Catch the Bulls' Free Exhibition Game on Friday Night
MATCHUP: Flagler College at USF (exhibition)
DATE/TIME: Friday, Nov. 3/7 p.m.
LOCATION: Sun Dome
RADIO: 820-AM |
Listen online
TWITTER UPDATES: @USFMBB
ADMISSION, PARKING: Both free
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By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
TAMPA, NOV. 2, 2017 – Fans have a free chance to get a sneak peek at the Bulls' progress under new head coach
Brian Gregory on Friday night.
USF will continue to tune up for the regular season with an exhibition test against Flagler College at 7 p.m. inside the Sun Dome. In addition to free admission, fans also can park for free in the Sun Dome lots.
"New coaches, new atmosphere," said redshirt junior forward
Isaiah Manderson (Bronx, N.Y.). "We're just trying to bring a winning mentality to the program."
Also new to the program are 10 talented players, including three grad transfers with more than 100 combined career starts – guard
Stephan Jiggetts (Fairleigh Dickinson), wing
Payton Banks (Penn State) and guard
Terrence Samuel (Penn State).
"We are very excited. We've got a lot of new players," said Samuel, a national champion with UConn in 2014. "We feel like we're going to surprise a lot of people this year, so we're just ready to get it started."
Confidence continues to grow for USF's new-look lineup that's being guided by a coach who knows how to fit winning pieces together.
Gregory has won 248 combined games in his head coaching career that started with stops at Dayton (200-3-11) and Georgia Tech (2011-16). Before becoming a head coach, Gregory gained winning experience as an assistant at Michigan State, where he helped lead the Spartans to two NCAA Final Fours, three Elite Eights and the 2000 national championship.
Gregory reunited with Tom Izzo as a consultant at Michigan State last season and he's excited about guiding the Bulls back on the winning path.
"It was a really good educational process for me," Gregory said. "It also kind of got the energy flowing again and the juices flowing again to get back on the court."
Bulls Bits
- KNOW THE OPPONENT: Flagler College is a Division II program out of St. Augustine, Fla., that competes in the Peach Belt Conference. Flagler finished the 2016-17 season with a 10-16 record and lost five games by 10 points or less. The Saints are in their first season with head coach Chad Warner.
- PLAYERS GRADUATE UNDER GREGORY: Coach Gregory puts a priority on players finishing what they started from a school standpoint. Every one of his four-year seniors at Georgia Tech graduated, along with all 23 of his seniors at Dayton.
- GET YOUR TICKETS: Watch the beginning of the Gregory era of USF men's basketball from start to finish by purchasing season tickets at USFBullsTix.com. Season flex plans for two up to eight games are also available. Group ticket plans can be purchased by calling 1-800-Go-Bulls.
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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, 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 brings nearly 250 career head coaching wins and six postseason appearances, including the 2010 NIT Championship, to Tampa. 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 and appeared in the NIT eight times.
To stay up-to-date on the latest USF men's' basketball news, follow the Bulls on social media (Twitter | Facebook | Instagram).
