Matchup: USF (0-0) vs. Florida College (5-3)
Date: Wednesday, Nov. 25
Time: 11 a.m.
Location: Tampa, Fla. | Yuengling Center
TV: ESPN+ (Jim Louk, Neil Solondz)
Radio: Bulls Unlimited (Jim Lighthall, Joey Johnston)
TAMPA, FLA., NOV. 24, 2020 – The USF men’s basketball team raises the curtain on the 2020-21 season on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. when the Bulls host crosstown foe Florida College at the Yuengling Center.
USF head coach Brian Gregory enters his fourth season in Tampa and will begin the 2020-21 season just four victories shy of 300 for his career. In his first three years with the Bulls, Gregory led USF to a single season school-record 24 wins in 2018-19, captured the 2019 College Basketball Invitational (CBI) championship and has won 38 games over the past two years, which is the most wins at USF over a two-year span since the 1990-91 and 1991-92 teams also won 38.
Along with Gregory, USF returns four starters and nine total letterwinners from a 2019-20 squad that finished with seven league victories that included wins over Memphis, UConn, UCF and Temple. In addition, that group helped USF rank 20th in the NCAA in scoring defense by allowing only 62.7 points per game as the Bulls held 27 of their 31 opponents under their season scoring average.
“It’s proven that the best defensive teams in The American conference have finished in the top two or three every year, if not won the championship,” Gregory said. “It’s an area I think we’re good at, but we can get better at.”
Senior guard David Collins (Youngstown, Ohio) is back as the offensive catalyst after pacing USF with 13.7 points per game. Collins will begin the season ranked ninth all-time at USF with 1,266 career points and needs just six more to move into eighth place. Collins also stands 17th all-time in scoring in American Athletic Conference history and is 30 points away from moving up a spot into 16th place.
Fellow senior Justin Brown (Atlanta) turned in a breakout year in 2019-20 and was third on the team in scoring and second in rebounding. Brown also continued to be one of the top three-pointer shooters in the league and ended the season with 55 treys and a 33.5 shooting percentage from beyond the arc. Brown has connected on 155 career three-pointers and ranks eighth all-time at USF and can move into seventh place with five more triples made.
Junior post Michael Durr (Atlanta) started 30 games last season and was the top rebounder on the team with 6.1 per game. The seven-footer also poured in 6.7 points per game and shot a 49.0 percent from the field. Junior guard Xavier Castaneda (Chicago) was inserted into the starting lineup midway through the season and responded with 5.2 points per game while serving as one of the top defenders in The American.
Redshirt junior Alexis Yetna (Paris) makes his highly anticipated return to the lineup after missing all of last season with a knee injury. Yetna was the 2019 AAC Freshman of the Year after leading the league in rebounding (9.6 rpg) and double-doubles (15). Yetna also added 12.3 points per game and shot 36.8 percent from three-point range.
“Alexis is doing well and I feel good about his progress,” Gregory said. “As I said time and time again, it’s important we keep it on the cautious side right now. Because the season’s been moved back, that helps a little bit for him. His knee is better than it’s ever been. Now, it’s just about getting back and playing and taking that next step.
Letterwinners Rashun Williams (Arlington, Ga.), Mark Calleja (Hudson, Fla.), Madut Akec (Bradenton, Fla.) and Jamir Chaplin (Norcross, Ga.) are all back after productive 2019-20 seasons.
Gregory and his staff also brought in four newcomers that are expected to make an immediate impact, beginning with freshman guard Caleb Murphy (Youngstown, Ohio). Murphy was ranked as the No. 72 player in the nation by ESPN and will provide depth in the backcourt.
“Obviously, he’s got a chance to be a special player,” Gregory said. “The best thing for Caleb Murphy is he’s surrounded on the perimeter with veteran players. Although we need him to make an impact for us, it’s not like he’s doing that on his own. He can play all three perimeter positions, which he will. He’s got great length, great quickness, so he’s got a chance to be a really, really good on-ball defender.”
Two additional transfers add depth in the post in redshirt junior Prince Oduro (Toronto) and Russel Tchewa (Douala, Cameroon). Oduro made his way to Tampa from Mississippi State and Oduro arrives from Texas Tech.
“I think we’re gonna be better offensively because we have more weapons and so forth,” Gregory added. “Prince has knack to put the ball in the basket in a variety of ways. The best part about him and Russ, is right now they’re big, strong, they play hard. They can finish around the basket. I feel confident in those guys in terms of really helping us on the offensive end. They gotta help us on the glass and they gotta help us physicality-wise around the basket as well.”
USF also added Iowa State transfer Luke Anderson (Lakeland, Fla.), who enrolled last January and is eligible to play in November. Anderson played at Lakeland High School and averaged 21.8 points and 10.1 rebounds during his senior season and earned regional and county player of the year accolades in Florida’s class 8A in 2019.
THE OPPONENT
Florida College (5-3) has won three of its last four games following a 118-72 victory over Trinity Baptist College on Saturday. The Falcons made 17 three-pointers, totaled 31 assists and used a season-high 36 points from junior guard Matt Simpson en route to victory.
Simpson leads the Florida College offense with 20.9 points per game and is shooting 53.2 percent from the field. Simpson also stands first on the team with 7.3 rebounds per game and is second with 17 three-pointers made. Guards Ladarron Cleveland (11.8 ppg) and Bryan Chong (11.3 ppg) also score in double figures for the Falcons.
NOTABLE
• USF is 1-0 against Florida College in the all-time series that dates back to the 2018-19 season.
• USF was picked to finish fifth in The American in the league’s preseason poll.
• USF head coach Brian Gregory is four wins away from 300 career victories.
• David Collins has made 428 career free throws and ranks third all-time in school history and second in AAC history.
• USF is 37-12 all-time in season openers and head coach Brian Gregory is 15-1 in season openers.
• Redshirt junior forward Alexis Yetna was named to The American Preseason All-Conference Second Team.
• USF is 19-7 since the start of last season when Justin Brown scores in double figures.
• USF is 21-6 at home against non-conference opponents under head coach Brian Gregory.
• 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.
• David Collins ranks ninth all-time at USF in scoring with 1,266 career points.
• Justin Brown has made the eighth-most career three-pointers in school history with 155.
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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.
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