USF taking defensive approach vs. Pitt

Yes, their timing could be better.

University of South Florida coach Stan Heath joked that his Bulls would've preferred meeting Pittsburgh about a month ago. The Panthers dropped off the national radar, enduring what became an eight-game losing streak.

When the Panthers (15-9, 4-7) visit the Bulls (13-10, 6-4) in tonight's Big East Conference game at the Tampa Bay Times Forum, Heath said USF will get the old Pittsburgh, the one that ranked No. 10 in the preseason. The Panthers are going for their fifth straight victory.

Panthers point guard Tray Woodall, who missed 10 games with an abdominal injury, is back creating opportunities. Ashton Gibbs, the league's best perimeter shooter, can be downright scary from beyond the arc.

USF will counter with its strength – defense. The Bulls rank second in the Big East, allowing just 59.7 points per game.

"Plain and simple, we've got to bother those guys,'' said USF sophomore forward Victor Rudd Jr.

The Bulls are good at that. Last month, Rudd, senior guard Hugh Robertson and junior guard Jawanza Poland were described as "positionless'' players by Providence College coach Ed Cooley. They can guard just about any player on the court.

Heath loves that versatility.

"They can present problems,'' said Heath, whose Bulls must rebound from Saturday's horrendous 75-45 loss at Georgetown, USF's worst margin of defeat in a Big East game since joining the league in 2005-06.

"They're long. They change your shots. They are bothersome. In this league, you need some size and you need some length. If we don't slow Gibbs and Woodall down, we can't win. So the way we play defense is a huge factor.''

Heath can visualize the same player – a swingman-type who runs the floor, goes to the rim and performs aggressively – when viewing Robertson, Rudd and Poland.

But there are differences.

Robertson, 6-foot-6, 200 pounds, has a wingspan that measures 7-1. He's one of the Big East's best defenders. And he loves that role.

"A lot of people don't want to play defense, but that's my pride,'' Robertson said. "You've got to want it. I want (to defend) the best player on the other team. I want to get up on him and drive him crazy.''

Poland (6-4, 200) has a 42-inch vertical leap. He transforms defensive stops into instant offense.

"He finds a way to get the ball in the basket,'' Heath said. "He can be a game-changer.''

Rudd, 6-foot-7, 221, has become USF's most mercurial scorer. He had 24 points in one half against St. John's. He dropped 30 points on Marist. Defensively, he might be assigned to a post player. Or he could be placed at the top of a zone alignment, which happened against Seton Hall. Rudd's persistent play against point guard Jordan Theodore turned around the game.

"We all do similar things, but we bring all kinds of things to the table,'' Rudd said. "The biggest similarity is I think we relish playing defense. People talk about my offense, but defense has always been No. 1 with me. That's how you stay on the floor. That's how you bring value to your team.''

And that's how USF hopes to stop the Big East freight train that is Pittsburgh basketball.