Colleges

College basketball advance boxes

By Times staff
Published January 12, 2008

When/where: Noon; Stephen C. O'Connell Center, Gainesville

TV/radio: Ch. 38; 620-AM

Records: UF 14-2, 1-0 SEC; Auburn 9-4, 0-1

Scouting report: The Gators are trying to win an SEC home opener for the seventh consecutive season. Florida hasn't lost a league home opener since 2001 vs. Georgia. Auburn had won five consecutive games before losing its past two. The Gators are 5-0 against Auburn under coach Billy Donovan, their last loss to the Tigers in the O'Dome was in 1996. Florida is coming off a road win over Alabama on Tuesday, while Auburn will get just one day's rest before playing the Gators after a Thursday night loss to Arkansas. How that will affect the Tigers remains to be seen, but Donovan said it may not be a bad thing. "A lot of times when your teams don't have a lot time to prepare, sometimes it creates a freedom and looseness to come out there and just play," he said. "You're not focused on as much mentally."

Antonya English, Times staff writer

USF at Providence

When/where: 4; Dunkin' Donuts Center, Providence, R.I.

TV/radio: Ch. 28; 1250-AM

Records: USF 10-6, 1-2 Big East; Providence 10-5, 1-2

Scouting report: Could this be the Bulls' first road win in their three years in the Big East? The teams have had similar success - the Friars beat Rutgers by 26 while USF did by 23; Providence edged Florida State by six, USF won by one. The biggest hurdle is location: Providence is 7-0 at home, including a 16-point win against Stan Heath's old team at Arkansas. The Friars' top three scorers are guards - 6-foot-5 Weyinmi Efejuku (13.0 ppg), 6-1 Jeff Xavier (12.6) and 6-4 Brian McKenzie (12.3). The Bulls will need better perimeter defense than they played against Pittsburgh, which went 8-for-16 beyond the arc. Way down the Providence bench is 6-7 freshman Alex Kellogg, son of CBS analyst Clark Kellogg. Expect a big game from Bulls center Kentrell Gransberry, who's leading the Big East with 11.5 rebounds per game and leads the Bulls with 15.9 points. He matched a career high with 26 points in Wednesday's loss to Pittsburgh. Point guard Chris Howard, who missed the final 10 minutes of Wednesday's game with cramps, has practiced as normal with the team and will start.

Greg Auman, Times staff writer

FSU at No. 18 Clemson

When/where: 7;Littlejohn Coliseum, Clemson, S.C.

Radio: 1470-AM

Records: FSU 12-4, 1-0 ACC; Clemson 12-3, 0-1

Scouting report: The Seminoles look to go 2-0 in the ACC for just the second time (the other was the 1999-2000 season with wins against Wake Forest and Clemson). But they haven't fared well at Clemson, having lost their past six there. FSU still figures to be short-handed against the Tigers, who have lost two straight - against No. 1 North Carolina90-88 in overtime on Sunday and then against Charlotte82-72 on Wednesday. Clemson has usually had an edge in rebounding and turnover margin, areas where FSU has struggled. Said coach Leonard Hamilton: "Their size and physicality is something we're going to have to adjust to." Clemson leads the series 26-23, but FSU won the last meeting, in the ACC Tournament at the St. Pete Times Forum.

Brian Landman, Times staff writer

Women's game

USF vs. Syracuse

When/where: 7; Sun Dome, Tampa

TV/radio: Catch 47; 1010-AM

Records: USF 10-5, 0-2 Big East; Syracuse 13-2 1-1

Scouting report: USF hopes to avoid a fourth consecutive loss, but it won't be easy against a Syracuse team that is off to a strong start after being picked by league coaches to finish 13th in the Big East. The Bulls' five losses are against teams in the RPI top 50, including league losses to St. John's and West Virginia. USF guard Shantia Grace leads the team with 18.1 points per game, but she shot 34 percent in the past three losses. Center Jessica Lawson, ranked sixth in the Big East in scoring two weeks ago, is 23rd after totaling eight points in three games. To make matters worse, the Bulls - second worst in the Big East in rebounding defense - face a Syracuse team that's second in the league in rebounding, led by senior Fantasia Goodwin, averaging a double double. A home win here would be huge, but if the Bulls don't improve their play soon, they'll join the men's team on the bubble for making the Big East tournament.

Greg Auman, Times staff writer

[Last modified January 12, 2008, 01:17:56]