USF men’s hoops opens Big East play at UL

Posted Sep 10, 2009 by Brett McMurphy

Updated Sep 10, 2009 at 01:32 PM

The University of South Florida’s men’s basketball team will open its Big East Conference schedule at Louisville on Dec. 30. The Bulls’ Big East home opener will be against Notre Dame on Jan. 5.

Five Big East teams are ranked in CBSSports.com’s early Top 25 projections for next season – No. 6 Villanova, No. 8 UConn, No. 10 West Virginia, No. 15 Louisville, No. 24 Georgetown

Besides opening at Louisville, USF will host West Virginia (Jan. 13) and UConn (March 6) and visit Georgetown (Feb. 3) and Villanova (Feb. 24).

In four seasons in the Big East, USF has an 11-57 conference record.

USF opens the regular season at SMU on Nov. 13. The Bulls’ home opener is Nov. 13.

USF returns four starters off last year’s 9-22 team: Dominique Jones (18.1 points, 5.6 rebounds), Gus Gilchrist (10.2 points), Chris Howard (7.7 points) and Alex Rivas (4.2 points, 4.7 rebounds).

The Bulls also added highly-touted point guard Anthony Crater, who transferred to USF from Ohio State last December. Crater had to sit out one season as a transfer, but becomes eligible after the first semester and the first game he can play is against Central Michigan on Dec. 13.

Senior guard Mike Mercer, who was kicked off the team in January after drug and alcohol related arrests, was reinstated by Coach Stan Heath last month. Mercer averaged 8.5 points in four games last year.

Also, former Bulls point guard Chris Capko was hired as an assistant at Stetson.

USF’s 2009-10 men’s basketball schedule

Nov. 3 Florida Southern (exhibition)
Nov. 7 at Jacksonville (scrimmage)
Nov. 13 at SMU
Nov. 16 Virginia
Nov. 19 vs. Davidson at Charleston Classic
Nov. 20 vs. LaSalle/South Carolina at Charleston Classic
Nov. 22 vs. TBA at Charleston Classic
Nov. 25 Kent State
Nov. 27 Florida Atlantic
Dec. 2 Hampton
Dec. 13 Central Michigan
Dec. 15 UCF
Dec. 19 vs. San Francisco at Las Vegas
Dec. 20 vs. San Diego at Las Vegas
Dec. 30 at Louisville*
Jan. 5 Notre Dame*
Jan. 10 at Syracuse*
Jan. 13 West Virginia*
Jan. 16 Rutgers*
Jan. 20 at Cincinnati* (ESPN2)
Jan. 23 at Providence*
Jan. 28 Seton Hall* (ESPN/ESPN2)
Jan. 31 Pittsburgh*
Feb. 3 at Georgetown*
Feb. 7 at Notre Dame*
Feb. 13 at Marquette*
Feb. 16 Cincinnati*
Feb. 20 St. John’s*
Feb. 24 at Villanova*
Feb. 27 Providence*
March 2 at DePaul*
March 6 Connecticut*

*Big East Conference game