3-1 Bulls Back at Home to Face FAMU on Wednesday Night
NEXT GAME: Florida A&M (2-2) at USF (3-1)
DAY/TIME: Wednesday/7 p.m.
LOCATION: Yuengling Center, Tampa
LISTEN: 820-AM,
Bulls Unlimited
FOLLOW: Live stats |
Twitter
TICKETS: USFBullsTix.com
By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
TAMPA, NOV. 20, 2018 – After a dominating win over Ohio and giving Georgetown all it could handle in Jamaica, USF men's basketball looks to build more momentum back at home this week.
Head coach
Brian Gregory's Bulls begin a four-game home stand with a test against Florida A&M on Wednesday at 7 p.m. inside the Yuengling Center.
USF is off to a 3-1 start for the first time since the 2014-15 season after going 1-1 in Montego Bay at the Jersey Mike's Jamaica Classic. The Bulls posted their largest margin of victory under Gregory with a
73-46 win over Ohio on Nov. 16. Two days later, USF had a three-point lead with 13 seconds left in regulation before dropping a
76-73 decision against Georgetown in overtime.
Eyeing a 4-1 start for the first time since 2014-15, USF also will be shooting for its seventh straight win over Florida A&M on Wednesday night. The Bulls have an 8-4 lead in the programs' all-time series after defeating the Rattlers, 84-73, in their last meeting in Tampa on Nov. 11, 2016.
FAMU (2-2) started its season with wins over Jacksonville and Tuskegee before falling to Campbell and Central Connecticut State in Jamaica. Senior guard Justin Ravenel leads the team in scoring with 17.3 points per game while the Rattlers are averaging 65.2 points per outing.
Quotable
Head coach Brian Gregory on the Bulls' beneficial experience in Montego Bay at the Jamaica Classic:
"It was a great trip, a great experience for our guys. You play in those tournaments for a couple different reasons. One, to play high-level competition on neutral sites, I thought we did that. Also, to give our guys an experience of a lifetime. Going to Jamaica and being together for those five days was great for the team. I thought we played well. We did a lot of good things. (We're) disappointed we didn't come out with a win on Sunday, but there's a lot to build on."
Gregory on the FAMU matchup:
"Their starting center wasn't able to make the trip to Jamaica because of some passport/visa issues, so they do have a big, inside (presence that's) 6-9 and 250 pounds. When you play teams that have dynamic guards like (Justin) Ravenel, like (Kamron) Reaves, like (Richard) Anderson, we have to play our defense... We need to be really disciplined to our system and style."
Bulls Bits
YETNA PRODUCING FOR BULLS: Forward Alexis Yetna's first collegiate season is off to a solid start after two productive performances in Jamaica. The redshirt freshman from Paris leads the team with 6.3 rebounds per game after pulling down a career-high 17 boards against Georgetown. "To get 17 rebounds against Georgetown in your fourth college game is pretty impressive," Gregory said. "Every day, he's just getting a little bit better, a little more comfortable offensively. He's done a good job on the defensive end." Yetna has scored 11 points in consecutive games and he's had at least one steal in all four games. "As he gets more and more comfortable, and more and more experience, he's going to be able to impact the game in some other ways as well and we're looking forward to that progress," Gregory added.
COLLINS LEADING THE WAY: Sophomore guard David Collins was named to The American's weekly honor roll following his 21-point performance against Georgetown that included a career-high four three-pointers. The Youngstown, Ohio, native leads the Bulls with 15.5 points per game and he's scored in double figures three times this season. "His aggressiveness out in Jamaica really was a huge benefit for us and we need him to continue that," head coach Brian Gregory said.- MORE USF BASKETBALL ON SATURDAY: Fans also can watch the Bulls during the holiday weekend when they host The Citadel at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Yuengling Center. USF will wrap up its four-game home stand next week against Stetson (Wednesday, Nov. 28 at 7 p.m.) and Colgate (Friday, Nov. 30 at 8:30 p.m.).
About USF Men's Basketball
The USF men's basketball team is led by head coach Brian Gregory. On March 22, 2017, Gregory was introduced as the 10th head coach in program history. He previously led programs at Georgia Tech (2011-16) and Dayton (2003-11). Gregory spent nearly a decade as an assistant coach under Michigan State's Hall of Fame head coach Tom Izzo and helped the Spartans win the 2000 NCAA National Championship. Gregory brings nearly 250 career head coaching wins and six postseason appearances, including the 2010 NIT Championship, to Tampa. In his first season at the helm of the Bulls, Gregory led the team to its first 10-plus win season since 2013-14.
USF has retired three numbers in its 47-year history: Chucky Atkins (12), Charlie Bradley (30) and Radenko Dobras (31). The Bulls have earned three NCAA tournament bids and appeared in the NIT eight times.
For tickets, contact the USF Ticket Office at 1-800-Go-Bulls or by going online to USFBullsTix.com.
To stay up-to-date on the latest USF men's' basketball news, follow the Bulls on social media (Twitter | Facebook | Instagram).
