USF’s 20th win could be key

Posted Mar 9, 2010 by Scott Carter

Updated Mar 10, 2010 at 07:22 AM

Here is a good stat to show why today’s game is so important for USF: according to Big East basketball SID Chuck Sullivan, 123 Big East teams eligible to participate in the NCAA Tournament have won 20 or more games since 1983 by the end of the conference tournament.

USF became the ninth Big East team to reach the 20-win mark this season by defeating DePaul.

In that time, only three of those teams—Syracuse in 2002 and 2007, and West Virginia in 2007—failed to make it to the NCAA Tournament.

Most pundits say USF still has work to do entering Wednesday’s game against Georgetown in the second round.

Bulls coach Stan Heath agrees.

“We can’t leave things to chance,’’ Heath said following Tuesday’s victory. “The best thing you can do is win and control your own destiny.’’