Bulls And Mountaineers Set For Sunday
January 18, 2008 | Men's Basketball
Setting the Scene
Date: Jan. 20, 2008
Tip-off: 2 p.m.
Location: St. Pete Times Forum (20,500)
Television: ESPN Regional game televised on WFTS (ABC) in Tampa. John Sanders and Bob Wenzel have the call.
Radio: WHNZ 1250 AM will carry the game. Jim Lighthall (play-by-play) and Todd Kalas (color analyst) will call the game.
Records: USF (10-8, 1-4 BIG EAST); West Virginia (13-4, 3-2 BIG EAST)
USF's Last Time Out: The Bulls lost 74-64 at Seton Hall on Thursday.
West virginia's Last Time Out: The Mountaineers defeated St. John's 73-64 Thursday at home.
Series History: West Virginia leads 2-1 (2-0 in BIG EAST)
Last Meeting: West Virginia 69, USF 58 (Jan. 17, 2007 at WVU)
The University of South Florida men's basketball team returns home to face BIG EAST foe West Virginia on Sunday, Jan. 20, at 2 p.m. at the St. Pete Times Forum.
Sunday's game is an ESPN Regional game and will be shown in Tampa on WFTS (ABC). The game can also be heard on WHNZ 1250 AM and GoUSFBulls.com.
The Bulls are 10-8 overall and 1-4 in conference play after losing at Seton Hall, 74-64, on Thursday. Against Seton Hall, Kentrell Gransberry scored a team-high 21 points and also pulled down 10 rebounds for his 10th double-double of the year.
West Virginia is 13-4 overall and 3-2 in BIG EAST play after beating St. John's 73-64 at home on Thursday.
THE START OF A NEW ERA
This season marks the start of a new era for Bulls basketball as new head coach Stan Heath takes the reigns. He is the eighth head coach in the 37-year history of the program. Heath leads the Bulls into the their third BIG EAST season after successful coaching stints at Arkansas and Kent State, which included three NCAA Tournament appearances, a 30-win season and an Elite Eight finish.
THE SERIES VS. WEST VIRGINIA
The Mountaineers lead the all-time series 2-1, including 2-0 in BIG EAST games. WVU beat the Bulls 69-58 last year at West Virginia and defeated the Bulls 57-53 during the 2005-06 season at the Sun Dome. USF won the first all-time meeting, 80-71, during the 1977-78 season in a game played in Tampa. This is the only meeting of the year between the two teams.
LEADING THE BULLS
Kentrell Gransberry leads the team in scoring and rebounding, averaging a double-double at 16.5 points and 11.1 rebounds per game. Dominique Jones is second at 15.6 points per game and 4.7 rebounds an outing. Chris Howard leads the team with 5.2 assists per game and is at 11.5 points per game. Jesus Verdejo is also in double figures at 10.3 points per game.
LEADING THE BULLS IN BIG EAST PLAY
Kentrell Gransberry is averaging 20.6 points and 11.4 rebounds in five BIG EAST games. Gransberry is 2nd in the conference in scoring and third in rebounding. Dominique Jones is 15th in scoring (15.4), tied for 5th in 3-point field goal percentage (46.4) , 8th in 3-point field goals made (2.60) and 9th in minutes played (36.20).
BULLS DROP 74-64 DECISION AT SETON HALL
Jeremy Hazell scored 22 points and Jamar Nutter added 13 points as Seton Hall beat the University of South Florida 74-64 on Thursday night.
John Garcia scored 10 points and pulled down 13 rebounds for the Pirates (11-6, 1-3 in the Big East Conference), who snapped a two-game losing streak.
Kentrell Gransberry had 21 points and 10 rebounds to pace the Bulls (10-8, 1-4), while Jesus Verdejo added 13 points.
South Florida raced out to an early 12-6 lead, but Seton Hall then took command by scoring 15 straight points - all from 3-point range.
The Bulls tried to rally in the second half, cutting the deficit to 36-33, but the Pirates responded with a 10-0 run fueled by Hazell, who hit two 3-pointers and added a conventional three-point play.
GRANSBERRY NOTCHES 10TH DOUBLE-DOUBLE OF THE SEASON WITH 21 POINT,
10 REBOUND OUTING AT SETON HALL
Kentrell Gransberry tallied a team-high 21 points and also notched 10 rebounds for his 10th double-double of the season. He was 8 of 12 from the field and has now scored 20 or more points in five of the last six games. He has 22 double-doubles in 40 career games.
HOWARD AND VERDEJO HIT FOR DOUBLE DIGITS AT THE HALL
Jesus Verdejo had 13 points and Chris Howard added 12 at Seton Hall. Howard also had 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Verdejo was 3 of 5 from 3-point range.
THREE POINT FIELD GOALS MADE PER GAME ALREADY CRUSHES LAST YEAR'S TOTAL
USF has made 7 or more 3-pointers in 11 of its 18 games this season. All last year the Bulls made 7 or more in a game just 6 times, including a single-game high of eight once. USF made 11 against Florida State and 10 vs. Florida Atlantic earlier this season. The single-game record is 14 set Dec. 7, 1991 vs. Oral Roberts. The Bulls have nailed 8 or more 3-pointers in a game 4 times this season.
GRANSBERRY LEADS BULLS WITH 22 AT PROVIDENCE
Kentrell Gransberry tallied a team-high 22 points and has now scored 20 or more points in four of the last five games. Gransberry added six rebounds and two assists.
HOWARD AND JONES ALSO IN DOUBLE FIGURES AT PROVIDENCE
Chris Howard added 16 points and Dominique Jones 10 at Providence. Jones has scored in double figures in all four conference games.
NBA AND DA BULLS
Da Bulls, the USF Bulls, have been a frequent stop for NBA scouts the first eight home games of the season. Thirteen NBA teams have already visited the Sun Dome to watch NBA prospect Kentrell Gransberry and numerous additional credential requests have already been submitted for future games. The 13 teams who have already been to USF are Seattle, New York, Cleveland, Washington, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Boston, Indiana, Detroit, San Antonio, Orlando, New Jersey and Miami.
GRANSBERRY TIES CAREER HIGH WITH 26 POINTS AGAINST PITT
Kentrell Gransberry tied his career high with 26 points vs. Pitt, equaling the 26 he notched last year at DePaul.
FIRST HOME LOSS SINCE OPENER
The Pitt loss was USF's first home loss since the home opener vs. Cleveland State on Nov. 9 (73-70 loss). USF is now 6-2 at home.
VERDEJO NOTCHES 17 VS. PITT, MOST IN A BIG EAST GAME
The 17 points by Jesus Verdejo were the most points he has scored in a BIG EAST conference game in his career, besting the 12 he scored last year at Pitt.
TOP HOME CROWD OF THE YEAR
The 6,027 attendance for Pitt was a season high (4,056 vs. UAB on 12/8/07 was previous high).
FRESHMAN JONES PLAYS BACK-TO-BACK 40 MINUTE GAMES
One game after being the first USF player to play the full 40 minutes in a game this season at Syracuse, freshman Dominique Jones logged another full 40 minutes vs. Pittsburgh. He is the only USF player to play a full game this season.
BULLS IN THE NATIONAL STATISTICS
After Friday's games, Chris Howard is 56th in the nation in assists with 5.2 per game and Kentrell Gransberry is 6th nationally in rebounds at 11.1 per game.
BULLS ON THE TUBE FOR ALL BIG EAST GAMES
As part of the BIG EAST's new agreements with its television partners, all 144 regular-season league games will be televised. In all, conference teams will make 400 television appearances this season. In addition to USF games on ESPN2 and ESPNU, Bulls games will also air locally on Catch 47 and WFTS (ABC). Sunday's game vs. West Virginia will air on WFTS (ABC).
STAN HEATH TV SHOW AIRS ON SATURDAY'S
The Stan Heath TV show airs every Saturday at Noon on WFTS (ABC).
BULLS OPEN BIG EAST PLAY WITH A WIN FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE ENTERING LEAGUE
With the win over Rutgers, it marks the first time since USF entered the BIG EAST three years ago that the Bulls have won their conference opener.
YEP, IT'S BROKE
Sophomore Amu Saaka caught an inadvertent elbow from Rutger's Hamady Ndiaye during the first half of the game and suffered a broken nose. Saaka returned and was available for the remainder of the game. He was fitted with a protective mask and continued to play before having surgery on Monday, Jan. 14. He is available to play.
JONES LEADS WAY AGAINST ?CUSE
Dominique Jones tallied a game-high 23 points at Syracuse, his second straight game with 20-plus points after a 24-point outing vs. Rutgers. He has 5 games with 20 or more points on the season.
HOWARD POURS IN CAREER HIGH 19 AT SYRACUSE
Sophomore point guard Chris Howard tallied a career high 19 points at Syracuse, dished out 5 assists and pulled down 4 rebounds. He was 8-11 from the field. Howard has scored in double figures in 10 of 15 games played after hitting double digits in just 2 of 14 games last year.
GRANSBERRY'S 17 REBOUNDS VS. RUTGERS TIED FOR 3RD-BEST IN HIS CAREER
Kentrell Gransberry's 17 rebounds vs. Rutgers on 1/2 tied for 3rd best in his career. The 17 rebounds were a season-high, surpassing the 15 he had pulled down twice previously this season. His career high is 23, done last year at DePaul, followed by a 19 rebound game at St. John's last year and a 17 rebound outing at UNLV. It was the top rebounding mark of his home career.
45 POINTS SCORED BY RUTGERS IS SEASON LOW AGAINST BULLS,
23-POINT WIN IS LARGEST MARGIN OF VICTORY USF HAS POSTED IN BIG EAST PLAY
The 45 points scored by Rutgers was a season low scored against the Bulls this season and the the 23-point win differential was the largest that USF has ever posted in BIG EAST conference play. USF also held Rutgers to just one free throw made (1-8), the least allowed by the Bulls all season.
HOLMES NOTCHES CAREER HIGH 20 POINTS IN THIRD CAREER GAME
Redshirt freshman Aaron Holmes, playing just his third career game, had his best offensive game of his career, totaling 20 points, shooting 7 of 12 from the field and 5 of 8 from 3-point range. He bested the 13 points he tallied in his second game vs. St. Francis. Holmes was a mid-year transfer from Florida State and became eligible after first semester finals were complete. The Wake Forest game was his first real game action since the final game of his senior year of high school.
Holmes became eligible after first semester finals were complete. He sat out the first 10 games of the season. He was one of the most prolific scorers to ever play in the greater Tampa area.
A 2006 graduate of St. Petersburg Catholic High School, Holmes garnered All-Suncoast Player of the Year accolades on three occasions and concluded his career with 2,748 points. He was a two-time first team all-state honoree and is the all-time leading scorer at SPC. The four-year letterwinner was runner-up for Mr. Basketball honors in Florida in 2006. He is one of just six players in Pinellas County history to score more than 2,000 career points.
39 POINT WIN WAS LARGEST MARGIN OF VICTORY IN FIVE YEARS
The 39 point win vs. Winston-Salem State was the largest margin of victory for the Bulls since a 40 point victory over LIU-Brooklyn on December 28, 2002.
55 POINTS SCORED IN SECOND HALF MOST FOR ANY HALF THIS SEASON
The second half was an offensive explosion for the Bulls, outscoring the Rams 55-27, and shooting 61.3 percent from the floor. The 55 points scored in the second half were the most scored in a half this season. USF scored 52 in the first half vs. FAU and 50 in the second half at Richmond. The Bulls did not score 50 or more points in a half at all last season.
53 REBOUNDS MOST PULLED DOWN THIS YEAR, +22 TIES SEASON HIGH
The 53 rebounds collected by USF vs. Winston-Salem State were the most garnered by the Bulls in a game this season and last. It is the first time with more than 50 rebounds in a game this season. USF had 51 at East Carolina last year. The 53-31 rebound advantage and +22 differential tied a season high, also done at Richmond (46-24).
LOVETT GETS IN SCORING COLUMN
Senior walk-on Eddie Lovett made a 3-pointer in the last minute of the game vs. Winston-Salem State to get in the scoring column for the first time this season.
STINGY
On the defensive end, the Bulls were as stalwart as they've been all season against Winston-Salem State, holding them to just 29.5 percent shooting, the lowest percentage of any opponent this season.
BULLS HAVE BEST SHOOTING GAME OF YEAR VS. ST. FRANCIS
USF recorded its highest field goal percentage of the season vs. St. Francis, converting on 33 of 56 shots for a 58.9% clip.
TEN DIFFERENT BULLS HIT SCORING COLUMN VS. ST. FRANCIS, TOPS OF SEASON
The Bulls had 10 different players score vs. St. Francis, the most they've had all season, surpassing the 9 players who registered a point against Wake Forest.
ST. FRANCIS ASSISTS ALSO TOPS FOR YEAR
25 assists vs. St. Francis was a season high for the Bulls.
WAKE LOSS FIRST LOSS IN MORE THAN A MONTH
The loss at Wake Forest snapped a seven game winning streak for USF. It was the first loss for the Bulls in more than a month, since a loss to Rhode Island on Nov. 16. The seven game streak was the longest since the start of the 2001-02 season and matched the longest in 25 years dating back to a nine-game streak during the 1982-83 season.
GRANSBERRY AND LOVETT GRADUATE
USF had a week off from game action but it was still a big weekend for two members of the team. Senior center Kentrell Gransberry and senior guard Eddie Lovett both graduated Saturday, Dec. 15. Both players earned BA's in Communication. Gransberry will enroll during the Spring quarter and take classes toward a second undergraduate degree to compliment his major, while Lovett will take a semester of undergraduate Business courses.
JONES NAMED THE SPORTING NEWS NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK AND BIG EAST ROOKIE OF THE WEEK FOR TWO CONSECUTIVE WEEKS EARLIER THIS SEASON
Freshman Dominique Jones was named The Sporting News National Player of the Week as well as the BIG EAST Rookie of the Week for the second consecutive Dec. 10.
Jones averaged 27.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.5 steals in wins over Richmond (79-65) and UAB (68-58). He shot 61.5 percent from the floor, 40 percent from 3-point range and 86.4 percent from the foul line in the two outings. He had 30 points and 14 boards in the victory at Richmond and 25 points and six rebounds against the Blazers.
JONES HAS BACK-TO-BACK 30-POINT GAMES
Freshman Dominique Jones tallied consecutive 30-point games vs. UCF and at Richmond. The 30 points scored by Jones was just three shy of the USF record for points scored by a freshman. Radenko Dobras tallied 33 points on Feb. 11, 1989.
JONES FIRST USF FRESHMAN AND JUST THIRD USF PLAYER EVER TO SCORE 30 POINTS IN CONSECUTIVE GAMES
Dominique Jones became the first freshman in USF history, and only the third USF player ever, to score 30 or more points in back-to-back games. The last player to do it was USF's all-time leading scorer, Charley Bradley, during the 1983-84 season. Bradley tallied 30 or more points twice back-to-back during that season as well as twice during the 1982-83 year. He also went a record six straight games with 30 or more points during the 1982-83 season. Bradley had 24 career games with 30 or more points, doing it 3 times as a senior, 6 as a junior and 15 as a sophomore. The first Bulls player to accomplish back-to-back 30 or more point games was John Kiser, who scored 30-plus points in the first two USF games ever played in 1971.
JONES AND “AI”
Dominique Jones became the first BIG EAST freshman in 13 years to score 30 or more points in consecutive games. The last BIG EAST freshman to accomplish it was Georgetown's Allen Iverson in Dec. of 1994. (Information courtesy of the BIG EAST and Greg Auman of the St. Pete Times).
JONES ALSO NOTCHES FIRST CAREER DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Not only did Dominique Jones have a great game offensively with 30 points at Richmond, he also pulled down a career high 14 rebounds for his first career double-double. Twelve of his rebounds came on the defensive end. It was also the first double digit rebound game of his career, besting his previous high of eight done twice. The 14 rebounds are tied for third most in a game this year with Kentrell Gransberry. Gransberry owns the single-game high of 15, done twice.
TOP SEC GUARD MIKE MERCER TRANSFERS TO USF, BEGINS TO PRACTICE
USF added one of the top guards from the SEC with the transfer of Mike Mercer from Georgia. Mercer will become eligible at the conclusion of first semester finals next winter. He had not played in any games for the Bulldogs this season. He is currently practicing with the team.
The 6-4 guard from Snellville, Ga., started all 23 games for the Bulldogs last season before suffering a knee injury that forced him to miss the final 10 games. He was the second leading scorer on the team at 13.6 points per game.
He had appeared in 51 games for UGA in his two-year career, starting 27, and averaged 12.2 points and 3.6 rebounds. Prior to his injury last year, he was leading Georgia in scoring and minutes played and was ranked 18th in the SEC in scoring, 14th in assists (3.6), 8th in steals (1.70) and 13th in assist/turnover ratio (1.43). Was named SEC Player of the Week once and came within two rebounds against Jacksonville of becoming first UGA player in history to achieve a triple-double. He scored a career-high 26 points vs. South Carolina State. As a freshman, he averaged 11.0 points and 3.0 rebounds per game and was named to the Coaches' SEC All-Freshman team. He was ranked th in the SEC in steals as a freshman.
As a high school senior in 2005, he was rated the No. 5 point guard in the country by Rivals.com and No. 22 overall. He was rated No. 44 overall by Scout.com. He averaged 19.8 points, 8.1 assists and 6.0 rebounds as a senior, helping South Gwinnett to a 28-3 record and the quarterfinals of the Georgia Class 5A state tournament in 2005. The Comets held a top-10 national ranking throughout most of the season. As a junior, he averaged 18.1 points, when South Gwinnett went 31-2 and won the 5A championship. He was a backcourt teammate, both at SGHS and for the AAU's Georgia Stars, with current Philadelphia 76er Louis Williams.
CURRY TRANSFERS
USF men's basketball coach Stan Heath announced Nov. 30 that redshirt freshman Dante Curry has been granted permission to seek a transfer to another institution. Curry had appeared in six games this season, playing an average of 9.0 minutes per game. He averaged 2.0 points and 1.2 rebounds.
Pre-season All-BIG EAST and Wooden Honors for Gransberry
Gransberry was one of 11 players named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team announced at the annual BIG EAST Media Day at Madison Square Garden in New York City. He was also one of 50 players named to the preseason candidates list for the John R. Wooden Award, perhaps the most coveted honor in college basketball.
ESPINOSA SIGNS WITH BULLS
USF head coach Stan Heath announced on Nov. 15 the signing of forward Eladio Espinosa to an NCAA Letter of Intent during the early signing period.
Espinosa will enroll for the 2008-2009 season and have four years of eligibility remaining. The 6-foot-7-inch, 220-pound forward is currently at Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Va., after spending his junior season at Victory Christian Academy in Charlotte, N.C. He is ranked the 30th-best power forward in the country and 129th overall in the ESPN 150 class of 2008 rankings.
Espinosa plays for Kevin Keatts at Hargrave. He played for Stan Kowalewski and the North Carolina Gaters AAU program and played for Mike Pratt at Victory Christian.
At Victory Christian, Espinosa averaged 13 points, seven rebounds and two blocks per game, while shooting 62-percent from the field. He was honorable mention all-conference and was named to the all-tournament team after helping lead Victory to the National Association of Christian Athletes national title. He tallied 15 points and eight rebounds in the final.
GRANSBERRY UP FOR LOWE'S SENIOR CLASS AWARD
Center Kentrell Gransberry was one of 30 senior male basketball players announced as official candidates for the 2007-08 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award.
The award ? presented annually to the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete of the Year in eight sports ? focuses on the “Four C's” of classroom, character, community and competition. Lowe's, an official corporate partner of the NCAA will award the winners with trophies during the men's NCAA Final Four weekend.
CLASS, An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, was launched during the 2001-02 season to honor the attributes of college basketball seniors who remain committed to their university and pursue the many rewards that a senior season and complete college education brings.
Now in its seventh year for basketball, the award has developed into the nation's premier tribute for college seniors. Since originating with basketball, Lowe's has expanded the award to include a total of eight NCAA sports.
In early February 10 finalists will be selected then featured in special vignettes during college basketball telecasts on CBS. The winner will be announced by Dick Enberg on CBS during the Final Four broadcast and the Women's Winner will be announced at the Women's Final Four.
From the list of 30 nominees, a national media committee will select 10 finalists for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award in January 2008. Those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot for a nationwide vote during the NCAA Tournament in March. Fan balloting will be coupled with votes from coaches and media to determine the winner.
The award was conceived by sportscaster Dick Enberg, who continues to serve as Honorary Chairman. It was inspired by the remarkable story of former Duke University basketball player Shane Battier, who could have been an NBA lottery pick but returned to college for his senior season and led the Blue Devils to the National Championship in 2001.
Previous winners of the men's award include Juan Dixon of Maryland (2002), David West of Xavier (2003), Jameer Nelson of St. Joseph's (2004), Wayne Simien of Kansas (2005), J.J. Reddick of Duke (2006) and Alando Tucker of Wisconsin (2007).
BIG EAST Championship Fields To Increase To 16 For 2009
The Presidents of the BIG EAST Conference voted to include all 16 member institutions in the men's and women's basketball championship tournaments beginning in 2009. The Presidents took this action at their annual meeting, which was held Nov. 6 in Philadelphia, Pa. Currently, the top 12 teams in the final regular-season standings advance to participate in the men's and women's championships. The men's championship is held in New York City at Madison Square Garden. The women's championship is held in Hartford, Conn., at the Hartford Civic Center.
Ticket Information And Plans
Season ticket packages for the home schedule are currently on sale with pricing starting as low as $175. Premium seating is also available. Individual-game tickets and mini-plans are also on sale. Individual-game tickets range from $8 to $25. Season tickets, mini-plans and group tickets can be purchased by calling 1-800-GoBulls. Individual-game tickets can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com or via Ticketmaster phone at 813-287-8844. The athletics department also announced that "All-U-Can-Eat-Seats" will be available for all men's and women's home basketball games for the 2007-08 season. With the purchase of one south end ticket (second level for men and lower level for women) you will receive a voucher that will allow for "All-U-Can-Eat" hot dogs, popcorn, pretzels and soft drinks for the the game. The ticket is $20 for men's games and $15 ($12 youth) for women's games and can be purchased by calling 1-800-GoBulls.
