Tag: MikeCheck
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MikeCheck: Who are Southern Jaguars? A proud HBCU program packing guts and grooves for Liberty Bowl trip to face Memphis
They are a prideful, plucky program in powder blue, gold and white uniforms. Plus, they’ve got a hip-shaking, funky marching band called the Human Jukebox. The Southern Heritage Classic arrives in town the following week as one of the top games on the HBCU football schedule. But Southern will bring a touch of soul to…
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MikeCheck: After answering national team calls, prideful Grizzlies thriving on FIBA World Cup stage
Essentially at the ‘now-or-never’ stage of his fledgling NBA career, forward Bruno Caboclo simply doesn’t back down from many challenges. The way Caboclo sees it, only one of two things can happen – and either outcome is personally productive. Several of Caboclo’s teammates on the Grizzlies’ roster share that sense of purpose as they spend…
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MikeCheck: No two ways about it … Alcorn State is the best team in HBCU football this season
BIRMINGHAM – The significance of that notorious number isn’t lost on Fred McNair. Recently seated at a media day table between two of the best players in FCS football this season, the Alcorn State coach was still struggling eight months later to make sense of that controversial call in the end zone of Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz…
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MikeCheck: Team USA staff, players confident Jenkins will prove ideal fit as Grizzlies new coach
By all accounts, Jenkins blends a surgeon-like attention to detail with an in-your-face intensity. The Grizzlies and the league saw signs of that last month in Las Vegas. Three weeks after taking the job, Jenkins guided Memphis to the MGM Resorts Summer League championship while still working to finalize his staff and with No. 2…
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MikeCheck: Team USA workouts boost Jackson Jr.’s momentum for sophomore NBA season
Jackson is competing with the Select Team of NBA rising stars to help the USA National Team prepare for the FIBA World Cup qualifier that starts later this month in China. His presence at Team USA training camp makes Jackson the lone teenager among 30 NBA players gathered in Vegas – a talent crop that…
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MikeCheck: Two takeaways from Grizzlies 3-0 Vegas start and a look-ahead to Celtics clash
LAS VEGAS – Although both Ja Morant and DeAnthony Melton are sitting out of summer league action, the Grizzlies made a strong play this week off the court to solidify the point guard position by agreeing to terms with restricted free agent Tyus Jones.
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MikeCheck: With waiting game behind, Clarke and Allen getting up to speed with revamped Grizzlies
Just imagine unwrapping a gift, but then being prevented from opening it, embracing it and enjoying it for more than two weeks. Having to juggle that anticipation, that angst and that nervous energy for that long was essentially unbearable for Brandon Clarke and Grayson Allen.
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MikeCheck: Once-heralded Shittu eager to regain ground with Grizzlies after rocky NBA transition
The only problem is Shittu didn’t get enough done in that one-and-done season at Vanderbilt to propel himself into the NBA via the lottery, the first round or even as a selection at all in last month’s draft. So a little more than a year removed from playing in the McDonald’s All-American prep game and…
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MikeCheck: Two takeaways from Grizzlies’ summer debut win over Jazz and a look-ahead to Tuesday’s matchup against Spurs
If the collective mission of forwards Yuta Watanabe and Julian Washburn was to pick up this summer where they left off late last season, then consider two of the Grizzlies’ biggest development projects off to a promising start.
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MikeCheck: As NBA Draft looms, Jaren Jackson Jr. reflects on first-year Grizz journey and shares rookie cheat code with top incoming prospects
MEMPHIS – If the wiser, more seasoned 19-year-old Jaren Jackson Jr. of today could reach back in time and have a talk with the younger, eager and detrimentally anxious version of himself this time a year ago, the conversation would start something like this: