiy Pecherov, Bobby Brown, Pat Carroll, Devin Green, Gerald Henderson, Steven Hill, Rob Kurz, Garrett Siler,

Memphis Grizzlies

Jeff Adrien, Hasheem Thabeet, DeMarre Carroll, Sam Young, Darrell Arthur, Hamed Haddadi, Daniel Ewing, Greg Stiemsma, Erik Daniels, Trey Gilder, Longar Longar, Brion Rush, Donta Smith, Marcus Williams

New Orleans Hornets

Marcus Thornton, Terry Martin, Darren Collison, Julian Wright, Luke Nevill, Jaycee Carroll, Earl Barron, Earl Calloway, Bryan Cusworth, Larry Owens, Marc Salyers, Courtney Sims, Anthony Tolliver, Quinton Watkins

New York Knicks

Jordan Hill, Blake Ahearn, Toney Douglas, Alex Acker, Wink Adams, Morris Almond, Warren Carter, Joe Crawford, Patrick Ewing Jr., Ron Howard, Yaroslav Korolev, David Noel, Mouhamed Sene, Rashaad Singleton, Nikoloz Tskitishvili,

Oklahoma City Thunder

Phoenix Suns

Earl Clark, Taylor Griffin, Goran Dragic, Robin Lopez, Lee Cummard, Alando Tucker, Micah Downs, Zabian Dowdell, Josh Carter, Kaspars Berzins, Jiri Hubalek, Geary Claxton, Chris Rodgers, Carlos Powell

Portland Trail Blazers

Jeff Pendergraph, Dante Cunningham, Jerryd Bayless, Patrick Mills, Thomas Gardner, Pooh Jeter, Bobby Jones, David Padgett, Deji Akindele, Matt Freije, Dwayne Mitchell, David Moss

Sacramento Kings

Tyreke Evans, Omri Casspi, Jon Brockman, Donté Greene, Jason Thompson, Wesley Matthews, Jerel McNeal, Spencer Hawes, Robert Battle, John Bryant, Pat Calathes, Marcus Landry, Brian Roberts, Victor Stowes, Ryan Toolson

San Antonio Spurs

James Gist, Jack McClinton, DeJuan Blair, Eric Dawson, Malik Hairston, George Hill, Romel Beck, Nando de Colo, Carldell "Squeaky" Johnson, Antonio Anderson, Marcus Vinicius, Ian Mahinmi, Alonzo Gee,

Toronto Raptors

Brent Petway, DeMar DeRozan, Nathan Jawai, Demetris Nichols, Quincy Douby, Roko Ukic, Patrick O'Bryant, Carl English, Ekene Ibekwe, David Doublas, Paul Davis, Smush Parker

Washington Wizards

Tyrese Rice, Nick Young, Javaris Crittenton, JaVale McGee, Alex Ruoff, Jim(my) Baron, Alade Aminu, Ryan Ayers, Jon Edwards, Josh Heytvelt, James Lang, Dominic McGuire, Tywain McKie, Jason Rich, Diamon Simpson, Kyle Spain, Brandon Wallace

NBA D-League Select

Coleman Collins, Walker Russell, Will Frisby, Gary Forbes, Marcus Hubbard, Othyus Jeffers, Jasper Johnson, Trey Johnson, Kurt Looby, Curtis Stinson

Memphis Grizzlies Holding D-League Workouts; D-League Has A Summer League Team

Scott Schroeder — Mon, 11 May 2009 03:34:21 -0000

We've been short on any major announcements since the D-League season ended other than the Bakersfield situation. Two decent sized announcements tonight, however.

The Memphis Grizzlies are apparently hosting a large D-League audition, and it seems to be focusing mainly on defense. Confirmed players there are Othyus Jeffers, Brent Petway, Dwayne Mitchell, Darius Washington Jr., Walker Russell Jr., Jelani McCoy, Marcus Hubbard, Brian Hamilton, Rodney White and Leon Jones for workouts starting tomorrow. Don't be surprised if three or four of these guys play for Memphis in Vegas this summer at Summer League. UPDATE: More players at the workout - Will Conroy, Trey Gilder, Eddie Gill, Stanley Burrell, Longar Longar, Tim Pickett, Michael Dickerson, Desmon Farmer and Mustafa Shakur.

Speaking of the D-League, they'll apparently have a Summer League team in Vegas, along with 21 NBA teams. The D-League fielded a team at the Rocky Mountain Revue last season, but with that folding, I assumed that this idea would be swept under the rug as well. It wasn't. It should be interesting to see who makes this team, as it'll be everyone that doesn't make an actual NBA team's Summer League roster. My first pick: Dakota's Will Frisby.

After the jump, small bullets on each player that we know that are at this workout.

The D-League Defensive Player of the Year, Idaho's Brent Petway, and the D-League's Rookie of the Year Othyus Jeffers, were two of the best defenders in the D-League last season. They also were both in the D-League Dunk Contest this season. (We'll have more on both of these guys tomorrow, as I feel they're the top two players at this tryout)
Dwayne Mitchell is a high-scoring lefty who played with the LA D-Fenders last season after not making the Lakers in the preseason.
Walker Russell Jr. led the league in assists with Fort Wayne, smashing the season assist record in the process.
Marcus Hubbard was in camp last season with the Atlanta Hawks and was the first round pick of the Dakota Wizards this season before being released and picked up by Rio Grande Valley.
Jelani McCoy is a big that played in China this season after not making the Clippers out of camp. If you're American and you play in China, you're going to put up big numbers. McCoy was no exception: 42.7 min 25.4 pt 67% 2P 57% FT 11.8 RB (8.3D - 3.5O) 1.6 blocks 2.3 assist. 1.5 steals
Brian Hamilton was in camp with New Jersey this season after a good campaign with the Utah Flash last season when he led the D-League in steals.
Darius Washington is a point guard that had a short stint with San Antonio last season. He was with the Bulls this preseason, and according to Jefe53, he played in Russia for a bit this season.
Rodney White has played in 218 NBA games, but none since 2005.
Will Conroy is a stud. Finished the season first in scoring and averaged eight assists.
Trey Gilder played his rookie season with the Colorado 14ers. Really impressed us off the bench.
Eddie Gill has plenty of experience playing the point in the NBA.
Tim Pickett is an interesting guy to put on this list. Has had some previous bouts with cannabis, apparently, but was a second round pick out of Florida State in 2004.
Michael Dickerson is the guy everyone is talking about at this workout. After not making it in Cleveland last season though, I'm just not sure how ready he is to endure another NBA season.
Desmon Farmer is a former D-League stud. He was last in the NBA with the Spurs (as he played for Austin in the D-League, meaning this was all but a lock)
Stanley Burrell played defense pretty well for the Toros this season, though we didn't expect any NBA looks
Longar Longar came into the D-League this season, but suffered with some injury problems. He played with Minnesota in Vegas last season.
Mustafa Shakur has a sweet name and stroke.
Last, but not least, Leon Jones went to Michigan. I have no idea what he's done since 2002.

Do we hate Memphis football?

Mike Rutherford — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 12:00:07 -0000

Since an early age we've all been made aware of the fact that hate "is a strong word," but we'll use it liberally here, if only because we can. Besides, the fortress of taboo surrounding the word has been severely crumbling in recent years. This guy I used to hang out with in college told me Napoleon's troops had been using it for target practice. It's one theory.

Friday night will mark the first meeting between Louisville and Memphis (State) on either the hardwood or gridiron since the 2004-05 athletic season. The long-time rivals have met a total of 135 times in the two sports, but not once since U of L bolted for the greener pastures of the Big East three years ago.

In spite of the separation, I think it's safe to say that the heat between the basketball programs - or at least the fans of the basketball programs - has yet to fizzle. Part of that is because both have been so successful since the split, but most of it is due to the deep-seeded feelings of ill-will produced over a span of decades.

There isn't a Louisville fan out there who felt the smallest bit of sympathy for Darius Washington when he choked, who wouldn't still pay good money to punch Larry Finch in the face, or who still resents Elliot Perry for trying to ruin both goggles and high socks for all of us. That type of disdain doesn't just disappear because of a brief (at the moment) hiatus in the series.

But what about football? The prospect of a pair of .500 teams scratching and clawing to play their way into a pre-Christmas or post-New Year's ESPN2 bowl game isn't exactly going to fire up the nation for Friday night football, but is there enough abhorrence present to at least fuel the respective fan bases?

Let's break down the yes and no.

Yes - The all-time series is a tight 21-19 in Louisville's favor

The Cards and Tigers first met in The Bluff City in 1948, and then dueled in every year from 1968-1983 and 1986-2004. Of the 40 games the two have played, nearly half (18) have been decided by a touchdown or less.

No - The Cardinals have won 10 of the last 12 meetings

Even though the all-time series is tight, U of L has been the vastly superior program for the past two decades, and while the games have often been close, Memphis has won just three times since 1987.

Let's face it, when the program was emerging in the mid-to-late '90s, Louisville's conference rivalries with Southern Mississippi, Cincinnati and TCU were burning far brighter than the one with the Tigers. U of M beat up on U of L pretty badly before 1980, and the Cards have been returning the favor for the last 20 years. The fact that the programs have never seemed to be on an equal plane hasn't helped with the animosity.

Yes - The pair's last meeting was a classic

The Louisville/Memphis game freshest in the minds of fans just may have been the best in the history of the series. The Cards and Tigers combined for 105 points and 1,202 total yards of offense as a last-minute Eric Shelton touchdown propelled U of L to a 56-49 road victory. Stefan LeFors threw for 321 yards and three touchdowns while U of M tailback DeAngelo Williams torched the Cardinals for 200 yards and a score of his own.

No - The difference between BCS conference and non-BCS conference is too great

Conference USA lost the crux of its top-tier when Louisville, Cincinnati, South Florida and TCU took off after 2004, and the league hasn't produced a champion with fewer than four losses since. Getting Memphis fans fired up for a tilt with a respectable name from the Big East isn't too tall of task, but asking the Cardinal faithful to bring the passion for a game with a mid-level team from a below-average conference is a tougher sell.

Yes - The 2003 loss

Before Syracuse officially terminated the Steve Kragthorpe honeymoon by snapping the nation's second longest home winning streak, the last team to have defeated the Cards inside Papa John's Cardinal Stadium was Memphis. The Tigers didn't just win, they romped to a 37-7 embarrassment, handing Louisville what would prove to be the worst loss of the Bobby Petrino era.

No - Memphis hasn't been good at football since ever

The Tigers haven't won a conference championship since 1971, and have only managed to pull off postseason wins in the '03 New Orleans Bowl (over North Texas) and '05 Motor City Bowl (over Akron) in the years since. Rivalries which owe their roots to proximity can withstand years of futility, but it's harder for secondary rivalries like Louisville's with Memphis to rage when one side is or both sides are consistently average at best.

Yes - The basketball rivalry is that intense

When two high-profile programs have a uniquely rich history in a single sport, the rivalry automatically carries over to all other sports. It's why the North Carolina/Duke football game or Michigan/Ohio State baseball game is always going to attract more fans than an average contest involving the teams.

Yes - Louisville fans have grown to hate the Liberty Bowl

When your reward for winning a conference championship is freezing your ass off on or the day before New Year's Eve, it's impossible not to inherit an extra bit of hostility towards the event's host city and university...especially when you're forced to do it approximately 37 times between 1993 and 2004.

Obviously, these games had nothing to do with the Tiger football program, but act like they didn't make you dislike Memphis even more.

Conclusion

To be honest, I'm having a hard time getting on the Memphis football bandwagon of hate, partially because I'm not sure I've ever harbored any particularly intense feelings of detestation toward the gridiron Tigers. Would I like to beat Memphis more than a comparable program like Central Florida or UTEP strictly because of the heightened level of history between the Cards and Tigers? Sure, but that still places U of M markedly behind Kentucky, West Virginia, South Florida, Connecticut, Cincinnati and Rutgers in terms of both my general disdain for and desire to topple opponents on the 2008 schedule.

Still, chair fights, Calipari, batteries and switchblades being thrown onto the court. Kind of makes you hope extra hard that Earl Heyman lays out the Tiger quarterback...even if you don't know what his name is.