The 19th-ranked Memphis Tigers are about to show what a difference a year - and a top recruiting class - can mean to a program.
A year ago, fans rallied around the Tigers in the wake of John Calipari's defection to Kentucky along with the loss of the nation's top recruiting class. They turned out so strong for midnight madness that officials had to close the doors at the FedExForum.
This year, they slammed the doors again with many supporters hoping to catch a glimpse of a team expected to compete for a national championship.
Memphis native and 6-foot-8 forward Tarik Black is part of the freshman class and loves being part of a team trying to return to its accustomed NCAA tournament spot.
''Last year, I figured it would be the way it went, like a learning experience for the new coach and just trying to rebuild. If the program gets a new coach, you can't expect for them to go Final Four, Sweet 16 off the top. You have to get back to your stature,'' Black said.
The Tigers didn't stumble too badly in coach Josh Pastner's first year.
They finished 24-10 and second in Conference USA after winning the league's regular season title and tournament the previous four seasons. Memphis played in the National Invitation Tournament, losing to Mississippi in the second round.
It was a jolt to a program that hadn't been less than a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament during Calipari's final four seasons. Not that it mattered to Tigers fans as Memphis ranked fifth nationally in total home attendance and eighth with an average of 16,498 over 20 games.
''We stabilized what could have been a dangerous situation, and the crowd did their job,'' Pastner said.
Now Pastner has a recruiting class that dipped to No. 2 nationally only after Calipari pulled in a couple late commitments. He has eight newcomers - Memphis' biggest group since 1972-73 in the first year freshmen could play. No pressure here, either. That team only went on to lose the national championship game to UCLA and Bill Walton.
Then freshman Will Barton, a top 15 recruit nationally and elite shooting guard, started talking. He has guaranteed a national title at least twice already and isn't backing off his high expectations.
Asked if the Tigers have a ceiling, Barton said, ''I don't think we have any.''
Elliot Williams left early for the NBA, so Pastner gets to oversee all the talent and mesh the newcomers with only two returning starters in Wesley Witherspoon and Will Coleman.
Again, no pressure.
''I want us to have a swagger,'' Pastner said. ''I want us to have confidence again. Talk and all that other stuff, it doesn't really mean anything. We have to produce on the court, and right now out of the excitement and hype and energy, which is great, but a lot of it is based on recruiting and expectations and what we did on signing guys.
''It hasn't been on what we did last year on the court yet. We have got to produce before we earn what we need to be earned.''
The Tigers, who open the season Friday night against Centenary, have had their challenges. Pastner kept guard Jelan Kendrick, a McDonald's All-American, out of practice during October to let him deal with what the coach called ''personal issues.'' CBSSports.com reported Kendrick had been fighting with teammates.
Pastner took his Tigers to the Bahamas in August for some early games and bonding time, a trip where Kendrick was left behind.
But Kendrick worked his way back Nov. 5, and the Tigers are figuring out how to share the ball on a team that includes Memphis natives Joe Jackson, Black and Chris Crawford along with Hippolyte Tsafack and Barton's brother, Antonio. Angel Garcia also is healthy after the 6-11 forward missed last season with a torn ACL.
''We've had some powwows with each other amongst the locker room and stuff like that,'' Coleman said. ''But I'd say for the most part guys have been pretty mature about talking and not getting upset with each other about, 'Oh, pass me the ball here, or I need the ball.' I'm really proud of my team like that.''
The challenge comes from the non-conference schedule. The Tigers host Miami on Nov. 15 in a game that will tip off at 11 p.m. locally and also play LSU and Western Kentucky before a game with Kansas in New York at Madison Square Garden. Georgetown visits Dec. 29, while the Tigers play at No. 23 Tennessee on Jan. 5.
Pastner said he thought his Tigers overachieved last year and understands coaches get very few of those in a career.
''From here on out now, you've got to put up, add the production that the expectations are met,'' Pastner said.
