Sports: Players do extra workouts

Players do extra workouts

By ANTONYA ENGLISH

TAMPA -- Basketball season officially kicked off two weeks ago with practice, but for many of the USF players practicing and playing never really ends.

Several Bulls spent the summer participating in various camps and workout routines hoping to improve individual strength and skills.

Junior All-America candidate Altron Jackson spent time in Santa Barbara, Calif., working with coaches and scouts from the Portland Trail Blazers.

"I learned a lot of stuff out there," Jackson said of the weeklong camp. "I just worked on my game. It was basically doing a lot of stuff like we do here, but just at another level. We learned a lot from the NBA coaches."

Senior forward Cedric Smith spent the off-season trying to make himself stronger.

"I did a lot of conditioning -- weightlifting -- and a lot of shooting," Smith said. "I wanted to get stronger. I'm not the fastest guy in the world so to compensate for my lack of speed and athletic ability, I wanted to get stronger."

Junior B.B. Waldon's off-season efforts landed him overseas. Waldon went to France, Madrid and the tip of Africa with a traveling team.

"It was a nice trip," he said. "It was my first time going overseas. I enjoyed it, but eating-wise, I didn't enjoy it. I lost about seven pounds. They don't eat like we do. They have a bunch of salad, bread, water and stuff like that. A little fish here every now and then, a little cold pasta. The fish was good, but it's just you get to the point you want some chicken or a little burger or something. It was an interesting experience."

Waldon, who was among the oldest players on the team at 20, said he was disappointed the team didn't compete as well as he hoped. Jackson, who averaged 18.2 points and 4.6 rebounds, said he began preparations to improve for his junior season as soon as last season ended.

"You can never be a perfect player, so everything that you did before, you just try to do it better," he said. ON TOP AT HOME: With its ascent to the top of the Conference USA National Division complete, the South Florida women's volleyball team will host UAB at 7 tonight in the Corral.

The Bulls are 9-1 in C-USA play, 16-4 overall, and will put a nine-game winning streak on the line.

South Florida took sole possession of first place in the National Division last weekend with a win over Houston -- its first ever at Hofheinz Pavilion.

Senior middle blocker Rachelle Paul earned C-USA Player of the Week. Paul posted a season-high 23 digs and tied her season high of four service aces in the win over Houston.

Michelle Collier is fourth nationally in kills with a 6.02 average and Melanie Mueller is 13th in assists with 13.67. The Bulls are 10th in the nation in digs with 19.25. SOCCER UPDATE: Greg Krauss, a senior forward, picked up his second hat trick of the season to lead South Florida to a 4-2 win at DePaul. The former Clearwater High player scored the winner in the 79th minute off a throw-in from Paul Scrivens, a Tampa King graduate. The Bulls close out the regular season with two home games: at 7 p.m. Saturday against Louisville and Nov. 3 against St. Louis.

In women's soccer, Siri Nordby scored two goals in the a 2-1 win over Jacksonville. Nordby is sixth in the conference in goals per game.

The women's team plays its final regular-season home game at 2 p.m. Sunday at the USF soccer stadium.

AD SEARCH: Iowa State has concluded interviews of its three candidates for athletic director. Murray Blackwelder, vice president of external affairs at ISU, is in the process of identifying and negotiating with the top candidate, according to James Melsa, head of the search committee. School officials expect to make a decision no later than Wednesday. USF athletic director Paul Griffin is among the finalists.