Inside The Big East: USF

One year removed from an NIT appearance, Stan Heath faces uphill battle trying to bring USF back to postseason play. (Photo courtesy of USF Athletics)

Now that the other thirty conferences in college basketball have been covered in this space, it's time to start the run to Big East media day on October 19th by previewing each of the sixteen member institutions one at a time until we get to the number one program in what is still regarded as the best conference in the country. Up first is a team that, despite finishing second-to-last in the conference last year, managed to land several quality wins, including one in the Big East tournament against an eventual NCAA Tournament participant.

South Florida Bulls (2010-11 Record: 10-23, 3-15 Big East)
Head Coach: Stan Heath (5th season at USF, 51-77; 163-154 overall)

Returning Starters: F Augustus Gilchrist (6-10 Sr., 13.4 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 45% FG, 70% FT)
G Jawanza Poland (6-4 Jr., 9.1 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 36% FG, 72% FT, 1.9 APG, 1.1 SPG)
G Hugh Robertson (6-6 Sr., 8.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 40% FG, 71% FT, 1.8 APG)

F Ron Anderson Jr. (6-8 Sr., 7.0 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 50% FG, 65% FT)

Other Key Returning Players: G Shaun Noriega (6-4 Jr., 6.4 PPG, 0.9 RPG, 37% FG, 38% 3pt, 81% FT)

F Toarlyn Fitzpatrick (6-8 Jr., 4.3 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 42% FG, 73% FT)
Key Losses: F Jarrid Famous (8.7 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 50% FG, 76% FT)
G Anthony Crater (3.9 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 37% FG, 60% FT, 4.6 APG)

Two years ago, USF was a shocking addition to the NIT field after a 20-win season in which the Bulls were paced by the gifted scoring ability of guard Dominique Jones, who has since won an NBA championship with the Dallas Mavericks. At Big East media day prior to that season, I had the pleasure of spending a few minutes with USF coach Stan Heath, who was nice enough to share his expectations for the coming season as well as his thoughts on the program and how far it had come in general with me; and I came away thinking that USF was a program I could not help but root for being that it had one of the nicest guys I have ever covered in my five years as its head coach.

Two years later, Heath is still the same affable head man I encountered in the fall of 2009; but his team is in a state of rebuilding. Last season, USF struggled to replace Jones after he had declared for the NBA draft shortly following the conclusion of his junior season; and the Bulls finished 10-23 overall with just three wins in Big East play, not counting their upset victory against Villanova in the first round of the Big East tournament last March. Heath brings back several key figures from that team, including big man Augustus Gilchrist, who now enters his senior season. Guards Jawanza Poland and Hugh Robertson also return in the backcourt while senior Ron Anderson Jr. will move into the starting lineup on a full-time basis alongside Gilchrist as he tries to replace rebounding machine Jarrid Famous, who graduated this past May.

A shooting guard last year, Poland may end up moving to the point to make up for the loss of Anthony Crater, the former Ohio State transfer who averaged more than four assists per game last season. At 6-6, Robertson could also make the move; but would be better suited playing the wing while Shaun Noriega becomes a full-time starter this season. The 6-4 Noriega enters his junior campaign on the heels of a season in which he shot a team-high 38 percent from three-point range. In fact, Noriega's hot outside shooting kept USF in contention against St. John's in the Bulls' final regular season contest; and even left Red Storm coach Steve Lavin mystified to some degree in the first half. Crater's departure will allow for Noriega to crack the starting five and play off the ball while Poland facilitates things in the USF backcourt.

Toarlyn Fitzpatrick is another key cog of the USF bench who will be more of a sixth man this season, and the 6-8 junior could see increased minutes when either Gilchrist and/or Anderson get into foul trouble. Fitzpatrick averaged just over four points and as many rebounds per game in a bench capacity last season, but should be in line for an improvement if he gets more minutes. He will also serve as a mentor to a young crop of recruits that will have opportunities to make their presence known, including incumbent sophomore guard LaVonte Dority and a group of incoming freshmen led by Heath's own son Jordan, who redshirted last season.

With their on-campus venue of the Sun Dome undergoing renovations this season, USF will play all but two of their home games at the St. Pete Times Forum in St. Petersburg, also the home of the Tampa Bay Lightning. USF will open on November 12th against the aforementioned Vermont Catamounts, who will open the John Becker era following former coach Mike Lonergan's exodus to George Washington. USF then plays its second home game two nights later against Marist and coach Chuck Martin, a former Big East assistant under Norm Roberts at St. John's.

After their third home contest against Florida Southern on November 16th, the nonconference ledger for the Bulls welcomes quality opponents, when USF competes in the Naismith Memorial tournament at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut; competing first against Old Dominion before taking on either Kentucky or Penn State in the second day of competition in the Nutmeg State. Home contests against Georgia Southern and Sun Belt favorite Florida Atlantic follow before the Bulls get their first road test of the year on November 30th, when they take on Cinderella VCU in the Rams' first season following their miraculous Final Four run. From Richmond, USF next goes to Allen Fieldhouse to take on Bill Self and Kansas on December 3rd. Florida A&M, Auburn, Cleveland State and Southern Mississippi alternate home and road matchups to conclude USF's nonconference season, with the Bulls returning home on December 28th to open conference play against UConn, who will be without coach Jim Calhoun for their first three conference contests while he serves an NCAA-imposed suspension.

The Bulls open 2012 on New Year's Day by welcoming Rutgers into St. Petersburg, and travel to Villanova and Notre Dame for their first Big East road matchups of the season. Home games against Seton Hall and St. John's precede USF's second road trip, a Midwest swing that will feature a matinee against DePaul and a Tuesday night tilt on January 24th against Marquette. From there, USF welcomes Providence and new coach Ed Cooley into the Sunshine State on January 29th before traveling to the nation's capital to face Georgetown. Jamie Dixon and Pittsburgh come into the St. Pete Times Forum on February 8th, and USF heads to Providence three days later to face the Friars in the back end of a home-and-home series. The Bulls will complete both of their other home-and-home matchups immediately following the second Providence game, coming home first to face Villanova before invading the Petersen Center on February 19th against Pittsburgh.

A trip to the Carrier Dome starts USF's final four regular season games when the Bulls square off against Syracuse on February 22nd before coming home to face Cincinnati. USF will commemorate leap year with a road game against Louisville at the Yum! Center, and will hold senior day at the St. Pete Times Forum prior to their final regular season contest on March 3rd, when the Bulls host Bob Huggins and West Virginia.