Colleges

Slump just another thing to overcome

Chris Howard knows about adversity and won't let USF's skid hurt his outlook.

By GREG AUMAN
Published January 23, 2008

ADVERTISEMENT [Brian Cassella | Times] Sophomore point guard Chris Howard, driving the lane for a layup against West Virginia, has had two ACL tears and lost his father since arriving at the school.

TAMPA - Battling through a five-game losing streak, much of USF point guard Chris Howard's job as leader is encouraging his teammates to keep their heads up through another difficult start to another grueling Big East season.

The 6-foot-3 sophomore has taken his relentless positivity to another level, doing the same for first-year Bulls coach Stan Heath as well.

"He'll give me a text (message) sometimes that'll say, 'Coach, we're going to get this thing going.' He's real encouraging to me as well," Heath said. "He's a very level-headed young man. I know how bad he wants to win, how much he wants to turn this around."

Howard has seen the Bulls struggle to a 5-33 conference record in three seasons in the Big East, and he said the biggest challenges facing USF are mental ones: not giving up, not letting the last loss lead to another.

"I always was taught to keep your head up, to stay positive, to never show people things that may take place in your life, things that may bring you down," Howard said. "It comes easy to me, like second nature. I've been that way my whole life."

As tough as a close loss is, Howard has endured worse. Before he made his Bulls debut last January, he'd gone 21/2 years without playing basketball, sitting out a season in prep school, then getting sidelined by a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee the week before his first college game. Seven months later, he tore the same ACL. If that wasn't enough, once Howard made it back on the court, he lost his father, Edward, who died unexpectedly from a heart ailment last spring.

"He's been through a lot," Heath said. "When you think about adversity, sometimes you think about Chris. He certainly doesn't act like he's dealing with that. He accepts it. He fights through it. I think at the end of the day, there's just no way a kid like that is not going to be rewarded in a big way, in life, basketball, whatever it may be."

Still, accepting defeat isn't easy for Howard, who lost only two games in his two seasons at Friendly High School in Fort Washington, Md., where he led his team to back-to-back state championships.

"He made everything go," said his coach at Friendly, Gerald Moore. "If you don't have a point guard, you don't have an extension of the coach on the court. Before he transferred in, we had 20-win seasons, but nothing like a championship. He showed us how to win."

The Bulls have struggled to win in the Big East, but Howard hopes fans can share his patience.

"It takes steps for you to start winning in a conference as powerful as the Big East," said Howard, who leads USF tonight at home against Louisville. "We understand you've got to go from A to B. You can't go from A to C to F. These are growing pains, but we're growing."

Howard has benefited from a year of healthy basketball and the confidence that comes with that. His scoring average has doubled to 11.3, and he ranks third in the Big East with 5.4 assists. Sunday's loss to West Virginia saw him within one of career highs in assists (10) and rebounds (seven) while committing only three turnovers in 38 minutes. He continues to find maturity and inspiration through fatherhood: His 4-year-old daughter, Aaliyah, lives with her mother in Virginia, and he'll see them again when the Bulls play Feb. 5 at Georgetown.

"Every day, I wake up and think about how I can better her life, more than thinking about myself," Howard said. "I know if I can chase my dreams, complete all the things I have set out before me, it will better her future. Nothing would give me more happiness than seeing her be happy and not have to worry about anything."

Taking off

Nearly every aspect of USF point guard Chris Howard's game has improved in his sophomore year. Statistically, he's well ahead of where he finished last season, when he joined the team in January after being away from basketball for 21/2 years.

Statistic '06-07 '07-08

Points/gm 5.6 11.3

Rebounds/gm 3.0 4.4

Shooting pct. .338 .468

Free-throw pct. .605 .731

3-point pct. .154 .333

Ast/TO ratio 1.6 1.8

.FAST FACTS

Tonight: USF vs. Louisville

When/where: 7; Sun Dome, Tampa

TV/radio: Catch 47; 1250-AM

Records: Louisville 13-5, 3-2 Big East; USF 10-9, 1-5

Notable: The Bulls have their hands full against a Louisville team that has home wins against West Virginia and Marquette but is coming off a 92-82 loss at Seton Hall. ... The Bulls' weak point - frontcourt depth - is a strength for the Cardinals. USF has 6-foot-9, 270-pound Kentrell Gransberry, leading the team with 16.8 points and 10.9 rebounds, but Louisville has 6-9, 265-pound Derrick Caracter; 6-8, 250-pound Juan Palacios, 6-11, 250-pound David Padgett and 6-9, 220-pound Earl Clark. The Bulls have a size advantage on the perimeter, with 6-4 Dominique Jones and 6-3 Chris Howard matching up with Louisville's Edgar Sosa and Jerry Smith, both 6-1. ... Louisville leads the series 20-3, including all three games since the teams joined the Big East.

[Last modified January 23, 2008, 00:13:20]