Gat-Rat Bull

32 minutes ago, BAMABULL said:

When will Sammie be back?

All she said was "soon" when I asked her that exact question in the autograph line after the game the other night. In other words, she's either not sure yet or she's not about to share that info with some random fan.

11 for 22 from three so far (5 minutes into the 3rd). When Sami gets back it's going to be raining.

The turnovers have to get cleaned up though.

12 minutes ago, CousinRicky said:

There really was never a doubt about the outcome. In his pregame he talked about being unhappy with the defense in game one. Also mentioned missing Sami's leadership on the floor. But, yes, he's just experimenting with different combos now. Sami's dad she's at least a couple weeks away. Rehabbing without pain now, doing weight work and doing shooting drills. Marina seems to have taken a step back but it's early. Thought she and Janette would be looking better.

I asked Sami after the game in the autograph line how long until she's back. She smiled and just said soon. 

I also told Brito she needs to play harder out there. She knew I was kidding, of course, and we laughed as I gave her a high five. Love that girl. She was definitely the medicine they needed in the second half.

USF

52 - 24

Wright 

Atkins 

515

1 hour ago, Triple B said:

That's a lazy author ....

No kidding. The author should have at least mentioned AAU status and the upcoming new stadium. Or used Chat GPT...

"What are the reasons a power five conference would want to invite the University of South Florida?

ChatGPT:

Power Five conferences might consider inviting the University of South Florida for several reasons:

Market Expansion: USF's location in a rapidly growing and diverse region, including the Tampa Bay area, can provide the conference with access to new markets and fans.

Television Market: Tampa is a significant television market, and adding USF could enhance the conference's TV ratings and potential revenue.

Recruiting Grounds: Florida is a hotbed for high school football talent, and adding USF could strengthen the conference's recruiting base.

Academic Reputation: USF's academic programs and research initiatives can contribute positively to the conference's academic standing.

Growth Potential: The university's commitment to investing in its athletic programs and facilities can make it an attractive candidate for a Power Five conference.

Regional Rivalries: USF's inclusion may enhance or create regional rivalries within the conference, boosting fan engagement and attendance.

3 hours ago, Bull Matrix said:

Yeah. They were highly motivated to kick USF’s butt which they basically did lol. That is ok. Think the media didn’t help by continuing to bug CAG regarding USF vs FAU rivalry questions lol. CAG basically dissed the whole idea that it was a rivalry which was funny. I could see how it would piss FAU off though. I’m looking forward to seeing USF run up the score against FAU next time 

FAU being mad at us is like somebody's yappy dog getting mad because we happen to be walking nearby. It's confusing and humorous until that little pup gets its teeth in your ankle and you realize it's actually pretty tough.

34 minutes ago, BullyPulpit said:

I love the energy that she brings to the floor, but she just needs to learn how to control it a bit more. I think she will continue to grow and improve and be a team leader by her Senior season. 10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals and a block in just 14 minutes of playing time is impressive. Her one blemish was the bad pass. 

Brito is my favorite player on this team. She brings joy and an element of fire and fun to the game. I hope she doesn't lose that as she matures. Dobras used to have that flash back in the day. I still remember him dishing a fast break pass in the lane under his leg mid-jump for a Fred Lewis layup. As long as Brito picks her moments to be flashy and is smarter about it, I say let her cook! 

5 minutes ago, CousinRicky said:

Her dad is here and saw her at last week's practice. Said it wasn't serious. We'll see but sounds ominous 

No bueno. Hope she gets out there in time for the Final Four run.

Sammie standing under the basket in long sweats during warm-up. Out with an injury I assume. 

1 minute ago, CousinRicky said:

May watch the replay tomorrow morning and FF thru Memphis possessions.

The game itself was pretty entertaining in my opinion. Lots of drama and tons of offense. Bad final result, of course, but it was a roller coaster game in a roller coaster year.... Maybe we should be sponsored by Busch Gardens.

Still thinking 6 or 7 wins is realistic for us this season.

1) USF

2) 18

3) Youngblood - 17

4) Pryor - 11

5) 70%

1) USF

2) 35-17

3) Atkins

4) Brown

5) 437

Hard to know yet, of course, but I think we may have something special with this group. I like how all of these guys play on defense and offense. The ball moved well and shots fell. It was an exciting brand of hoops to watch. Hopefully, it wasn't all just the lower level of competition tonight. I'm actually pretty excited about this season now. Go Bulls!

2 hours ago, John Lewis said:

Space Force would probably have excellent helmets.

One possibility?

USF

48-24

B. Brown

Atkins

520

9 hours ago, Jim Johnson said:

Not a genius, but I will take a stab at it.

Year-to-year yes.  Teams that learn how to win and handle attention pass those skills on to new team members as they join.  The same is true that losing begets losing... and why it takes Herculean-type efforts to move from a losing program to a winning program.

One of the big catalysts for that is getting to bowl eligibility because it allows for additional practices, when losing teams are not allowed contact with coaches.

The transfer rules will have some impact, but outside of a QB, any one player won't have as much impact.  (As opposed to the other team sports, where one player is a larger % of the team on the field/pitch/court.)

So teams can go quite a while winning more than losing ... going 7-5 or 8-4 most years with the occasional 11-1 season.

Consider Central Michigan, South Carolina, and Boston College

Nice analysis. So, outside of the obvious "blue blood" college programs there's nothing really inherently unique in what we've seen with USF football win-loss records in our short history. I know we are all looking forward to our turn on the upswing side of this roller coaster ride.

I enjoy sports history. I'm wondering if there is any tangible direct relationship between past teams' win-loss records and future teams' records. I'm sure there are one or two sports geniuses on TBP that can answer that for us. Standing by... 

Just a quick reminder...

USF Bulls are we,

We hold our standard upright and free.

For Green and Gold we stand united.

Our beacon lighted and noble to see.

USF Bulls are we,

For USF we'll always be.

With all our might we fight the battle

here and now, and we will win the

victory!

If you sang that in your head just now, congrats! You are a Bulls fan!

If you don't know that tune then this may not be the ideal place to get your college sports info and realignment rumors.

9 minutes ago, SilverBull said:

Unless you were a 'Neers fan at the end.  Worse than 4th and 24.

So true. Sports can also be heartbreaking. I wonder how many Houston fans didn't get to see the hail Mary because they turned off the game in frustration and anger? (Oh, and never say 4th and 24 in front of me again... )

8 minutes ago, Cat941 said:

How the heck?  I saw the live score changing and was really confused.  

I tuned in purely by chance with 5 minutes to go in the 4th. What a roller coaster ride for those fans. Sports is so fun sometimes.

I'm taking this as a clue that Lucy finally did not pull the football away, meaning we're in the ACC, Baby!!

1.) USF

2.) 49-17

3.) B.Brown

4.) Atkins

5.) 525

12 minutes ago, CousinRicky said:

See, my question is why?  I read, I post, I forget.  Other than knowing puc's posts are too long many times, smazza doesn't use punctuation and Outlaw being repetitive (which I think has changed recently) I don't recall much.  

It's funny to me how this board has created those same shared memories and experiences for so many of us.