Why I Feel Good About USF's Tournament Potential

It finally happened. Whether you were stoked that USF even made the tournament at all, or disappointed that we were downgraded to a last-four-in slot and have to play a play-in game, the Bulls are going to the 2012 NCAA championship tournament. Their first game is Wednesday night against Cal in Dayton at 9:00 PM.

I'm not sure about all of you, but I believe there is reason to have some confidence in USF's chance to make some noise in the tournament. If you've been watching this team all season, you're probably already used to the frustratingly low-scoring contests that USF has been made notorious for. Many analysts hate the way USF plays. You know who else hates the way USF plays? Other basketball teams. USF has made a habit in recent months of taking teams that are seemingly far superior to them and making them play on the Bulls' level. Obviously, that's a great advantage for USF. Not to mention that USF's slowed-down style of play puts the players at a very low risk for injury or fatigue. That's a great thing if the Bulls advance long enough to make a decent run.

There are definitely areas for concern with USF's basketball game, especially fundamentally. The point guard can't drive (Nash is better than Collins for that, but neither is great). They don't have a true center (although Ron Anderson does an excellent job defending in the paint). They can't score in the paint. They can't guard the three. But I think their positives are far greater. The bracket is especially friendly for USF, seeing as how they're already used to playing on Wednesday and Saturday/Sundays in the regular season. They wouldn't face a heavy three-point shooting team until maybe North Carolina, which wouldn't be until the Sweet Sixteen anyway. This team is built for tournament-style play. If the Bulls can get a bit of momentum going early in this tournament with a substantial win against Cal, they may just be a Cinderella team on somebody's bracket.