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| | Tuesday, November 2 | |||||||||||||||
COACH AND PROGRAM
CHONSEY ASBURY (6-6, 200 lbs., JR, SF, #14, 34.1 minutes, 11.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.0 apg, .457 FG, .277 3PT, .519 FT, Deerfield Beach HS/Deerfield Beach, Fla.) It is no accident that USF has so many players like this, guys who are as physically and mentally tough as a coach could possibly hope. Greenberg looks for toughness when he recruits, and Asbury is very much his type of player. He can do more than just bang, though. He is an excellent passer from the wing. He scored in double figures in 16 games. He was at his best when the opposition was either less physical than he (combined 37 points in three games vs. Memphis, 24 in two games vs. Tulane, 17 vs. Louisville, 17 vs. Tennessee) or less physically skilled (19 vs. Marquette, 14 vs. Central Florida, 12 vs. Austin Peay). Against the most talented opponents, though, Asbury probably is not quite skilled enough to make a major impact. He shot only 49 times from three-point range last year, making 13, although there are hints he can do better. He can score, no doubt, but he does not have the moves to shake an NBA-caliber wing defender. But this is not a common problem for USF. It plays Cincinnati once a year, and the same for DePaul, which combined to hold Asbury to 8-for-28 shooting last season. With a deeper team, it's Asbury who'll get the biggest break in terms of minutes played, and that could make him a more efficient player. He wore down a bit at the end of last year. Take away his final five games, and his three-point percentage goes up to .309. That's a step forward. He was 2-for-2 in a game against UAB and 2-for-4 against Florida State. It may be that, if he's not overworked, he can keep his legs into his shot more. If Asbury becomes a threat to shoot deep, it will do that much more for Waldon's ability to be isolated in the post. CEDRIC SMITH (6-4, 215 lbs., JR, SG, #4, 33.4 minutes, 9.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 3.8 apg, .351 FG, .302 3PT, .597 FT, Fork Union Military Academy, Va. & Mullins HS/Mullins, S.C.) There doesn't seem to be anything Smith doesn't do with at least a little success. He led USF in three-pointers, steals and assists, and was second on the team in rebounds last season. He is the total package, although he is not yet a complete player. He can be a better deep shooter. His shot selection can get better. He can make free throws. He can become more consistent on shot attempts inside the arc. These are the areas where he needs improvement in order for USF to improve. And the truth is, he needs to be better in these areas to hold off challenges to his job. He is too much of a competitor to fall out of the rotation, but Altron Jackson's obvious talent is going to make it necessary to get him in the lineup somewhere. Smith's value as a defender and offensive blend player will keep him around for at least 25 minutes per game. If he becomes a more productive scorer, he will stay in the 30 range. Smith struggled from the field at the close of last season, hitting just 13-for-52 (.250) in the final six games. He committed 20 turnovers in those games, nearly a third of his season total. It's fairly obvious that he, like many of the USF players, wore down from having to carry such a heavy burden. Smith often functioned as the point guard, which was not ideal for him, and having to play a couple different positions is never easy for a young player. He played admirably as a sophomore. B.B. WALDON (6-8, 210 lbs., SO, PF, #14, 30.3 minutes, 16.3 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 1.5 apg, .503 FG, .301 3PT, .503 FT, Kathleen HS/Lakeland, Fla.) Almost everything Waldon did as a freshman was spectacular spectacularly good or spectacularly not-so-good. He would have been the best freshman in Conference USA were it not for some guy named "Q" at DePaul. But as precocious as Waldon was, he was every bit a freshman. It isn't every day you find somebody who fouls out of 13 games. Since he played in 28, that's nearly a .500 slugging percentage. He seemed to foul out of frustration as much as inexperience, which was a problem. His disqualifications increased as the season progressed, with 10 coming after Jan. 1. Part of the problem was likely that the entire USF interior was overly stressed because of the Scott Johnson injury, but Waldon obviously needs more work on defensive technique: moving his feet, not reaching. Greenberg is an excellent defensive coach, and there should be progress in this department. Obviously, some of his fouls were also on offense. When he is in control of the ball, he needs to be more insistent about dictating how and when contact is made. There wasn't much wrong with the way Waldon played on offense, though. He is an excellent low-post scorer. He uses his body well to clear space and is an amazing finisher. He will be that much more dangerous when matched more often against smaller defenders. Johnson's return will help in that regard. He became absurdly streaky from the foul line, hitting 16-for-21 in games against UNC Charlotte and Tulane in late February, and then following that with a 2-for-10 in games against Memphis and Cincinnati in the C-USA Tournament. Waldon can be temperamental, and it clearly affects his play. Waldon had 10 games of 20 points or better as a freshman, including a career-high 30 on 10-for-13 against UNCC. Eight of those high-scoring games came in the first 12 starts, though, and his ability to generate points slipped as foul trouble became more common. He showed in the early part of the season that he can also be a dynamic rebounder, getting 14 against Central Florida, 11 against Memphis and 12 against Louisville. Yet he had only one double-figure board game in the final two months. His other problem was in the turnover department 3.8 tpg and this is hard to explain for somebody who does not handle the ball much in the open floor. Some of the problem was offensive fouls, but he had a combined 18 turnovers in the final three games. You can't charge that many times without first being excused from the proceedings. If he grows up a bit and does not allow immaturity to undercut him, Waldon could become one of C-USA's dominant players in his second season. SCOTT JOHNSON (6-10, 250 lbs., SR, C, #13, 29.5 minutes, 11.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.0 apg, .444 FG, .444 3PT, .667 FT, Virginia & Lassiter HS/Marietta, Ga.) Effectively, USF's season ended when Johnson blew out his knee in the second game of 1998-99. The Bulls did a phenomenal job of hanging on for the next several weeks, but without Johnson there was not enough offense on the perimeter and not enough rebounding inside. It's rare one player can mean both things to a team, but Johnson is not a typical center. He is a dangerous outside shooter who hit 47 "threes" in his most recent full season and seemed ready to produce an even better year when he suffered the injury against Central Michigan. He is not an overwhelming rebounder, but he does hold his ground against most opponents and did average 5.2 rpg in 1997-98 with four per game coming at the defensive end. He does not collect a lot of offensive boards, because he so often is positioned away from the basket to keep opponents' bigger defenders away from the goal. "Scott Johnson is as skilled a 'five' man as there is in our conference," Greenberg said. "He makes our shooting go up immeasurably. He stretches people out, and that opens up the court so people don't have a big guy to help out on B.B." From a defensive standpoint, the Bulls became a much easier mark inside. It still was not easy to get past all the muscle, but those who did were able to have success. Cincinnati's Pete Mickeal was 13-for-15 from the field in USF's final game of the season. UNC Charlotte's Kelvin Price got 14 points and would have had more had he not missed seven of his 13 free throws. Louisville scored 95 points, even though it went just 6-for-21 from three-point range. Johnson is not to be confused with Etan Thomas, but having that big body up front does make a difference, and none of the other centers on USF's roster is a physical presence as yet. He is believed to be progressing nicely from the surgery to repair his torn ACL and ought to be ready to open the season in the starting lineup. MARLON DAWSON (6-1, 185 lbs., JR, PG, #3, 17.0 ppg, 5.0 apg, Okaloosa-Walton JC, Fla. & Craigmont HS/Memphis, Tenn.) Desperate for a point guard, Greenberg was excited to be able to attract Dawson to run his offense. He played at one of the nation's more productive junior colleges and showed the USF coaches he would be an important "get." "The kid's just a born leader," Greenberg said. "He's got toughness and maturity. He's a third-year junior, so he's got a maturity about him. He shoots it well enough to keep people honest and he's physically strong, so that ties into our defensive philosophy. "He's a kid that other kids like, which, to me, is very important at that position." It also will be important that Dawson make a quick transition to Division I, which is not so automatic. It's rarely easy for a point guard to move from running a junior college team to doing it at the high-major level. The wide-open style of JC ball is an even harder habit for a Memphis kid to break, because he's been playing it all his life. Keiron Shine at Memphis had that problem a year ago, and Roy Spears at Houston faced the same thing a couple years back. This will be Greenberg's challenge in dealing with Dawson as his quarterback. It's got to work for USF to fulfill its potential, because there aren't many alternatives.KEY RESERVES ALTRON JACKSON (6-6, 195 lbs., SO, F-G, #11, 19.6 minutes, 8.9 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.0 apg, .447 FG, .283 3PT, .615 FT, Riverview HS/Sarasota, Fla.) If you think March is only about the NCAA Tournament, you are among those who miss a lot of what makes college basketball the most interesting game we have from year to year. March can be about discovery, as well. It was for Jackson. In the final four games of the season, he averaged 15 points per game, shot 67 percent from the field and picked up eight steals. Included in that was a stunning effort against Memphis, when he shot 10-for-16 from the floor for 22 points, but also two sturdy games against Cincinnati that amounted to 12-for-25 shooting and a 12-point average. It wasn't just a hot streak. It was a revelation. "I think he's got a chance to be special," Greenberg said. "He's 6-6 1/2. His arms are long. He's explosive athletically. He can get his shot whenever he wants it. "He doesn't have to be a three-point shooter, which I think is important. He can be hellacious defensively. He's got to continue to get tougher." Jackson is one of those increasingly rare wing players who can play the game in between the goal and the three-point line. He is extremely dangerous making a one dribble-move from 14 feet and pulling up for a floating bank shot. There is an element of Scottie Pippen to his game at the offensive end, although Jackson plays with a bit more spring and a lot less authority. Greenberg uses former his Long Beach State guard, Lucious Harris, who has had a nice NBA career, as a point of comparison. "At the same stage, athletically and size and everything else, he's ahead of Lucious," Greenberg said. The question for South Florida will be how much of its defensive might it wants to sacrifice to get its best perimeter offensive player on the floor. If Jackson is in, either Smith or Asbury has to be out. There are few other alternatives. Success at the highest level demands offensive players who can create under pressure. There's got to be room for Jackson to play more often. ARTHA REEVES (6-7, 210 lbs., JR, PF, #5, 19.6 minutes, 5.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 1.0 bpg, .465 FG, .640 FT, Fork Union Military Academy, Va. & Union County HS/Lake Butler, Fla.) The difference between Reeves and Asbury is that whereas Asbury is tough and skilled, Reeves is just tough. He is a no-nonsense player who delivers defense and muscle. Greenberg calls him "just flat-out a warrior." When some of the other Bulls were struggling late in the season, he came on strong, producing five double-figure games in the final 11 games. He put up 13 points against Houston and 14 in 38 minutes of the finale against Cincinnati. He shot 34-for-59 (.576) from the floor in that stretch. His toughness became indispensable in that period. It is likely that with Johnson back and the sophomores developing, his minutes will be less abundant this season. Asbury still will have an important role as a defensive specialist. HAVEN JACKSON (6-2, 200 lbs., SO, G, #21, 17.0 minutes, 4.9 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 1.1 apg, .384 FG, .286 3PT, .407 FT in 1997-98, Pace HS/Miami, Fla.) Jackson's statistics are from his freshman year in 1997-98. He missed last season because of a broken foot, which retarded his development as a point guard and left the Bulls with no one qualified to man the position. Jackson is a powerful athlete who can use that strength to his advantage in and around the lane, but it would more of an asset if he were a slightly better ballhandler. He is also still learning the mentality of the point guard. As a freshman, he played occasionally in relief of Brian Lamb and had a break-even assist-to-turnover ratio. He can be a physical defender and will help in that role if Dawson has problems with that aspect of the game. "He has lifted hard, is getting huge," Greenberg said. "I think he understands the game better. He was only a freshman; it takes time. Kids aren't always going to be ready right away. He's a pretty good shooter and he's a tough kid, and he's athletic enough to play with the people in our conference." RAHEIM BROWN (6-10, 200 lbs., SO, C, #32, 14.2 minutes, 3.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg, .345 FG, .625 FT, Colonial HS/Orlando, Fla.) In year three of Brown's career at USF, it seems fair to expect him to start producing something. He redshirted as a freshman and last season was thrown into a greater role than planned because of Johnson's injury. The scary thing about his performance is how comfortably he performed against many of the lesser teams on the schedule. He scored 15 points against Duquesne, 16 against Florida Atlantic and 10 against Long Island, shooting a combined 18-for-37 in those games. That leaves two possible conclusions: 1) He's a talented player who just needs maturity and strength to gain an important role and excel; 2) He'd be more comfortable playing mid-major ball. Even with as small as the Bulls were absent Johnson, it eventually became obvious Brown was not ready to play in C-USA. He got 16 minutes against Southern Mississippi but only grabbed one rebound. He got 14 minutes against Houston and was shut out. Eventually, he became a very limited sub who was shut out six times in the final 11 games he played. There will be pressure on Brown to improve quickly now that Gerrick Morris is in the program. Morris has the same body type but may be more athletic. If Brown does not make his mark soon, he may be surpassed.OTHER RETURNEES None.OTHER NEWCOMERS SAM SANDERS (6-4, 215 lbs., JR, F, #33, 4.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg, .447 FG, .125 3PT, .500 FT, Rutgers & Lakewood HS/St. Petersburg, Fla.) Sanders transferred to USF after two seasons with the Scarlet Knights. He started for them as a freshman, averaging 5.1 ppg on .357 shooting and then came off the bench in his second year. He fits the USF profile: playing tough, fighting for rebounds, struggling to score. He is not a deep shooter, but he has some skill with the ball that makes him suited to function as a small forward who scratches along the baseline and helps distribute. The difficult thing for Sanders will be finding playing time with so many players on the roster who have similar skills, slightly better size and more years in the Bulls' system. He could be a valuable reserve, but he'll have to be needed in order to be valuable. REGGIE KOHN (6-1, 175 lbs., FR, G, #35, 18.2 ppg, 9.3 apg, Lake Howell HS/Lake Howell, Fla.) With the thirst for point guard help so severe, Greenberg took a chance on recruiting Kohn, whom the program lists as being four inches taller than he was said to be by this publication's recruiting section last year. We'll know what to believe when we see him, both from a standpoint of stature and talent. It seems unlikely he'll be able to make a huge impact this first year, playing behind Dawson and Jackson, but those guys both have to prove they can run a Division I offense. Greenberg likes Kohn's deep shooting touch and his floor vision. "And he's a gym rat. He's got a toughness about him," Greenberg said. "Is he as quick as the guys I've had in the past? No. But he's got a toughness, a meanness about him. "He can pass it. And stretching the defense is going to be important for us. In the end, we have to have somebody make some shots." GERRICK MORRIS (6-9, 195 lbs., FR, C, #20, 10.0 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 6.0 bpg, Wellington HS/West Palm Beach, Fla.) Like Brown, Morris is a post player who looks a little too much like a post as he arrives, but Morris is an even more dynamic athlete. He once blocked 20 shots in a high school game and could become a serious defensive presence in the middle for the Bulls. He will get the sort of rugged training in USF practices that he needs in order to develop the necessary attitude. Obviously, he'll need a lot of strength training. Greenberg likes his long-term potential. WILL MCDONALD (6-11, 195 lbs., FR, C, #20, Wellington HS/West Palm Beach, Fla.) McDonald is another big-man project. Blue Ribbon did not consider him among the top prospects in Florida last year. It's likely his contributions to the program will be made in the future.STARTERS NOT RETURNING SHADDRICK JENKINS (6-4, PG, 11.4 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 3.1 apg, .413 FG, .302 3PT, .657 FT) Jenkins never really was a point guard, not that it was his fault. He sacrificed some individual success as a senior for the sake of a team that lacked a playmaker due to the injury to Haven Jackson as well as the inability to recruit a player truly equipped to run the offense. He traded the point guard responsibilities with Cedric Smith, which kept him from comfortably employing his one-on-one scoring skills. When should he take his man to the goal? When should he distribute the ball? He might have been able to advance his scoring into the mid-teens as a senior if he'd been able to settle into a more defined role. Jenkins was not a proficient three-point shooter, and USF will be enhanced with someone who can handle that responsibility in the shooting guard role. However, the Bulls will need to make up for his rebounding and for the muscle he brought to the position. Jenkins was phenomenally tough, but he could tend to be chippy, and that did not set the best example for USF's younger players. Almost without exception, the Bulls are full of guys who are willing to dish out punishment in pursuit of victory. This is a very good thing, but it does not need to go beyond that.OTHERS NOT RETURNING ANDRIKK FRAZIER (5-11, G, 3.8 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 16.1 minutes, .471 FG, .875 FT) Frazier was a transfer from Vanderbilt who gave USF two years of sturdy play as a backup point guard, but never had the offensive gifts to take over the starting job. And, given the huge vacancy at the position, that was telling. Frazier was strong and held his ground well, but wasn't quick laterally and often gave up penetration to opposing point men. He started six games for the Bulls as a senior, but generally played as a reserve. WILL COPELAND (5-11, G, 0.7 ppg, 0.5 rpg, 11 appearances) Greenberg liked Copeland's shooting ability when he was signed but couldn't find any good reason to unleash that shot, even with Jackson down and point guards in such short supply. He played in just 11 games as a freshman and missed his only three-point attempt of the year. KENYATTA JONES (6-4, F, 0.0 ppg, 0.7 rpg, three appearances) If you didn't know USF had a football team, you surely did after watching this 300-pounder put in a three-week stint with the basketball squad to help the Bulls get over some injuries. He played in three games for a combined two minutes.Questions Foul shooting? It sure was foul. The Bulls hit .586 from the line last year. Take out the two departed seniors, and the team percentage is .557. Yikes! Most of this was mental, of course, as it usually is with free throw shooting, but it does mean the Bulls have to get over their yips. Three-point shooting? Put a line in front of these guys, they just can't hit anything. From long range, the Bulls converted only 29.7 percent. There is no obvious solution to this one. No perimeter player in the program is a pure, deep shooter. The Bulls just have to be judicious about when they fire and work for the best shots possible. Point guard? Marlon Dawson has to prove he can run a major college offense. It's often not an easy transition for a junior college point guard.Answers Muscle! This team is as tough as any and will not back down from a challenge. And it's not just one or two players. Get past Cedric Smith, and you deal with Artha Reeves or Chonsey Asbury. It's just not fun to play South Florida. Johnson! He turns opposing defenses on their ears with his shooting ability, and he brings the sort of experience this team otherwise lacks. If he is on two good legs, so are the Bulls. B.B.! It's always nice to have a killer low-post scorer on the squad. Waldon could be a 20-point guy in his second year.
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