Still can't believe the 2013-2014 Cards dropped two against Memphis State. I believe below in the article that Pastner has 5 wins over top 25 teams and two of those were against UofL in 2014.
GARY PARRISH
College Basketball Insider
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Memphis collapses, Josh Pastner on hot seat after 77-57 loss to UConn
February 4, 2016 11:41 pm ETMEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The two men rose from their seats in Section 114 of FedExForum afterConnecticut scored another easy transition bucket. They grabbed their coats and started walking up the steps, toward the doors. And never mind that there was still plenty of time left on the clock. Because these men already knew how this game would end.
Same way every other Memphis game against a quality opponent has ended.
With a breakdown.
Or a bad possession.
Or, in this case, a complete collapse.
So an arena that was half-empty at halftime was mostly empty in the final minutes Thursday, and Memphis lost for the fourth time in five games, and for the second time to UConn.
Final score: UConn 77, Memphis 57.
And would you believe the Tigers actually led at the half?
It's true.
Memphis was up 37-36 after 20 minutes. But UConn outscored the Tigers 41-20 in the final 20 while dropping Memphis to 0-6 against top-60 RPI teams even though Memphis led in the second half of five of those six games, including a November game against the Oklahoma team that's currently ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press poll.
Speaking of the AP poll, Josh Pastner is now 5-25 all-time against AP Top 25 teams. And these are the kinds of numbers -- combined with a 13-9 record and recruiting class that's ranked outside of the top 50 -- that are starting to stack up and put Pastner's job security in serious question. I mean, the lead sports columnist for The Commercial Appeal, Geoff Calkins, already called for a coaching change (effective after this season) following last month's home loss to East Carolina. Meantime, fans are publicly debating whether the school could even actually afford to pay Pastner's $10.6 million buyout.
Yes, his buyout is $10.6 million.
If paid, it would be the highest-paid buyout in college basketball history.
"We can't point fingers," Pastner said. "We have to find a way to snap out of it."
Indeed, the Tigers do.
But not just snap out of it. They now have to snap out of it and bounce back from their most lopsided home loss since 1999. And Cincinnati -- which is on a four-game winning streak that features a win over Memphis -- is visiting FedExForum on Saturday.
GARY PARRISH
College Basketball Insider
Follow Gary
Memphis collapses, Josh Pastner on hot seat after 77-57 loss to UConn
February 4, 2016 11:41 pm ETMEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The two men rose from their seats in Section 114 of FedExForum afterConnecticut scored another easy transition bucket. They grabbed their coats and started walking up the steps, toward the doors. And never mind that there was still plenty of time left on the clock. Because these men already knew how this game would end.
Same way every other Memphis game against a quality opponent has ended.
With a breakdown.
Or a bad possession.
Or, in this case, a complete collapse.
So an arena that was half-empty at halftime was mostly empty in the final minutes Thursday, and Memphis lost for the fourth time in five games, and for the second time to UConn.
Final score: UConn 77, Memphis 57.
And would you believe the Tigers actually led at the half?
It's true.
Memphis was up 37-36 after 20 minutes. But UConn outscored the Tigers 41-20 in the final 20 while dropping Memphis to 0-6 against top-60 RPI teams even though Memphis led in the second half of five of those six games, including a November game against the Oklahoma team that's currently ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press poll.
Speaking of the AP poll, Josh Pastner is now 5-25 all-time against AP Top 25 teams. And these are the kinds of numbers -- combined with a 13-9 record and recruiting class that's ranked outside of the top 50 -- that are starting to stack up and put Pastner's job security in serious question. I mean, the lead sports columnist for The Commercial Appeal, Geoff Calkins, already called for a coaching change (effective after this season) following last month's home loss to East Carolina. Meantime, fans are publicly debating whether the school could even actually afford to pay Pastner's $10.6 million buyout.
Yes, his buyout is $10.6 million.
If paid, it would be the highest-paid buyout in college basketball history.
"We can't point fingers," Pastner said. "We have to find a way to snap out of it."
Indeed, the Tigers do.
But not just snap out of it. They now have to snap out of it and bounce back from their most lopsided home loss since 1999. And Cincinnati -- which is on a four-game winning streak that features a win over Memphis -- is visiting FedExForum on Saturday.
