Special season for USF men’s hoops

Posted Feb 12, 2012 by Joey Johnston

Updated Feb 12, 2012 at 10:50 PM

In the next few weeks, if the University of South Florida men’s basketball team (15-10, 8-4 Big East Conference) maintains its current pace, we will hear plenty of talk about the NCAA Tournament worthiness of these Bulls.

That’s fine. In fact, NCAA Tournament talk is basically everything in college hoops. But regardless of where this ends up—and barring a major collapse, it almost certainly will mean a National Invitation Tournament bid, at minimum, for USF—this already has been a special season.

Consider the following:

Can You Spell T-E-A-M?

Two seasons ago, Stan Heath’s Bulls made the NIT, largely behind the withering offense of Dominique Jones. USF’s approach is somewhat different now.

Look at the stat sheet: Augustus Gilchrist (10.8 ppg), Jawanza Poland (9.5 ppg), Victor Rudd Jr. (8.8 ppg), Toarlyn Fitzpatrick (8.4 ppg), Ron Anderson Jr. (8.3 ppg), Hugh Robertson (6.6 ppg), Anthony Collins (6.5 ppg), Blake Nash (4.6 ppg), Shaun Noriega (4.2 ppg). The entire team is separated by a scoring average of barely more than six points? Almost unheard of. Different night, different star. That was the story in Saturday’s 55-48 victory at Providence, when the long-dormant Noriega came off the bench for a pair of late 3-point daggers ... in only ONE minute of play.

There hasn’t been a more balanced USF men’s basketball team ... ever. Gilchrist is on track to become the lowest USF scoring leader since Dave Niemann (10.3 ppg) in 1976-77.

Conference Call

The Bulls are 8-4 in the Big East with six conference games remaining. If USF defeats Villanova on Wednesday night at home, it will tie the school record for most conference victories in one season (Sun Belt, 9-5 in 1983-84 and 1989-90; Conference USA, 9-7 in 2000-01; and Big East, 9-9 in 2009-10).

Hitting The Road

The Bulls already have won three conference road games. It sounds modest until you consider the school’s single-season record is four (Sun Belt, 1983-84). The ability to steal another one on the road will be huge as USF still must travel to face Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Louisville.