WHEN: 11 a.m. Saturday

WHERE: Verizon Center, Washington, D.C.

TV: ESPNU

RADIO: WDAE 620-AM - Jim Lighthall (play-by-play), Todd Kalas (analyst)

By TOM ZEBOLD

USF Senior Writer

TAMPA - The Bulls are off to the best start they've ever had at the midpoint of a Big East season at 6-3. The breakout year could be even more special if USF can pull off a victory at No. 14 Georgetown on Saturday.

"We have to take care of the basketball and we have to be a good defensive team," USF head coach Stan Heath said.

The Bulls were very efficient with the basketball the last time out in an 81-78 win over Providence last Sunday. USF committed just five turnovers, tying a season low, while it spread the wealth on offense with five players finishing in double figures.

Anthony Collins and Hugh Robertson led the way with 15 points apiece. The Bulls (13-9) have not had the same leading scorer in consecutive games since the third and fourth contests of the season (Nov. 16 and Nov. 19, Augustus Gilchrist).

"I love having a balanced team, a balanced attack," Heath said. "You're a much harder team to play against. People can't just key in on one or two different things."

A high scoring game against Georgetown (17-4, 7-3) will not be as easy task. The Hoyas are second in the league behind USF in scoring defense at 59.2 points allowed per game.

Defending Georgetown isn't easy either with the Hoyas averaging 70 points per game and having three players with double-digit scoring averages led by Jason Clark (15.4).

"Whenever you play a team like Georgetown, who plays a little bit of the Princeton style, you have to tweak your defense a little bit because you're very vulnerable if you're too aggressive to the backdoor cuts, and if you're too soft you're vulnerable to the 3-point shooting," Heath said.

After Georgetown, USF gets back home to the Tampa Bay Times Forum to face Pittsburgh on Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. Purchase tickets for the game here.