- Memphis Madness last night was tremendous. I know the Tigers' coaching staff was very happy with the way everything turned out, from the production and organization to the fan response. It was really an electric atmosphere, and it goes to show you what can happen when you put some thought and effort into something. John Calipari's teams did Memphis Madness, but they didn't really make it a huge deal and didn't devote a ton of time to it. This is now a big-time production with the videos and the pyrotechnics and the celebrity participation. Speaking of videos, the one everybody is talking about this morning is the Penny Hardaway tribute, which has already been posted online. It is being interpreted as a clever recruiting message aimed for Melrose star Adonis Thomas, and there's no doubt about its intent. However, it wasn't JUST about Adonis Thomas. You also had Jarnell Stokes and Jonathan Williams III and Austin Nichols and Leron Black in attendance last night.
- Hamed Haddadi is finally back in town! I know the good folks at The Flying Saucer are pleased (Haddadi is a post-game regular there). In all seriousness, it's still not totally clear why he was detained in Iran for so long, though Ron Tillery's story in this morning's Commercial Appeal brings up the possibility of divorce proceedings. Haddadi apparently has not had much contact with the Grizzlies organization since the World Championships in Turkey, and missing training camp and the first part of the preseason certainly does not help the case of a fringe NBA player. However, I'm a bit perplexed about why Lionel Hollins seemed so dismissive. Hollins said. But given Hasheem Thabeet's continued struggles this preseason, it seems to me the Grizzlies should welcome Haddadi back and hope he gets in game shape quickly if for no other reason than to give Thabeet some motivation to hold onto the No. 2 center position.
- Terrible news about Purdue's Robbie Hummel tearing his ACL again this morning in the Boilermakers' opening practice. He missed the second half of last season and now will miss this season as well. Hummel was a first-team All-American candidate, and now his career may be in serious jeopardy. You hear guys talk all the time about how career-ending injuries could happen any time, but to be honest, it rarely happens in basketball. If Hummel ever plays in the NBA now, it will be a miracle. As far as what this means in the bigger picture, it's huge in the college basketball landscape. Most people considered Duke, Michigan State and Purdue as the elite tier of teams heading into this season, a cut above everyone else. Now it's Duke and Michigan State with another 10-15 teams right behind them with legitimate aspirations of making a Final Four. Memphis is one of them.
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