TAMPA, Fla. – With No. 14 Memphis visiting the Yuengling Center on Thursday evening followed by Sunday afternoon’s game at UAB, which is second in the American behind the Tigers, the Bulls needed to take care of business against Wichita State in a game that tipped off a few hours before the Super Bowl.
Perhaps most disappointing about the 75-70 defeat to the visiting Shockers is that USF had a chance to move above .500 in conference play, but could not follow up Thursday evening’s exhilarating double-overtime win versus Temple with a victory against a team that had a 2-7 conference mark.
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Indeed, it seemed like a missed opportunity.
“I thought we had a gameplan in place to help us win,” said coach Ben Fletcher. “If we take away one area, I think we do that.”
The Bulls (12-12/5-6 AAC) held the Shockers to 39 percent shooting from the floor while shooting 52 percent themselves. The problem, and it was a glaring one, is they were outrebounded on the offensive glass 19-3. Second chance points? How about 24-2.
“We have to go back and review this, get better from this and put a practice plan together to get ready to beat Memphis,” said Fletcher. “I am upset because you can’t guard your tails off for 25 seconds and then have a weak moment where you can’t block out.”
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The Bulls will need to correct that and more against the Tigers (20-4/10-1) and Blazers (15-8/8-2). They made only 7 of 12 free throws in the first half against the Shockers and are 72.7 percent on the season, which is 157th among 364 D1 teams.
“We have to work on our free throws,” said fifth-year guard Brandon Stroud, who is at 64 percent from the line. “Those are easy points. We make our free throws, it’s a different ballgame.”
Wright Makes Most of Opportunity
With Kobe Knox sitting out the Wichita State game due to injury after gutting out an impressive effort against Temple (17 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists), freshman guard Kameren Wright saw the court for only the second time in conference play and sixth game overall. In a season-high 19:55, the 6-foot-6, 180-pound guard out of Gainesville had seven points (3-for-6 FG), two rebounds and a steal.
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Regardless of Knox’s availability for Memphis, Wright may have earned himself an increased role. It is up to him to continue to show he has earned precious playing time, which in conference play was limited to 8:27 versus Rice on January 28.
“When he got a little taste of action against Rice, his practice habits changed,” said Fletcher. “I have been telling him, ‘Hey look, there is an opportunity for you to get minutes, but your practice habits have to change.’”
It is those habits on the hardwood in the Muma Center, and not anything he may do on the court in a game, that will determine how often Fletcher summons Wright off the bench.
“You are earning trust in practice,” Flecther emphasized. “You don’t earn trust on game day. My mind is made up by that point. He’s done a much better job at practice paying attention and doing the things we are asking of him.”
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