USF Athletics

Bulls return to action to host No. 12 Houston

January 04, 2022

GAMEDAY INFORMATION

University of South Florida (5-7, 0-0 AAC) vs. No. 12 University of Houston (12-2, 1-0 AAC)

Wednesday, January 5 | 7 p.m.

VENUE: Yuengling Center | Tampa, Fla.

SERIES: Houston leads, 22-12

TV: ESPN+

RADIO: iHeart Radio Bulls Unlimited

TWITTER UPDATES: @USFMBB

GAME NOTES: View

TICKETS: Purchase

By Joey Johnston

The USF men's basketball team, idle since Christmas Day in Hawaii, returns to action Wednesday night when the No. 12-ranked Houston Cougars visit the Yuengling Center in USF's American Athletic Conference opener. But this is more than a chance to start fast in the AAC.

It's a major opportunity.

Coach Brian Gregory's Bulls (5-7) have dropped nine straight meetings against the Cougars (12-2, 1-0 AAC), a Final Four team last season that already has earned non-conference victories against Virginia, Butler, Oregon and Oklahoma State, plus a 66-61 win at Temple on Sunday afternoon.

The Bulls can claim their first victory against a ranked opponent in nearly a decade. In its 51-season history, USF men's basketball has beaten 14 nationally ranked foes, accounting for some of the most memorable moments in Bulls' lore.

Beginning with the most recent result, then going backward in time, here's a look back at 14 of the most monumental wins for USF men's basketball:

USF 58, No. 19-ranked Louisville 51 (Feb. 29, 2012 at Louisville, Ky.) — This Big East Conference matchup is widely acknowledged as the result that essentially put USF into the 2012 NCAA Tournament field. USF closed with a flourish, going 8-for-10 from the free-throw line in the final minute. The biggest shot was provided by Jawanza Poland (16 points), who put USF up 48-42 on a 3-pointer.

USF 56, No. 24-ranked Seton Hall 55 (Jan. 13, 2012 at Tampa) — The Bulls, showing they needed to be taken seriously in the Big East, closed on a 14-3 run. They got the winning margin on a stunning three-quarter-court looping pass from freshman point guard Anthony Collins to Toarlyn Fitzpatrick, who connected on the layup, drew a foul, then hit his free throw. USF was up by three points with 55 seconds remaining. The Pirates cut it to one, then had senior point guard Jordan Theodore, an 82.4-percent free-throw shooter, at the line on a one-and-one opportunity with 3.8 seconds left. Theodore missed and USF ran out the clock.

USF 72, No. 7-ranked Georgetown 64 (Feb. 3, 2010 at Washington) — Dominique Jones had 29 points as the Bulls stunned the Hoyas, who were coming off a victory against Duke four days earlier. Georgetown built a 13-point first-half lead, but the Bulls chipped away and took command in the final minutes to register a victory over the highest-ranked opponent in USF men's basketball history. The Bulls were in the hunt for an NCAA Tournament bid (but eventually settled for a spot in the National Invitation Tournament).

USF 70, No. 17-ranked Pittsburgh 61 (Jan. 31, 2010 at Tampa) — Dominique Jones had 24 of his game-high 37 points in the second half as the Bulls formally announced themselves — for the first time — as contenders in the Big East Conference.

USF 57, No. 8-ranked Marquette 56 (Feb. 6, 2009 at Tampa) — Dominique Jones' layup with 15.9 seconds remaining provided the eventual one-point winning margin, but the Bulls had to sweat it out. Marquette's Wesley Matthews misfired on a contested layup, then Lazar Hayward couldn't convert on the stickback. Earlier that season, the Bulls fell against Marquette 70-68 at the buzzer in Milwaukee.

USF 69, No. 21-ranked Notre Dame 63 (Feb. 3, 2007 at Tampa) — McHugh Mattis led the way with a career-high 23 points and 16 rebounds. In the late going, USF led by two points, but surged into a more comfortable advantage as Mattis converted on three straight buckets.

USF 63, No. 20-ranked Georgetown 56 (March 4, 2006 at Tampa) — In the finale of their initial Big East Conference season, the Bulls were 0-15 in the league. They proceeded to stun the Hoyas behind a powerful performance from Solomon Jones, who had 23 points (on 9-for-10 shooting) and nine rebounds while shutting down Georgetown 7-foot center Roy Hibbert. A few weeks later, Georgetown was in the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 and nearly upset the Florida Gators, the eventual national champions.

USF 80, No. 21-ranked Cincinnati 68 (March 10, 2005 at Memphis, Tenn.) — Terrence Leather, who had been held scoreless in a regular-season 28-point blowout loss against the Bearcats, delivered 21 points and 11 rebounds in the Conference USA Tournament quarterfinals.

USF 85, No. 18-ranked Charlotte 73 (March 5, 2005 at Tampa) — In the regular-season finale, Terrence Leather had 24 points and 12 rebounds as the Bulls snapped a 35-game losing streak against ranked opponents.

USF 81, No. 15-ranked Tulane 76 (Feb 24, 1992 at New Orleans) — The Bulls registered one of the most thrilling road victories in program history, getting the needed impetus to earn an at-large NCAA Tournament bid during their first season in the Metro Conference. Bobby Russell's 3-pointer with nine seconds remaining broke a tie — Fred Lewis tapped out the rebound of Radenko Dobras' miss to Russell on the perimeter — then Dobras blew kisses to the hostile crowd on two tack-on free throws. Tulane had been known for its "Posse'' — bringing in five fresh players off the bench and removing the starting lineup. "Where's the Posse now?'' USF's Gary Alexander said afterward. "We're the new sheriffs in town.'' All USF starters scored in double figures — Lewis (22 points), Alexander (20), Russell (17), Derrick Sharp (12) and Dobras (10).

USF 70, No. 22-ranked Charlotte 63 (Feb. 15, 1992 at Charlotte, N.C.) — Radenko Dobras scored 22 of his game-high 28 points in the second half. In the second half alone, Dobras was 7-for-9 shooting, including 5-for-6 from 3-point range. "We are not a fluke team,'' Dobras said. And obviously, Dobras was not a fluke shooter.

USF 85, No. 23-ranked Iowa 78 (Dec. 28, 1991 at Tampa) — The Bulls pulled within striking range of the program's first top 25 ranking by defeating the Hawkeyes in the final of the Tampa Tribune Holiday Invitational. Derrick Sharp had a career-high 25 points, including five 3-pointers, while being supported by Radenko Dobras (21 points), Gary Alexander (18) and Bobby Russell (12). Alexander also did an outstanding defensive job on Acie Earl, Iowa's 6-foot-10 center, who had 16 points and was limited to nine field-goal attempts. USF received 58 votes in the next Associated Press poll, putting the Bulls into 29th, but that momentum was thwarted by an nationally televised 80-60 defeat at Cincinnati on New Year's Eve.

USF 60, No. 16-ranked VCU 58 (Jan. 19, 1985 at Richmond, Va.) — It was USF's biggest victory in its Sun Belt Conference tenure. The Rams, on  an 11-game winning streak, had rallied to within one point at 47-46 behind a boisterous crowd at the Richmond Coliseum and USF's shot clock was about to expire when Bulls guard Darryl "Cuda'' Patterson drilled an 18-footer. The Bulls iced it away with free throws, including a one-and-one by Tommy Tonelli with 12 seconds to play that provided the eventual winning margin. USF's Charlie Bradley had a game-high 19 points. The Rams would finish 26-6 and win the Sun Belt Conference Tournament while reaching the NCAA Tournament's second round.

USF 70, No. 18-ranked South Alabama 52 (Feb. 12, 1981 at Tampa) — This was the result that proved instrumental in getting USF to its first postseason bid (the NIT, where the Bulls were beaten by UConn). Before a foot-stomping crowd of 9,323 at the Sun Dome, a first-year facility, the Bulls ended a nine-game losing streak at the hands of the Jaguars. USF's Vince Reynolds had 21 points and nine rebounds, while Tony Grier added 19 and Willie Redden 12. It was USF's 14th consecutive home victory as the Bulls enjoyed the support and excitement from an on-campus facility after mostly playing at the downtown Curtis Hixon Convention Center during the program's first nine seasons.

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About USF Men's Basketball

The USF men's basketball team is led by head coach Brian Gregory, who enters his fifth season in 2021-22. Gregory was introduced as the 10th head coach in program history in March of 2017 after previously leading 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 owns over 300 career head coaching wins and six postseason appearances, including the 2010 NIT Championship with Dayton. In his second season at the helm of the Bulls, Gregory led the team to the best win turnaround in the NCAA, the most single-season wins in school history and the 2019 College Basketball Invitational championship. 
 
USF has retired three numbers in its 51-year history: Chucky Atkins (12), Charlie Bradley (30) and Radenko Dobras (31). The Bulls have earned three NCAA tournament bids, appeared in the NIT eight times and won the 2019 College Basketball Invitational.
 
For tickets, contact the USF Ticket Office at 1-800-Go-Bulls or by going online to USFBullsTix.com.

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