Memphis Rises to the Occasion

Earl Barron scored a career-high 25 points and tournament most valuable player Dajuan Wagner had 16 as Memphis won the NIT with a 72-62 victory over South Carolina on Thursday night.

Wagner, Memphis’ star freshman and a possible lottery pick in the NBA draft, may have played his last college game.

Tiger Coach John Calipari thinks Wagner could be one of the first 13 players taken if he leaves this year and one of the first three players taken if he leaves next year.

The blue-and-white-clad contingent of Memphis fans stood and chanted, “One more year! One more year!” when Wagner was taken out of the game with 47.3 seconds left.

For Calipari, the championship accomplished something he wanted to get out of the way at this time last season. The Tigers lost in the NIT semifinals last year, and Calipari was hoping they would make the NCAA tournament this year. But the Tigers lost five of their last seven, including a first-round loss to Houston in the Conference USA tournament.

Calipari said earlier this week he felt snubbed by the NCAA tournament. Before Tuesday’s semifinals, he said advancing would be “validation.”

First-year South Carolina Coach Dave Odom was bidding for his second NIT title in three years. He won the tournament with Wake Forest in 2000.

Rolando Howell had 20 points and 15 rebounds for the Gamecocks, who made only eight of 18 from the free-throw line.

The Gamecocks (22-15) stayed close in the first half, but didn’t score in the second until Aaron Lucas made a free throw with 15:50 to play.

Lucas scored South Carolina’s first field goal of the half with 13:25 left. But by then, Memphis (27-9) was running away with it.