MBB Bulls vs. Memphis; Need to Know and Game Notes attached

[Brad]

Courtesy USF:

 

Bulls vs. Memphis; Need to Know

 

 

» USF and Memphis are meeting for the first time after spending 10 seasons together in C-USA

» The last time a Bulls’ game was decided by more than five points was over a month ago (11/25)

» USF last played on New Year’s Eve in 2010, a 66-61 overtime loss at UConn

» USF last hosted a game on New Year’s Eve in 2006, an 82-49 win over Bethune-Cookman

» USF is 13-108 all-time against ranked teams including 1-0 this season (OSU, page 29)

» Chris Perry is the reigning American Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week. It’s his second consecutive honor, fourth this season.

» Starting point guard Anthony Collins has not played the past three games due to left knee soreness. The lingering injury also kept the junior out of the first two games of the season.

» Anthony Collins and Javontae Hawkins are listed as doubtful for Tuesday

» USF has used seven different starting lineups this season

» USF is 3-0 on the road for the first time since 1998-99

» USF won four consecutive games by one possession for the first time since the 1978-79 season

» USF started the season 4-0 for the first time since 2006-07 and the eighth time in its 43 seasons of men’s basketball.

» USF’s freshman class was ranked 12th nationally by HoopScoop.com and 21st by ESPN Recruiting News, Stan Heath’s best recruiting class at USF.

» Victor Rudd and Anthony Collins were named to the Preseason All-American Athletic Conference Second Team.

» USF’s non-conference schedule was rated the third toughest by ESPN.com among American Athletic Conference members.

 

Game Notes:

vs. Memphis.pdf

[bcgruber]

Is it still possible for AC to redshirt this year?

[RaisingFenix]

I must have been watching a different OSU game if we're 1-0 against ranked teams this season.

[charsibb]

I must have been watching a different OSU game if we're 1-0 against ranked teams this season.

 

LOL

 

Let's hope we go 2-0 against Oviedo State U.

[Brad]

Bulls Host No. 18 Memphis in American Opener

 

WHO: No. 18 Memphis (9-2, 0-0) at USF (9-4, 0-0)
WHEN: 7 p.m. Tuesday
WHERE: Sun Dome
TV: ESPN2 (Rich Hollenberg, Mark Adams)
RADIO: 98.7-FM The Fan, BullsCast (Jim Lighthall, Todd Kalas)
LIVE STATS: GoUSFBulls.com
TWITTER UPDATES: @USFMBB
PURCHASE TICKETS

 

By TOM ZEBOLD

USF Senior Writer

 

TAMPA – American Athletic Conference play begins Tuesday and the Bulls will have a super-sized opportunity at the Sun Dome when they take on No. 18 Memphis at 7 p.m. 

 

“It’s a real important game,” head coach Stan Heath said before practice Monday. “It’s our first game in a new conference and we start off with a bang with a top-20 basketball team that’s awfully, awfully good.”

 

USF (9-4) ended the non-conference season on a high note by posting a 61-57 win at Bradley on Saturday. Chris Perry was named American Rookie of the Week after scoring a career-high 18 points and senior forward Victor Rudd was named to the league’s weekly honor roll after recording his ninth straight double-digit scoring game with 17 points.

 

Memphis (9-2) has won two straight and eight of its past nine games after cruising past Jackson State, 75-61, at home Saturday afternoon. The Tigers are averaging 82 points per game and rank second in the league in field goal percentage (.483) while Joe Jackson leads three players in double digits with 14.9 points per game.

 

Memphis leads the conference with an average of 9.9 steals and Heath said the Bulls must prevent the Tigers from going on their game-changing runs. Memphis opened with a 21-6 lead the last time out against Jackson State.

 

“They give you this run, an 8-0 run, and they really feed off your mistakes with their transition game,” Heath said. “They can really hit you with the runs and you have to be really careful with the basketball and not getting sped up against their defense.”

 

Collins Out, but Upbeat

 

USF will be without starting point guard Anthony Collins for the fourth consecutive game because soreness and tendinitis in the junior’s left knee.  

“He’s dealing with a lot of pain, so it’s kind of day-to-day,” Heath said.

 

Collins, a Preseason All-AAC selection, has led the Bulls with 5.9 assists per game and is averaging 6.9 points through eight contests. USF’s leader on the floor said it’s been frustrating being a spectator the past few times out, but he’s stayed upbeat thanks to his teammates.

 

“It’s a tough time for me being away,” Collins said. “I want to be out there helping them, but they’re there for me telling me not to be down, just do whatever I can and don’t rush it. It helps me keep a smile on my face.”

 

Rudd Making the Most of Senior Season

 

Victor Rudd has been extra dangerous on the offensive end of the floor this season, averaging a team-best 16.2 points and shooting 81 percent from the floor while leading the Bulls with 7.2 boards per game.

 

Rudd set a career high with 12.3 points per game last season and said USF’s added weapons have allowed him to make better shot selections during his final run as a Bull.

 

“Last year I had to take a lot of bad shots because we didn’t have too many guys that could score the ball,” Rudd said. “Chris (Perry) can score down low, Corey (Allen Jr.) can get his shot off at any moment, so I don’t have to rush a shot or take a shot because I have people that can do that.”

 

Roccaforte Faces His Old Team

 

USF assistant Steve Roccaforte will be game planning against a familiar foe on New Year’s Eve.

 

Roccaforte, who is in his third season with the Bulls, previously served as an assistant on the Memphis staff from 2000-03. The Tigers posted three straight 20-win seasons, won the 2002 NIT title and made three trips to the postseason when Roccaforte was with the program.

 

Heath Likes the New League

 

Heath said he likes the look of the new league after teams from The American went a combined 97-33 against foes this non-conference season. USF is one of six programs with at least nine wins and eight of the conference’s 10 schools have at least eight victories.

 

“We’ve set a nice tone for our league in the non-conference season. We’ve had some terrific wins,” Heath said. “I think our league has really earned a lot of respect. In knowing that, we can go into league play right now and if we can get the quality wins we can be in a good position come late in the year.”

 

Link

[DELdaBull]

Memphis is a really good team. Tough task tonight.

[JTrue]

I heard they were a middle tier program, at best.

[charsibb]

I heard they were a middle tier program, at best.

 

If you read it on the interwebs, it must be true.

[Dhambuc]

Memphis may be the best team we will have faced this season,( I think Okie St is better but Memphis did beat them).  We will need our best game to win. If we don't play our best game we get blown out of the bld. 

Edited December 31, 2013 by Dhambuc

[Triple B]

Memphis may be the best team we will have faced this season,( I think Okie St is better but Memphis did beat them).  We will need our best game to win. If we don't play our best game we get blown out of the bld. 

 

Memphis and OSU actually split this year with Memphis winning the lastest game ... for whatever that is worth.