USF MBB Takes on Kansas

Today would be a great day for Shaun Noriega to find his 3-point range.

The Bulls, 5-3 on the season, are coming off of a rough loss to VCU on the road where they lost by 23 points and nearly lost Toarlyn Fitzpatrick (injury caused him to sit for a bit). Now the Bulls are back on the road to face #15 Kansas in a tough game today (game will be on national TV at 5:15PM). USF is hoping to have Augustus Gilchrist back in the mix after sitting the last few games with a shoulder injury. Even if he is able to start, the Bulls are facing a daunting task on the road today against the Jayhawks (4-2 on the season).

Kansas is led by senior guard Tyshawn Taylor (6-3 185-pounds) who is averaging 16.3 points a game, 3.3 assists per game, and 1.5 rebounds a game. His size and skill will be a tough test for Dority, Collins, and Nash (all undersized in this game). Junior forward Thomas Robinson (6-10 237-pounds) is averaging 10.5 points a game and 12.8 rebounds a game, making a huge battle inside for Anderson and Gilchrist today.

Junior guard Elijah Johnson (6-4 195-pounds) is averaging 9.7 points a game, 2.5 rebounds a game, and 3.7 rebounds game. Junior guard Travis Releford (6-6 207-pounds) is averaging 5.5 points a game and 3.5 rebounds a game. Sophomore center Jeff Whithey (7-0 235-pounds) is averaging 5.7 points a game and 8.2 rebounds a game. Look out for guard Conner Teahan (6-6 202-pounds) averaging 6.2 points a game and 2.3 rebounds a game, junior forward Kevin Young (6-8 185-pounds) averaging 4 points a game, and sophomore forward Justin Wesley (6-9 220-pounds) who is averaging 2.8 points a game.

This could be a rough game for USF. USF does not have the same depth and size that Kansas has. The Bulls are outsized at the guard position, but the speed factor for Collins and Nash could help during the game. Inside the paint, USF has to battle for rebounds, finish at the rim, and avoid foul trouble because they do not have the depth to rotate enough big bodies into the paint. This will be an interesting game to watch.