USF MBB Opens Big East Play with UCONN

Big East basketball is back! The Bulls, 7-6, are back home as they take on defending national champions, #9 UCONN, in the conference opener (game is at 9PM in the Forum). The Bulls are coming off of a tough 51 to 53 loss to Southern Miss last Thursday night and will need a strong performance out of everyone if they want to contend in this game.

UCONN enters the night at 10-1, but will be without Head Coach Jim Calhoun for three games, starting tonight, as he serves a suspension for recruiting violations. No matter who is on the sidelines, the Huskies are a powerhouse. They are averaging 75.2 points a game and allowing just 62.4 on the other end, so the Bulls who struggle to find a way to score buckets (Auburn anyone?) it could be a long night if they do not execute at the highest level.



The Huskies are led sophomore guard/forward Jeremy Lamb (6-5 180-pounds).  He is averaging 18.9 points a game (shooting 50% from the floor) and pulling down 4.5 rebounds a game.  Lamb came on strong last season and now is the go-to scorer for the Huskies.  Sophomore guard Shabazz Napier (6-1 171-pounds) is averaging15.5 points a game, 4.5 rebounds, and 6.7 assists a game.  He is the catalyst for their offense.   If USF wants to stand a chance in this game, they will have to slow him down.

Junior forward/center Alex Oriakhi (6-9 240-pounds) is averaging 7.2 points per game and 5.3 rebounds per game.  Sophomore forward Tyler Olander (6-9 225-pounds) is averaging 7 points a game and 6 rebounds a game.  Freshman center Andrew Drummond (6-10 270-pounds) is averaging 10 points a game and 6.5 rebounds a game as well to anchor the front line with Oriakhi and Olander. The Huskies have a big frontline that can rebound with the best of them.  USF will have trouble with this during the game due to the lack of big depth for USF.  Gilchrist, Anderson, Rudd and Fitzpatrick have to outrebound the Huskies and stay out of foul trouble to keep the game in reach.

Freshman guard Ryan Boatright (6-0 160-pounds) is averaging 13.2 points a game and 4.2 rebounds a game off the bench.  Freshman forward DeAndre Daniels (6-9 185-pounds) is averaging 5.2 points per game and 3.2 rebounds a game.  Sophomore forward Roscoe SMith (6-8 205-pounds) is averaging 3.9 and 3.5 rebounds a game.  The Huskies have a deep bench and can rotate a lot of big players off the bench to keep their interior presence fresh during the game.  USF lacks the depth in the post, making it a big worry for Heath and company.  USF has the depth at guard, but the outcome of the game will come down to who can control the pain in the game.

This is going to be a very tough game for USF.  UCONN is the defending champ and with their incredible size, depth, and talent, it will be hard for the Bulls to get the upset win.  But if they are able to execute, control the glass, and avoid turnovers, they could come away with a big time upset to open the conference schedule.