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
NCAA tournament, Runner-up (vacated) C-USA tournament champions (vacated) C-USA regular season champions (vacated)
National Championship Game, L 68-75OT vs. Kansas (vacated) [Note A]
Conference	Conference USA
Ranking
Coaches	No. 2
AP	No. 2
Record	0–1 (38-2 unadjusted) [Note A] (0–0[Note A] C-USA, 16 wins vacated)
Head coach	John Calipari (8th year)
Assistant coaches	Derek Kellogg John Robic Chuck Martin
Home arena	FedExForum
Seasons ← 2006–07 2008–09 →

2007–08 Conference USA men's basketball standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		PCT			W		L		PCT
No. 2 Memphis	16	–	0		1.000			38	–	2		.950
UAB	12	–	4		.750			23	–	11		.676
Houston	11	–	5		.688			24	–	10		.706
Southern Miss	9	–	7		.563			19	–	14		.576
UCF	9	–	7		.563			16	–	15		.516
Tulsa	8	–	8		.500			25	–	14		.641
UTEP	8	–	8		.500			19	–	14		.576
Marshall	8	–	8		.500			16	–	14		.533
Tulane	6	–	10		.375			17	–	15		.531
East Carolina	5	–	11		.313			11	–	19		.367
SMU	4	–	12		.250			10	–	20		.333
Rice	0	–	16		.000			3	–	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

College recruiting information

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
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   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
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   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
Players	Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Weight Year Hometown F 0 Shawn Taggart 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 238 lb (108 kg) So Richmond, Virginia G 4 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 F 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 C 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 C 35 Hashim Bailey 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 275 lb (125 kg) So Paterson, New Jersey	Head coach John Calipari (Clarion) Assistant coach(es) John Robic (Denison) Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible (W) Walk-on Injured Current redshirt 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	38-2	Alamodome (43,257) San Antonio, TX
*Non-conference game. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Central Time.

^[5]

See also

• List of vacated and forfeited games in college basketball

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". Archived from the original on December 10, 2008.