TAMPA, MAY 7, 2020 – The USF men’s basketball team added the first marquee matchup to its non-conference schedule on Thursday, as the Bulls will face LSU on Saturday, Dec. 12 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta during the Holiday Hoopsgiving event, a neutral site quadruple-header hosted by The VII Group.
The other three games of the quadruple-header will pit Dayton against Mississippi State, Alabama against Clemson and Auburn against Memphis. All travel packages and game tickets will be available at a later date. Fans can stay up to date on information at http://theviigroup.net/.
“Our goal is to highlight the top basketball talent in the country on both the high school and college levels to show the future of basketball,” Christopher Williams, CEO/Founder of The VII Group said. “We are elated to be able to bring this experience to Atlanta.”
LSU turned in a 21-10 overall record and a 12-6 mark in the Southeastern Conference last season and was ranked as high as No. 18 in both major polls. The Tigers earned the No. 3 seed in the SEC Tournament, featured two all-conference selections and they’re expected to be ranked in the preseason top 25 next season.
“We’re excited for the opportunity to travel to Atlanta and play in a quadruple-header event that features some of the best teams in the country,” USF head coach Brian Gregory said. “LSU returns a wealth of talent and is expected to compete for a conference championship in the SEC this year, so it will be a very challenging matchup for us, but one that we are looking forward to as we continue to build our program.
“In terms of recruiting, the Atlanta area has had a major impact on our program,” Gregory added. “This is a great opportunity for our players from Georgia to play in front of their families, friends and hometown fans.”
USF enters the 2020-21 season with the potential to return four starters from a team that has won 38 games over the past two seasons, which is the most over a two-year span since the 1990-91 and 1991-92 teams won 19 games each for a combined 38 victories. The Bulls also finished with seven wins in The American and became the first USF squad with at least seven wins in league play in back-to-back seasons since the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons.
USF also proved to be one of the top defensive units in the NCAA last season and ended the year ranked 20th in the NCAA in scoring defense by allowing just 62.7 points per game. In addition, the Bulls held 27 of their 31 opponents under their season scoring average.
Season ticket deposits are now available for the 2020-21 season. By placing a $50 deposit per seat for season tickets, fans will be able to select their seats in advance. Season tickets are available starting at less than $6 per game. Fans also have the opportunity to select their seats earlier than the general public by becoming season ticket members. Season ticket deposits may be purchased at USFBullsTix.com or by calling 1-800-GO-BULLS.
To stay up-to-date on the latest USF men’s’ basketball news, follow the Bulls on social media (Twitter | Facebook | Instagram).
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 300 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.
For tickets, contact the USF Ticket Office at 1-800-Go-Bulls or by going online to USFBullsTix.com.
