Wow... Talk about dodging a bullet.

Originally this kid commited to Penders after drawing interest from Pitino only to sign with the Bulls.

It's a shame. I remember reading a lot about David Seals/Sills when he first commited to Houston. He's really had to overcome a lot. However, we started looking to fill his scholly the instant he started visiting other teams. That's just how Penders is.

My question to Bulls fans is how do you see your prospects for this season? Almost every article I saw coming out of Tampa for the last few months has been expecting this kid to be "worth the admission alone". I've never seen so much hype around a player. Those Tampa sports columnists are good.

Does this push the Bulls even further down the Big East ladder?

Quote:

USF and Staff Report
Special to USFBullsEYE.com

University of South Florida men's basketball player David Sills has been dismissed from the program, head coach Robert McCullum announced Tuesday afternoon.

"David's behavior and attitude were detrimental to the program and, as a result, we felt it was in the best interest of the team to dismiss him," McCullum said. "He had numerous opportunities to show he wanted to fit in and unfortunately it didn't work out."

Sills arrived in Tampa from the junior college ranks this fall and was expected to add depth at the guard positions. He played one season at Odessa College (2002-03) and one at Southern Idaho (2003-04) before earning his degree from Bunker Hill Community College.

The 6-foot-1, 190-pound guard was an all-region selection in his year at Odessa and helped the team to an 18-11 record and a trip to the regional tournament. He made four starts in 11 appearances the following year at Southern Idaho and averaged 10.8 points per game. Sills starred at Bronx Regional High School in New York and led the team to a pair of city titles.

A New York City native, he grew up across the street from that city's famed Rucker Park courts and made an appearance as an extra in a made-for-television documentary on TNT.

Sills was expected to add some instant offensive punch for the Bulls this season and challenge for a starting spot at point guard. On the court, he had been slow to adjust to the position and was running behind freshman Chris Howard on USF's depth chart.

"We wish David the best of luck in his basketball endeavors and are willing to help him find a program with which he may be a better fit," McCullum said.

With Sills' exit, the Bulls now have nine active scholarship players for 2005-06, and two of them – freshman forward Zaronn Cann (knee) and sophomore guard Collin Dennis (achillies) – have been limited during practice because of injuries. USF also has walk-on guards Chris Capko and Roodly Prophete rostered, along with Valparaiso transfer Aris Williams, who is unable to play this season due to NCAA transfer rules.

The Bulls, entering their inaugural season as a member of the Big East Conference, play their first public scrimmage on Wednesday evening in the Sun Dome. They open the season on Nov. 10 with an exhibition game against Saint Leo. The regular-season opener is No. 18 vs. Alcorn State.

Quote:<span style='font-size:21pt;line-height:100%'>Recruit points Bulls to Big East</span>

David Sills, the well-traveled guard with the magical moves, will sign with USF today.

By GREG AUMAN, Times Staff Writer
Published April 13, 2005

On the playground basketball courts of New York City, nicknames are everything, and for years, David Sills has been "The Enigma."

There's no riddle to the moniker: Line up against the left-handed guard on a basketball court, you can only guess how he'll beat you. He can spot up from 25 feet, dish off a no-look pass, or break your ankles and drive past you to the hoop.

Today he will put his streetball days behind him and sign with South Florida, where he could be the Bulls' floor leader as they move into the Big East. The well-traveled Sills, as mysterious as he is talented, said USF coaches have suggested a new nickname for him: The Solution.

"I'm going to cry (today), because it's going to be such a big day for me," said Sills, 22, who attended four high schools and has been to three junior colleges. "This is by far my biggest accomplishment. Ever since I left my visit there, South Florida has been on my mind, every day. It feels so good that they are willing to take a chance on me."

Sills (6-feet-1, 195 pounds) used to live across the street from New York's famed Rucker Park courts, where Julius Erving and Wilt Chamberlain once played, where he made a name for himself as a local star. Ask one coach, he'll tell you about the time Sills dropped 28 points in one half on the Indiana Pacers' Jamaal Tinsley. Another will recall the AAU tournament in Las Vegas where he "destroyed" Gators guard Anthony Roberson for 25 points in a half.

If you can find a copy of On Hallowed Ground: Streetball Champions of Rucker Park , a 2000 movie that aired on TNT, Sills has a cameo there. The directors needed a fifth man for one team and plucked Sills from the crowd. He stole the show.

Sills will have two years of eligibility at USF, and the last time he stayed at one school that long was at Bronx Regional High, an alternative school where he starred in 2002. Coach Wade Williams saw a glimpse of greatness that year and is excited about Sills' future.
"He's everything you would want in a Division I point guard. It has to be a good fit for him. He needs someone who will stay on him, to make him go," Williams said. "If you have that, boy, do you have a player."

Bronx Regional was Sills' fourth high school, but he had faced adversity greater than a rough transcript. Sills said his mother put him on the streets when he was 13, and for four years, he moved from one friend's house to another, the basketball courts his only real home.

"I've overcome so much," said Sills, who is taking classes at a junior college in Boston this spring but will return to New York today, a symbolic homecoming, to sign his letter of intent. "I've been through almost everything a kid can go through, but I want kids to see this like a stepping stone for all that they can accomplish."

Sills signed with Northeastern out of high school, but academic problems kept him from reporting. Instead, he went to Odessa College in Texas, where he earned all-region honors. He then transferred to the College of Southern Idaho, where he averaged 10.8 points a game before being dismissed 11 games into the 2003-04 season.

He has spent this year at Bunker Hill Community College, focused on his academics, and a solid fall in the classroom gave renewed hope to his dream of playing major college basketball. He visited Houston last month and hastily made an oral commitment, but reconsidered after a visit to USF.

Bulls assistant Julius Allen, who knew Sills from coaching the New York Gauchos and had signed him while an assistant at Northeastern, was a big part of his comfort level at USF. He bonded with USF's Melvin Buckley, his host, and saw in coach Robert McCullum a "father figure" who could instill in him some needed discipline.

"He's what I need right now," Sills said. "When I hear him talk, I know that I could learn so much more than basketball from him. How to be a man, a good citizen, a good person. He's somebody I could really use in my corner."

The Bulls could use somebody like Sills, too. Walk-on Chris Capko is the only returning point guard; so Sills' only competition is incoming freshman Chris Howard, another well-traveled star who didn't play this past season.

The Big East is stocked with talented stars from New York, and Sills is eager to see old friends, hopeful of returning to his hometown for the Big East tournament at Madison Square Garden. USF will give him a highly visible platform to showcase his abilities, an opportunity he has waited for all his life .

"I'm not just a playground guy," Sills said. "I'm so much more mature now. I want to lead the pack down there. We're going to do something special."
[Last modified April 13, 2005, 01:30:19]

<a href='http://www.sptimes.com/2005/04/13/Sports/Recruit_points_Bulls_.shtml' target='_blank'>Bulls Recruit</a>

SPECoog518 Wrote:The well-traveled Sills, as mysterious as he is talented, said USF coaches have suggested a new nickname for him: The Solution.

Could it be that the USF coaches created this situation themselves by filling this kids head with talk about his greatness?

Coaches like Pitino and Penders don't do this. IMO, McCollum wasn't getting it done in Conference USA. USF needs to find themselves a varsity staff.

Let's be honest with each other. Even with him, McCollum probably would have been a major COY candidate for even getting the Bulls into MSG for the tourny (meaning top 12). Without him, wait for Jan 20th and Feb 8th. Those 2 dates will go a long way in determining who finishes 16th this season, as those are the dates of the home and home for USF and Seton Hall.

I guess he forgot how Coach Mc short handed and all stuck it to the Cougars in the first game of the CUSA tourney. LOL.
If you have ever met or spoken to Coach Mc you would find out that the man is a hard nosed coach that expects discipline with his players and is not afraid to send them packing if they dont follow thru. I would put money that he never filled this kids head with any bogus ideas. The fact is that our team is so depleted in talent that if he was half decent he probably would have played or started. From what i heard a freshmen PG was ahead of him and he wasnt happy with the situation.
Please stop talking trash about a man you have no idea about. Im happy with our coach he expects the kis to be scholar-athletes wont put up with crap and can beat those with better talent. Just ask Charlotte,Cinncinati and even Coach Penders in UH.

The same could have been said about Ray McCallum at Houston before he was fired prior to last season. He was a very "hard nosed coach that expected discipline with his players"...

From all media reports, the "Enigma" was penciled in as your pre-season starter.

According to you, the kid wasn't happy that he was second in the rotation. Could that be because he was told that he was "the solution"? Could it be that he was promised the starting spot if he committed to USF?

Wouldn't surprise me...

IMO, your coaches knew about this kids history when he was brought in. They fed his ego and it blew up in their faces.

Courtesy of CBS Sportsline:

Conference Preview: Big East
Nov. 1, 2005
By Gregg Doyel
CBS SportsLine.com Senior Writer

The enormous Big East, bloated to 16 teams after ingesting Louisville, Cincinnati, DePaul, Marquette and South Florida from Conference USA, will be very good this season.

Predicted Finish
Team Postseason
1. Connecticut NCAA
2. Louisville NCAA
3. Syracuse NCAA
4. West Virginia NCAA
5. Villanova NCAA
6. Georgetown NCAA
7. Pittsburgh NIT
8. Cincinnati NIT
9. Notre Dame NIT
10. Marquette NIT
11. DePaul None
12. Rutgers None
13. St. John's None
14. Providence None
15. Seton Hall None
<span style='color:green'>16. S. Florida None </span>
But what might have been.

With a healthy Curtis Sumpter, Villanova would have been a Final Four favorite. Without him, the Wildcats will be very good but definitely not great. He's not expected to play this season after suffering a knee injury last week.

Had Marcus Williams been eligible all season, Connecticut would have been a Final Four favorite. With him suspended until mid-December, thanks to an offseason charge of felony larceny, the Huskies will be very good but probably not great.

With healthy big men Juan Palacios, David Padgett and Brian Johnson, Louisville would have been a strong Final Four possibility. With them recovering from a variety of injuries, the Cardinals will be very good but not great. All are expected to play this season, though Johnson definitely and Palacios possibly might not be 100 percent.

Still, the Big East is huge and good -- so huge and so good that a longtime C-USA bully like Cincinnati, which returns four senior starters (but not coach Bob Huggins) from a 25-win team, might not reach the 2006 NCAA Tournament.


Connecticut
Top three: SF Rudy Gay, C Josh Boone, PG Marcus Williams.

NCAA or bust: Depending on the smoothness of Williams' midseason return, the Huskies could be a heavy favorite for the Final Four -- or a candidate for a first-round NCAA flameout. While UConn has NBA talent in Gay and Boone, and above-average Big East players almost everywhere else, everyone knows that the NCAA Tournament is all about the point guard. And, in Williams, the Huskies could have one of the best floor generals in the country -- if he is able to play up to his potential after sitting out the first semester. Until Williams returns, with backup A.J. Price suspended for the entire season, UConn must rely on freshmen Craig Austrie and Rob Garrison. There's enough talent here to overcome that deficiency over the course of 16 Big East games, but in the one-and-out setting of the NCAA Tournament, it's a chilling possibility.


Accolades
First team
G - Randy Foye, Villanova
G - Taquan Dean, Louisville
C - Josh Boone, UConn
F - Rudy Gay, UConn
F - Jeff Green, Georgetown
Second team
F - Juan Palacios, Louisville
G - Mike Gansey, West Virginia
F - Eric Hicks, Cincinnati
G - Carl Krauser, Pittsburgh
G - Gerry McNamara, Syracuse
Player of the year
Rudy Gay, UConn
Newcomer of the year
Eric Devendorf, Syracuse
Breakthrough player
Roy Hibbert, Georgetown
Coach on the hot seat
Louis Orr, Seton Hall
Louisville
Top three: SG Taquan Dean, PF Juan Palacios, C David Padgett.

NCAA or bust: The Cardinals have lots of holes, but they should have enough plugs to go around. Making its Big East debut under less than ideal circumstances, Louisville will be breaking in a new point guard and waiting for its best big men to heal. The loss of Francisco Garcia to the NBA means either longtime reserve Brandon Jenkins or freshman Andre McGee will have to play the point, unless neither option works and Taquan Dean is forced to return to his out-of-position role of a few years back. Under the basket, Palacios (ankle), Padgett (foot) and redshirt freshman Brian Johnson (knee) are coming off significant -- and recent -- injuries. All three are expected to play this season, even before the conference schedule starts, but it has to make for uneasy discussions among Rick Pitino's staff. Bright side? Padgett, Johnson and McGee are just three of Louisville's whopping seven-player class of newcomers.


Syracuse
Top three: G Gerry McNamara, PF Terrence Roberts, SG Eric Devendorf.

NCAA or bust: The Syracuse coaching staff is raving about Devendorf, whose slashing drive-and-kick style ought to produce more open looks this season for McNamara than he has seen since his freshman year alongside Carmelo Anthony. Devendorf's attacking game also will mean more touches close to the basket for Roberts and 6-11 C Darryl Watkins. Plus, Devendorf might just be good enough to add 15 or so points per game. Add it up, and the Orange will have plenty of offense this season even without four-year guys Hakim Warrick and Josh Pace. Where Syracuse could use help this season is from sophomore PG Josh Wright, who was a disappointment last year but who could take some heat off McNamara, Devendorf and junior SG Louie McCroskey by providing key back-up minutes.


West Virginia
Top three: SG Mike Gansey, C Kevin Pittsnogle, SG Joe Herber.

NCAA or bust: Last season, after taking a 20-point lead on Louisville in the Elite Eight, West Virginia almost became the most unlikely Final Four team since Penn in 1979. It wouldn't be such a shock this season for the Mountaineers to make another NCAA run, considering seven of their top nine players are back and 7-0 Penn State transfer Robert Summers becomes eligible. Summers made 41 starts in two years in the Big Ten, where he averaged 3.9 ppg and 4.2 rpg. Junior SF Frank Young has the inside track to replace graduated Tyrone Sally, and Pittsnogle knows that a consistent season from him could translate to an NBA roster spot next year.


Villanova
Top three: G Randy Foye, G Allan Ray, C Jason Fraser.

NCAA or bust: Yes, we've got Villanova fifth. True, Big East coaches voted the Wildcats first -- but the voting was conducted before Sumpter's injury was announced. Which means the next lucky break Jay Wright catches will be the first lucky break he has caught at Villanova. The latest bolt of bad luck, Sumpter's likely season-ending knee injury in late October, will leave Villanova with a frontcourt that is every bit as questionable as its backcourt is exceptional. The Wildcats have the best quartet of guards in the country, with Foye and Ray complemented by Mike Nardi and Kyle Lowry. But the frontcourt is in shambles. Fraser, bless his heart, is recovering from more knee surgery and will remain one misstep away from yet another surgery. One frontcourt reserve, Marcus Austin, is done for the season with a bad shoulder. Another reserve, Chris Charles, will miss several games with a bad wrist. The expected January addition of former Maryland recruit Shane Clark would come in handy, but the 6-foot-6 Clark is more of a wing than a post player. Then again, the same was said of Sumpter -- and he made do.


Georgetown
Top three: PF Jeff Green, SF Brandon Bowman, C Roy Hibbert.

NCAA or bust: In the Big East, only Georgetown has a frontcourt that can hang with Connecticut. If the Hoyas can get better guard play from Ashanti Cook and Jonathan Wallace, with help from their guard-heavy freshman class, sixth place is too low for this team. The top six scorers are back from last season's team that had an NCAA Tournament spot in its grasp until a late stumble sent the Hoyas to the NIT. Green, Bowman and Hibbert are potential NBA players -- OK, there's nothing "potential" about Green and Hibbert -- and freshman SF Octavius Spann has been impressive in preseason work. Georgetown isn't going anywhere, either. John Thompson III is working on one of the best two or three recruiting classes in the Big East.


Pittsburgh
Top three: PG Carl Krauser, SG Ronald Ramon, C Aaron Gray.

NIT or bust: The Panthers are going to struggle to reach the NCAA Tournament for a myriad of reasons: (1) C Chris Taft and PF Chevon Troutman are gone. (2) The early season schedule is too easy, which will drag down Pittsburgh's RPI to the point that (3) a break-even record in the Big East might not be enough to impress the NCAA selection committee. That said, Pittsburgh has some nice pieces in place beginning with Krauser, who wisely put off his career overseas, and Gray, who could match Taft's sophomore production if he can stay out of foul trouble. That's a big if, though, because of Gray's lack of mobility. The Panthers will get a boost from a strong freshman class led by SF Sam Young, PF Tyrell Biggs and future starting PG Levance Fields.


Cincinnati
Top three: PF Eric Hicks, G James White, G Armein Kirkland.

NIT or bust: A distracting offseason is no way to begin Year 1 in the Big East, but that's what the Bearcats are faced with after the August dismissal of longtime coach Bob Huggins. He has been replaced this season by his top assistant, Andy Kennedy, which means continuity for a team featuring four seniors (Hicks, White, Kirkland and PG Jihad Muhammad). However, the loss of Huggins cost the Bearcats their top recruit, junior college transfer Ivan Johnson, who fled for Oregon. Johnson was the likely replacement for first-round NBA draft pick Jason Maxiell, so his absence means a larger role for another juco transfer, Cedric McGowan, as well as even more weight on the enormous shoulders of Hicks.


Notre Dame
Top three: PG Chris Quinn, C Torin Francis, SG Colin Falls.

NIT or bust: It's the end of the Chris Thomas era at Notre Dame, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. No question, Thomas was a rare player (one of three in NCAA history with 2,000 points and 800 assists) and a great ambassador for the school and the game. At the same time, the Irish failed to reach either of the last two NCAA Tournaments. That NIT streak probably will reach three years this season, though Notre Dame ought to go into February still in the NCAA mix. By that time, freshmen like 6-7 Ryan Ayers, 7-0 Luke Zeller and backup PG Kyle McAlarney will form the heart of a decent, if young, bench. However, Notre Dame will miss PF Jordan Cornette more than you might expect, especially on the defensive end.


Marquette
Top three: SF Steve Novak, PG Dominic James, PF Jamil Lott.

NIT or bust: As if the transition from Conference USA to the Big East wasn't daunting enough, the Golden Eagles must do it at the same time they transition from a senior point guard to a freshman. Dominic James won't be Travis Diener -- nobody could be Travis Diener -- but James will be pretty good. He's a scoring point guard who doesn't shoot like Diener (again, who does?) but who can get into the lane better than his predecessor. That could mean more open looks for Novak beyond the 3-point arc, where he's a 45-percent shooter. The Golden Eagles ought to be better in the post this season, with the arrival of junior college transfer Jamil Lott and the freshman-to-sophomore maturation of Ousmane Barro and Ryan Amoroso. Lott leads a promising group of newcomers that include versatile 6-9 Tulane transfer Dan Fitzgerald and freshman guards Jerel McNeal and Wesley Matthews IV.


DePaul
Top three: PG Sammy Mejia, C Wesley Green, SF Wilson Chandler.

Bust: Not like DePaul had a say in the matter, but this is turning out to be the wrong year for the Blue Demons to be joining the Big East. For one thing, three of their top four players from last season's 20-11 C-USA team -- Quemont Greer, Drake Diener and LeVar Seals -- are gone. For another, the transition from former coach Dave Leitao to new coach Jerry Wainwright is sure to have some rough patches. And finally, the Blue Demons have an ambitious non-conference schedule that could leave them needing to win more than they lose in the Big East simply to qualify for an NIT bid. And if this team wins more than it loses in the Big East, DePaul is going to the NCAA Tournament ... and Wainwright will deserve conference coach of the year and an apology from anyone (me) who questioned his hiring in the first place. For that to happen, Green must finally play as big as his body, and big seasons are required of two newcomers: Chandler, a freshman, and Miami transfer Karron Clarke.


Rutgers
Top three: SG Quincy Douby, PF Adrian Hill, SF J.R. Inman.

Bust: A strong freshman class led by Inman and PG Anthony Farmer won't be enough to save Rutgers' postseason hopes. Which means it might not be enough to save Gary Waters' job, depending on the patience level of his bosses. The Scarlet Knights have a great Big East scorer in Douby and will get back Adrian Hill after he redshirted last season with a knee injury. Inman is a darkhorse candidate for Big East Freshman of the Year, while Farmer could become a four-year starter at point guard. If he's not, that means Rutgers will have to recruit awfully well in the future. Too bad the future can't hurry up and get here.


St. John's
Top three: SG Daryll Hill, PF Lamont Hamilton, PG Eugene Lawrence.

Bust: Everyone who matters is back from last season. And that passes for good news? Not sure, considering the Red Storm went 3-13 last season in the Big East. Hill and Lawrence make for a skilled, quick -- but tiny -- backcourt. Hamilton is underrated nationally, and freshman wings Anthony Mason Jr. and Ricky Torres could be special. That's a nice start. Unfortunately for St. John's, that's also where it ends. On the bright side, next season will be pretty good -- if everyone (especially Hill and Hamilton) comes back.


Providence
Top three: SG Dwight Brewington, PG Donnie McGrath, C Randall Hanke.

Bust: Ryan Gomes carried Providence last season, but not all that far. The Friars went 4-12 in the Big East, and now they're going to try it without one of the best players in school history. Not fun. Brewington has all-conference ability this season, and Hanke, a 6-10 sophomore, could get there before he finishes his career. What Providence really needs is a consistent season from its four-year starter at point guard (McGrath) and breakout years from PF Herbert Hill and SF DeSean White. And all that might, just maybe, get the Friars into the 2006 Big East Tournament.


Seton Hall
Top three: PF Kelly Whitney, PG Donald Copeland, C John Garcia.

Bust: Seton Hall was bad last season, and four of its best five players from that team are gone. The newcomers are promising, most notably 6-9 freshman John Garcia and Division I transfers 6-8 F Mike Pilgrim (from Cincinnati) and 6-7 F Stan Gaines (from Minnesota). That doesn't change the fact that the Pirates' backcourt will be among the worst in major-college basketball this season. Louis Orr's career record at Seton Hall (62-57 in four years) is about to slip under .500.

<span style='color:green'>
South Florida
Top three: C Solomon Jones, SF Melvin Buckley, PG Chris Howard.

Bust: Here's the deal. South Florida was a bad team last year in Conference USA. Its best three players graduated, and its most promising returning player turned pro in Europe, and its preseason starting PG, David Sills, was kicked off the team this week. Final analysis: South Florida will be a really bad Big East team. </span>

LOL and you were there and heard what our staff told the kid right? LOL First off as i said you know nothing of how our coach operates he has gotten rid of STARTERS if they are a problem to the team. If this guy could not follow team rules and play team ball then it doesnt matter how good he was he was a goner. He was given a chance and when he didnt follow thru he was gone.
As for the Big East predictions, yep we should be last no doubt about it. But you forget USF was picked LAST in CUSA last year and we know that was not the final outcome.
It must have sucked to see your more talented with a better known coach Cougars get bounced by Coach Mc's Bulls last year. But thanks for caring so much about us.
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

For the Cougar fan that started this thread, as i had said before one of the reason Sills was unhappy was that it was evident that he would not be starting. Here is an article about our Green and Gold game and the freshmen guard who i had heard had beaten him out of the starting job.


Bulls Will Need Freshman Point Guard Howard To Step Up

BRETT MCMURPHY

Published: Nov 3, 2005



TAMPA - -- With the dismissal of University of South Florida junior PG David Sills on Tuesday, the Bulls will need freshman PG Chris Howard even more this season.

And if Wednesday's Green and Gold scrimmage is an indication, the Bulls should be set at point guard for the next four years.

"I can't say enough about Chris Howard," USF coach Robert McCullum said. "I thought he really played well."

The Bulls played 35 minutes, divided into four quarters, and had different lineups each quarter. Howard finished with 10 points, eight assists and one turnover.

Senior G James Holmes had 29 points, junior F Melvin Buckley 22 points and senior C Solomon Jones 20 points and 11 rebounds. Sophomore G Collin Dennis added 15 points.

"We tried to play as a team," Jones said. "We don't try to have five one-on-ones. I thought we played defense pretty well. That's what got us going."

Holmes said the Bulls must improve their rebounding.

REMEMBERING B-MO: To honor former teammate Bradley Mosley, Holmes and Jones, USF's only seniors, had silver 30-inch necklaces made with a picture of Mosley and the inscriptions "God's Son" and "B-Mo Baby."

Mosley died Saturday after a yearlong bout with renal medullary carcinoma, a rare form of kidney cancer.

A wake will be held at the RJ Hendley Christian Education Center (2800 Avenue R) in Riviera Beach on Friday from 5-8 p.m. The funeral is Saturday at 11 a.m. at Orthodox Zion Primitive Church (2900 N. Australian Ave.) in West Palm Beach.

TOUGH ROAD: Wednesday's ESPN/USA Today coaches poll confirmed what was already suspected: USF's women's basketball team will face the toughest schedule -- of any sport -- in school history. The Bulls face seven Top 25 teams, including four of the top nine (No. 3 LSU, No. 5 Rutgers, No. 8 North Carolina, No. 9 Connecticut).

Three of USF's Top 25 opponents are nonconference opponents, meaning Coach Jose Fernandez actually sought those games out.

The men also have a rough road, facing six Top 25 teams, including five from the Big East.

BEASTS OF THE EAST? The men's soccer team hosts West Virginia on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the Big East Tournament quarterfinals.

The Bulls (11-5, 9-2) are bidding to win the school's first Big East championship. Saturday's winner advances to the conference semifinals Nov. 11 at 3:30 p.m. in Storrs, Conn.

ok :) Not that I wouldn't expect Coach McCullum to respond that way given the circumstances, but I will reserve judgement until the season.

Best of luck.

Does it really matter what a Cougar High fan has to say?

They haven't won anything of value since their cheatin ways in the old southwest conference.

Under greenberg Sills would still be on campus. CRM has a different benchmark.

:stupid:

Maybe he should incorporate that benchmark into recruiting. They didn't call Sills the ENIGMA for nothing.