Matchup: USF (2-2) vs. Loyola Chicago(3-2)
Date: Monday, November 25
Time: 1:30 p.m.
Location: George Town, Grand Cayman | John Gray Gymnasium
TV: FlopHoops (Scott Galetti, Kyle Youmans)
Radio: Bulls Unlimited (Jim Lighthall)
GEORGE TOWN, GRAND CAYMAN, NOV. 24, 2019 – The USF men’s basketball team takes to the road for the first time this season when the Bulls travel to George Town, Grand Cayman, to face Loyola Chicago on Monday at 1:30 p.m. in the opening round of the Cayman Islands Classic from John Gray Gymnasium.
USF (2-2) returned to its winning ways on Thursday and used 18 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals from junior David Collins (Youngstown, Ohio) to defeat Wofford 69-55. Collins leads the USF offense with 14.5 points per game and enters the tournament needing only 86 more to become the 20th player in school history with 1,000 career points.
Junior Justin Brown (Atlanta) added 16 points and knocked down three 3-pointers against the Terriers, while senior Laquincy Rideau (West Palm Beach, Fla.) finished with 11 points, four assists and five steals. Rideau has tallied 12 steals over his last two games and is tops in The American and third in the NCAA with 4.0 steals per game. Overall, USF ranks sixth in the NCAA with 12.0 steals per game and has registered at least nine in all four games this season.
THE OPPONENT
Loyola Chicago used a 28-9 run that spanned both halves on Wednesday to defeat IUPUI 85-62 to claim its second consecutive win. The Ramblers opened the season with a victory against UC Davis before falling in consecutive games to Furman and Coppin State. Loyola Chicago, which reached the Final Four in 2018 and the NIT last season, was picked to finish fourth this season in the Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll.
Junior forward Cameron Krutwig, a preseason All-Missouri Valley First Team selection, leads Loyola Chicago with 16.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Krutwig is also shooting 66.7 percent from the field and owns a team-high 31 assists. Lucas Williamson adds 14.0 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, while both Tate Hall (12.4 ppg) and Marquise Kennedy (11.4 ppg) both score in double figures for the Ramblers.
NOTABLE
• USF and Loyola Marymount will meet for the second time in history when the two schools matchup on Monday.
• USF is 6-3 all-time against schools currently in the Missouri Valley Conference.
• David Collins is 86 points shy of becoming the 20th member of the USF 1,000 point club.
• Junior Justin Brown is nine three-pointers away from moving into the top 10 all-time at USF.
• USF ranks sixth in the NCAA with 12.0 steals per game and has at least nine in all four games this season.
• David Collins has made 306 career free throws and ranks seventh all-time in school history.
• USF ranks sixth in the NCAA in turnovers forced with 21.8 per game.
• Laquincy Rideau ranks third in the NCAA with 4.0 steals per game.
• USF was picked to finish fifth in The American in the league’s preseason poll.
• USF has made at least one three-pointer in 133 consecutive games.
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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