USF MBB Hosts Providence Wednesday On Senior Night

[Brad]

Courtesy USF SID

USF MBB Hosts Providence Wednesday On Senior Night

The University of South Florida men’s basketball team wraps up the home portion of its 2006-07 campaign Wednesday night versus Providence at 7 p.m.  The Bulls will honor the four members of their senior class, forward Melvin Buckley, guard Chris Capko, forward McHugh Mattis and forward Melvyn Richardson prior to the game.  The game will be available on ESPN360, with Al Keck (play-by-play) and Mark Wise (analyst) calling the action.

Bulls Hoping For Repeat Home Finale

The Bulls will be looking to snap a five-game losing skid Wednesday night when they face Providence in the regular season home finale.  USF will hope to continue a recent trend in the final home contest of the campaign.

In each of the past two seasons, USF has posted victories in the home finale, downing No. 18 Charlotte in 2004-05 and No. 20 Georgetown last season.

While the Bulls have already been eliminated from the BIG EAST Championship, the team’s last two contests versus Providence and DePaul can have a big impact on who is able to earn one of the 12 positions in the event.

The victory over the Hoyas was the program’s first ever in BIG EAST play.

A Senior Night victory for the four members of USF’s 2006-07 class would allow the Bulls to earn their most victories (9) at the Sun Dome since the 2002-03 campaign (13).

Gransberry Makes Surprise Appearance In Stats

One of the top producers in BIG EAST play this season, junior center Kentrell Gransberry, is finally starting to make a name for himself.

As the league’s head coaches begin to sort through the candidates for all-conference accolades, Gransberry’s efforts finally show up in the season statistics.

With Saturday’s action at Seton Hall, Gransberry met the NCAA statistical minimum to show up in the overall national and BIG EAST stats.   The junior became eligible in mid-December and has now played in 75 percent of USF’s games in 2006-07.

He now ranks first in the league and 6th in the nation in rebounding (10.8 rpg.) and is sixth in the BIG EAST and 31st in the nation in field goal percentage (.579).  Gransberry also ranks among the conference’s best in offensive rebounds (1st, 4.33 orpg.) and defensive boards (3rd, 6.43 drpg.).