Geoff Calkins: Apology is not accepted, Coach

MEMPHIS — Final minute, Memphis with the ball and a chance to -- unaccountably -- cut Tennessee's lead to 2.

Drew Barham gets the ball in the deep corner.

Yes, Drew Barham.

Nice fellow. Excellent shooter. Loves Memphis. Might be a 3-point specialist someday.

But the kid is a freshman. A freshman walk-on who averages 4.8 minutes for a team without much in the way of actual players.

In the final minutes of a game like Thursday's, Barham should have been waving a towel. In any year but this one, Barham would have been waving a towel.

Instead, he got the ball in the deep corner. Tennessee swarmed him and forced a jump ball. Possession arrow -- and victory -- to Tennessee.

So don't even think about letting Josh Pastner apologize for the 66-59 loss, no matter how hard he tries.

"I personally want to apologize for not coming out with the 'W,' " he said.

I personally reject the apology.

Memphis lost a game Thursday for the same reason Memphis will lose a bunch of games this year.

Because they don't have players.

Because the team is not very good.

Because Shawn Taggart was on the sidelines, wearing blue jeans.

Because John Calipari took everything but the sno-cone machine.

(And he actually tried to take that.)

"Please forgive us for not doing our job," Pastner said.

Please forgive me if I don't think there's anything to forgive.

Yes, it's true, Pastner might have switched to the zone sooner than he did. And the offense was a mess.

But maybe that's because the coach has to count on Pierre Henderson-Niles, who too often thinks he's Pierre Henderson-Cousy. Or Wesley Witherspoon, who missed three layups.

Starting point guard Willie Kemp was 1-of-9 against Tennessee. Starting shooting guard Roburt Sallie was 2-of-7.

There's a reason Calipari didn't take Will Coleman with him to Kentucky. And, believe me, it wasn't his conscience.

So it didn't help matters at all when Elliot Williams collected two fouls in the first two minutes. Or when Doneal Mack fouled out with 3:32 left.

Whoever thought that Memphis would be in a position where the loss of Doneal Mack to fouls would feel like a death blow?

But that's where this team is today. It also happens to be small, and lousy at rebounding, and remind me if you've heard this before.

"All three losses have been because of rebounding," said Pastner.

Tennessee out-rebounded Memphis 47-28.

But what do you want the Tigers to do, exactly? Make scary faces under the basket? Bring pogo sticks?

"We have to rebound by committee," said Pastner.

Timely language note: When a coach says his team is going to do something by "committee," it usually means it doesn't have the players to do it at all.

So don't even think about letting Pastner apologize for this one. If anyone should apologize, it's Jimmy Dykes.

Dykes did the broadcast for ESPN. Among other fictions, he said Calipari handled his departure beautifully.

Hahahaha.

Calipari left Memphis one step in front of the NCAA, with his Final Four banner about to come down, and a full class of recruits packed into his Porsche Cayenne.

If that's beautiful, Bruce Pearl is George Clooney.

And Josh Pastner is Vera Farmiga.

Speaking of whom, how about we go back to Pastner for the last word?

He was his usual upbeat self afterward. He said his team would continue to work to improve.

"It's a long season," he said, which is certainly true.

But is it necessarily good?

To reach Geoff Calkins, call 901-529-2364 or e-mail calkins@commercialappeal.com.

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