BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: RUTGERS @ SOUTH FLORIDA

January 2, 2008


Scarlet Knights Need to Make Right Choices (Asbury Park Press)
Big East Slate Begins in Earnest for Rutgers (Courier News)
Rutgers-USF Scouting Report (Courier News)


Are you ready for this? The South Florida Bulls are an 11.5-pt favorite in a Big East contest! The Bulls, winners of nine of their last 10 games, open Big East play tonight when they welcome Rutgers to the Sun Dome.

We all know Rutgers struggles away from home, and the prospect of playing with a limited, if at all, Corey Chandler, the hopes for the Scarlet Knights definitely looks bleak.

This year, under new coach Stan Heath, USF is deeper and more talented than the editions of the last two seasons. They will once again be anchored in the middle by Kentrell Gransberry. The mountain in the middle averages 14 PPG and 11 rebounds and should find things pretty much to his liking against a thin Rutgers front-line. Byron Joynes will try to body up Gransberry and Hamady N'Diaye will try to use his length and athletic ability, but if Gransberry clogs the lane and catches the ball in deep, he should have his way inside.

However, that is not the only weapon of the Bulls this season. Freshman Dominique Jones has been impressive filling the basket as the Bulls leading scorer with nearly 16 PPG. USF also has a solid, true point guard in Chris Howard who continues to improve and the wing scoring is deeper with former Arizona transfer Jesus Verdejo finding his comfort zone and Florida State transfer Aaron Holmes getting up to speed. Like RU, the Bulls are thin in the frontline after Gransberry, but they definitely have more offensive options this year, playing at home against an offensively challenged opponent, that bodes well for their chances.

Rutgers is led by junior JR Inman and they will need the 6'9 forward to carry them offensively. The versatile threat is averaging 16 PPG and 8 rebounds and the Bulls really do not have a candidate to slow him down. However, who else will score for Rutgers? With Chandler out of the line-up, Jaron Griffin tried to ick up the slack, but shot just 6-17 (0-8 on 3's) in a loss to Rider (61-57) and 1-7 against Manhattan (73-67 win).

Anthony Farmer did become more offensive minded, scoring 34 points in their last two contests and has slid over to the scoring guard role while freshman Mike Coburn has run the team with Courtney Nelson. The pair went scoreless (0-10 from the floor) in the loss to Rider. The uncertainty and inconsistencies on offense will make it very difficult to win on the road.

As mentioned, the Bulls are an 11.5-pt favorite. This might be a team that is also slightly under the radar while Rutgers still has a ways to go to find themselves, especially in the wake of Chandler's injury.

NBE Blogger Prediction: South Florida 75 Rutgers 59