TAMPA, JAN. 19, 2016 – On the heels of the highest Associated Press Poll ranking in program history, the University of South Florida women's basketball team continued to climb the charts in the USA Today Coaches Poll. The Bulls reached No. 15 in the Coaches Poll released Tuesday, jumping one spot from last week.
In the 11th week, UConn remains the unanimous No. 1, while South Carolina, Notre Dame, Baylor and Maryland round out the top-5. The Bulls move ahead of consistent Top-25 programs Louisville, Oklahoma, Michigan State, Tennessee and UCLA.
The Coaches Poll has consistently held higher accord on the rise of USF basketball, placing the Bulls at No. 19 to open the season. Thanks to a strong non-conference performance (7-3), USF steadily climbed the list and entered the first week of American Athletic Conference action No. 17. Five wins later, three of them by 20-plus, the Bulls have made a statement by cracking the Top-15.
Last week USF escaped a tough Tulane game on the road Tuesday and added a series sweep of East Carolina Sunday to build the Bulls league record to 5-1. In conference action, the Bulls are averaging 8.3 three-pointers per game, which would rank in the Top-20 in Division I. USF is outscoring The American opponents by a margin of plus 13.8 and outrebounding by a margin of 5.2 rebounds per game.
The Bulls made their first appearance in the USA Today Top-25 last season, debuting at No. 25 in the second week. In four appearances, USF never climbed higher than No. 25. USF has claimed a spot on the Top-25 poll for 12 consecutive weeks, dating back to last season.
The Bulls continue to climb in the polls, and have reached their highest rankings in program history. USF has been ranked as highly as No. 15 in the Associated Press poll and No. 15 in the USA Today Coaches Poll this season; both are the highest rankings in program history. USF has appeared in both polls every week and placed as highly as No. 11 on some ballots.
USF has made 11 postseason tournament appearances and had three NCAA Tournament berths in Head Coach Jose Fernandez's 15 seasons. The all-time winningest coach in program history, Fernandez has guided USF to six 20-win seasons, two WNIT final four appearances, the 2009 WNIT championship and won more than 260 games.
– #GoBulls –
