Memphis coach Calipari hoping for a case of déjà vu

The day after his team suffered its first defeat of the season, Memphis coach John Calipari received a telephone call from a friend.

Drexel coach James “Bruiser’’ Flint, who had been Calipari’s assistant coach at Massachusetts, reminded his old boss that history could repeat itself.

“It’s all lined up again,’’ Calipari said, recounting the conversation. “He reminded me that the year before at UMass (1995), we went to the Elite Eight and lost in New Jersey and then went to the Final Four in New Jersey the next year (1996).

“We won our first 26 games (in 1995-96) and then lost at home to a team we didn’t want to lose to (George Washington) and we regrouped.’’

Whether it’s déjà vu or Groundhog Day, Calipari is happy if his Tigers can repeat the scenario followed by the Minutemen.

Memphis lost in the regional final last year in San Antonio (the site of this season’s Final Four). The Tigers were 26-0 and ranked No. 1 before suffering their first loss of the season (to Tennessee on Feb. 23).

In 1996, UMass was ranked No. 1 going into the NCAA Tournament but lost to Kentucky in the Final Four semifinals.

Memphis has lost in the regional final each of the last two NCAA Tournaments. The Tigers hope the difference maker will be guard Derek Rose, one of several freshmen who entered this season carrying the “phenom” tag.

Rose and 6-7 junior Chris Douglas-Roberts (CD-R) are the Tigers’ top scorers. Douglas-Roberts presents matchup problems for opposing defenses because of his height and ability to handle the ball.

Calipari is in his third season using a unique offense. He calls it Dribble Drive Motion and it is adopted from a style pioneered by former Pepperdine coach Vance Walberg.

The offense has four perimeter players and one post player, who always stations himself on the low post away from the ball. The player with the ball tries to beat his defender off the dribble.

If that doesn’t work, he passes to another perimeter player, who attempts the same attack. The constant rotation of penetrating dribblers is either supposed to yield a layup (by the driver or on a pass to the post player) or a 3-pointer.

Critics say the attack doesn’t use screens, eliminates a post-up option and can be limited by zone or quick man-to-man defenses.

Late in the season, Calipari seemed to admit his scheme’s limitations.

“We’re getting consistent guard play, but our front line is inconsistent,’’ he said after his team’s 72-55 victory at SMU. “That’s where we’ve got to get better. We have to have a front-line guy who can get us 17 to 18 points and 10 rebounds a night.’’

If that missing ingredient is found, then Memphis might make Flint’s prophecy come true.

“There’s no question that this team has what it takes to win the national title,’’ Calipari said.