GoUSFBulls.com Bulls Welcome UConn To Open League Play

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Bulls Welcome UConn To Open League Play

December 31, 2018

• Game Notes (PDF)

 

Matchup: USF (10-2) vs. UConn (9-4)
Date: Wednesday, Jan. 2
Time: 8:30 p.m. EST
Location: Tampa, Fla. | Yuengling Center
TV: CBS Sports Network (Ben Holden, Mike O'Donnell)
Radio: AM 820 | USF Bulls Unlimited (Jim Lighthall, Joey Johnston)
Follow: Listen | Watch | Live Stats | Twitter

TAMPA, DEC. 31, 2018 – The USF men's basketball team closes a three-game homestand and begins American Athletic Conference play Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. when the Bulls welcome UConn to the Yuengling Center for a matchup on CBS Sports Network.

The first 1,500 fans in attendance will receive a free white t-shirt and all fans are encouraged to wear white.

USF (10-2) ran its winning streak to six on Saturday following a 60-54 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson behind 16 points and 16 rebounds from redshirt freshman Alexis Yetna (Paris). Yetna leads The American and ranks seventh in the NCAA with 10.9 rebounds per game and has featured seven games with double digit rebounds. Yetna also paces the conference with seven double-doubles and leads in offensive rebounds with 3.8 per game.  

Sophomore Justin Brown (Birmingham, Ala.) added 12 points, six rebounds and make three 3-pointers against the Knights to continue a hot stretch of shooting. Brown, who has made a team-best 22 three-pointers, is shooting 71.4 percent (10-for-14) from down town over his last three games. Overall, Brown averages 9.3 points per game and shoots 43.1 percent from beyond the arc.

David Collins (Youngstown, Ohio) scored 10 points to go along with a career-high eight rebounds on Saturday and continues to serve as the offensive catalyst for the USF offense with 13.9 points per game. Collins is also second in The American and 14th in the NCAA in steals with 2.6 per game.

Redshirt junior Laquincy Rideau (West Palm Beach, Fla.) stands second on the team with 12.9 points per game and leads the conference in both assists (5.7 apg) and steals (2.8 spg). Additionally, Rideau ranks eighth in the NCAA in steals and 36th in assists.

THE OPPONENT
UConn (9-4) has won three of its last five games but suffered an 81-58 defeat to Villanova in its most recent game. The Huskies and Wildcats were tied 30-30 at halftime, but Villanova exploded for 51 points in the second half en route to the victory. Despite only scoring 58 points, UConn still ranks second in The American with 81.3 points per game and in field goal percentage by shooting 47.6 percent.

AAC Preseason Player of the Year Jalen Adams leads UConn and ranks sixth in the league with 16.6 points per game. Fellow guard Christian Vital pulls down a team-high 5.2 rebounds per game and scores in double figures with 12.4 points per game.

Notable
• USF is aiming for its first seven-game winning streak since the 2007-08 season.
• USF is looking for its 11th win of the season, which would be the most since the 2013-14 season.
• USF is ranked 13th in the NCAA and first in The American with 14.3 offensive rebounds per game.
• Justin Brown is shooting 71.4 percent (10-for-14) from three-point range over the last three games.
• USF ranks 18th in the NCAA and second in The American in turnovers forced with 17.6 per game.
• Alexis Yetna is first in the American Athletic Conference and 19th in the NCAA with six double-doubles.
• Laquincy Rideau ranks eighth in the NCAA and first in The American with 2.8 steals per game.
• Alexis Yetna leads The American and ranks seventh in the NCAA with 10.9 rebounds per game.
• Laquincy Rideau stands first in The American and 36th in the NCAA with 5.7 assists per game.
 
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