The Bulls finished the season with a record of 22-14, 12-6 in Big East play, and made it to the round of 32 in the NCAA tournament, the first tournament appearance in 20 years and the first two wins in the tournament in program history. USF won historic games this season, sweeping Villanova and Pitt, beating Seton Hall, Cincinnati, and Louisville as they made their way to the dance.
The Bulls won a lot of games, more than most fans were expecting after the 10-23 campaign from the 2010-2011 season. However, the wins didn't come with big time offense, they did it on defense. USF had the best defense in Big East history, allowing just 56.9 points a game, a Big East record.
The Bulls had to overcome a handful of issues to start the season. For one, they played all their "home" games away from campus, playing at UT, in Lakeland, and finally the rest of the season at the Tampa Bay Times Forum. They dealt with the dismal of guard Anthony Crater and the transfer of LaVonte Dority early in the year. The team also faced injuries and suspensions to start. Anthony Collins missed the first 6 games with a hamstring issue, Augustus Gilchrist missed a few games with a shoulder strain, Jawanza Poland missed 9 games with a lower back injury and a 2-game suspension as well at the start of the year that left Heath with a very limited bench.
The Bulls had to overcome a handful of issues to start the season. For one, they played all their "home" games away from campus, playing at UT, in Lakeland, and finally the rest of the season at the Tampa Bay Times Forum. They dealt with the dismal of guard Anthony Crater and the transfer of LaVonte Dority early in the year. The team also faced injuries and suspensions to start. Anthony Collins missed the first 6 games with a hamstring issue, Augustus Gilchrist missed a few games with a shoulder strain, Jawanza Poland missed 9 games with a lower back injury and a 2-game suspension as well at the start of the year that left Heath with a very limited bench.
Heath also had to deal with a few issues with his incoming recruiting class. While Anthony Collins and Blake Nash made big impacts this season, center Jordan Omogbehin had transfer issues and had surgery, forcing him to take a redshirt his first season. JUCO center Andre Jackson couldn't make it either, taking two big men away from Heath, but the team didn't let that stop them as they made the tournament.
The team is losing 4 seniors, Ron Anderson Jr., Augustus Gilchrist, Hugh Robertson, and Alberto Damour, all big time contributors, but the team is not depleted. In the backcourt, the Bulls will return star guard Anthony Collins, Blake Nash, Jawanza Poland, Shaun Noriega, Mike McCloskey, and on the front line, Toarlyn Fitzpatrick. Forward Victor Rudd Jr., the team's leading scorer in the tournament, is testing the NBA waters, but there is a strong chance he could return to the team which would be huge for the front court.
The Bulls also have a talented recruiting class coming in next season. The Bulls will have Omogbehin available to play (not bad having a 7-3 center) and will have transfer Martino Brock, a solid wing player that can shoot the 3, as part of the team. Coach Heath has also put together arguably the best recruiting class in recent history with top JUCO forward Waverly Austin, prep stars JaVontae Hawkins and Zac LeDay, and JUCO combo guard Musa Abdul Aleem, all coming in next year, the team will be loaded and ready for even more improvement.
Combine this strong recruiting class with the returning players, mix in the new Muma training facility and the revamped Sun Dome that is set to open early this year, the team is poised for a bright future. Heath has the players he wants that match his system, he has the facilities, the energy, and now the support of the fans, who have always been there, but are now even more energetic for this team.
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