Do you agree with Heath?

Posted Mar 4, 2010 by Scott Carter

Updated Mar 4, 2010 at 04:43 PM

USF men’s basketball coach Stan Heath understands that for the Bulls to remain in the conversation about the NCAA Tournament, they must defeat Connecticut on Saturday in the regular-season finale at the Sun Dome.

USF (18-11, 8-9 in Big East) has never beaten the Huskies (17-13, 7-10), but this year’s UConn team is more vulnerable than in the past.

Still, Heath has warned his players that they must be ready for a strong challenge no matter what UConn’s record says.

“They are a team that we have to play a lot better [to beat],’’ Heath said Thursday. “I’ve been telling our team that. We have not played well. We have not played well in a while, probably since our Cincinnati game. This is the time of year you need to be playing your best basketball. I’ve challenged my team to really pick it up, to crank it up because you are getting to the point where you win or go home.’’

If the Bulls win, they have a shot to earn the No. 8 seed and a first-round bye in the Big East Tournament if current No. 8 seed Georgetown loses its final game. USF won at Georgetown in the teams’ only meeting this season, thus giving the tiebreaker to the Bulls should both teams finish 9-9 in the conference.

However, the more promising scenario could be for the Bulls to enter the tournament as the No. 9 seed. They would play No. 16 seed DePaul in the first round, then Georgetown in the second round.

The winner of that game would play No. 1-ranked Syracuse in the Big East quarterfinals.

Heath believes win or lose against Syracuse, the Bulls would be NCAA Tournament bound at that point.

“I don’t think nine winning against 16 is huge. I think eight and nine winning against each other has something that is important,’’ Heath said. “If we are fortunate enough to get to that point – the next game, you win that, I think you do get in.

“That’s my opinion. I don’t have a vote, but that’s my opinion because basically you’re going to take on a No. 1 seed, and so I think that is going to open up a door for you. Putting yourself in that position helps you tremendously.’’

If the scenario where USF enters as the No. 9 seed comes to fruition, and the Bulls beat DePaul and Georgetown, they would be 21-11 when they face Syracuse.

Do you agree with Heath and think that would be enough for USF to end its 18-year March Madness drought? Or do you think USF would still have to upset the Orange to earn a ticket to the Big Dance?