Bye, George: USF primed for cover

[clevfan]

Bye, George: USF primed for cover

By TIM SULLIVAN
NY POST
Last Updated: 2:46 AM, March 10, 2010


They arrived in New York yesterday as an afterthought, clearly. Admit it, when you first looked at the Big East Tournament bracket this week, the South Florida-DePaul noon Tuesday matchup didn't exactly jump off the page, did it?

But the Bulls didn't care. To them, the woeful Blue Demons represented three things: 1. a chance to get to 20 wins; 2. a chance to delay their trip back to Tampa; and 3. a chance to improve their NCAA Tournament resume.

Missions accomplished.

And now, fresh off a not-as-close-as-the-score-would-indicate 58-49 win in front of a crowd so small it went unannounced, unheralded South Florida (20-11) today sets its sights on Georgetown (20-9).

Again, it's not a marquee matinee. But at the same time, it's another chance to impress the committee.

"I do think the advantage, for us, is we have time to maybe get back to the hotel, relax a little bit, and prepare," USF coach Stan Heath said. "So I like that."

We do, too. Especially considering the Bulls have already defeated the No. 22 Hoyas this season, 72-64, in Washington.

"They'll be ready. We'll be ready as well," Heath said. Georgetown, formerly a Top 10 team, is clearly capable of orchestrating a Garden run all the way to Saturday. But the Hoyas do enter the mix losers of two of their last three games. And the Bulls have won three straight, all covers.

Let's say, we shoot for a fourth.

South Florida (+7) is the Play of the Day.