2008: The University of Memphis Tigers play Kansas at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, for the NCAA men’s basketball championship. The Tigers, led by coach John Calipari and Derrick Rose in his one and only year of college basketball, lose 75-68 in overtime. It marks the first time the Tigers have played in the NCAA championship since the 1973 finals won by UCLA, and it is Calipari’s first time back at the championship since his University of Massachusetts team won in 1996.
The NCAA stripped UMass of that title after star player Marcus Camby admitted he took money and other gifts from an agent during the season. The Tigers’ entire 2008 season was vacated by the NCAA after its investigation concluded Rose had someone else take his SAT to attend the University of Memphis. By then, Calipari had left Memphis to become Kentucky’s head basketball coach.

2. The NCAA Will Get You, Depending on Who You Are - Friday, February 23, 2018

For decades, Memphis and Louisville were fierce rivals. As opposite as Cardinal red and Tiger blue. If you rooted for Memphis State, you even loved the irony of the Louisville coach’s name: Denny Crum. Yeah, that about said it.

3. New Tiger Guard Kareem Brewton all about Slashing and Scoring - Monday, July 31, 2017

Growing up, guard Kareem Brewton remembers watching the University of Memphis play via a small television in his kitchen. Well, actually, he doesn’t recall much about John Calipari’s team – that those Tigers could play lockdown defense was news to him – but he remembered how dazzled he was by Derrick Rose.

4. New Tiger Guard Kareem Brewton all about Slashing and Scoring - Monday, July 31, 2017

Growing up, guard Kareem Brewton remembers watching the University of Memphis play via a small television in his kitchen. Well, actually, he doesn’t recall much about John Calipari’s team – that those Tigers could play lockdown defense was news to him – but he remembered how dazzled he was by Derrick Rose.

5. Stanley Cup Run Makes State Sports History List - Friday, June 23, 2017

Time and again during the recent Stanley Cup Final, people asked the rhetorical question: Is this the greatest moment in Nashville sports history?

Let the debate continue. But let’s take it a step further: Was this the greatest moment in the state’s sports history?

6. Last Word: Derailed, The View From Pyramid Harbor and New History - Friday, April 14, 2017

“Do Not Occupy” notices posted Thursday afternoon on most but not all of the newly-opened Railgarten complex on Central Avenue east of Cooper in Midtown. Local code officers acted after questions about whether the owners of the complex had approval for intermodal containers being used as part of the structure. The restaurant part of the structure in what was once an ice house remains open. There was already a lot of grumbling from neighbors about the music volume and late hours as well as parking for the development

7. The Week Ahead: April 11-17 - Monday, April 10, 2017

Happy Monday, Memphis! For those so inclined, get out your John Calipari hate towels because he will be featured in an ESPN 30 for 30 documentary this week. It’s also time for some Memphians to vote again and the Grizzlies wrap up the regular season on the way to a first-round playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs, a rival that will not be getting a key to the city.  

8. Last Word: Calipari's Return, Moss, McDowell & Stewart and Unemployment Up - Monday, March 13, 2017

So John Calipari could be coming to town with his Kentucky Wildcats for the NCAA Southern Regional March 24 and 26 at the Forum. Aside from that local reminder of the long memory sports slights can have in our city, the regional in Memphis looks to be a big concentration of great college basketball in a city that hasn’t had a whole lot to cheer about recently on that front or the professional front.

9. 24 Questions: Counting Down to the Start of the NBA Season - Friday, October 14, 2016

With the start of the NBA season drawing near, let’s get that shot clock running and put up 24 questions in need of answers:

24. Will the Philadelphia 76ers, who were at FedExForum to play the Grizzlies in a preseason game this past week, finally crack 20 victories after winning 19 games three seasons ago, then 18, and only 10 last season?

10. Potential Jurors Asked About Rape Case Against Derrick Rose - Wednesday, October 5, 2016

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Potential jurors in a $21 million rape lawsuit against NBA star Derrick Rose filled out questionnaires Tuesday asking them what they have heard about the case, what their favorite basketball team is and whether they can set aside their own sexual morals and biases.

11. Last Word: A Day In The Park, Fashion Week and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - Wednesday, April 6, 2016

The skid is over. The Grizzlies beat the Bulls at home and the post-season possibility drama continues in the land of Griss and the one year and done college home of Derrick Rose.

12. Grizzlies End 6-Game Skid With Home Win Over Bulls - Wednesday, April 6, 2016

If it had been a football game, you could have called it the Desperation Bowl. The Chicago Bulls and Memphis Grizzlies each badly needed a victory.

Behind 27 points and 10 rebounds from power forward Zach Randolph, the Grizzlies got one and snapped their six-game losing streak by defeating the Bulls 108-92 Tuesday, April 5, at FedExForum.

13. The Week Ahead: April 4-10 - Monday, April 4, 2016

Let’s get this week started, Memphis! Here’s our roundup of local happenings you need to know about in the coming days, from an observance of the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination to your first chance to visit Mud Island River Park this season.

14. Tigers’ Dedric Lawson selected AAC Rookie of the Year - Thursday, March 10, 2016

University of Memphis freshman forward Dedric Lawson has been named the American Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year.

Lawson was a unanimous choice for the Rookie of the Year award after earning a conference-record six Rookie of the Week honors. He led the AAC in rebounding, averaging 9.2 rebounds per game, including grabbing 96 offensive rebounds. His 275 rebounds this season are fourth-most by a freshman in Memphis history, and is nine away from moving past David Vaughn into third overall.

15. In the Game - Saturday, January 23, 2016

Way back in the 1990s, perhaps before the Grizzlies and FedExForum were even a twinkle in anyone’s eye, Chris Wallace came to Memphis and The Pyramid for a preseason NBA game featuring Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.

16. The Week Ahead: Dec. 14, 2015 - Monday, December 14, 2015

How was your weekend, Memphis? Here’s our weekly rundown of local happenings you need to know about, from the annual AutoZone shareholder convergence Downtown to the new Star Wars movie...

17. Hoops & Dreams - Saturday, November 14, 2015

They were but a few words, yet they seemed to capture the mindset of the University of Memphis basketball program’s high-expectation fan base.

“Get back to like it was,” said former Tigers guard Jeremy Hunt.

18. Veteran Grizzlies Working Hard to Prevent Injuries - Thursday, October 1, 2015

Just before the Grizzlies departed for California and the start of their preseason training camp this week, point guard Mike Conley explained why he was going to continue wearing that mask. You know, the one he made famous with his superhero performance in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals when the Grizzlies beat the Golden State Warriors on their home floor.

19. Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? John Calipari! - Friday, September 11, 2015

[UPDATE: University of Memphis president David Rudd issued a statement on Twitter late Thursday afternoon stating the university "will not be recognizing Coach Calipari." Read his statement here.]

20. Former Memphis Tigers Plan Alumni Basketball Game - Monday, June 22, 2015

Look back to look ahead. That’s what former University of Memphis basketball players Jeremy Hunt and Willie Kemp are trying to do with the first alumni game, scheduled for Saturday, June 27, at 6 p.m. at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse, 495 Zach Curlin St.

21. Grizzlies at Home for Four Games Over Holidays - Friday, December 19, 2014

The red-hot Memphis Grizzlies (21-4), who are on a six-game winning streak and coming off a three-overtime victory at the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs, will play four home games at FedExForum through the end of 2014.

22. Grizzlies Halt Golden State’s Streak - Wednesday, December 17, 2014

For the starters, the best part of Tuesday night’s statement win at FedExForum came while they were on the bench.

A 20-0 run to start the second quarter – all the points coming from the Grizzlies’ reserves – turned this showdown between the two best teams in the NBA into a 105-98 victory as Memphis (20-4) stopped the Golden State Warriors’ franchise-record 16-game winning streak.

23. Recruiting Wars - Saturday, December 6, 2014

Memphis Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley is in his eighth year in the NBA. But he’s just 27 years old and his 10-year class reunion at Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis is still an event in the future.

24. Editorial: Changing the Blurred Lines of College Athletics - Saturday, November 15, 2014

At the outset of another Tiger basketball season, a reminder of a past season that’s officially not on the record books of the NCAA surfaced to talk about that season at the University of Memphis.

University of Kentucky coach John Calipari has had little to say about the 2008-2009 season at Memphis that was voided because of questions about the eligibility of Derrick Rose, now an NBA star with the Chicago Bulls.

25. Grizzlies Holding Open House Sept. 6 - Saturday, August 30, 2014

The Memphis Grizzlies will be putting 12- and 22-game packs on sale at the start of the Grizzlies open house Sept. 6 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at FedExForum.

Starting at $15 per game ($180 total), the 12-game packs come in three options: The “Grit,” “Grind” and “All Heart” packs.

26. Grizzlies Holding Open House Sept. 6 - Friday, August 29, 2014

The Memphis Grizzlies will be putting 12- and 22-game packs on sale at the start of the Grizzlies open house Sept. 6 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at FedExForum.

Starting at $15 per game ($180 total), the 12-game packs come in three options: The “Grit,” “Grind” and “All Heart” packs.

27. National TV Shuns Grizzlies in 2014-2015 - Friday, August 15, 2014

At home or on the road, it hasn’t mattered where the Grizzlies opened the NBA season since moving from Vancouver to Memphis. For 13 straight years, they have started the season with a loss.

If that is to change in the 2014-15 season, it will happen at FedExForum on Oct. 29 when the Grizzlies play the Minnesota Timberwolves, who will be minus Kevin Love but will have 2014 No. 1 draft pick Andrew Wiggins, assuming the much-anticipated Minnesota-Cleveland trade becomes official.

28. Grizzlies Proving Their Brand is Winning Games - Friday, March 22, 2013

The long-term benefits of the Grizzlies’ 90-89 overtime win against the Oklahoma City Thunder, if there are any, won’t be known for a while. The Western Conference playoff standings are ever-changeable.

29. Chronicle Article Brings to Light Academic Concerns at U of M - Monday, June 18, 2012

Dasmine Cathey is better known now than he ever was as a player on the University of Memphis football team.

Cathey’s on-again, off-again pursuit of passing grades and academic eligibility at the university is told in “The Education of Dasmine Cathey,” an article in the Chronicle of Higher Education by reporter Brad Wolverton.

30. Sum Greater Than Parts for This Grizzlies Squad - Friday, January 27, 2012

Team identities are never static. When Rudy Gay was injured last season, the Memphis Grizzlies formed a new identity, one even more devoted to the interior game and feeding the ball to power forward Zach Randolph and center Marc Gasol.

31. Ex-Tiger Derrick Rose Says Toe Might be Issue Rest of Season - Tuesday, January 24, 2012

DEERFIELD, Ill. (AP) – Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose says his sprained left big toe might bother him the rest of the season.

32. Bulls' Derrick Rose Still Slowed by Toe Injury - Friday, January 20, 2012

CLEVELAND (AP) – Chicago Bulls star guard Derrick Rose may miss his third straight game with a toe injury.

33. Grizzlies’ PG Mike Conley Finding Groove - Friday, January 20, 2012

He’s not Derrick Rose and he’s not Chris Paul. But you know what? That’s not the right comparison for Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley and it never was.

34. Grizz Honor MLK, Get Record to .500 - Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Sometimes the youngest among us say it best. So it was on Monday at FedExForum, where Sherry Knights and her two sons stopped in at the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Sports Legacy Symposium before taking in the game between the Grizzlies and the Chicago Bulls.

35. Grizz Honor MLK, Get Record Back to .500 - Monday, January 16, 2012

Sometimes the youngest among us say it best. So it was on Monday at FedExForum, where Sherry Knights and her two sons stopped in at the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Sports Legacy Symposium before taking in the game between the Grizzlies and the Chicago Bulls.

36. Grizz Struggling Without Z-Bo As MLK Game Approaches - Friday, January 13, 2012

It’s almost cruel. At a time when the Grizzlies are playing without their best player, power forward Zach Randolph, NBA legends George Gervin and Clyde Drexler are coming to FedExForum.

Drexler and Gervin are being honored on Monday, Jan. 16, for their contributions to civil rights as part of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration. There’s also the matter of the Grizzlies’ nationally televised noon tip-off with the Bulls, the team that handed them a 40-point loss in Chicago earlier this season. So imagine if the Grizzlies could sneak “Clyde the Glide” and Gervin, aka “The Iceman,” into uniform and find a way to make the years magically melt away for a couple of hours.

37. Clean Gene: Never Forgotten - Friday, January 6, 2012

In Memphis, the Gene Bartow story is easily told: He’s the only coach to take the Tigers to an untainted Final Four.

“Clean Gene,” indeed.

Bartow, who coached four seasons at Memphis and guided the Tigers to the 1973 NCAA title game, died Tuesday, Jan. 3, in Birmingham, Ala., after a long battle with stomach cancer. He was 81.

38. Bulls Announce 5-Year Extension for Rose - Thursday, December 22, 2011

DEERFIELD, Ill. (AP) – The Chicago Bulls have made it official: Reigning MVP Derrick Rose has agreed to a five-year contract extension.

39. Bulls Announce 5-Year Extension for Rose - Wednesday, December 21, 2011

DEERFIELD, Ill. (AP) – The Chicago Bulls have made it official: Reigning MVP Derrick Rose has agreed to a five-year contract extension.

The deal extension, which kicks in next season, was announced Wednesday. It is worth approximately $94 million, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press late Tuesday on condition of anonymity because the team has not released details.

40. Grizzlies Open Season Dec. 26 at San Antonio - Thursday, December 8, 2011

MEMPHIS (AP) – The Memphis Grizzlies will open the season Dec. 26 at San Antonio and play their first home game Dec. 28 against Oklahoma City.

The Grizzlies on Tuesday announced their 2011-12 regular season schedule that will follow the most successful season in franchise history.

41. U of M Symposium to Discuss City’s Place in Law - Thursday, February 10, 2011

Memphis over the years has been at the center of riveting, controversial and far-reaching court cases.

Many of them have either wound up in the history books or simply re-balanced the scales of justice for ordinary people.

42. Out of Bounds - Monday, November 16, 2009

The August report from the NCAA calls him “student-athlete 1.” Everyone but the NCAA and the University of Memphis calls him Derrick Rose.

43. For Hopeful Sports Fans, Memphis Still Home of the Blues - Thursday, November 12, 2009

It’s often difficult being a sports fan around here, but the past two weeks have been especially brutal for Memphians.

The University of Memphis fired football coach Tommy West Monday after back-to-back outings in which the Tigers drew 4,117 fans for a nationally televised home game and then were shellacked on the road by Tennessee.

44. Being a Real Pro Is a State Of Mind, Johnson Says - Friday, April 18, 2008

University of Memphis Athletic Director R.C. Johnson admits the attention Tigers athletics gets is out of proportion to what it probably deserves given other nonsports accomplishments at the university.

45. Bittersweet Return - Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Point guard Derrick Rose, flanked by forwards Joey Dorsey and Robert Dozier, and coach John Calipari, thanks fans gathered at Wilson Air Center to welcome the Memphis Tigers home after their loss to Kansas in the NCAA Men's Tournament final.