USF Athletics

11-2 Bulls Create More Buzz by Beating UConn

January 03, 2019

NEXT HOME GAME: Wednesday, Jan. 9 vs. Tulane, 7 p.m.
LOCATION: Yuengling Center
PURCHASE TICKETS: USFBullsTix.com
 
 
By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer

TAMPA, JAN. 3, 2019 – Head coach Brian Gregory's Bulls have brought the fun back to the court when it comes to USF men's basketball and winning is becoming contagious.

The Yuengling Center roared late Wednesday night as USF made a statement in its conference opener with a 76-68 comeback win over UConn that's created quite the buzz in the college basketball world.

"South Florida continues to be the surprise team in the American Conference," CBS Sports college basketball insider Jon Rothstein tweeted shortly after the final buzzer.

Even college basketball legend Dick Vitale was quick to compliment the Bulls on their success under Gregory and his staff on Twitter while USF fans rejoiced all over the country on social media.

That type of praise is much deserved for a program that's grown by leaps and bounds since Gregory took over prior to last season. Winning 10 games in 2017-18 with a new-look roster was a milestone the 11-2 Bulls have already passed thanks to their seventh straight victory on Wednesday night.

"It shows that we're making progress. It shows the core values of our program, in terms of bringing in high quality guys that play their butt off and taking pride when they put on that uniform," Gregory said. "They understand there's some guys that played here that have had great success and have played that way. Our best teams here have always been tough teams."

Grinding it out and giving extra effort paved the way for the Bulls' victory over a big-name opponent like UConn that's won four NCAA tournament championships, most recently in 2014. USF ruled the boards by a 47-32 margin, grabbing key rebounds by diving all over the court for loose balls, and exploded for 51 points in the second half. Meanwhile, UConn totaled only eight field goals after the break as the aggressive Bulls sank 23 of 31 free throws to secure another victory.

Playing that type of style of basketball was rewarded with a crowd noise level Tampa Bay Times reporter Joey Knight said he hadn't heard for a men's game in his five and a half years on the Bulls beat. The awesome crowd of nearly 3,500 included former USF stars Radenko Dobras, Victor Rudd and Martino Brock.

"To play that hard, with that kind of grit and toughness, I think will resonate with our fans," Gregory said. "Hopefully everybody that was there will tell somebody and next game we'll get even more. It's a good step for us, and it's just one step in 18 games."

Several chapters in this solid 2018-19 season have yet to be written but boy do Bulls fans have things to brag about already.

They have young, emerging stars to cheer for, like double-double machine Alexis Yetna, just a redshirt freshman. Sophomore guard David Collins is getting into his scoring groove again, much like fellow sophomore Justin Brown. You can't say enough good things about the impact guard Laquincy Rideau has made in his first season playing for USF, especially after his 25-point performance against the Huskies.

This list goes on when it comes to Bulls packed with potential and they're all playing together for one goal – to win games. In the process, they're grabbing the attention of more fans.

"We're not here to be last anymore," said Collins after his 17-point outburst in the second half Wednesday night.

Check The American standings and you'll find the Bulls are far from the conference cellar while the program continues to turn back the clock to past glory.

This team has already posted the school's most wins in a season since 2013-14 and the Bulls are in the midst of their first seven-game winning streak since 2007-08. The last loss on the schedule was all the way back on Nov. 24 and the Bulls finished that month with six wins for the first time since 2009-10.

"It's been good so far this year but we've got to keep it going," Collins said. "We're not finished with what we want to do."

Tune into ESPNU on Saturday at 6 p.m. for the next installment of an exciting season that continues at Tulsa. In Oklahoma, USF will be shooting for its first eight-game winning streak since the 1982-83 season.

By next week, the Yuengling Center should be rocking once again when USF takes on Tulane on Wednesday, Jan. 9 at 7 p.m.

Join the fun because many others are jumping on the bandwagon to see what the Bulls accomplish next with a young team that's growing up before our eyes.
 
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 10^th 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.