Men's Basketball Practice Begins

[Brad]

Men's Basketball Practice Begins

Courtesy: USF

Release: 10/15/2010

TAMPA - On Friday, Oct. 15, the University of South Florida men's basketball team took the court for the first time of the 2010-11 season, in hopes of building off of last year's successful 20-win season.

The Bulls return three big men in senior Jarrid Famous, junior Augustus Gilchrist and sophomore Toarlyn Fitzpatrick, and add junior Ron Anderson, who sat out last season after transferring from Kansas State.

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[DELdaBull]

A winner we can all believe in. Funny thing is when McCollum got fired 3 years ago this board was going bonkers. Then when Stan was hired more craziness. His first ROUGH year almost EVERYONE wanted him fired. Now he is putting a good product on the court, but can't get anyone to come see his team play.

The funniness of us Bullspenners I guess. I think there is still a guy or two on here that still believes McCollum is the greatest basketball mind since Naismith.

[gobulls83]

A winner we can all believe in. Funny thing is when McCollum got fired 3 years ago this board was going bonkers.

I remember the fan base being way, way, WAY less upset about the firing of McCullum than about the firing of Leavitt. Not even close. I'm sure there were SOME people upset about his firing, but the team was so poor under them that I don't think anybody was "going bonkers."

Then when Stan was hired more craziness. His first ROUGH year almost EVERYONE wanted him fired.

More interesting revisionist history. Who called for Heath to be fired after one year? Give me a name. That's nonsense. Heath was the best hire USF could have made, the fans were excited about the hire and nobody with any credibility could have been stupid enough to think he would have turned it around in one year.

The baffling part is, I have no idea what you think you're accomplishing by making up history like this. What point are you trying to make? What on earth does it have to do with the basketball team starting practice in 2010?

[Held_AccountaBull]

A winner we can all believe in. Funny thing is when McCollum got fired 3 years ago this board was going bonkers.

I remember the fan base being way, way, WAY less upset about the firing of McCullum than about the firing of Leavitt. Not even close. I'm sure there were SOME people upset about his firing, but the team was so poor under them that I don't think anybody was "going bonkers."

Then when Stan was hired more craziness. His first ROUGH year almost EVERYONE wanted him fired.

More interesting revisionist history. Who called for Heath to be fired after one year? Give me a name. That's nonsense. Heath was the best hire USF could have made, the fans were excited about the hire and nobody with any credibility could have been stupid enough to think he would have turned it around in one year.

The baffling part is, I have no idea what you think you're accomplishing by making up history like this. What point are you trying to make? What on earth does it have to do with the basketball team starting practice in 2010?

Agreed. I don't remember anyone crying at McCullum being fired, and I don't remember anyone wanting Stan fired after his first year.

[BullMedic]

Has the Men's Basketball Green/Gold game ever been formally announced? I've heard people say thats when it is but I need times! USF needs to speed up announcements like this,\.

[Brad]

A winner we can all believe in. Funny thing is when McCollum got fired 3 years ago this board was going bonkers. Then when Stan was hired more craziness. His first ROUGH year almost EVERYONE wanted him fired. Now he is putting a good product on the court, but can't get anyone to come see his team play.

The funniness of us Bullspenners I guess. I think there is still a guy or two on here that still believes McCollum is the greatest basketball mind since Naismith.

Not even a close comparison.  USF Basketball was at a low point (one of many) in its history.  USF Football, however, was not.  And I don't recall anyone wanting Heath fired after one year. 

The fact of the matter is, anyone that wants Holtz fired after one year is a nut.  Same goes for those that think he can be a cellar-dweller for 2-3 years while he "gets his guys for his system".  There is talent here.  He needs to learn how to use it. 

Anyone following both situations knows they are not at all similar situations.

[BobbyBull]

I don't think you will find a bigger believer in our men's basketball coach then yours truly.  As a man who has seen the utter darks days of USF with Mac (ie Chris Capko, , I count my lucky stars that we have this guy.

The main question surrounding the team this year isn't how do we replace D. Jones, it's can we find someone who can knock down the outside shot.  Our perimeter shooting was just god awful last year.

Here's to fillin it up!

[gobulls83]

I don't think you will find a bigger believer in our men's basketball coach then yours truly.   As a man who has seen the utter darks days of USF with Mac (ie Chris Capko, , I count my lucky stars that we have this guy.

The main question surrounding the team this year isn't how do we replace D. Jones, it's can we find someone who can knock down the outside shot.  Our perimeter shooting was just god awful last year.

Here's to fillin it up!

Yeah this is a big year for USF basketball. If Heath can make either the NCAA tourney or NIT after losing the team's first-ever first round draft pick, I think it will be a sign that things have changed big time. I'm excited to see what happens, I'm skeptical of the team's chances to make the dance, but Heath has earned my patience and optimism.

[SattyBull]

Tampa is the worse sports town there has ever been. Although we strangely support the weak FB team that plays in the BE which is on the level of a D-II conference. I know the Rays wonder the same thing.

I'm not going to respond to the sports town comment, but I agree with the football one. I don't really understand how people ONLY support football, not basketball, baseball, soccer, etc. Many on here went to USF when there wasn't even a football team, so you'd think they would support the teams they watched while going to school here. You could post about the color socks we're wearing for football and there will be 50 posts. You post about a soccer game or a basketball story and you're lucky to get 10 responses.

A lot of it has to do with marketing in my opinion. The very little marketing that USF does is all related to football. Many of the other sports get the shaft at USF and it's ********.

[Held_AccountaBull]

Heath couldn't even do Midnight Madness because he knew no one would show up.

I come on here and complain about Heath's recruiting but maybe I shouldn't considering it must be painful for him going into these recruiting battles having to try and explain to all the good prospects why fans stay away from Bulls' basketball games. The lack of support is why the basketball program will never be anything special and why I believe Heath will be looking around if he has a good season and we miss out on getting Larkin.

Midnight Madness is more than just fun for the fans, coaches use it as a major recruiting opportunity to show recruits what it could be like if they come on board. I see schools bring in 10+ prospects for MNM for current classes and future ones too.

The 2 top recruiting targets on our rader are Larkin and Greg Lewis and both were blown away by the fan support at the schools they were visiting. Larkin was at George Mason and Lewis was at Indiana for MNM.

Take a look at Mason's MNM and notice they had more fans for that then USF has when a BE opponent comes to town. Poor Stan would give a kidney for some on that.

/v/Ss2q3T2hy-Y?fs

Tampa is the worse sports town there has ever been. Although we strangely support the weak FB team that plays in the BE which is on the level of a D-II conference. I know the Rays wonder the same thing.

You like usf basketball, but you take shots at the football team every chance you get.