TIGERS’ WORKOUT SPIRITED, PHYSICAL

Michael Dixon dribbled in from the left side, made a crossover move on Joe Jackson, then penetrated hard down the lane for a layup.

Dixon, a senior guard and transfer from Missouri, had been poked in the eye earlier in the University of Memphis’ workout Wednesday morning at the Finch Center, and this seemed to be his way of saying, “Play ball.”

As the players’ familiarity with one another has grown, so, too, has the intensity level in the Finch Center with the Tigers beginning their fourth week of summer workouts with the coaching staff.

Memphis still doesn’t have its entire team participating. Sophomore Shaq Goodwin won’t arrive until the second session of summer school (July 9) and it could be August before the Tigers know whether freshmen Kuran Iverson and Pookie Powell will meet NCAA academic requirements and be eligible this season.

But the competition for spots has already begun, and it was evident Wednesday by the physical, in-your-face nature of the workout.

Coach Josh Pastner was in a zero-tolerance mood. He stopped the workout repeatedly to get on players for mistakes, which he wants to see fewer of now that the Tigers are in their fourth week of workouts. Whether it was Dixon not having his hands up while closing out on a 3-point shooter or freshman forward Austin Nichols not rotating quickly enough on defense, Pastner was on it. “I know we’re only practicing three times a week for 40 minutes (per workout) and it’s hard to have carryover, but we gotta get past that,” Pastner said. “I know it’s June, but I also want us to get to that next point.”