USF MBB Takes on Notre Dame on the Road

The USF MBB team, 9-7 (2-1), fresh off of a big win on the road against Villanova, will again hit the road to take on Notre Dame in a big time match-up for both squads (USF has won 2 straight games).  The Bulls, coming off of a huge win over Nova, are playing great defense, but face a tough test with the Irish.

Notre Dame, 10-6 (2-1) is coming off of a double overtime win over Louisville and playing well without star forward Tim Abromaitis.  The Irish are averaging 71.2 points per game and shooting 43% from the field, making the key shots and playing strong at home.  The Bulls will once again face great odds as they take on this powerhouse in the Big East. (game starts at 7PM)

The Irish are led by sophomore guard Eric Atkins (6-1 182-pounds) who is averaging 13.6 points per game and 3.3 rebounds per game (shooting 42% from 3-point range).  Atkins is playing big for the Irish, but has logged a lot of minutes so far, so he might be a little gased at this point (fingers crossed).  Sophomore guard Jerian Grant (6-5 195-pounds) is averaging 13.4 points per game, 3.4 rebounds per game, and 4.6 assists per game thus far, setting up the offense.

Junior forward Jack Cooley (6-9 248-pounds) is averaging 8.5 points per game and 10.3 rebounds per game, posing a challenge for Anderson and Gilchrist.  Senior guard Scott Martin (6-8 222-pounds) is averaging 8.3 points per game and 5.5 rebounds per game.  Sophomore guard Alex Dragicevich (6-7 221-pounds) is averaging 8.5 points per game and 2.3 rebounds per game as well, giving the Irish tremendous size on the edge. 

Freshman guard/forward Pat Connaughton (6-5 206-pounds) is averaging 6.6 points per game and 3.8 rebounds per game coming off the bench.  Junior guard Joey Brooks (6-6 220-pounds) is averaging 5.5 points per game and 2.9 rebounds per game.  Junior forward Tom Knight (6-9 250-pounds) is averaging 4.5 points per game and 1.5 rebounds per game. 

The Irish have a lot of size on the starting lineup but do have a thin bench, meaning the battle for rebounds and in the paint will be huge, especially after the minutes they logged against Louisville.  It will also be interesting to see if Anthony Collins, after suffering concussion-like symptoms, will be able to go in this game or if he can get the start.  He did travel with the team and has been undergoing tests since Friday, so there is no word on if he will play or not.