Memphis Tigers preview: Pastner rebuilds quickly

By John D. MartinTigerAuthority.com MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- From his first season at the University of Memphis to now, things arent all that different for Josh Pastner. The third-year Memphis coach still doesnt curse, sleep or drink soda. If anything, he said, his sleep patterns have probably gotten worse. Im a non-sleep guy and Im always on the go, he said. When I have some down time, I dont know what to do with myself. But its highly likely Pastner wont need to worry about having any down time this season. In two full seasons as head coach at Memphis, Pastner has gone from having just seven scholarship players to boasting a preseason No. 11-ranked squad, a turnaround even the once 16-year-old coaching prodigy didnt foresee. Everyone was going with Coach (John) Calipari (to Kentucky in 2009), Pastner said. I was going. We were starting from the back end. We were just trying to stay above water. If the Memphis program was in danger of going under after Caliparis departure, Pastner has undoubtedly acted as its life preserver. Although the Tigers missed the NCAA tournament in Pastners first season, they won the Conference USA tournament last year and are poised for a return to the national stage in 2011-12. Im still learning, Pastner said. I dont think you ever stop learning. Im a better coach now than the first year. Each year, you get better. My philosophy is to keep things simple. Im not overcomplicated. I let players make plays. I just try to have structure. Shortly after Pastner was promoted from assistant to head coach in April 2009, the Memphis program was rocked by an NCAA scandal involving Caliparis recruitment of Derrick Rose and his SAT. The Tigers were forced to vacate their 2007-08 season, in which they were runner-up for the national championship. Regardless, Pastner was able to lock up a 2010 class littered with five-star recruits like Joe Jackson and Will Barton, who both figure to play major roles for the team this season. Lute Olson, Pastners former coach at Arizona, said thats been Pastners biggest accomplishment while at Memphis. While there was some question about what could happen as a result of Caliparis recruitment of Derrick Rose, hes been able to overcome that by hard work, Olson said. He communicates well with everyone. Thats not an easy thing to do. Despite his rapid success with the Tigers, however, Pastner said hes not responsible for maintaining the programs elite level. All the credit, he said, goes to the fan base. The internal expectations and debt of gratitude I have for this city is what makes this possible, Pastner said. Thats the driving force that keeps me going every split second without any stopping. JACKSON THE MAN FOR MEMPHIS In the Tigers two preseason games, sophomore point guard Joe Jackson played 43 minutes and had 12 assists compared to just three turnovers. The 5-foot-11 guard played with the USA U-19 team this past summer and has vastly improved his decision-making, which was questionable -- to put it kindly -- last year. A graduate of White Station High School in Memphis, Jackson finished as the second all-time scorer in the Shelby County metro area with 3,451 career points. Last season, Jackson struggled with a steep learning curve as the floor general of the Tigers offense and averaged 3.3 turnovers a game. Jackson seemed to come around in the postseason, being named the Conference USA tournament MVP as he propelled the Tigers to the NCAA tournament. Entering the season opener against Belmont on Tuesday, Jackson said hes grasped the offense and that hes ready to pick up where he left off last season. In my youth years, all I did was score, he said. When I came to college, I was struggling because I was trying to find a difference between the two. Now, I just play the game. If a guy is open, give it to him. Im a natural-born scorer, I just have to implement passing into my game and be a pass-first player. THESE TIGERS BUILT TO RUN One of Memphis most valuable assets will never take the court this season or any other: Frank Matrisciano. And dont you dare call him a strength coach. Matrisciano, whose official title is Life Changer, joined the program in the offseason and hes already made a palpable impact. Sophomore forward Tarik Black dropped 22 pounds over the summer and is now a chiseled 240 pounds. Because of Matriscianos intense regimen, literally each player on the roster has improved his strength and agility. Before coming to Memphis, Matrisciano was revered in the NBA landscape for his work with Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin and other pro superstars. His work will undoubtedly be on display every night the Tigers take the floor. The Tigers will be one of the best conditioned teams in the country, and any team that attempts to run with Memphis will likely find itself on the losing side of things. NEW-LOOK STAFF HAS ARIZONA FLAVOR Former longtime Arizona coach Lute Olson, whom Pastner played and coached under, said Pastners new coaching staff should help him keep the Memphis program in the upper echelon of college basketball. I feel more comfortable about it now knowing the guys that are on his staff, and their work ethics and their knowledge of the game, Olson said. Former assistants Glynn Cyprien and Willis Wilson both left this off-season for other jobs; Cyprien took the lead assistant job at Texas A&M while Wilson took the head coaching job at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Pastner replaced them with Damon Stoudamire, a 12-year NBA pro and former Memphis Grizzlies assistant, and Luke Walton, a veteran reserve with the currently locked out Los Angeles Lakers. With the additions of Stoudamire and Walton, every coach on the Memphis staff played under Olson at Arizona. And while Waltons hire almost certainly is short-term, Olson was pleased with Pastners personnel decisions. Hes put together a good staff, Olson said. I think it was a real plus for him to get Damon. I think the program is in really good shape there.