Bulls Return to Hardwood Saturday Against Appalachian State

Bulls Return to Hardwood Saturday Against Appalachian State

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Matchup: USF (6-2) vs. Appalachian State (4-5)
Date: Saturday, Dec. 15
Time: 1 p.m. EST
Location: Tampa | Yuengling Center
TV: ESPN3 (Ari Shanok, Mike O'Donnell)
Radio: AM 820 | USF Bulls Unlimited (Jim Lighthall, Joey Johnston)
Follow: Listen | Watch | Live Stats | Twitter

TAMPA, DEC. 14, 2018 – Following 14 days off from competition due to final exams and a cancelled game, the USF men's basketball team makes its highly-anticipated return to the court Saturday at 1 p.m. when the Bulls host Appalachian State at the Yuengling Center.

USF was scheduled to play at Charlotte last Sunday in a reunion of former Conference USA rivals, but travel difficulties associated with Winter Storm Diego forced the cancellation. Both schools are looking at possible dates to reschedule the game. 

USF (6-2) last played on Nov. 30 and tied a school record for the most wins in the month of November when it registered its sixth after a 73-63 victory over the Raiders. David Collins (Youngstown, Ohio) scored 20 points and added four steals to record his fourth 20-point game of the season. Collins enters Saturday leading USF with 16.8 points per game while pacing the league and ranking fifth in the NCAA with 2.9 steals per game.

Alexis Yetna (Paris) scored 14 points and grabbed five rebounds, and stands first in The American with 9.1 rebounds per game and second with three double-doubles. Yetna is averaging 14.0 points and 10.0 rebounds while shooting 55.2 percent from the field over his last six games after combining for just three points in the first two games.

Junior guard Laquincy Rideau (West Palm Beach, Fla.) ranks second on the team with 11.6 points per game and stands second in The American with 6.0 assists per game. Rideau has also shown his value on defense as well, ranking second in the conference and 19th in the nation with 2.5 steals per game.  

THE OPPONENT
Appalachian State (4-5) arrives in Tampa having won three of its last four games following its 82-73 victory over North Carolina Central on Dec. 8. The Mountaineers opened the season with a lopsided win over Division II Mars Hill before losing four consecutive games. Saturday's game against the Bull will be the third this season for Appalachian State against the American Athletic Conference, as the Mountaineers have already played and lost to Wichita State (82-76) and ECU (83-81).

Senior guard Ronshad Shabazz leads the Appalachian State offense with 18.2 points and 3.2 assists per game, while sophomore guard Justin Forrest adds 17.8 points per game and has made a team-high 16 three-pointers. Forward Isaac Johnson paces the Mountaineers with 8.3 rebounds per game to go along with 9.8 points per game.   

Quotable
Head Coach Brian Gregory on facing Appalachian State:
"They are going to have a heck of a year. I see this team as a team that can challenge to win the Sun Belt. Ronshad Shabazz is as good of a guard that we will face all year, and their other players have dramatically improved and can really impact the game as well. They beat us pretty good last year and it wasn't a game that I enjoyed then or when I watched it again this year. It will be a big challenge for us because I think they are a team that is very talented and explosive."

Notable
  • USF is 1-1 against Appalachian State in the all-time series that dates back to the 1994-95 season.  
  • USF is in search of its first 7-2 start to a season since the 2013-14 season.
  • Alexis Yetna is averaging 14.0 points and 10.0 rebounds over his past six games.
  • USF ranks 18th in the NCAA and first in The American with 9.0 steals per game.
  • Alexis Yetna leads The American in rebounding with 9.1 per game.  
  • USF has fewer than or equal to the number of turnovers of its opponents in all eight games this season.
  • Junior Antun Maricevic is shooting 75.0 percent from the field this season and has only missed three shots.
To stay up-to-date on the latest USF men's' basketball news, follow the Bulls on social media (Twitter | Facebook | Instagram).

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.
 
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