USF MBB Faces FAU

Blake Nash is ready, are you?

The Bulls, fresh off their 66 to 46 win over Georgia Southern, change venues (moving over to UT for this one) as they welcome FAU to town. The Owls, coming off of a win over Hofstra (had to rally in that win) are 3-3 on the season and are looking for a big upset win on the road (game is at 7PM on the campus of UT).

The Bulls are looking to get another key non-conference win as they continue to play well at home. Coach Heath was impressed by freshman guard Anthony Collins in the last game and will need the guards to continue to play well for him.

Gilchrist, who missed the GS game, may be limited with his shoulder issue. Look for Stan Heath to use his guards early and often as they battle the Owls.

FAU is led by junior guard Grey Gantt (6-2 205-pounds). He is the leading scorer, averaging 14.7 points a game and 3.3 rebounds a game. Freshman forward Kelvin Penn (6-6 225-pounds) is averaging 2.3 points a game and 4.3 rebounds a game. He will have to battle with Anderson and Rudd inside the paint. Sophomore guard Pablo Bertone (6-4 198-pounds) is averaging 9.8 points a game and 4.2 rebounds a game. Junior guard Raymond Taylor (5-6 145-pounds) is averaging 7 points a game, 4.5 assists a game, and 3 rebounds a game, getting the offense set up. FAU likes to go with 3 guards and 2 forwards, so expect a solid performance out of them. They do not run up and down like GS did, but will run controlled offense through the game and pick their shots.

Senior guard Alex Tucker (5-11 165-pounds) is averaging 4.8 points a game, 2.8 rebounds a game, and 5 assists per game, giving the Owls a huge senior boost from the bench. Look for freshman Omari Grier (6-4 175-pounds) who gave the Owls 9 points off the bench last game to get a chance to hit the court and match with the smaller USF guards.

This should be an interesting match up for the Bulls. The Owls have size inside, enough to match with USF. They also have size at the guard position, something the Bulls lack, but make up with speed. If Dority, Collins, and Nash can continue to produce, either scoring or passing, the Bulls should be able to win here. Expect a close game as the Bulls battle for another win (Quest for 16 is still alive!)