Trib: Gilchrist carries hopes of USF hoops

[USFishin]

Gilchrist carries hopes of USF hoops

By ADAM ADKINS | The Tampa Tribune

Before transferring to the University of South Florida, redshirt junior forward Ron Anderson Jr. spent some time banging against two of college basketball's premier players during a two-year stint at Kansas State.

Anderson routinely squared off in practice during the 2007-08 season against Michael Beasley, a teammate with the Wildcats who later was drafted No.â2 overall by the Miami Heat. A season later he got an up-close look at Blake Griffin, a standout at Big 12 Conference rival Oklahoma and the NBA's No.â1 overall pick in 2009.

Since joining the Bulls prior to last season, Anderson has spent his days in practice battling against another talented, athletic big man in junior forward Augustus Gilchrist. And Anderson believes Gilchrist can become the same type of elite-level player as the aforementioned two.

"There's no doubt in my mind," Anderson said. "I know what it takes. I've seen it firsthand. Gus definitely shares a lot of those attributes."

The Bulls enter the 2010-11 season hoping to build off last season's 20-win campaign that resulted in the program's first postseason appearance since 2002. However, they have their work cut out for them with the loss of three key starters from the backcourt, including star guard Dominique Jones, the team's leading scorer who opted to leave school early for the NBA.

USF's plan, though, is to lean on its strength in the frontcourt, where Gilchrist stands to lead the way.

"If you ask me, I think Gus can give us the biggest boost on the team," junior point guard Anthony Crater said. "Gus can make a major impact."

At 6-foot-10 and 245 pounds, Gilchrist is a load for any team to handle, but it is his versatility that sets him apart from most other big men. He has the ability to step out on the perimeter and knock down shots with great range (he hit 48 percent of 3-point field goals last season), providing the Bulls with a big-time weapon.

"If he stays healthy," USF coach Stan Heath said, "he's as good as you're going to find in college basketball. He really is."

Health was the crutch for Gilchrist last season. A badly sprained ankle set the tone for an admittedly frustrating season, when he was limited to 18 games. However, Gilchrist vows he's as healthy as the first time he set foot on USF's campus, and he used last season's experience of dealing with injuries as a learning process.

"Being healthy does help a lot, knowing that you're 100 percent and doing what you want to, because sometimes when you're hurt your mind tells you you want to do certain things but you can't necessarily," he said. "That process with me being hurt and sitting last year, it just makes you stronger."

Gilchrist was solid last season while averaging 13.4 points and 5.9 rebounds, and he played well during the Bulls' five-game stint over the summer while representing the United States at the Pan American University Championships in Brazil, averaging 13.2 points and 7.6 rebounds in about 26 minutes per game. Heath feels confident, though, that Gilchrist is ready to take his game to the next level.

"He's improved in a lot of ways," Heath said. "He's stronger. He has a better grasp of what he needs to do out there on the court. I think he's confident knowing that he can dominate games."

That was something the Bulls had last season in Jones, a player they could leaned on heavily in crunch time. It's a role Gilchrist believes he can fill.

"I have the confidence in myself and the team has the confidence in me to make the best play down the stretch," he said. "Not necessarily just scoring, but defense, just making the pass or knocking down the shot."

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[SilverBull]

Gus has shown flashes of great promise but, to date, no consistency.  His first season was impaire by early rust and lack of conditioning and last year was basically lost to the ankle.  Here's to a season of health, point guard play and discipline.  With those elements he, and we, can thrive.