Few college basketball players would voluntarily follow the career arc Willie Kemp has at the University of Memphis. (Actually, you’d need to turn an arc upside down to track Kemp’s three-plus years as a Tiger.) If there’s a metaphorical roar to this first season of the Josh Pastner Era, it’s source is likely the senior point guard — starting point guard — from Bolivar, Tennessee.
- Willie Kemp during the 2009 NCAAs
As a freshman, Kemp started 36 games for the 2006-07 Tigers. He averaged 21 minutes of playing time for a team that won 33 games, a Conference USA championship, and reached the NCAA tournament’s Elite Eight. But with the arrival of Derrick Rose the next season and Tyreke Evans for 2008-09, Kemp’s role diminished significantly. He played in 76 games over the last two seasons, but only started two and averaged 13 minutes of playing time. The most telling reflections of Kemp’s decline are his shooting percentages as a junior: 28 percent from the field, 26 percent from three-point range. Gone with his shooting touch, apparently, was any semblance of confidence.
