St. Valentine’s Day massacre

[flsportsfan83]

St. Valentine’s Day massacre

Posted By Brett McMurphy at Feb 15, 2007 at 12:33 AM

Updated Feb 15, 2007 at 12:54 AM

OK, maybe the headline is a little harsh. It wasn’t exactly a massacre, but the University of South Florida’s 70-53 loss to Syracuse on Valentine’s Day may have killed the Bulls’ Big East Tournament chances. At worst, it severely crippled them.

With four games remaining, USF (12-14, 3-9 Big East) is in 14th place with only the top 12 teams making the league tournament. The teams – Providence (5-5), UConn (5-6) and St. John’s (5-7) – right now holding down the final three spots are two wins ahead of USF, meaning the Bulls must pass at least one of those teams. And since USF has already lost to UConn and St. John’s, the Bulls would have to have one more league victory to get in the tournament over UConn or St. John’s.

So – if you’re still with me – the Bulls’ best shot (other than winning their final four games) is for Providence to lose out and USF to win two of its last four games, to pull even with the Friars at 5-11 for the 12th and final spot.

Providence has six games left – at Notre Dame tonight, St. John’s (Feb. 17), West Virginia (Feb. 20), Syracuse (Feb. 24), at USF (Feb. 28) and at St. John’s (March 4). If the Friars win just one of those, USF would have to win three of its final four games – and then that may not even be enough based on the plethora of tiebreakers.

USF coach Robert McCullum said before the season and numerous times in the past weeks, he felt USF needed six league wins to make the tournament. There’s a possibility now that may not even be enough.

CANN DEBUTS: Even though, it cost USF freshman Zaronn Cann a year of eligibility, Cann played 11 minutes against Syracuse, his first game action since injuring his knee Dec. 15, 2005 against Florida Atlantic.

Cann wasn’t bad offensively, scoring six points. Defensively, his inexperience showed, picking up four fouls in his brief time in the court.

“I thought he did a good job,†McCullum said. “He’s obviously limited in what he can do. When you’re only on the second team [during practice] you’re not getting a lot in terms of learning what’s going on, what you need to do, your timing, your rhythm. All things considered, I thought he did a good job.â€Â

McCullum said it was Cann’s decision to play in the final five games and burn a year of eligibility. “He was adamant [about playing],†McCullum said. “He wanted to do what he could do to the help the team, which was admirable.’

CARRIER DOME SOUTH: Syracuse exactly wasn’t intimidated by the announced Sun Dome crowd of 6,292, especially since at least half were rooting for the Orange. It reminded me of the old Buccaneers, when visiting fans would outnumber Tampa Bay fans at Tampa Stadium. Wednesday’s game was the smallest crowd Syracuse had played in front of since 4,025 were on hand for SU’s visit to Miami in 2004, ironically also played on Valentine’s Day.

“There’s a lot of Syracuse people [here in Florida],†SU coach Jim Boeheim said. “I don’t know why they don’t stay in Syracuse, why they come here. It was a perfect day today [a high of 9 degrees] in Syracuse.â€Â

ODDS AND ENDS: USF held Demetris Nichols, the Big East’s leading scorer coming off a career high 37 points Sunday against St. John’s, to only eight points. “They made it hard for him,†Boeheim said. “The last game [against St. John’s] he had 24 open shots and today he got two.†... McCullum seemed a little miffed when asked by a Syracuse writer about Darryl Watkins scoring 17 points, nine more than his average. “Write how you want to write it,†McCullum said. “Do you want Watkins to get 17 or Nichols to get 30? I’ll take what happened tonight. I don’t think we lost the game on the defensive end.†... In the past three games, the Bulls have been outscored by 21 (St. John’s first half), 30 (Louisville first half) and 16 (Syracuse second half). … Freshman Solomon Bozeman made his first start in six games, replacing Jesus Verdejo. Bozeman finished with six points, hitting two of three 3-pointers in 35 minutes. Verdejo missed all three shots and was scoreless in 14 minutes. ... Melvin Buckley and Kentrell Gransberry combined for 34 points, USF’s remaining eight players combined for 19.

Send Us Your Comments

Posted by  Brett McMurphy,  on 02/15  at  12:40 PM

Martin, McCullum told me Tuesday there was a chance Cann would play. I did not talk to Cann, but I seriously doubt McCullum would say in a postgame press conference that Cann asked to play if that wasn’t the case. Quite frankly, they had expected Cann to return several weeks ago. Also, there was no guarantee he would receive a sixth-year for a medical hardship, but by playing there is absolutely no way he’ll get one. And Bill, I wrote an extensive piece at the start of the season about McCullum trying to deliver in year four and the direction of the program. If you didn’t see it and need a copy, send me an e-mail. I have no control what the Tribune’s columnists chose to write or not write about.

Posted by  Martin Bahl, Brandon on 02/15  at  12:12 PM

Brett: Do you think playing Cann was a sign of desperation on McCullum’s part to save his job?  No matter what the kid says, do you blow a redshirt year to have him play 5 games? McCullum probably knows he needs Cann to win games to make the Big East tourney so he let him play and lose the year of eligibility.  So much for the kid’s future and future years of the USF program. McCullum probably believes his future is now so he let Cann play. I can’t believe Cann will make that much of a difference in the last five games anyway to make the Big East tourney. He could be a good player one day but for now he’s basically an off-the-bench player.

Posted by  Bill Frank, Tampa, FL on 02/15  at  12:11 PM

Part 1 of 2

Brett,

I do not understand why there isnt more media outrage about the performance of the basketball team and more importantly the coach. Any other town with a school of our size in the basketball conference that we play in would have daily headlines on how the coach should be dismissed and how can it even be a consideration that he should be back next yr.

Posted by  Brian Smith, Raleigh, NC on 02/15  at  11:17 AM

In my opinion, we will win one more Big East game this year.

It will be interesting to see if Coach Mac is fired or is re-upped on his contract.  If Coach Mac coaches in the last year of a contract he either:

1.  Fails (again) and is fired; or

2.  Makes improvement (very possible) and leverages his availability and success into an offer at another school.  Thus freeing himself of the albatross that is USF Mens basketball.  Remember, Seth Greenberg was able to leverage USF mediocrity into the VaTech gig.

I say fire Coach Mac. . . we stunk with him, we can stink without him.

Posted by  Eric Sachse, Tampa on 02/15  at  11:02 AM

Harsh? Not at all. A 17 point loss in college basketball could be considered a “massacreâ€Â. The heading was funny, and appropriate since the Syracuse fans out numbered the USF fans at the game.

Posted by  Randy Holm, USF Student on 02/15  at  10:37 AM

If this program does not make the Big East Tourney there needs to be a change. I pray that Woolard pulls the plug if we are home for March Sadness again. The excuses have run out. It is becoming obvious that this current staff is in over its head. The BE is watered down this year and we are still one of the worst 4 teams in the conference. Mac has had 4 recruiting classes and we still can’t get it done.

Posted by  Ryan Roark, Richmond, VA on 02/15  at  09:24 AM

Uggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhh........

Are you hearing us, Mr. Woolard?

http://www.tboblogs.com/index.php/sports/comments/st-valentines-day-massacre/

[flsportsfan83]

I am glad to see some people are getting fed up.

[Triple B]

I hold you personally responsible for not betting against them...

[LoneBull]

knew that was a Brett piece the minute I saw the title.

[Mag Pie]

I thought this was going to be able some crazy people going on a jealous rampage yesterday and killing people.  Very misleading title.

[Herman_Momart]

desperate times call for desperate measures.  Like playing a redshirt a few games for no reason or signing any transfer we can get because god knows we cant recruit anyone.  

Why would we play Cann?  Did mac really think we would go on a winning streak and make the BE tournament.  i think its a little selfish for him to do so to maybe keep his job.  We wasted a year of eligibility for Cann so he can play in a couple of meaningless games.  If i were the coach i dont care how adomant you are, this is my team and it does us no good for you to play in our last 5 games and give up a full year, but i think mac is starting to know not even usf may bring him back so do whatever it takes to make your track record look a little better. It will be march and we will all be watching other schools play basketball once again.  

But hey we improved from the worst team int he big east to one of the worst.  Lets get the extension going.  This guy needs to be fired.  The excuse well has ran dry.  time to wake up and get a new leader.  

[Kyle]

Cann wanted to play. McCullum explicitly stated he'd have rather he sat, but the player said he wanted to play. He knew the consequence.

I like how people were complaining last game about the fact that Cann hadn't played and now that he has, others are complaining about that.

[flsportsfan83]

Cann wanted to play. McCullum explicitly stated he'd have rather he sat, but the player said he wanted to play. He knew the consequence.

I like how people were complaining last game about the fact that Cann hadn't played and now that he has, others are complaining about that.

I DONT THINK ITS A BIG ISSUE. Cann will always be a bench player.

[crambone]

knew that was a Brett piece the minute I saw the title.

lol

[Herman_Momart]

Bench player or not, what if we keep mac around?  You know how we need as many bench players as possible with the charming robert mccullum.  

But hey if cann "wanted" to play, i guess let him do what he wants.  I mean if my kid wants to smoke weed, i cant cant say no if he really wants to?  cmon, Mac is the coach, the so-called leader.  ultimately it his his decision.  He must of had a delusion we could win and make the big east tourney like he had the delusion in the beginning of the year.  Wrong again.