WHO: USF (21-13) vs. Temple (24-7)
WHAT: Second round of NCAA tournament
WHEN: 9:55 p.m. (EST), Friday
WHERE: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tenn.
TV: TNT
RADIO: WDAE 620-AM
By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Friday's primetime showdown will be a clash of styles with USF and Temple battling to have one brand of basketball rule the hard court.
The Bulls bring their lockdown defense to Bridgestone Arena and will put it up against an Owls team that likes to zip down the court and attack an opponent at a rapid pace. The prize for the champion of the 9:55 p.m. (EST) contest is an extended stay in Nashville and a Sunday date with Friday's Michigan-Ohio winner.
"We feel good about where we're going and playing good defense," senior Ron Anderson Jr. said. "We feel like if we're able to defend in our conference, we can defend with anybody."
The Bulls' brought their top-ranked Big East defense to Dayton, Ohio and shut down Cal, 65-54, Wednesday to get to this point. They don't plan on changing a thing against a Temple team has three players with double-figure scoring averages, led by Ramone Moore (17.7 ppg).
"We can't change who we are," USF head coach Stan Heath said. "I don't think they will. It's really important that we continue to do and build on what we've been doing."
Temple (24-7) hopes to get USF out of character with a trio of starting guards Moore, Khalif Wyatt and Juan Fernandez who are each 6-foot-4. The Owls are big, but like to press the issue with their athleticism and are deadly from long range, ranking eighth nationally in 3-poiners at 40.2 percent.
"Their perimeter play is very good," Anderson Jr. said. "(It's) probably some of the best we're going to face."
The Owls also ranked 36th in the nation in field goal percentage (47.2), led the A10 conference and plan to keep it up against the Bulls (21-13).
"I think we have to come out aggressive," Moore said. "We have to come out and play our basketball, got to make the extra pass, hit the open shots."
The Bulls, equipped with confidence from their first-ever NCAA tournament win, have no plans of leaving the dance early in the program's first trip to it since 1992.
"It's an exciting time for all of us," Toarlyn Fitzpatrick said.
