Coach Cal Countdown: The No. 1-ranked Tigers were in trouble against UAB. Real trouble followed.
UAB’s Ed Berrios attempts a shot as Memphis’s Derrick Rose tries for the block in the Blazers-Tigers game played Feb. 16, 2008. (Hal Yeager/AP file, photo illustration by Kelsey Bowen/The Daily Memphian)
Along the way of the Memphis Tigers’ magical run in 2007-08, there were signature moments against name-brand programs. The Tigers beat Arizona. They beat Georgetown. They beat UConn. They beat Gonzaga. They beat USC with O.J. Mayo.
But on Feb. 16, 2008, it was UAB that pushed Memphis’ season of perfection to the brink.
In the arena that shared the name of the first coach to take Memphis to the Final Four, coach John Calipari’s No. 1-ranked Tigers (24-0) found themselves in trouble. Whether it was simply overlooking a Conference USA opponent or looking ahead to the inevitable 1 vs. 2 showdown against Tennessee the next week, a typically mechanical Memphis basketball team was just flat.
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John Martin
John Martin is a contributing college sports columnist for The Daily Memphian. Martin is a lifelong Memphian who’s covered the Memphis Tigers’ basketball program for more than a decade. Before joining The Daily Memphian team, he was the Memphis beat writer for The Athletic. Currently, he is the co-host of the Jason and John Show on 92.9 FM ESPN, weekdays at 11 a.m. Martin is a graduate of White Station High School and the University of Memphis.
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