GAMEDAY INFORMATION
University of South Florida (0-0) vs. SEMO (0-0)
Monday, November 7 | 8 p.m. ET
VENUE: Yuengling Center | Tampa, Fla.
SERIES: USF leads, 2-0
TV: ESPN+
RADIO: Bulls Unlimited (TuneIn App) | 102.5 HD-2
TWITTER UPDATES: @USFMBB
TICKETS: Purchase
GAME NOTES: View
TAMPA (November 6, 2022) – In theory, the USF men's basketball team will shoot better and play faster, offering a more crowd-pleasing style while not sacrificing any defense. It has learned from last season's mistakes, beefing up the lineup and dedicating itself to improvement.
Sound good?
Bulls coach Brian Gregory hopes so because he's intent on bringing his program back into postseason contention after two years of regression.
With three impact transfers — point guard 5-foot-9 Tyler Harris (Memphis) 6-6 wing Keyshawn Bryant (South Carolina) and 6-4 guard Selton Miguel (Kansas State) — plus promising looking 6-4 true freshman guard Ryan Conwell, the Bulls appear to be well-stocked for some major improvement.
"Our team practices extremely hard and that's something we really value in our program,'' Gregory said. "It's very competitive and I like the day-in, day-out operations and habits of each individual. We are trending in the right direction.''
Now the Bulls must put things together on the court, beginning with Monday night's season-opener against Southeast Missouri State at the Yuengling Center.
After laboring through an 8-23 season that featured a national-worst 25.2 percent shooting from 3-point range and 57.5 points per game, along with sub-par shooting from the field (37.4) and free-throw line (66.6), Gregory said he believes the Bulls will fare much better in all areas.
Interestingly, during all the shooting woes, the Bulls still played outstanding defense, ranking 45th nationally in field-goal percentage defense (41.3) and points allowed (64.9).
"The effort was always there and that's probably something that got overlooked,'' Gregory said. "Put together better shooting and offense with continued good defense and we can get a whole lot better.''
Gregory is counting on Harris, a fifth-year performer, to run the show. Harris, brimming with confidence (if not bravado), has all the elements for success. He was a Memphis prep legend and translated that to three productive seasons for the Memphis Tigers and one for Iowa State.
Now he's at USF, clamoring for a more high-profile role, and Gregory will provide that in exchange for the elements that made Harris an electric force at his previous stops. Harris was a 39.3 percent 3-point shooter last season at Memphis and an 89.5 shooter (85.9 career) from the free-throw line.
"He's a tremendous shooter, but we also want him to be someone who creates shots for other people and understands what we want,'' Gregory said. "He has a great knowledge of the game. Now communicating that knowledge to others is the next step for him.''
"I'm going to do what Coach BG asks me,'' Harris said. "I believe I can help to elevate this program to the next level and bring some excitement to the court. I see such great potential here. I'm really excited.''
Meanwhile, Miguel is expected to do the dirty work. He's a tough defender and a grinding offensive player who goes hard to the rim. Bryant should provide his own share of excitement with outside shooting and a high-wire act near the basket. Fans are still buzzing over Bryant's windmill dunk in the exhibition victory against the University of Tampa.
"I'm looking to be a complete player, but mostly I want to win,'' said Bryant, who went to Winter Haven High School. "We want to turn this program around and get it going in a good direction. We have different guys from different places, but we are coming together in ways that people probably don't expect. I think we're going to be a formidable team and we're going to do nothing but get better each time out.''
Gregory wants continued offensive improvement from Russel Tchewa, the 7-foot, 280-pound center from Cameroon whose game came to life late last season. He averaged 11.6 points and 7.0 rebounds over the final nine games, including three double-doubles.
"Russ is a tremendous defensive player and a much improved offensive player,'' Gregory said. "He just needs to finish better around the basket. He's going to get fouled, so him being productive at the line will help a lot, too. I do feel Russ will keep getting better and better.''
Jamir Chaplin, a 6-5 guard and the most veteran of Gregory's Bulls, is entering his fourth season at USF. He averaged 8.7 points and 4.4 rebounds last season, and had back-to-back 17-point outings as part of five consecutive double-digit scoring games.
With an influx of new transfer players last season, Gregory believes many of them are ready for the next step. Corey Walker, a 6-8 forward, and Sam Hines, a 6-6 forward, figure to have prominent roles with 6-7 Jake Boggs also ready to step in as a front-court presence and outside shooter.
DJ Patrick, a 6-6 forward, and Serrel Smith, a 6-4 guard, showed shooting flashes last season and could move up in the ranks with more consistency. Sophomore Trey Moss figures to work with Conwell in the reserve point-guard position behind Harris.
Gregory said his goal this season is 70 possessions per game, which means a faster pace, but not an out-of-control, shoot-early approach. With the newcomers, the Bulls are capable of attacking the rim and using solid defense to transition into effective offense.
"We're going to shoot better and score more, I believe,'' Gregory said. "But we will definitely have the intensity and toughness that we displayed when we had success here. Mental toughness and physical toughness will always be part of our game. By doing the little things better, I think we can make a jump offensively and I think that's what you're going to see.''
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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 sixth season in 2022-23. 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 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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