Turn The Page

As the old adage goes, when one door closes, another door opens.

For the Memphis Tigers and their fans, Friday night’s Memphis Madness meant the celebration of one of the greatest seasons in college basketball history and the prospect for another run at success.

Sitting among one of the 15,000 or so fans in the FedEx Forum, I wondered how many people, young and old, felt about a team of guys from all over the map that did something special like the Tigers in 2007-08.

During the video tribute to the 2007-08 team, a lady who probably would have been mistaken for my late grandmother, had tears in her eyes as they showed the Kansas-Memphis highlights.

“We had that game,” she said to me, echoing the same sentiment that I had during my drunken tirade after that game in April.

With tears welling up in my eyes as well (yes, I do have a soft side), I said to the lady that very few people, including the people in Lawrence, Kansas, get a chance to experience what was experienced in Memphis last season.

Five minutes prior to the banner raising, a familar face that was here during this glorious era of Tiger basketball came onto the FedEx Forum floor, current New Jersey Net Chris Douglas-Roberts.

And much like the days when he provided one electrifying moment after another on the hardwood, the fans around the building chanted “C-D-R!!!!”.

The highlights of the pre-raising was the video messages from Derrick Rose and Joey Dorsey, both of whom had games on Friday night, and Douglas-Roberts breezing through the FedEx Forum crowd like he was the mayor of Memphis.

And then, after all was said and done, the current Tiger team, along with Douglas-Roberts, raised the banner to the rafters of the FedEx Forum, setting off a sea of blue and white streamers from the ceiling.

“Well,” I said to the same lady sitting next to me, “it’s time to turn the page and see can these guys do it again in 2008-09.”

While, for the most part, I didn’t stay for much of the scrimmage, I was impressed by the 3-point marksmanship of Willie Kemp and Robert Sallie, who if not for the mess the Big 12 had put him through while trying to play at Nebraska for Doc Sadler, he would be playing for a mediocre team instead of a top 25 team like the Tigers.

My thoughts on Tyreke Evans?

Good as advertised. If the Tigers have another runaway season in Conference USA, he’s going to win Freshman of the Year.

And maybe, just maybe, a Championship ring.