Shawn Taggart, a member of the Iowa State men's basketball team this past season, is transferring to the University of Memphis, head coach John Calipari announced Monday. Taggart has to sit out from competition in 2006-07 due to NCAA transfer rules, but can practice with the Tiger squad. Following next season, he will have three years of eligibility remaining.

"We're excited to have Shawn join the Tiger basketball program," said Calipari. "Shawn has great size, and he is a solid addition that will complement the talented players we have returning."

A 6-foot-10 forward, Taggart saw action in all 30 games - a starter in the final 14 contests - for the Cyclones in 2005-06, despite missing two weeks in preseason drills while recovering from the stomach virus. The Richmond, Va., native averaged 5.6 points and 3.6 boards, while shooting 45.1 percent from the field and 69.5 percent from the foul line. Taggart netted a season-high 16 points in his freshman debut, and the 16-point performance was the fifth-best by a freshman in a season opener in Iowa State basketball history. He grabbed a season-high 11 boards versus Kansas State, and also posted his first collegiate double-double (11 points-10 rebounds) versus Colorado.

Prior to Iowa State, Taggart played at Mount Zion Christian Academy in Durham, N.C. In the 2004-05 campaign, he averaged 20.2 points, 10.3 rebounds and 4.0 blocks in helping lead Mount Zion to the prep school national championship. As a junior in 2003-04, Taggart averaged 10.2 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.2 blocks for Mount Zion, which posted a 30-1 record that season.

Taggart was ranked one of the nation's top big men in the 2005 signing class, as Rivals.com rated him the No. 35 player overall and No. 3 center. Taggart was also rated among the nation's top players by HoopScoop (No. 24), The Sporting News (No. 72), Basketball Times (No. 85) and Lindy's (No. 94).

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - University of Memphis Athletic Director R.C. Johnson announced today that John Calipari, who led his Memphis Tiger basketball team to a Conference USA Championship and a number one seed in this year's NCAA Tournament, has signed a new contract which will keep the renowned coach at the helm of the Memphis program through the 2010-11 season.

"Six years ago we hired John Calipari as head coach for our basketball program and he made three commitments," said Johnson. "First, graduate student-athletes under his tutelage. Next, place this basketball program on a national stage and compete for championships. Finally, rekindle and strengthen the bond between the city and the basketball program. He's accomplished all three. John has committed to the university and the community, just as we have committed to him."

Calipari guided the Tigers to a record-setting year in 2005-06. Memphis posted a 33-4 record, won the Conference USA regular season and tournament titles, earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and made a run to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight. The 33-4 record and the 33 victories were the best in school history. The league regular season title was the Tigers' second in three seasons (2004, 2006), and the conference tournament crown was the program's first since 1987. The No. 1 seed was the first in school history, and the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight appearance was the Tigers' first since 1992. Memphis finished the year ranked No. 4 in the Associated Press poll and No. 6 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll, the highest final poll ranking in school history.

"My statements have never wavered," said Calipari. "As long as the school was committed to having a top-10 national program, I wanted to stay. Obviously, I feel that this has been done in the past and will continue to be done in the future. I look forward to coaching this wonderful group of players to heights unseen in this program's history."

In 14 seasons, Calipari's record stands at 341-130 (.724 winning percentage), and he has averaged nearly 25 wins per season in his six years at Memphis (148-59 record; .715 winning percentage). He moved into the top 10 (No. 6 spot) for victories through a coach's first 14 seasons. In the 2004-05 campaign, Calipari joined Roy Williams, Everett Case, Denny Crum, Jim Boeheim, Tubby Smith and Nolan Richardson as the only coaches in the history of NCAA Division I basketball to win 300 or more games in their first 13 seasons.

In 2005-06, Calipari joined more elite coaching company when he led the Tigers to a top-10 national ranking, becoming only the 13th coach in NCAA Division I history to direct two different teams to top-10 spots in the national polls. Calipari's UMass team went to No. 1 in 1995 and 1996, while the Tigers reached as high as No. 3 in the 2005-06 campaign. Calipari also joined Roy Williams as the only two coaches in NCAA Tournament history to lead two different programs to No. 1 seeds in the "Big Dance."

Calipari's 148 victories are the most by a Memphis head coach in any six-year span. He is the only Tiger mentor to guide the program to 20-plus wins and a postseason berth in each of his first six years at the helm.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - University of Memphis senior Rodney Carney has been selected to participate in The College Basketball Slam Dunk and 3-Point Shooting Championships presented by Dell. Carney is scheduled to compete in the slam dunk portion of the event.

The College Basketball Slam Dunk and 3-Point Shooting Championships will be held on Thursday, Mar. 30 at Hinkle Fieldhouse on the Butler University campus. The event starts at 6:00 p.m. (CT), and will air on ESPN at 8:00 p.m. (CT). The ESPN announce team for the show includes Brad Nessler, Steve Lavin, Jimmy Dykes and Erin Andrews.

The Tigers' 6-foot-7 forward will vie for the slam dunk title with Michigan State's Maurice Ager, Minnesota's Vincent Grier, Gonzaga's Errol Knight, North Carolina's David Noel, Cincinnati's James White, Western Kentucky's Elgrace Wilborn and Bradley's Lawrence Wright.

Carney, an Indianapolis native, was a 2005-06 consensus All-America pick. He was the Conference USA Player of the Year and helped lead the Tigers to a 33-4 overall record and a spot in the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight.

Those players participating in the three-point shootout are Illinois' Dee Brown, St. Peter's Keydran Clark, Marquette's Steve Novak, West Virginia's Kevin Pittsnogle, Notre Dame's Chris Quinn and Butler's Bruce Horan.

In the women's three-point contest, the contestants are UCLA's Nikki Blue, Michigan State's Lindsay Bowen, Notre Dame's Megan Duffy, Texas Tech's Erin Grant, Miami's (Fla.) Tamara James, Utah's Julie Larsen and Rutgers' Cappie Pondexter.

For fans interested in attending the event, tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students and those under 18 years of age. Tickets can be purchased at the box office or through ticketmaster.com.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Memphis believes it's earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Now it's up to the selection committee to decide.

"We have done everything we could do," said coach John Calipari, after the fifth-ranked Tigers beat No. 24 UAB 57-46 Saturday to win the Conference USA Tournament.

"When we coach against another team, we're trying to make it as hard as we can on them to beat us," Calipari said. "On this committee, we're trying to (make it) as hard as we can for them not to give us (the No. 1 seed). They may not, but we made it very difficult for them by winning the game."

The Tigers (30-3) were also the league's regular-season champs, with only one conference loss -- to UAB on March 2 in Birmingham.

Joey Dorsey had 10 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks for Memphis and led a Tigers defense that shut down the Blazers (24-6) inside and held them to 27 percent shooting.

"Our defense was phenomenal," Calipari said. "Joey Dorsey was an absolute monster, and we need him to be a monster."

Tournament MVP Shawne Williams had 18 points to lead Memphis, which became the second team in conference history to win 30 games in a season. Cincinnati, which just completed its first season in the Big East, had 31 victories in 2001-02.

In what may be its biggest threat to a perfect run through Conference USA, third-ranked Memphis plays its last regular-season road contest Thursday against UAB.

The Tigers (26-2, 12-0 C-USA) have won 15 straight games and are poised to claim the outright conference title against the Blazers, who are two games behind with two to play.

Memphis extended the nation's second-longest winning streak with a 78-67 home victory over Tulsa on Saturday. Freshman Shawne Williams scored nine of his 21 points in the final six minutes for the Tigers.

Conference Player of the Year candidate Rodney Carney scored, against all odds, 20 points and Darius Washington Jr. added 13 for Memphis, which is in line for a No. 1 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.

UAB (20-5, 10-2) has lost just once in 13 home games this season, including Saturday's 73-68 triumph over Southern Methodist.

Marvett McDonald scored a career-high 39 points thanks to 8-of-12 shooting from the arc. Richard Jones was the only other Blazers scorer in double figures with 19 points.

Memphis has won four of the last five meetings against UAB, including a 73-66 home triumph January 26. However, the Blazers won the meeting here last season.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Southern Mississippi coach Larry Eustachy was realistic about his team's ability to keep pace with No. 3 Memphis.

They had no chance, the Golden Eagles' coach said after losing 80-41 to the Tigers on Tuesday night.

"This was a mismatch," Eustachy said. "We could play them 100 times, and we'd never beat them one time. We just wouldn't. That's just the way it is."

Rodney Carney scored 15 points and Kareem Cooper had 13 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Tigers to their 12th consecutive victory.

Darius Washington and Shawne Williams had 11 points each for Memphis (23-2, 9-0 Conference USA), and Robert Dozier finished with 10 points, hitting all three of his shots from the field and all four free throws.

The game was important for Cooper, who was arrested Jan. 23 for possession of marijuana in a Memphis suburb. He missed four games after the episode and pleaded guilty to charges connected to the incident earlier Tuesday.

"I thought Kareem was terrific," Memphis coach John Calipari said. "He's been working out at 6:30 in the morning. He's been working hard at practice. He has been humble about this whole situation."

MEMPHIS - The wakeup call apparently didn't come until No. 3 Memphis got behind.

The Tigers seemed a little groggy for the noon start before shaking off the cobwebs and running away for a 94-61 victory over Central Florida on Saturday.

"I barely wanted to be here," Memphis coach John Calipari said. "... We've got to be able to check a minute into the game who's into this energy. Who is into what we are doing."

Rodney Carney was 5-of-6 from 3-point range and scored 26 points to lead the Tigers to their eighth straight victory.

Carney, who had eight points in a 59-second span, provided an early offensive spark for Memphis (19-2, 5-0 Conference USA) after the lackluster start.

Shawne Williams finished with 16 points for Memphis, which shot 51 percent from the field, while Waki Williams had 15 and Antonio Anderson, who entered the game averaging 5.0 points over the last six games, added 14.

"The biggest thing I told (Anderson) is that he can't get caught up in the shooting and scoring," Calipari said. "He got tentative last week because he missed some shots. We don't need (him) to make shots. We need (him) to do the energy stuff."

Mike O'Donnell and Dave Noel each had 10 points for Central Florida (9-9, 3-2) with Noel missing only one of five shots from the field. The Golden Knights' leading scorers - Justin Rose and Josh Peppers - were held to four and nine points, respectively, and were a combined 5-of-18 from the field. Anthony Williams, who averages just under 10 points, was held to five because of foul problems, including part of a double-technical in the first half.

"They are an unbelievable team. Very fast, very athletic," O'Donnell said. "But it shouldn't have been that score. We need a heart check. That was a little embarrassing."

Memphis, which led by 12 points at halftime, went up 61-39 with 12:35 remaining when Waki Williams scored on a reverse layup. The run was made with most of the Memphis starters on the bench.

Whatever energy UCF had to that point seemed to dissipate. The Tigers extended the lead to as many as 34 points in the final 6 minutes.

"We did some good things, but let it slip away from us towards the end of the first half," UCF coach Kirk Speraw said. "We still were only down 12 points. We came out in the second half with no life and our defense broke down."

Early, Memphis wasn't playing with the intensity Calipari wanted. Defenders let the Golden Knights drive to the basket on occasions and UCF had uncontested 3-pointers in the early minutes.

"We came out real lazy," Anderson said. "Coach didn't like that. He came in at halftime, and just blasted us."

Carney kept things moving for Memphis with 11 first-half points, including making all three of his 3-pointers, while Shawne Williams added 10.

UCF took the lead midway through the period after a 3-pointer by Peppers and extended it to 22-19 on a tip-in by Lavell Payne.

That seemed to get the Tigers' attention, and the intensity increased. Memphis recorded a 9-0 run as UCF went almost 5 minutes without scoring.

That help provide Memphis with the 42-30 halftime lead, its biggest of the first half.

In the second half, the Tigers shot 53 percent while pulling away.

"A big problem that has been with us all year long, really reared its head today," Speraw bet. "And that is, the last 15 minutes of the game got away.