The 2006-07 University of South Florida men’s basketball campaign will mark the fourth under the direction of head coach Robert McCullum.
While McCullum’s brief tenure thus far at USF has included just three seasons, the program has already encountered a pair of significant markers since his arrival.
The first came with McCullum’s hiring in the spring of 2003 as he began to put his stamp on USF’s product and the second came with the team’s debut in arguably the toughest conference in the nation in 2005-06, the BIG EAST.
In a season characterized by adversity and competitive play, the year was capped by a victory over nationally ranked Georgetown in the season finale. The Hoyas became the third squad ranked among the top-25 in the nation to be defeated by a Robert McCullum coached team at USF, more wins than any other coach in program history.
For the third-straight season at least one USF player was tabbed to the all-conference squad as senior Solomon Jones (Honorable Mention All-BIG EAST) developed into one of the league’s top big men.
Numerous players (20-to-30) have improved their skills enough to earn positions on professional rosters across the world, from the National Basketball Association to the Italian leagues.
The Bulls doubled their win total in 2004-05 from his inaugural campaign (2003-04) in Tampa, highlighted by a record-setting run at the 2005 Kelly Tires C-USA Tournament. USF advanced to the tourney semifinals for the first time in program history, knocking off a pair of higher-seeded squads in the process.
Prior to the team’s victory over No. 18 Charlotte in the regular season finale, USF hadn’t downed a top-25 opponent since 1992. After defeating Houston to open the postseason, the Bulls continued play with a win over No. 20 Cincinnati before falling to host Memphis.
While excelling to new heights on the court, McCullum has also directed an increased focus on the squad’s academic success. A trio of student-athletes were tabbed to the Conference USA Academic Honor Roll in 2004-05.
