The Memphis Tigers will have the chance to prove their doubters wrong with the start of the 2009 NCAA Tournament today. The Tigers were slighted by the NCAA Selection Committee when they were given the No. 2 seed in the Western Regional despite having the best regular season record (31-3) of all NCAA Basketball teams. The oddsmakers at Sportsbook.com has the Memphis Tigers +700 odds to win the 2009 NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship.
"Everybody else, if they lose a game there's always disclaimers,” stated Memphis Tigers head coach John Calipari. “This guy was hurt. They were coming off a tough game. Stuff like that. With us, we get all those disclaimers when we WIN."
Sports Illustrated named Calipari their NCAA Coach of the Year after leading the Tigers to their fourth consecutive 30-win seasons in what many expected to be a year of rebuilding due to the loss of star point guard Derrick Rose early to the NBA.
"I've had more people call me and say they can't believe they lost two of their leading scorers in the middle of the season and still end up where they are," stated Calipari on Wednesday in Kansas City. "It doesn't matter what the score is. With seven or eight minutes to go, if you think this team is going to go away, you're out of your mind. They're going to play."
Calipari’s Memphis squad takes on Big West Tournament Champion and No. 15 seed Cal State Northridge Matadors (17-13) in a first round West Regional showdown just after midnight tonight. Sportsbook.com has the Memphis Tigers –19.5 point favorites over Cal State Northridge Matadors with the total set at 130.5 points.
