Reason to Believe

The Bulls lost a hard fought game last night against the 2nd ranked Syracuse Orange on the road.  USF jumped out to a big lead (by 13), let Syracuse go on a huge run and many thought the game would turn into a route, but the Bulls stormed back to close the game and made a game of it late.

Last night was just another example of how far this team has come in just a year.  The 2010-2011 season was one of the most painful years of basketball to watch for fans.  Just a 10-win campaign, the year before, many fans were wondering if Coach Heath's seat would start to get warm and if the program would continue to sit at the bottom of the conference. 

Entering the season, the same thoughts continued as the team was forced to play home games at UT, Lakeland, and at the Forum.  Senior guard Anthony Crater was dismissed from the team and only two newcomers, Anthony Collins and Blake Nash, were actively on the roster for the season for Heath.  There were big concerns at the point guard position and even bigger concerns at the lack of depth inside the paint. 

Yet, despite the concerns about the positions on the team and animosity among the fans, the team has prevailed.  They have 17 wins, 10 in conference play.  The experts picked the Bulls to finish at the bottom of the league, but instead they are near the top.  In a year when the Bulls were suppose to be the punching bag at the bottom of the league, they are throwing right hooks of their own.

There have been growing pains with the team.  Injuries at the start, cold shooting at times, a player leaving the team, and losing games in big fashion and dropping other games that leave fans scratching their heads (how did we lose to Penn State?).  But despite the pains, the team is growing.  Last night, they showed that they can play with the powers in the Big East and can grind out wins when no one expects them too.

The Bulls return home to face Cincinnati on Sunday afternoon (game scheduled for noon) at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.  This is one of the last games of the season and will be a monster game for the Bulls as they try to scratch for a few more wins late in year in hopes of getting an NCAA bid.  We are hoping everyone and their grandma gets to the Forum to support the Bulls during this great season.