The basketball season is finally upon us. The USF Bulls finished the 2010 season with a record of 10-23, going just 3-15 in Big East play. Despite the rough season, the Bulls had some exciting moments such as the thrilling tournament win over Villanova at the end of the season.
The Bulls enter the 2011-2012 season with several questions and concerns surrounding them. For one, they will not play a game in the Sun Dome as renovations continue on the 30-year old stadium (beyond overdue). They will play their "home" games in Lakeland, at the University of Tampa, and in the St. Pete Times Forum. They will have their brand new practice facility, the Muma Center, at their disposable and have already been benefiting from it.
Then there are the questions about the roster. The Bulls dismissed senior point guard Anthony Crater over the summer, leaving them with very inexperienced players battling for the point guard spot. They are also thin on the front line (Jackson didn't get in and Omogbehin is redshirting), leaving head coach Stan Heath with more questions and headaches.
Yet, despite the questions that surround the team, there is a lot of optimism for the upcoming season. The Bulls return their talented big man Augustus Gilchrist and sharp-shooter Shaun Noriega. They also welcome Victor Rudd who sat out last season and highly talented JUCO star Blake Nash. The coaches and players believe this team will surprise many and will be better than last season.
It is going to be a very interesting season for Heath and this team, playing all their games on the road and dealing with the brutal Big East schedule. The Bulls have been picked to finish 14th in the conference, ahead of DePaul and Providence, but we will see if they can't climb a little higher and surprise a few people along the way.
*A note from Adam Adkins - With practice starting tonight at 5PM, junior guard Jawanza Poland will miss up to 6 weeks with a back injury. Poland is a very energetic wingman that gives the team a big time spark off the bench. Hopefully he will be healthy in time to start the season which begins in 29 days.
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