Time to start thinking NCAA tournament

[2905]

Don't forget the B.E.T. If we can get a first round bye, win the 2nd round and get into the quarterfinals, we can potentially finish 21-11 (assuming we finish 5-3 on the year). I think that's tournament worthy.

I think the selection committee will also favor us because we have a big-time player like DoJo who can get the ratings.

[DontPushMe]

I personally think we need to get to 21 wins to get the Big Dance. Our OOC wasn't the strongest. We are playing awesome. One at a time.

ND next!

I expect the selection committee to give us a bit more leeway because we have played without our 2nd best player for most of the season. We were 7-1 with only a loss to south carolina before he went down. If we look good when he comes back I think that will definitly be something they think about.

The loss to Central Michigan hurts everytime i think about it. With or without gilchrist, thats not a game we should have lost. If we end up a bubble team that doesnt get in, this is the game that cost us.

BET could help us a lot. If we can get a win or 2 there I think that would seal it.

[bcgruber]

Our SOS is 35 and going down. Our RPI is 54 and getting better also.  We are on the bubble now

[Doc]

Sorry to rain on the parade.  The better we look and the higher we finish, the more likely "they" are going to blame it on a "down-year" in the BigEast. Complete nonsense, I know, but hard for outsiders to understand (too much love for the wretched ACC and BigTen).  We need to finish in the top 8 and leave the voters with no excuses. 

Nice story, yes. But the casual fan doesn't tune in until March and still doesn't know what USF even stands for. I have to deal with this on a regular basis, even during the FBall season when we're ranked.

[bcgruber]

The people that make the choices know better the BE is the best conference again in basketball

[bullsfan555]

Besides the games at Marquette and Nova, I think the rest of the games are winnable - if we play this good from here on out. But honestly, I never thought I'd say this, I am a little concerned about Gus coming back and how that will affect our chemistry. He is a great player but you have to wonder how DoJo will feel about spreading the ball around a little more with Gus on the floor. He is quickly becoming our own Kobe Bryant, even though I love him.

[Mama_Bull]

We aren't the only people starting to think that.  ;D

Ray Mernagh, USF News

GOTTLIEB MIGHT BE WRONG ON SOUTH FLORIDA

February 3, 2010 by NBE Blogger ·

by RAY MERNAGH

Heard ESPN’s Doug Gottlieb say that South Florida “isn’t an NCAA Tournament†team the other day. Gottlieb is paid to have an opinion, like a lot of us, and when he said it he was in the middle of saying some really nice things about USF’s recent uptick.

The Bulls just won their fourth in a row by beating Georgetown on the road behind another excellent night — 29 points — by star junior guard ‘Nique Jones.

Somebody get Gottlieb on the phone. He might have a different opinion. I know I do.

USF is now 15-7 and 5-5.

Their remaining schedule is as follows: at Notre Dame, at Marquette, Cincinnati, St. John’s, at Villanova, Providence, at DePaul, UConn.

Anyone NOT think the Bulls are capable of going 6-2 down the stretch? Okay, 5-3?

Remeber, the return of Augustus Gilchrist to the Bulls line-up could be happening sooner rather than later as well, giving Jones a legitimate offensive counterpart for the USF attack.

21-9 and 11-7 or 20-10 and 10-8 heading into MSG.

South Florida fans, how’s it feel to legitimately be on the bubble?

Welcome!

http://w3.nbebasketball.com/2010/02/03/gottlieb-might-be-wrong-on-south-florida/

[Guest]

makes me sick when i think of what are record could have possibly been if we had gilchrist. but this is awesome, awesome, awesome.

Every team has to deal with injuries, but I think if Gus was here we would have won atleast two more. Was Gus injured when we lost against Central Michigan?

There is no way to know that... in fact... one could assume USF could lose some of these games.  The team chemistry without Gus is probably part of why the team was able to make this run.

[Jamie]

OK. I didn't want to be that guy who starts blogging and annoys everyone by butting into every conversation he can to promote it.

But I already wrote about the "how can USF get into the NCAAs" question (before tonight's game, obviously) and the "Could Gus actually screw this up" question. It's just easier to point you there than to repeat myself here.

And sorry if the name of the blog makes you cringe. But it was the best name I could think of by far.

[DontPushMe]

Besides the games at Marquette and Nova, I think the rest of the games are winnable - if we play this good from here on out. But honestly, I never thought I'd say this, I am a little concerned about Gus coming back and how that will affect our chemistry. He is a great player but you have to wonder how DoJo will feel about spreading the ball around a little more with Gus on the floor. He is quickly becoming our own Kobe Bryant, even though I love him.

after today, all 8 games are winnable

we arent going to win all 8, but i wouldnt count us out of any of them

i was kinda starting to worry about gus affecting chemistry as well, but we cant expect our role players to keep playing at the level they are, we need to get him integrated back into the team, because our only chance to do serious damage in the BE tourny and maybe even the NCAA is to have him and dojo playing at their highest level together