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Bulls Feeling Feisty, Focusing On Putting An End To Losing Streak

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By BRETT McMURPHY | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 9, 2008

ROSEMONT, Ill. - Feisty. That's how University of South Florida men's basketball coach Stan Heath describes his team entering today's Big East contest at DePaul.

"We are pretty feisty right now," Heath said. "We've got a short temper and that's a good thing.

"That's the mood of the team right now and hopefully it can carry over into the game."

The Bulls' feistiness can be attributed to their nine-game losing streak.

Since opening league play with a win against Rutgers, USF (10-13, 1-9 Big East) is winless. And only one of those losses was by fewer than 10 points, an eight-point loss at No. 17 Marquette on Jan. 29.

"Our scores have been really deceptive," Heath said. "Against St. John's Saturday, it was a one-point game with seven minutes left and we went goose egg the rest of the way.

"What happens is we experience those scoring droughts."

The biggest drought for USF has occurred on the road against conference opponents. The Bulls visit DePaul having lost 25 consecutive conference road games, the nation's longest streak. That includes the final four road games in Conference USA in 2005 and all 21 Big East road games the past three years.

"To win on the road, some way or another, we have to have one or two guys who can spell Dominique Jones and Kentrell Gransberry," said Heath, who has been at USF for only five of the Bulls' Big East road losses. "We're asking a lot from those guys to play 38-40 minutes."

USF's problem is opponents take advantage of the Bulls' reserves, Heath said.

The Blue Demons (9-13, 4-6) also have had their share of problems. Since starting 4-2 in league play, DePaul has lost four consecutive games and is in 12th place, the final qualifying spot for the league tournament.

Despite the conference road losing streak, the Bulls had two of their better efforts the past two road games, at No. 17 Marquette and No. 6 Georgetown.

"Of all the games, we experienced the least amount of a drought at Georgetown," said Heath, whose club led by nine in the first half before losing 63-53. "But we still haven't been able to put together a 40-minute game."

After DePaul, the Bulls return to Tampa for home games against Syracuse on Wednesday and No. 19 Connecticut on Feb. 16.

Reporter Brett McMurphy can be reached at (813) 259-7928 or bmcmurphy@tampatrib.com.

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