Bulls face big test

The University of South Florida men's basketball team has positioned itself to contend for a postseason spot, but coach Stan Heath knows most people are taking a "wait-and-see'' attitude toward the Bulls.

"I don't blame them,'' Heath said. "We need to get more wins.''

Toarlyn Fitzpatrick, USF's junior forward, was blunt.

"Now they're saying, 'Is it all a fluke?' " Fitzpatrick said. "They're pretty much wondering if we're going to be able to keep it going with a tougher half of the schedule coming up. It's a big motivation for us to keep doing well and prove some of those guys wrong.''

Today would be a good start.

The Bulls (13-9, 6-3 Big East) begin the second half of their league schedule with a trip to No. 14-ranked Georgetown (17-4, 7-3). Thus far, all of USF's conference victories have come against teams that have losing records in the Big East.

If USF can duplicate its Big East performance in the second half — another 6-3 mark would put the Bulls at 19-12 overall heading into the league tournament at New York's Madison Square Garden — Heath would feel "very comfortable'' about the chances of earning the school's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1992.

The landscape is about to get tougher.

In addition to Georgetown, the Bulls have road dates against Syracuse and Louisville this month. There are home games against Cincinnati and West Virginia. Plus, there's a home-and-home series against Pittsburgh, the preseason No. 10 team, which seems to be regaining its expected strength after an inexplicable eight-game losing streak.

"We've talked about how we've finished the first nine (Big East games) and now we have a back nine to play,'' Heath said. "Then the conversation immediately goes to Georgetown. It doesn't go to one week from now or two weeks from now.

"Seton Hall was a terrific team when we played them. They just got ranked (No. 24). Now they've lost five straight. The tide turns quickly in this league, either way.''

If USF was caught up in NCAA bubble talk and took a 360-degree view of the season, it likely would be kicking itself over some non-conference stumbles. The Bulls fell in overtime against Old Dominion, which is tied for the Colonial Athletic Association lead, and lost a two-pointer at Southern Miss, which is 20-3 and leading Conference USA.

Heath won't play that hindsight game. For now, especially considering USF was picked for 14th in the Big East, he's pleased with the Bulls' position.

"We have a good record, but we need something that can draw the attention nationally to let everyone know we're for real,'' Heath said. "We have to protect home. We have to steal some games on the road. We can't look beyond anybody.

"The stretch we have in front of us now is daunting. Georgetown is obviously as big a game as we'll play all season long.''

The potential rewards are enormous. In its 41st season of basketball, USF is seeking its 14th victory against a team ranked in the Associated Press top 25.

"With the record we have now, and as well as we've been playing in the conference, I think it just makes us feel that we really are a postseason team,'' Fitzpatrick said. "We've got the tools to do it. Now we've just got to make it happen.''