I'm sad, upset, disappointed...... My Tigers, who I have followed for decades, are in a world of hurt - No Sh%t Sherlock. Any intelligent follower of the program, can see that our Tigers have been effected by 'numerous' variables over the past years:

- Coaching Consistency. Effects recruiting big time. Yes, Gonzaga is thriving, Xavier is thriving, Wichita State is thriving, Dayton was thriving - just lost it's coach, Cincinnati is thriving, etc. There are other non Power 5 teams thriving. (Yes, being in a Power 5 conference is impactful also). Look at the common denominator at those schools - Coaching Consistency.

- Coach Cal. He took our program to great heights. Loved him while he was doing what he was doing. At what price to us? Program on probation; Banners condemned (we were erased from history); Left the program when we really needed him. You know the history. Major setbacks for the program.

- Josh Pastner. He really wanted to do a good job. But, he came in with a lack of experience and skill set to keep us at a high level. Not really a fault of his. He could not sustain the program. He took us to numerous tournaments, had some success, but the changing environment overcame him (internal team chaos, national recruiting, recruit evaluation, on the job training/learning caught up with him, Lawson's(no win situation). Great guy with a tough, tough challenge.

- Team Stability. Coach Smith is a very good coach, not a miracle worker. Having to handle that whole Lawson scene, no bench, and other factors, on some level requires a miracle worker. Until Cal got the right NBA level players and strong supporting players, we were very mediocre. The Lawsons will probably move on to Kentucky or Ole Miss or some other taker. Good luck with that. Team stability every year, in recent years, has shown it's ugly head.

Memphis basketball has had a hard row to hoe for awhile now. We need to settle down and allow this staff an opportunity to stabilize what years of "stuff" has impacted upon our program.

I hate where we are, but I will always be a fan, always attend and watch games. Hurt with the pain and celebrate the joy. Hope we have some more joy.

Disclaimer: Not trying to call out any, poster, fan, parent, player, coach, Administrator, hater, poser, or malcontent.