TAMPA - The University of South Florida men's basketball team returns home to face Niagara on Sunday, Dec. 14, at the Sun Dome as part of a double header with the USF women's team.
The men tip-off at 1 p.m. followed by the women facing North Florida at approximately 3 p.m. Both games will be televised on Bright House Sports Network. The men can be heard on WNHZ 1250 AM, GoUSFBulls.com and WBUL. Live stats are available and live blogs will also be ongoing during the games on GoUSFBulls.com.
Sunday marks the debuts of two key transfers in junior guard Mike Mercer and freshman forward/center Augustus Gilchrist. Mercer, 6-4, and Gilchrist, 6-10, will add some much needed experience, talent and depth to the team. Mercer averaged 12.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 51 career games for Georgia, which included 27 starts. Glichrist was one of the top-rated post players in the country coming out of high school in the 2007 class.
The Bulls are 3-3 on the year after losing 71-63 at UCF on Dec. 6 despite sophomore guard Dominique Jones matching his career high with 31 points. Senior guard Jesus Verdejo added 15 points.
SETTING THE SCENE
Date: Sunday, Dec. 14, 2008
Tip-off: 1 p.m. ET
Location: Tampa, Fla. - The Sun Dome (10,411)
Television: Bright House Sports Network with Drew Fellios and Anddrikk Frazier calling the game.
Webcast: GoUSFBulls.com (audio)
Radio: 1250 AM with Jim Lighthall handling play-by-play and Todd Kalas as color analyst.
USF's Last Time Out: Lost, 71-63, at UCF on Dec. 6.
Niagara's Last Time Out: Beat Loyola (Md.), 91-75, on Dec. 7 at Loyola.
Series History: USF leads 1-0
Last Meeting: USF won, 81-71, at home on Dec. 21, 1983.
USF tickets: 1-800-GoBulls
YEAR TWO OF THE HEATH ERA IS UNDERWAY
This season marks head coach Stan Heath's second season at the helm. He is the eighth head coach in the 38-year history of the program.
LEADING THE BULLS
Dominique Jones leads USF at 18.5 points per game with Jesus Verdejo right behind him at 17.2 an outing. Senior forward Aris Williams leads the team at 6.0 rebounds per games and Jones leads in assists at 4.7 a game.
ABOUT NIAGARA
Niagara is 6-2 on the year after opening MAAC play with a 91-75 win at Loyola (Md.) on Dec. 7. The Purple Eagles are coached by Joe Mihalich who is in his 11th season at Niagara. They return three starters from last year's team, including junior All-MAAC guard Tyrone Lewis. Lewis leads Niagara at 16.6 points per game and junior guard/forward Bilal Benn is pulling down a team-high 9.3 rebounds an outing.
THE NIAGARA SERIES
USF and Niagara have met one time previously, an 81-71 USF win on Dec. 21, 1983 in Tampa.
UP NEXT: VS. VANDERBILT
The Bulls head to Nashville to take on Vanderbilt in the SEC/BIG EAST Challenge on Tuesday, Dec. 16, at 7 p.m. at the Sommet Center. It is part of the inter-conference double header that is followed by Tennessee and Marquette and is televised nationally on ESPN2. The Commodores are coached by Kevin Stallings who is in his 10th season at Vanderbilt. They return two starters from last year's team, including 6-11 sophomore center A.J. Ogilvy. Ogilvy leads Vandy in scoring and rebounding at 15.3 points and 6.6 boards per game. USF and Vanderbilt have met twice previously, splitting the two meetings. USF won the last meeting between the teams, 66-65, in a game played at Clemson on Nov. 29, 1985.
AND DON'T FORGET B.J. DANIELS
In addition to Augustus Gilchrist and Mike Mercer joining the team for the Dec. 14 Niagara game, USF also added scholarship quarterback and guard B.J. Daniels to its roster beginning Friday, Dec. 5. Daniels was a first-team Class 5A all-state selection last year and averaged 27 points per game. He did not travel to West Virginia with the football team for their last regular season game and will not re-join the football team for its bowl game.
GILCHRIST GRANTED WAIVER
The NCAA has granted a waiver request for USF basketball player Augustus Gilchrist that will allow him to be eligible for competition after the fall semester of the 2008-09 academic year. Gilchrist will be eligible to begin competition as a freshman on Dec. 14 when USF hosts Niagara at home. The 6-10 forward/center transferred to USF from Maryland during the Summer of 2008. USF will have played six non-conference games when Giilchrist becomes eligible.
RIVALS.COM RANKS MIKE MERCER THE NO. 5 IMPACT TRANSFER
Rivals.com recently announced its top 10 transfers for the upcoming season and USF's Mike Mercer was ranked fifth. Mercer averaged 12.2 points and 3.6 rebounds in 51 career games for Georgia. He was averaging 13.6 points per game as a sophomore before being sidelined with a right ACL injury. Mercer will miss both exhibition games and the first six regular season games, becoming eligible for the Dec. 14 Niagara game.
UCF DOWNS BULLS IN ORLANDO
Senior guard Jermaine Taylor scored 20 of his 30 points in the second half and the University of Central Florida beat the University of South Florida 71-63 on Saturday, Dec. 6.
Taylor's 30 overcame a big performance by USF sophomore Dominique Jones who tied his career high with 31. He was 11-17 from the field.
The Knights (4-3) beat the Bulls (3-3) for the first time since 1994, snapping a nine-game losing streak in front of the second-largest crowd in UCF history with 6,695 in attendance. USF leads the all-time series 18-5.
Leading 61-60, the Knights outscored USF 10-3 in the final 4:24.
Tony Davis finished with 17 points, including 16 in the second half, and Kenrick Zondervan had 11 for UCF.
Jones had 20 in the second half. Jesus Verdejo added 15 points for the Bulls which led by as many as nine points in the first half. The Knights scored the final seven points of the half to trail 28-26 at halftime.
THREE NARROW ROAD LOSSES FOR USF
The Bulls fell to 3-3 on the year with another narrow road loss, this time 71-63 at UCF on Dec. 6. USF's three losses have come on the road and by a combined 11 points.
JONES GOES FOR 30 OR MORE FOR SECOND TIME VS. UCF AND FOURTH TIME IN HIS CAEER
Sophomore guard Dominique Jones matched his career high with 31 points at UCF, going 11-17 from the field and 2-5 from 3-point range. His previous 31-point outing was last season vs. Seton Hall (2/26/08).
It is the fourth time in Jones' career with 30 or more points which is tied for second all-time at USF with Altron Jackson and B.B. Waldon. Only Charley Bradley, with 24, has more games with 30 or more points scored at USF. Jones also had 30 points in a USF win over UCF last season.
JONES MOVING UP USF SCORING LADDER
With his 31 points at UCF Jones moved past three players into 48th on the all-time USF scoring list with 642 points. He needs to hit 687 points to move into the top 40 all-time and needs just five more points to tie Bulls assistant coach Tommy Tonelli at 46th all-time at 647 career points.
VERDEJO IN DOUBLE DIGITS AGAIN
Senior guard Jesus Verdejo added 15 points at UCF and has scored in double figures all six games this season, the only Bull to do so.
VERDEJO RAINING FROM THREE
Jesus Verdejo has started out the season strong shooting the 3-pointer. He has connected on at least two in every game this season and is averaging 3.7 per game. The senior has 22 in six games this season after making 42 in 30 games last season. He is shooting 46 percent from 3-point range. Verdejo also sits at 578 career points, which ranks 55th on the USF all-time scoring list. He is also moving up the all-time 3-point made list. He has 79 career 3-pointers, good for 14th on the all-time list.
WILLIAMS SOLID AGAIN
Senior forward Aris Williams continued his solid play with nine points and a game-high eight rebounds at UCF. He has tallied five or more rebounds in five of six games this season.
VERDEJO FIRES AWAY FOR CAREER HIGH 26 AT UAB
Senior guard Jesus Verdejo led USF with a game and career-high 26 points at UAB, besting the 22 he had at Virginia earlier this year (11/19/08). He was 10-20 from the field buried a career high six 3-pointers on 12 attempts. His previous best was four 3-pointers made three times previously.
HOWARD HAS SOLID OUTING AT UAB
Chris Howard had a solid all-around game against UAB, scoring 11 points, dishing out a game-high seven assists and pulling down five rebounds. He now has 255 career assists, good for 13th on the all-time USF assist list, just eight out of 12th place.
LEEMOW GOES FOR CAREER HIGH NINE, HITS THREE 3-POINTERS
Freshman guard Justin Leemow had a career-high nine points at UAB, going 3-3 from 3-point range, also a career best.
JUST SECOND OT GAME OF THE HEATH TENURE AT USF
The UAB game was just the second overtime game played for Stan Heath while at USF. The other OT game was last season vs. UConn.
37 POINTS ALLOWED SECOND LOWEST IN USF HISTORY
The 37 points that USF held Northeastern to is the second lowest defensive performance in the 38-year Bulls history and only the fifth time in history holding an opponent to less than 40 points. The record is 34 in a 45-34 win over St. Peters on Dec. 4, 1985.
Only one opponent last season, Rutgers 45 in the BIG EAST opener, scored fewer than 46 points scored in a game. This season has seen three teams score 46 or less against the Bulls.
USF HOLDS NORTHEASTERN TO 11 HALFTIME POINTS
The 11 points that Northeastern scored in the first half is the lowest defensive half under Stan Heath. The previous low half was the last half USF played, the second against High Point where they gave up 18.
JONES HITS 20 AGAIN
Dominique Jones tallied a game-high 20 points vs. Northeastern. It was his 12th career game with 20 or more points.
BULLS GO TO WORK ON JANNING
The Bulls defense also held Northeastern's leading scorer, Matt Janning, scoreless in the first half. It was the first half this season (5 previous games) that he has been held scoreless after coming into the game averaging 20 points per game. It took Janning 26:48 before finally scoring with 13:12 left in the game and he ended with three points, finally hitting his lone field goal with 4:15 left to play.
WILLIAMS MATCHES CAREER HIGH IN TWO STRAIGHT GAMES
Aris Williams matched his career high with 11 points vs. Northeastern, which he set Nov. 25 vs. High Point. He also pulled down a game-high seven rebounds.
HOWARD GIVETH AND TAKETH AWAY
Chris Howard, the player mostly responsible for harassing Matt Janning into a 1-11 shooting night, led the way with seven assists vs. the Huskies.
ANOTHER LOW IN HEATH ERA
USF's 24.1 percent field goal percentage defense vs. NU was the lowest in the Stan Heath era, besting the 27.7 against SMU in the season opener.
WILLIAMS NOTCHES CAREER HIGH
Senior forward Aris Williams posted a career high 11 points vs. High Point, including eight in a 10-2 USF run that gave the Bulls their first lead of the game, 34-32, at the 14:14 mark of the second half. Williams also finished with six rebounds, three blocked shots, an assist and a steal.
HOWARD LEADS BULLS AGAINST HIGH POINT
Junior guard Chris Howard led USF with season high 14 points vs. High Point. He added four assists, three rebounds, a steal and a block.
ESPINOSA PULLS DOWNS 10 BOARDS
Freshman Eladio Espinosa grabbed a game and career high 10 rebounds vs. High Point and added nine points, just missing his first career double double.
KARDOK AND EMORY MAKE USF DEBUTS
Junior transfer walk-on Ryan Kardok made his regular season debut in the first half vs. High Point playing six minutes. Freshman walk-on Mitch Emory also made his USF debut.
VERDEJO HITS FOR THEN CAREER-HIGH 22 VS. VIRGINIA
Senior guard Jesus Verdejo poured in a then career-high 22 points at Virginia, going 9-15 from the field and 4-7 from 3-point range. His previous career high was 20, done twice before (11/24/07 vs. East Carolina and 12/17/06 vs. Norfolk State).
JONES TOP SCORER AT VIRGINIA
Dominique Jones tallied a game-high 23 points vs. Virginia.
TWO GO FOR OVER 20 AT UVA
USF had two 20-point scorers against Virginia, Jones with 23 and Verdejo with 22. The Bulls had three games last year with two players scoring 20 or more points in the same game (Kentrell Gransberry 21 and Aaron Holmes 20 vs. Winston-Salem State; Gransberry 20 and Jones 24 vs. Rutgers at home; and Gransberry 23 and Jones 29 vs. Syracuse at home).
AJAYI MATCHES CAREER HIGH FOR REBOUNDS AT UVA
Senior forward Mobolaji Ajayi led USF with 11 rebounds vs. SMU, matching his career high set last year vs. Seton Hall (2/26/08).
MAKING THEIR USF DEBUTS VS. SMU
Freshman Eladio Espinosa made his first career start vs. SMU, while freshman Justin Leemow, Gaby Belardo and junior transfer Alex Rivas Sanchez made their first appearances in a Bull uniform against the Mustangs.
FOUR USF STARTERS RETURN
The Bulls return four starters from last year's squad including All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention selection and All-Rookie team pick sophomore guard Dominique Jones. Other starters returning include senior guard Jesus Verdejo, senior forward Mobolaji Ajayi and junior guard Chris Howard. Also joining the Bulls at the conclusion of the first semester are Georgia transfer, junior guard Mike Mercer, and Maryland transfer, freshman forward/center Augustus Gilchrist. Both players will miss the first six regular season games of the season, becoming eligible for the Dec. 14 game vs. Niagara.
BULLS SIGN DUMARS AND NORIEGA
USF men's basketball coach Stan Heath announced on Nov. 12 the signing of guards Jordan Dumars and Shaun Noriega to NCAA Letters of Intent during the November signing period. The signing period runs through Nov. 19.
Dumars (6-5, 225) and Noriega (6-4, 195) will join USF as freshmen for the 2009-10 season and bring with them sharp-shooting skills and perimeter size. Noriega is already North Port High School's all-time leading scorer in just three seasons with 1,282 points, while Dumars holds perennial high school power Detroit Country Day's single-game record for 3-point field goals made with nine.
“We felt we needed to address our perimeter shooting and both Shaun and Jordan are very skilled players that can stretch the defense and consistently knock down 3-point shots,” said USF Head Coach Stan Heath. “We also felt both players had very high basketball IQ's and will be players that will make good decisions and be good teammates. Both players come from winning programs and have very strong academic backgrounds.”
TV ALL THE TIME
In 2007-08, the BIG EAST began a new multiyear agreement with ESPN that brought the national television exposure for the league to unprecedented levels. That coverage continues this season. For the second straight year, every conference regular-season game will be televised.
The BIG EAST has always been considered a leader in TV. Twelve of the 16 BIG EAST institutions are located in the top 34 media markets in the country. Some of the highlights of the current agreement:
ESPN, Inc. will produce 140 of the 144 regular-season conference games this season. The four remaining games will be carried by CBS Sports.
ESPN and ESPN2 will telecast a minimum of 60 games each year. In 2008-09, ESPN or ESPN2 will televise 45 regular-season league games, 11 games of The BIG EAST Championship and eight nonconference home contests.
ESPN Regional will carry a minimum of 67 games under the banner of The BIG EAST Network and continue to produce its weekend Game of the Week package, which reaches over a third of the nation's homes and has a household reach of more than 38 million. Most games offered by ESPN Regional are also available nationally as part of ESPN Full Court, the pay subscription college basketball outer-market service.
A record 45 conference contests will be carried on ESPN or ESPN2. CBS Sports will televise 10 more games involving BIG EAST teams. ESPN will continue to televise The BIG EAST Championship from Madison Square Garden in New York. The dates are March 10-14.
In total, 70 of the 144 regular-season BIG EAST games will be on national television, which includes 21 that will be carried on ESPNU. The remaining games will be carried on ESPN360 or the BIG EAST Network, which is produced by ESPN Regional Television.
BULLS PICKED TO FINISH 16TH IN BIG EAST PRESEASON COACHES' POLL
The Bulls were picked to finish 16th in the BIG EAST Preseason poll.
BIG EAST FIELD 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.
Previously, on the top 12 teams in the final regular-season standings advanced 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.
WALK-ON ADDED TO ROSTER
Junior college transfer Ryan Kardok has been added to the 2008-09 roster as a walk-on. Kardok spent two years playing at Broward Community College. He attended Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., where he averaged 17 points and six assists per game as a senior.
