Scouting Notre Dame

Notre Dame coach Mike Brey has his Irish team on a roll right now, is there any chance USF can stop them?

Here we go again, time for the Bulls (8-17 and 2-10 in conference play) to take on another ranked opponent in Big East play. The men's team suffered a heartbreaking loss to Marquette on Wednesday night when they saw a 16-point lead slowly slip away from them. Now they must regroup as they host 8th ranked Notre Dame. The Irish, 20-4 (9-3) are looking to get a conference win as they prepare for the NCAA tournament while the Bulls are hoping to stay alive in this game. [keep reading]

Ladies Back in Action Tomorrow

The USF are back in action as they travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Panthers. After a terrible offensive performance on the road against the Hoyas, the Bulls are hoping to get back on track and finish the season on a high note.

Andrea Smith was held in check last game and will have to step up the offensive attack if the Bulls want to get a lead early. The USF offense has been stagnant as of late and Coach Fernandez will try to get his team motivated as they look for their first conference road win this season.

The Bull are 10-14 this year (1-9 in conference play) and are out of any postseason tournament, but the season is not lost for them. The team is very young and hopes are still high as they progress and get better each game. This should be a good game so make sure to tune in on Saturday at 2 PM (after watching the men host Notre Dame of course) and see the ladies try to capture victory on the road.

Open Competition in the Spring?

B.J Daniels will have some competition at quarterback heading into the Spring.

From Brian Bennett ESPN - Coach Skip Holtz made an interesting statement yesterday during an interview on the quarterback situation entering the Spring. He said it would be an open competition in order to get the ball rolling for all of his quarterbacks.

Heading into the Spring practices, many have assumed that Daniels, the most experienced quarterback in the conference would be the starter. But it appears that the battle is wide open for Eveld, Gunsby, and even Matt Floyd. [keep reading]

Time to Rise Up

Number 95 Todd Chandler could have a break out season (Picture credits: usfnation.com)

Last year, Coach Skip Holtz took over late in the recruiting process, but was able to land two 4-star recruits that most believed were not going to USF, Terrence Mitchell and defensive tackle Todd Chandler. Chandler, the 4-star recruit out of Miami, was one of the top defensive prospects (rated one of the best prospects on all of the major recruiting sites and was offered by FSU, Miami, and other top programs). Yet in 2010, Chandler never stepped onto the field. This season, however, he is looking to change that.

What Happened Last Night?

It's truly painful to put in words what happened last night to the Bulls as they collapsed and lost to Marquette. The Bulls had their offense moving in the first half, making open shots and getting open looks. But in the second half, when Marquette cranked up its intensity, the Bulls simply fell apart.

Ball Movement

Anthony Crater is the point guard and he only had 3 turnovers on the game (17 for the entire team), but during full court pressure, Crater simply could not handle it. He was forced to pass the ball off because he could not break out of the press and the other Bulls simply didn't know what to do (reflects on the coaching). On offense, the Bulls offense hit a brick wall as the Golden Eagles became more aggressive on the ball, making Crater's job even harder. Crater seemed to have tunnel vision during the night and when pressure mounted to make shots, he could not find open players and the offense stopped.

Pressure

Marquette cranked up to a full court press in the second half and USF couldn't handle it. There were multiple times up the floor when the Bulls simply could not pass up court and did not know what to do. This reflects on two sides. First, the coaches. This is a fundamental situation that all coaches should teach their players on how to handle it. Heath knows the pressure situation and should have instructed his team better. Then the second part of the blame comes on the players. This kept looking around at each other, there was no player on the court directing traffic or stepping up to move the ball, allowing Marquette to step in and cause chaos and turnovers.

Basketball gods hate USF

USF basketball simply stinks. The announcers last night were focused on the weather, while the game was played inside. The Bulls turned the ball over 17 times. Marquette missed 6 straight free throws that kept USF alive in the last few seconds. Crater hit a game tying 3-point shot but Heath had called a time out just a second before. Fitzpatrick made a free throw as he tried to miss it. This is just how the season has gone and keeps going for the Bulls. There is not much left to play for at the end of the season except pride at this point. Let's hope the team shows up on Saturday.

Bulls Collapse Down the Stretch, Fall of Marquette

Coach Stan Heath saw his team simply fall apart in the loss to Marquette (Picture credits: BHSN)

Last night may have been the complete collapse of the USF basketball team. The Bulls led by as many as 16-points heading into the second half, only to see turnovers, cold shooting, poor judgment and coaching lead them to a 59 to 58 loss to Marquette. The Bulls, now 8-17 (2-10), are hoping the season ends tomorrow.

Ron Anderson Jr. had 9 points and 5 rebounds. Toarlyn Fitzpatrick had 16 points and 13 rebounds, but 6 turnovers hurt the Bulls as they turned the ball over 17 times during the game. Crater had 9 assists and 3 turnovers, but during clutch time couldn't move the ball, missed plays, and simply couldn't run the offense. Robertson had 5 points, Gilchrist had 11 points, and Poland had 7 points (foul trouble again).

This game was just awful. They had the victory in hand and simply threw the game away and walked right into the game plan of Marquette. After this defeat, the feeling around is the Bulls are at rock bottom after this type of implosion. They have to play again on Saturday against ranked Notre Dame and let's be honest, it could be a beat down.

Impact Freshman

Linebacker Mike Jeuene will make an impact this season (Picture credits go to TampaBay.com)

The 2011 recruiting class is a solid group of young talent that will help add depth to the depth chart and eventually will take over in the starting lineup. But out of the 21 players signed on NSD, there are 3 players I believe will make an instant impact this season due to the need at that position and their overall talent.[keep reading]

Wide receiver - Andre Davis

The Bulls get Sterling Griffin and AJ Love back this year and have plenty of depth at the position, but Davis is a special talent. At 6'1" 180-pounds, he is a bit smaller than most would like him to be and he does need some work in the weight room, but he runs excellent routes and has incredible hands, making him an ideal target. He is not a burner at receiver, but gets great separation from the defender and more than enough speed to get to the endzone. The Bulls have depth, but a talent like Davis needs to be on the field to help give the Bulls more targets downfield.

Offensive lineman - Thor Jozwiak

The Bulls recruited several outstanding offensive lineman in this year's class, but Thor is one of the best ones. At 6'4" 270-pounds, the big man is ready to play on opening day. He has work to do to fill out and gain a few pounds, but he is a very athletic lineman that can play tackle and guard. He has great hands and excellent footwork. Once he learns the system, he will get plenty of playing time starting this season because the Bulls are not that loaded with experience on the offensive line. Look for him to get plenty of snaps this season.

Linebacker - Mike Juene (he is not a freshman, but still a new player)

Jeune is a JUCO transfer and the Bulls have a track record of great success with transfers. The Bulls need an experienced player that can step in and play right away and Juene fits the bill. The 6'3" 220-pound linebacker enrolled early this Spring and will be in Spring practices, putting him ahead of the incoming freshman. He is an excellent tackler and has more than enough ability to beat blocks and get to the quarterback. In Mark Snyder's zone blitz packages, Jeune could have a big season fitting in with the linebacking corps.

So what do you think? Do you agree or disagree? Is there someone else in this year's recruit class that will make an impact? Share your thoughts!!!

New and Notes - Some Injury Updates

From Adam Adkins - Here are some news and notes from the Skip Holtz press conference after recruiting (some very interesting notes).

Kicker/Punter Mattias Ciabatti has decided to walk onto USF after receiving a scholarship offer from Colgate. Ciabatti will probably redshirt with Bonani and Voss both taking over the kicking positions for the next few seasons.

Offensive lineman Jake Kaufman (6'9" 362-pounds) is expected to miss the Spring practices due to back issues that continue to linger on from last season. This is not a good sign so early in the year. It appears Kaufman is still not a full strength and a lingering injury could creep up on him during the season. The Bulls lack a lot of starting depth on the offensive line so losing a player of his ability could hurt if he is not at full strength by the time Fall roles in.

WR/KR Lindsey Lamar is expected to miss the Spring practices as well as he recovers from minor off-season surgery to his shoulder. The return man of the year in the Big East and one of the Bulls top offensive weapons could have a huge season. The surgery sounds minor and he should be at full strength when he returns to the Fall practices.

Isaac Virgin: A Secret Weapon?

Isaac Virgin will make an impact this season.

The Bulls offense looks to get back on track in 2011 and one player that wasn't featured in 2010 is wide receiver Isaac Virgin. Virgin is a very versatile athlete that can play at wide receiver, tight end, special teams, and even line up in the backfield. He is an incredible athlete and could be a hidden weapon entering 2011.

Scouting Marquette

The Bulls will have to slow down Darius Johnson-Odom tonight if they want to stand a chance.

Here we go again. The Bulls are back in action tonight as they take on the 14-9 (5-5) Marquette Golden Eagles. The Bulls return home to the Sun Dome after suffering the worst defeat on the season, getting hammered by Syracuse. The Bulls are 8-16 (2-9) and are beginning to look forward to the offseason, but they will have to focus against the Eagles. Marquette is 16th in the country in scoring (79.3) while USF ranks 308th (62 points per game - yes, there are over 300 teams better than us). The Eagles rank 148th in rebounding (35 per game) to USF's 37.4 (68th in the nation). They are 9th in field goal percentage (.486 - USF is ranked 280th at .415) and 11th in assists per game (17.2 - USF ranks 200th at 12.6 per game). Here are some of the key players for Marquette. [keep reading]