Last year the transition was on the
sidelines with Jessie Evans taking over the reigns at
San
Francisco. This season, the transition will take place on the
court. The Dons lose three starters and a large percentage of
their scoring offense, but there is plenty of experience looking
down the bench.
Who’s Out:
John Cox and Tyrone Riley were the only two players to start all
31 games. They also were the top two scorers on the team and
combined to take 49% of all USF shots. Cox averaged a smooth
20.0 points per contest and Riley added 15.8 points and averaged
a team high 8.7 rebounds. Jason Gaines and Andre Hazel held the
point guard spot. Gaines averaged 2.3 points and 2.3 assists
while starting 21 games. Hazel started 10 contests, averaging
4.3 points and 3.1 assists. Little used Kenny Barnes and Felix
Czerny will also not be returning to the Dons this season. The
status of Dommanic Ingerson is still in question. The guard
played in all 31 contests last year as a senior but could
petition the NCAA for another year of eligibility.
Who’s In:
With such talent leaving, this list has to have some impressive
names on it to keep USF competitive. The most important name is
Armondo Surrat. The 6-0 point guard was a two year starter at
Miami before transferring to San Francisco and should be
starting from day one and feel comfortable back in his native
Bay Area. If it’s a sport, Drew Shiller excelled in it at
Burlingame High School in California. Shiller should see some
minutes backing up Surrat. The backcourt gets some more help
with Sinqua Walls. The 6-4 combo guard redshirted last season
and will provide more depth in the backcourt. Danny Cavic, a 6-6
wing who played at Santa Ana (CA) Junior College last year, is a
great mismatch on the floor. He can shoot from long range or
post up under the basket. Power forward James Morgan is already
a fine rebounder and defender and for those reasons will see
minutes while the rest of his skills develop. Jesse Byrd, a 6-8
215 pound power forward, averaged 16.5 points and 11.1 rebounds
per game last year as a senior at Bishop O’Dowd High School in
Oakland. Vince Polakovic will be eligible at the semester break
after transferring from Northern Iowa. Center Omar Samhan,
another Bay Area product, will challenge for playing time early.
The 7-footer is mobile for his size and is a little raw, but is
a nice pick up for the Dons.
Who to Watch:
The top two scorers may be gone but the next
three leading scorers are back. Jerome Gumbs, Alan Wiggins and
Johnny Dukes should all see an increase in production. Gumbs
will be the go-to-guy as the senior leader. The 6-4 wing player
averaged 9.4 points and 4.9 rebounds per game last season. Gumbs
is a solid rebounder from the wing and is a shut down defender.
He won’t take a lot of shots from long range, but has the
ability to hit from beyond the arc. Gumbs is poised for a
breakout season.
Projected Conference Rank:
Some roleplayers need to step up and the
newcomers need to fill in off the bench for USF to end in 4th
place in the conference. It’s a little bit of overachieving, but
Jessie Evans is bringing in his players and the program is
looking up.
Projected Post-season Tournament:
none
Projected Starting Five:
Armondo Surrat, Junior, Guard, DNP last season
Jerome Gumbs, Senior, Guard, 9.4 points per game
Johnny Dukes, Senior, Forward, 5.6 points per game
Alan Wiggins, Junior, Forward, 5.8 points per game
Jason Carter, Senior, Center, 2.3 points per game
