Season Outlook for Mens Basketball

The 2011 season is getting closer, it's time to take a look at what to expect from this team. The Bulls are picked to finish 14th this season, but can they finish better than that? Let's break down some of the key games and players for the season to decide what will happened.

Schedule Analysis

The Bulls face another tough schedule this season, but the stadium situation makes it even more challenging. The Sun Dome is undergoing major renovations, leaving the team essentially homeless. The team will play their "home" games at the St. Pete Times Forum, Lakeland, and at UT. This poses a huge challenge not only for the team, but for the fans as well. The student section will be thin and the energy level won't be as high as it normally would be at home, which is always a factor.

The Bulls have a few rough games to start the season, including games with Vermont, Kansas, VCU, Cleveland State, and possibly against Kentucky make for a challenging early schedule. If the team can learn and grow during this stretch, it will help them prepare for the Big East schedule which has some of the best teams around. UCONN (defending National Champions), Pitt, WVU, Syracuse, and Louisville (among others) are always a challenge and will push the Bulls. USF has proven they can play at the elite level and will have to play the role of spoiler again.

Area of Concern

There are two areas that should be concerning to fans, point guard and the front court. With Crater gone, it leaves a void for the Bulls. Despite the frustrating play of Crater, he was a senior that ran the offense. Heath will now have to turn the ball to inexperienced players such as Blake Nash, Anthony Collins, Lavonte Dority, or even Shaun Noriega. It will be a test early in the season to see if the Bulls can get the offense going and find a leader.

The front court took a hit when JUCO transfer Andre Jackson couldn't enroll at USF and big man Jordan Omogbehin had trouble as well (redshirting now that he is in). That leaves Augustus Gilchrist, Ron Anderson Jr., Toarlyn Fitzpatrick, and Victor Rudd as the big forwards and centers, not giving Heath a deep bench of big men. Expect to see a lot of smaller lineups this season as Heath tries to keep players fresh and get more offense from the guards he has.

Newcomer to Watch

While Blake Nash will have a huge season, all eyes will be on Arizona State transfer Victor Rudd who sat out last season. Heath regards him highly and has stated he could fill the void left behind from Dominique Jones. The Bulls lacked a consistent go-to scorer last season. Defenses would double up Gilchrist, leaving the other players to pick up the slack. With Rudd, the Bulls now have a shooter and a driver that can help open up the offense and get more points on the scoreboard.

Outlook for the Season

The Bulls won just 9 games last season, avoiding the basement in the Big East once again. The media is picking USF to finish 14th this season, so most outsiders don't have great faith in the team or in Heath. While the schedule is a difficult one and the concerns that surround the roster, there is a lot of optimism for this team. The team has a new training facility, has more explosive firepower on the court, and has a solid coaching staff that will help guide them through the season. 12 to 15 wins would be a huge season for the Bulls (a few upsets along the way would be fun as well). If the Bulls could get a few Big East wins, knock off a ranked team (or two), they could get an invite to the NIT tournament, something that would help build the program even more and help the incoming recruiting class that is already shaping up to be a great one. Can't wait for November 12th to get here!