South Florida Bulls Basketball

1.    Syracuse (25-2) 

The Orange have all but locked up the top spot in the Big East. With their remaining schedule, it will take a loss to Villanova and to Louisville to unseat them.  The Villanova loss gives them an even greater probability at a No. 1 seed in the tournament

2.    Villanova (22-4)

The Wildcats have two consecutive losses for the first time this season.  The remaining schedule will be challenging and Scottie Reynolds needs to get his team back on track quickly.

3.    Pittsburgh (21-6)

The Panthers have a five-game win streak going with impressive wins over Villanova, West Virginia, and Marquette. This team continues to improve its seeding, and the remaining schedule is very manageable.

4.    West Virginia (21-5)

The Mountaineers have a brutal remaining schedule with games against Connecticut, Cincinnati Georgetown and Villanova.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see them split, but this team has impressed all season.  They should be a No. 2 seed in the tournament depending on how they navigate themselves into March.

5.    Georgetown (18-7)

The Hoyas are reeling after back-to-back losses by Rutgers and Syracuse.  February hasn’t been kind either, posting a 2-3 record.  This team needs to pick up some wins quickly, unfortunately with games against Louisville, Notre Dame, West Virginia, and Cincinnati, it won’t be easy.

 

6.    Marquette (17-9)

The Golden Eagles have worked themselves back into the NCAA Tournament. The remaining schedule still has games against Louisville and Notre Dame, but the games against St. Johns and Seton Hall should give them two easy wins.

7.    Louisville (18-9)

The Cardinals are going to get tested in this last half of Big East play. Georgetown and Syracuse book end the final home games of the season.  In the between those two games is a road trip to Connecticut and Marquette.  This team should get into the tournament, but it needs to solidify that with another quality win.

8.    Notre Dame (17-10)

The Irish are watching the wheels fall off what has been a good season for them.  The loss of Luke Harangody has shown it’s too much to over come during this three game losing streak.  The last four games are a gauntlet of Pittsburgh, Georgetown, Connecticut, and Marquette.  I don’t expect them to win any of the remaining games without their best player in the lineup.

9.    Cincinnati (15-11)

The Bearcats’s bubble burst this week with losses to USF and Marquette.  From here on out, its NIT or bust for this struggling Cincinnati team. They have one more win on the schedule in DePaul.  But after that, I expect losses to West Virginia, Villanova, and Georgetown.

10.  South Florida (16-10)

The Bulls burst the Bearcats bubble, just to watch St. Johns burst theirs.  The loss to St. Johns, 74-58, at home was inexcusable and the Bulls will have plenty of time to think it over during the offseason.

11.  Seton Hall (15-10)

The Pirates have Rutgers on the schedule twice and one more game with Providence. They should win all three of those games, or at worst split with Rutgers. I don’t expect them to do much against Marquette, in what will be the last real game they play in this regular season.

12.  Connecticut (16-11)

The Huskies are considered by some as a bubble team.  I don’t. This team has been on the out looking in since the 81-66 drubbing by Providence.  It won’t matter though, West Virginia will end any Husky hopes when they face off this week.

13.  Rutgers (14-13)

The Scarlet Knights are just counting the days down till spring football starts. Until then, they’ll still have to get beat one more time by Pittsburgh and probably Seton Hall.

14.  St. Johns (15-11)

The Red Storm knocked USF out of NCAA Tournament contention.  They still have games against Syracuse, Pittsburgh, and Marquette. The final game of the regular season gives them a chance to pick up one more win when they travel to DePaul.

15.  Providence (12-14)

The Friars have an impressive six-game losing streak going, and with Syracuse coming up it’ll be extended to seven shortly. They may upset USF or Seton Hall, but I don’t think they’ve got another win in them this year.

16.  DePaul (8-18)

The Blue Demons have trumped Providence’s losing streak with their own eight game streak.  They might break it against Rutgers or the last game with St. Johns, but the other two games, with Cincinnati and USF, will be losses.  It’s been a rough year in the Big East for DePaul.

The South Florida Bulls (16-10) has had a banner year for its standards.  But now it appears the Bulls are NIT bound after their loss to St. Johns, 74-58.  This loss is not only one of the worst losses of the season, but it’s also at home in front of the 5,800 disappointed fans.

The Bulls had overcome transfers, injuries, suspensions, and even an NCAA probe this season.  Despite all the distractions, they’ve post wins over Pittsburgh and Georgetown, and their first four-game win streak in Big East play.

The Bulls won back-to-back road games this season in conference play for the first time ever. This was coming after going 2-41 on the road to date in the Big East.

Dominique Jones was names Big East player of the week and became an All-American and Big East Player of the Year candidate.

Augustus Gilchrist started off strong, averaging 21 points and 10 rebounds a game, before going down with ankle injury for six weeks.  Since his return, conditioning and rust have plagued his production.

Jarrid Famous has stepped up in the wake of Gilchrist injury to average 11 points and seven rebounds on the season.  He, along with Chris Howard’s 10 points a game, have provided offensive production outside of Dominique Jones.

From here on out the Bulls will play the role of spoiler, USF still has Villanova and Connecticut on the schedule.  The Bulls have an outside chance at 20 wins on the season depending on how the remaining schedule and Big East tournament goes for the Bulls.

Villanova and Connecticut will pose to be difficult tasks for the Bulls, but DePaul and Providence should be wins for USF, giving them a record of 18-12 going into the Big East Tournament.

The Bulls has won several huge games for the program this season. They’ve also lost some games where sloppy play and lack of concentration plagued them. The program is going in the right direction, but it’s still not quite there.

This was a must win game for the Bulls, they answered the call and took a 65-57 win over the Bearcats. After losing two games in a row USF needed to get it’s NCAA Tournament hopes back on track. A loss to Cincinnati would all but close the door on any shot to go dancing.

Dominique Jones continues to carry the team, even with Gilchrist back in the lineup. His 26 points were a game high, but he also added five rebounds.

Augustus Gilchrist made his first start since mid-December. In the last two games he’s looked rusty and it showed tonight with his five turnovers. He finished with 10 point and six rebounds.

The next few games will be very important for the Bulls star forward, he needs to be in mid-season form all while playing preseason time. This wont be an easy task, but going into the Big East Tournament, USF will need him at his best.

Mike Mercer picked up the slack and chipped in 12 points and played stifling defense. Chris Howard once again showed his leadership with seven assists and four points. His quick dishes in the paint continually lead to easy Bulls points.

Anthony Crater is a spark plug off the bench, his nine points and quick hands help the Bulls on fast breaks. Toarlyn Fitzpatrick is another key player coming off the USF bench. His four rebounds and four points came in limited minutes, but help solidify the win. Most of his time comes when Gilchrist is in need of a breather, but the post play stays productive on both ends of the court.

Jarrid Famous missed tonight’s game, but will be expected back in the line up this weekend against St. Johns (14-10). This will be the first time since December that the Bulls will be full strength.  If everyone stays healthy, the Bulls should be able to benefit from this late season playing time before going into conference tournament play.

USF (16-9) has three very winnable games left on its schedule, which should get them to 19 wins on the season. They will lose at Villanova, but take on Connecticut the last game of the regular season in Tampa.

This game will be huge for any NCAA Tournament shot. If they pick up a win at home against the Huskies they might already be in going into the Big East Tournament. If not, it probably would only take an opening round win to get an invite to the Big Dance.

1.    Syracuse (24-2)

The Orange fell asleep at the wheel in their loss to Louisville this weekend, after beating a Connecticut team that cant get out of its own way. They still are front-runners for a No. 1 seed in the tournament next month.

2.    Villanova (22-2)

The Wildcats are closing the gap between them and Syracuse, but it’ll take another loss by the Orange to unseat them from the top spot. That loss may come  at the end of the month when Nova finally gets a shot at them.

3.    Pittsburgh (19-6)

The Panthers get the nod over West Virginia after avenging the previous loss with a thrilling overtime win last week. They host Villanova this week in what will be another prime time Big East match-up.

4.    West Virginia (19-5)

The Mountaineers had a rough week with back-to-back losses to Villanova and Pittsburgh. This week’s schedule is drastically easier and it should be easy for them to get back on track before going to Connecticut.

5.    Georgetown (18-6)

This team has lacked consistency since the Syracuse loss back in January. They either look very impressive in wins, or out of sync in bad losses. The Hoyas have beaten both Duke and Villanova, both of which are top 10 teams during that time. Unfortunately for them they also have losses to USF and to Rutgers, neither of which will help their seeding much.

 

6.    Marquette (16-8)

This team is much better than its record says it is. The Golden Eagles just couldn’t win the close game during the first half of the season. Right now Marquette is in the midst of a five game winning streak and has a lot of momentum going for it right now.

7.    Louisville (16-9)

The Cardinals get a lot of respect beating Syracuse. This team is good enough to be a tournament team, but right now sits on the bubble. The remaining schedule will be difficult, but they are given plenty of chances to prove they deserve to be in the Big Dance.

8.    Notre Dame (17-8)

The Irish have anything but an easy remaining Big East schedule. I don’t think they have three more wins on the schedule, and that won’t be enough to get in the tournament this year. Harangody has had a very impressive season either way, averaging 24 points and 10 rebounds a game.

9.    Cincinnati (15-9)

The Bearcats got thrashed by the Orange earlier in the week, and then took full advantage of a Connecticut team that’s a complete mess right now. The trip to Tampa this week will be a difficult one now that Augustus Gilchrist is back in the lineup for the Bulls.

10.  South Florida (15-9)

Dominique Jones can now breathe a sigh of relief with Gilchrist back in action. He no longer will be relied on to win games on his own for the Bulls.  Don’t forget about this team once the Big East Tournament starts, it’s capable of knocking off the elite teams and is hungry enough to do it.

11.  Seton Hall (14-9)

The Pirates have been over matched much of this season. This week, however, the picked up two good wins over Notre Dame and DePaul. Jeremy Hazell is the second leading scorer in the Big East this season, and the heart on soul of this team.

12.  Connecticut (14-11)

The Huskies are a mess right now, and I’m not even talking on the court. Jim Calhoun won’t say how long he’ll be coaching at Connecticut, and the uncertainty is seeping onto the court. Since the start of January this team is 5-8. They were once though of as a for sure tournament team, not the NIT is a stretch.

13.  Rutgers (13-12)

The Scarlet Knights got a win they can be proud of going into the off season, beating Georgetown 71-68. It’s been a rough year in the Big East for Rutgers, winning only three games so far in conference play. This is a young team, and they’ve shown improvement throughout the year. Mike Rosario and Jonathan Mitchell continue to have productive seasons even with the losses.

14.  St. Johns (13-10)

The Red Storm picked up an impressive 74-55 win over Louisville this week. That win ended a five game losing streak; all of the losses were by double digits. On another positive note they did have their 1985 Final Four team honored at Madison Square Garden this week as well.

15.  Providence (12-13)

The friars might have packed it in for the season. Looking at the remaining schedule only the Seton Hall or USF game might be winnable. I doubt if Providence is favored in any of the remaining game, as it should be with the dismal performances we’ve witness lately.

16.  DePaul (8-16)

The Blue Demons are anything but, at 1-11 in conference play they’ve been in the cellar all season long. Rutgers and St. Johns are the only games remains that might prove to be victories. Every other team they’ll match up against has a shot at the tournament and will need the win. There’s always next year DePaul fans, but don’t get to excited

The South Florida Bulls lost its second consecutive Big East game after going on a four game win streak. Marquette was just too much for the Bulls as they fell 63-52 to the Golden Eagles.

Even in the loss the Bulls can find some positives. Augustus Gilchrist returned to action and saw limited time during his seven point, four rebound performance. This is his first action since December 13th.

In his absence, Dominique Jones has emerged as the team's leader, averaging 21 points a game. That total is third best amongst Big East players this season. Gilchrist was averaging 19 points and 10 rebounds a game before going down with an ankle injury. “Big Gus” was the team’s leader on both ends of the court before the injury and if the Bulls make the NCAA Tournament I expect him to regain that role.

The other bit of good news reaching the Bulls way was found in one of the latest mock brackets seeding the Bulls as the No. 12 seed in the South Bracket. This has the Bulls paired up against Tennessee, in what will be an extremely difficult game for the Bulls to win. The fact the Bulls are mentioned in NCAA Tournament talk is huge considering no one had USF going to the Big Dance back in November.

USF (15-8) still has some work to finish before they can breathe easy about getting a tournament invite. The schedule is very manageable, but the Bulls need to pick up a few more wins. They still have a big game at Villanova, and finish up conference play with Connecticut. If the Bulls can get 19 wins it's safe to say they’re in, anything less than that will be hard to justify selecting them.

Augustus Gilchrist is still shaking off the rust, but being reunited with Jones will help cure that quickly. When Cincinnati (15-9) comes calling on Tuesday, expect more out of the big man. His presence in the post should be too much for the Bearcats, opening up the perimeter for Jones’s shooting and slashing.

1.    Syracuse (23-1)

      The Orange regains the top spot this week after picking up two blowout wins against Providence and Cincinnati this week. Several tough games remain, but this team looks like a No. 1 seed going into the tournament.

2.    West Virginia (19-3)

      The Mountaineers have lost one game this year at home, a 72-71 loss to the Orange last month. They’ll get challenged again as Villanova come calling this week.

3.    Villanova (20-2)

      The Wildcats were hoping to replicate the success USF had in Georgetown earlier in the week. Unfortunately for them, the Hoyas played an almost flawless game a cruised to a 13-point victory.

4.    Georgetown (17-5)

      How do you rebound from a stunning loss at home? Knock off the No. 2 team in the country, and do it with force. This week’s schedule is much less daunting, and should provide a break before they take on Syracuse.

5.    Pittsburgh (17-6)

      The Panthers need to find that consistency they had earlier in the season. This team seems to either win big or lose big the last two weeks. The remaining schedule is a mix of Big East elite teams all the way down to the bottom feeders.

6.    Notre Dame (17-7)

      The Irish rebounded from poor performance last week to beat two tough Big East foes. They ended the Bulls win streak, and should pick up a pair of wins this week starting their own win streak.

7.    Louisville (15-8)

      The Cardinals rolled Connecticut and Rutgers this week. They should extend that win streak to three before taking on Syracuse next weekend. The schedule is going to get tough from here on out, but this team should make the tournament.

8.    Marquette (15-8)

      The Golden Eagles have extended their win streak to four as they got wins over Providence and DePaul this week. They host the Bulls and Panthers this week; both will be tough games but are winnable.

9.    Cincinnati (14-9)

      The Bearcats suffered two blowout losses this week to Notre Dame and Syracuse. With the remaining schedule, I don’t think this team is going dancing this year. It’s going to take some serious upsets, and I just don’t think this team has it in them.

10. South Florida (15-8)

      The Bulls finally had their four-game win streak snapped in South Bend. Even though they lost, it was only by three and on the road. The Bulls have confidence for the first time this season, and the rest of the Big East should pay attention.

11. Connecticut (14-9)

      This Huskies team has really surprised me this season. I felt after the Texas game they had turned the corner, I was wrong. Since then, they’ve gone 1-3, with that lone win coming against DePaul. This team has a manageable schedule, but based on the performance to date, don’t count on them in the tournament.

12. Seton Hall (12-9)

      The Pirates are in a slump right now, as they trudge through this three-game losing streak. It’ll most likely end when they play DePaul this weekend. The schedule from here on out is very manageable. Having Jeremy Hazell on the court doesn’t hurt, either.

13. St. Johns (12-10)

      The Red Storm’s five game losing streak is their second multiple game losing streak of conference play. The poor performance against the Big East teams continues to show this team is just not ready to compete this year and is over matched.

14. Providence (12-11)

      I can’t really fault the Friars much this season. We all knew it wasn’t going to be a banner year this season. They’ve won the games they should, and lost the games we all knew they would. The win over Connecticut was the high point of a very mediocre season for this rebuilding program.

15. Rutgers (11-12)

     The Scarlet Knights might win another conference game this season. They play DePaul twice before the end of the season, but don’t expect much. This team is a year away from becoming a possible force in the Big East.

     16. DePaul (8-15)

      I’m still trying to figure out how Syracuse only managed to beat the Blue Demons by two points last week. This team has looked awful all season except for that game and its win over Marquette. I see at least three to four more blowout losses before the end of the season.

South Florida is one of the hottest teams in Men’s Basketball right now. After hearing this statement many people would ask questions like: Is this person crazy? Who is South Florida? Does he know anything about college basketball?

The question I ask are the South Florida Bulls Men’s Basketball team for real? Let’s take a look at what South Florida has done so far this season.

South Florida (15-7, 5-5 Big East) has been a surprise team as of late in Big East play. They are on a current four game winning streak and have pulled two upsets in a row over #21 Pitt in South Florida and #8 Georgetown on its home court.

After beating #21 Pitt, 70-61 to score their first upset this week, the Bulls then traveled to #8 Georgetown. South Florida was down 35-26 at the half, but spurred a second half come back to outscore the Hoyas 46-29 in the second half and secure their biggest win in school history with a 72-64 victory over the Hoyas. There was another first for the Bulls in this game. Never in the history of their program had they won two Big East games in a row.

Dominique Jones who averages a little over 22 ppg, is averaging 35 ppg during the Bull’s four game winning streak, and had 29 in the win over Georgetown with 22 of them coming in the second half.  Jones also scored 46 points in a South Florida 109-105 Overtime win over Providence on January 23^rd.

South Florida currently sits in 8^th place in the Big East standings behind five teams that are ranked in the Top 25. They have some tough games coming up when they travel to Notre Dame and Marquette then play at home against Cincinnati.

So the answer to if South Florida is for real, only time will tell but right now as one of the hottest teams in college basketball it’s hard to say that they are not. I could see them making it to the NCAA Tournament if they can win a few more big games in Big East play, and then do something in the Big East Tournament. As of right now they are probably a bubble team.

So my answer to the big question is: YES, South Florida is for real.

The Bulls went into the valley of the shadow of the Hoya, and they feared no evil. Despite the frigid temperatures and inches of snow, the Bulls' hot shooting prevailed on the way to a 72-64 victory.

The Bulls are now five of their last six and have an impressive four game winning streak going. They’ve posted wins over No. 21 Pittsburgh and now No. 8 Georgetown during their win streak. These are some impressive wins for what many think is an upstart program.

Dominique Jones was the nation's leading scorer in January. He’s doing his best to make it two months in a row. Jones finished the night with 29 points and seven rebounds.

This is only the fourth road win for the Bulls in Big East play. With play like this, expect more to come. This win is one of the biggest in school history—not only did they win against a ranked opponent, but it was on the road.

This is the first time in school history the team has beaten two ranked teams back to back. Mike Mercer played a big part in those wins, and tonight he finished with 12 points and six rebounds. He was the only other Bull in double figures, but has stepped up big during this win streak.

Neither team shot very well from the charity stripe, but the Bulls hit them when they counted and sealed the win late in the second half.

Greg Monroe’s 21 points and 10 rebounds led the Hoyas. He fouled out with three minutes left in the game, leaving a void where they needed it most.

Austin Freeman matched Monroe’s 21 points and hit several crucial threes to keep Georgetown close, but in the end it was just too much to overcome.

USF (15-7) now has NCAA Tournament aspirations after the impressive turnaround. The Bulls are 5-5 in conference play this season.  They travel to South Bend to take on Notre Dame (15-7) this weekend. A win not only avenges the 74-73 loss earlier in the season, but gets them that much closer to a NCAA berth.

The Sun Dome is one of the unique features in Tampa; it’s easily recognizable when flying into to the Tampa International Airport.

As the flight comes to and end one can see Tropicana Field to the right, and the Sun Dome to the left.  It’s been a community landmark since its completion in 1980.

It’s rarely filled during Basketball season, unless fall graduation is taking place...then it’s filled to its 10,400 person capacity. The Bulls faithful rally for their football team, but only the true Bulls fan dare to show up during the long gauntlet that is the Bulls basketball season.

Those Bulls faithful call themselves the “Beef Studs," a green and gold clad army of painted students. They begin the body painting also known as “the baptism," two to three hours before the tip. By the time the game nears they’ve already filed into the Dome and are making their presence known.

USF men’s team has struggled with Big East play since joining the conference in 2005. This year had been different and the Bulls have surprised many in the Tampa community. Most think this is just an anomaly, and still consider the women’s Basketball team as the flag carrier for the Bulls winter sports.

The crowd remains small, between 3,500 and 6,000, whether the men’s or women’s team is playing. They make up for quality when quantity is lacking. Donning horned helmets, gold glitter, and many unique get ups these fans take pride in their school.

They fill the lower bleachers as early as 45 minutes before tip off during big games, especially if it’s going to be shown on TV. The upper section usually will remain about half full depending on the opponent.

It’s not just the fans that take pride in their Bulls at the Sun Dome. The Herd of Thunder, aka H.O.T., helps get the tempo up and keep the fans on their feet. Rocky, the USF mascot is always making the rounds and keeping the mood festive no matter the games outcome.

The real treat for many of the Bulls fans during basketball games are USF’s famous Sun Dolls. They are the premier dance team for USF, and perform at home football and basketball games throughout the year.

The food is what you can usually find at any venue across the country, nothing spectacular. You can, however, buy beer if you’re of age. This usually gets the crowd into a frenzy going into the second half. Beer and college students will always supply its own form of entertainment for onlookers, especially when the game is well out of hand.

Tickets are free to all students, and anyone else can get in for eight to 23 bucks. On Ticketmaster, they even have an option for an all you can eat pass for an additional twenty bucks. Beer isn’t included of course, though the student section is still lobbying for that.

Halftimes usually feature the Sun Dolls, sometimes the band, and usually some shenanigans from some form of entertainers. I’ve seen everything from jugglers on unicycles, to white guys on trampolines trying to dunk from the free throw line. It’s never a dull moment, and the price is right.

I’ve seen my fair share of games in the Sun Dome, I’ve also graduated in it. It’s always been a place that the fans and community has enjoyed and continues to hold that tradition. It may not be the best home field advantage, but it definitely is one of best atmospheres I’ve been a part of.

The Bulls (14-7) are on a roll right now. For the first time ever they won three Big East games in a row.  Beating Providence and Seton Hall are understandable, but upsetting No. 17 Pittsburgh is a big accomplishment for this Bulls team.

I really think USF is starting to turn the corner as a team and how they view the Big East. They don’t pack it in once they’re down significantly on the road or at home. The fans are starting to show as well, nearly 5,400 rowdy Bulls fans filed into the Sun Dome to watch the upset.

This was the first time since Feburary 6, of last year that the Bulls have beaten a ranked opponent. They downed No. 9 Marquette 57-56 then, but today it was a sound victory. The Bulls pulled away late and once again relied on Dominique Jones to carry them to victory. His 37 points now puts him third amongst Big East players in point per game this season. Only Luke Harangody, and Jeremy Hazell are ahead of him.

The Bulls improve little by little every game. Today impressed me as they only had five turnovers against a stingy defense. This is only the third time since 2003, and it's against Big East talent which makes it that much more impressive.

Chris Howard continues to be a large part of the Bulls new-found success. He was the only other Bull in double figures with 13 points, but it’s his defense that’s helps the most. He added six rebounds, and stifling defense in his 34 minutes of action.

Toalyn Fitzpatrick grabbed 10 rebounds and Jarrid Famous chipped in eight points against the Panthers Gary McGhee. This combined effort is what the Bulls will get out of one player when Augustus Gilchrist comes back next week.

The road doesn’t get any easier for the Bulls. No. 11 Georgetown (16-4) comes up next for USF. The showdown on Wednesday will be yet another test, as the Bulls begin a three game road stretch with. Notre Dame and Marquette fill the other two games, and all three will be tough tests for the peaking Bulls team.