Bulls Open Postseason Wednesday Against Stony Brook

Bulls Open Postseason Wednesday Against Stony Brook

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Matchup: USF (19-13) vs. Stony Brook (24-8)
Date: Wednesday, March 20
Time: 7 p.m. EST
Location: Tampa, Fla. | Yuengling Center
TV: BullsVision (Jim Louk, Darek Sharp)
Radio: AM 820 | USF Bulls Unlimited (Jim Lighthall, Joey Johnston)
Follow: Listen | Watch | Live Stats | Twitter

TAMPA, MARCH 19, 2019 – The USF men's basketball team makes its return to the postseason for the first time since 2012 with a matchup Wednesday at 7 p.m. against Stony Brook in the opening round of the College Basketball Invitational at the Yuengling Center.

The College Basketball Invitational (CBI) is a single-elimination tournament consisting of 16 teams that compete on home courts. The championship is determined through a best two-out-of-three series format featuring the final two teams that will be broadcast live on ESPNU. USF will play either Cal State Northridge or Utah Valley on Monday, March 25 should the Bulls advance into the quarterfinals. Sites and times are yet to be determined.

Single-game tickets are on sale and can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com. All 100 level seats can be purchased for $17 and all 200 level seats will be sold for $12. USF students will receive free admission thanks to the generosity of the USF Bulls Club members.

USF (19-13) is in the midst of one of its greatest seasons in school history and has already tied for the fifth-most single-season wins in program history. The Bulls also finished the regular season with eight wins in American Athletic Conference play to mark their most in league history, which is also tied for the amount of AAC wins over the previous three years combined.

The Bulls will be competing in the postseason for the 12th time in program history and making their first appearance in the CBI. USF has made three appearances in the NCAA Tournament and eight trips to the NIT.

Individually, redshirt junior Laquincy Rideau (West Palm Beach, Fla.) was named the 2019 AAC Defensive Player of the Year to become the first such winner in USF school history. Forward Alexis Yetna (Paris) was tabbed the 2019 AAC Freshman of the Year to mark the first time USF has featured a Freshman of the Year since 1979, when the Bulls were a member of the Sun Belt Conference.

Sophomore David Collins (Youngstown, Ohio) and Rideau were both named all-conference third team to become the first two Bulls in AAC history to be named all-conference. Yetna was a unanimous selection to the all-freshman team, joining Collins as the only two Bulls in school history to be named to the AAC All-Freshman Team.

THE OPPONENT
Stony Brook (24-8, 12-4) finished in second place in the America East Conference but was upset in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament by Binghamton. The Seawolves, however, posted victories over South Carolina and George Washington earlier this season.

The Seawolves are led by first team all-conference member Akwasi Yeboah, who led the team in scoring (16.6 ppg) and rebounding (7.8 rpg) during the regular season. Stony Brook also features the Sixth Man of the Year in the America East, redshirt sophomore Andrew Garcia and the Defensive Player of the Year, sophomore Jeff Otchere.

QUOTABLE
Head coach Brian Gregory on the matchup with Stony Brook:
"You can look at the early part of their schedule and see that they beat South Carolina and George Washington. Going into the last week of the season, they were in the hunt for the No. 1 seed in their conference, but they got upset in the first round of their league tournament. They have a very talented and athletic team that can score inside and outside. They are one of the best defensive teams in the county, their defensive numbers are off the charts, so we're going to have to do a good job with our offense."
 
NOTABLE
• USF has never faced Stony Brook on the hardwood, but is 9-0 all-time against the America East Conference.
• USF is 15-4 at home under Brian Gregory against non-conference competition.
• USF is one victory away from tying the program record for single-season home wins with 15.
• USF is one victory away from only the program's fifth 20-win season and first since the 2011-12 season.
• USF has won nine more games than it did last year and is tied for the sixth-best win improvement in the NCAA.
• Laquincy Rideau is the first player in USF history to win a Defensive Player of the Year award. 
• USF is the only school in the NCAA to have its conference leader in rebounds, assists and steals.
• USF redshirt freshman Alexis Yetna has more double-doubles (11) than six teams in The American.
• Laquincy Rideau ranks seventh in the NCAA and first in The American with 2.8 steals per game. 
• Alexis Yetna leads The American and ranks 30th in the NCAA with 9.5 rebounds per game.
• USF is ranked 10th in the NCAA and second in The American with a +7.3 rebounding margin.
• USF has attempted the second-most free throws in the NCAA (887) and has made the 11th-most in the NCAA (569).
• Laquincy Rideau looks to become the first player in AAC history to lead in assists and steals in the same season.
• Laquincy Rideau already holds the American Athletic Conference single-season steals record with 82.   
• USF ranks fourth in the NCAA with 14.0 offensive rebounds per game.

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).
 
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