USF Men’s Basketball Heads to Canada on International Tour

The University of South Florida Bulls men’s basketball team will head to Canada this weekend on an international tour to face four teams as they gear up for what could be an exciting 2019-2020 season.

“Obviously, very, very excited,” head coach Brian Gregory said. “I think we’ve had a great summer...It’s a great opportunity for our guys, a once-in-a-lifetime experience to go to two great cities in Montreal, and Quebec to play four very good teams.”

The Bulls will face the University of Quebec on Sunday, Laval University on Monday, Carleton on Wednesday, and will wrap up the tour with a game against McGill University on Thursday.

Carleton has lost just one game in the last three years and have beaten multiple NCAA teams over the years. They will also face Syracuse later this year.

Gregory hopes to get extended playing time for guys who didn’t play a lot, or at all last season. Expect to see sophomore guard Rashun Williams, redshirt sophomore Oklahoma State transfer Zac Dawson, redshirt freshman Madut Akec play at or around 20 MPG, as well as true freshman guard Jamir Chaplin, and forward BJ Mack.

Rule Changes in Canada

• Each team will have a 24-second shot clock, which will reset to 14-seconds after an offensive rebound.
• Teams will have eight seconds to get the ball across half-court.

Injury Update

• Senior guard Laquincy Rideau will not participate in any games in Canada as he continues to recover from a lower leg injury that slowed him down at the end of the season.

That Dawson Fella is Pretty Good

• The media got to watch practice on Tuesday and this was the first time I’ve been able to see Zac Dawson in person. The rumors are true: He can shoot. Not only that, he could put the ball on the floor and attack the hoop very well. Expect to see him run some point this season. A crunch-time lineup of Rideau, Dawson, Collins, Alexis Yetna, and Michael Durr is pretty appetizing.
• Sophomore guard Xaiver Casteneda and senior center Antun Maricevic were both mentioned as guys who have taken the next step in their development this summer. Casteneda looked comfortable running point and didn’t hesitate to shoot from the floor either during practice.

David Collins is the Alpha

• On a team full of good players, and leaders, Collins stood out during practice. He always seemed to make the right read, he was vocal, and in the team scrimmage portion, took over when he needed to. His team won both games I saw, and he was a key part.