TAMPA, Fla., (Feb. 18, 2022) – South Florida concludes its three games in five days homestand when it hosts Tulsa on Saturday in an American Athletic Conference game.
The Bulls dropped a 65-57 decision to East Carolina on Thursday. USF is in the midst of its third four-game losing streak of the season.
The Golden Hurricane haven’t played since losing 76-67 at UCF on Monday. That was Tulsa’s fourth loss its last five games.
BullsInsider.com has your quick facts and what to watch for against Tulsa:
Quick Facts
Matchup: USF (7-18, 2-11 AAC) vs. Tulsa (8-16, 2-11 AAC)
Date: Saturday Feb. 19
Time: Noon
Location: Tampa, FL | Yuengling Center
Watch: ESPN+
Radio: USF Bulls Unlimited
History: USF is 0-11 all-time against Tulsa. The Golden Hurricane defeated the Bulls 76-45 on Jan. 29
The Opponent: Tulsa is an experienced team with five seniors – forwards Rey Idowu and Jeriah Horne, and guards Darien Jackson, LaDavius Draine and Curtis Haywood II.
Horne and sophomore Sam Griffin combined for 44 points as Tulsa toppled South Florida for a 76-45 win in January.
Horne leads Tulsa in scoring and rebounding. He is athletic, can shoot it with range – 40 percent on three-point attempts – and plays hard. Horne leads Tulsa with a 16.2 scoring average (fifth in the AAC) and 7.0 rebounds (third in the AAC) He also makes 85.2 percent of his free throws, so USF must defend him without fouling.
Griffin has been a strong pickup by Tulsa. The Miami native’s 15.1 points per game is ranked eighth in the conference. Griffin is excellent in ball screens and in transition and a very good shooter. He can go either way but prefers to drive left. When he does drive, he’s most effective when he pulls up for a jumper.
Jackson is a do-everything guard for Tulsa. At 6-foot-3, 203-pounds, Jackson is making 61.7 percent of his shots inside the arc. He is a strong, hard playing shooting guard who wants to get to the rim or, at least, into the paint to score. Jackson isn’t looking to shoot threes, but he is a capable shot maker if he is wide open and has time. USF should use short close outs on Jackson or he’ll drive right by defenders.
Idowu (Eee-doe-woo) was not very productive when Tulsa defeated USF in January but he has been scoring well of late. The 6-foot-9, 243-pounder has a 12.8 scoring average in his last four games and that includes zero points at UCF due to foul trouble. Idowu is strong and agile. He leads Tulsa in OREB by getting good position and having a quick second jump. Idowu mainly scores off drop-offs and stick backs. Do not let him out work you, wall him up and make him score over you.
Defensively Tulsa is known for its match-up zone but the Golden Hurricane is playing man defense more frequently (57.1 percent) this season. Neither defense has worked well this season as Tulsa is allowing opponents to make 44.7 percent of its shots and 36.8 percent of its three-point attempts. Both rank last in the AAC.
Keys To A Win
USF must have good ball movement against the Tulsa zone and attack it. The Bulls cannot just run their offense from 30 feet. Passes must be snappy and crisp. Win the rebound battle, make Horne and Griffin work for everything and defend without fouling.
