For all the disappointment USF fans have faced during the college football season, the current men’s basketball team has the potential to be the perfect pick-me-up.
While students have been studying for finals and enjoying winter break, the Bulls have been hard at work on the court. USF has tackled the non-conference portion of its schedule with the skill and confidence of a team that is fresh off its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 20 years, boasting a record of 9-3 going into conference play.
The record is a improvement over last season’s non-conference record of 7-6, and in many ways, this 2012-13 Bulls team looks as strong as—if not better than—its predecessor. Though some point out the squad lacks a true shooter and struggles in areas, it is difficult to expect perfection from a team that is experiencing the growing pains of losing key seniors and infusing freshman into a new environment.
The Bulls are ranked 280th in the nation in points scored with a total of 798 points. USF also struggles in hitting shots, ranked 217th at 42 percent. This team has a long way to go in terms of improvement, but there are a lot of positives to this season’s squad.
It would seem that for every statistical struggle USF has as a team, there is always a bright spot to counterbalance it. The Bulls may have difficulty as a collective unit on offense, sophomore guard Anthony Collins is fifth in the nation in assists and 18th in assist-to-turnover ratio.
It is this balance that has been the key to the Bulls’ success this season. Even though the record may not show it, this team has seen its fair share of balance in its win-loss pattern as well. USF started off the season at home with a blowout loss to in-state rival Central Florida, and then won their next two games. Afterwards the squad fell to Western Michigan, but bounced back to win their next three games. USF lost to No. 23 Oklahoma State before tallying four wins in a row.
That back and forth took the Bulls to the opening of Big East conference play. First on the list was the highly ranked Syracuse Orange. Conference record is taken into great consideration when vying for a tournament spot; starting off on the right foot was USF’s goal.
However, true to the win-loss pattern that USF has established this season, the team dropped its Big East opener to the Orange by the score of 55-44. While the Bulls were able to start out strong, going on a 19-10 run during the opening minutes of the first half, their usual problems started to catch up to them. By the end of the game, the missed shots and sloppy passes were too much to overcome.
While a win against a nationally ranked team would have been big for their NCAA Tournament resume, the Bulls will have plenty of chances to make up for this missed opportunity as their schedule does not get easier from here.
In less than a week the Bulls will be up against No. 4 Louisville Cardinals, who they will meet again later in the season at the Sun Dome. USF will also navigate the rest of the talented Big East: No. 14 Cincinnati Bearcats, No. 15 Georgetown Hoyas, No. 21 Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and No. 24 Pittsburgh Panthers.
Coach Stan Heath knows that his team needs to play more consistently for the rest of the season. From this game on, there is little room for error; little room for sloppy play, poorly executed plays, or almost wins. Every single game counts.
Samantha Ouimette is the sports editor of The Crow’s Nest. She can be reached at sports@crowsneststpete.com.
Photo contributed by Tom Hagerty.
