Rookie coach has big impact
Stoudamire prospers as Tigers’ assistant
First-year University of Memphis assistant coach Damon Stoudamire had only been around the Tigers’ guards for a short time, but his instincts told him all he needed to know.
They were full of themselves.
“When I got here (last May), I kind of felt like they all thought they made it . I thought they felt like they arrived, so to speak,” Stoudamire said. “I think each one of them in their own, humbling way, as the season went forward through the first couple of months, had rude awakenings.
“What happened in those rude awakenings is that they have matured and their habits got better. I’m a firm believer, because this is how I made it, that how you practice is a reflection of how you’re going to play (in games). All of their focus has been so much better than what it was at the beginning of the year. Right now, today, they’re all different players than what they were when the season first started.”
It was Stoudamire’s work ethic and detail- oriented approach to the game that made the 5-10, 170pound dynamo an All-america guard at Arizona and an NBA Rookie of the Year with the Toronto Raptors. It’s those same characteristics that Stoudamire, whose Tigers (18-7, 8-2 Conference USA) travel to face Tulane (15-9, 3-7) tonight in New Orleans, has tried
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to instill in Memphis’ players as an assistant coach.
“Damon has a work ethic about basketball that’s fantastic, and I think that’s carried over into his coaching,” said Stoudamire’s former Arizona coach and Hall of Famer Lute Olson. “At his size, he had to be really efficient in what he was doing.
“I was so happy to see that he would be willing to move to the collegiate ranks from the Grizzlies’ (coaching staff ) because we need guys like that with that kind of reputation. But more so, we need guys with that kind of reputation and work ethic that are going to put everything into it. He’s not going to be a big talker. He’s just gonna get out there and work and make a kid a whole lot better.”
As the overseer of Memphis’ offense, Stoudamire said he’s been pleased for the most part with the team’s shooting (48.6 percent) and ball movement (37 assists in its last two games). The Tigers have committed 12 or fewer turnovers in nine straight contests and, for the season, are committing 2.3 fewer turnovers per game than last year.
Individually, Stoudamire said his goal has been to get each of the players, including sophomore guard Joe Jackson, to utilize their flaws and mistakes as motivators for improvement.
After a solid start to the season, Jackson reached a low point in December, going scoreless against Robert Morris in 21 minutes. He sat out the Tigers’ next game against Charlotte, pondering a transfer, and struggled for much of the next eight games.
During the Tigers’ current three -game winning streak, however, he’s averaged 10 points and six assists and looked much more comfortable in his role as floor general.
“Joe is learning how to play the point guard position. It’s something that’s not natural for him,” Stoudamire said. “What Joe has done is he’s gotten into watching film of himself and critiquing himself and being his worst critic. If you’re not going to be hard on yourself, then you’re never going to be able to figure it out anyway.
“It’s just a matter of if you’re going to be true to yourself, and I think that’s what’s happened with Joe.”
Records: Memphis 18-7, 82 Conference USA; Tulane 159, 3-7.
Coaches: Memphis, Josh Pastner (67-27 at school, 6727 overall); Tulane, Ed Conroy (28-26 at school, 118-159 overall)
Series: Memphis leads, 42-9
G Chris Crawford (So., 64, 205, 9.5 ppg, 3.6 apg) vs. G Ricky Tarrant (Fr., 6-1, 180, 14.4 ppg, 3.2 apg): Crawford broke out of his offensive slump in home games with a 16-point performance against UAB on Saturday at Fedexforum. He has scored in double figures in three of Memphis’ last four games and six of its last nine. Crawford has been on fire from 3-point range of late, having shot 54.2 percent (13of-24) from deep over the last four games. Tarrant is the only C-USA player since the league began its Freshman of the Week honor
Tiger head coach Josh Pastner pointed out that Stoudamire has also been an asset in recruiting. In November, when highly rated Decatur (Ga.) Southwest Dekalb senior forward Shaq Goodwin signed with the Tigers, Goodwin’s high school coach, Dwayne MCKinney, said Stoudamire “was huge” in Memphis getting Goodwin signed.
Last week, Garden City (Kan.) Community College sophomore guard Geron Johnson said Stoudamire’s credentials were among the reasons he committed to Memphis for 2012.
“Damon’s done an excellent job,” Pastner said. “He’s not only done a really nice job on the floor, he’s done a really nice job in recruiting. He’s done well on the scouting side. He’s very thorough, very detail- oriented. Joe and coach Stoudamire are definitely close. I know Joe looks up to coach Stoudamire, and that’s part of what you want with your staff.
“Being the head coach, you’re going to be on them a lot. When the head coach gets on the guys hard, the assistants need to be there to soften the blow. That’s part of an assistant’s responsibility and job, and (Stoudamire) does a really good job of that .”
— Jason S mith: (901) 529-5804