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| INSIDE THE NUMBERS |
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2000-01 record: 19-13;
8-8 in C-USA (3rd/National)
Postseason: Lost to Ball State 98-92 in opening round of NIT.
RETURNING LEADERS
Points: McDonald 11.9
Rebs: McDonald 4.9
Assists: Kohn 3.0
FG: McDonald 55.4%
3pt: Kohn 43.1%
FT: Kohn 75.7%
01-02 Stats:
South Florida | C-USA
KEY LOSSES
Altron Jackson | 19.3 ppg
B.B. Walton | 12.9 ppg
Mike Bernard | 5.3 ppg
Kelvin Bown | 4.1 ppg
PROJECTED STARTERS
G | Marlyn Bryant | Soph
G | Reggie Kohn | Senior
C | Will McDonald | Senior
F | Jimmy Baxter | Junior
F | Gerrick Morris | Junior
Player to Watch
Will McDonald
Senior Center
Won't add another 10 points to average (will he?). Should give Bulls steady diet of points down low.
DATE TO REMEMBER
Charlotte gomes to Tampa, which seems to be about the time every year that the Bulls start to wobble. That game tips off a three-game home stand that could give South Florida momentum for the stretch run.
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SOUTH FLORIDA BULLS
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Now what? The Bulls failed to make the expected breakthrough in four years with Altron Jackson and B.B. Waldon, two of the most prolific players in school history. After six years at South Florida, Seth Greenberg's program has lost its momentum and seems to be running in place. This will be the 11th season since the Bulls' last run to the NCAA Tournament. Fan apathy might be Greenberg's best friend at the moment. Still, some good, experienced players remain on the roster. Start with 6-11 center Will McDonald, who had a stretch last January in which he seemed impossible to guard, and who looked that way in posting 27 points and 11 rebounds in USF's first exhibition game. He'll be the first offensive option, but needs to improve on his 4.9 rebounds per game average. Point guard Reggie Kohn, a gritty little guy who might be the best three-point threat in the league, needs 40 assists to become the career leader in C-USA history. Six other players who appeared in at least 28 games last season will be called upon to fill the roles around those two. Auditions are being taken for a wing scorer who can take his man off the dribble, a specialty of Jackson's. It boils down to defense with the Bulls. They were 13-0 when holding opponents to less than 70 points last year, 6-13 when they didn't.
TOUGH ENOUGH..............................
If you're going to retool a team, having proven players at the point and in the middle is a good place to start. Greenberg has continued to recruit pretty well, so the program should not fall off a cliff without Jackson and Waldon. Five players with perimeter experience are back, which means this club should be solid handling the ball and dangerous shooting from the perimeter.
TOUGH ENOUGH?..............................
Greenberg' gimmicky half-court trapping zone has been figured out too often, and there didn't seem to be a Plan B. This was an atrocious foul-shooting team last year, easily last in the league at 60.8 percent. That will improve a bit without Waldon, but there's a long way to go.
BOTTOM LINE..............................
Louisville and Cincinnati rotate off the schedule, which should come as great news. The non-conference schedule features the usual couple of marquee games, at Florida and Michigan State, but this looks like a typical South Florida season: win a few more than you lose and look for an NIT bid.
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