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By Joey Johnston
Tampa, Fla. – Nov. 28, 2024 –The USF women’s basketball team will compete this weekend against two quality opponents on a neutral court. The games will be played on the Cayman Islands, a place of pristine beaches and vibrant coral reefs, a favored destination, and a spot where people vacation.
What does that view look like for a college basketball program?
“You think I’m at the pool with two floaties?’’ Bulls coach Jose Fernandez said, raising an eyebrow.
Not exactly.
Fernandez said it’s a mixture of a business trip and student-athlete experience. The Bulls will not be exclusively holed up in the hotel, watching films and doing walkthroughs. There will be smiles and outdoor activities. But when it’s time for business?
“We’ll be ready to play,’’ Fernandez said. “That’s why we’re there. It’s a chance for our program to get better.’’
The Bulls (4-3) open the Cayman Islands Classic against the SEC’s Mississippi State Bulldogs (6-0) on Friday before facing the Big 12 Conference’s TCU Horned Frogs (6-0 and ranked No. 17 nationally) on Saturday.
It’s all part of a grand plan to prepare the Bulls for the American Athletic Conference season. Already, the Bulls have faced UConn, Vanderbilt and Louisville, three programs with a decided NCAA Tournament pedigree.
In December, the Bulls will travel to defending national champion South Carolina (currently ranked No. 4) and host the Duke Blue Devils (No. 13).
Challenging enough for you?
After playing most of a 62-49 home defeat against Vanderbilt without the injured Romi Levy (AAC preseason player of the year) and enduring a heartbreaking 64-60 loss against Louisville on Sunday afternoon, Fernandez hopes his Bulls will soon turn a corner against the elite competition.
For now, Fernandez said, “We look like a team with seven newcomers.’’
“The reason you take these trips is for team camaraderie, for them to enjoy themselves outside of the country and for them to get through distractions,’’ Fernandez said. “There are so many benefits, but it’s (mostly) to get a few quality games at a neutral site.
“It’s about continuing to work hard every day, right? The end result will take care of itself. Everything is part of the process. We can control how hard we work, how we prepare, and how we practice. All of that, in turn, will turn into us playing really well.’’
With Levy, Sammie Puisis (14.4 points per game) and Vittoria Blasigh (10.6 ppg.), Fernandez said he believes the Bulls have a formidable scoring punch. Veteran forward Carla Brito showed well against Louisville with a double-double (11 points, 10 rebounds). Missouri transfer Mama Dembele (5.9 points, 5.7 assists) has provided the desired jet-stream approach at point guard.
Meanwhile, others have contributed in bits and pieces. L’or Mputu (8.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, 70.6 field-goal percentage) has shown flashes in the post, while Ines Piper (6.3 points, 4.0 rebounds) had a forceful 15-point game.
“I told her (Piper), ‘You know what? Really good players do that every single night,’ ‘’ Fernandez said. “We just don’t have a good game, and then, four or five games later, show that again. So now it’s going to be about the consistency for her and some of our other players, too.’’
The Bulls are about to face some elite competition, including the likes of Mississippi State’s Jerkaila Jordan (1,872 career points), plus TCU 6-foot-7 center Sedona Prince (20.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1,013 career points) and 5-9 guard Hailey Van Lith (formerly of Louisville and LSU, 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 2,051 career points).
“How do you get better?’’ Fernandez said. “You play against good programs. You see how you stack up and what you need to work on. This is going to be a good test for us.’’
In a beautiful setting. The coach wants concentration and no distractions.
“We already live in paradise,’’ Fernandez said.
Who are we kidding? For Fernandez, paradise equates to defeating Mississippi State and TCU. In the land of beaches, coral reef and fun in the sun, this trip is all about business.
ABOUT SOUTH FLORIDA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
South Florida women’s basketball has made 18 postseason tournament appearances and had nine NCAA Tournament berths in head coach Jose Fernandez’s 25 seasons. The all-time winningest coach in program history, Fernandez has guided the Bulls to 11 20-win seasons, two WNIT final four appearances, the 2008-09 WNIT championship, has won over 450 career games, and is the all-time wins leader in the American Athletic Conference.
For complete coverage of USF women’s basketball, follow the Bulls on social media (Twitter | Facebook | Instagram).
– #GoBulls –
