South Florida, Central Florida teams on the rise

[ChiTownBull]

http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060129/SPORTS/601290321/1002

BY DAVID JONES

FLORIDA TODAY

Bright futures

Tom Lemming, recruiting expert for ESPN.com, lists what could be the biggest surprise signees for South Florida and Central Florida on Wednesday.

South Florida: Defensive tackle Leslie Stirrups, Tampa.

Lemming comments: "He's as good a signee as either of those teams is going to have. He's just a great football player."

Central Florida: Running back Andre Anderson, Stone Mountain, Ga.

Lemming comments: "He has some offers from Stanford and Georgia Tech, and UCF ended up sticking with him and waited it out while the other schools went and got some other people because they didn't want to wait that long. UCF was rewarded for their patience."

Could the day be coming when a recruit politely tells Florida State and Florida not to bother visiting because he's decided his best chance at a national title would be deciding between South Florida and Central Florida?

Don't laugh.

Those "other" schools appear to be coming up fast behind the state's superpowers. Both teams went to bowl games, and both are in respected conferences. Both also are locking up talent that could secure even better days ahead.

The value of getting in a bowl at South Florida?

"Huge," said Jamie Newberg of Scout.com. "I think it helped them a couple of years ago when they were named to join the Big East. Now they can finally have an identity, so to speak. That was a team fighting for an identity for so long, trying to get established. Quite frankly, they've come so far so fast. Nobody expected them to have the year that they had.

"I think they are ahead of schedule and I think kids are finally taking notice to them and Central Florida, that it's not just the Big Three anymore. And to be honest with you, Florida Atlantic and Florida International are pulling kids, too."

How have USF and Central Florida made so much rapid progress? Part of it has been by keeping more in-state players who had been leaving the border for northern schools.

"What we're seeing is with UCF and South Florida, they are getting more of those kids," Newberg said. "You could have five dominant schools (in the future). I mean, think about it, you had five schools who went to bowls from Florida this year."

Central Florida also got a value boost by its Hawaii Bowl bid.

"You would not believe the doors that were opened this year compared to last year, based on making a bowl, based on turning it around and breaking that losing streak, getting a lot of national play," Newberg said.

The same thing with South Florida.

"I think what's happening is both teams now have an identity, some more ground work and kids around the state think it's not a bad thing to go play in Tampa or Orlando," Newberg said. "It's a good thing. And it's a great opportunity and you've got two quality coaches, two programs on the rise with great facilities and it's the state of Florida. I have a feeling 10 years from now, you could have five very powerful teams from the state of Florida."

There's even speculation that the day could come when all five are competing for a national title in the same season.

"I wouldn't argue with that," ESPN.com recruiting analyst Tom Lemming said. "Central Florida to me is a juggernaut and I think South Florida is not far behind. (George) O'Leary has done a great job of turning things around when there was no talent. I'm really impressed with the way Central Florida does things and I've always been impressed with South Florida.

"It's hard to say it, but someday they may be up there with the big boys."

Lemming said it's only logical that South Florida and Central Florida will start hauling in better and better classes once they start winning consistently.

"Look at all the talent down there," he said. "It's shocking that they haven't done it earlier. With all the talent in South Florida, and Miami can't take everybody, it's just shocking that it didn't happen earlier. There are just so many great players down there."

Scott Kennedy of Scout.com said the ingredient that actually made it all happen is good coaches.

"Those guys are kind of sleeping giants," he said of USF and Central Florida. "They've got huge enrollments, they're in a great, fertile area, they both went to bowl games. I think George O'Leary has shown without a doubt that anybody that uses recruiting rankings as the be-all, end-all is out of their minds.

"One year (Central Florida was) 0-11, the next year 8-3. Was it because of some great recruiting class? No, it was because of coaching and development, getting everybody on the same page. You can't sustain that without players, you can't reach the next level without players. But you're certainly not going to have a chance to even get a sniff of that unless you've got the right staff in place."

Contact Jones at 242-3682 or djones@flatoday.net

[FreaKnight]

http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060129/SPORTS/601290321/1002

BY DAVID JONES

FLORIDA TODAY

Bright futures

Tom Lemming, recruiting expert for ESPN.com, lists what could be the biggest surprise signees for South Florida and Central Florida on Wednesday.

South Florida: Defensive tackle Leslie Stirrups, Tampa.

Lemming comments: "He's as good a signee as either of those teams is going to have. He's just a great football player."

Central Florida: Running back Andre Anderson, Stone Mountain, Ga.

Lemming comments: "He has some offers from Stanford and Georgia Tech, and UCF ended up sticking with him and waited it out while the other schools went and got some other people because they didn't want to wait that long. UCF was rewarded for their patience."

Could the day be coming when a recruit politely tells Florida State and Florida not to bother visiting because he's decided his best chance at a national title would be deciding between South Florida and Central Florida?

Don't laugh.

Those "other" schools appear to be coming up fast behind the state's superpowers. Both teams went to bowl games, and both are in respected conferences. Both also are locking up talent that could secure even better days ahead.

The value of getting in a bowl at South Florida?

"Huge," said Jamie Newberg of Scout.com. "I think it helped them a couple of years ago when they were named to join the Big East. Now they can finally have an identity, so to speak. That was a team fighting for an identity for so long, trying to get established. Quite frankly, they've come so far so fast. Nobody expected them to have the year that they had.

"I think they are ahead of schedule and I think kids are finally taking notice to them and Central Florida, that it's not just the Big Three anymore. And to be honest with you, Florida Atlantic and Florida International are pulling kids, too."

How have USF and Central Florida made so much rapid progress? Part of it has been by keeping more in-state players who had been leaving the border for northern schools.

"What we're seeing is with UCF and South Florida, they are getting more of those kids," Newberg said. "You could have five dominant schools (in the future). I mean, think about it, you had five schools who went to bowls from Florida this year."

Central Florida also got a value boost by its Hawaii Bowl bid.

"You would not believe the doors that were opened this year compared to last year, based on making a bowl, based on turning it around and breaking that losing streak, getting a lot of national play," Newberg said.

The same thing with South Florida.

"I think what's happening is both teams now have an identity, some more ground work and kids around the state think it's not a bad thing to go play in Tampa or Orlando," Newberg said. "It's a good thing. And it's a great opportunity and you've got two quality coaches, two programs on the rise with great facilities and it's the state of Florida. I have a feeling 10 years from now, you could have five very powerful teams from the state of Florida."

There's even speculation that the day could come when all five are competing for a national title in the same season.

"I wouldn't argue with that," ESPN.com recruiting analyst Tom Lemming said. "Central Florida to me is a juggernaut and I think South Florida is not far behind. (George) O'Leary has done a great job of turning things around when there was no talent. I'm really impressed with the way Central Florida does things and I've always been impressed with South Florida.

"It's hard to say it, but someday they may be up there with the big boys."

Lemming said it's only logical that South Florida and Central Florida will start hauling in better and better classes once they start winning consistently.

"Look at all the talent down there," he said. "It's shocking that they haven't done it earlier. With all the talent in South Florida, and Miami can't take everybody, it's just shocking that it didn't happen earlier. There are just so many great players down there."

Scott Kennedy of Scout.com said the ingredient that actually made it all happen is good coaches.

"Those guys are kind of sleeping giants," he said of USF and Central Florida. "They've got huge enrollments, they're in a great, fertile area, they both went to bowl games. I think George O'Leary has shown without a doubt that anybody that uses recruiting rankings as the be-all, end-all is out of their minds.

"One year (Central Florida was) 0-11, the next year 8-3. Was it because of some great recruiting class? No, it was because of coaching and development, getting everybody on the same page. You can't sustain that without players, you can't reach the next level without players. But you're certainly not going to have a chance to even get a sniff of that unless you've got the right staff in place."

Contact Jones at 242-3682 or djones@flatoday.net

Great article.  Too bad the one player he referenced for UCF is now committed to Tulane! :

[smazza]

usf better hope ftu/ou.oc didnt pass them by

[Bishop of Bulltown]

usf better hope ftu/ou.oc didnt pass them by

: : : : :

[flsportsfan83]

this article is an embarrasment.... I dont want to be tied to that school 100 miles east. We are obviosly the better team.

[72bull]

"I think what's happening is both teams now have an identity, some more ground work and kids around the state think it's not a bad thing to go play in Tampa or Orlando," Newberg said. "It's a good thing. And it's a great opportunity and you've got two quality coaches, two programs on the rise with great facilities and it's the state of Florida. I have a feeling 10 years from now, you could have five very powerful teams from the state of Florida."

And then there are those naysayers who want to throw a monkey wrench into the works and fire everybody...

[FreaKnight]

this article is an embarrasment.... I dont want to be tied to that school 100 miles east. We are obviosly the better team.

You have scoreboard, and that's really all that matters when trying to compare who the better team is.  As painful as it is to admit that as a UCF fan, I don't really have a choice.  It does help that UCF won 8 games despite the USF loss and made it to a bowl game.

[Kyle]

this article kinda pisses me off, actually.

[Kyle]

It does help that UCF won 8 games despite the USF loss and made it to a bowl game.

against some pretty lofty opponents no less!

[FreaKnight]

against some pretty lofty opponents no less!

It's better than losing to those "lofty" opponents as you describe them.

After losing 17 in a row, you have to start somewhere.