One game will be a rematch of one of the greatest NCAA championship games in history, a chance to relive Mario’s Miracle. And the first game could be more intriguing than the nightcap.
Top-ranked Kansas will face Memphis in St. Louis on Tuesday night, bringing back memories of their 2008 showdown for the title. The early game pits Arkansas and No. 20 Louisville, with coach John Pelphrey going up against mentor Rick Pitino with just six scholarship players.
Not a bad little doubleheader for the first week of the season.
“To have a doubleheader of this magnitude in front of a sold-out house, I think will definitely kick off the college basketball season right,” Kansas coach Bill Self said.
It opens with Pelphrey vs. Pitino.
1992 NCAA tournament.
One of four seniors dubbed “The Unforgettables” by Wildcats fans, Pelphrey had his number retired and entered the Kentucky Hall of Fame.
Now he’s facing a bind of his own.
Just before the start of his third season in Fayetteville, Pelphrey suspended five players indefinitely, including three who were identified but not charged in a rape investigation. The difficult decision has left Arkansas with eight eligible players: six on scholarship, along with quarterback Brandon Mitchell and golfer Stephen Cox.
The Razorbacks did just fine the thin bench in their opener against Alcorn State last week: They just kept feeding the ball to sophomore Rotnei Clarke, who set a Southeastern Conference record with 13 3-pointers and scored 51 points in the 130-68 win.
He might have to do it again if Arkansas stands a chance of beating Louisville.
“We understand exactly who we are and what we’re up against,” Pelphrey said. “My whole thing has always been as a player or a coach is that whoever shows up to the park and has a uniform on, that’s who we’re going with.
“We’re not making any excuses, we’re not worried about what we don’t have. This is our opportunity and we’ll do the best we can with it.”
later charged with trying to extort millions from him.
Pitino and Pelphrey still talk all the time and have been there for each other through the difficult times, including Pelphrey’s current dilemma.
“Tough decisions have to be made, but the one thing you can’t do is sweep them under the carpet,” Pitino said. “You have to make the right choices as a college basketball coach for the future of the program. Those are the tough decisions he’s making right now and they’re going to become stronger because of it.”
Memphis? Nothing easy there, either.
The NCAA stripped the Tigers of all their victories in the 2007-08 run to the title game for using an ineligible player and they had to replace coach John Calipari, who bolted for Kentucky and caused an exodus by his recruits.
Josh Pastner, Calipari’s 31-year-old assistant, was left to pick up the pieces. He takes over a team that only has a couple of players – role players, at that – from the title-game team and little depth.
Memphis was able to beat Jackson State 82-53 to give Pastner his first victory.
Kansas will be a completely different story. The Jayhawks are loaded with preseason All-Americans and talented newcomers, raising hopes of another championship.
ed North Carolina’s Tyler Hansbrough in the national semifinals. Both were preseason All-Americans.
Kansas has its top nine scorers back from a year ago and its freshman class, headed by former Calipari recruit Xavier Henry, was one of the best in the country. The Jayhawks opened the season No. 1 and routed Hofstra on Friday night.
“You look up and down their roster, they’ve got many, many pros,” Pastner said. “They’re the favorite, no question we’re the underdog and we’ll just have to be ready, be prepared and it’ll be a fun night.”
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