Season Prospective for Women's Basketball

The USF ladies begin the 2011-2012 looking to rebound from what they considered a down season last year. The Bulls finished the year at 12-19 but were just 3-13 in Big East play, finishing towards the bottom of the conference. This season, they are facing a new set of challenges, playing away from the Sun Dome for the entire season and facing the always tough Big East schedule with a few new players.

USF has been picked to finish 10th in the conference, but could do better than that if star players Andrea Smith returns healthy and newcomers such as Inga Orekhova live up to the hype. Playing games as far away as Alaska and in the Rec Center of the gym will pose huge challenges, but Coach Jose Fernandez can guide the team to a great season.

Outlook at schedule

The Bulls face a tough early schedule with 18th ranked FSU to start the season in Daytona Beach. They will travel to Alaska for a tournament as well (later in the non-conference portion of the schedule), racking up the frequent flyer miles on that trip. They will also play their home games at the St. Pete Times Forum, Lakeland, or at the Rec center on campus. To us, playing at the Rec Center is not the best scenario for the team and will make attendance numbers drop, but the team will put the stadium and travel issues behind them and come together.

The Big East portion of the schedule is brutal. Several teams are ranked on the schedule, including UCONN who never seems to lose a game. USF will have to find a way to get a few upsets along the way if they want to finish higher than 10th as the media has placed them. If they can find a way to get pressure on defense and stay consistent on offense, they can win in conference.

Player to watch

Andrea Smith tore an ACL at the end of last season and will be limited to start the season (has not been cleared yet by the medical staff for the first game). When she is able to play at her highest level, she is a dynamic scorer, finishing third last season in the conference in scoring. She is a great 3-point shooter and can take over a game, so Fernandez will need her healthy to lead the way. The Bulls have plenty of depth at guard to fill in for her while she is out, including her twin sister Andrell Smith who came on late last season.

Newcomer to watch

There are two actually to watch this season. The first is center Caitlin Rowe. Rowe, who was teammates with the Smith sisters back in junior college, helps fill a need spot for the Bulls in the paint. Whether she starts or comes off the bench, she will add rebounding and post scoring, something the Bulls will need when they face the physical schedule in the Big East.

The other newcomer to watch is guard Inga Orekhova. Orekhova is one of the highest ranked recruits in program history and there is a lot of expectation surrounding her. While she has to sit out the first 15 games of the season, she will be ready for Big East play and could be a big time game changer. She is a big time scorer that can create and distribute as well. If she can team up with Andrea Smith in the backcourt, the Bulls could have a very dynamic forcing tandem.

Results for the season

It's going to be a very interesting season for the Bulls. Between the recovery of Smith, the "home" court scenario, and the number of ranked teams on the schedule, it will be a battle from start to finish. We predict USF will win about 15 games this season, maybe more if Smith and Orekhova are playing and at their best. With a few upsets and a run in the tournament, an NIT bid could in the future for this team or even an at-large bid in the NCAA tournament if the planets are aligned for the team. Best of luck ladies.