The Best USF men's bball season ever (so far)

[Guest BasketBull.]

1991-1992

(PART I)

St. Petersburg Times

October 16, 1991

BRIAN LANDMAN

Old Bulls in a new league

TAMPA While optimism is always at a zenith on the first day of practice, you'll have to pardon the University of South Florida Bulls for being especially upbeat.

USF returns four senior starters guard Radenko Dobras, center Gary Alexander and forwards Fred Lewis and Bobby Russell from a team that finished 19-11, beat three NCAA Tournament participants and earned an NIT berth.

""This team is clearly the most experienced we've had here,'' Bulls coach Bobby Paschal said, ""and it's clearly had the most good experiences together.''

But the Bulls are entering a new ring: the Metro Conference, where they, North Carolina-Charlotte and Virginia Commonwealth join national powerhouses Louisville and Southern Mississippi.

Besides Metro games, the Bulls face perhaps their most demanding non-conference schedule in years: Florida State, Florida, Cincinnati, home-and-home with Texas Christian, and a potential game against Iowa in USF's Holiday Invitational.

Perhaps all these expectations prompted about 3,000 fans to attend Tuesday's Midnight Madness celebration at the Sun Dome.

They came to see Alexander, a relentless rebounder (10.2 a game) and inside scorer (16.4 points), who this year may discard his cumbersome knee brace; Lewis, the captain; and Dobras, the 6-foot-7 guard from Yugoslavia who has led USF in scoring his first three years.

The players worth watching, however, might be the newcomers. Point guard Corey Allen, an All-American at Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College last year, could allow Dobras to move back to the shooting-guard spot.

Derrick Sharp, the Florida Junior College player of the year last year at Brevard Community College; Gerard Arcement, a junior from Skyline (Calif.) Community College; and Mike Greene, a freshman from Miami Killian High, should bolster the Bulls' perimeter game and open up the inside for Alexander and Lewis.

""We always have high expectations,'' Paschal said. ""That expectation has not changed at any time. But we're optimistic if we play hard as a team, we can have a reasonable level of success.''

Publications rate Dobras, Alexander as All-Metro

The Tampa Tribune

October 26, 1991

Author: Chris Marti

USF basketball seniors Gary Alexander and Radenko Dobras have earned early honors in two preseason basketball publications.

Street & Smith named both players honorable mention All-America. The Sporting News picked Dobras as the 20th best shooting guard in the nation and first-team All-Metro Conference. Alexander was named second-team all-conference in the same publication.

The Sporting News forecasts a third-place finish for the Bulls, while Street & Smith predicts a fourth-place finish. Both magazines select Louisville to win the conference.

Alexander (6-foot-7, 235 pounds) and Dobras (6-7, 185 pounds) earned All-Sun Belt Conference honors last year. The two will join senior forward Fred Lewis and Coach Bobby Paschal at Metro Media Day in Atlanta on Sunday.

METRO FORECAST: LOUISVILLE GOOD

TECH, VCU BAD

Richmond Times-Dispatch

October 28, 1991

Author: Bob Lipper

Times-Dispatch staff writer

Unanimity may be hard to come by in Congress and at the Mideast peace talks but not in preseason forecasts for the Metro Conference basketball race. At least, not when it comes to predicting the bottom and very top of the standings.

Media representatives and coaches yesterday agreed in separate polls that Virginia Commonwealth will finish sixth and Virginia Tech seventh and last in the restructured Metro. Louisville was chosen to wind up atop the conference standings.

"It's not where you're picked that counts," said Tech coach Bill Foster, "it's where you're headed. I'm very optimistic about our club."

Said VCU's Sonny Smith of his team's sixth-place pick: "I think it was probably correct. We have a good basketball team returning. But our team was a good team for the Sun Belt. I don't know what we'll be like in the Metro."

VCU was a member of the Sun Belt Conference last season, as were new Metro members South Florida and UNC Charlotte. They've joined four holdover teams in a Metro that lost Florida State to the ACC, South Carolina to the SEC and Cincinnati and Memphis State to the Great Midwest Conference.

"Last year was kind of a cloud in a lot of ways," said Ralph McFillin, the league's commissioner. "That's not the way it is this year. I think a lot of people wrote us off. They didn't think we were going to make it."

Louisville, perennially a Metro kingpin but an uncharacteristic 14-16 and dead last in 1990-91, was a runaway selection in both polls to finish first this season. The coaches' vote had Tulane second, followed by Southern Mississippi, South Florida and UNCC.

The writers and broadcasters differed slightly, placing Southern Miss, Tulane, UNCC and South Florida 2-5.

"I just hope whoever did the picking is right," said Louisville coach Denny Crum. "Look at the Atlanta Braves and Minnesota Twins going from last place to first place in a year. That's what we want to do."

Individually, VCU sophomore forward Kendrick Warren was named to the preseason all-Metro squad selected by the writers and broadcasters. Others named to the team were Southern Miss forward Clarence Weatherspoon -- the lone unanimous pick -- UNCC guard Henry Williams, Louisville swingman Everick Sullivan and Tulane center/forward Anthony Reed.

"I feel good, `cause maybe they think I'm a pretty good player," said Warren. "But I have to live up to it. I have to prove myself in a new league."

Radenko Dobras and Gary Alexander of South Florida, Jarvis Lang of UNCC, Cornelius Holden of Louisville and Kim Lewis of Tulane were named to the second team.

BIG FOUR SHOULDER USF LOAD

Bradenton Herald, The (FL)

November 5, 1991

Author: Willie Hiatt, Herald Sports Writer

Their names are Lewis, Alexander, Russell and Dobras, the close-knit foursome that has already left its mark on University of South Florida basketball, having taken the Bulls where they had never gone before.

It is the sixth year of the Bobby Paschal era (60-85) at South Florida, and the 50-year-old coach has to be excited that four veterans are leading the way even deeper into uncharted territory. The last two seasons suggest his program has finally turned the corner, but will that success continue in a new, tougher conference?

``We definitely have a good senior nucleus coming back,'' Paschal said. ``As far as moving into the Metro Conference, we are the most well-prepared to do that than at any time since we've been here.''

Indeed, Fred Lewis, Gary Alexander, Bobby Russell and Radenko Dobras, four seniors who have meant so much to the Bulls the last two seasons, will have a large say in the transition from the Sun Belt to the Metro. After a 7-21 finish in 1988-89, the Bulls have gone 20-11 and 19-11, cashed the school's first ticket to the NCAA Tournament and followed it up with a trip to the National Invitation Tournament.

The big four actually played together for the first time last season, when the 6-foot-7, 230-pound Alexander returned from knee surgery that knocked him out of the entire previous season. The rugged senior was a force in the middle, averaging 14.9 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.

Dobras, a wiry 6-7, 185-pound shooting guard from Yugoslavia, led the team in scoring for the third straight season at 16.7 points per game. With 89 starts already under his belt, Dobras can become the first player in USF history to start every game of his career.

Then come the forwards, the 6-7, 200-pound Lewis (11.3 points, 6.9 rpg), who Paschal calls the most underrated player he has ever coached, and the steady 6-5, 210-pound Russell (6.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg).

``It's exciting to play with them for the last time,'' Alexander said of the group, ``but it's also depressing.''

One of the biggest keys for the Bulls is finding a point guard. They return sophomore Chad Dollar, who started four games after Marvin Taylor was dismissed for disciplinary reasons at midseason. They also brought in several good junior college players, including juniors Corey Allen from New York and Derrick Sharp from Orlando.

Paschal has been particularly impressed by Sharp, a sharp-shooter who last season averaged almost 24 points for state runner-up Brevard Community College. The state juco Player of the Year last winter, Sharp is getting a look at point guard but is probably best suited as a swing man. Allen is a natural point guard and Gerard Arcement, a juco transfer from Stockton, Calif., can also play the wing.

``We're still looking at a lot of things and I think we'll be relatively slow at making a definite decision,'' Paschal said.

What the Bulls don't have is overall depth. Last season, how ever, they did find a good sixth man in David Williams, a 6-foot-6, 235-pound senior forward who played for Auburn as a freshman. Williams averaged about four points and four rebounds in a strong second-half showing.

What remains to be seen is how well the Bulls fare in their new league. In the mad conference realignment last year, USF jumped to the Metro to take advantage of increased television exposure and revenue. Existing Metro schools Louisville, Tulane, Southern Mississippi and Virginia Tech welcome USF, North Carolina-Charlotte and Virginia Commonwealth.

Louisville, the NCAA champion in 1980 and '86, is generally regarded as the league favorite, with the Bulls picked to finish between third and fifth. Tulane, Charlotte and Southern Mississippi - which features Clarence Weatherspoon, who averaged almost 18 points and 12 rebounds per game last season - also are picked near the top.

``Everybody talks about Louisville and Southern Mississippi and this team and that team,'' Alexander said. ``We know what it takes to win. You don't want to take 13 freshmen into a new league, especially one as competitive as the Metro will be.''

Paschal makes point, won't name starter

The Tampa Tribune

November 6, 1991

Author: Joey Johnston

The University of South Florida men's basketball team must address an obvious question. Who will play point guard? The first clue may occur during Thursday night's Sun Dome exhibition game against the Florida Stars AAU team.

The Bulls have four senior starters returning - 6-foot-7 center Gary Alexander, 6-7 forward Fred Lewis, 6-5 forward Bobby Russell and 6-7 guard Radenko Dobras - for their first venture into Metro Conference play.

At point guard, USF coach Bobby Paschal said he likes the play of junior college transfers Derrick Sharp and Corey Allen. But he won't rule out Chad Dollar, who started four games at the point last year. And Paschal said Dobras could play there if necessary.

Regardless of the scenario, USF should have tremendous flexibility at guard.

""I think Coach Paschal already knows who the [starting] point guard is, but he's not letting us in on it yet ... I hope it's me,'' said Allen, a Coffeyville (Kan.) Junior College transfer from the Bronx. He talks and plays with New York flash, and he even competed on the same Riverside Summer League team with Kenny Anderson, the NBA's second overall draft pick.

Sharp is better known for his high-tempo shooting ability. He was the Florida Junior College Player of the Year last season at Brevard CC. He averaged 23.7 points per game, with a high of 50.

Sharp's only experience at point guard was during his freshman season at Brevard.

""This is a competition, but it really doesn't matter who's starting,'' Sharp said. ""I think we'll all have a chance to contribute. As for me, I've made a pretty good transition so far. I'm looking forward to the [exhibition] game to see where I stand.''

Recruiting heats up: Chris Coleman, a 6-foot-3 guard from Stevenson High School in Prairie View, Ill., said he will sign with USF next Wednesday, when the NCAA early signing period commences.

Coleman made a verbal commitment to Wisconsin but apparently changed his mind after visiting USF. He averaged 25 points, 12 rebounds and six assists per game as a junior.

Paschal, who has seven scholarships to offer for next season, said he can't comment on specifics until the signing date. But he added, ""I think it's going well. We're in on a few players who will be signing early, and a few who will be signing later. You never know until they're actually signed.''

One player Paschal covets is Anthony Brown, a 6-6 forward from St. Petersburg Lakewood. Brown visited Alabama last weekend.

The Bulls have a top future prize already on campus. Former Chamberlain star Jesse Salters is working out with the team but won't be eligible until next season. He transferred from Florida State after getting limited playing time as a freshman.

Niedung honored by Metro: Freshman Kirsten Niedung, a middle blocker, was named Metro Conference Volleyball Player of the Week. It was the first time a USF athlete received the Metro Conference weekly honor.

Niedung had a .387 hitting percentage (36 kills, seven errors, 75 total attempts), 24 digs, seven blocks and two service aces during three games last weekend for the Bulls (14-16).

The most notable match was a 12-15, 10-15, 15-7, 15-10, 15-12 upset of Auburn (19-8), which was ranked No. 7 in the Southeast Region. It was the second consecutive weekend the Bulls rallied from two games down to win a match.

Next up is this weekend's Gamecock Invitational at Columbia, S.C. USF will face host South Carolina on Friday, then East Tennessee State and Southeast Missouri State on Saturday.

USF hosts conference soccer tournament: The USF Soccer Stadium will be the site of this weekend's inaugural Metro Conference Soccer Tournament.

On Friday, Louisville (5-10-2) meets Virginia Tech (9-7-2) at 3 p.m. On Saturday, top-seeded North Carolina Charlotte (13-2-4) faces Friday's winner at 5 p.m., followed by second-seeded USF (7-5-5) against Virginia Commonwealth (7-9-1) at 7 p.m. The final is Sunday at 4 p.m.

USF's only regular-season game against a tournament opponent was a 1-1 tie with VCU on Oct. 27.

Bull bits: The USF men's basketball team opens its regular season at home on Nov. 22 against Stetson.

... Marvin Taylor, USF's former point guard who was dismissed from school last year, has surfaced with the Fort Wayne Fury of the Continental Basketball Association. Taylor cracked a rib during a sc rimmage last weekend and might be on the injured list when CBA play begins Friday.

November 7, 1991

Bulls face AAU stars in exhibition tonight

TAMPA - The University of South Florida will play an exhibition game against the Florida Stars AAU team tonight at 7:30 at the Sun Dome.

The Stars' nine-player roster includes former Florida Southern players Ted Kennedy and Derek Flowers, plus former Marquette star Oliver Lee of DeLand. The Bulls, coming off back-to-back postseason appearances, have four starters returning - Radenko Dobras, Bobby Russell, Gary Alexander and Fred Lewis.

Tickets are $6. For more information, call 974-3002.

The Bulls will play an exhibition against a club team from Greece nex Wednesday before opening the regular season against Stetson.

Bulls hope exhibition game will reveal a point guard

St. Petersburg Times

November 7, 1991

Author: BRIAN LANDMAN

The point of the University of South Florida's first exhibition basketball game tonight isn't winning. Instead, it's the winning of the point.

The Bulls, who play the Florida Stars at 7:30 p.m. in the Sun Dome, have one glaring question mark in their starting lineup: Who will start at point guard?

The most likely candidates are Derrick Sharp, a junior from Brevard Community College; Corey Allen, a junior from Coffeyville Community College in Kansas, and sophomore Chad Dollar. Senior Radenko Dobras was moved to the point late last season, but he's at his best as a shooting guard.

""All of those players can definitely contribute. We'll just have to find what combinations will function the best together,'' USF coach Bobby Paschal said. ""We'll probably play more people more minutes than we would in a normal game situation so we can make some real judgments. We want to win as well, but there are certain things we want to find out and that will take precedence.''

Paschal said one exhibition game won't settle the competition, but it could establish a clear-cut front-runner for the player who must run the offense and defense for an experienced lineup.

The Bulls, 19-11 last year including a NIT appearance, return seven seniors and four senior starters: center Gary Alexander, forwards Fred Lewis and Bobby Russell, and Dobras.

Sharp played the shooting guard spot last season, averaging 24 points and earning the Florida junior college player of the year award. But he played the point as a freshman and appears to be getting more comfortable there, Paschal said.

Allen, lithe and quick, averaged six assists a game last year and is a pure point guard. Paschal said he has been slowed by a few bumps and bruises in practice.

Dollar was Marvin Taylor's backup last year and started four games midway through the year. USF won three of those games, including against Florida International and Virginia Commonwealth.

""We are taking it slowly with that position,'' Paschal said. ""We want all the players working at that position to have a good understanding of the system and it probably won't be clarified until we get closer to the start of the regular season (Nov. 22 against Stetson). I think someone's going to come to the surface and be the lead person and we'll have more people to play there than before.''

Exhibition game doesn't solve Bulls point-guard situation

St. Petersburg Times

November 13, 1991

Author: BRIAN LANDMAN

It wouldn't be fair or prudent to judge the University of South Florida's point-guard contenders on the basis of one game, especially the first exhibition game.

With fast breaks and one-on-one play the norm against the Florida Stars last Thursday, neither Derrick Sharp nor Corey Allen was afforded ample opportunity to demonstrate his ability running a half-court offense.

But with four senior starters back (guard Radenko Dobras, forwards Fred Lewis and Bobby Russell and center Gary Alexander), the point remains the only unsettled spot.

""The point-guard position could be the difference between us being 20-10 and 15-15,'' Alexander said after USF's 100-89 win.

To make some points about the point:

Sharp, a junior and the Florida Junior College Player of the Year last season, is indeed a Sharp-shooter. He started and scored 15 points, hitting 3 of 6 NBA-range three-pointers. That range will prevent defenses from collapsing on Alexander and Lewis.

But Sharp's point-guard experience is limited to his freshman year at Brevard Community College. He had two assists and four turnovers against the Stars.

""I thought he did a good job, but he's such a good scorer and trying to lead might take away a little from that scoring threat,'' Stars coach Jim Jarrett said. ""It's hard to play both of those roles.''

Sharp said he doesn't have a preference between the point- and shooting-guard positions; he just wants to be on the floor.

""It is pass first and shoot second,'' he said of playing the point. ""But I'll do whatever I have to. I just want to help the team.''

Allen, a junior college transfer from Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College, is clearly more experienced and comfortable at orchestrating the offense. He also seems a little quicker off the dribble.

He came off the bench and scored 11 points (on 4-of-5 shooting, all driving layups), had five assists, four turnovers and two steals. Like Sharp, Allen played 22 minutes.

""I thought he was the better point guard; you could tell by the way he handled the ball,'' said Stars guard and former Stetson standout Frank Ireland of Allen. ""But they're both great and they'll both contribute a lot. But they have a long way to go to be like (Marvin) Taylor.''

Taylor, the Bulls starter the last two years, led USF to its first NCAA tournament appearance in 1990 and to a strong start last year before he was dismissed from the team.

""I had a little jitters for maybe a minute, but it felt good out there,'' Allen said. ""We're still fighting it out and it's up to Coach Paschal. I'll be happy with whatever his decision is. I'm just here to contribute.''

Sophomore Chad Dollar, Taylor's backup last year, is still a possibility to start, as is Dobras, who moved from the shooting guard to the point at the end of last year. But it probably will be Sharp or Allen.

Or a combination of both, at least at the outset.

""Derrick is a great shooter and Corey is a better ballhandler and a great penetrator,'' Lewis said. ""They give us different looks and I'm sure both will see about the same time. With four starters back, we're smart enough to adjust our game depending on the point-guard that's in.''

The Bulls play their final preseason game against a Greek national team Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in the Sun Dome. USF opens the regular season against Stetson Nov. 22 at 8 p.m. in the Sun Dome.

USF wins during changing of guard

The Tampa Tribune

November 15, 1991

University of South Florida coach Bobby Paschal still hasn't determined how his guards will be utilized when the regular season begins.

But he has some options. That was evident in USF's 93-56 exhibition victory over AC Sporting, a club team from Greece, Thursday night before an estimated 1,000 fans at the Sun Dome.

Radenko Dobras, a 6-foot-7 senior, was the most effective of USF's four point guards. He is expected to play mostly at shooting guard this season, but the Bulls got a clear spark when he shifted to point in the second half.

""There was a time in the second half when we found ourselves,'' said Paschal, whose team opens at home next Friday night against Stetson. ""I don't want to be that analytical. I wouldn't want to say [how the guards will be rotated] right now.''

Dobras had 14 points and five assists. Junior college transfer Derrick Sharp, another point guard candidate, had a game-high 20 points. He hit his first four field goals and was 10-for-10 from the foul line.

""I feel comfortable playing at the point,'' Dobras said. ""Changing positions doesn't hurt me [offensively]. I enjoy it, actually.''

Dobras provided the night's highlight with an assist off a three-on-one break. Stopping at the foul line, Dobras leaped and tucked the ball between his legs, then passed it behind his back. Gary Alexander finished the play with a slam dunk.

""That's not something you work on in practice because Coach isn't going to let you,'' said Dobras, grinning. ""I guess you do it when you're goofing around in your spare time. At that moment in the game, I just decided to do it.''

""There's a time and a place for things like that,'' Paschal said. ""It was OK. Now, if they start doing that every time down the floor, I'd have a problem with that.''

USF also placed Alexander (14), Bobby Russell (12) and Fred Lewis (10) in double figures. Lewis led USF with 11 rebounds.

Paschal names Dobras to start at point guard

The Tampa Tribune

November 20, 1991

Radenko Dobras will likely start at point guard Friday night when the University of South Florida basketball team opens with Stetson at the Sun Dome.

USF coach Bobby Paschalsaid Tuesday that ""if nothing changes between now and Friday,'' Dobras, a 6-foot-7 senior, would get most of the ball-handling duties. Junior college transfer Derrick Sharp will start at shooting guard.

""That's the lineup that looks the best to us right now,'' Paschal said. ""But it also means that some other guys are going to get some significant minutes. This is probably how we're going to start out, though.''

Dobras, one of four senior starters returning, split time between the point and shooting guard last season. During last Thursday's 93-56 exhibition victory over AC Sporting, a club team from Greece, the Dobras-Sharp combination clearly was the most effective at guard.

Paschal said junior college transfer Corey Allen and sophomore Chad Dollar remain in contention for prime playing time at the point.

""Overall, I feel very good about our guard situation,'' Paschal said.

Bracing for the future: Center Gary Alexander plans to play this season without the brace he has worn since undergoing reconstructive left knee surgery in September 1989.

""The knee isn't on my mind,'' Alexander said. ""Without the brace, I'm quicker with a lot more agility. Before, I always had to tighten up the brace while I was playing. I'm confident that I'll do just fine without it.''

USF

St. Petersburg Times

November 20, 1991

Author: BRIAN LANDMAN

Coach: Bobby Paschal

Records:

Year Team W-L

1978-86 SW Louisiana 153-85

1986-91 South Florida 60-85

1978-91 Overall 213-170

1991-1992 roster

Player Yr. Pos Ht Pts Hometown

Corey Allen Jr. G 6-0 11.2 Bronx, N.Y.

(Deft point guard from junior college. Played with Kenny Anderson in summer.)

Gerard Arcement Jr. F 6-5 14.4 Stockton, Calif.

(Another JC transfer. Athletic, fast. Most dangerous slashing to the basket.)

Gary Alexander Sr. F-C 6-7 14. 9 Jacksonville (Tenacious underneath, averaging 10.2 rebounds. Will play without knee brace.)

Radenko Dobras Sr. G 6-7 16.7 Yugoslavia (Excellent court awareness and a proven perimeter scorer. Will

start at point.)

Chad Dollar So. G 6-1 1.7 Atlanta (Played well at times as backup point guard last year. Adds depth this year.)

Landon Edmond Sr. F 6-7 0.8 an Jose, Calif. (Strong and a wide body, but underachieved last year. Needs to show more.)

Mike Greene Fr. G 6-4 29.4 Miami (A solid perimeter player who will drive fearlessly. Probable redshirt.)

Fred Lewis Sr. F 6-7 11.3 Tampa (Captain. Rebounds, defends and scores, but must shoot more from the outside.)

Scott Roczey Sr. F 6-9 2.0 Los Angeles (Excellent shooting range, but as the tallest Bull must supply

inside strength.)

Bobby Russell Sr. F 6-5 6.8 Fort Lauderdale (Not known for scoring, but can shoot well. Perhaps best man-to-man defender.)

Derrick Sharp Jr. G 6-1 23.7 Orlando (Florida juco player of the year. Team's best perimeter and free-throw shooter.)

David Williams Sr. F 6-6 3.8 Washington, D.C. (Fierce rebounder and a presence inside, but too prone to fouls

last year.)

The season

THE TALENT: Outlined against a blue-gray Sun Dome ceiling, USF's four horsemen returning senior starters Dobras, Alexander, Lewis and Russell ride again. In fact, the Bulls have seven seniors. The only question has been which junior-college transfer will take over at point: Allen or Sharp. But USF appears most dangerous with Dobras at the point and sharp-shooting Sharp at off-guard. That gives the Bulls two outside threats, which should keep teams from sagging underneath. Allen will see a l ot of time, too. The other key reserves are Williams (who must back up both Alexander and Lewis inside), Arcement and Roczey.

THE CONFERENCE: USF, along with fellow Sun Belt defectors North Carolina-Charlotte and Virginia Commonwealth, joins the new Metro Conference. Three of the four remaining Metro teams Louisville, Tulane and Virginia Tech are experienced and should be stronger than they were last year. Southern Mississippi still has Clarence Weatherspoon, the two-time Metro Player of the Year and a U.S. Pan Am team star. The Bulls will have to play well to finish in the top tier of this league.

THE LAST WORD:

""Alot of us have been together for a long time, and we hate for it to come to an end. But there's no way we're going to let it slip away without having a big year.''

USF's Paschal making good on promises

The Tampa Tribune

November 21, 1991

Author: Tom McEwen

You've heard it before.

You've heard that an athletic team about to open the season will be solid, improved and competitive, but it may not be reflected in wins and losses because the schedule will be tougher.

Hear it again.

This time, about the University of South Florida men's basketball team.

The 1991-92 Bulls will be solid, improved and competitive. But they will be playing in the realigned and tougher Metro Conference - not the Sun Belt - and will face an especially challenging non-conference lineup, all of which starts Friday night at the Sun Dome with Stetson.

But while some around him take the better team/tougher schedule posture, and though Coach Bobby Paschal acknowledges it, he does not hide behind it.

""To have these players now, to have this situation now - good team, good schedule - that was the commitment we made when we came here in 1986,'' he said, taking the circumstance head-on. ""We are clearly in the best position talent-wise we have been to make the move into a tougher conference, and we expect to be a competitive team in it. We knew that year in and year out we had to take a step up, and we have.''

Strong cast coming back

The Bulls return four senior starters of talent, grit and appeal to their ever-increasing following. Together, Gary Alexander, Radenko Dobras, Fred Lewis and Bobby Russell have combined to start 310 collegiate games. Dobra has started 89 straight - every game since he arrived from Yugoslavia in 1989 - and will start at point guard, with transfer Derrick Sharp the companion guard and perimeter shooter with Russell and Dobras. Russell will be the small forward with Lewis and Alexander, bot h 6-foot-7, the inside men. Transfer point guard Corey Allen will get plenty of playing time, as will Chad Dollar, a returnee, transfer guard Gerard Arcement and returning big man David Williams.

This is a good team. It is a team fans know and one they expect to produce. The nucleus of this team has won 39 games over the last two seasons, won one Sun Belt title, made the NCAA Tournament once and the NIT once. USF fans no longer expect the worst. They expect the best. They have seen the Paschal teams of the last two years win big ones, and plenty of them late. But they remember surrendering big leads and were reminded losing is always a possibility, such as Maryland last year, a team U SF led by 19 points then lost by six.

""These four players have been through virtually every situation,'' Paschal said, ""and I consider that one of the pluses. Another is that several of our players are fifth-year players who were redshirted for one reason or another lexander and Russell with knee surgery, Lewis because he transferred from the University of Tampa. Dobras was not, but he was a little older when he got here.

""This is a close team and an enthusiastic team. They like each other and Fred Lewis will be the captain for the third year. In all my coaching, he is the best in that role. And the final plus, we have some good basketball players who also are intelligent.''

Last hurrah for top quartet

Alexander, Lewis, Dobras and Russell will graduate this year, Alexander in December and the others next summer. Dobras is carrying a 3.4 grade-point average in computer engineering. Lewis is majoring in history, Russell and Alexander in criminal justice. If I were Hillsborough County Sheriff Walter Heinrich, I'd pursue Alexander. He weighs 230 pounds, plays hurt and has a look that would freeze any criminal. He also could leap high enough to pull a burglar out of a second-story window.

As for playing style, ""I hope we are balanced offensively and defensively,'' Paschal said. ""I think we are. We are not big, but we can leap. What is very important about our team, I hope, is that it looks like we will be capable of scoring in flurries, inside then out.''

So it is BasketBull time and prospects are dandy for an exciting and strong year, a rather remarkable turnaround from when Paschal succeeded Lee Rose. In his first three building seasons, Paschal teams won only 21 times in 63 games. Then came the 20-11 season in 1989-90, the Sun Belt title and an NCAA playoff berth, and the high noise level at the Sun Dome has been sustained. It will start there Friday with high hopes it stay there through early March.

It is a simple fact that Bobby Paschal has done what he promised he would do.

Bulls couldn't ask for better start to season

The Tampa Tribune

November 23, 1991

Author: Tom McEwen

Perfect, for South Florida.

Absolutely perfect way to start a season of strong expectations.

Senior Bobby Russell hit a field goal on the first Bulls attempt of the 1991-92 season for a 2-0 lead, a lead not surrendered.

USF took an early 12-point lead over Stetson.

Senior Gary Alexander had three crowd-rousing slam dunks early on, three in a row, and later would rip the cords because of the ferocity of his dunks, causing play to stop for repairs.

In no time, all four seniors - Russell, Alexander, Fred Lewis and Radenko Dobras - had scored field goals.

Then junior Derrick Sharp made his first shot on goal, and it was from three-point range. He would make three more.

By halftime, 10 Bulls had seen action.

By halftime, the Bulls had advanced to a 16-point lead but had to fight every step of the way.

In the second half, Stetson, led by stylish Mark Brisker and Bryan Conner, began to close as the Bulls began to slop it up a bit.

The combination cut the USF lead to 10, then later to nine, before a strong finish with Dobras scoring nine points in the last three minutes after he too had lapses.

Finishing in style

Russell, who started it all, stole a ball late and went the distance for a layup and a final hoot from the crowd of 6,451. Dobras ended it all with two free throws and a 16-point victory, 91-75.

In the process, captain Lewis quietly had a brilliant game, with 15 points and a Metro Conference-tying 22 rebounds.

In the process, the Bulls had begun with a flourish and finished with a flourish. They had played good defense, sloppy defense, hit from all angles, played 10 people, which meant getting the new players in - Corey Allen, Gerard Arcement and Sharp - and they looked like they will help.

In the process, the Bulls recovered from a rush by a Stetson team that relies on the long ball and the speed of Brisker and Conner. And in the process, they had good runs of their own.

In the process, their seniors played like seniors most of the time and their transfers played like they would need little transition.

In the process, Sharp impressed with his four three-pointers, Alexander was right back in action with his six slams, Dobras was back with his smooth, brinksmanship play, Russell was there when needed and Lewis was being the good captain Coach Bobby Paschal expects him to be in this first-ever Metro Conference season.

The nervous time for USF partisans came beginning with 9:02 left in the game, their Bulls leading comfortably by 13 points, when Stetson cut the lead to nine, 79-70. That was the wake-up call the Bulls needed. The Bulls finished with the 91-75 final marker, meaning they outscored a threatening opponent 12-5 in the final minutes with Dobras and Russell the point-makers.

The slams of Alexander, rousers and needed, and the three-point shots of Sharp fancied the crowd and livened the place and surely inspired the Bulls and chilled Stetson, some.

Lewis asserts leadership

But, again, all the while Capt. Lewis was doing what captains do ebounding, shooting, passing and calming things down. Paschal said he was the best captain of his experience. He was a role model in that command position Friday night at the Sun Dome.

""There's no way it could have been a better opening,'' Lewis said. ""The Metro. The season. And the final year at USF for seven of us. Hopefully, this game set the tempo for the rest of the season. For me, this was probably the greatest opening to a season at any level I have ever experienced.''

Be hard to top.

USF can mark it a blue ribbon day the day Lewis decided to transfer from the University of Tampa to South Florida.

Again.

Perfect start.

And the crowd was supportive. One student was especially helpful. He held up a large photo of a slinky lady in a bikini behind the goal as ace marksman Brisker of Stetson tried a free throw. He missed.

USF jams Stetson in opener

St. Petersburg Times

November 23, 1991

Author: BRIAN LANDMAN

University of South Florida forward Fred Lewis didn't waste any time making a mark in the Bulls' first season as a Metro Conference team.

It was a non-conference game, but Lewis, a senior, grabbed 22 rebounds to match a Metro record already held by Pervis Ellison (Louisville), Robert Miller (Cincinnati) and Darryl Martin (South Carolina). He also scored 15 points as the Bulls beat Stetson 91-75 in both teams' opener Friday night at the Sun Dome.

""I didn't realize till the last minute of the game, when some of the players were shouting out I needed a couple more rebounds, so I figured I was close to something,'' Lewis said. ""Hopefully, it helped established what it's going to be like the whole year.''

Lewis' running mates followed his lead. Senior point guard Radenko Dobras scored 23 points, senior center Gary Alexander had 23 points and 10 rebounds, junior guard Derrick Sharp had 12 points, and senior forward Bobby Russell added nine.

""Any time a guy goes out and gets 22 rebounds and ties a conference record, it's clearly a real good night,'' USF coach Bobby Paschal said. ""It certainly set a tone for us rebounding the basketball.''

USF outrebounded Stetson 56-34 overall 34-15 on the way to a 51-35 halftime lead. The big rebounding edge in the first half helped the Bulls take good shots, and they hit 22 of 40. Stetson was 14-of-40.

""No question: The difference in the ballgame was the rebounding,'' Stetson coach Glenn Wilkes said. ""You have to rebound to win in college basketball. We knew they do an excellent job, but we didn't put a body on them in the first half. We rebounded with them in the second half, and I'm pleased about that.''

Paschal said the Bulls relaxed after intermission.

""We didn't come out with near as much intensity as we started the game with,'' the USF coach said. ""We started playing at too quick a pace. We didn't execute well enough, with enough patience, to go to our strengths. That's something we'll work on.''

Sharp didn't take a shot until 10 minutes were gone in the second half. Still, Stetson did not cut the Bulls' advantage to less than double figures until Tony Overton hit two free throws with 3:35 left, bringing the Hatters to within 79-70.

Dobras, hampered by foul trouble most of the game, hit two unanswered baskets to pad the lead. He scored nine of the Bulls' final 12 points.

""It was a good win. Most of the game we played good,'' Dobras said. ""We had a bad beginning of the second half, but it was the first game. You can expect everything to go perfectly.''

The Bulls, namely Dobras, Alexander, Lewis and senior forward Bobby Russell, started out perfectly. They scored USF's first 24 points punctuated by four Alexander dunks to take a 24-13 lead with 13:44 to play before intermission, bringing the crowd of 6,451 fans to their feet repeatedly.

Less than three minutes later, Stetson rallied to within 24-21 by bombing away from three-point territory. With Dobras on the bench with three personal fouls, the USF lead seemed tenuous.

But Sharp was razor sharp from the perimeter. He hit three three-pointers, barely disturbing the nylons, to key a 13-2 run in the next 2:08.

""I missed my first one, but once I got my confidence, I was in the ozone,'' said Sharp, a junior-college transfer. ""I think every shot is going in.''

Alcorn State at USF

St. Petersburg Times

November 26, 1991

Author: BRIAN LANDMAN

What: Alcorn State Braves (0-1) vs. South Florida Bulls (1-0), 7:30 p.m., Sun Dome, Tampa.

Radio: WQYK-1010 AM.

Coaches: Alcorn State Lonnie Walker. South Florida Bobby Paschal.

Players to watch: Alcorn State Marcus Pittman, F, 6-8, Fr.; Mario Montgomery, G, 6-4, Fr.; Marcus Walton, G, 6-1, Fr. South Florida Radenko Dobras, G, 6-7, Sr.; Gary Alexander, C, 6-7, Sr.; Fred Lewis, F, 6-7, Sr.; Derrick Sharp, G, 6-1, Jr.

Last game: Alcorn State lost to Arkansas-Little Rock 82-74 on Saturday. South Florida beat Stetson 91-75 on Friday.

Bulls blister Alcorn State

St. Petersburg Times

November 27, 1991

Author: BRIAN LANDMAN

The University of South Florida men's basketball team just had too much ""G'' for Alcorn State on Tuesday night at the Sun Dome.

That's G for gunners, gas and, most importantly, Gary Alexander, the Bulls' senior center. Alexander keyed a 22-8 second-half run by scoring, swatting shots and stealing passes, and USF cruised to an easy 104-84 win in front of an announced crowd of 4,355.

""Blocks, dunks those are things that ignite the crowd, and that's what we need,'' Alexander said.

Alexander finished with 18 points on 8-of-9 shooting, a game-high 10 rebounds, and four blocks. His second-half flurry also drained the youthful Braves and helped kick-start his teammates.

All five starters scored in double figures for USF (2-0). Derrick Sharp had 22, Radenko Dobras 20, Fred Lewis 19 and Bobby Russell 10.

Alcorn State (0-2), which started three freshmen and had no seniors, drew to within 55-49 on a Robert Morgan three-pointer with 17:26 left.

Alexander followed with a dunk and rejected a shot that USF parlayed into a Russell fast-break jumper. After another dunk by Alexander, the Braves were reeling, and Sharp hit his third three-pointer of the game. Then Alexander stole a pass that led to another Russell transition basket and a 65-55 lead with 13:37 left.

""Gary definitely set a good tone for us during the second half,'' USF coach Bobby Paschal said. ""He surely showed some senior leadership, and everyone responded to that.''

The lead swelled to 30 points twice, including 95-65 with 3:12 to play. USF broke the 100-point margin for the first time since the 1988-89 season and a 104-94 win against Jacksonville.

At the outset, the experienced Bulls easily took advantage of the inexperienced Braves. Crisp, precise perimeter passing allowed Sharp to hit two threes, Alexander and Lewis to dunk, and Russell and Lewis to swish wide-open short jumpers.

The Bulls raced to a 17-4 lead with 15:58 to play in the half, but Alcorn State started to hit its shots, and USF lost patience attacking the Braves' zone defense. A hush fell over the home crowd when Marcus Pittman's baseline turnaround tied the score at 24 with 10:20 left in the half.

With his teammates stunned, Dobras, who had attempted just one shot, hit two three-pointers and a leaner in the lane, giving USF a 32-28 lead 8:12 before halftime.

The quick, pesky Braves and the Bulls traded baskets for the next six minutes, until USF rediscovered its patience. A cross-court pass to Sharp led to a feed to Alexander, a dunk and a foul.

After Alexander converted the free throw, USF tried its full-court trap. The trap had failed to do much, but it netted three straight turnovers for a 49-40 halftime lead.

""We came out and played with great intensity, and after we jumped out to that lead, we relaxed, and you can't relax,'' Paschal said. ""We talked about that (at halftime): playing every play with total intensity and aggressiveness. I was pleased we came out in the second half and started playing that way.''

USF at Old Dominion

St. Petersburg Times

November 30, 1991

Author: BRIAN LANDMAN

What: South Florida Bulls (2-0) vs. Old Dominion Monarchs (1-0), 7:30 p.m., Norfolk (Va.) Scope.

TV/radio: SportsChannel Florida; WQYK-1010 AM.

Coaches: South Florida Bobby Paschal. Old Dominion Oliver Purnell.

Players to watch: South Florida Radenko Dobras, G, 6-7 Sr. (21.5 ppg); Gary Alexander, C, 6-7 Sr. (20.5 ppg, 10.0 rpg); Derrick Sharp, G, 6-1 Jr. (17.0 ppg). Old Dominion Ricardo Leonard, F, 6-7 Sr. (24.0 ppg); Joe Leake, G, 6-3 So. (15 ppg).

Notes: USF and Old Dominion last met in a Sun Belt Conference tournament semifinal. ODU won 72-69. But USF has moved to the Metro and ODU to the Colonial Athletic Association. Both teams return four starters, but the Monarchs lost leading scorer Chris Gatling to the NBA. ODU leads the series 15-8, including victories in the past two meetings.

Bulls cruise past Monarchs, 90-71

The Tampa Tribune

December 1, 1991

Crunch time? So far, that's been a foreign concept for the University of South Florida Bulls. They've been too busy crunching the opposition.

The Bulls slammed that point home again Saturday night with a 90-71 victory over the Old Dominion Monarchs at the Norfolk Scope before 2,672 fans.

""I hope we never have a close game,'' said USF guard Radenko Dobras, who had a game-high 28 points, including 19 in the second half. ""You can't let up, especially on the road. No one cheers for you here. It's up to you to keep the pressure on.''

USF (3-0) has won by an average margin of 18 points. The tone was set early against ODU (1-1). Inside play by Gary Alexander (23 points) and Fred Lewis (21) kept USF on the offensive and led to a 62.5 percent shooting night.

""We were bringing it,'' Lewis said. ""I don't think they could stay with us inside. We were just whipping them.

""It's a good feeling because it's easy to get caught in their [opponent's] style of play on the road. If you're a good team, you need to play well on your floor and the other team's floor. Tonight, we showed we could just take it to them. Very satisfying.''

Alexander had 17 points in the first half. When ODU cut the lead to 49-41 in the second half, USF went on a 23-12 run, led by the 13-point spurt of Lewis.

""Their front-line guys are men,'' first-year ODU coach Oliver Purnel said. ""We couldn't stop them in the paint. They have a good perimeter game, but they didn't even need it tonight.''

The Bulls figure to need it Friday night when they face Wyoming in the Key Centurion Marshall Tournament at Huntington, W.Va. Wyoming, 20-12 last season, was a Top 25 preseason pick in some publications.

""A tremendous challenge is ahead of us,'' USF coach Bobby Paschal said. ""But we've shown the ability to respond so far [this season]. Winning on the road gives you a very positive feeling. Now we've got to keep it going.''

""I'm feeling really good about this team,'' Lewis said. ""Last year, we had some big leads and let them get away. This year, we have the knockout punch.''

Bull notes: For the first time in more than two months, Radenko Dobras said he spoke to his 20-year-old brother, Jelenko, a member of the Yugoslav national army that has been fighting the war in their homeland. Dobras said Jelenko has moved to a military base in Belgrade, where he should remain for another two months. ""At least now we know he is safe,'' Radenko said. ... Reserve point guard Chad Dollar didn't dress out. Dollar hasn't practiced since Thursday, when he took an elbow to the face and suffered a swollen lip. ... The Bulls were forced to evacuate their hotel rooms at 2:40 Saturday morning. A prankster discharged a fire extinguisher on the 12th floor of the Norfolk Waterside Marriott, filling the hall with smoke. In all forms of dress, USF players and coaches departed their 11th-floor rooms and waited in the lobby until firemen gave the all clear sign at 3:10 a.m. ... ODU leads the series 16-9. USF has won two straight games at the Scope after eight consecutive losses there. ... Former ODU star Chris Gatling, also a former USF nemesis, attended the game. He was a first-round draft choice of the Golden State Warriors last June, but currently is on the injured list.

NORFOLK, Va. -- Radenko Dobras had 28 points and Gary Alexander added 23 points and 13 rebounds Saturday night as the Bulls romped past Old Dominion (1-1).

The Bulls (3-0) shot 62 percent (35-56) from the floor.

SOUTH FLORIDA 90: Williams 1-2 0-0 2, Greene 0-0 0-0 0, Lewis 9-11 3-5 21, Arcement 0-1 0-0 0, Allen 0-1 0-0 0, Alexander 10-14 3-5 23, Sharp 3-3 2-3 10, Dobras 9-17 7-8, 28, Russell 3-6 0-0 6, Jackson 0-0 0-0 0, Edmond 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 35-56 15-21 90.

OLD DOMINION 71: Robinson 3-8 1-2 9, Larkin 2-3 0-0 5, Harvey 1-1 0-0 2, Smith 0-2 0-0 0, Anderson 0-0 0-0 0, Grant 3-9 0-1 8, Leake 1-4 0-0 2, Jackson 5-8 2-2 17, Jones 2-3 0-0 5, Leonard 7-13 5-7 19, Wright 0-0 0-2 0, Sessoms 2-5 0-0 4. Totals 26-56 8-14 71.

Halftime: South Florida, 42-33. Three-point goals: Sharp 2, Dobras 3, Robinson 2, Larkin, Grant 2, Jackson 5, Jones. Rebounds: South Florida (Alexander 13), Old Dominion (Grant, Leonard 5). Assists: South Florida (Sharp 5), Old Dominion (Larkin 4). Total fouls: South Florida, 34-20. A: 2,672.

[Guest BasketBull.]

1991-1992

PART II

Sharp, USF serve notice in romp over Wyoming

The Tampa Tribune

December 7, 1991

It had all the subtlety of an ax murder. The University of South Florida Bulls didn't just win. They slashed. They destroyed.

""Tonight, I think we proved a point,'' USF forward Fred Lewis said. ""This was big. Maybe we'll start to get some notoriety now.''

Friday night's witnesses at the Henderson Center will certainly remember. USF remained unbeaten with an 85-68 stomping of the Wyoming Cowboys at the Key Centurion Marshall Memorial Classic.

""Guys, they just kicked the tar out of us,'' Wyoming coach Benny Dees said, running his fingers through a head of hair that had grown even mor gray. ""I swear we're not that bad. It's just that South Florida has a helluva team. A helluva team. They're going to win a lot of games.''

USF (4-0) will play for the tournament championship tonight at 8:30 against Oral Roberts (2-4), an 82-62 winner over Marshall. Wyoming (3-1) meets Marshall (1-2) in the consolation game at 6.

A USF victory would equal the best start in school history, set last season.

The Bulls outrebounded Wyoming 45-26 while collecting 21 offensive boards. Derrick Sharp led USF scorers with 20 points, including four three-pointers. Radenko Dobras had 17 points and Lewis 14.

The only USF negative occurred with 14:29 remaining when center Gary Alexander sprained his right ankle. He didn't return and his status remains questionable for tonight's game.

But when Alexander was in, he muscled for 14 rebounds, outdueling the Cowboys' front line of 6-foot-10 Brian Rewers, 6-7 Reginald Slater and 6-7 Tim Breaux.

""Gary doesn't have much swelling yet,'' USF coach Bobby Paschal said. ""We think he pulled some muscles in the foot and ankle. We'll have to see how it goes tonight and tomorrow.

""At least it wasn't the ... well, I don't even want to say it.''

Alexander tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in 1989, causing him to miss the entire season. Paschal winced a bit when he saw Alexander hit the floor.

But otherwise, it was a night to smile. Everyone played, and nearly everyone contributed.

David Williams came off the bench for eight points and 11 rebounds, including seven on offense. Point guard Corey Allen ran the show effectively when Sharp got into foul trouble.

""We have some players that don't see a lot of time, but we're ready when called upon,'' Williams said. ""I think tonight showed how good we can be. We hit them hard, and everyone stepped up to help out.''

USF's 15-point first-half lead was cut to 10 at halftime. Wyoming saw an opening. But it was slammed shut by Sharp, who hit two three-pointers to begin the second half and start an 18-5 USF run.

""That took the air out of us,'' Dees said. ""Sharp nailed down our fate. We didn't start shooting until it was over. When it counted, we were terrible [shooting].

""But that's due to South Florida. They guarded the heck out of us. They're a better team because they crash the boards, get the loose balls and play defense. This was a good, sound whipping.''

The tone was established early. Wyoming couldn't solve USF's suffocating man-to-man defense. Slater finished with 21 points, four off his average, mostly because Lewis did a superb job of denying him the ball.

""We wanted to keep the ball out of Slater's hands,'' Paschal said. ""Fred did well, but so did our overall team defense. And it was also one of those nights when a lot of people were called upon.

""Nobody had to be the stopper. Nobody had to score a bunch of points, because everyone played well. It was a total team victory.''

In the second game, Neal Sabastian scored 30 points, including five three-pointers, as Oral Roberts routed Marshall.

Oral Roberts led only 37-32 at halftime but shot 59.4 percent in the second half to break the game open.

ORU thwarts Sharp-shooting Bulls 99-92

St. Petersburg Times

December 8, 1991

Oral Roberts University proved its point.

Led by forwards Sebastian Neal and Ray Thompson, the Titans stunned South Florida 99-92 Saturday night in the championship game of the Marshall Memorial Classic.

Neal, a transfer from Iowa who was named the tournament's most valuable player, scored a game-high 30 points for the Titans (2-4). Thompson added 19.

Neal scored 21 of his 30 points in the second half. He helped shut the door on the Bulls when he scored five points in a 9-to-1 run to push the Titans' lead to 67-57 with 12:29 to play.

""We're not just some little team that came in here to finish fourth,'' said ORU coach Ken Trickey Jr. ""Our forwards are as good as any forwards in America.''

The Bulls (4-1), who got some hot shooting themselves from Derrick Sharp (24 points) and Radenko Dobras (23 points), couldn't agree more.

""Oral Roberts is a good basketball team,'' said USF coach Bobby Paschal. ""This is not a fluky type of thing here. We would have had to play very well to beat them.''

Sharp, a junior guard, played very well. He had a school- and tournament-record eight three-pointers. Together, Sharp and Dobras, a senior guard, combined for 14 three-pointers. Senior forward Fred Lewis of Tampa chipped in 18.

Sharp and Dobras were both All-Tournament selections, along with Neal, Thompson and Wyoming forward Tim Breaux.

Marshall (2-2) posted a 91-86 victory against Wyoming (3-2) in the consolation game.

The Bulls managed to stay with the fast-paced Titans throughout much of the first half, trailing 47-43 at the break after 11 ties and eight lead changes.

The Bulls tied it at 49 with 17:55 to play on a basket by Lewis, but Oral Roberts ran off five straight and never relinquished the lead.

Paschal offered one reason as to why.

""If Gary Alexander was 100 percent, it would have been a totally different ballgame,'' he said.

Alexander, who pulled muscles in his right foot Friday in the Bulls victory over Wyoming, played sparingly.

USF knows it can't afford many surprises

The Tampa Tribune

December 12, 1991

They should be undefeated. They should be receiving votes in The Associated Press poll. They should be on a big-time roll.

Instead, none of the above applies to the University of South Florida Bulls. And all because they were outplayed by ... Oral Roberts University.

This has the makings of a pretty special USF team. But not if it can't beat the likes of ORU.

Granted, you rarely win them all in basketball. You hit slumps, off-nights, great shooting performances by overachieving teams. But if the Bulls want a serious run at the NCAA Tournament, they simply can't afford efforts like last Saturday night.

Remember, the Metro Conference Tournament does not carry an automatic NCAA bid this season. USF (4-1) needs regular-season victories, especially over teams it is expected to beat.

The Bulls looked fabulous Friday night in an 85-68 victory over highly regarded Wyoming at the Key Centurion Marshall Memorial Tournament. But one night after probably one of the most satisfying wins in Coach Bobby Paschal'stenure, the Bulls went flat in a 99-92 championship-game loss to Oral Roberts.

USF played very little defense. Having to come from behind for the first time this season, the offense seemed rushed instead of composed. It was a team loss.

Four of USF's likely next six opponents are undefeated. The Bulls go to Florida (5-0) on Sunday, then face Florida State (3-1), possibly No. 16-ranked Iowa (6-0) in the Tribune Holiday Invitational final, Cincinnati (6-0) and Texas Christian (6-0).

A tough road. But the last time we checked, the Bulls' biggest selling point was experience. Seniors Gary Alexander, Radenko Dobras, Fred Lewis and Bobby Russell have combined for 330 collegiate starts, which should translate to something tangible during the tight games.

But if the Bulls take things lightly, they can lose to nearly anyone. Saturday night proved that.

Stating their case: USF's next two games are with Florida on Sunday and Florida State on Dec. 20 at the Sun Dome. Big games, yes. But far from the biggest of the season, according to Paschal.

""These will be interesting and exciting games to be involved with,'' Paschal said. ""The fans will get involved. Many of the players from the different teams know each other quite well.

""But these are not the same as conference games, by any means. If you would say who would you rather beat, Florida or Louisville? Florida State or Southern Mississippi? I'd say Louisville and Southern Mississippi because those are the Metro Conference games.''

Alexander said he is still experiencing some pain in his right foot. He pulled muscles and sprained an ankle last weekend. He didn't practice Tuesday but expects to play against Florida.

Bull Rebounders: Paschal will meet with the Bull Rebounders on Friday at noon at the University Center 1956 Ballroom. He will discuss Sunday's game at Florida, along with player-guest Alexander.

The cost is $6, which includes lunch. For reservations, call 974-3696.

A Sharp shooter hits USF

The Tampa Tribune

December 14, 1991

He's the University of South Florida's shooting star, a player who can seemingly roll out of bed and hit

a three-pointer.

Shooting stars will eventually dim. But Derrick Sharp's game, much like his life, isn't purely based on flash. He has soft-spoken perspective and a deep sense of priorities.

When Sharp takes the court Sunday afternoon against the University of Florida, he will be wearing the same Nike shoes as his USF teammates. But on his bottom soles, as always, he will write two names.

Roxanna. Dwyight. His mother and brother. His reasons for striving to be the best.

""I need them to be with me on the court,'' said Sharp, 20. ""So I decided to do this. They are the most important people in my life. They keep me going and I want to take care of them one day. I think about them all the time.''

So far, his family has much to be proud of. Sharp, a junior transfer from Brevard Community College, has been a true impact player. He's averaging 17.6 points per game, second behind Radenko Dobras, and shooting an outrageous 59.5 percent (22 of 37) from three-point range.

Not bad for a guy who once heard he was too small for a big-time role in college basketball. Sharp, now 6-foot-1, never bought that opinion. When presented with obstacles, he just worked a little harder.

And at Orlando's Evans High School, that meant a breakneck schedule. Besides school, basketball practice and late-night study sessions to remain on the Evans honor roll, he worked at a taco restaurant to provide the family extra money.

Sharp's mother, Roxanna McCall, said he continually expresses devotion. After earning his USF scholarship and moving to the Tampa campus, he felt compelled to thank McCall in a letter.

""I read it three times and I think I cried every time,'' McCall said. ""Derrick said I was responsible for what he is, and he was more fortunate with one parent than most kids who have two parents in the home. Then he said it was just the three of us - Derrick, Dwyight and I - and we have to stick together.

""That's just the way Derrick is. He never got a whipping. He never caused trouble. He never told me a lie. He would never play basketball at a court where there was drinking going on and somebody was doing drugs. He's been a great son. And I think everybody seems to like him.''

Sharp has fit in well at USF. Junior college players can sometimes struggle in the transition to Division I play. But Sharp established himself early and became the fifth component in a USF starting lineup that included four returning seniors.

""The Derrick Sharp shot is like poetry in motion,'' said Gerard Arcement, Sharp's roommate and another junior college transfer. ""Even if he misses a few, he's always a threat to explode. The confidence is always there.''

USF coach Bobby Paschal cringes when hearing Sharp described as a ""streak shooter.'' He said that description doesn't apply.

""Derrick isn't the kind of shooter who misses 10 in a row,'' Paschal said. ""He feels like he's going to make it every time. But he understands how to take his shots within the flow of the team. That's pretty special.''

Still, team captain Fred Lewis often jokes with Sharp about his high-scoring tendencies.

""I told Derrick, "Is this the first year you've been required to throw a pass?' '' Lewis said. ""You know how he used to get his assists? They counted his missed shots as assists. He missed it, and you had to go get it. That was the pass.

""Man, I'm just kidding when I say that. I'm glad Derrick's here and I tell him that at least once a week. I was kind of skeptical when I heard about his size. But he can shoot. One of these nights he's going to get really hot and hit for about 40.''

Sharp has already shown flashes of that. In last Saturday's 99-92 loss to Oral Roberts, he tied a USF record by hitting eight three-pointers. ORU coach Ken Trickey said he was wondering ""when that Sharp guy was going to miss.''

""When I get on a roll, I call it going into the ozone,'' Sharp said. ""My job is to score. I'm not shy. I'm going to shoot the ball.

""The fans get fired up over the three-pointers. I get some attention and that's nice. But the thing I like the most is my mother is proud of me. I really thrive on that. I want to do well for her.''

Some athletes are motivated by playing time, publicity or the cheering crowd. But Sharp clearly knows the factors that really drive him.

It must be the shoes.

South Florida at Florida

The Tampa Tribune

December 15, 1991

Where/when: O'Connell Center, Gainesville, 1:30 p.m.

Broadcast info: SportsChannel; WFNS (910 AM), WHNZ (570 AM), WQYK (1010 AM).

Records: South Florida 4-1, Florida 5-0.

Series/last meeting: Florida leads 12-3; USF defeated UF 70-61 last season.

PROBABLE STARTERS

USF

P Ht. Name Pts R/A

F 6-7 Fred Lewis 17.4 10.0r

F 6-5 Bobby Russell 8.4 3.6a

C 6-7 Gary Alexander 16.2 10.4r

G 6-7 Radenko Dobras 22.2 6.6a

G 6-1 Derrick Sharp 17.6 3.4a

FLORIDA

P Ht. Name Pts R/A

F 6-6 Stacey Poole 18.6 7.0r

F 6-4 Hosie Grimsley 8.2 2.6r

C 6-10 Andrew DeClercq 8.0 7.8r

G 6-3 Craig Brown 9.2 3.2r

G 6-0 Scott Stewart 6.8 1.5a

Tip-off: Undefeated and surprising Florida faces its most formidable opponent to date. The Bulls overwhelm the Gators in virtually every key matchup - size, strength, experience, scoring, rebounding - but UF, under Coach Lon Kruger, has shown it is capable of doing what it must to win. USF's starting backcourt has taken 68 three-point shots and made an unconscious 54.4 percent. The Gators are shooting just 44 percent from floor, period. Florida looks to Poole for scoring while former St. Petersburg Lakewood standout Louis Rowe and freshman point guard Dan Cross have been pluses off the bench. They'll need to be again today.

Up next: Florida is at Florida International on Saturday; South Florida plays host to Florida State on Friday.

Gift-wrap this USF keeper in green and gold

The Tampa Tribune

December 16, 1991

This was a keeper. An absolute joy to watch. A great college basketball game. And for the University of South Florida Bulls, it meant everything. Most of America - indeed, most of Florida - was lost in an NFL Sunday. Or perhaps in the mall for some last-minute Christmas shopping.

The 6,107 fans had room to spread out, particularly in the O'Connell Center's nearly empty third deck. But it sure sounded like a sellout. And it sure seemed awfully important.

""You dream about these games,'' said USF forward Bobby Russell, calm, mature and rarely prone to exaggeration. ""You see them on TV every week.

""Two teams playing hard, diving for every loose ball. It comes down to the last shot. This is why you play the game. The very best of college basketball. And it's nice to get those bragging rights, too.''

Ah, yes. The bragging rights.

It has been a Gator-crazy sports year. Steve Spurrier's championship football team is headed to the Sugar Bowl. The basketball team broke out 5-0.

But Sunday afternoon was wrapped in green and gold.

Muting a Gator-crazy town USF can't go to the Sugar Bowl - yet. Its football program is still in committee.

So USF boosters must quietly bite their lips while Gator friends celebrate football success. USF students must drive two hours north on Interstate 75 to experience a college football weekend.

""All you hear about is Gators, Gators, Gators,'' USF forward Fred Lewis said. ""That's why this win is huge. Huge.

""My ex-girlfriend goes to school here and she always talks about how the Gators are going to kick our butts. It's nice to come to this building and walk away winners.''

It was sometimes lonely up there in the second deck of Section L. More than 200 USF fans made the trip and tried to make their presence known.

Their cheers often were drowned out by the UF band. They didn't have an answer to the Gator Chop. But the Bulls were undaunted by the frantic atmosphere.

Especially Derrick Sharp, USF's long-range expert.

Early on, he squared up at the three-point line and fired away. He missed everything. And the noisy throng didn't let him forget it.

""AIR BALL! AIR BALL! AIR BALL!''

The chant grew louder and louder. Until the next trip down the floor, when Sharp buried a three-pointer.

""I turned to the crowd and started yelling back at them, "Air ball! Air ball!' '' Sharp said. ""All the way down, I was throwing the abuse right back at them. It was all in fun, but it was kind of nice to shut them up.''

USF found the ultimate way to do that. Just win.

Going back to basics

It came one week after a forgettable 99-92 tournament loss to Oral Roberts. USF, possibly with some delusions of grandeur after beating a good Wyoming team the night before, was outhustled and outplayed by ORU.

Last week in practice, USF coach Bobby Paschal was determined that no one would outwork his team. The Bulls went back to basics. They ran and ran and ran. They were ready for the Gators.

The Gators don't have a physical presence like USF's Gary Alexander, who can scare opponents when he walks off the bus. They don't have bombers the caliber of Radenko Dobras and Sharp. They certainly don't have USF's game experience.

""But the Gators are good,'' Lewis said. ""Very, very good. Especially when their fans get into it. Their fans can carry them. The Gator Chop looks kind of contagious.

""No matter what anybody says, the fans can make a difference. We haven't played before a crowd like this all year. I don't think Florida will ever get really down because the fans won't let them. That means a lot in basketball.''

Which brings up Friday night at the Sun Dome. The Bulls meet Florida State, which made a splashy Atlantic Coast Conference debut Sunday at North Carolina.

Both teams are on a roll. USF is going for the ""state championship.'' Big game.

A USF-FSU game at this juncture would figure to be a sellout on merit, even with USF students away from campus.

Bulls hang on to beat Gators

The Tampa Tribune

December 16, 1991

Author: CHRIS HARRY

The South Florida Bulls picked a most opportune time to show how poised, how experienced and just how good they can be.

One game since a humbling loss to Oral Roberts, USF put it all together Sunday in an exciting 73-71 victory against intrastate rival and previously unbeaten Florida.

In the face of a game Florida rally, USF (5-1) refused to collapse on the road. Like the confident and veteran team they are, the Bulls took charge in crunch time and swatted away the youthful Gators (5-1) before 6,107 at the O'Connell Center.

Radenko Dobras, whether backing in on a defender or shooting over one, seemingly couldn't miss, finishing with a game-high 29 points on 11-for-15 shooting - including five of five from three-point range.

""He was unreal,'' said Florida's Stacey Poole, who led the Gators with 20 points and eight rebounds. ""Hey, they're a good team, but we fought them hard and down to the wire.''

Gary Alexander scored 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds, while guard Derrick Sharp added 15 points for USF. The victory was the Bulls' second straight over Florida, which before last year had defeated USF eight in a row.

""I thought this was a really, really good college basketball game,'' USF coach Bobby Paschal said. ""The crowd was intense and I think the Florida players responded to that. But at the same time, I think our players responded to it, as well. The crowd did not take us out of what we were trying to do.''

""That was a fun one to watch,'' Gators coach Lon Kruger said. ""South Florida is a very good team and they made the plays they needed to win. I told our guys we don't have anything to hang our heads about.''

The Bulls, with their four senior starters, withstood a late Florida run that quickly erased a five-point USF lead with just under four minutes left. Craig Brown's driving, hanging jumper with 2:16 to play gave UF a 69-68 lead.

After the two teams traded turnovers, USF took a one-point lead on Dobras' penetrating roller. A miss at UF's end was answered with a pair of free throws from Dobras that pushed the Bulls' lead to 72-69.

Florida's Craig Brown, who scored 18 points, pulled the Gators to within 72-71 with two free throws with 15 seconds to play. UF fouled Bulls forward Fred Lewis and sent the senior from Tampa to the line with 11 seconds to go. Lewis hit the front end of the one and one, but missed the second shot, as UF controlled the rebound.

The Gators cleared the ball into their halfcourt, where junior point guard Scott Stewart, who had a game-high seven assists, was seemingly overcome by indecision. With the clock winding down, Stewart went up for a three-point shot, but when pursued by USF Sharp chose to kick the ball inside to an unsuspecting Poole.

All Poole could do was throw a wild - and errant - shot toward the basket as time expired.

""This loss hurts,'' Poole said. ""But I also think it's one of those we can learn from.''

The Gators shot 47.4 percent from the field and outrebounded the bigger and stronger Bulls 30-28. But in the end, Dobras made the difference.

""He went inside, he went outside,'' said UF swingman Hosie Grimsley, who scored 12 points on five of six shooting but also had the unenviable task of covering USF's second all-time scoring leader most of the game. ""All he needed was a half-second and he was by me.''

Dobras shot 11 of 15 from the floor, including five of five

from three-point range, to lead the Bulls (5-1). The Gators had a chance to tie the score in the final 11 seconds, but Stacey Poole's jumper from the free-throw line bounced off the rim as time expired.

Florida (5-1) took a 69-68 lead with 2:16 left to play after Craig Brown hit a runner in the lane, but then Dobras took control for the Bulls, hitting a jumper in the lane and then two free throws to give the Bulls a 72-69 lead with 29 seconds left.

South Florida 73: Lewis 3-9 1-2 7; Russell 1-2 2-4 4; Alexander 7-12 2-3 16; Sharp 5-11 2-3 15; Dobras 11-15 2-2 29; Allen 0-1 0-0 0; Arcement 0-1 0-0 0; Williams 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 28-52 9-14 73.

Florida 71: Grimsley 5-6 0-0 12; Poole 7-16 6-8 20; DeClercq 5-6 0-1 10; Brown 6-17 5-6 19; Stewart 3-7 0-0 8; Rowe 0-1 0-0 0; Kuisma 1-1 0-0 2; Hogan 0-2 0-0 0; Cross 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 27-57 11-15 71.

Halftime: South Florida 35, Florida 33. Three-point goals: Sharp 3, Dobras 5, Grimsley 2, Stewart 2, Brown 2. Rebounds: South Florida 28 (Lewis, Alexander 9), Florida 30 (Poole 8). Assists: South Florida 12 (Dobras 6), Florida 14 (Stewart 7). Total fouls: South Florida 15, Florida 13. A: 6,107.

Sellout crowd a likely goal for Sun Dome

The Tampa Tribune

December 19, 1991

When the University of South Florida faces Florida State on Friday night, it should be one of the Sun Dome's biggest basketball games ever.

More than 8,800 tickets were sold as of Wednesday afternoon. All remaining tickets ($8) are in the third level. USF's largest home attendance during Coach Bobby Paschal's six seasons was 9,921 on Jan. 11, 1989, against Florida.

USF sports information director John Gerdes said he expects to issue 60 media credentials. Forty-six credentials were issued during a USF-Georgetown holiday tournament game three seasons ago, but many went to professional scouts who were checking out Dikembe Mutombo and Alonzo Mourning.

USF students are away from campus for the holidays. But with strong walk-up sales, the game could set a Sun Dome attendance record. USF has had three sellout crowds of 10,259, the last time on Jan. 20, 1984, when DePaul visited during the week of Super Bowl XVIII.

Since then, though, fewer Sun Dome seats are retracted for USF basketball games. An attendance of 10,347 is possible.

""Any time you get a lot of fans and attention brought to the game, it makes it a lot more fun for everyone,'' Paschal said. ""This is something that's been developing over a period of time in our program. It's not something that popped up just this week.''

The FSU blues: After defeating Florida 73-71 Sunday, USF can claim the ""state championship'' with a win over the Seminoles. Easier said than done. Paschal is 0-5 against FSU.

""It's about time for us to beat those guys,'' USF forward Bobby Russell said. ""We've been close. I think we had them the past two years, but it got away. We want this one.''

Paschal was asked if FSU had presented any particular matchup difficulties against the Bulls.

""The first two or three years here we had that problem with everybody,'' Paschal said. ""Then we had close games with FSU the past two years [78-72 and 80-72]. I think it's more a matter of FSU being a good team.

""Well, they're good again. I was glad to see them beat North Carolina [86-74] last weekend because I pull for all the programs in our state to do well. I was a little surprised they beat Carolina, but not shocked. FSU has a very, very solid program.''

Toys for Tots: Fans are asked to bring unwrapped new or working used toys to the USF-FSU game. The Sun Dome staff will staff toy bins at all four entrances. The U.S. Marine Corps Reserves will distribute the toys to needy children in the Tampa Bay area.

Poll position: USF received two votes in this week's Associated Press poll. Two Metro Conference teams were ranked - North Carolina Charlotte at 24th and Louisville at 25th.

FSU at USF

What: Florida State Seminoles (4-1) vs. South Florida Bulls (5-1), 7 p.m., the Sun Dome, Tampa.

TV/radio: SportsChannel Florida; WQYK-1010

Key players: FSU Sam Cassell, G, 6-3 Jr. (20.5 ppg); Chuck Graham, G, 6-3 Jr. (20.3 ppg); Doug Edwards, F, 6-9 Jr. (19.3 ppg, 9.0 rpg); Charlie Ward, G, 6-1 So. (8.7 ppg). USF Radenko Dobras, G, 6-7 Sr. (23.3 ppg, 6.5 apg); Derrick Sharp, G, 6-1 Jr. (17.2 ppg); Gary Alexander, C, 6-7 Sr. (16.2 ppg, 10.2 rpg).

Notes: Less than 700 tickets ($8 each) remain for the game. The Seminoles are coming off one of their biggest victories, 86-74 over North Carolina on Sunday. But the 'Noles have been a bit schizophrenic this year, getting blown out by Syracuse 89-71 and struggling against Jacksonville. The Bulls feature a balanced inside-outside attack.

December 20, 1991

South Florida guard Radenko Dobras was named Metro Conference Player of the Week on Thursday.

Dobras had 29 points and six assists in Sunday's 73-71 victory at Florida. He was 11 of 15 from the field, including 5-for-5 from three-point range. Dobras ranks second in Metro scoring (22.2) and assists (6.6).

Dome rocks as Bulls roll over 'Noles

The Tampa Tribune

December 21, 1991

There were ups. There were downs. The University of South Florida Bulls capitalized on the build-up created by a sellout crowd, then avoided a major collapse Friday night.

But just barely.

""We were adding a little suspense to the game,'' USF forward Fred Lewis said. ""Uh, that's a joke.''

Almost a tragic one. The so-called suspense became nearly unbearable for the 10,411 fans, USF's largest crowd ever at the Sun Dome. Then Gary Alexander eased all concerns by hitting two free throws with five seconds remaining, lifting the Bulls past the Florida State Seminoles 92-88.

After defeating the University of Florida and FSU (4-2) in the last six days, USF can probably claim the state basketball championship. The Bulls are closer to earning their first-ever Associated Press Top 25 ranking.

Nice thoughts, indeed. But considering USF's five straight losses to FSU, Friday night's victory was satisfaction enough.

""This was a long time in coming and we're going to really enjoy this one,'' said Alexander, who had a game-high 28 points, including 24 in the second half, and 12 rebounds.

USF (6-1) led 90-83 with 43 seconds remaining. But Douglas Edwards' 18-footer and Charlie Ward's three-pointer - sandwiched between two missed free throws by USF's Derrick Sharp - brought the Seminoles within 90-88.

The Bulls had a chance to possibly ice it when Lewis had two free-throw attempts with 17 seconds remaining. Clank, clank. FSU gathered the rebound and Radenko Dobras fouled Ward with six seconds left.

Ward had the tying points in his hands. He missed the first. He caromed the other attempt off the back iron, hoping for a high rebound, but FSU's Douglas Edwards was called for pushing off Alexander.

Alexander ended the drama by making both free throws. He came into the game hitting just 52 percent of his free throws, but was 12 of 14 from the line against FSU.

""My [free-throw] percentage has been begging to get better all season,'' Alexander said. ""Tonight, they finally started falling. I was confident on the last two because I had been hitting them all night.''

""You always have concern,'' said USF coach Bobby Paschal, referring to FSU's late comeback attempt. ""But I could see in our guy's eyes that they weren't going to pack it in.''

USF won at the free-throw line, with 23 of 31 converted. FSU was just eight of 19 from the line. The taller Seminoles couldn't stop Alexander's inside moves.

""Alexander is so powerful,'' FSU coach Pat Kennedy said. ""He gets one inch and creates 3 or 4 feet.

""It was noisy in here. Deafening at times. Great crowd. We didn't answer at the free-throw line and we fouled too much.''

FSU's most critical foul occurred with 4:20 remaining. Seminoles guard Sam Cassell, who had 22 points, got his fifth foul when Bobby Russell drove inside and hit a short bank shot just before the 45-second clock expired. Russell's free throw put the Bulls up 83-72, their largest second-half lead.

""That was a very, very big play,'' Russell said. ""He [Cassell] tried to take the game into his hands. We nearly gave it away, but Gary came through for us in the clutch.''

Dobras had 24 points for USF, including five of 10 shots from three-point range. Sharp added 15 points, while Lewis had 13.

For FSU, Chuck Graham had 16 points and Edwards 14. Edwards was returning from a one-game suspension. He missed FSU's 86-74 victory at North Carolina, which ushered in the Seminoles' era in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

FSU joined the ACC after departing the Metro Conference, USF's new neighborhood. As USF players celebrated their victory, Metro Commissioner Ralph McFillen led the cheers from courtside.

""I love it,'' McFillen said. ""The new Metro beat the old Metro. Great win for USF. I loved every minute of it.''

So did the USF backers, even though some of those final minutes were sheer torture.

""I want to say a big thank you to the crowd,'' Lewis said. ""They got behind us early, and stayed behind us.''

Alexander is great as USF holds off FSU

St. Petersburg Times

December 21, 1991

Author: BRIAN LANDMAN

The University of South Florida blended Gary Alexander's inside muscle with Radenko Dobras' perimeter shooting to beat Florida State 92-88 Friday night arguably USF's biggest-ever home victory in front of its largest Sun Dome crowd.

Alexander, the Bulls' 6-foot-7, 230-pound senior center, scored 28 points including 24 in the second half against the Seminoles' 7-foot Andre Reid.

""He's so powerful, when he gets an inch, he makes it 3 or 4 feet,'' FSU coach Pat Kennedy said. ""And it was almost impossible to stop him from getting that inch.''

But it was Alexander's shooting touch that iced the game. With the Bulls clinging to a 90-88 lead, he hit two free throws with five seconds left, ending a streak of four USF misses that allowed the Seminoles to climb back from a seven-point deficit in the final half-minute.

""I had been hitting my free throws all night, so I had confidence,'' said Alexander, who was 12-of-14 from the line. ""This probably is the best game I've played.''

USF (6-1) not only ended its losing streak to Florida State at five but also positioned itself to earn some national respect. FSU (4-2) was fresh off an upset of then-No. 5 North Carolina in Chapel Hill on Sunday.

The Bulls, who received two votes in this week's Associated Press poll, never have received more than 21 votes (last Jan. 28 after an 11-1 start).

""It was a big game for us,'' said Dobras, who had 24 points and five assists. ""We found motivation any way we could. It was a big thing they won the Metro last year. It was a big thing they beat North Carolina.''

""As important a game as it was, we've got 20 more games remaining. We haven't even started our (Metro) conference schedule yet,'' USF coach Bobby Paschal said. ""We said coming in this wasn't the

beginning of the season or the end of the season, win or lose.''

The Bulls who beat Florida and FSU in the same week, something they hadn't done since the 1982-83 season started the game hitting everything.

Both Fred Lewis and Alexander had shots nick the front iron, bounce skyward and spin in, bringing the partisan USF crowd of 10,411 (breaking the record of 10,259 set for an NIT game against Connecticut in 1983) to its feet.

After five lead changes in the first three minutes, USF had built a 20-10 lead when Dobras missed a three-point attempt. But Lewis tipped the ball back to Dobras for a second try, which he promptly swished. USF continued to control the game and led 39-28, but Alexander and Lewis each picked up their second fouls. Lewis sat out almost the final five minutes of the first half, Alexander the final 3:36.

With their inside players out, the Bulls began to struggle. Keyed by a three-pointer by Sam Cassell, FSU outscored the Bulls 13-2 down the stretch to tie it at 41. The Seminoles had a chance to go into the locker room up by a point, but Reid failed to hit a free throw and complete his bid for a last-second three-point play.

""Since we came back, it was a good sign. It was a new game,'' FSU guard Charlie Ward said. ""But they came back and did what they had to do. We were chasing the whole night.''

Alexander tipped in a missed Lewis shot 16 seconds into the second half to start his big second half. Still, the teams traded the lead for the next nine minutes until Dobras hit his fourth three-pointer to give USF the lead for good at 64-63. Alexander scored eight points and Dobras, who finished with 24 points, hit his fifth three-pointer in a 14-7 run that gave USF a 78-70 lead with 6:24 left.

The lead swelled to 11 and the game appeared over until the Bulls starting missing free throws. A three-pointer by Ward cut the deficit to 90-88, and after Lewis missed two free throws, Ward had a chance to tie it with two free throws of his own. He missed both, and Alexander who also had 12 rebounds was fouled after he retrieved the second errant shot.

""I guess it just wasn't meant to be,'' Ward said.

Cassell, who fouled out with 4:20 left, led FSU with 22 points.

""It was a great crowd noisy and loud,'' Kennedy said. ""The Dean Dome (Dean Smith Center, UNC's home arena) is so big and spread out, the noise didn't really affect us. Here, it was deafening.''

ALEXANDER LIFTS SURGING BULLS PAST FLORIDA STATE

Bradenton Herald, The (FL)

December 21, 1991

Author: Willie Hiatt, Herald Sports Writer

First there was the nail-biting victory at the University of Florida on Sunday. Then came graduation on Wednesday and a degree in criminal justice. Then came Florida State Friday night.

Weeks just don't get any better than this for Gary Alexander, whose two free throws with five seconds left capped a 24-point, nine-rebound second half and helped South Florida stave off FSU, 92-88, at the Sun Dome.

How sweet was the victory for USF? Consider:

It was the Bulls' first victory over the Seminoles in five years and the first under head coach Bobby Paschal; it came just five days after FSU knocked off then-No. 5 North Carolina in Chapel Hill; and it was witnessed by a record Sun Dome crowd of 10,411 that FSU coach Pat Kennedy said was way louder than the Dean Dome denizens.

And for Alexander, it ended what he called the best week of his life.

``The win over Florida, that was expected,'' Alexander said. ``My diploma, that was my goal for half a decade. And then coming here and beating Florida State, I couldn't ask for anything else. Everything just came together.''

Indeed, it was fitting that the 6-foot-7 senior was called on to douse FSU's late comeback. The Seminoles 3-pointed their way from a seven-point deficit with 43 seconds left to a chance to tie when Charlie Ward missed two free throws with just 17 seconds left to play.

Before Alexander's first attempt bounced around and dropped in, teammates Derrick Sharp and Fred Lewis both had missed a pair of free throws that could have iced the game.

There was no doubt about Alexander's second attempt, or that the Bulls had pulled off a huge intrastate victory.

The Bulls, making a conference transition from the Sun Belt to the Metro, improved to 6-1. FSU, jumping from the Metro to the Atlantic Coast Conference, is 4-2.

``We're not going to use (the win over North Carolina) as an excuse,'' Kennedy said. ``We had our guys fired up as much as we could, because we knew South Florida is an excellent basketball team. It was a great game for college basketball in the state. It was everything it was billed to be.''

Alexander, who scored just four points in the first half, had a field day in the second. With FSU forced to cheat outside on sharpshooters Radenko Dobras and Sharp, who combined for eight of the team's nine 3-pointers, Alexander simply out-quicked the Seminoles' taller inside game: 6-9 Douglas Edwards and 7-foot sophomore Andre Reid.

Alexander, who had three dunks to run his season total to 26, finished with 28 points and 12 rebounds, both game highs.

That gave him a solid victory in the war in the paint: Edwards, returning from a one-game suspension for his role in the ugly brawl with Florida A&M, finished with 14 points and five rebounds, Reid 12 points and eight rebounds.

``Gary is so powerful that when he gets an inch, he makes it three or four feet,'' Kennedy said. ``And it's almost impossible to stop him when he gets that inch.''

Dobras, the slender senior from Yugoslavia who entered the game averaging a team-high 23 points, also capped a super week. He finished with five 3-pointers and 24 points after hitting five 3s and scoring 29 points against Florida.

Sharp, the Florida junior college Player of the Year last winter, added three 3-pointers and finished with 15 points in an interesting matchup of juco stars. His FSU counterpart, Sam Cassell, a star at San Jacinto College (Texas) last season and the Seminoles' leading scorer, scored 22 points before fouling out with 4:20 remaining.

The shifty Cassell had drawn his fourth foul six minutes earlier when he was whistled for pushing off on a drive against Dobras. During his absence over the next 2 1/2 minutes, USF turned a 64-63 lead into a 73-65 advantage.

That lead seemed even more solid seven minutes later when the Bulls led 90-83 with 0:43 left. But Edwards nailed a 17-footer and Ward a 3-pointer to give the Seminoles a chance.

That's when Ward, the backup quarterback for the FSU football team that will meet Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl New Year's Day, saw his free throws bounce away.

Kennedy, however, was pleased with his team's late run.

``That's always a sign a coach likes to see - comeback power,'' Kennedy said. ``We really had two or three balls bounce the wrong way down the stretch.''

South Florida 92, Florida State 88

FLORIDA ST. (88) - Graham 5-13 4-6 16, Dobard 0-2 0-0 0, Edwards 7-15 0-2 14, Cassell 9-12 2-4 22, Ward 4-8 2-6 12, Sura 5-6 0-0 12, Donald 0-0 0-0 0, Miller 0-0 0-0 0, Reid 6-8 0-1 12. Totals 36-64 8-19 88.

SOUTH FLORIDA (92) - Lewis 5-9 3-6 13, Russell 2-4 1-1 5, Alexander 8-10 12-14 28, Sharp 3-5 6-8 15, Dobras 9-19 1-2 24, Williams 1-1 0-0 2, Arcement 2-4 0-0 5, Allen 0-0 0-0 0, Edmond 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 30-52 23-31 92.

Halftime-Florida St. 41, South Florida 41. 3-Point goals-Florida St. 8-22 (Graham 2-6, Edwards 0-5, Cassell 2-4, Ward 2-5, Sura 2-2), South Florida 9-16 (Sharp 3-5, Dobras 5-10, Arcement 1-1). Fouled out-Edwards, Cassell. Rebounds-Florida St. 30 (Edwards, Reid 8), South Florida 30 (Alexander 12). Assists-Florida St. 15 (Ward 6), South Florida 18 (Russell 6). Total fouls-Florida St. 27, South Florida 20. A-10,411.

[Guest BasketBull.]

1991-1992

PART III

USF hoops takes on a big-time feel

St. Petersburg Times

December 24, 1991

Author: MARC TOPKIN

Bobby Paschal is sitting back, ticking off the areas where he'd like to see his University of South Florida basketball team improve.

Rebounding, he says, could be better. Free-throw shooting should be more accurate. And it would be nice to bring the opponent's field-goal percentage down a drop.

To know Paschal, and really to know any major-college coach, is to understand the need to feel that improvement, at any given moment, is just as important as that next breath.

""I feel like things are going well for our program,'' Paschal said Monday. ""As a team, and as a coach, you certainly always, every day, look for things to improve and try to sustain a solid program.''

The key word there is sustain.

USF has had some good teams before. A 19-8 season in 1975-76; 18-11 in '80-81; 22-10 in '82-83; 18-12 in '84-85.

But in the five years under Paschal, the low-key fella from Enterprise, Ala., USF has built a program.

After three seasons with 20 or more losses, the Bulls went 20-11 in 1989-90 and earned their way into the NCAA Tournament for the first time. Last season, they were 19-11 and went to the NIT for the first time since 1985.

And this could be the best team yet. The Bulls start a five that includes three fifth-year seniors (Gary Alexander, Fred Lewis and Bobby Russell), a soon-to-be 24-year-old fourth-year senior (Radenko Dobras) and a junior transfer (Derrick Sharp) who was the state's junior-college player of the year.

They're 6-1. They've just knocked off Florida and Florida State back-to-back. They could be on the verge of their first-ever national ranking. And they're heading into their own holiday tournament that should give them a crack at 23rd-ranked Iowa on Saturday night.

Sure, the NFL's monthlong tournament kicks off Saturday. And the gluttonous serving of college football bowl games is under way.

But this weekend, hoops are what's hot.

The Bulls have their Friday-Saturday tournament with the big-time, Big Ten Hawkeyes. Sunday night, No.12 Seton Hall and No.24 Georgetown are both in action at the Florida Suncoast Dome. Head east, and No.11 Michigan is part of an Orlando tournament (Saturday, Monday) that includes the Gators.

These high-profile opponents are all part of the package that comes with big-time college basketball programs.

""I think basketball in our state is really under way,'' Paschal said. He's talking everything from high schools to small colleges to the state's major schools hooking up with major conferences like the ACC (Florida State), SEC (Florida), Big East (Miami) and Metro (USF).

""You're going to see these kinds of things continue to happen, the quality of play and the quality of opposition,'' Paschal said. ""I feel it's really on the move. And I don't think it's happening in the future; I think it's right now.''

For the Bulls, the future certainly is now. Anyone in the Sun Dome on Friday (and it wasn't all that easy to get in), would agree. A record crowd of 10,411 watched the Bulls knock off the Seminoles, who had just knocked off North Carolina.

The noise the intensity the excitement it almost sounded like Big Ten country or Tobacco Road. To the ears of FSU coach Pat Kennedy, the Sun Dome was louder than the Dean Dome.

""It seems our students, our fans and basketball fans around the area and the state have gained a certain measure of respect for our program,'' Paschal said.

""Practically any game they go to, people expect us to have a very good chance of winning. That adds a tremendous amount of excitement and emotion that people show in support of our team.''

Quickly, Paschal adds that the next leg of the schedule is nothing easy.

An ESPN-arranged New Year's Eve date with 7-1 Cincinnati. Texas Christian in Tampa. The Metro Conference opener with No.25 North Carolina-Charlotte. A road game at No.21 Louisville.

""Clearly, we've got some great challenges,'' Paschal said. ""Along with them come some great opportunities for our fans and for our team.''

Sure, the Bulls are a bit thin on the bench. They don't really have a true big man to bang underneath. And the Metro, with two Top 25 teams and a few other contenders, is a tougher loop than the Sun Belt.

Hawkeyes' Earl gets last laugh

The Tampa Tribune

December 27, 1991

It takes size, skill and a good bit of courage to go inside against the Iowa Hawkeyes and Acie Earl, their one-man SWAT team.

""I wouldn't describe myself as an intimidator,'' said Earl, a 6-foot-10 junior center who averages five blocked shots a game. ""But I'm somebody you better watch out for.''

When the Tampa Tribune Holiday Invitational begins tonight at the Sun Dome, everyone will be watching out for Earl. Fans, professional scouts and, most of all, the Butler Bulldogs.

The host University of South Florida (6-1) opens tournament play at 7 against Northeastern Illinois (3-5).

Iowa (6-1), ranked No. 23 in the Associated Press poll, meets Butler (8-2) at 9.

Saturday night's consolation game is at 7, followed by the championship game at 9. USF defeated Penn State 60-56 in last year's final.

But last year's tournament didn't have an Iowa, probably one of the most talented teams to appear in USF's holiday event. The Hawkeyes return five starters and have Big Ten title aspirations.

And if Earl continues to excel, loftier goals might be reachable.

""Talk to most people around the Big Ten, and they'll probably mention Indiana, Ohio State and maybe Michigan,'' said Earl, who leads Iowa with 21 points and 10.3 rebounds a game. ""I guess we're considered one of those "best of the rest' teams. It's a good position to be in. We're going to beat some good teams.''

If Earl feels the Hawkeyes are somewhat overlooked in their conference, that won't be a new feeling. He was somewhat unheralded coming out of high school in Moline, Ill.

""When I hear people say I'm one of the country's best big men, I kind of laugh sometimes, because I was never projected to be that way,'' Earl said. ""My senior year [in high school], the big names were [Christian] Laettner, [Alonzo] Mourning, [Don] McLean, guys like that. I was lost in the crowd.''

Earl was redshirted, then played in 22 games without starting as a freshman. He had potential, and showed it in brief flashes, but expectations were tempered.

""I was always described as a "diamond in the rough' or a "project,' '' Earl said. ""I heard that stuff all the time.''

Earl's potential was realized earlier than anticipated. He averaged 16.3 points and 6.7 rebounds as a sophomore. And in seven games this season he has been dominant, including a 32-point, nine-rebound effort in a 98-84 loss at Iowa State on Dec. 14.

For those who haven't caught Earl's act yet, expect an array of post-up moves and a definite inside presence. But Earl insists he offers more than the stereotypical big-man game.

""I kind of play like a forward in a center's body, but I think like a guard,'' Earl said. ""I have some knowledge about how the game should be played. So it's not like I can do just one thing out there.

""A lot of people will come at me, trying to test me and see what I've got. But I like that. I'm more than happy to show them what I've got.''

What: Tampa Tribune Holiday Invitational basketball tourney. Where: USF Sun Dome. Tonight's games: South Florida vs. Northeastern Illinois, 7 p.m.; Iowa vs. Butler, 9 p.m. Saturday's games: Consolation, 7 p.m.; championship, 9 p.m. Tickets: $8 each night. All-tournament passes for $15. Call 974-3002.

USF's 96-77 win leaves both teams in a foul mood

The Tampa Tribune

December 28, 1991

Between the pushing, shoving, flying elbows and players hitting the Sun Dome deck, there was also some basketball mixed into Friday night's Tampa Tribune Holiday Invitational.

In a game marked by 53 fouls, the South Florida Bulls advanced to tonight's championship game by defeating Northeastern Illinois 96-77 before 7,090 fans. USF earned a 9 p.m. meeting with the No. 23-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes, who downed Butler 114-92.

USF's victory was ugly, but there were positives. Center Gary Alexander set a Metro Conference record with 23 rebounds. The USF bench, led by Gerard Arcement's 13 points, had a season-best 37.

""The game started in a tie, and we ended up ahead, so that was good,'' said USF coach Bobby Paschal, whose team improved to 7-1. ""But it was our poorest game of the year for offensive execution.''

On a night when USF shot only 39.7 percent from the field, Fred Lewis had 19 points and 15 rebounds. Derrick Sharp contributed 16 points - he was 2-for-9 from the field but 10-for-10 from the line - and Alexander added 15. Radenko Dobras, USF's leading scorer who was saddled by foul trouble, had just six points in 21 minutes.

Alexander said he was pleased to win, but even happier to survive.

""Physical? That's not the word for it. It was brutal,'' Alexander said. ""They [Northeastern Illinois] played dirty, and I didn't like that.

""They were doing a lot of stuff [fouls] on purpose. I'm not going to lie to you. That's not right because somebody could have gotten hurt out there.''

NIU (3-6) had 34 fouls and three players disqualified. USF went to the foul line 53 times and converted 42 times - both school records. Meanwhile, NIU hit only 10 of 22 free throws.

That discrepancy enraged NIU coach Rees Johnson, who was ejected after a second technical foul with 1:50 remaining. As he exited the Sun Dome to a chorus of boos, Johnson turned back to the officiating crew of Dave Dodge, Bob Olah and Mike Jag, giving an emphatic thumbs-down signal.

""I've coached 27 years and I've never seen such pathetic officiating,'' Johnson said. ""It was ludicrous. The kids worked too hard in practice and in the game to have such [terrible] officiating.''

Said NIU center Joe Ferguson, ""After the first technical on Coach [Johnson], they [officials] were sitting over us like hawks.''

But Johnson, after venting his frustration over the officials, had lavish praise for Alexander.

""If he was 6-11 or a 7-footer, Alexander would definitely be a first-round pick in my mind,'' Johnson said. ""He's strong, agile, smart ... one helluva player. Just outstanding. Nobody could stop him.''

But NIU certainly tried. Pivotmen Olujide Oluyeba and Ferguson fouled out while Alexander and Philip Troutman had four fouls.

""I feel like I played OK,'' said Alexander, who broke the Metro rebounding 1/8 record of 22 held by four players including USF teammate Lewis. ""It's kind of hard to hyped up for a team like Northeastern Illinois. We were coming off the big win against Florida State and maybe that was on our mind somewhat.''

""But I'll tell you this. We will have no trouble getting ready to plasy Iowa. None at all. That's another step toward us getting some national recognition.''

TODAY'S GAMES Consolation: Butler vs. Northeastern Illinois, 7 p.m. Championship: South Florida vs. Iowa, 9 p.m. (SportsChannel).

South Florida downs Iowa

St. Petersburg Times

December 29, 1991

Author: BRIAN LANDMAN

Radenko Dobras hit a three-pointer just before halftime to give South Florida the lead for good Saturday night en route to an 85-78 victory over No. 23 Iowa for the championship of the Tampa Tribune Holiday Invitational.

The Bulls, who received five votes in the latest Associated Press poll, previously only beat one ranked team then-Sun Belt Conference rival Virginia Commonwealth, ranked No. 18 at the time, 60-58 in the 1984-85 season.

""It's a win; it's a great win,'' said USF center Gary Alexander, who scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds to earn tournament most valuable player honors. ""But we knew we could do it.''

Still, the Bulls (8-1) picked up where they left off in Friday night's victory over Northeastern Illinois missing shots. They needed more than five minutes to hit their second field goal, and that was a dunk by Alexander on a fast break.

The Bulls' defense kept them in the game at the outset, reducing Iowa center Acie Earl to a non-factor offensively through much of the half. USF, which trailed by as many as eight, tied it at 15 on a three-pointer by Dobras with 7:29 left in the half. That was Dobras' first basket of the game. He had just six points Friday night.

""(Friday) night was not a bad offensive night. I just got into foul trouble,'' said Dobras, who had 21 points against the Hawkeyes. ""I wasn't thinking about that.''

Earl, who had 31 points against Butler on Friday, finally scored with 7:15 left before intermission, powering one in and drawing a foul from Fred Lewis in the process. Earl completed the three-point play for an 18-15 lead, but Dobras answered seconds later with another three to tie for the fourth time.

Behind Earl, Iowa rebuilt a six-point lead, 31-25, but David Williams drew a foul from James Winters with 2:35 left. Lewis hit the first free throw but missed the second, setting the stage for perhaps the most crucial sequence of the half.

Alexander was shoved from behind on the rebound attempt by Jay Tubbs to set up another one-and-one free-throw attempt for USF. Iowa coach Tom Davis apparently signaled for a timeout and walked onto the court, where he was whistled for a technical foul.

Alexander hit one free throw and Derrick Sharp sank both technical free throws to cut the deficit to 31-28. Still in possession, Dobras missed a potential game-tying three, but Alexander gathered in the rebound. His follow jumper bounced hard off the front of the rim directly back to him. He then scored over Earl to cut the lead to 31-30.

The teams traded baskets, and Sharp gave the Bulls their first lead on two free throws, 34-33, with 39 seconds left in the half. Winters answered, tapping in his missed shot with seven seconds to go. But Dobras hit his three at the buzzer for a 37-35 halftime lead, pumping his fist uncharacteristic for the usually stoic Dobras as if it were the game-winning shot.

""It just gave us confidence,'' Dobras said. ""It was a real good feeling to have the lead, especially since we were down in the first half.''

After forcing an Iowa (7-2) turnover to start the half, Alexander challenged the taller Earl and drew a foul. He hit two free throws and USF was off and running. Bobby Russell, held to 1-of-8 shooting Friday, scored. Dobras followed that with an off-balance leaner. Then Sharp, who also had an off-night against Northeastern Illinois, hit a three for a 46-37 lead.

""To win on the road against a quality team like USF, you can't allow spurts like the one we allowed early in the second half,'' Davis said. ""When we came out, we played man-to-man and allowed them 10 straight points (actually a 9-2 run). They were just that much superior in that one stretch and we couldn't overcome that.''

USF's lead reached 12 points several times and Iowa could get no closer than six points, 80-74, with 1:12 left.

In the final three minutes, USF was 12-of-14 from the line to seal the victory. Dobras was 5-of-6, Russell was 4-of-4 and Sharp, who had 25 points, was 3-of-4.

""When you're playing one of the teams in the top 25, you just have to have a team effort to win,'' USF coach Bobby Paschal said. ""This was a team effort.''

In the consolation game, Butler rebounded from a loss to Iowa on Friday with a resounding 93-60 victory over Northeastern Illinois.

""Both teams were in a tough situation. They had to be ready to go after a long night,'' Butler coach Barry Collier said. ""But the thing that's so pleasing is we did have the inner resolve to get the job done.''

The Bulldogs (9-3) started slowly against Northeastern Illinois (3-7), in contrast to their first-half crispness in Friday's 114-92 loss to Iowa. But Butler took the lead for good, 13-11, on a three-pointer by Michael Wilson with 15:18 to play in the half.

BULLS SHOCK IOWA

Bradenton Herald, The (FL)

December 29, 1991

Author: Willie Hiatt, Herald Sports Writer

Acie Earl wasn't a factor. Gary Alexander's inside game and Radenko Dobras' shot were. And the South Florida basketball team got a big win against the Big Ten Saturday night.

The Bulls' got a huge injection of momentum when Dobras hit a hurry-up 3-pointer as time ran out in the first half, and they went on to beat No. 23 Iowa, 85-78, in the championship game of the Tampa Tribune Holiday Invitational before a crowd of 8,076 at the Sun Dome.

The victory capped a joyous holiday season for the Bulls (8-1). It was the school's first victory ever against a Big Ten school and it came just a week after USF swept in-state foes Florida State and Florida. It also was the Bulls' sec ond straight Invitational victory.

``It was clearly an important game for us,'' USF coach Bobby Paschal said. ``It was against a team that has done well in the Big Ten and is in the Top 25 right now, and it was a good opportunity for us.''

Alexander, the tournament's most valuable player, deserves a large part of the credit. The 6-foot-7 senior scored 18 points, grabbed nine rebounds and helped disarm Iowa top gun Earl. The 6-foot-10, 225-pound junior, who entered the game averaging 22 points, was held to eight points each half and was never a serious factor in the game.

Alexander's effort came on the heels of his Metro Conference-record 23 rebounds and 15 points in the Bulls' 96-77 victory over Northeastern Illinois in the opening game Friday night.

Shooting guard Derrick Sharp also did his part, hitting 10 of 11 free throws and five 3-pointers to finish with a career-high 25 points. Dobras ran the show from the point all night, finishing with 21 points, and Bobby Russell added 12 points and six rebounds. Fred Lewis had six points and five rebounds and joined Dobras and Alexander on the all-tournament team.

The importance of Dobras' buzzer-beater can't be minimized. His 3-pointer from 24 feet came as he was falling forward between two defenders. It gave the Bulls a 37-35 halftime lead and sent the crowd into a frenzy.

``It was a really good feeling going in (to halftime) like that,'' Dobras said, ``especially since we were down seven points at one time.''

The Bulls fed off the momentum of that shot right away in the second half. They jumped out to a 51-41 lead with 13:38 remaining and held leads as large as 12 points. They shot 59 percent from the floor and never allowed the Hawkeyes to come any closer than seven points down the stretch.

``They are a very good ball club,'' said Iowa coach Tom Davis, whose team dropped to 8-2. ``They did things inside that we can't allow them to do and we couldn't take that away.''

South Florida 85, Iowa 78

IOWA (78) - Moses 4-14 2-2 11, Street 5-5 0-0 11, Earl 5-9 6-6 16, Davis 3-4 0-0 6, Skinner 1-1 3-5 6, Smith 3-9 1-2 7, Winters 2-7 0-0 4, Lookingbill 2-2 2-2 6, Tubbs 1-1 0-0 2, Barnes 3-8 2-2 9. Totals: 29-60 16-19 78.

SOUTH FLORIDA (85) - Lewis 3-7 0-1 6, Russell 4-7 0-1 12, Alexander 7-11 4-718, Sharp 5-12 10-11 25, Dobras 6-12 6-8 21, Williams 1-2 1-2 3, Arcement 0-3 0-0 0. Totals: 26-54 25-33 85.

Halftime score: USF 37, Iowa 35.

3-point goals: Iowa 4 (Moses, Skinner, Street and Barnes), USF 8 (Sharp 5, Dobras 3). Rebounds: Iowa 39 (Street 13), USF 28 (Alexander 9). Assists: Iowa 19 (Skinner 5), USF 19 (Dobras 7). Total fouls: Iowa 23, USF 16. Fouled out: Street. Technical fouls: Iowa coach. A - 8,076.

Bulls moving closer to Top 25

The Tampa Tribune

December 31, 1991

The University of South Florida Bulls are getting unprecedented national recognition. They received 58 votes - the most in school history - in Monday's Associated Press Top 25 poll. As the fourth team listed, they are, in effect, ranked 29th in the country.

USF with more points than North Carolina State, LSU and UNLV? That day has arrived.

Are the Bulls worthy? Tonight, for the only time this season, USF can showcase its team on national television with a made-for-ESPN, New Year's Eve date at Cincinnati.

""All the games are big for us,'' USF center Gary Alexander said. ""But we want to keep this momentum going and show the nation that we have some players at South Florida.''

USF (8-1) defeated then-No. 23 Iowa 85-78 Saturday night to win the Tampa Tribune Holiday Invitational at the Sun Dome. It was the Bulls' first win over a Big Ten Conference team, and came after victories over teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference (Florida State), Southeastern Conference (Florida) and Western Athletic Conference (Wyoming).

""With their recent impressive wins, South Florida probably deserves more national recognition than they are getting,'' Cincinnati coach Bob Huggins said.

Regardless of the recognition factor, the Bulls need wins over quality teams. The Metro Conference champion does not receive an automatic NCAA Tournament bid this season. So the Bulls are battling the computer used to determine a team's power rating.

When USF beats FSU, which had a road victory at North Carolina, and Iowa, which could defeat some higher-ranked Big Ten teams, its translates to big positives on the computer.

""South Florida is not a flash in the pan,'' Iowa coach Tom Davis said. ""Their level of talent is right there with many of the Big Ten teams we face.

""The key for them will be to play consistently and play well in their league. They've got to do well in the Metro games and build on that. Based on what I've seen, they're going to be a force to contend with.''

TONIGHT'S GAME South Florida at Cincinnati Where/when: Shoemaker Center, Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m. Records: USF 8-1, Cincinnati 7-1. Television: ESPN. Radio: WQYK (1010 AM). Series/last meeting: Cincinnati leads 4-3; USF won 82-65 in 1988.

January 1, 1992

The Cincinnati Bearcats, who had lost in five previous national telecasts on ESPN, broke open a close game Tuesday night and ran away from South Florida 80-60.  The Bulls (8-2), who trailed 32-31 at halftime, were led by Fred Lewis' 15 points.

""That's a heck of a basketball team we just beat,'' Cincinnati coach Bob Huggins said. ""I'm just happy to win.''

USF coach Bobby Paschal declined to compare Cincinnati with other opponents, but he did say the Bearcats' pressure was more effective than the pressure employed by then-No.23 Iowa, which the Bulls beat 85-78 Saturday.

""Cincinnati is more athletic,'' Paschal said. ""They're quicker, and they come at you and trap you in different spots.''

TCU at South Florida

St. Petersburg Times

January 4, 1992

Author: BRIAN LANDMAN

What: TCU Horned Frogs (9-2) vs. South Florida Bulls (8-2), 6 p.m., Sun Dome, Tampa.

TV/radio: SportsChannel; WQYK-1010.

Coaches: TCU Moe Iba. South Florida Bobby Paschal.

Key players: TCU Michael Strickland, G, 6-4 Sr.; Reggie Smith, C, 6-11 Sr.; Mark Moten, F, 6-7 Sr. South Florida Radenko Dobras, G, 6-7 Sr.; Gary Alexander, C, 6-7 Sr.; Derrick Sharp, G, 6-1 Jr.; Fred Lewis, F, 6-7 Sr.

Notes: The Bulls must regain momentum and national respect after losing at Cincinnati 80-60 on New Year's Eve. It was USF's worst defeat since losing 91-54 at Florida on Dec. 23, 1989. Dobras will be making his 100th consecutive start. The Horned Frogs' only losses are to No. 14 Oklahoma (78-73) and No. 23 Syracuse (89-72). This is the first meeting between the schools. They'll play again in Fort Worth on Jan. 25.

Lewis, Bulls leap past Frogs

St. Petersburg Times

January 5, 1992

Author: BRIAN LANDMAN

Needing to rebound from its most disappointing loss in years, the University of South Florida turned to senior Fred Lewis for rebounds and, uncharacteristically, points Saturday night in a 78-67 come-from-behind win against Texas Christian.

Lewis had a game-high 12 rebounds and scored 23 points, which included a 15-foot jumper that completed a comeback from a 10-point second-half deficit and propelled the Bulls into the lead for good, 63-62, with 6:11 left in the game. USF pulled away from there to wash away some of the aftertaste from a 20-point loss to Cincinnati on New Year's Eve.

Lewis said that when TCU decided to guard him with 6-foot-11, 250-pound center Reggie Smith, ""We emphasized getting him out of there. We called plays for me a couple of more times.''

Lewis converted. And converted. The former University of Tampa player hit 10-of-14 attempts for the game and came up one point shy of his Division I career high. And in a game of runs, his basket ignited the decisive one a 17-5 Bulls run to close out the game.

But the turning point of the game occurred with the Bulls (9-2) down 56-50 and 10:34 left in the game. The Horned Frogs had just grabbed a defensive rebound, and TCU student trainer Mike Sabolovic, sitting at the end of the bench, leaped to his feet in apparent jubilation. At the time, it seemed an innocuous gesture, but he was whistled for a technical foul.

Radenko Dobras, who finished with a game-high 26 points, hit both free throws, and then, with the ball, USF found Lewis underneath. He missed the shot but snatched the rebound away from Smith and scored to cut the deficit to 56-54.

It was a six-point swing, made larger by the near-volcanic reaction of the once catatonic crowd of 8,250 at the Sun Dome.

""The whole ballgame was the technical,'' TCU coach Moe Iba said. ""That's not the only reason we lost the game. South Florida has an excellent basketball team, but the call changed the whole ball game around.''

The Horned Frogs (9-3), whose only other losses were to nationally ranked Oklahoma and Syracuse, lost their composure. Instead of patiently attacking USF's man-to-man defense, they shot impulsively. In fact, they failed to score for five minutes and failed to score a field goal until a Kurt Thomas layup with eight seconds left in the game.

""That was probably one of the biggest shifts of the game,'' Lewis said of the technical. ""Right there, that was the beginning of the end for them. We were trying hard, but we were struggling. When it was only two, it was in sight.''

For the fourth game in a row, the Bulls stumbled offensively at the start, unable to find any rhythm or spot the right player at the right spots on the court. They missed six of their first seven shots.

""We just didn't give effort in the first half,'' Dobras said. ""We can't play that way. When we do, anyone can beat us. If we give effort, we can beat anyone in the nation.''

Meanwhile, the Horned Frogs forged a 14-5 lead on Smith's 5-foot baseline hook with 13:36 left in the first half. But Gary Alexander hit two free throws and Derrick Sharp followed with a three-pointer his only points of the game to start an 11-0 run, capped by an Alexander dunk to tie it 14-14.

USF took its first lead when Dobras hit two free throws, compliments of Iba, who was whistled for a technical after an officials' timeout. USF built a 27-21 with 6:28 to go, but guard Albert Thomas hit a three-pointer and was fouled by Gerard Arcement. He completed the four-point play, igniting an 11-0 TCU run that he finished himself with his second three-pointer for a 32-27 lead.

TCU carried a 41-34 advantage into the locker room and twice built a 10-point edge in the second half, the last one at 50-40 with 15:38 left. But Alexander, who would finish with 17 points, Dobras and especially Lewis brought USF back, regaining some confidence they lost at Cincinnati.

""It was a very important basketball game for us,'' USF coach Bobby Paschal said. ""To play the way we played in the second half shows how we can play when we're playing hard, playing with intensity and playing with enthusiasm.''

Radenko Dobras scored 26 points and handed out eight assists Saturday night to lead South Florida to a 78-67 come- from-behind victory over Texas Christian at Tampa.

The Bulls (9-2) committed three turnovers and lost four offensive rebounds in the first six minutes, with Texas Christian (9-3) converting them into enough field goals to lead, 12-5.

Texas Christian 67: Tolley 0-1 0-0 0, Moton 6-8 1-2 15, Smith 10-14 0-0 20, Atwater 3-8 5-6 11, Strickland 0-5 0-0 0, A. Thomas 4-4 1-1 11, Graves 0-2 0-2 0, Hocker 0-0 0-0 0, K. Thomas 2-5 6-6 10. Totals 25-47 13-17 67.

South Florida 78: Lewis 10-14 3-3 23, Russell 2-7 2-2 6, Alexander 7-16 3-4 17, Sharp 1-5 0-0 3, Dobras 8-13 7-8 26, Williams 1-1 0-4 2, Arcement 0-1 1-2 1, Allen 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 29-57 16-23 78.

Halftime: Texas Christian 41, South Florida 34. Three-point goals: Moton 2, A. Thomas 2, Sharp, Dobras 3. Fouled out: Smith, Sharp. Rebounds: Texas Christian 22 (Smith, Strickland, K. Thomas 5), South Florida 34 (Lewis 12). Assists: Texas Christian 20 (Atwater 9), South Florida 23 (Dobras 8). Total fouls: Texas Christian 15, South Florida 17. Technicals: Texas Christian coach, bench. A: 8,250.

Bulls rally past FIU

St. Petersburg Times

January 8, 1992

Author: RANDY CREMER

The South Florida Bulls almost got caught looking ahead to their Metro Conference opener.

But the Bulls had to pass a surprise test on Tuesday night. USF's opposition was listed as Florida International, but the real opponent was the Bulls. They needed a big second-half rally to overcome a poor first half and beat the Golden Panthers 73-52 in Miami.

Four Bulls finished in double figures. Radenko Dobras led the way with 18 points. Derrick Sharp and Fred Lewis had 16.

January 12, 1992

The University of South Florida Bulls hit the wall. The No. 22-ranked University of North Carolina Charlotte 49ers took advantage, stumping the Bulls 85-75 before an announced sellout crowd of 10,411 at the Sun Dome.

January 17, 1992

With a crowd of 19,242 at Freedom Hall, the No. 25-ranked Louisville Cardinals (9-3, 1-2) got their first Metro Conference win of the year, 60-47, over South Florida (10-4, 0-2). The Bulls, who shot horribly (37 percent from the floor) in a loss to North Carolina-Charlotte last Saturday, shot even worse Thursday 34 percent.

Without Dobras, Bulls fall to Rams

St. Petersburg Times

January 19, 1992

Author: BRIAN LANDMAN

With the University of South Florida desperate for its first Metro Conference win and Radenko Dobras missing the first game of his career, the Bulls had hoped the Virginia Commonwealth Rams would mercifully play like lambs.

Instead, the Bulls were silenced by the Rams 71-63 Saturday night at the Richmond Coliseum to remain ignominiously enough in the Metro cellar.

""We're not panicking,'' said USF senior center Gary Alexander, who had 15 points. ""We have a good team. Instead of things going our way, it's going just the opposite now. It's just some ups and downs.''

But USF (10-5, 0-3) now has had three downers in a row, all against conference opponents.

Even without Dobras, who injured his right ankle a week ago against North Carolina-Charlotte and then hopped around against Louisville on Thursday like he were in a sack race, the Bulls were in position to win.

Junior guard Derrick Sharp, who regained his shooting touch after a two-game slump, hit his seventh three-pointer to tie the game at 61-61 with 4:39 left.

But senior forward Eric Atkins hit a short jumper his first basket of the game to give VCU a 63-61 lead, eliciting a roar from the crowd of 8,177. It was the 12th lead change of a wild second half.

And the last.

The Rams (9-5, 2-1) scored the next seven points, holding USF scoreless until Bobby Russell hit an uncontested layup with seven seconds to play.

VCU coach Sonny Smith said his reserves provided the critical play. Indeed, the Bulls limited sophomore forward Kendrick Warren to a season-low eight points, 14 below his average, and Atkins to four points, eight below his average.

""I think we did a number on their big guys,'' said USF senior forward Fred Lewis, who hawked Warren. ""But some of their guys, some of their role guys, stepped up and hit some bombs.''

Ahead 43-42, the Bulls resorted to a triangle-and-two defense, in which one perimeter player is left alone and forced dared shoot. But freshman guard Tyron McCoy hit three times.

USF then switched and left VCU sophomore Rod Ladd alone. He promptly tried a three-pointer. Good. Down 53-50, the Bulls returned to their man-to-man defense and battled back, just as they had to do in the first half.

At the outset, Sharp, who was in need of some resharpening after 3-of-19 shooting the last two games, was firing. That in itself was encouraging since he seemed reluctant to shoot after missing his first couple of attempts against Louisville.

Even more encouraging was Sharp. He hit three three-pointers in the first seven minutes, the last giving USF a 15-14 lead. But then the Rams took control advantage as Konstantin Pepliaev, the first Russian citizen to play in the United States, scored six points in a rare display of offensive prowess to lead a Rams' run that ended in a 33-26 halftime.

Dobras, whose school record of 103 consecutive starts ended, probably will miss the Bethune-Cookman game on Thursday and perhaps next Saturday's game at Texas Christian.

""It hurts real bad. I feel worse than on game day against Louisville,'' said Dobras, glancing at his tender right ankle. ""It's a tough feeling first time in street clothes and not being able to help the guys.''

His team-leading 19 points per game certainly were missed Saturday. In his stead, junior Corey Allen scored just three points but did have nine assists.

Two starters out, but USF still rolls

St. Petersburg Times

January 24, 1992

Author: BRIAN LANDMAN

Talk about your scheduling breaks.

The South Florida Bulls, reeling after three consecutive Metro Conference losses, could have been in trouble Thursday with Radenko Dobras and Fred Lewis out and Gary Alexander benched.

And they probably would have been had they played any team other than lowly Bethune-Cookman. But USF overwhelmed the Wildcats 66-47 before a crowd of 4,773 at the Sun Dome.

""It's always nice to win, but it's especially nice under the circumstances injuries, sickness and the other things we had to deal with tonight,'' USF coach Bobby Paschal said. ""It was definitely a good performance.''

But the Bulls (11-5) were especially good defensively against B-CC (1-14). They allowed the fewest points since a 62-47 victory against Cincinnati early in the 1986-87 season Paschal's first victory as Bulls coach.

Senior forward Bobby Russell, who always draws the opponent's top scorer, limited B-CC's Reggie Cunningham to eight points. Cunningham, who finished with a season-low 14, was second in the nation in scoring, averaging 28.1 points per game.

""I tried to just play good position and, when he shot, just get a hand in his face,'' Russell said. ""As the game went on, I noticed he was kind of hobbling. He wasn't as quick as he normally is.''

The Bulls weren't their normal selves, either. Far from it.

Dobras, the team's leading scorer, missed his second consecutive game with an injured right ankle. Lewis was out with the flu. And Alexander was late for Thursday's shoot-around and thus was benched until midway through the first half.

All told, the Bulls had their top three scorers (50 of their 80 points per game) and their top two rebounders (20 of their 38) on the bench at the start.

Enough of a handicap? Nah.

Although B-CC, which milked the shot clock on offense and then settled into a compressed zone on defense, led 13-9 with 14:25 to play in the half, the Bulls' piecemeal lineup still had enough firepower.

""We didn't underestimate them,'' Russell said. ""We took Oral Roberts lightly and we lost.''

After David Williams, who with fellow senior Landon Edmond started for the first time at USF, muscled one in, Derrick Sharp went to work. His three-pointer with 12:05 gave USF the lead for good at 14-13.

USF led 34-22 at halftime. Alexander began the second half with a dunk, igniting a 12-4 run that he culminated with another dunk. Even though Pat Stevens, who became eligible on Thursday after a stint in the military, scored 14 second-half points, the Wildcats were down and out.

""Personally, I would rather have come in and played another Metro team,'' said Alexander, who had 10 points and six rebounds. ""But it was good to see the guys who don't play a lot have a chance to play. I wish they could have played the whole game.''

USF was 14-of-27 from the floor in each half and was led by Sharp's 19 points and Williams' 12 points and 10 rebounds. Every other Bull scored at least two points.

""They've got a good ballclub regardless (of Dobras and Lewis being out),'' said B-CC coach Cy McClairen, 0-9 against USF. ""They play exceptionally well together. At this stage, I was anticipating they would be ranked, but they went into a tailspin. If they had had their starters in there, they probably would be just as tough as Arkansas and Georgetown (who also have beaten B-CC).''

January 26, 1992

Texas Christian University rolled 77-49 before 4,614 fans at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum, sending USF to its fourth loss in five games. TCU (14-4) avenged a 78-67 loss to USF on Jan. 4 at the Sun Dome.

Dobras wasn't the only starter missing. Fred Lewis, still suffering from the flu, was benched for the first 10 minutes because he was late for a Thursday shooting practice. In 16 minutes, Lewis had just one point and missed four field goals.

Meanwhile, Gary Alexander had a forgettable night on the inside. Normally a dominant force, Alexander missed five layups and had four turnovers. The Bulls shot 34.8 percent from the field and had 19 turnovers. They went nearly nine minutes in the second half without scoring. Their leading scorers, David Williams and Derrick Sharp, each had just 10 points.

Bulls hope to rebound with healthy Dobras

St. Petersburg Times

January 28, 1992

Author: BRIAN LANDMAN

January certainly didn't start the year off right for the University of South Florida basketball team.

After an 8-2 record in November and December, including wins against Iowa, Florida State and Florida, the Bulls limped to a 3-4 mark in January.

""There's no question we've been struggling a little bit,'' said USF coach Bobby Paschal, whose Bulls (0-3 in the Metro Conference) play host to Virginia Tech on Saturday. ""Well more than a little bit. I just hope we can rebound and finish strong.''

How strong will depend on the strength of Radenko Dobras' right ankle. Dobras, the Bulls' leading scorer, injured the ankle against North Carolina-Charlotte, played sparingly against Louisville and has missed the last three games.

""It feels a little bit better, but it's still sore,'' Dobras said Monday, adding he's going to try to practice today. ""It's been real hard sitting there watching games and not being able to do anything to help. It's not a position I'm used to being in. It's frustrating. I just hope we can turn things around and get back on track.''

Aside from his 19 points a game, the Bulls have missed Dobras in two other key areas: Teams have been able to concentrate on Derrick Sharp on the perimeter and also double team Gary Alexander or Fred Lewis inside with a guard.

The Bulls averaged 84.2 points per game through their first 13 games, but in their last four, they've averaged just 56.5. They only scored 66 against Bethune-Cookman at the Sun Dome on Thursday.

""The thing I'm hoping, once he's back, we regain our confidence,'' Paschal said. ""As veteran a club as this is, we're a little shaky on the offensive end of the court. If we can taste winning a time or two, I think we'll be hungrier than we were during the month of December.''

Bulls get Metro win

St. Petersburg Times

February 2, 1992

Author: BRIAN LANDMAN

How much did the South Florida Bulls miss Radenko Dobras?

Let's see.

While Dobras was sidelined with a bum right ankle, they lost three of four games, including two in the Metro Conference. If you want to count the game in which Dobras injured his ankle, the Bulls (12-6, 1-3) lost four of five and all three Metro games.

But with Dobras back, even if not completely healthy, the results were completely different USF 64, Virginia Tech 52 Saturday night at the Sun Dome, giving the Bulls' their first Metro win.

Dobras, the Bulls' leading scorer, had 15 points, seven assists and five rebounds in 38 minutes. More importantly, Dobras' presence opened up the floor for his teammates.

Forget shutting down Derrick Sharp on the perimeter, as teams were able to do to some extent with Dobras out. Forget sagging inside to slow down Gary Alexander and Fred Lewis.

Sharp finished with a game-high 18 points, Alexander and Lewis combined for 15 points and 17 rebounds, and Bobby Russell had 12 points. As a team, USF shot 54.8 percent from the floor, its best since shooting 57.7 percent in a 92-88 win against Florida State on Dec.20.

With their top five players all on the court for the first time in nearly three weeks, the Bulls patiently moved the ball to the open man from the outset.

Sharp sank a three-pointer, Russell and Dobras hit jump shots and Lewis scored after working free on the baseline as USF built a 9-4 lead five minutes into the game. Jimmy Carruth tied the game 13-13 with 9:49 left, but those would be the last Hokies points for a while.

The Bulls' trap forced a couple turnovers, while their zone defense stymied the Hokies once they did get the ball across midcourt. Sparked by a three-pointer and a layup from Sharp, the Bulls ran off 11 straight points for a 24-13 lead with 5:53 left before halftime.

About the only thing the Bulls couldn't seem to do right was shoot free throws. Lewis missed one, Corey Allen missed the front end of a bonus and Alexander missed two. That allowed the Hokies back into the game, 24-20 on a Steve Hall fast-break layup. But Russell hit a jumper to end a three-minute drought and added two free throws to help give USF a 32-26 halftime advantage.

Sharp opened the second half with a three-pointer, padding the lead to 35-26. Russell followed with a layup off a fast break, and the Bulls were off and running. And jamming.

On consecutive possessions, Dobras took long passes, drove toward the basket and then flipped the ball to a trailing Alexander for dunks that delighted the crowd of 5,717 and shook up the Hokies (7-10, 1-5).

The Bulls' lead swelled to 18 points, 56-38, when Sharp hit a jumper with 7:15 to play, but Virginia Tech cut the lead to 58-50 on an Erik Wilson layup with 1:38 remaining.

When Dobras missed a free throw seconds later, the Hokies seemingly had life. Dobras, however, atoned by swiping the ball from Corey Jackson. He hit four free throws, and Lewis hit two to seal the win.

Virginia Tech 52: Rivers 6-14 0-0 12, Elliott 1-3 0-0 2, Wilson 5-11 0-2 10, Purcell 2-12 0-0 4, Hall 4-7 0-0 9, Corker 1-1 2-2 4, Jackson 3-4 2-3 9, Carruth 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 23-54 4-7 52.

South Florida 64: Lewis 2-6 3-4 7, Russell 5-6 2-2 12, Alexander 4-6 0-2 8, Sharp 6-10 3-3 18, Dobras 5-12 4-5 15, Williams 1-2 2-2 4, Arcement 0-0 0-0 0, Allen 0-0 0-1 0. Totals 23-42 14-19 64.

Halftime: S. Florida 32, Va. Tech 26. Three-point goals: Hall, Jackson, Sharp 3, Dobras. Rebounds: Va. Tech 23 (Rivers 11), S. Florida 32 (Lewis 9). Assists: Va. Tech 13 (Elliott 4), S. Florida 20 (Dobras 7). Total fouls: Va. Tech 19, S. Florida 12. A: 5,717.

St. Petersburg Times

February 6, 1992

Author: BRAIN LANDMAN

No. 14 TULANE at SOUTH FLORIDA

What: Tulane Green Wave (16-2, 4-0) vs. of South Florida Bulls (12-6, 1-3), 7 tonight, Sun Dome.

TV/radio: SportsChannel; WQYK-1010.

Coaches: Tulane Perry Clark (35-39 overall). South Florida Bobby Paschal (225-176 overall, 72-91 at South Florida).

Key players: Tulane Kim Lewis, G, 6-4, So. (15.4 ppg); Anthony Reed, C, 6-9, Jr. (14.8 ppg, 6.9 rpg); David Whitmore, G, 6-5, Sr. (13.3 ppg); Carlin Hartman, F, 6-7, So. (10.1 ppg). South Florida Radenko Dobras, G, 6-7, Sr. (18.7 ppg); Gary Alexander, C, 6-7, Sr. (15.0 ppg, 11.1 rpg); Derrick Sharp, G, 6-1, Jr. (14.9 ppg); Fred Lewis, F, 6-7, Sr. (13.5 ppg, 9.2 rpg).

Notes: The Bulls finally won their first Metro Conference game, last Saturday against Virginia Tech, and now face Tulane, the conference co-leader, for the first time. Individually, none of the Wave's players have imposing statistics, but Tulane leads the conference in scoring, scoring margin, field-goal percentage and turnover margin.

Green Wave rolls over Bulls in overtime 78-70

St. Petersburg Times

February 7, 1992

Author: BRIAN LANDMAN

The University of South Florida Bulls came within inches of upsetting nationally-ranked Tulane at the end of regulation Thursday, only to lose 78-70 in overtime.

Anthony Reed scored five of his 15 points in the extra period as Tulane outscored USF 10-2 to remain unbeaten and seize sole possession of first place in the Metro Conference.

""The difference in the conference is that they've been able to win the tough games on the road, all three in overtime,'' USF coach Bobby Paschal said of Tulane's wins against Louisville, Virginia Commonwealth and USF. ""That's a mark of a good team.''

Although No. 14 Tulane (17-2, 5-0) dominated the overtime, it didn't seem as if the game would last that long.

After Kim Lewis, who would score a team-high 21 points, hit a layup with 3:23 left in regulation, the Tulane lead swelled to 68-60 the biggest point-spread to that point. Even the once-frenzied crowd of 6,787 at the Sun Dome seemed to sigh a collective, ""Oh, well.''

But USF's Fred Lewis answered with a jumper and then Tulane, while milking the clock, threw the ball away on consecutive possessions. Each time, the Bulls capitalized, and Lewis and Bobby Russell each hit two free throws to cut the lead to 68-66 with 1:50 left.

""That was the first time all year that's happened to us,'' Tulane coach Perry Clark said of the turnovers. ""We were a little tight, a little tentative.''

After Reed botched a two-handed dunk, Gary Alexander powered a layin over Makeba Perry to tie the game with 1:03 left, bringing the crowd to its feet as it sensed Tulane had been brought to its knees.

""When they (USF) play at home, they're 10 to 12 points better because of the crowd; this is the most hostile crowd we've faced,'' Clark said.

With 18 seconds left, Russell swatted Lewis' potential game-winner out of bounds. Lewis had another chance moments later, but Alexander stole the ball and threw an outlet pass to Russell at midcourt.

""During the previous timeout, we had said if we came up with the ball, I did not want to call a timeout; I wanted to attack them before they could set their defense,'' Paschal said.

""I really didn't know how much time was left, but I realized I was open,'' said Russell, who had 11 points to go with a game-high 12 rebounds, four assists and three blocks.

""When it's in the air, as a coach, you resign yourself to, "Oh hell, we're snakebit,' '' Clark said. ""I thought it was going in.''

Russell, however, knew otherwise.

""I rushed it; it felt short,'' he said of his 20-foot shot that banged harmlessly off the front of the rim to set up the overtime.

Reed hit a jumper to give Tulane a 70-68 lead and Pointer Williams scored on a layup. The Bulls (12-7, 1-4) then began rushing and missing shots.

""We got down quick in the overtime and that caused us to get into too big a hurry,'' Paschal said. ""That was the only time we let ourselves get out of whack offensively.''

The overtime was the only one-sided portion of the game, at least according to the scoreboard. But there were some glaring discrepancies in the statistics, which probably had a lot to do with the overtime result:

Tulane's ""Posse,'' alias Williams, Matt Greene, Carlin Hartman, Lewis and Perry, the second line that often comes in as a unit, outscored the Bulls' bench 50-0.

Perhaps most importantly, only Derrick Sharp played fewer than 40 minutes and he played 37. Russell played the entire 45 minutes, while Alexander and Radenko Dobras played 43 apiece.

""I think they were more tired (in the overtime) and we were a bit fresher,'' Clark said.

""Yeah, sometimes I did get tired, but that was the kind of game you just had to gut it,'' said Fred Lewis, who scored a game-high 23 points to go with 10 rebounds. ""It was a game of gut checks.''

TULANE (17-2) - Whitmore 2-6 3-4 7, Reed 7-18 1-2 15, Popp 0-0 0-0 0, Gary 1-4 2-4 4, Hunter 1-3 0-0 2, P.Williams 4-10 1-4 11, K.Lewis 9-16 2-6 21, Greene 4-9 1-1 9, Hartman 1-2 0-1 2, Perry 3-6 1-2 7, Rasche 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 32-74 11-24 78.

SOUTH FLORIDA (12-7) - F.Lewis 7-14 9-11 23, Russell 4-8 2-2 11, Alexander 5-10 1-5 11, Sharp 5-15 0-0 13, Dobras 6-15 0-0 12, D.Williams 0-1 0-0 0, Arcement 0-0 0-0 0, Allen 0-0 0-0 0, Dollar 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-63 12-18 70.

Halftime-Tulane 33, South Florida 29. Regulation-Tulane 68, S. Florida 68. 3-Point goals-Tulane 3-5 (P.Williams 2-2, K.Lewis 1-2, Hunter 0-1), South Florida 4-17 (Sharp 3-11, Russell 1-2, Dobras 0-4). Fouled out-Sharp. Rebounds-Tulane 47 (Reed 11), South Florida 40 (Russell 12). Assists-Tulane 16 (P.Williams 11), South Florida 17 (Dobras 7). Total fouls-Tulane 15, South Florida 20. A-6,787.

February 9, 1992

Southern Miss wears down USF, 87-63. USF (12-8, 1-5) lost for the sixth time in eight games and now shares the Metro Conference cellar with Virginia Tech. The Golden Eagles improved to 9-11, 3-4.

[Guest BasketBull.]

1991-1992

PART IV

Dobras, Bulls hand Cards 69-66 loss

St. Petersburg Times

February 14, 1992

Author: BRIAN LANDMAN

South Florida guard Radenko Dobras, still nursing a bum right ankle that has hampered him the past month, was having one of those nights uncharacteristically, a lousy one.

The Bulls' leading scorer was 0-of-10 from the floor and had just two free throws in the first 35 minutes against Metro Conference foe Louisville.

But with the Bulls down 62-57, Dobras slashed to the basket and sank a shot. He scored seven more points in the final four minutes, including the coup de grace free throws, as USF upset the Cardinals 69-66 Thursday night at the Sun Dome.

""I still had pain in my ankle when I went up for shots,'' said Dobras, who had a season-high 10 assists to become the Bulls' all-time leader in that category with 484. ""Those last three, four minutes, I forgot about everything and just tried to put the ball in.

""I just tried to get it done.''

But Dobras was far from the lone hero for the Bulls (13-8, 2-5), who snapped a two-game conference losing streak and beat their first quality team the Cardinals (14-7, 4-4) had 31 votes in the latest Associated Press poll in more than a month.

Senior center Gary Alexander had 17 rebounds and 15 points, including an 8-foot bank shot that gave USF the lead for good, 67-66, with eight seconds left.

Senior forward Bobby Russell had a season-high 13 points despite injuring his left knee, the one that needed major reconstructive surgery in 1987. The injury turned out to be strained tissue, unrelated to the surgery.

Junior guard Derrick Sharp had 17 points, going 5-of-11 from three-point range to tie Dobras' single-season record of 72. He had three of those in the opening minutes of the second-half as USF erased a 40-31 halftime deficit with a 20-4 run.

""He (Dobras) was contributing tremendously in other ways, but great players have a way of coming through,'' USF coach Bobby Paschal said. ""But a lot of people made big plays.''

The Bulls began the second half on a rampage, capped when Russell hit a layup, even though he was mauled by the 6-foot-10, 250-pound Brian Hopgood.

""I was scared,'' Russell said. ""I couldn't move my leg. Ever since I came back, I haven't had any problems. But he hit me in my face and my knee just twisted.''

Seldom-used sophomore forward Jarvis Jackson replaced him and hit the free throw to give USF a 51-44 lead with 13:36 left as the homecoming crowd of 10,047 sensed a big victory.

But just as they did in the first half, the Cards rallied behind Everick Sullivan and took a 62-55 lead with 5:41 left. Alexander drew a foul, but missed both free throws. Russell kept the ball alive, though, setting the stage for Dobras' driving leaner that ignited a 7-0 USF run that tied it at 62.

Sullivan, who finished with 23 points and 11 rebounds, gave Louisville a 64-62 lead with 66 seconds left when he scored on an alley-oop layup. But Dobras answered with a short fallaway baseline jumper, drawing the foul from Sullivan. His free throw gave USF the lead.

Louisville's James Sullivan hit a short jumper over Dobras with 29 seconds left for a 66-65 lead. Working for the final shot, Dobras drove along the right baseline, was trapped and spied Alexander open on the wing.

After a timeout, Cornelius Holden threw the inbounds pass off James Brewer's shoulder and Dobras, bad ankle and all, won the race to the ball. After Dobras' two free throws, freshman guard Keith LeGree's 35-foot shot at the buzzer was well short.

""We did a good job on Dobras; he hadn't done anything,'' Louisville coach Denny Crum said. ""But when it counted, he stepped up.''

LOUISVILLE (14-7) - Minor 1-2 0-0 2, Morton 5-9 1-2 12, Holden 1-8 0-0 2, LeGree 1-2 0-0 2, Sullivan 8-17 4-4 23, Brewer 5-7 0-0 10, Stone 1-2 0-0 2, Smith 3-4 0-0 6, Hopgood 3-8 1-2 7, Wingfield 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-59 6-8 66.

SOUTH FLORIDA (13-8) - Lewis 4-6 2-2 10, Russell 6-12 1-2 13, Alexander 6-20 3-6 15, Sharp 6-13 0-0 17, Dobras 2-13 7-7 11, Williams 0-0 0-0 0, Jackson 1-2 1-1 3, Dollar 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-66 14-18 69.

Halftime-Louisville 40, South Florida 31. 3-Point goals-Louisville 4-6 (Minor 0-1, Morton 1-1, Sullivan 3-3, Brewer 0-1), South Florida 5-20 (Russell 0-2, Sharp 5-11, Dobras 0-7). Fouled out-None. Rebounds-Louisville 41 (Sullivan 11), South Florida 35 (Alexander 17). Assists-Louisville 20 (LeGree 6), South Florida 18 (Dobras 10). Total fouls-Louisville 14, South Florida 11. A-10,047.

Dobras ignites Bulls

The Tampa Tribune

February 16, 1992

They were in his face constantly - swarming, swatting at the ball, sometimes knocking him to the floor. Nothing worked. Radenko Dobras kept shooting and kept scoring.

""I felt hot,'' Dobras said. ""I wanted the ball. Like every time it went up, I felt it was going in.''

When Dobras heats up, so do the South Florida Bulls. Dobras scored 22 of his game-high 28 points in the second half Saturday as USF upset No. 22 UNC Charlotte 70-63 before 8,345 Charlotte Coliseum fans.

It was the second consecutive Metro Conference victory for USF (14-8, 3-5), which defeated Louisville on Thursday night. For the first time, the Bulls have two victories against nationally ranked opponents in a season, including a Dec. 28 victory over then-No. 23 Iowa.

With five regular-season games remaining, to be followed by the Metro tournament, USF has decisively jumped back into the postseason picture.

""Basketball is crazy,'' Bulls forward Fred Lewis said. ""Think back to a week ago. We were dead tired, coming off a terrible loss [87-63 at Southern Mississippi] and I bet people thought we were ready to pack it in.

""Now we're back on top of the world. We're going to clog up this Metro race. And with the strength of our schedule, if we keep winning, we've got to be a factor for the NCAAs, too.''

UNCC coach Jeff Mullins, whose team has been in The Associated Press Top 25 for nine consecutive weeks, hopes the 49ers (16-6, 4-3) can rebound after three straight Metro losses.

""We didn't have the effort we needed to be successful,'' Mullins said. ""We had a great homecoming crowd, and I'm embarrassed by that [lack of effort]. But I'm not saying that to belittle South Florida.

""Obviously, Dobras hurt us. I want to fault our defense, but he hit some shots that were tremendous. He carried that team.''

Dobras injured his right ankle in the 85-75 loss to UNCC on Jan. 11 and hasn't been the same since. After 103 consecutive starts, he missed four games and still isn't 100 percent.

But Saturday, he was good enough. In the second half, Dobras was seven of nine from the field, including five of six from three-point range.

He hit three consecutive three-pointers as USF built a 39-30 second-half lead. After a technical foul on USF coach Bobby Paschal, the 49ers went on an 11-0 run to pull ahead.

The game remained close until Dobras took over again. With USF leading 50-46, Dobras scored the Bulls' next nine points. UNCC never got closer than five during that stretch.

USF put it away by making nine of 10 free throws in the final 1:06.

""I wanted to give it Radenko every time down the floor, just keep calling his number,'' Lewis said. ""He was sticking it. Man, when he's on like that, we get rolling.''

Dobras, USF's second all-time leading scorer behind Charlie Bradley, reached the 1,800-point career mark.

Bobby Russell had 11 points for USF and Gary Alexander added 10 points and 13 rebounds. Lewis had eight rebounds and nine points, putting him 10th on USF's all-time scoring list with 979 points.

The 49ers' Henry Williams reached a milestone on a meaningless, uncontested layup with 25 seconds remaining. He became UNCC's all-time leading scorer (2,150 points), passing Lew Massey.

But USF didn't mind. It had the biggest stat of all - a victory.

""We are not a fluke team,'' Dobras said. ""When everybody is healthy, we can play with anyone. If we finish strong, there's no telling where this team can end up.''

Dobras shoots USF past UNCC

St. Petersburg Times

February 16, 1992

Author: CHARLES CHANDLER

Regaining his shooting touch for the first time since straining muscles in his right ankle Jan. 11, Radenko Dobras scored 28 points Saturday to lead South Florida to a 70-63 Metro Conference upset of No. 22 UNC-Charlotte at the Charlotte Coliseum.

Dobras who initially hurt his ankle against UNCC started slowly, going just 3-of-11 from the field in the first half. But he got hot with the game on the line. He was 5-of-6 from three-point range in the second half and scored 11 points in the final 5:36.

Most of Dobras' late baskets were made with UNCC defenders in his face, and most went in as he was falling to the floor.

""I want to fault our defense, but he hit some shots that were just tremendous,'' 49ers coach Jeff Mullins said. ""He obviously rose to the occasion and carried that team. Their other kids played hard, but it was his baskets that really hurt.''

It was the second consecutive big Metro victory for South Florida (14-8, 3-5), which beat Louisville on Thursday.

Coach Bobby Paschal said the Bulls appear to have regained the confidence and level of play they had before Dobras' injury. Dobras was in and out of the lineup during a 2-6 swoon that started with a loss to UNCC.

""Our team needed this win so bad,'' Dobras said. ""I just got a feel today, plus I like playing in this NBA arena.''

The Charlotte Hornets also play in the Coliseum.

But Dobras said he is far from recovered from his injury. He said he played at about 85 percent. His ankle was iced and wrapped immediately after the game.

It was the third consecutive Metro loss for UNCC (16-6, 4-3), after defeats to Louisville and Tulane. The 49ers appear certain to fall from the national rankings for the first time in 10 weeks.

USF did an especially good job of defending against the 49ers' potent perimeter game. The 49ers average seven three-pointers per game but were 3-of-9 from that distance Saturday.

Leading scorer Henry Williams was 4-of-15 from the field and scored 12 points, eight below his average. James Terrell, averaging 15, scored just five.

Williams became UNCC's career scoring leader (2,151 points) with an uncontested layup with 26 seconds remaining.

""After all Henry has done for our program, I hate that his great feat was anti-climactic,'' Mullins said.

Paschal said one of the keys for USF was its free-throw shooting. The Bulls were 16-of-19 from the line, including their last eight in the final 54 seconds.

"I want to fault our defense," Charlotte Coach Jeff Mullins said, "but Dobras hit some great shots and really carried their team."

Dobras keyed a decisive 17-5 run that gave South Florida (13-9, 2-6) a 56-46 lead with 4:10 left. Reserve forward Daryl DeVaull, who had 22 points and 12 rebounds, capped a seven-point rally for N.C. Charlotte with a short jumper to trim the deficit to 56-53 with 2:25 left.

After Dobras hit a fallaway jumper and free throw, Charlotte (16-6, 4-3) drew no closer than six points. Both teams were in the Sun Belt Conference last season.

South Florida 70: Lewis 3-6 3-4 9, Russell 4-8 3-5 11, Alexander 3-8 4-5 10, Sharp 1-7 6-6 8, Dobras 10-20 3-3 28, D. Williams 1-2 0-0 2, Arcement 0-0 0-0 0, Allen 0-0 0-0 0, Jackson 1-2 0-0 2, Dollar 0-0 0-0 0, Edmond 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-53 19-23 70.

N.C. Charlotte 63: Dottin 3-9 1-2 7, Wylie 0-2 0-0 0, Bolly 1-2 0-0 2, Baker 0-0 0-0 0, H. Williams 4-15 2-2 12, DeVaull 8-12 6-8 22, Terrell 1-5 2-4 5, Thompson 0-2 0-0 0, Johnson 0-2 1-2 1, Broadhurst 1-3 0-0 2, Odom 6-8 0-1 12. Totals 24-60 12-19 63.

Halftime: South Florida 28, N.C. Charlotte 24. Three-point goals: Dobras 5, H. Williams 2, Terrell. Rebounds: South Florida 35 (Alexander 13), N.C. Charlotte 36 (DeVaull 12). Assists: South Florida 8 (Dobras 4), N.C. Charlotte 13 (Broadhurst 5). Total fouls: South Florida 16, N.C. Charlotte 22. A: 8,345.

Bulls stand out in a Herd 88-79

St. Petersburg Times

February 19, 1992

Author: BRIAN LANDMAN

What's the solution to a pressure situation? How about responding with some pressure full-court pressure, that is.

The South Florida Bulls resorted to some attacking, relentless defense in the second half Tuesday to add some life to their heretofore lethargic play, cruising to an 88-79 win against non-conference opponent Marshall.

""We felt we had to do something to speed up the tempo, get some open-court baskets and pick up some emotion,'' USF coach Bobby Paschal said. ""I was very pleased with the way we came out in the second half.''

USF (15-8) trailed 31-29 at halftime, but Gary Alexander erased that deficit just 14 seconds into the second half with his first dunk of the game and a free throw. The Bulls immediately began pressing and came up with a loose ball, which Radenko Dobras converted into a layup.

""We didn't play hard in the first half and we knew we had to come out and turn it on,'' said Dobras, who scored 18 of his team-high 22 points in the second half.

""Any time you play Louisville in front of 10,000 people, then you go to Charlotte with 9,000 and then you have this game, you loosen up a little. But we were burned one time this season with Oral Roberts with that approach.''

USF lost to Oral Roberts 99-92 in the final of the Marshall Tournament, its first loss of the year.

But the Thundering Herd (5-18) hung right with USF until Bobby Russell hit an open jumper for a 45-44 lead with 11:56 left. That began a decisive 10-2 run the most lopsided of the game. Until then, no team led by more than four.

""People had tried to pressure us all year and we've just picked them apart, dunk after dunk after dunk,'' Marshall coach Dwight Freeman said. ""But they did a good job of running it and we did a bad job of handling it. You put the two together and it meant a lot of turnovers and a lot of points.''

In the half, the Bulls forced 10 turnovers and had nine steals. That enabled them to shoot 62.5 percent from the floor. And when the Bulls did miss, they more often than not drew a foul. They hit 18 of 22 free throws in the second half and 23 of 29 for the game.

But points were hard to come by in the first half as the Bulls hardly resembled the team that had beaten Louisville last week and then No. 22-ranked North Carolina-Charlotte on Saturday.

USF was up 28-24 after a three-point play by Fred Lewis and seemed poised to make a run. Finally. Alexander, who had five blocks in the half, swatted a Tyrone Phillips shot away, leading to a Gerard Arcement steal at midcourt.

Fastbreak layup, right?

Or maybe, the Bulls' first dunk?

Nah.

Arcement missed and Frank Martin followed with a three-point shot as Marshall outscored USF 7-1 in the final three minutes for its halftime lead.

""Marshall had won only five games and in the first half, we played down to their level,'' said Alexander, who finished with 18 points. ""When we picked up the tempo, we got things rolling.''

The Bulls now close out the regular-season with four Metro Conference games two on the road (Virginia Tech on Saturday and Tulane on Monday) and two at home (Virginia Commonwealth on Feb. 29 and Southern Mississippi on March 4).

TAMPA -- Radenko Dobras scored 22 points and had nine assists to lead South Florida (15-8) past Marshall (7-16).

Marshall (79): Phillips 11-20 4-5 26, Clay 2-3 1-1 5, Gorss 3-4 0-0 6, Ibanez 0-2 0-0 0, Martin 9-19 2-4 23, Simmons 2-4 0-0 4, Brailsford 4-4 0-0 8, Hightower 1-5 5-6 7. Totals 32-62 12-16 79.

South Florida (88): Lewis 7-11 4-6 18, Russell 5-8 0-0 10, Alexander 7-10 4-6 18, Sharp 1-7 4-5 7, Dobras 7-15 8-8 22, Williams 5-6 0-0 10, Jackson 0-0 1-2 1, Dollar 0-0 2-2 2. Totals 32-58 23-29 88.

Halftime: Marshall 31, South Florida 29. Three-point goals: Marshall 3-8 (Martin 3), South Florida 1-9 (Sharp). Fouled out: Gross. Rebounds: Marshall 36 (Phillips 12), South Florida 25 (Lewis 8). Assists: Marshall 18 (Martin 6), South Florida 22 (Dobras 9). Total fouls: Marshall 20, South Florida 15. A: 4,357.

Metro: four NCAA contenders?

St. Petersburg Times

February 19, 1992

Author: BRIAN LANDMAN

Anyone who's glanced at box scores or weekly Top 25 basketball polls has recognized that four Metro Conference teams could be considered for the NCAA Tournament.

But without an automatic bid awarded to the tournament champion, Tulane, North Carolina-Charlotte, Louisville and South Florida must hope to be among the 34 teams seeking at-large berths.

""We've never set limits from a conference,'' said Roy Kramer, a member of the selection committee for the sixth time and the Southeastern Conference commissioner. ""In all honesty, I believe there's more parity this year than any other time I've been associated with the tournament. And that's true in all conferences.''

Kramer said it will come down to the NCAA's complicated formula, which includes a team's win-loss record, the record of its opponents, and how a team finishes the regular season.

Despite an unimpressive non-conference schedule the highlight was a loss at Wake Forest Tulane (19-3) is probably a shoo-in based on its record and its No. 18 ranking. Four of Tulane's last five regular-season games are at home, where it is 11-0.rs out of the polls.

""Obviously people have been talking,'' UNCC coach Jeff Mullins said. ""There's no doubt we've slipped, but there's still some pretty important games left.''

Louisville (15-8) probably doesn't need too many more wins considering it has played one of the nation's most demanding non-conference schedules (UCLA, Kansas, Kentucky, LSU, DePaul and Notre Dame). The Cardinals also host the Metro Tournament and they are 9-3 at Freedom Hall.

USF (15-8) was 10-2 and flirting with a national ranking after beating Florida State, Iowa, Texas Christian and Florida. But an injury to Radenko Dobras contributed to a midseason slump, which the Bulls have rebounded from with wins against Louisville and UNC-Charlotte.

""We are in a position which you hope to be at this time of the year,'' USF coach Bobby Paschal said. ""We have as many quality wins as we've had since I've been here. If we get in that 17-18 range, I think we would receive major consideration.''

In 1989, the Metro sent four teams (Louisville, Florida State, Memphis State and South Carolina) to the NCAA, so that number wouldn't be unprecedented.

Unknown ailment ailing 49ers: UNCC super sub Delano Johnson has been sick for about three weeks and he may be sidelined for a few games.

""He gets weak in the leg and doesn't have any strength,'' Mullins said. ""He's had blood tests and nothing has shown up. We thought he was getting better, but right before the South Florida game, it came back. He was a vital part of our team for 20 games, but he hasn't been himself and we may have to rest him for a couple of weeks.''

Johnson, a junior guard, is averaging 9.8 points and leads the 49ers in assists (4.5) and steals (2.5) per game.

Time for a break: Tulane coach Perry Clark said his team, which lives and dies with its frenetic defensive pressure, is tired. That could be why the Metro's last-place team, Virginia Tech, stunned the Green Wave on Saturday.

""I think our kids need a little time away from basketball,'' Clark said. ""We've been on the road 11 of the last 14 days and it caught up with us a little bit. We play so aggressive and so hard, you have a tendency to wear down a little faster, and on Saturday we were a step slow.''

Tulane is now in the midst of a nine-day break. Its next game is against USF on Feb. 24 in New Orleans.

Dobras a can't-miss proposition at foul line

The Tampa Tribune

February 20, 1992

If Radenko Dobras hits his next free throw, he will set a University of South Florida record.

Dobras has made 22 consecutive free throws, tying the school record set earlier this season by Bobby Russellous record was 20 straight by Dave Bastian - from Dec. 27, 1981, to Jan. 27, 1982. Bastian missed, then hit his next 16, giving him a 36-for-37 stretch.

The men's Division I record for consecutive free throws? Joe Dykstra of Western Illinois hit 64 straight during the 1981-82 season.

Successful free-throw shooting has been a big reason for USF's three-game winning streak heading into Saturday's Metro Conference game at Virginia Tech. Against Louisville, UNC Charlotte and Marshall, the Bulls were 56 of 70 (80 percent) from the line.

USF wins fourth in row

St. Petersburg Times

February 23, 1992

Author: SCOTT BLANCHARD

Three weeks ago, after South Florida beat Virginia Tech in Tampa, Bulls coach Bobby Paschal grinned at Hokies coach Bill Foster and said: ""We're not going to Blacksburg.''

No doubt Paschal is pleased he broke his promise.

Saturday, South Florida clubbed the Hokies 75-62 and moved into a tie for fifth place in the Metro Conference with Southern Miss. It was the Bulls' fourth consecutive victory.

The Bulls (16-8, 4-5) led 49-47 with 10:09 left before outscoring Tech 17-6 over the next 8:37. Radenko Dobras had seven points and Gary Alexander six in the run.

Just as important, Paschal said, was what preceded that run. USF took a 49-45 lead with 12:37 left, then missed two field goals, two free throws and had a turnover in the next three minutes. But Tech scored just one basket.

""We had several times where we couldn't score that we played extremely good defense and rebounded well,'' Paschal said.

Tech stayed with USF in the first half mainly because of a 20-12 rebounding edge and an occasional triangle-and-two defense that chased Dobras and Derrick Sharp. Plus the Bulls couldn't consistently get the ball inside Alexander took just four shots in the first half.

""We have a thing we run against the triangle, but we weren't getting the ball to the right place,'' Paschal said. ""In the second half, we changed and got more of a freedom-of-movement type thing and let the guys decide where to go.''

Still, Tech had cut a 48-43 deficit to 49-47 with 10:09 left.

Alexander converted a three-point play to make it 52-47, and Tech's Erik Wilson missed an open jumper. USF's Fred Lewis pump-faked Wilson, stepped under him and scored in the lane. Each team missed once before Tech got a breakaway, but John Rivers' finger roll bounced out.

Then Dobras stepped in from the three-point line, made a leaning jumper and was fouled. The free throw made it 57-47 with 8:15 left. Rivers scored for Tech, but baskets by Dobras and Alexander increased the lead to 61-49.

""The defense was there,'' Tech's Jimmy Carruth said. ""It's just that they hit a lot of tough shots.''

Dobras and Lewis each had 21 points.

The Bulls (16-8, 4-5) led, 34-32, at halftime, but Virginia Tech (8-15, 2-8) took the lead briefly in the second half,

43-42, on Steve Hall's three-pointer with 15:16 left. South Florida regained the lead on back-to-back inside baskets by Gary Alexander.

A jumper by Jay Purcell cut the South Florida lead to 49-47 with 10:09 remaining. South Florida then went on a 14-4 run with Dobras accounting for seven of the points and Fred Lewis getting five to take a 63-51 lead with three minutes left.

South Florida 75: Lewis 9-14 3-4 21, Russell 0-5 1-2 1, Alexander 6-9 3-6 15, Sharp 4-8 6-7 15, Dobras 6-17 7-7 21, Williams 1-2 0-0 2, Dollar 0-0 0-0 0, Jackson 0-1 0-2 0. Totals 26-56 20-28 75.

Virginia Tech 62: Rivers 3-11 0-0 6, Elliott 1-7 2-2 4, Wilson 6-13 2-4 14, Hall 5-12 0-0 12, Purcell 9-14 0-0 20, Jackson 0-1 0-1 0, Carruth 1-2 0-0 2, Corker 2-4 0-0 4. Totals 27-64 4-7 62.

Halftime: South Florida 34, Virginia Tech 32. Three-point goals: Sharp, Dobras 2, Hall 2, Purcell 2. Fouled out: Purcell. Rebounds: South Florida 35 (Dobras 10), Virginia Tech 36 (Wilson 9). Assists: South Florida 15 (Dobras 6), Virginia Tech 13 (Rivers, Hall 5). Total fouls: South Florida 14, Virginia Tech 20. A: 5,009.

Surging Bulls stop #15 Green Wave

The Tampa Tribune

February 25, 1992

This time, the shot went in. And this time, the South Florida Bulls had a Mardi Gras-like celebration instead of heartbreak.

Bobby Russell hit a desperation three-pointer with nine seconds remaining Monday night, sending USF to an 81-76 upset victory over 15th-ranked Tulane at Fogelman Arena. The Green Wave had won 17 straight games on their home court.

After Tulane's Kim Lewis turned the ball over driving the sideline, Radenko Dobras clinched the victory by hitting a one-and-one with four seconds remaining. He then turned to the 3,643 fans, which had booed him throughout the game, smiled broadly and blew a few kisses their way.

Tulane fans threw beads on the court in the final seconds. USF players and coaches needed police protection for a safe exit to the locker room.

Once there, the party began.

""Where's The Posse now?'' USF center Gary Alexander said. ""I've been waiting for this night all season. We're the new sheriffs in town.''

USF, winners of five straight games, moved to 17-8, 5-5 in the Metro Conference. Tulane, which could have clinched a tie for the Metro regular-season title and the conference tournament's No. 1 seed, fell to 19-4, 7-2.

""That was one of the greatest games I've ever been involved in,'' USF coach Bobby Paschal said. ""And I guess it's fitting that Bobby Russell made the last shot.''

When Tulane beat USF 78-70 in overtime Feb. 6 at the Sun Dome, Russell had a shot from similar range to win in regulation. It missed.

""That crossed my mind,'' Russell said. ""This one felt good all the way. I don't know if you should call it revenge. Just call it sweet.''

Lewis hit one of two free throws with 56 seconds remaining, tying it 76-76. USF ran the shot clock down to about 10 before Dobras drove off a screen and fired a 15-footer.

The ball bounced off, but Fred Lewis tapped back to Russell, who dribbled once and fired the game-winner.

""I knew we had one or two guys back there, so I just slapped it back,'' Fred Lewis said. ""I was kind of nervous when Bobby let it go because I thought he shot it too soon. Man, it was nothing but net. That was the greatest ending possible. Bobby hit the game-winner. Beautiful.''

Lewis had 22 points and 11 rebounds. All other USF starters - Alexander (20), Russell (17), Derrick Sharp (12) and Dobras (10) - scored in double figures.

The Posse, Tulane's reserves, outscored USF's bench 49-0, giving them a two-game 99-0 advantage over the Bulls. But USF's starters compensated with a poised, gritty performance in their most physical game this season.

""We're the adversary now, everyone is shooting for us, and we need to handle that better,'' Tulane coach Perry Clark said. ""That guy [Russell] knocked in a big-time shot. But it never should have come to that. We didn't have composure when we needed it.''

USF twice led by 13 points in the first half, then by nine with 12:11 remaining. But Tulane, keeping the pressure on, kept coming back.

The lead changed hands 10 times in the final 6:45. Tulane appeared to have some room when Kim Lewis hit two free throws with 1:39 remaining, putting the Green Wave ahead 75-72.

But Russell and Dobras each hit one-and-one opportunities, setting the stage for a frantic finish.

NEW ORLEANS -- Bobby Russell hit a three-point shot with 10 seconds left to give South Florida a Metro Conference victory over No. 15 Tulane.

Radenko Dobras then hit two free throws with four seconds left.

South Florida (17-8): F. Lewis 11-17 0-0 22, Russell 6-10 4-4 17, Alexander 8-12 4-4 20, Sharp 4-12 0-1 12, Dobras 2-13 5-6 10, D. Williams 0-0 0-0 0, Arcement 0-0 0-0 0, Jackson 0-2 0-0 0, Dollar 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 31-66 13-17 81.

Tulane (19-4): Whitmore 2-6 3-4 7, Reed 7-17 0-0 14, Popp 0-2 0-0 0, Gary 1-4 0-0 2, Hunter 2-5 0-0 4, P. Williams 1-5 2-2 5, K. Lewis 5-12 8-10 18, Greene 4-4 2-3 10, Hartman 5-8 4-5 14, Perry 1-2 0-2 2. Totals 28-65 19-26 76.

Halftime: S. Florida 38, Tulane 34. Three-point goals: S. Florida 6-20 (Sharp 4-11, Russell 1-2, Dobras 1-7), Tulane 1-8 (P. Williams 1-1, Whitmore 0-1, Gary 0-2, Hunter 0-2, K. Lewis 0-2). Fouled out: Gary. Rebounds: S. Florida 38 (Alexander 14), Tulane 39 (K. Lewis 11). Assists: S. Florida 20 (Russell 7), Tulane 17 (P. Williams 7). Total fouls: S. Florida 20, Tulane 16. A: 3,643.

Alexander, Dobras deserve Metro honors

The Tampa Tribune

February 27, 1992

During 13 seasons in the Sun Belt Conference, the University of South Florida had seven total first-team all-conference selections.

As first-year members of the Metro Conference, the Bulls appear to have two legitimate first-team candidates - Radenko Dobras and Gary Alexander.

Dobras is averaging 18.3 points and 5.8 assists per game, but his presence has meant even more to the Bulls. With Dobras suffering from an ankle injury, the Bulls went 2-6. Since his return, the Bulls have won five straight.

Dobras entered Monday night's game at Tulane with a USF-record 29 consecutive free throws. He missed his first attempt, then hit five straight.

""Radenko Dobras is to South Florida what Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas are to their teams,'' Tulane coach Perry Clark said. ""He controls the tempo and makes everybody else better.''

Alexander averages 15 points and a Metro-leading 11 rebounds. By grabbing 14 rebounds against Tulane, Alexander passed Curtis Kitchen for second place on USF's all-time list with 819.

Hakim Shahid is USF's career rebounding leader with 893. With only two regular-season games remaining - plus the conference tournament and potential postseason games - Alexander will be hard-pressed to catch Shahid. But keep in mind that Alexander's stats were compiled over just three seasons. He was academically ineligible his first season at USF.

The All-Metro team, chosen by members of the Metro Conference Sports Writers and Broadcasters Association, will be announced March 12.

Williams probable: Forward David Williams, who suffered a hyperflexed neck at Tulane, is listed as probable for Saturday's home game against Virginia Commonwealth. Diagnostic tests Thursday were all negative, said USF sports medicine coordinator Barry Clements.Road woes for women:The women's basketball team, 12-12 overall and 3-7 in the Metro, has lost six straight, including a forgettable two-game road trip last weekend. Five USF players fouled out in an 83-62 loss at Tulane. USF committed 32 fouls to Tulane's 15. USF was 10 of 13 from the free-throw line while Tulane was 37 of 47. Two days later, Southern Miss beat USF 89-68. USF is at Metro leader Louisville on Saturday.

Alexander shows his stuff against VCU

The Tampa Tribune

March 1, 1992

Author: Tom McEwen

The South Florida Bulls simply had to beat a good Virginia Commonwealth team at the Sun Dome on Saturday to keep their hopes and expectations of good things down the line.

Had to.

""I told my wife Shirley before I left home today that I didn't care how many people showed up or how we played or what the score was so long as we won. That was just the way it is,'' USF coach Bobby Paschal said just before tip-off.

Well, a solid and supportive crowd of 5,702 gave the joys of a perfect outdoors atmosphere to help USF win.

The game was tense for those who watched and passionately played on the court and its outcome was uncertain until the final 3« minutes, when the Bulls went on an 11-1 run and won the game Paschal said he'd take any way he could, 91-81.

And the Bulls' play under this pressure of having to win? Superb. Balanced. Unyielding, despite VCU tenacity that blunted three second-half USF shots at a blowout.

And the hero?

There was one.

Oh, was there ever one.

But, now no one man wins a game of basketball. In this one, all who participated contributed, especially all of the starters.

Everyone pitched in

Radenko Dobras had a 19-point game despite a late first-half dry spell. But the man had a personal-best 11 assists and was, as always, the leading ball-handler.

Captain Fred Lewis got his 12 points and an impressive 11 rebounds. He had clutch free throws and clutch baskets.

Bobby Russell, ""don't forget him,'' VCU coach Sonny Smith said. ""I remember him hitting key buckets when we were closing in.''

Russell also hit a three-pointer at the buzzer that lifted the Bulls to a 47-43 halftime lead. He finished with 11 points and six rebounds.

Derrick Sharp contributed with nine points, five assists and two rebounds, joining Dobras, Lewis and Russell with nuisance defensive play.

Then, there was the game-ball winner.

Then, there was the Bull who played as if he were eight feet tall, as if he had the touch of a Michael Jordan and the power of Charles Barkley. We all know he has the heart of Alexander The Great.

In this game the Bulls had to win, Gary Alexander was everywhere, either doing or helping or interfering. He intimidated. He harassed. He persisted. He had the touch.

In this must-win effort of the Bulls, Alexander scored a career-high 34 points. He hit four of seven from the free-throw line - not his long suit - and a stunning 15 of 23 field-goal attempts.

A clutch performance

Alexander helped preserve USF's lead when VCU closed, scoring plenty of points with balls he rebounded himself. And this Metro Conference leading rebounder, who is penciled in as a center, claimed 17 rebounds.

Not in high school, not in college had Alexander ever scored 34 points.

""Gary played an absolutely great game,'' Paschal said. ""He was terrific under both baskets. When you get 17 rebounds against VCU, you have had yourself a day, not to mention his 34 points.''

The performance was needed. VCU simply would not go away although the Rams, unlike the Bulls, do not have the opportunity to go the NCAA playoffs, ""but, nothing is certain. We have to keep moving,'' like Wednesday night against Southern Mississippi at the Sun Dome in what will be a special evening.

These four great seniors of USF - Dobras, Alexander, Russell and Lewis - will be playing their last home game.

""This game today,'' Alexander said after his extraordinary work was done, ""we needed to win more than any this season. Yeah, it was a career high in points. Career,'' smiling. Yes, he smiles. Not on the court, but off.

""I came out and started good and that set the stage. It is typical of me to play better in the second half.''

He had 17 points in each half, but 11 of his 17 rebounds in the second half. The combined rebounds of Alexander and Lewis were 28, the total of the entire VCU team.

Then Alexander gave a little personal insight into what makes Gary go.

""I believe in myself,'' he said. ""When I go out there I take it all, all the time. I don't leave anything in the dressing room.''

""Hey,'' whispered Paschal to the side, ""Gary didn't practice Thursday. Had a virus.''

Never convince VCU of that, Coach.

Gary Alexander scored a career-high 34 points and grabbed 17 rebounds Saturday to lead South Florida to a 91-81 Metro Conference victory over Virginia Commonwealth at Tampa.

Alexander, a 6-7 senior, made 15 of 23 shots from the field and contributed to a flurry of baskets off offensive rebounds to

break open a close game in the second half and give the Bulls their sixth victory in a row.

The Bulls (18-8, 6-5) scored five straight second-chance baskets to expand a two-point lead to 76-68 with 7:05 left, and the Rams (13-12, 5-6) never came within five points again.

Virginia Commonwealth rallied from a nine-point deficit in the first half, outscoring South Florida, 24-14, to take a 43-42 lead with a minute left.

But South Florida came back with the last five points of the half, including a three-pointer by Bobby Russell at the buzzer to take the lead 47-43.

Radenko Dobras had 19 points and 11 assists for the Bulls. Kendrick Warren led Virginia Commonwealth with 19 points, and Sherron Mills added 16.

Va. Commonwealth 81: Atkins 6-11 0-0 12, Warren 8-13 3-4 19, Mills 8-13 0-0 16, Ladd 2-8 0-0 6, Weldon 4-7 2-2 12, Callins 2-2 0-0 6, Brower 2-7 3-4 7, McCoy 1-2 1-2 3. Totals 33-63 9-12 81.

South Florida 91: Lewis 5-10 2-2 12, Russell 5-9 0-0 11, Alexander 15-23 4-7 34, Sharp 3-9 2-3 9, Dobras 6-15 4-4 19, Arcement 1-1 0-0 2, Jackson 1-2 0-0 2, Edmond 1-2 0-2 2. Totals 37-71 12-18 91.

Halftime: South Florida 47, Va. Commonwealth 43. Three- point goals: Ladd 2, Weldon 2, Callins 2, Russell, Sharp, Dobras 3. Rebounds: Va. Commonwealth 28 (Warren 7), South Florida 41 (Alexander 17). Assists: Va. Commonwealth 24 (Warren, Weldon 6), South Florida 24 (Dobras 11). Total fouls: Va. Commonwealth 14, South Florida 14. A: 5,702.

USF lining up talented recruits to replace seniors

The Tampa Tribune

March 5, 1992

As Wednesday night's Sun Dome pre-game ceremony pointed out, things will be different for the South Florida Bulls next season. Seven seniors are leaving, including four fixtures in Gary Alexander, Radenko Dobras, Fred Lewis and Bobby Russell.

""Any way you look at it, we're going to be putting together a new team next season,'' USF coach Bobby Paschal said.

So recruiting has taken on more importance than usual. USF has three scholarships to offer when the next signing period begins on April 15.

Already, the Bulls are close to securing a commitment from 6-foot-3 guard James Gilbert of Lake Land Community College in Mattoon, Ill. Gilbert averages 29.9 points per game, third highest among the nation's junior-college players.

Gilbert attended Saturday's Virginia Commonwealth-USF game at the Sun Dome and said he was ""95 percent certain'' he'd be a Bull next season. Gilbert said USF has the edge over Alabama, Arkansas, New Mexico State, South Carolina and Wyoming.

USF's biggest need for next season is probably a post player, an inside presence to replace Alexander. Fred Ferguson,6-foot-9 center from Glen Oaks CC in Centerville, Mich., has emerged as the strongest possibility.

Ferguson has narrowed his choices to USF, Southern Cal and South Carolina. One USF positive: Gilbert and Ferguson are friends.

USF added four players during last November's early signing period. Here's a look at their progress.

Chuckie Atkins: He's a 5-10 point guard from one of Florida's best Class 4A teams, 29-4 Orlando Evans. Atkins averages 17 points and five assists per game and had 29 points Tuesday night in a 61-58 regional loss to Oviedo.

Chris Coleman: A 6-3 guard for Prairie View (Ill.) Stevenson, in suburban Chicago. He's averaging 20.4 points, 11 rebounds, five steals and two blocked shots per game. Stevenson, 25-1 and ranked fourth in the Chicago area, plays in a regional playoff game Friday night.

Mike Hostetter: A 6-7, 215-pounder from Skyline College in San Bruno, Calif. He's a former Skyline roommate of USF's Gerard Arcement. He plays power forward and averages 11 points and 7.9 rebounds per game.

Vince Hyatt: A 6-6 forward from Edison Community College in Fort Myers who can also play at the big guard. He averages 18.6 points, eight rebounds and 6.3 assists per game. ""Absolutely one of the best players I've ever had,'' Edison CC coach Hugh Thimler said.

Going camping: Point guard Dobras will go to the April 8-11 Portsmouth (Va.) Invitational, a camp for college players to perform for NBA scouts.

Bulls drop Eagles, lift NCAA hopes

St. Petersburg Times

March 5, 1992

Author: BRIAN LANDMAN

While the partisan, fanatical Sun Dome fans confidently chanted, ""N, C, double A. N, C, double A,'' they had to be nervously whispering, ""Make a free throw, make a free throw.''

Indeed, University of South Florida senior center Gary Alexander was just 1-of-8 from the line when he strolled up to it with 16 seconds left, and USF clinging to a two-point lead against Metro Conference rival Southern Mississippi.

Swish. Roar. Whew.

Swish. Roar. Whew.

Radenko Dobras would add two more free throws as USF won its regular-season finale 78-72 Wednesday night, wrapping up at least a tie for second. And title hopes remained alive.

And as the boisterous crowd of 8,147 pointed out, the Bulls (19-8, 7-5) moved closer to a possible NCAA Tournament bid. South Florida, which equaled a school record with seven straight wins, begin play in the Metro tournament next Friday in Louisville.

But Alexander had to answer the fans' whispers before the merriment begane.

""I just told him to step up there and hit 'em,'' USF coach Bobby Paschal said. ""He's hit a lot of free throws in his career and it showed a lot of toughness on his part; a lot of maturity. He just hit the bottom of the net both times.''

""I just went up there with the mentality they were going in,'' said Alexander, who finished with 11 points. ""I didn't want to come out (for the last time here) and lose. My main concern was winning. It always is, but more so tonight.''

But on the night USF honored seven seniors, it didn't seem as though Alexander or the Bulls would be put in a pressure situation. Midway through the second half, Dobras scored nine consecutive points to give USF an apparent commanding lead, 68-57, with 8:51 to play.

""I was feeling hot,'' said Dobras, who had 26 points, five assists and five rebounds after sitting out the first meeting between the two teams a lopsided loss by the Bulls. ""If I went inside, they couldn't stop me.''

That's why Southern Mississippi coach M.K. Turk defied conventional wisdom and resorted to a 3-2 zone even though his team was down. He had to try something to take away Dobras' one-on-one opportunities.

""We hesitated to go to our zone, but it proved to be an excellent move,'' Turk said.

USF scored just one more field goal a critical three-pointer by Derrick Sharp down the stretch. Meanwhile, senior forward Clarence Weatherspoon, who scored 26 points and had 12 rebounds, rallied the Eagles (12-14, 5-6).

Southern Miss had the ball, trailing 74-72, with the 45-second shot clock off, but Dallas Dale missed a three-pointer and Alexander grabbed the rebound. Weatherspoon immediately fouled him.

""Obviously, everyone in the Sun Dome was guarding 'Spoon,'' Turk said. ""Someone else had to take the shot and he was open. But he (Alexander) had missed seven in a row and we were hopeful No. 8 would kick out of there, too.''

It didn't.

At the outset, the Golden Eagles seemed intent on spoiling the Bulls' gala sendoff (the athletic staff wore tuxes) for their seniors. They hit just about every shot.

But Sharp, the lone junior starter, stole the show from his senior teammates in the first half. He hit a three-pointer to give USF a 17-16 lead with 10:20 left in the half, followed that with a fast break layup, contorting his body in mid-air to avoid charging into Bernard Haslett. Sharp would hit another trey, minutes later for a 24-18 lead.

Southern Mississippi rallied to within 24-23, but Dobras hit consecutive off-balance jumpers and then it was Sharp's turn again. Dobras tried to drive toward the basket only to see Weatherspoon swat the ball away right to Sharp outside the three-point arc. He hit again for a 32-23 lead.

USF's bench then maintained the lead down the stretch as David Williams and Jarvis Jackson both scored on put-backs. And Chad Dollar fed Alexander for a dunk. A Dobras jumper built the halftime lead to 42-32. USF maintained the lead and was never threatened until the final seconds.

""It was great hearing our fans,'' senior forward Fred Lewis said of the NCAA, NCAA chant. ""It's something we've been pushing toward all year and now we're a step closer.''

South Florida 78, So. Miss 72

SOUTHERN MISS. (12-14) - Whisby 5-8 0-0 10, Weatherspoon 12-20 1-2 26, Courtney 4-11 4-4 12, Dale 5-12 1-2 12, Haslett 1-3 0-0 3, Cameron 3-6 2-2 9, Rembert 0-0 0-0 0, Mealer 0-3 0-0 0, F. Williams 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 30-63 8-10 72.

SOUTH FLORIDA (19-8) - Lewis 3-5 4-5 10, Russell 3-9 0-0 6, Alexander 4-8 3-10 11, Sharp 7-11 3-5 21, Dobras 9-20 6-8 26, D. Williams 1-2 0-0 2, Jackson 1-1 0-0 2, Dollar 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 28-57 16-28 78.

Halftime-South Florida 42, Southern Miss. 32. 3-Point goals-Southern Miss. 4-18 (Whisby 0-1, Weatherspoon 1-2, Dale 1-7, Haslett 1-3, Cameron 1-3, Mealer 0-2), South Florida 6-14 (Sharp 4-8, Dobras 2-6). Fouled out-None. Rebounds-Southern Miss. 38 (Weatherspoon, Courtney 12), South Florida 33 (Alexander 7). Assists-Southern Miss. 20 (Dale 13), South Florida 20 (Russell 6). Total fouls-Southern Miss. 19, South Florida 11. A-8,147.

[Guest BasketBull.]

1991-1992

PART V

Bulls seeded 3rd in tournament

The Tampa Tribune

March 8, 1992

The South Florida Bulls didn't play Saturday, but they still won.

USF will be seeded third in this week's Metro Conference Tournament at Louisville, Ky. The Bulls (19-8, 7-5) will face sixth-seeded Southern Mississippi (12-15, 5-7) in a first-round game Friday at 2:30 p.m.

Tulane (20-7, 8-4) wrapped up the Metro's regular-season title and a first-round tournament bye by defeating Southern Miss 80-70. Meanwhile, USF (19-8, 7-5) finished in a three-way tie for second place with UNC Charlotte and Louisville.

UNCC won the second-seed tiebreaker because it was the only team to sweep Southern Miss. USF received the third seed by winning a coin flip with Louisville.

Metro Commissioner Ralph McFillen and UNCC Athletic Director Judy Rose administered the coin flip, and it came up as USF's designation of ""tails.''

The Bulls would not face home-standing Louisville and its 19,000-plus fans until Sunday's final at Freedom Hall. And USF also avoids well-rested Tulane until a potential Sunday matchup.

USF coach Bobby Paschal downplayed the seedings.

""You really can't worry about who you're going to play,'' Paschal said. ""For one thing, this league has proven to be a league where anybody can beat anybody. For another thing, the idea is to get to Sunday and win there.

""You just have to win three tough games. I told our kids, we're going there with the idea that we'll play harder than anyone else.''

USF split with Southern Miss during the regular season. In perhaps its most dismal performance this season, USF lost to Southern Miss 87-63 on Feb. 8 at Hattiesburg, Miss. Point guard Radenko Dobras missed that game with strained ankle muscles.

If USF defeats Southern Miss on Friday, it would play either second-seeded UNCC or seventh-seeded Virginia Tech in Saturday's semifinals at 7 p.m. The Metro final is next Sunday at 3 p.m., approximately three hours before the 64-team NCAA field is announced.

However, the Metro tournament winner will not receive an automatic NCAA bid this season. Tulane, UNCC, USF and Louisville all expect to be in the hunt for a berth.

USF could have won a share of its first-ever regular-season conference championship with a Tulane loss. But now the Bulls are setting sights on winning the tournament.

""The tournament winner will be the true champion of this conference,'' USF center Gary Alexander said. ""It's anybody's tournament to win. But with the roll we've been on, maybe the other teams are looking at us [as the team to beat].''

 Caption:

(CHART) TOURNEY SCHEDULE METRO FRIDAY'S GAMES UNC Charlotte vs. VCU, noon USF vs. So. Miss., 2:30 p.m. Louisville vs. Virginia Tech, 7:30 p.m. SATURDAY'S GAMES UNCC-VCU winner vs. USF-So. Miss. winner, 7 p.m. Tulane vs. Louisville-Va. Tech winner, 9:30 p.m. SUNDAY'S GAME Championship, 3 p.m

Metro honors 2 USF players

The Tampa Tribune

March 11, 1992

For the first time in school history, South Florida has two first-team all-conference basketball players.

Center Gary Alexander and point guard Radenko Dobras were named to the All-Metro Conference Team on Tuesday, joining Southern Mississippi forward Clarence Weatherspoon, UNC Charlotte guard Henry Williams and Virginia Commonwealth forward Kendrick Warren on the first team.

Also, USF forward Fred Lewis was named to the All-Metro second team. Selections were made by the Metro Conference Sportswriters and Broadcasters Association.

""I'm really happy,'' Alexander said. ""Really, it would have been a disappointment not to make it. I think I earned it.''

Alexander led the Metro in rebounding (11.0) and was fifth in scoring (15.6). He is USF's fifth all-time leading scorer with 1,206 career points and also holds the school record for career rebounding average (9.9).

Dobras became the first USF player to earn first-team honors in different conferences. Last season, he was a first-team All-Sun Belt Conference pick.

Dobras, a four-year starter, was fourth in Metro scoring (18.7) and second in assists. He is USF's all-time leader in career starts (112), three-point field goals (212), assists (522), steals (152) and is second in scoring (1,898).

""It's good to be recognized like this,'' Dobras said. ""It's especially good for me because of the way my season went.''

Bulls bid farewell in upset

The Tampa Tribune

March 14, 1992

With the finish line in sight, the South Florida Bulls collapsed Friday afternoon. And most likely, so did their NCAA Tournament hopes.

Southern Mississippi rallied from an 11-point deficit in the final 2:35 of regulation, then had enough juice left for a 92-87 double-overtime victory over USF at the Metro Conference Tournament before 6,192 at Freedom Hall.

""Unbelievable,'' USF center Gary Alexander said. ""That's the only word for it. Unbelievable.''

USF (19-9) had chances galore to put it away. Then it quickly came apart. USF turnovers. Miracle three-pointers by Southern Miss. The comeback that wouldn't quit.

The Bulls, who came in with a seven-game winning streak, looked exhausted by the second overtime, when they missed seven of nine field-goal attempts. All USF starters played at least 45 minutes.

The Golden Eagles (13-15) were a step faster. And Clarence Weatherspoon, who finished with 27 points, 14 rebounds and eight blocked shots in 50 minutes, was a level better. But the real damage was inflicted by Southern Miss' supposed weakness, the backcourt, which provided 40 points - 24 from Terry Cameron and 16 from Dallas Dale.

""This won't sink in until Sunday, when they announce the NCAA bids and don't call our name,'' said USF forward Fred Lewis, who had a career-high 26 points and 11 rebounds. ""I think this loss did us in.

""There's always that little hope, if a bunch of upsets happen. But we don't have the kind of clout where the NCAA will just bring us in. We needed to win this tournament. It's a tough feeling, really tough.''

The Metro is still hoping for three NCAA bids, but Louisville's 74-65 loss to Virginia Commonwealth might damage that. Louisville (18-10) has a big asset in its schedule, rated the nation's second toughest. UNC Charlotte (21-8) might have locked up an NCAA bid with its 70-52 victory over Virginia Tech.

In tonight's Metro semifinals, UNCC faces Southern Miss at 7, followed by VCU (14-14) against top-seeded Tulane (20-7) at 9:30.

The Bulls will return home today. Their next destination is probably the National Invitation Tournament, which announces its 32-team field Sunday night. USF could be matched up with the University of Florida, provided the Gators don't earn an NCAA bid.

""We don't want to end our careers with a loss, so we'll take whatever we can get,'' USF forward Bobby Russell said. ""We can get up for an NIT game. We just need to get over the shock and disappointment.''

Shock and disappointment. The words fit.

Regulation: When Alexander hit two free throws with 2:35 remaining, USF led 68-57. Then the Golden Eagles tied it with a regulation-closing 13-2 run.

Bernard Haslett's only basket of the game - an NBA-range three-pointer ade it 70-67. Southern Miss tied it with 37 seconds remaining when Glen Whisby pumped on the baseline, got Alexander in the air, drew the foul and somehow pushed in the field goal. Then Whisby hit the tying free throw.

""If we make one [defensive] stop and handle the ball ...,'' said USF coach Bobby Paschal, his voice trailing off. ""They hit some incredibly long three-point shots to force the overtime.''

""If we miss any of the threes, we lose the ballgame,'' Southern Miss coach M.K. Turk said. ""But we were able to stick 'em time and time again.''

First overtime: There were seven lead changes. Derrick Sharp's breakaway layup put USF up 81-79 with six seconds remaining.

After a time-out, Weatherspoon was stationed under the basket, surrounded by Alexander and Lewis. But Dale's radar-like inbounds pass was perfect, and Weatherspoon laid it in at 0:03.

Second overtime: It began ominously. For the first time all season, Radenko Dobras (an 85.4 percent shooter) missed consecutive free throws.

Cameron's three-pointer gave Southern Miss an 86-83 lead it wouldn't lose. USF missed six three-pointers in the second overtime, but nearly all were attempted in desperation.

""I think we took too many quick shots in that second overtime,'' Lewis said. ""It looked like we were going at half-speed. Fatigue was a definite factor.

""I thought we were going to gut it up, but I guess there wasn't anything left. What more could we do?''

Nothing, except wait until Sunday night, for the NCAA Tournament news that isn't expected to break USF's way.

S. MISSISSIPPI

92 - Whisby 8-11 2-3 18, Weatherspoon 12-23 3-7 27, Courtney 1-3 0-2 2, Dale

5-12 3-4 16, Cameron 8-19 3-7 24, Mealer 0-2 0-0 0, Haslett 1-3 2-2 5, Hadley 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 35-73 13-25 92.

SOUTH FLORIDA 87 - Lewis 13-24 0-0 26, Russell 4-13 1-2 9, Alexander 2-8 3-4

7, Sharp 6-15 6-8 22, Dobras 7-23 4-6 21, Jackson 1-1 0-0 2, Williams 0-1 0-0 0, Dollar 0-0 0-0 0, Arcement 0-0 0-1 0. Totals 33-85 14-21 87.

Halftime-S. Mississippi 36-32. Regulation-70-70. First Overtime-81-81. Three- point goals-S. Mississippi 9-21 (Weatherspoon 0-1, Dale 3-6, Cameron 5-11,

Mealer 0-1, Haslett 1-2), South Florida 7-27 (Sharp 4-12, Dobras 3-13). Fouled out-Lewis, Dobras. Rebounds-S. Mississippi 58 (Weatherspoon 14), South Florida 42 (Alexander 13). Assists-S. Mississippi 20 (Dale 8), South Florida 19

(Dobras 8). Total fouls-S. Mississippi 19, South Florida 24. Technicals-

Lewis, Weatherspoon. Att.-6,192 (at Louisville).

Bulls invited to NCAA's big party

St. Petersburg Times

March 16, 1992

Author: BOB HARIG

The Bulls, who finished tied for second in the Metro, won seven consecutive games to finish the regular season but lost their opening game in the Metro Tournament to Southern Miss on Friday, blowing an 11-point lead in the last 2:35 and eventually losing in double overtime. That appeared to be a fatal NCAA loss, but the committee obviously took into account a midseason injury to guard Radenko Dobras, which contributed to the Bulls losing five of seven games in one stretch.

""I felt right after the ballgame (on Friday) we had it in our grasp and let it slip away,'' said USF coach Bobby Paschal, who will be leading the Bulls to their second NCAA appearance. ""But the more removed I was from Friday, the more positive I felt we still had a chance.

""I was trying to write down all the teams (during the pairings show), but it (South Florida) just jumped up there so quick. That ended it for me. I jumped up and ran out of the house and rode down to (USF athletic director) Paul Griffin's house. I'm so happy for our students and fans. But above everything else, I'm happy for this group of players. They've done so much for this program. They deserve this. They've earned it.''

Not everyone believes that. CBS analyst Mike Francesa thought Virginia, which finished 15-13 overall and 8-8 in the ACC, was more deserving.

""South Florida lost in the first round (of the Metro), so I was surprised they got in,'' he said. ""Despite the injury, and despite the seven-game winning streak at the end of the season, I was surprised that Virginia didn't get in and South Florida got in.''

Oh, Boise! USF gets in

The Tampa Tribune

March 16, 1992

Author: DAVID ALFONSO

Talk about your emotional roller coasters. In two days, South Florida went from the pits to ecstasy.

Friday afternoon, the Bulls' NCAA Tournament chances appeared slim to none, their bubble burst by a first-round Metro Tournament loss. On Sunday afternoon, slim came in as USF was awarded its second NCAA bid in three seasons.

USF (19-9) is the 11th seed in the West Region and will play No. 6 seed Georgetown (21-9) Thursday in Boise, Idaho. Georgetown tied for the best record in the Big East (12-6) and lost Sunday in the final of the Big East tournament to Syracuse. The early line has the Hoyas favored by five.

Unlike USF, Florida State knew it was in. The only question for the Seminoles was how high they would be seeded. The answer: quite high. FSU is the No. 3 seed in the West and also going to Boise.

The Seminoles (20-9) play Montana (27-3), winner of the Big Sky Conference Tournament. The early line has the Seminoles favored by 12.

If both the Bulls and Seminoles win their opening games, they would play Saturday for a spot in the Sweet 16. The West semifinals and championship are in Albuquerque, N.M., March 26 and 28.

""That high a seed is unbelievable,'' FSU coach Pat Kennedy said. ""It' tremendous for us, but the distance factor, that's something you worry about. Knowing my luck, we'll probably be sent to Boise, and we were. Idaho is one of four states I've never been to.''

The Seminoles are going to the NCAAs for the fourth time in Kennedy's six seasons.

""I think we probably know as little about them as they do about us,'' Montana coach Blaine Taylor said. ""We're about as far away as we can get from one another and still be in the same country.''

The Bulls benefited from the Metro's apparent high rating this season; they are one of four teams from the league to make the tournament. Regular-season champion Tulane, tournament champ North Carolina Charlotte and Louisville are the other three.

The Bulls, who bolted Louisville after Friday's loss to Southern Mississippi, gathered around their televisions Sunday at 6:30 p.m. to watch the selection show.

The East bracket, with defending champion Duke as the top seed, was announced first. Then the West teams were named, and when the Bulls heard their name called, bedlam broke out in the players' quarters. There was wild shouting and players piling on each other. No one heard a thing of what was announced after USF was named, and no one cared.

For the record, UCLA is No. 1 in the West. Kansas drew the No. 1 seed in the Midwest and Ohio State in the Southeast. The Big Eight led the way in the tournament with six teams. The ACC, Big East and Big Ten each have five teams.

""I personally felt we had to get to the championship game [of the Metro] to get a bid,'' Fred Lewis said. ""This is an opportunity given back to us. We knew we were better than a lot of teams that were going to get in, and this gives us the chance to prove it. We've talked a long time about how good we feel we are and now it's time to back it up.''

""We earned it,'' Gary Alexander said. ""It's good to be leaving USF with an NCAA berth. Anything else would have been very disappointing.''

Alexander, one of four senior starters, did not play on USF's first NCAA team in 1989-90; he sat out the season as a medical redshirt.

However, the season before, then-freshman Alexander squared up against another freshman, Georgetown center Alonzo Mourning. The Hoyas won 74-64 in the Tampa Tribune Holiday Invitational. Alexander had 12 points and 10 rebounds in that game and Mourning had eight blocked shots.

""I'm familiar with [uSF coach] Bobby Paschal, and I've seen his teams at the Great Alaska Shootout,'' Georgetown coach John Thompson said. ""I know they'll be ready, and so will we.''

""Nothing has made me happier in my basketball career to have this group of guys go to the NCAAs,'' said Paschal, who had two tournament teams at Southwestern Louisiana. ""They earned it. Nobody gave anything to them. It's the best feeling I've ever had. It's fitting that they'll finish their careers like this.''

Paschal let off some tension by bike-riding for 90 minutes before the selection show went on the air. He settled in front of the TV with wife Shirley at his side, his customary Selection Sunday spaghetti dinner on the stove.

""When I saw South Florida on the screen, I jumped up and yelled. I didn't see any more of the show. I got on my bike and rode down to Paul's [Athletic Director Griffin] house and Shirley was chasing behind me. We're very, very excited.''

USF beat six other teams in the NCAA field: Iowa, Florida State, Tulane, UNCC, Louisville and Old Dominion. It also lost to another NCAA Tournament team, Cincinnati, and had a 6-4 record against this year's NCAA field.

""I didn't think we were out,'' Paschal said. ""I thought it was going to be a close call. The committee works really hard and takes a lot into consideration. We had the quality wins and most of our losses were to good teams. We won seven of our last eight.''

USF will receive an initial allotment of 250 tickets. Green Jacket members and students will have first priority. Booster club members should call the Athletic Association today for information (974-3696). Student tickets will be available Tuesday at the athletic department office. Any remaining tickets will be available to the public.

Bulls set sights on Georgetown

The Tampa Tribune

March 17, 1992

The turnaround time was minimal. Just 36 hours after the euphoria of an unexpected NCAA Tournament bid, the South Florida Bulls will travel to Boise, Idaho, today.

""Idaho potatoes and cold weather ... that's all I know about the place,'' USF center Gary Alexander said. ""And it's a long, long way from home.''

Seven hours and 2,575 miles, to be exact. But the reward - a first-round West Regional meeting with Georgetown on Thursday - is well worth a cross- country trip.

""If we were walking to Boise, I'd be a lot more concerned,'' said USF coach Bobby Paschal, whose team is seeded 11th. ""It's easy to sit in an airplane. We'll adjust just fine.

""I think these guys are just excited about being in the NCAA Tournament. We don't care where we have to go. The important factor is we are going somewhere.''

USF-Georgetown, scheduled for 2:45 p.m. EST, is the opener at University Pavilion. Florida State will follow against Montana.

Due to spring break, the USF campus was filled with empty parking lots and classrooms on Monday. But the Sun Dome was busy. The Bulls went through a spirited two-hour practice and plan another intense session today in Boise.

The spirit was a stark contrast to last Friday, when USF lost a double-overtime first-rounder to Southern Mississippi 92-87 at the Metro Conference Tournament. But now the Bulls (19-9) have new life.

And even though the Alonzo Mourning-led Hoyas (21-9) could provide the most formidable test of USF's season, nothing has been conceded.

USF has experience against Mourning, a 6-foot-11 center who is a certain NBA lottery draft pick this June. During Mourning's freshman season, Georgetown defeated the Bulls 74-64 on Dec. 29, 1988 in the final of the Tampa Tribune Holiday Invitational.

""We just have to look at Alonzo Mourning as another guy,'' said Alexander, who started that 1988 game along with point guard Radenko Dobras. ""We can't go on the court intimidated because then the battle is already lost. He's a great player. But we can beat Georgetown.''

USF forward Fred Lewis said he relishes the matchup with Georgetown. He followed the Hoyas during their Patrick Ewing-led glory days.

""I kind of grew up on Georgetown basketball,'' Lewis said. ""It's a real popular school because John Thompson has turned out so many great players.

""I can't wait to take the court against those guys. How big would it be to beat them? Really big.''

It would be another positive step for the Metro, which also placed UNC Charlotte, Louisville and Tulane in the 64-team NCAA Tournament field.

Not bad for a conference lacking an automatic bid. Strength of schedule helped the Metro's cause, particularly in USF's case.

""Four NCAA teams ... that says a helluva lot about the Metro Conference, doesn't it?'' USF Athletic Director Paul Griffin said. ""And I think Bobby Paschal deserves some credit playing the toughest schedule in the history of the school.

LONG FLIGHT FOR USF

Miami Herald, The (FL)

March 19, 1992

South Florida is clearly out of its element in the NCAA Tournament.

South Florida traveled 2,575 miles -- more than any other tournament team -- to play in the West Region at Boise, Idaho. When the team arrived, little outside of the basketball court was familiar.

"I've never seen mountains before," said South Florida forward Fred Lewis, a native of Tampa. "Without basketball, I never would have seen this part of the country."

South Florida (19-9), which had a 13-hour flight, meets

22nd-ranked Georgetown (21-9) in a first-round game of the West Regional at 2:45 p.m. today (Chs. 6, 12).

A mechanical problem delayed the team's plane for an hour and 20 minutes, forcing the Bulls to miss their connection into Chicago. Instead of a nonstop flight, the team waited 45 minutes before heading to Salt Lake City. After another hour and 45 minutes of waiting, the team caught a flight to Boise.

"I get to Yugoslavia before I get here," said South Florida's Yugoslav guard, Radenko Dobras.

USF Coach Bobby Paschal had no complaints. "We felt we'd go wherever they wanted us to go," Paschal said. "We have no problem with that."

Montana is known as Big Sky country. At least for the few days Georgetown's John Thompson is in town, this area could be the Big Ego.

Thompson's Hoyas, to the chagrin of tournament officials, refused to participate in the public shoot-around Wednesday.

"They have to be at their press conference, I know that much," tournament director Herb Criner said. "We've never had this happen before."

As is the Thompson way, Georgetown declined to stay in a hotel designated by the tournament. He is keeping the motel's identity a secret, which may be easier than one might expect in a city of 104,000.

Consider that when South Florida and Georgetown arrived at the Boise airport at about the same time Tuesday, a member of the official welcoming committee approached Paschal and asked him if he were Thompson.

South Florida's fate rests with Dobras

THE WASHINGTON TIMES

MARCH 19, 1992

Author: Tom Knott

BOISE, Idaho - The principal problem for Georgetown's basketball team today is Radenko Dobras.

Dobras is the 6-foot-7 point guard who came to South Florida by way of Yugoslavia.

It was four years ago that South Florida coach Bobby Paschal first heard of Dobras. Heard nothing but good things. Heard the European could handle the "rock." Heard he had some Magic Johnson in him.

Paschal couldn't swear to any of that, for he had never seen Dobras play. So he did what any college coach would do. He offered Dobras a scholarship and hoped some of what he heard was true.

Four years later, the Bulls are Dobras' team. He is why they are 19-9. He is why they will meet the Hoyas in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in the West Regional. He is why the Bulls sound hopeful, excited, not at all unnerved to be playing the Hoyas.

You can count Brian Kelly among the believers. Kelly is a forward for the Hoyas. Yesterday, he sounded like Dobras' agent.

Timeout: You're right. College basketball players are under orders to be nice to the opposition the day before a game, but Kelly really went out of his way. Listen.

"He does a lot of things well," Kelly said. "He sees the floor and is an excellent passer, as well as a shooter. With a player like him, what you really want to do is contain him. He penetrates, he finds the open man, he creates very well for his teammates. Above all, he is their leader."

With the 6-10 Alonzo Mourning, the Hoyas are expected to own the middle against the Bulls. This is not really a point of contention; the Bulls start no one taller than 6-7. Bulls center Gary Alexander talks a nice game, but it's a 6-7 game. Unless he grows three inches overnight, he has a problem.

It comes down to this: There's Mourning in the middle for the Hoyas; there's Dobras on the perimeter for the Bulls.

Dobras poses a matchup problem for the Hoyas. Because he is a 6-7 point guard, because the ball is in his hands so much, he is the game's wild card.

"It doesn't matter who's assigned to guard him," Hoyas coach John Thompson said, refusing to divulge his plans.

The Hoyas' guards are tiny compared with Dobras, and young. Joey Brown is a 5-10 sophomore, Irvin Church a 6-1 freshman.

If Thompson elects to deploy 6-6 forward Robert Churchwell on Dobras, will that erode the Hoyas' effectiveness elsewhere? If Thompson goes zone, will the Bulls find it easier to work the 45-second shot clock?

"He [Dobras] handles the ball an awful lot for them," Thompson said. "It's going to be extremely important to control him as much as we can."

Dobras has been told all about the Hoyas' navel-to-navel defense, how they like to contest every inch of the floor, how they like to wear the opposition guards down over 40 minutes.

"I know they're going to put big pressure on me, because that's the way they like to play," he said. "It's something I'm ready for. We've played teams this year that put tough pressure on us all over the court. It's something I'm used to."

Undoubtedly, regardless of who gets the assignment to shadow Dobras, the object will be to funnel him to Mourning.

"In a one-on-one situation, he is very tough to guard," Kelly said. "Fortunately, if you have him in that kind of situation, you know you'll get support from behind."

The Hoyas realize they are just vulnerable enough to see their surprising season come to an unpleasant end against a player of Dobras' skill level. Thompson is preaching that message to his players, and if he is preaching it, his players are certainly listening. Well, they better be listening.

"I don't think you overlook somebody like them, somebody who has beaten the people they have beaten," Thompson said. "I have had an opportunity to coach against Dobras before, and I've had an opportunity to watch him. I certainly believe he is an outstanding player, but they also have an outstanding team and coach. They have a team that is extremely patient, and they take advantage of the mistakes you make."

For the Bulls, though, it all starts with Dobras. The ball will be his. It will be his to distribute or shoot. Ultimately, it will be left to him to counter Mourning.

****BOX

HOYAS PREVIEW

GEORGETOWN (21-9) vs. SOUTH FLORIDA (19-9)

WEST REGIONAL FIRST ROUND

2:45 p.m., University Pavilion, Boise, Idaho, Chs. 9, 11, AM-1260

* Outlook: The Hoyas have a 1-1 series record against the Bulls, with the Hoyas winning the last meeting 74-64 in 1988-89 at the Tampa Tribune Holiday Classic. The Hoyas are ranked first nationally in rebounding margin (8.7 rpg.) The Hoyas are led by C Alonzo Mourning (21.5 ppg.), who leads the nation in blocked shots (5.1) and is ranked 10th in rebounds (11.0). . . . The Bulls are the 11th seed in the West Regional. South Florida has defeated six NCAA tournament teams this season. The Bulls are a first-year member of the Metro Conference and are in postseason play (NCAA or National Invitation Tournament) for a third consecutive season. G Radenko Dobras (18.8 ppg.) and C Gary Alexander (15.3 ppg., 11.0 rpg.) lead the Bulls. South Florida's record includes victories against Old Dominion 90-71, Florida State 92-88, Iowa 85-78, Louisville 69-66, North Carolina Charlotte 70-63 and Tulane 81-76.

***** GEORGETOWN (21-9) vs. SOUTH FLORIDA (19-9)

WEST REGIONAL FIRST ROUND

Today, 2:45 p.m., University Pavilion, Boise, Idaho, Ch. 9, AM-1260, Georgetown favored by 5 1/2.

Georgetown shoots down defensive strategy

THE WASHINGTON TIMES

MARCH 20, 1992

Author: Tom Knott

BOISE, Idaho - Bobby Paschal, the South Florida basketball coach, decided not to let Alonzo Mourning beat his team.

Whenever the Georgetown center touchedthe ball, he usually had half the state of Florida around him. He would turn one way, and there would be three or four bodies. He would turn another, and there would be another three or four bodies. Mourning can take a hint and passed the ball to one of his teammates on the perimeter.

Sometimes Irvin Church would get the ball from Mourning, and he would have enough time to place the ball just right in his hands and smile for the television camera before shooting. He would have this much time because half the state of Florida was keeping company with Mourning.

Of course, the Hoyas are used to these tactics. Most coaches take a look at Mourning and figure he is too much for one player to handle. So they deploy a sagging man-to-man defense or a sagging zone defense or a sagging half-the-state-of-Florida defense.

Paschal's gamble served one purpose. Mourning had an ordinary day by his standards: 21 points, 11 rebounds and six blocked shots.

But the outcome was fairly predictable yesterday at the Boise State Pavilion, where the Hoyas defeated the Bulls 75-60 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

"Maybe we placed too much emphasis on Mourning," Paschal said.

Paschal counted on Mourning being a problem for his undersized players. He did not count on the Hoyas shooting 50 percent from the floor. He did not count on Church, a freshman, sinking three three-pointers in the first half.

To be honest, Hoyas coach John Thompson did not count on this, either.

"I was really surprised with how well Irvin Church shot the ball early," Thompson said.

"I thought he might be tight, and I was prepared to pull him early."

By halftime, with his team down by nine, Paschal decided to change defenses. He went to a zone. Different defense, same intent. Surround Mourning whenever possible.

"I don't know that it was a total surprise they shot as well as they did," Paschal said. "But they have had times when they don't shoot the ball that well."

Paschal, basically, had nowhere to go with his X's and O's as long as the Hoyas buried the open shot, which they did often enough.

"Alonzo is a tough guy to defend, no matter what you try," Paschal said. "It seems like he's able to stand close to the basket for an awfully long period of time. If you try to push him out, you get a foul. If you don't, he turns and hits the shot. He's just very tough to defend, no question."

It would be nice to report that Paschal's is a new and exciting defensive strategy. In actuality, however, the Hoyas are accustomed to the five-against-Mourning ploy. They are accustomed to being given the outside shot.

"I think their defense was typical in the sense that Alonzo has played four years with three or four people guarding him on every play," Thompson said. "I've said this before, but a good post player doesn't get to show his stuff at this level. Alonzo has a wealth of moves no one has seen. I said that when Patrick [Ewing] was here, and I'm saying it with Alonzo now."

Mourning merely had to exercise patience and a little common sense against the Bulls.

"It was pretty much what I've seen all season," Mourning said. "Every time I got the ball, they sagged back on me. I had to be smart with the ball and make the right judgment as to when to kick it back out. A couple of times, I brought the ball down, and they were able to strip it away."

Fred Lewis, a forward for the Bulls, thought it could have been different if the Hoyas had just missed a couple more of their shots. It also could have been different if Mourning did not know how to use his 6-foot-10, 245-pound frame.

"We wanted to contain him," Lewis said. "We knew there was no way we were going to stop him. We sagged down on him, we doubled him, we made him give up the ball maybe more times than he wanted to. But their other guys played a lot bigger than their numbers showed going into the game."

Playing big, as Paschal and the Bulls discovered, is one of the requirements of staying in the NCAA Tournament.

Bulls exit

The Tampa Tribune

March 20, 1992

Alonzo Mourning was there, as always, either blocking the shots or severely altering them.

That was expected. For South Florida, bigger problems were created on the perimeter, far from Mourning's neighborhood.

Georgetown, one of the nation's uglier offensive teams, suddenly got hot Thursday and downed USF 75-60 in an NCAA West Regional first-rounder at University Pavilion.

Sixth-seeded Georgetown (22-9) will face Florida State, a 78-68 winner over Montana, in a second-round game on Saturday.

""We couldn't believe it,'' USF forward Fred Lewis said. ""Those guys were shooting the lights out. They played much bigger than their numbers.''

Georgetown hit just 31.2 percent of its three-pointers during the regular season. But against USF, the Hoyas were 7-for-15 from the three-point area, making six in the first half that spurred a 44-32 lead.

USF, the 11th seed, switched to a zone in the second half and produced better perimeter defense. And that picked up the Bulls' entire game. The rally began, and Bobby Russell's 17-foot jumper with 4:11 remaining pulled USF to within 61-58.

After that, though, USF rushed into mistakes and poor shots. The Bulls didn't score in the final 3:01. And the Hoyas put it away by hitting nine of 10 free throws down the stretch.

As the clock's final seconds ticked away, a few tears welled in the eyes of Radenko Dobras, Gary Alexander, Lewis and Russell, the four seniors who produced the best moments in USF basketball history. No regrets. Just the wish for a happier final chapter.

""It hurt a lot to lose,'' Russell said. ""We can't get this one back. But we're leaving here with our heads high.''

It was the third straight postseason appearance for USF (19-10) but also its third straight first-round loss.

""We could have beaten those guys,'' said Alexander, USF's 6-foot-7 center who tried to contain Mourning, Georgetown's 6-10 All-American. ""It's frustrating to come all this way and lose. But Mourning ... he's a great player.

""Going head to head with him is tough because he's such a physical specimen. When I got the ball down low, it was almost impossible to do anything with it.''

Mourning had 21 points, 11 rebounds and six blocked shots. The Bulls effectively collapsed on Mourning most of the game. More often, he passed the ball out to a perimeter player, who buried a jumper.

Mourning was the only Georgetown player averaging in double figures. But against USF, freshman guard Irvin Church had 11 points, including three three-pointers, all in the first half. Sophomore Joey Brown had 11 points, while freshman Lonnie Harrell added 10.

Dobras led USF with 16 points. Alexander and Lewis each had 14.

""Alonzo has had three or four guys guarding him for three or four years,'' Georgetown coach John Thompson said. ""That's typical of how people have been playing him. Today, the outside shooters stepped up and hit.

""We had a [big] lead, but that means nothing in a tournament like this. Not with the three-pointers and the quality of South Florida's players. You're not going to run away from them.''

Between the improved outside shooting and Mourning's presence, the Bulls had big problems on defense.

""Looking back on it, maybe we put too much emphasis on [stopping Mourning],'' USF coach Bobby Paschal said. ""Alonzo is a pretty tough guy to guard.

""It seems like he's awfully close to the basket for awfully long periods of time. You just can't get him out of the lane.''

USF's players were clearly bothered by Mourning, often double-pumping or hesitating when they would normally power to the basket.

USF shot just 38.3 percent from the field, but Georgetown leads the nation in field-goal percentage defense. Derrick Sharp was 2-for-11, including 1-for-8 from three-point range.

Dobras had his moments, particularly during a 10-point second half. Then Georgetown assigned two defenders to chase him, and he was forced to give up the ball.

""In the end, we hurried too much,'' Lewis said. ""We shot too soon and weren't in good rebounding position so Georgetown pulled away.

""It's a terrible feeling to come here and lose. I hate to see our senior-class era end. But one day, we'll look back on this season and smile. We lost today, but I think we leave here as winners.''

Georgetown 75, S. Fla. 60

S. Florida min m-a m-a o-t a pf pts

Russell 37 3-8 2-2 1-4 4 0 8 Lewis 35 7-12 0-0 1-8 2 5 14 Alexander 36 4-9 6-11 3-6 0 4 14 Sharp 29 2-11 3-3 2-2 1 3 8 Dobras 37 7-17 0-0 0-2 4 2 16 Arcement 7 0-1 0-0 1-2 1 0 0 Jackson 8 0-1 0-0 0-2 0 1 0 Williams 4 0-0 0-0 0-1 0 3 0 Roczey 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 0 Dollar 1 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Edmond 2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Allen 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Totals 200 23-60 11-16 8-27 12 19 60

G'town min m-a m-a o-t a pf pts

Churchwell 23 3-9 2-2 1-2 1 2 8 Kelly 19 2-4 1-2 0-1 1 0 5 Mourning 37 8-11 5-8 1-11 2 3 21 Church 22 4-7 0-0 0-2 0 4 11 Brown 37 3-9 4-4 1-5 12 2 11 Millen 4 1-2 0-0 0-0 0 0 2 Morgan 3 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Harrell 30 3-8 2-2 1-6 1 0 10 Reid 3 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 0 Thompson 3 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Jacques 19 3-4 0-0 2-5 1 0 7 Totals 200 27-54 14-18 6-32 18 12 75

South Florida 33 27--60Georgetown 42 33â€â€75

Percentages: South Florida FG .380, FT .690. Georgetown FG .500, FT .780. Three-point goals: South Florida 3-15, .200 (Dobras 2-5, Sharp 1-8, Russell 0-2). Georgetown 7-15, .467 (Church 3-5, Harrell 2-3, Jacques 1-2, Brown 1-4, Churchwell 0-1). Team rebounds: South Florida 3. Georgetown 6. Blocked shots: South Florida 4 (Lewis 4). Georgetown 8 (Mourning 6, Churchwell, Reid). Turnovers: South Florida 12 (Dobras 6, Russell 2, Lewis 2, Alexander, Sharp). Georgetown 14 (Mourning 4, Brown 3, Jacques 2, Harrell 2, Church, Churchwell, Morgan). Steals: South Florida 6 (Lewis 2, Sharp 2, Russell, Alexander). 1-2, Brown 1-4, Churchwell 0-1). Georgetown 8 (Brown 4, Jacques 2, Church, Thompson). A: 11,300.

1991-92 - NCAA

Record: 19-10, 7-5 Metro

12-2 Home, 6-5 Road, 1-3 Neutral

Lineup: Radenko Dobras G, Gary Alexander C,

Derrick Sharp G, Fred Lewis F, Bobby Russell F

DATE USF W/L OPP

Nov 22 91 Stetson W 75

Nov 26 104 Alcorn State W 84

Nov 30 90 at Old Dominion W 71

Dec 6 85 vs. Wyoming # W 68

Dec 7 92 vs. Oral Roberts # L 99

Dec 15 73 at Florida W 71

Dec 20 92 Florida State W 88

Dec 27 96 NE Illinois % W 77

Dec 28 85 Iowa % W 78

Dec 31 60 at Cincinnati L 80

Jan 4 78 Texas Christian W 67

Jan 7 73 at Fla. International W 52

Jan 11 75 UNC Charlotte * L 85

Jan 16 47 at Louisville * L 60

Jan 18 63 at Va. Commonwealth * L 71

Jan 23 66 Bethune-Cookman W 47

Jan 25 49 at Texas Christian L 77

Feb 1 64 Virginia Tech * W 52

Feb 6 70 Tulane (OT) * L 78

Feb 8 63 at Southern Miss * L 87

Feb 13 69 Louisville * W 66

Feb 15 70 at UNC Charlotte * W 63

Feb 18 88 Marshall W 79

Feb 22 75 at Virginia Tech * W 62

Feb 24 81 at Tulane * W 76

Feb 29 91 Va. Commonwealth * W 81

Mar 4 78 Southern Miss * W 72

Mar 13 87 vs. Southern Miss (2OT) ^ L 92

Mar 14 60 vs. Georgetown $ L 75

* Metro Game

# Key Centurion Memorial Classic,

Huntington, W.V.

% Tampa Tribune Holiday Invitational, Tampa, Fla.

^ Metro Tournament, Louisville, Ky.

$ NCAA West Regional, Boise, Idaho

[BullDoug]

20 wins in a BE season will be monumental for our Bulls.  It will eclipse the 91-92 season.

[Guest BasketBull.]

I guess some of you may wonder what made me post all the stories on basketball of late.

Well, I just had had enough. I had about enough of people dumping on our program (from the young punks and certain media types), a program that a lot of great USF players and coaches in the past built.

Let's hope Coach Heath can bring USF men's bball back to where it once belonged.

GO BULLS!

[HarveyGlass]

Ahhh, the Metro.  Good times.

That would be a very nice football conference now.  At one time or another, the Metro had USF, UofL, FSU, Southern Miss, Memphis, Virginia Tech, South Carolina, Cincinnati.

Good stuff, BasketBull, thanks.

[dabull80]

oh the great memories that brings back.  After reading that I have to say they were the best team in USF history.  Look at some of the teams they beat.  Amazing.  I even remember the GT game and thinking "They can't keep making those threes,  they aren't that good"  Man was I wrong.

[smazza]

20 wins in a BE season will be monumental for our Bulls.  It will eclipse the 91-92 season.

to say the least