"I think they're ready for this. But you don't know in these events. The wrong guy gets two or three fouls called on him early, and it changes the whole game," Calipari said. "We've made small adjustments for this game. We're not going to change what we do. This is how we play, what we do. Let's go."

One small change is out of necessity. Third-string point guard Andre Allen is suspended for an undisclosed rules violation, which means his 14.1 minutes per game will have to be absorbed by others.

"I feel bad," Calipari said. "I love Andre, I'll love him a month from now. It won't change what's going to happen this weekend. It may elevate us because sometimes, when something is taken away, a team comes together."

Perhaps one of those moments came in the loss to Ohio State.

The Tigers trailed at halftime, then surged ahead by five while Greg Oden was on the bench in foul trouble. They led until Oden made a three-point play and the Buckeyes got to keep the ball because of an intentional foul. Another basket put Ohio State in front, and Memphis never recovered.

Asked Thursday if these Tigers are more prepared than last year's squad, Calipari said: "Last year we weren't prepared for the No. 1 pick of the draft (Oden), the No. 4 pick of the draft (Mike Conley Jr.), the No. 21 pick of the draft (Daequan Cook). We were playing, like, who is this team? The next week, they played the Celtics and gave them a heck of a game. ...

"We hung in there," Calipari said. "But I think the attitude here is where we want it."

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Today at San Antonio

Memphis at UCLA, 4 p.m.

N. Carolina at Kansas, 6:45 p.m.

TV: Ch. 2