Matchup: USF (21-13) vs. Loyola Marymount (22-11)
Date: Thursday, March 28
Time: 7 p.m. EST
Location: Tampa, Fla. | Yuengling Center
TV: BullsVision (Jim Louk, Darek Sharp)
Radio: AM 820 | USF Bulls Unlimited (Jim Lighthall, Joey Johnston)
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TAMPA, MARCH 27, 2019 – One of only 32 schools remaining in the postseason, the USF men’s basketball team continues its quest for a College Basketball Invitational (CBI) championship Thursday at 7 p.m. when the Bulls host Loyola Marymount in the semifinals at the Yuengling Center.
The College Basketball Invitational (CBI) is a single-elimination tournament consisting of 16 teams that compete on home courts. The championship is determined through a best two-out-of-three series format featuring the final two teams that will be broadcast live on ESPNU.
Single-game tickets are on sale and can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com. All 100 level seats can be purchased for $15 and all 200 level seats will be sold for $10. USF students will receive free admission thanks to the generosity of the USF Bulls Club members.
USF (21-13) qualified for the semifinals following a 66-57 victory over Utah Valley on Monday behind 18 points and 10 rebounds from redshirt freshman Alexis Yetna (Paris). Yetna leads The American with 13 double-doubles and 9.6 rebounds per game and was selected as the AAC Freshman of the Year earlier this month. On Monday against Utah Valley, Yetna became only the fifth Bull in school history with 300 rebounds in a season.
Sophomore guard David Collins (Youngstown, Ohio) added 17 points and five steals against Utah Valley and is averaging 19.6 points, 4.6 assists and 3.0 steals per game over the last five games. Overall, Collins paces the USF offense with 15.8 points per game and opened the CBI with a career-high 31 points and seven steals March 20 in a victory over Stony Brook.
Redshirt junior Laquincy Rideau (West Palm Beach, Fla.) finished with 14 points, four assists and four steals against Utah Valley and ranks second on the team with 12.9 points per game. Rideau leads The American with 2.9 steals per game and his 90 steals are the most in a single season in conference history. He also leads the league with 5.5 assists per game and is attempting to become the first player in AAC history to lead the conference in assists and steals.
THE OPPONENT
Loyola Marymount (22-11, 8-8) finished in fifth place in the West Coast Conference and was upset in the first round of its league tournament by Pepperdine. The Lions proved to be one of the top defensive teams in the NCAA this season and ranked first in the WCC in scoring defense by holding opponents to 62.7 points per game. Loyola Marymount also stood second in the conference with 7.4 steals per game.
Senior guard James Batemon leads the Lions with 16.6 points, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game and was named to the All-WCC First Team. Junior center Mattias Markusson adds 10.3 points and a team-high 6.3 rebounds per game and was named All-WCC Honorable Mention at the end of the regular season.
QUOTABLE
Head coach Brian Gregory on the matchup with Loyola Marymount:
“Loyola Marymount actually played in the Jamaica Classic with us and they actually won it. They were the only team that won every game. They beat Georgetown when they played them and then beat Ohio in the second game. They play in a tough conference and have been playing extremely well, so it’s a great challenge for us, but a great opportunity for us to continue to grow and keep practicing and playing. Bateman is a tough, physical guard that is an all-league player for them, and Markusson inside is an imposing force both defensively and offensively. This is a team that is well-coached and knows how to play, so it’s going to be a big test for us.”
NOTABLE
• USF is one victory away from tying the school record for the most single-season wins in school history with 22.
• USF is 1-0 in the all-time series with Loyola Marymount and 7-3 all-time against schools currently in the West Coast Conference.
• USF has won 11 more games than it did last year and is tied for the third-best win improvement in the NCAA.
• USF is attempting to win three postseason tournament games in the same season for the first time in school history.
• USF is the only school in the NCAA to have its conference leader in rebounds, assists and steals.
• USF redshirt freshman Alexis Yetna has more double-doubles (13) than six teams in The American.
• USF redshirt freshman Alexis Yetna is one of only five Bulls in school history with 300 rebounds in a single season.
• Laquincy Rideau ranks fifth in the NCAA and first in The American with 2.9 steals per game.
• Alexis Yetna leads The American and ranks 27th in the NCAA with 9.6 rebounds per game.
• USF is ranks 13th in the NCAA and second in The American with a +6.7 rebounding margin.
• USF has attempted the second-most free throws in the NCAA (941) and has made the seventh-most in the NCAA (608).
• Laquincy Rideau looks to become the first player in AAC history to lead in assists and steals in the same season.
• Laquincy Rideau already holds the American Athletic Conference single-season steals record with 90.
• USF ranks fourth in the NCAA with 13.8 offensive rebounds per game.
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 brings nearly 250 career head coaching wins and six postseason appearances, including the 2010 NIT Championship, to Tampa. In his first season at the helm of the Bulls, Gregory led the team to its first 10-plus win season since 2013-14.
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 and appeared in the NIT eight times.
For tickets, contact the USF Ticket Office at 1-800-Go-Bulls or by going online to USFBullsTix.com.
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– #GoBulls –
Jay D’Abramo
Assistant Director, Communications || MBB, FB, T&F
