Matchup: USF (6-5) vs. Florida State (9-2, 1-1)
Date: Saturday, December 21
Time: Noon
Location: Sunrise, Fla. | BB&T Center
TV: FS2 (Rich Waltz, Bob Wenzel)
Radio: Bulls Unlimited (Jim Lighthall, Joey Johnston)
Follow: Listen | Watch | Live Stats | Twitter
TAMPA, FLA., DEC. 20, 2019 – After winning three of its last four games, the University of South Florida men’s basketball team takes to the road for the final time in 2019 when the Bulls travel to Sunrise, Fla., to face No. 19 Florida State Saturday at noon in the Orange Bowl Basketball Classic at BB&T Arena.
USF (6-5) suffered a heartbreaking 76-74 overtime loss Wednesday against Utah State in the Battleground 2k19. David Collins (Youngstown, Ohio) scored a team-high 15 points and leads the team and ranks fourth in The American with 15.3 points per game. Collins, who became the 20th player in school history with 1,000 career points earlier this month, now ranks 18th in scoring all-time at USF.
Senior Laquincy Rideau (West Palm Beach, Fla.) also scored 15 points and added six assists and three steals Wednesday against the Aggies. Rideau stands second on the team and 15th in the league with 13.4 points per game. In addition, Rideau is third in the conference in assists (4.0 apg) and tops in steals (2.8 spg).
Junior guard Justin Brown (Atlanta) is third on the team with 8.6 points per game and second with 4.9 rebounds per game. Sophomore forward Michael Durr (Atlanta) paces USF with 6.2 rebounds per game.
THE OPPONENT
Florida State (9-2, 1-1) has won eight of its last nine games and two straight after defeating North Florida, 98-81, on Tuesday. The Seminoles are winning by an average of 13.5 points per game and holding opponents to 63.0 points per game. Additionally, the Florida State defense forces an average of 18.1 turnovers and collects 9.4 steals per game.
Sophomore guard Devin Vassell leads Florida State with 12.3 points per game, 4.7 rebounds per game, 18 steals and is shooting a team-best 43.8 percent from three-point range. Senior guard Trent Forrest adds 12.0 points per game and junior guard M.J. Walker also scores in double figures with 10.5 points per game.
NOTABLE
• USF and Florida State will meet for the 34th time in history when the two schools battle on Saturday.
• USF has won three of the last five games against Florida State.
• USF ranks 39th in the NCAA with 9.0 steals per game and has at least eight in eight of 11 games this season.
• David Collins has made 332 career free throws and ranks fourth all-time in school history.
• USF ranks 26th in the NCAA in turnovers forced with 17.8 per game.
• Laquincy Rideau ranks ninth in the NCAA with 2.8 steals per game.
• USF is 15-4 since the start of last season when Justin Brown scores in double figures.
• USF ranks 33rd in the NCAA in scoring defense by allowing just 60.9 points per game.
• David Collins is shooting 57.9 percent (22-for-38) from the field over his last four games.
• USF has held 10 of its 11 opponents under their season scoring average.
• Antun Maricevic is shooting 90.0 percent (9-for-10) and averaging 8.7 points per game over the last three games.
• David Collins ranks 18th all-time at USF in scoring with 1,024 career points.
About USF Men’s Basketball
The USF men’s basketball team is led by head coach Brian Gregory. On March 22, 2017, Gregory was introduced as the 10th head coach in program history. He previously led programs at Georgia Tech (2011-16) and Dayton (2003-11). Gregory spent nearly a decade as an assistant coach under Michigan State’s Hall of Fame head coach Tom Izzo and helped the Spartans win the 2000 NCAA National Championship. Gregory owns nearly 250 career head coaching wins and six postseason appearances, including the 2010 NIT Championship. In his second season at the helm of the Bulls, Gregory led the team to the best win turnaround in the NCAA, the most single-season wins in school history and the 2019 College Basketball Invitational championship.
USF has retired three numbers in its 47-year history: Chucky Atkins (12), Charlie Bradley (30) and Radenko Dobras (31). The Bulls have earned three NCAA tournament bids, appeared in the NIT eight times and won the 2019 College Basketball Invitational.
To stay up-to-date on the latest USF men’s’ basketball news, follow the Bulls on social media (Twitter | Facebook | Instagram).
For tickets, contact the USF Ticket Office at 1-800-Go-Bulls or by going online to USFBullsTix.com.
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