Stetson @ South Florida preview
Yuengling Center
Last Meeting ( Nov 28, 2018 ) Stetson 71, South Florida 75
The South Florida Bulls, led by Michael Durr and Alexis Yetna, will play host to the Stetson Hatters in a nonconference game Tuesday in Tampa, Fla.
USF (2-2) is 2-0 at home this season, including Wednesday's 76-57 win over Florida Gulf Coast. In that game, Durr had 14 points and nine rebounds, and Yetna scored 13 and added nine boards.
For the season, four Bulls starters are averaging double figures in points: David Collins (12.3), Durr (11.3), Caleb Murphy (10.8), and Yetna (10.3).
Collins leads the team in assists (3.8), and USF's fifth starter Justin Brown is averaging 8.8 points. Brown is seventh on USF's list for career 3-pointers made.
USF coach Brian Gregory said Murphy has been relatively impressive -- for a rookie.
"He lacks experience, but he is getting better offensively, and he is defending better," Gregory said. "With freshmen, you have to search high and low for guys they can guard. They are not used to the intensity you have to guard with at this level, but Caleb is coachable."
Stetson (0-3) has lost 14 straight games in its series against the Bulls.
Gregory said Stetson was a last-minute addition to the USF schedule.
"We didn't set up this game until right before the weekend because our third game in Connecticut (against Florida A&M) was cancelled," Gregory said. "We had to leave Connecticut a day early, pivot and change. But our guys understand."
Stetson has played a tough schedule the past two games, losing by 22 points to the Miami Hurricanes and by 46 to the Florida Gators.
Rob Perry, the reigning Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year, is off to a rough start. Most notably, against the Hurricanes he was held to one point. For the season, Perry is averaging 13.3 points, which is tied for the team high with Chase Johnston.
Perry and Johnston are the only two Hatters averaging double figures, and Stetson's shooting has been a problem. The Hatters shot just 19.6 percent against Florida. For the season, the Hatters are shooting 32.7 percent while allowing 41.8 percent marksmanship by their opponents.
Here's another worry for the Hatters: USF has held opponents to just 28.1 percent this season on 3-point shots.
--Field Level Media