Trib article - USF basketball (M), once on the rise, has bottomed out

[Triple B]

By Joey Johnston | Tribune Staff

Published: March 7, 2016

Updated: March 8, 2016 at 06:23 AM

TAMPA — Four years ago, the University of South Florida men’s basketball team was within a few minutes of earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16. After $35.6 million in renovations, the new Sun Dome was about to open, completing a facilities upgrade that included the state-of-the-art Muma Basketball Center training complex. Recruiting was ramped up. So was the overall interest.

“I think we are now able to compete annually for a conference championship and we have the road to get into the NCAA Tournament every year,” then-USF coach Stan Heath said at the time. “Now we have the best of everything.”

Four years later, things have changed.

USF men’s basketball (7-24) is struggling mightily — with consistently poor performances and evaporating fan support — heading into this week’s American Athletic Conference Tournament at Orlando’s Amway Center.

The old Big East, arguably the nation’s finest men’s basketball conference, collapsed due to football-driven realignment. USF landed in the AAC, a hybrid third-year league that quickly earned respect, but the Bulls have methodically regressed. In the past four seasons, USF is 13-59 in conference games. Only three of the 351 Division I schools have more league defeats in that time period.

Rest of article

[raptorcj]

[Azmodi]

Thanks, Captain Obvious. Please don't let the fact that we're attempting to get our program into a Power Conference stop you from raising our faults into the stratosphere. I'm sure you'd do the same for UCF. Oh wait, you wouldn't.

 

Pus Buckets!!!!!

[Azmodi]

Articles like this remind me of the tale of two Chef's.

There once were two Chef's whom ran a restaurant together. They worked long hours to gain praise for their business. Then one day a renown Food Critique sampled some of their cuisine. One of the Chef's got rave reviews yet, ten minutes later he was dead. He had been killed by the other Chef in the kitchen. When asked why he had killed his friend and business partner, the other Chef said; "I didn't mean any harm. I was just patting him on the back. I totally forgot I had a knife in my hands."

[NewEnglandBull]

1 hour ago, Azmodi said:

Thanks, Captain Obvious. Please don't let the fact that we're attempting to get our program into a Power Conference stop you from raising our faults into the stratosphere. I'm sure you'd do the same for UCF. Oh wait, you wouldn't.

 

Pus Buckets!!!!!

Uhh, do t know why you would get in a hissy about posting the article. It is all legit. Just because the MBB program is trying to get its house in order (and some question if that is even the case) does not negate the fact that this program has had serious problems for four years now. This article was pure fact. Should it not have been posted because the team is trying? 

[JTrue]

5 minutes ago, NewEnglandBull said:

This article was pure fact. Should it not have been posted because the team is trying? 

Yes. Negative articles are only ok when the team is not trying. 

[Azmodi]

5 minutes ago, NewEnglandBull said:

Uhh, do t know why you would get in a hissy about posting the article. It is all legit. Just because the MBB program is trying to get its house in order (and some question if that is even the case) does not negate the fact that this program has had serious problems for four years now. This article was pure fact. Should it not have been posted because the team is trying? 

My "Hissy" isn't with the posting of the article. When I wrote "Thanks Captain Obvious", it was intended for the writer of the article. The article goes on to mention some positive things but, mainly it mentions the negatives about the program. That's why I mentioned UCF. It seams that the media entities here love to shat on USF but, tend to leave hands off on UCF. It is something that has been bothering me since 2010.

[NewEnglandBull]

21 minutes ago, Azmodi said:

My "Hissy" isn't with the posting of the article. When I wrote "Thanks Captain Obvious", it was intended for the writer of the article. The article goes on to mention some positive things but, mainly it mentions the negatives about the program. That's why I mentioned UCF. It seams that the media entities here love to shat on USF but, tend to leave hands off on UCF. It is something that has been bothering me since 2010.

I see your point but why would a Tampa paper write anything about UCF? I know there is very little written in Orlando about USF. Now generally do the Tampa reporters put down USF? Yeah, they do but mainly when they are not winning. For example there is a big difference from last year's football team and the four years before in terms of positive media coverage. The MBB is indeed a dumpster fire but I suspect the press will get positive if they start to win. 

[Azmodi]

19 minutes ago, NewEnglandBull said:

I see your point but why would a Tampa paper write anything about UCF? I know there is very little written in Orlando about USF. Now generally do the Tampa reporters put down USF? Yeah, they do but mainly when they are not winning. For example there is a big difference from last year's football team and the four years before in terms of positive media coverage. The MBB is indeed a dumpster fire but I suspect the press will get positive if they start to win. 

You're right in that they simply wrote little if nothing about USF in Orlando because USF was winning. However, when USF was losing, they wrote tons of crap articles about USF. Please don't tell me how you forgot about the USF is a dumpster fire article from the Slantinel.

I guess I just don't understand anyone reposting any of their articles. They are almost always slanted in favor of UCF. Even the article about receiving government money for improvements and housing. They cited how UCF finished "3rd" out of the "11" Florida Public Universities. Then don't mention it in the headlines and only one sentence tells you that USF finished "2nd" behind FSU.  Bah!!!!

Edited March 8, 2016 by Azmodi

[Azmodi]

As for writing anything about UCF, they were being promoted as the #3 school in the state and then posted an epic third winless season. That article was begging to be written but, a simple crap article less then 3 paragraphs was done. If USF had gone winless, ever paper n this state would have written an article for their front page.

My point is that we are seriously lacking in media support. Neither the Times or the Tribune do USF justice.