New Impact Players Have Made Notable Progress for Bulls
By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
TAMPA, AUG. 7, 2018 – After sitting out last season, three much-improved Bulls are putting themselves in a position to make a major impact for USF men's basketball in 2018-19.
Guards
Laquincy Rideau,
T.J. Lang and forward
Alexis Yetna have all have made huge progress in preparation for their first season of game action in determined second-year USF head coach
Brian Gregory's program.
Rideau, a redshirt junior, watched the action from the bench last season after transferring in from Gardner-Webb, where he thrived under the spotlight. The 6-foot-1, 208-pound playmaker led his previous program in points per game (14.2), assists (171) and steals (100) in 2016-17 on the way to All-Big South honors.
"He's a guy with unbelievable toughness and competitiveness," said Gregory of Rideau, who brings 66 games of experience to the table. "He's proven himself at the collegiate level to be able to score and really impact the game on the defensive end."
Tireless work in the gym during his extensive break from game action boded well for Rideau. The former Florida Class 7A State Player of the Year out of Blanche Ely High School in Pompano Beach has sharpened his shooting skills in an effort to become the total package for the Bulls.
"He's got a lot of versatility from the guard spot. He's a guy who can score in transition by using his strength to attack the basket," Gregory said. "He's worked on his shooting during his redshirt year, so he's become a much better three-point and free throw shooter. He's a guy that brings a high energy level and is a havoc-causing defensive guard that is really, really improved offensively."
Lang, a redshirt senior, keeps impressing Gregory's staff with his shooting touch since transferring prior to last season from Auburn, where he saw 87 games of action from 2014-17.
"When you think of T.J., the first thing you think about is his ability to shoot the ball," Gregory said. "He can really stretch the defense because of his ability to catch and shoot the three-point shot. He's really improved during his redshirt year with his ability to create shots off the dribble and attack the basket."
USF will begin practicing for the season on Sept. 23 and media members will soon get to see perhaps Lang's greatest achievement since last season. Arriving at USF in August 2017 at 179 pounds, the 6-foot-7 scorer is well suited for impact in the lane now that he's bulked up to 209 pounds with less than 9 percent body fat.
"He's done a great job in the weight room and he really bought into the fact that his overall game would improve with greater strength," Gregory said. "He's got a very good feel for the game, both offensively and defensively."
Now up to 228 pounds, Yetna has transformed into a more physical presence that will definitely benefit USF this upcoming season. The 6-foot-8 sophomore forward has gained around 30 pounds since heading to USF last preseason after earning a bronze medal with France at the 2017 FIBA U20 European Championship. Yetna was required to sit out the entire 2017-18 season.
"He proved himself in the classroom and really improved as a player," Gregory said. "He's another guy that has gained added strength by gaining the 30-plus pounds that he needed."
The Bulls look forward to utilizing Yetna's eye-catching ability on the boards and his scoring skills have increased since he posted double-double averages of 16 points and 11 rebounds at the adidas Gauntlet in April 2017.
"He's a high-energy player that is also a tremendous offensive rebounder. He's always around the basketball," Gregory said. "He has improved his skill package with his shooting and ability to put the ball on the floor. He's a guy that you know every possession will be going all out, and in that position, I think that is something that we could really use."
Getting Rideau, Lang and Yetna into the mix for game action is an enormous plus for USF, which has been in the business of steady improvement since Gregory's arrival. In 2017-18, Gregory guided the Bulls to the program's first double-digit win season since 2013-14 and tripled the team's conference win total from 2016-17.
Season tickets are on sale now at
USFBullsTix.com and fans can check out the Bulls'
non-conference slate for 2018-19 which officially gets going with the Nov. 6 season opener against Alabama A&M at the Yuengling Center. Before that, fans can catch Gregory's squad in exhibition action against the University of Tampa on Oct. 30 at the Yuengling Center.
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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