Matchup: USF (1-0) vs. Rhode Island (0-2)
Date: Saturday, Nov. 28
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Location: Uncasville, Conn. | Mohegan Sun Arena
TV: ESPN3 (Kevin Brown, Jon Crispin)
Radio: Bulls Unlimited (Jim Lighthall, Joey Johnston)
UNCASVILLE, CONN., NOV. 27, 2020 – The USF men’s basketball team makes its first appearance away from Tampa on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. when the Bulls face Rhode Island in the Basketball Hall of Fame Air Force Reserve Tip-Off Tournament from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
USF (1-0) opened the 2020-21 on Wednesday with a 94-84 win over crosstown foe Florida College behind 17 points, five assists and three steals from senior guard David Collins (Youngstown, Ohio). Collins’ performance moved him into eighth place on the all-time scoring list at USF with 1,283 career points.
Fellow senior Justin Brown (Atlanta) added 15 points and hit three 3-pointers and enters play against the Rams needing two more triples to move into seventh place on the school’s all-time list with 160.
Sophomore guard Jamir Chaplin (Norcross, Ga.) finished with a career-high 14 points and a career-best seven rebounds as the Bulls held a 41-29 edge on the glass. Junior Michael Durr (Atlanta) scored in double figures with 11 points and freshman Caleb Murphy (Youngstown, Ohio) turned in seven assists in his USF debut.
THE OPPONENT
Rhode Island (0-2) opened its season on Wednesday with a 94-88 setback to No. 17 Arizona State in the 2K Empire Classic at Mohegan Sun Arena. The Rams played the following night in the event and were defeated 69-64 by Boston College.
Senior guard Fatts Russell paces the Rhode Island offense with 17.5 points per game to go along with a team-best nine assists and five steals. Fellow senior guard Jeremy Sheppard stands second on the team with 14.5 points per game, while junior forward Antwan Walker adds 11.5 points per game and a team-high 7.0 rebounds per game.
QUOTABLE
“I think we have to get better at quickly is guarding the basketball, and we can’t let Fatts Russell get into the lane the way their guards typically get into the lane. Our guards have to really accept the challenge. Rhode Island is one of the top two or three teams in the Atlantic 10, and they are gonna be tough to handle.” – USF head coach Brian Gregory
NOTABLE
• USF is 1-2 against Rhode Island in the all-time series that dates back to the 1973-74 season.
• USF is in search of its first win over the Atlantic 10 since defeating George Mason in 2014.
• USF was picked to finish fifth in The American in the league’s preseason poll.
• USF head coach Brian Gregory is three wins away from 300 career victories.
• David Collins has made 432 career free throws and ranks third all-time in school history and second in AAC history.
• Redshirt junior forward Alexis Yetna was named to The American Preseason All-Conference Second Team.
• David Collins ranks sixth all-time at USF in career steals with 160.
• USF is 20-7 since the start of the 2018-19 season when Justin Brown scores in double figures.
• David Collins ranks eighth all-time at USF in scoring with 1,283 career points.
• Justin Brown has made the eighth-most career three-pointers in school history with 158.
• USF ranked 20th in the NCAA in scoring defense last season by allowing just 62.7 points per game.
• USF held 27 of its 31 opponents under their season scoring average last season.
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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.
– #GoBulls –
