Scouting the Rutgers Game

The Bulls will have to slow down senior Jonathan Mitchell (picture credits: www.scarletknights.com)

The Bulls finally got off the losing streak and got a much needed win over Providence on Sunday and now take to the road again as they take on Rutgers on ESPN 2 at 7 PM (how on earth did we get on television?) The Bulls 7-12 (1-5) finally got the first conference win of the season and are hoping to build off of that win as they take on Rutgers, 10-7 (1-4). The battle to avoid the bottom of the conference is now on! [keep reading]

Rutgers is not a powerhouse, but neither is USF. Rutgers ranks 218th in the nation in scoring (67.6 points per game) and 232nd in rebound (34.2 per game). The strength of the USF team is keeping the score low, play defense, and rebound (ranked 52nd in the nation in rebounding). This is the type of game that USF plays well in, but Rutgers does have some weapons that could hurt the Bulls.

Rutgers is led by forward Jonathan Mitchell, who averages 12.5 ppg and 5.9 rebounds per game. He is a decent shooter from mid-range, but stays close to the paint and is tough on defense. He will be the primary matchup for Famous, Gilchrist, or Anderson, depending on who Heath starts. There is Dane miller, 6'7", another inside force that averages 9.6 ppg and 6.1 rebounds per game (leads team). The Bulls big men will have to use their size to box out and control the boards because the Knights will try to win this battle and try to get second chance points.

Mike Coburn is the top guard for the Knights. The 6' 185-pound guard averages 8.6 ppg (34% from 3-point range) and leads the team with 4 assists per game. He is a very quick guard that plays defense well. This will be the key match up for Anthony Crater as he has to shut him down and slow the Knight offense down even more. Guard James Beatty (6'2" 190-pounds) is another shooting guard that averages 8.7 ppg (40% from 3-point range) and 3 assists per game. He will be match up to watch due to his 3-point shooting ability.

So will the Bulls be able to notch a road conference win in this one or will they fall again and sit closer to the bottom of the conference. This team is maddening to watch because they play everyone so close only to fall apart in the end of the game. But I have faith in this one, not much, but some faith. I see the Bulls winning this one: USF 72 Rutgers 68

If the Bulls win this one, Capko and McCullum images will appear on the page, no one wants that to happen now.