USF to address job issue with athletes

In response to Friday's news that quarterback Matt Grothe had been arrested at a sports bar and charged with serving alcohol to an underaged person, USF administrators will meet with all athletes before the spring semester ends to reiterate the importance of notifying the school of any jobs they take in their off-seasons.

USF coaches and adminstrators were unaware of Grothe's employment at the Bull Ring Sports Bar until his arrest on April 19, and Grothe failed to follow an athletic department policy that asks all athletes to notify administrators in writing of any job before they start work.

USF holds an annual meeting in August with all rostered athletes to go over NCAA regulations, and the presentation includes the issue of employment. Athletes must attend and sign a document that shows they have read and understood the regulations, and they're given a copy of those guidelines as well. While the NCAA requires no such documentation, USF asks all athletes to fill out paperwork detailing any job, along with wage and contact information, and that paperwork is to be signed by the athlete and his employer before he or she begins work at any job.

Again, Grothe's employment at the Bull Ring was not illegal, nor did it constitute any violation of NCAA regulations. The NCAA places no limits on an athlete's employment except that payment must be appropriate and for work actually done, and an athlete may not use his status or celebrity to promote or endorse any business or company. There's no evidence of any of that occurring within Grothe's short employment at the Bull Ring. USF officials reiterated Monday what coach Jim Leavitt said Friday, that Grothe would not receive any significant disciplinary measures, such as suspension from any portion of any game.

One more: Watson reportedly a Panther

Former Lakewood and USF offensive lineman Thed Watson has agreed to a free-agent contract with the Carolina Panthers, the Charlotte Observer reported.

Watson, who was not selected in this weekend's draft, is the fourth USF player from this year's graduating class to sign with an NFL team, joining linebacker Stephen Nicholas, a fourth-round pick of the Atlanta Falcons, and two other undrafted free agents, safety Jeremy Burnett (Vikings) and receiver Ean Randolph (Chiefs).

Watson was dismissed from USF's team in November with three games left in the season for an unspecified violation of team rules. He was allowed to work out with his USF teammates during the Bulls' pro timing day last month, and could not be reached for comment or confirmation Monday night.

USF teams recognized for academic success

The NCAA will release this year's Academic Progress Rate numbers on Wednesday, but to get the ball rolling, the individual college teams ranking in the top 10 percent of their sports were recognized Monday. Four USF teams -- the most of any school in Florida -- were among those honored: men's and women's golf, men's cross-country and women's softball.

Three of those teams had perfect scores of 1000 in last year's results, which equally value academic eligibility and retention (staying in school and on course to graduate). The fourth, softball, had a score of 993, the next-highest among USF's 17 teams.

What's more encouraging for USF is that only four of the Big East's other 15 schools had more than four teams ranking in the top 10 percent. Congrats to Georgetown, Notre Dame and Villanova, which had 11 teams each, accounting for 33 of the Big East's 63 teams. Marquette, with seven teams honored, was the other team with more than USF. The rest? DePaul also had four, Providence and Rutgers had three each, Connecticut, Syracuse and West Virginia had two each, Louisville and St. John's had one each, and ... Cincinnati and Pittsburgh had zero. As a whole, only two conferences -- the Ivy and Patriot leagues, all but in an academic realm of their own -- had more teams honored than the Big East.

Other state schools? Florida State and Florida had three each (bonus points to FSU for getting in the men's basketball top 10 percent), Miami had two and Jacksonville had one. No luck for Central Florida, Florida Atlantic or Florida International.

USF will get its numbers on Tuesday, with results made available to the public Wednesday. Expect the two USF teams that fell below the NCAA threshold of 925 -- football at 921 and men's basketball at 893 -- to continue to test that threshold, largely because of heavy turnover during the 2004-05 season that is still on the books for the cumulative APR scoring. Both teams avoided penalty last year because they were close enough to qualify with the squad-size allowances given because the results don't yet cover a four-year period.

-- It's not USF-related, but I find it interesting (though not entirely shocking) that of the 26 schools honored in football, only three came from BCS conferences, and those three colleges (Duke, Stanford and Boston College) weren't exactly world-beaters. Congrats to BC, which went 10-3, but Stanford went 1-11 and Duke went 0-12.

Men's basketball? Of the 35 teams honored, six are from the "major" conferences -- Illinois from the Big Ten, Florida State, North Carolina and Wake Forest from the ACC, and Notre Dame and Villanova from the Big East. Women's basketball? Out of 33 teams, seven are from the big leagues: Arizona State, Stanford and Washington from the Pac-10, DePaul and Villanova from Big East, UNC from the ACC and Ohio State from the Big Ten.

S.J. Green gets CFL contract

Add receiver S.J. Green to the list of Bulls seniors landing pro football contracts. The former Brandon star has signed a 2-year deal with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League.

Green said Monday morning that he attended an open tryout in Tampa right after USF's pro timing day last month and was offered a contract on the spot. Green's size -- USF listed him at 6-foot-3, and he was measured at 6 feet, 1.7 inches at the Bulls' timing day -- will help him even more in the CFL, as only one of the 12 receivers on Montreal's roster is even listed at taller than 6 feet.

Still waiting on word from a few other seniors like Patrick St. Louis, Thed Watson and Pat Julmiste. And to revisit Stephen Nicholas getting drafted Sunday, here's what his hometown Jacksonville paper and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution had to say about his selection. With a pectoral injury to starter DeMorrio Williams, Nicholas could be stepping into a big role for the Falcons, at least at the start of the season.

Randolph to Chiefs, Burnett to Vikings

Linebacker Stephen Nicholas, drafted in the fourth round by the Atlanta Falcons, was USF's first draft pick in three years, but he wasn't the only Bulls player matched with an NFL team on Sunday.

Two Bulls seniors from Tampa who were passed over in the draft said they agreed to free-agent deals Sunday, with former Durant star Ean Randolph signing with the Kansas City Chiefs and former Jefferson safety Jeremy Burnett signing with the Minnesota Vikings.

"I talked to a couple of teams, but Kansas City was the best fit for me," said Randolph, a receiver who hopes to make the team as a return specialist.

Also, former Hillsborough and USF safety J.R. Reed, cut by Atlanta last week, has a workout Thursday with the New York Giants, his agent, Jonathan Kline, said.

Gransberry named USF hoops MVP

Junior center Kentrell Gransberry, who led the Big East in rebounding in his first year of major-college basketball, was honored as USF's MVP at the team's postseason banquet Sunday night at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club.

Gransberry, who averaged 15.6 points and 11.4 rebounds per game, was also named as USF's "Chairman of the Boards," given to the team's top rebounder, and was honored with the Wittcoff Family Endowed Scholarship. Other awards given out Sunday night:

-- Senior forward McHugh Mattis, who set USF's single-season blocked record was named as the team's Defensive Player of the Year, as well as the Most Improved Player.

-- Freshman guard Solomon Bozeman, who ranked second in the Big East with 88.4 percent shooting at the free-throw line, was given the Free Throw Award.

-- Freshman forward Amu Saaka took home the "Bulls Pride Award," given to the player who "best exemplifies the responsibilities associated with being a student-athlete at USF, on and off the court."

-- Former walk-on Chris Capko, who graduated in December with a 3.28 grade-point average and a degree in communications, was honored with the team's Academic Award.

-- Redshirt freshman Chris Howard, who returned to the court after multiple knee surgeries during a two-and-a-half-year absence, earned the Bill Jones Scholarship Award, named for the former USF season-ticket holder who lost his battle with cancer. The award honors Jones' best qualities: leadership, determination, a fighting spirit, courage and passion.

-- The team awards were chosen by former coach Robert McCullum, who was fired last month with two years left on his original six-year contract. He was not expected to attend Sunday's banquet, and new coach Stan Heath was expected to make comments about the team and next season's expectations.

It's notable that senior guard Melvin Buckley, the team's leading scorer for most of the season with a final average of 14.8 points per game, did not receive any postseason honors. Buckley played a team-high 35.7 minutes per game and hit a team-best 34.6 percent on 3-point attempts. He, Capko and Mattis were honored as the team's departing seniors, as was forward Melvyn Richardson, who couldn't attend Sunday's banquet.

Check back later tonight for news on USF players signing NFL contracts as undrafted free agents ...

Falcons take Nicholas in fourth round

USF has its first draft pick since 2004, as linebacker Stephen Nicholas was taken by the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth round, with the 109th overall pick. Nicholas, a four-year standout for the Bulls who has USF's career sacks record, was the fifth outside linebacker taken. After lining up against Bobby Petrino when he coached at Louisville, Nicholas will now be working with the first-year Falcons coach.

Nicholas told me that when he interviewed with Petrino at the NFL combine workouts in Indianapolis, he didn't recognize Petrino at first, but he laughed and told NIcholas that he wished he'd left for the NFL a year earlier so his Cardinals wouldn't have had to face him last fall.

Stay tuned for more draft updates and free-agent signings tonight ...

Thoughts on Grothe's arrest and more

Lots of reaction already tonight to news this afternoon that quarterback Matt Grothe had been arrested last week on a misdemeanor charge of serving alcohol to an underage person. Given that Grothe himself is only 20, the most common first question I've encountered in the last 12 hours is "Why is the starting quarterback at a major college serving alcohol to anyone?" Lots of things to address here ...

-- (Just a mid-afternoon update) There's been some question on comments here and elsewhere -- I think a friend of Grothe's called 620 AM this morning as well -- about whether the use of the term "arrest" is accurate. Grothe was not taken away in handcuffs, booked into county jail and did not have bond set by a judge; with lesser charges such as the second-degree misdemeanor he's facing, an officer may choose to issue a "notice to appear" which carries the same charge and the same mandate to attend a required court date. I'll quote directly from the incident report filed on Grothe: "Agent Frank advised Grothe that he was under arrest and will be charged with the sale of alcohol to an underage person, which is a violation of F.S.S. 562.11." I also asked a state spokesperson Friday whether that was the correct language to use and she confirmed that he was arrested, and that a misdemeanor charge is different from a citation.

-- Just to brush up on state law, first: it's perfectly legal to work as a bartender in a licensed establishment once you're 18 (Grothe turned 20 in September). Surprises people, but it's true. And the fact that Grothe was working at the Bull RIng -- serving alcohol and taking tips at a place specifically catering to USF fans -- is not a violation of any NCAA regulations, though I can't imagine the higher-ups at USF are too happy about learning this.

-- A common response on the comments to the original news was that the 18-year-old "investigative aide" who bought the two Coronas from Grothe while working with officers with the state's Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco ... was some irresistably hot young woman. Not so: this was a male buying the beers, and how weak a defense is that, anyway? When you read the incident report, it's a pretty well-executed sting: The "IA" has his own, valid driver license, showing him to be 18, walks in, has the ID checked at the door, gets no wristband or handstamp or anything to identify his age, walks directly to the bar, orders two beers, is asked to pay $6 for them and does so. Nothing iffy there at all. Remember, this is an institutional crime, with penalties, fines and the potential to lose a liquor license, even though the person who hands over the alcohol is the one charged. That's something I've heard a lot today -- ultimately, the bartender has to know who he or she is serving, and the best way to do that is check ID. If that's supposed to be done at the door, it's either that nobody under 21 is getting in, or there's a stamp or band to identify age. You can argue the drinking age all you want, but it's not going to change the fact that a state law was broken.

-- It's an interesting thing in newspapers today, getting hold of a newsy story in the middle of the day. I knew about this around 2 p.m., and I'm faced with a choice: do I post what I have online, knowing I get it out there first but knowing I also tip other outlets off in time for the next day's paper? Or do I wait until after midnight to post, when other papers have gone to bed? It's kind of like Michigan rummy vs. gin rummy -- do you put down the cards as you get them, or wait until you can go out all at once? In the end, my editors made a wise call, waiting until after 5 p.m., when state offices would be closed and public records would be unavailable to anyone else until Monday, and published then. The Internet continues to change the strategy and philosophy of breaking news ...

-- Which leads me to the story's origins, on a site I'd never heard of until yesterday, usfbs.com. You need a USF or UT e-mail address to register for the site, so I can't vouch for much there, but it's apparently where this story started. I was at Disney with my family Thursday, didn't get back in until after 11 p.m. Thursday, so you can imagine my woe when I find a long-running thread on the message boards at thebullspen.com, pondering this tip about Grothe -- it was too late for me to do anything to verify or deny it. I've tried to be active on USF's message boards because it's a great place to exchange information, though there is the occasional wild-goose chase that comes from following tips. As much as USF fans are wishing this story had stayed unknown, secrecy is rarely a good thing.

-- I think we'll have more discussion in coming weeks about oversight at USF -- whose job is it to know where scholarship athletes are working in the off-season? The easy answer is each sport's head coach, but that wasn't the case with Jim Leavitt, who has more than 100 players to keep track of. He also has nine assistants, and administrators around him, all of whom could help in checking with athletes to make sure a job is appropriate and free from any appearance of impropriety. Tending bar -- even just a few times here and there -- at a watering hole for your school's fans isn't a choice any sensible administrator would sign off on. When the Bull Ring opened in Dec. 2005, the initial newspaper stories even stated that they planned to have USF athletes working there.

-- I'm not saying this scenario has happened at all, but I'll use it as something an athletic administration would just as soon avoid. Let's say an athlete is behind the bar, and fan orders two beers, pays with a $20, says keep the change. Seems benign enough, right, could just be a generous tipper? But what if it's $50, or $100? Where do you draw the comfort-level line? I don't know if the tips at Bull Ring were pooled or not, but you're combining (a) boosters and fans with (b) amateur athletes, (c) alcohol and (d) cash tips as a considerable part of take-home pay. It's almost completely unmonitorable -- not sure if that word exists, but it's not one a college athletic director probably likes.

-- I spoke with a spokesperson with the NCAA on Friday, and she said jobs with tips are especially delicate because the regulations state that an athlete must be paid commensurate to what the job is expected to pay. What that means is if there are two bartenders, and one's a football player and one isn't, and you, as a season ticket holder, are tipping a buck a beer to the other guy and $2 a pop to the player, it's an improper gift. It's that simple. Not sure how it's proven at the NCAA level, but that doesn't make it acceptable.

-- If there's one thing that this arrest echoed from the arrests last month of defensive backs Mike Jenkins and Carlton Williams, it's that all three involve good kids making bad decisions. The crimes themselves are relatively petty -- minor misdemeanors that, as first offenses, will likely turn into six months' probation and some community service. What they represent, however, from two of the most experienced defensive players and a young leader on offense, is poor judgment from someone who must be aware they're under a higher level of scrutiny because of their football celebrity. If it's Leavitt's decision, I don't believe any of the three will miss so much as a half against lowly Elon in September.

-- I'll move away from football for a sec -- Harry Elifson, well-liked as Jose Fernandez's right-hand man as associate women's basketball coach until a year ago, has interviewed for an opening at Miami, where Katie Meier is looking for another assistant. Elifson should know by next week, and if he can get the job, Meier's getting a proven recruiter who will help the 'Canes battle in the super-tough ACC.

I expect quite a lot of feedback and reaction the Grothe story, as the posts on the first story already show. I'll be helping out with our draft coverage all weekend -- I'll say late third round for Stephen Nicholas -- but should have time to check back in here and address some of the comments. Post them here or send an e-mail to auman@sptimes.com ... And by the way, this wasn't one of the three arrests I referenced a few days ago ...

Grothe arrested for serving booze to minor

USF quarterback Matt Grothe, last year's Big East Rookie of the Year, was arrested last week while working at a Bulls-themed sports bar and faces a misdemeanor charge of selling alcohol to an underage person.

Grothe, 20, was working behind the bar April 19 at the Bull Ring Sports Bar near USF's campus on Fowler Ave., when he served two Corona Extras to an 18-year-old who was working with officers from the state's Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco.

Grothe's arrest is unlikely to result in any significant disciplinary action from coach Jim Leavitt, and legally should not amount to more than probation and community service. But it seems USF was unaware the most prominent athlete on campus was working at least occasionally in a job serving alcohol at a place that USF encourages its fans and boosters to congregate.

"I had heard something happened, but I didn't know what. He’s not there anymore," Leavitt said Friday.

Asked if he had known Grothe was working there, Leavitt said he did not, and when asked if anyone at USF knew, he said "(I'm) unsure. But somebody is supposed to."

Several Bulls coaches host their radio shows at the Bull Ring, a restaurant and bar is part of USF's "Bull Country" network of area businesses, catering to USF fans and featuring Bulls decorations prominently.

Grothe's employment there in itself is neither illegal nor in violation of NCAA bylaws. Anyone over the age of 18 in Florida can legally serve alcohol in a licensed establishment, and NCAA rules do not limit a job a scholarship athlete can hold, so long as he is paid appropriately for actual work.

Grothe, who did not return messages Friday seeking comment, was USF's offensive MVP as a redshirt freshman last year after leading the Bulls to a 9-4 record and the program's first bowl victory. He engineered three come-from-behind victories in September and established himself a playmaker, passing for 2,576 yards and 15 touchdowns and rushing for 622 yards and nine scores.

Check Saturday’s Times for more information on this story. Times writer Greg Auman can be reached at auman@sptimes.com.

Catching up on loose ends and such ...

Lots of little things to get to ...

-- Greg Gary is the first member of Robert McCullum's staff to latch on elsewhere -- he was announced Thursday as a new assistant at Duquesne, so call him the assistant to be named later in the deal that sent Charles Cunningham to USF last summer. Gary played for Duquesne coach Ron Everhart at Tulane and later coached under him, so he's landing with someone he has a longstanding relationship with. USF's postseason basketball banquet, by the way, is Sunday at 6:30 p.m. at Tampa Palms. McCullum and his staff won't be there, but new coach Stan Heath and athletic director Doug Woolard will be.

-- Minor-league baseball? Former Bulls slugger Myron Leslie took the mound for two scoreless innings in an 18-inning loss for the Texas League's Midland RockHounds. He also played first and third base and leftfield in the same game. Leslie, who turns 25 next week, hasn't done much at the plate this season, batting .250 with one RBI in 52 at-bats.

A more promising start would be that of former Bulls closer Chase Lirette, who is with the Lansing Lugnuts of the Midwest League. He's allowed just one earned run in his first 18.1 innings for a sparkling 0.49 ERA, holding opposing batters to a .143 average. That follows a strong 2006 debut in which he went 4-1 with a 2.26 ERA in the New York-Penn League. Lirette won't even turn 22 until June, so it's an encouraging start to his pro career.

Speaking of RockHounds, perhaps just this mention will change a rough couple of days for Jeff Baisley, who is 0-for-17 in his last three games for Midland, dropping his average to .268, with three home runs and 10 RBIs. Last year's Midwest League MVP

-- As the Blog Of Record for all things walk-on, we'll update that kicker Anthony Leandri, who made the team last fall as a freshman from Clearwater Central Catholic, has transferred to Northern Michigan, a Division II program. In retrospect, the blog might have chased Leandri away with too many comments about his height, or lackthereof. Thanks to the Times' Joe Smith for the update.

-- NFL Draft? ESPN.com's seven-round mock from Scouts Inc. guru Todd McShay (is it me, or is ESPN starting to move him in and move Kiper out?) has Nicholas going in the third round. Same projection from the Sporting News, which had former USF safety Jeremy Burnett sneaking into the draft as a seventh-rounder. Lots more on the draft this weekend. ...

Questions? Comments? Surely there are e-mails to be sent, comments to be posted, and strange rumors to be floated elsewhere with reckless abandon ... Send 'em all here, or to auman@sptimes.com.

Bulls set sights on Russian forward

Right after he took the USF job, Stan Heath mentioned the possibility that the Bulls could land high-level recruits who had signed with other schools but were granted releases following coaching changes. On Wednesday, I found one such player who could be a match for the Bulls.

On Monday, Heath was in the Panhandle, visiting Chipola College sophomore forward Victor Dubovitsky, a 6-foot-7, 215-pound forward from Moscow who had signed with Texas A&M during the early signing period. When Billy Gillispie left for the Kentucky job, Dubovitsky requested and was granted his release from Texas A&M, and the Bulls are one of six schools he's now considering.

The six, in the order given by Chipola coach Greg Heiar, are USF, Iowa, Kansas State, Oregon, Clemson and Florida State. Heath and assistant Darren Sorenson have both been by to visit Dubovitsky, who averaged 16 points and six assists for Chipola and is likely a power forward wherever he goes. Heiar calls him a combo forward, but said he's more of a 2-4 than a 3-4, having hit 43 percent of his 3-point attempts this season. When Dubovitsky signed with Texas A&M, one national analyst touted him as being one of the top 10 players in all of junior college basketball.

Along with huge Texas center prospect Kem Nweke, the Bulls now have two frontline prospects they're courting. USF won't bring either in for a visit this weekend, with Bulls coaches on the road at some key showcase tournaments where they can evaluate other options. But there's a good chance either or both could be in next weekend, potentially adding some depth to a frontcourt that sorely needs it.

Heath still has two openings on his staff, but he won't be carrying over any of Robert McCullum's staff. Frank Burnell had helped Heath during the transition, even making some recruiting trips to evaluate prospects, but Heath decided last week that he would not be keeping Burnell on his staff. One option is Heiar, who has been head coach at Chipola three years and consistently placed his kids in Division I programs -- 17 in four years, with two signings at Indiana and another at New Mexico this season in addition to Dubovitsky. He said Wednesday that he's expressed an interest in joining Heath's staff -- that would help with landing Dubovitsky, obviously, and Heiar has solid recruiting ties both in Florida and in Chicago. Chipola went 33-3, losing to Midland College in the national juco title game. Heath is still waiting for his last Arkansas assistant, Oronde Taliaferro, to decide where he'll coach. He's been linked to openings at Michigan and Oklahoma, and Heath said he knows he'd be welcome in Tampa.

-- Jason Bennett, the 7-foot-3 freshman center from Jacksonville who is considering transferring from Kansas State, has been mentioned as a possibility for USF, but the Bulls aren't interested. That's not to rule out any transfer, especially with another scholarship available now, but Bennett isn't in USF's plans.

-- We had a short note in Wednesday's paper that volleyball coach Claire Lessinger signed a one-year extension last week after her original three-year contract had expired in January. Her Bulls went from 1-13 in their first Big East season to 7-7 last fall, getting the last spot in the Big East tournament, but she'll have to continue that progress during a one-year "evaluation" period, as Doug Woolard called it in a letter detailing the amendment to her contract. Lessinger loses her starting setter and two of her top four hitters, but with a deep recruiting class, she'll have a chance to improve on last year's 12-17 mark. The team will take a foreign tour this summer to Brazil, where the Bulls have had success in finding top players like graduating senior Juliana Nogueira and freshman phenom Marcela Gurgel.

-- Tough news from Atlanta, where former USF safety J.R. Reed was cut by the Falcons, his third cut in the past year. Reed, who played some with the Rams last season, was hoping to catch on as a return specialist, and if he can show he's recovered from the career-threatening leg injury he suffered two years ago, he'll latch on somewhere else as a free agent, with an outside shot at making a fall roster. Reed's presence is still felt at USF -- coach Jim Leavitt has taken to calling walk-on corner Micah Morgan "J.R." because he has the same signature dreadlocks that Reed had with the Bulls. Speaking of former Bulls, I've got a trio of dumb arrests to bring up -- just on the blog, relax -- in the next day or two.

Forward Cann won't be back

Redshirt freshman forward Zaronn Cann, whose two seasons at USF were severely limited by knee injuries, will not be back to play for the Bulls next season, coach Stan Heath said Wednesday morning.

"This is not basketball-related. This is not injury-related," Heath said. "And Doug Woolard is totally committed to (Cann's) academics. We've talked about ways for him to continue his education on scholarship. The matter is between Zaronn and I, and I'm not going to say more than that. He's a good kid and we want to help him however we can."

Cann, a standout at Brandon High before suffering the first of two major knee injuries, could not be reached for comment Wednesday, and Brandon coach Mark Hermann said Wednesday he had not talked to Cann and was surprised to hear he would not be playing next season. Heath said USF would issue a blanket release to allow Cann to transfer to any other school.

Cann, who took a medical redshirt in 2005-06 and did not play last season until the final month, finishes his USF career with 20 points and six rebounds in eight games. His departure only adds to frontcourt depth issues for the Bulls, who have three remaining scholarships available this spring with a priority on finding a power forward and a center who can spell rising senior Kentrell Gransberry.

Basketball recruiting update

Stan Heath's search for a big man to bolster the Bulls' frontcourt is developing quickly, with one recruit from Nigeria out of the mix and another big one stepping to the forefront.

One recruit the Bulls had met with, Joseph Katuka of Montverde Academy near Orlando, committed to George Washington on Monday after visiting Miami last week. Katuka's coach at Montverde, Kevin Sutton, said that Heath met with Katuka but the Bulls jumped into his recruiting process too late after the coaching change earlier this month. Heath also spoke with another Montverde prospect, 6-7 junior swingman Martez Walker, who has UCLA, Arizona State, Cal and Cincinnati among his top choices.

If Katuka is out of the picture, the Bulls seem to be moving quickly on Kem Nweke, a huge center prospect -- 6-foot-10, 309 pounds, according to Gary Nichols, his coach at Fort Bend (Texas) Thurgood Marshall High in southwest Houston. USF assistant Dan Hipsher met Monday with Nweke, and Nichols said a campus visit to Tampa is the next likely step.

"I'm quite sure he will visit," said Nichols, who expected a call from Heath on Tuesday to set up the visit.

Nweke, who averaged 10.9 points, 11.7 rebounds and 4.2 blocks as a senior, is fully qualified academically. He had considered Iowa State, which just used up its last scholarship, and recently visited East Tennessee State. One other consideration is South Alabama, which just hired Texas A&M-Corpus Christi coach Ronnie Arrow to replace John Pelphrey, another domino in the Stan Heath succession.

"He has good hands, good feet for his size, good inside moves," Nichols said of Nweke.

The key, Nichols said, is keeping Nweke's weight down -- he had weighed as much as 340 pounds and has worked to drop to his current weight, but would still do well to drop another 20. Nweke's father, Vince, told me Monday night that Kem is short for Nkemdilim -- his family is from Nigeria, but he has lived in Texas since 1990.

I should be able to check back with an update on this later in the day, perhaps to confirm a visit or check in on other prospects ... 

I'm asking for trouble with this

From a karma standpoint, I feel awkward, guilty even sometimes, laughing at Jay Leno's "Headlines" feature. It's really the only thing Leno does that makes me laugh -- I'm a hard-line Letterman guy -- but as somebody who works in newspapers, it's a bit cannibalistic to crack up at mistakes in newspapers.

That said, for the second time in a week, I'm pointing out a silly mistake in another paper. And just to be fair, I'll 'fess up that for some reason (I still have no idea how or why) I called USF offensive lineman Matt Huners "Clay Huners" in a note I filed last week. I'm honestly sorry and wish I could say it would never happen again. It's embarrassing. It happens to the best of us.

So it's with that humility that I point out that the Orlando Sentinel, a fine newspaper for which I was proud to work while I was in college, has a one-line note in Monday's editions that mentions Stan Heath's first commitment ... and calls him Orange Chin. It's really Orane, but that's just awesome. It's probably a bad case of Spellcheck Gone Wild (or maybe overzealousness with Chee-tos) and again, I'm really begging for a similarly embarrassing honest mistake to happen to me very soon by pointing this out. It's just too much fun not to share.

And if next season there's a section of rabid USF students that paint their goatees orange (I politely will decline, citing ethics) in tribute to their favorite freshman forward, I will defer all credit to the Sentinel. I think I can qualify for an assist.

If Yankees win it all, thank Leavitt

Had meant to post this literally weeks ago, but it got lost in the coaching search and spring football and all that fun. So with the Yankees in town for a two-game series with the Rays, I have a photo -- courtesy of the Yankees -- of USF football coach Jim Leavitt throwing out the ceremonial first pitch from the opening day of spring training at Legends Field last month.

Leavitt, of course, was quite the baseball player in his youth, winning a Big 8 batting title while he was at Missouri. Leavitt got a kick out of being able to throw the pitch -- said it was a solid strike to Jorge Posada -- and said he now expects the Yankees to win it all this season, if only for his small involvement in getting their season started. Seems like I only post photos of ceremonial first pitches on this blog lately, but thanks to Ariele Goldman with the Yankees for the photo ... and thanks to Leavitt for blocking the Times' sign in centerfield.

Women's tennis gives USF first Big East crown

The optimistic mainstream fan might have guessed it would be Jim Leavitt's football team. Others thought it might be Ken Eriksen's softball team. But on Sunday afternoon, it was USF's women's tennis team, directed by second-year coach Agustin Moreno, that gave the Bulls their first-ever Big East championship, knocking off No. 2-ranked Notre Dame 4-3 for a landmark win.

"It's a great feeling. I always thought that we were capable of winning," caoch Agustin Moreno said in a release from USF's sports information department. "The good thing about this is that we're together and we're really focused and we're playing like a team."

I had stopped by the tennis tournament Friday but wasn't able to get to Sunday's championship match. These details are paraphrased from USF's release ...

USF opened by losing the doubles point, meaning the Bulls would have to win four of the six singles matches to take the league championship. Playing at No. 2 singles, Courtney Vernon got an easy straight-sets win (6-1,6-1) to tie the match at 1-1. Notre Dame won the Nos. 3 and 4 singles matches for a 3-1 lead, needing just one more victory to clinch the conference title.

Senior Shadisha Robinson, who had played under Moreno at Georgia and transferred in to USF, earned a three-set win at No. 1 singles, beating Catrina Thompson, ranked No. 26 nationally. Another senior, Gabriela Duch, rallied from a set down to win at No. 5 singles, leaving the championship to rest on the end of the No. 6 singles match, featuring USF sophomore Iciri Rai.

The third set was tied at 4-4, and Rai was able to take a 6-5 lead, then broke serve for the clinching game to give the Bulls their first Big East title.

"It was completely dramatic," Moreno said. "We lost a hard doubles point, but Courtney got our first point right away and I think that got everybody up. All the three-set matches just went our way."

USF's men's team won Sunday to take third place for the second year in a row. The Bulls will host the Big East tennis championships for at least the next two years.

Heath assistant to Oklahoma?

Another one of Stan Heath's assistants at Arkansas is being linked to an elite-level program. One week after Glynn Cyprien took a job on Billy Gillispie's staff at Kentucky, Oronde Taliaferro, a Heath assistant since his time at Kent State, is being closely linked to an opening at Oklahoma.

Sooners coach Jeff Capel denied an Arkansas newspaper report that said Taliaferro had been hired to his staff, saying he was still just a candidate. Taliaferro, Heath's recruiting coordinator, has also been mentioned as a possiblity at Michigan, where he would give new coach John Beilein a strong recruiting tie to Michigan and specifically Detroit. He played under Heath in college, so USF is obviously a possibility as well.

Without naming names, I can say that there is significant high-level interest in the two USF assistant vacancies, from at least one former Division I head coach and a well-established assistant at a top school that just changed coaches. In landing forward Orane Chin on Thursday, Heath has shown he can handle the short-term recruiting fine by himself, and that might be the most immediate priority over finishing his staff. Frank Burnell, the most tenured of Robert McCullum's assistants, has been working with the staff in the transition and is being considered for a job as well.

Darren Sorenson, who was Heath's director of basketball operations at Arkansas, is now working out of USF's basketball office, but it hasn't been determined whether he'll be a full-fledged assistant or continue in the DOB job.

-- Couple of more things: Buccaneers.com has a story on five USF seniors (Stephen Nicholas, Pat St. Louis, Thed Watson, Ean Randolph, Pat Julmiste) meeting with Bucs officials on Wednesday -- not a workout, but a chance to meet with team officials. For most of those five, it's a potential inroads toward a free-agent contract after next week's NFL Draft.

I'll check back in this afternoon with curious speculation in this week's Sporting News about a second USF player getting drafted next week. The Florida Times-Union, meanwhile, says that Nicholas is projected as a seventh-round pick, but then again, they also think the Jacksonville native just finished up a stellar career at Florida International.

USF to host Big East golf, soccer in '08-09

As USF hosts the Big East tennis championships this week, it's worth noting that the Bulls will also serve as hosts for the league's golf and men's soccer tournaments during the 2008-09 season.

USF's proposed soccer stadium isn't expected to be in place by November 2008, but the Bulls will host the men's soccer tournament in their to-be-upgraded soccer and track facility that month. And Lake Jovita Golf and Country Club near Dade City, which hosted the Big East golf tournament last year, will host both golf tournaments in April 2009.

USF has hosted the tennis championships since 2005, before it even joined the league, and the Bulls are slated to continue doing so through 2009, the last year for which the hosts have announced. The Bulls hosted the league's baseball tournament in Clearwater last spring, and while that event will be played in Brooklyn next month, USF is a possibility for 2008 or 2009, with those locations expected to be announced this summer.

USF's tennis teams start play in the league tournament today, with the second-seeded women's team playing at 9 a.m. and the third-seeded men facing sixth-seeded Marquette at noon.

Chin up: Heath gets his first recruit

Stan Heath has moved quickly to pick up his first recruit, getting a commitment Thursday from Orane Chin, a 6-foot-7 small forward from Miramar High.

"I'm really excited right now," said Chin, who will sign with USF on Friday. "I love the coaching staff, it's close to home and I'm excited about playing in the Big East."

Heath saw Chin two weeks ago at the Las Vegas Easter Classic, where he was playing with the Broward Bobcats, well enough to draw attention from several major programs. Chin earned first-team all-state honors after averaging 25 points and 14 rebounds a game at Miramar. Among the programs who have pursued him since the Vegas showing: Kansas, Arizona, Vanderbilt, Penn State, St. Joseph's and UCF.

"This list has just gotten crazy in the last week," said Ken Kelly, his coach at Miramar.

Chin, who visited USF's campus last weekend and watched the spring football game with Heath, is a versatile player who will likely contribute initially at small forward. His frame is similar to freshman Amu Saaka's when he came to USF, but as he adds mass to his 195 pounds, he could eventually play power forward as well. His first name, by the way, has the stress on the first syllable, so it's pronounced as if it rhymed with soarin' ...

"He's long, very athletic, gets to the rim well," Kelly said. "He can finish, he can rebound in traffic. He's a big wing who can rebound with bigger forwards. He could be 210 (pounds) by the time he starts playing up there."

Chin had been recruited by former USF coach Robert McCullum, who made a home visit with his family last fall, but the Bulls had backed off after Aaron Holmes transferred in from Florida State in January.

Heath is also moving fast on next year's recruiting -- while he may have only one scholarship available, he's already offered Clearwater junior point guard Luke Loucks, who visited USF this weekend. McCullum had already been recruiting Loucks and had offered him as well. Here's more on Loucks from the Times' Joe Smith.

One recruit who appears to not be in USF's plans is Hillsborough Community College forward Ejike Hart, who got a visit from Heath the same week he accepted the Bulls job. HCC coach Derrick Worrels said he hasn't heard from USF since that visit, however, and believes USF is looking for a bigger post player. Hart visited Central Michigan last weekend and was planning to visit Winthrop before coach Gregg Marshall left for Wichita State, which is now a possibility as well.

Clemson's Tyler to transfer to UCF

Former Clemson forward A.J. Tyler, who is transferring from the Tigers and had mentioned USF as a possibility, told the Times' Joe Smith he'll play for Central Florida next season.

Tyler, a Palm Harbor graduate who played sparingly in his only season at Clemson, will be in better position for playing time with the Knights. USF has three scholarships available this spring for new coach Stan Heath and has a need for frontcourt depth, but Heath's preference is to find players who can help the Bulls this fall. If Kansas State center Jason Bennett opts to transfer, USF would be a possibility for the 7-foot-3 freshman from Jacksonville.

Robinson gone; Bulls hopeful on Huners

Defensive lineman Tavarious Robinson, in academic limbo for the past year, will not return to play for USF, but the Bulls are hopeful that offensive lineman Matt Huners will be able to return from knee surgery in time to play this season.

Huners, who tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during Saturday's spring game, will undergo reconstructive surgery early next month, but coach Jim Leavitt said he has not discussed the possibility of a medical redshirt and is optimistic that Huners could return in about four months for USF's opener against Elon in September. Huners, a junior from Palm Harbor, is projected as a starting guard but could also compete at tackle as well.

Robinson had 20 tackles in 2005 but redshirted last season as he worked to correct some academic problems. He was not listed on Saturday's spring game rosters, and Leavitt said he does not expect him to play this fall. He will, however, stay in school and finish classes to earn a degree, much like fellow defensive lineman Saiosi Uhatafe, who also will not play his final season.

Another quick football note -- USF is reconfiguring its recruiting territories after Leavitt added four new assistants this spring. Offensive coordinator Greg Gregory, who was successful in recruiting the Panhandle area last season, will now handle St. Petersburg, as Leavitt doesn't like his coordinators to travel as far away from Tampa during the season. Of the new coaches, Mike Simmonds will recruit Orlando, Larry Scott Miami, Mike Canales the Panhandle and southern Georgia, and Dan McCarney will take Fort Lauderdale and New Jersey.

Carl Franks will handle the Naples/Fort Myers area, Rich Rachel will take the south end of Miami and Homestead area, Troy Douglas will continue to work his native Jacksonville and down through Gainesville and Ocala and defensive coordinator Wally Burnham will work the middle of the state.

Leavitt said Wednesday that it's not definite whichof the new spring walk-ons will stick for the fall roster, but several will continue to train with the team this summer, led by defensive back Micah Morgan (the Missouri State transfer), former Countryside and N.C. State linebacker Lucas Darr, and running back Marquise Pease, who saw carries during Saturday's game.

One local who could join the Bulls as a preferred walk-on is Countryside kicker Josh Martinez, the son for former major-leaguer Dave Martinez, who is working as an assistant coach with the Rays. Martinez went 12-for-17 on field goals last season (including a 56- and 53-yarder in the same game) and a perfect 30-for-30 on extra points. He will take visits this spring to Memphis (home of Rick Kravitz) and Florida Atlantic to consider walk-on offers there before making a decision. He'd likely redshirt if he chose the Bulls, who will enter preseason drills with Delbert Alvarado as their kicker.

Check back later for an update on USF's recruitment of Miramar basketball standout Orane Chin ...

USF women learn Big East opponents

USF's women's basketball team learned the breakdown of its Big East conference schedule on Tuesday, with a tough, ranked Marquette program chosen as the Bulls' "mirror" opponent for a home-and-home series.

The Big East's 16-game schedule for women has each team playing one team twice, and the Bulls can be happy it's not Pittsburgh, which swept four meetings with USF in the past two seasons. But Marquette is coming off a 26-7 season that set a school record for wins and put the Golden Eagles in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

In all, USF's eight home league games include five against teams that made the NCAA Tournament last year -- national runner-up Rutgers, Marquette, nemesis Pittsburgh, DePaul and West Virginia. USF was a significantly better team in the Sun Dome than away from it last season, so having more of its tough games at home is a big plus as the Bulls try to make it back to the NCAA Tournament after falling short this spring.

The Bulls do face two of the league's toughest opponents, Connecticut and Louisville, on the road, as well as Notre Dame. Add in nonconference games against North Carolina and Duke, and it's another year where a challenging strength-of-schedule should help USF's case, so long as the Bulls can win enough games to be considered for the NCAA field.

The best of the "mirror" home-and-home matchups? That'd be Rutgers and Connecticut -- two top-five programs who will go head-to-head twice, perhaps meeting again in the Big East tournament, if not the NCAAs as well.

Former USF pitcher Rios killed in car accident

Former USF pitcher Travis Rios, a key contributor to the Bulls' staff in 2003, was killed in a car accident Sunday in Central Florida, according to the Orlando Sentinel. He was 25.

Rios, who had played briefly in the minor-league system of the Boston Red Sox last season, was killed in a head-on collision with another vehicle, an accident that left a passenger in the other car dead as well. Rios went 6-1 with a 3.07 ERA for the Bulls in 2003 but was abruptly dismissed from the team in May of that season for an undisclosed violation of team rules.

"I remember Travis as being an unbelievable competitor," Paul Niles, an assistant baseball coach at Eustis High, told the Sentinel. "It seemed like the bigger the game, the more Travis got into it. He didn't have any fear that he couldn't do anything."

Heath assistant lands at Kentucky

USF men's basketball coach Stan Heath won't be able to bring his coaching staff intact from Arkansas to the Bulls. Glynn Cyprien, who spent one season on Heath's staff at Arkansas, has agreed to join Billy Gillispie's staff at Kentucky.

Heath has already hired Dan Hipsher, an assistant under him at Arkansas for two years, and has talked with longtime assistant Oronde Taliaferro, who played for him and coached under him at Kent State and Arkansas. When Heath made an appearance at USF's spring football game Saturday, his director of basketball operations at Arkansas, Darren Sorenson, was there with him and Hipsher.

Tragedy at Virginia Tech

Watching today's tragic news of a mass campus shooting at Virginia Tech that has left at least 21 people dead, I can't help but think of former USF coach Seth Greenberg, now the Hokies' coach.

When Greenberg came to Tampa last month for the ACC Tournament, he spoke of how much he had come to embrace life in Blacksburg, a big-city guy who had fallen for the appeal of a small town with little less than its campus, one pizza place, one steakhouse and so on. That peacefulness is now shattered, as inexplicably as any of the tragedies that leap to mind when we think of Littleton, Colo., or Red Lake, Minn.

The enormity of today's tragedy will likely forever link Virginia Tech with this one event, much as Kent State is known most for the shootings on its campus in 1970. Only four students died that day, and today's death toll is already at least five times that and still climbing. If you tell someone that Stan Heath spent one year at Kent State, they don't remember Antonio Gates; they remember 1970.

Before I covered USF, I covered high school sports in Pasco County, and one story I remember the most was that of Mitchell High catcher Brian Sommer, who was an eighth grader at a nearby middle school when the shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado killed 12 students and a teacher in 1999. Sommer had friends among the Columbine victims, and I'm sure there will be similar stories that emerge from this tragedy -- it's something that reaches across the country and touches someone close to home at any newspaper seemingly far away.

K-State center, 7-3, may look at USF

We told you last week about Clemson's A.J. Tyler, a 6-foot-9 power forward who is looking to transfer closer to his Pinellas County home. Another potential transfer we'll be keeping an eye on is Jason Bennett, a 7-foot-3 freshman center at Kansas State who is considering a transfer in the wake of Bob Huggins' departure to coach at West Virginia.

Early reports from K-State mentioned that Bennett was interested in moving closer to home, and Rex Morgan, his high school coach at Jacksonville's Arlington Country Day, said Monday that USF would be a school Bennett would consider if he chooses to transfer.

"He liked Coach (Stan) Heath when he was at Arkansas. I know early on, he considered playing for him, so I think it would be a situation he'd look into," Morgan said.

Bennett played sparingly at K-State, getting 1.9 points and 2.6 rebounds per game, but his size is obviously a rare asset on a college campus. Morgan reiterated that Bennett is only pondering a transfer at this point and is focused on keeping his grades in good shape to allow such a move. Morgan hasn't talked with Heath since he got the USF job, but said he has talked with former Bulls assistant Frank Burnell, who continues to make calls on USF's behalf as Heath chooses his staff. Morgan said that if Bennett were to seek a release so he could speak to other schools, his understanding of K-State's policies is that the school would not grant such a release until the end of the spring semester, which is May 11.

Again, Heath only has three scholarships available this spring, and he's said his preference would be to find recruits who can help him this spring. But in the absence of that, or with a special player, Heath said he'd make an exception and consider taking on a transfer. Expect more basketball news early this week, both in Heath completing his staff and a potential signing from forward Orane Chin of Miramar, who made a campus visit this weekend.

Grothe gets last laugh, late score in 7-6 win

Bulls fans got their first glimpse of Mike Ford on Saturday night, but Matt Grothe got the last laugh.

Grothe's 3-yard sprint to the corner of the end zone with 1:09 to play gave White a 7-6 win over Ford's Green team Saturday night in USF's spring game at Raymond James Stadium.

Ford rushed for 51 yards on one second-half drive, including a 26-yard run where he lowered his shoulder and knocked safety Louis Gachette backwards on the way out of bounds. It marked the first time either team had entered the red zone, and on the next play, he scored from 4 yards out for a 6-0 lead.

One definite negative for the game came when junior Matt Huners, the team's starting left guard, had to be helped off the field with an injury to his left leg. Huners tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, but he'll have more than four months before USF's season opener against Elon on Sept. 1.

The crowd of 4,310 was about 400 more than last year, and according to Jim Leavitt, the most ever for a spring game at USF. The most encouraging number from Saturday's game? That'd be 180, the number of new season tickets sold during the pregame select-a-seat campaign, easily the most from a spring game, according to USF assistant athletic director Jim Louk.

Oh, and USF has picked up its first commitment for 2008, from Jeff Hawkins, a 6-foot-4, 240-pound tight end from Ocala Vanguard. It's worth noting that his dad's name is Jim Hawkins, but I'm not sure if I can pull off a Treasure Island reference. No Robert Louis Stevenson fans out there?

More to come later, and any questions you have, don't hesitate to fire them off to auman@sptimes.com.

Bulls fans, meet Mike Ford

           Bulls fans, meet Mike Ford.

            After more than three scoreless quarters, the freshman running back from

Sarasota

broke loose for a 26-yard run, then scored on a 4-yard run, leading the Green team to a 6-0 lead in Saturday’s spring game at Raymond James Stadium.

            Ford, playing his first football in a year and a half, had one carry and one catch in the first three quarters, then took over on one fourth-quarter drive. He rushed for two first downs, then went 26 yards down the left side, knocking defensive back Louis Gachette backwards with a shoulder as he went out of bounds. On the next play, he rushed to his right for the game’s first score, giving him 51 yards on the drive.

Something to cheer about

Not to harp on the scorelessness, but the biggest cheers so far just came with a minute left in halftime, as new basketball coach Stan Heath was introduced, along with his wife Ramona and their younger son, Josh. Lots of cheers for Heath, who is all business this weekend as he entertains a high school recruit, 6-foot-8 forward Orane Chin of Miramar, formerly of Miami Dr. Krop. Chin earned first-team all-state honors after averaging 25 points and 14 rebounds at Miramar. He's also considering Massachusetts.

No offense, but ... no offense

Halfway through Saturday night's spring game, it's still scoreless at Raymond James Stadium.

What's more, neither the Green nor White offenses have spent a down in the actual red zone. Lots of sacks, lots of missed field goals, the latest a 50-yard attempt from Ilia Petrov that barely reached the end zone.

Halftime stats: Matt Grothe is a respectable 16-for-25 for 153 yards, while Grant Gregory is 10-for-18 for 110 yards. No turnovers, but no touchdowns. Leading rusher is junior Shawn Cannon, with 43 yards on seven carries.

Last play of the first half was a hook-and-ladder where Colby Erskin reversed field not once but twice, ultimately brought down for a 9-yard gain.

We have a Mike Ford sighting

It took a little more than a quarter, but freshman running back Mike Ford has made his Bulls debut, rushing for no gain to open a Green possession. He was able to gain yardage three plays later, catching a 4-yard pass from Grant Gregory.

Strong crowd here at Raymond James Stadium, and some are tentatively calling it the most ever for a spring game. I don't go far enough back to say that with authority.

Jessie Hester Jr. has three catches on the current White drive, giving him four for 38 yards. Walk-on running back Marquise Pease is in the game, as is freshman receiver A.J. Love. What would be so funny about the Bulls adding a walk-on named Understanding?

Somebody stop Courtney Denson

It's only spring football, and it's only one quarter, but Courtney Denson -- again, for effect ... Courtney Denson -- already has three catches from Matt Grothe. For 37 yards, no less. Maybe he'll stick at receiver after all ...

Another White drive stalls in Green territory, another Mike Benzer field goal attempt ... short from 51 yards. Still scoreless ...

And now, the Green squad ...

Green squad, led by quarterback Grant Gregory, goes three and out. A 9-yard pass to Colby Erskin -- get used to hearing that name -- but then Ricky Ponton stuffed for a 2-yard loss, then a Gregory incompletion. Nothing more exciting than a spring punt without a pass rush or a punt return, but they're going to have the fair catch down pat for summer, for certain ...

And we're live

The wireless is working at Raymond James Stadium, so we're good to blog live from tonight's spring football game.

The White squad, led by quarterback Matt Grothe, is on offense first. Of the team's top four running backs, three were drafted to the Green team, while redshirt freshman Aston Samuels should get the bulk of the White squad's carries. If I were a coach and wanted to make Samuels look good, this is the kind of situation that would make that more likely to happen.

Grothe has connected on four of his first five passes, including a 17-yard pass to Courtney Denson to convert a third down in Green territory. Samuels has four carries for 4 yards. Opening drive, 42-yard field goal attempt by Mike Benzer ... wide right. Still scoreless ...

Of course, for entertainment purposes only

One of my favorite blog memories (what a sad, sad list to compile) was after last year's spring football game, when I ran into offensive line coach Greg Frey in a Wal-Mart later that night and he greeted me with a warm "You picked the wrong team." Looking over the spring game rosters, I'd picked Green, only to see White roll to a 36-10 victory. Surely, you remember the score, no?

The beauty of the spring game is that the actual outcome is so meaningless and generally random that I have no ethical qualms picking a winner. The coaches divvy up players with an actual draft, and they know far more about each player's strengths and weaknesses than I do (or you reading here, unless you're one of those coaches, wherein it's actually a tie). This year's game, with a nod to middle-school sandlot football with its "all-time quarterback," has a Gold team, a three-player special-teams squad comprised of kicker Mike Benzer, punter Ilia Petrov and holder Anthony Severino, who presumably will help out both squads.

So looking over the rosters, I have to say the White squad seems to have more of the key, core leaders and stars for this fall, enough so that if I had a 1-800 number or an early weekend morning radio program devoted to stone-cold spring game mortal locks, I'd have to go in that direction. "Hey, didn't you pick the team that lost by 26 last spring winning?" the first caller would say, and I'd ask Coach Frey if it's cold in Morgantown this time of year. Hey, I kid, I kid.

Here's arguably the top five names on the White squad's roster: quarterback Matt Grothe, linebacker Ben Moffitt, cornerback Mike Jenkins, defensive end George Selvie and linebacker Tyrone McKenzie. That's not even getting to what look to be at least three starting offensive linemen and Aston Samuels, listed as the top running back on the spring depth chart. If I had a "board" like in the NFL Draft -- and let me be clear that I don't, beyond the random speculation here -- you'd think there's like seven of the top 10 players on that side. The Green roster has cornerback Trae Williams, three talented running backs in Ben Williams, Ricky Ponton and Mike Ford, some strong interior linemen to run inside with, and perhaps the biggest playmaking receiver in the game in Taurus Johnson. They arguably have a superior secondary, and two strong defensive tackles in Richard Clebert and Aaron Harris.

It's too much work to post actual rosters, which would allow you guys to speculate yourselves, but at least you have an idea going in, so if you should run into me while I'm shopping somewhere late after the game while you're carrying a dozen cans of baked beans, you can give me grief. Right?

-- Just a small note, but Jordan Heath, the older son of USF basketball coach Stan Heath, has started classes at Wharton High, where he's a freshman. Jordan will be playing basketball for one of the area's top basketball programs next winter, and Wharton coach Tommy Tonelli, the Times all-county coach of the year this spring, is a former USF standout and assistant coach. I don't want to leave Heath's younger son, 12-year-old Josh, out, in that he plays basketball as well. I just don't know where he's taking classes and I imagine my readers don't know enough about area middle-school basketball. The Heaths had also considered Tampa Prep and Tampa Catholic but ultimately wanted their children in public school. My wife taught in the Hillsborough County school system for six years, so I'm all for that.

-- I'll be back tonight with lots of random posts during the game, but I was able to catch up Friday night with Bill McGillis, USF's new senior associate athletic director for external operations. The Evansville athletic director won't start at USF until May 1, but he'll be at Saturday's game just to introduce himself to people. He's been a college AD for five years and he's only 44, something you don't hear about often. I'll have more on that later ... Here's hoping for good weather for the game tonight, if only because any rain would, of course, render my already vague predictions null and void.

-- This merits a headline of its own, and I'm behind on this, but Jessica Dickson has already been traded in her brief WNBA career. The Sacramento Monarchs, who took Dickson in the second round with what ended up being their only real draft pick, traded her to the Indiana Fever for a third-round pick in next year's draft.

"The 2008 WNBA draft is supposed to be the best and deepest draft in WNBA history," Monarchs GM John Whisenant told the Sacramento Bee. "We already had a lot of depth at Dickson's position and felt that this was a winning situation for all involved."

Let me get this straight: The Monarchs used their first pick in this year's draft to take someone at a position they had "a lot of depth at," so they can then deal their only rookie for a lesser pick in next year's draft? Considering what they did with this year's third-round pick, that's exciting for Monarchs fans, I'm sure. Both teams, by the way, went 21-13 last season and lost to the eventual WNBA champs, the Detroit Shock, in last year's playoffs, although the Monarchs were able to reach the league finals.

For those who missed it: chat transcript

Had the chance to do a Bulls chat over at thebullspen.com on Thursday night, with lots of good questions and a good smattering of fans over two hours or so, give or take a short power outage at my house. Bulliever has posted a transcript for those who couldn't make it (or, I suppose, for those who just want to relive their own comments and questions). Just got a hold of the spring rosters -- not sure if I'll have time to break down the Green and White and their respective strengths, but I'll try to get to that before the end of the day. Last chance for pre-Spring Game questions, so send 'em to auman@sptimes.com. As long as the wireless is working at Ray-Jay on Saturday night, I should be able to do a live in-game blog. (pause for wild cheering to subside). And a reminder to fans: no matter which team wins, please, please, no overturning of cars or setting couches ablaze. Act like your team has won a meaningless intrasquad scrimmage before!

Evansville AD to join USF staff

Doug Woolard has found his new associate athletic director for external operations.

USF has confirmed a report in today's Evansville Courier & Press, which said that Woolard has hired Evansville athletic director Bill McGillis for his associate AD opening, Woolard's second marketing-related hire from Evansville in the past year. McGillis takes over for Tom Veit, who left in January to go across the street to work out of the Sun Dome for Action Sports Media.

McGillis has been athletic director at Evansville for five years, and his previous experience includes two stints as general manager of women's basketball franchises in the now-defunct American Basketball League. Evansville doesn't have a football program, but like Woolard at Saint Louis, McGillis has extensive experience with a college competing with pro teams in a large market, having spent 14 years at the University of Houston from 1985-98.

McGillis was a finalist for the athletic director position at Long Beach State last year, and a story on his interview there shows an ability to improve student attendance at athletic events, another challenge he'll face at USF. He also marketed an open three-on-three basketball tournament at Evansville, something that could be popular at USF as well.

The external operations position oversees many areas, including marketing, ticket sales, TV/radio broadcasts and sports information.

While I'm posting, I want to toss up a link to the Q&A with basketball coach Stan Heath that ran in Friday's paper. Had lots of good things I wasn't even able to get in there, such as Heath's history with two-sport stars, such as Antonio Gates at Michigan State and Kent State, as well as Matt Jones at Arkansas. I'll have more on that down the road ...

USF made official this morning what we reported yesterday, that Dan Hipsher is Heath's first new assistant for his Bulls staff. Two other assistants, Oronde Taliaferro and Glynn Cyprien, remain strong possibilities for the other two spots, though both have been mentioned in consideration for other top-level positions. Cyprien has been linked to Oklahoma State, and Taliaferro is a possibility to add a Michigan recruiting tie to John Beilein's new staff at Michigan. Taliaferro is a Detroit native like Heath, so it'd be a chance for him to go back home, much the same way Heath went to Michigan State under Tom Izzo. I'd expect Heath to have a staff in place by early next week ...

Here's a Shocker!(ha) Winthrop coach Gregg Marshall is flirting with another basketball job, this one at Wichita State. That's from ESPN.com's Andy Katz, who seems to have steady, consistent multiple sources "close to" any job involving Marshall. Marshall still hasn't signed that extension at Winthrop yet, so will be interesting to see what takes place.

Potential transfer

Times staff writer Joe Smith reports on a potential men's basketball transfer:

A.J. Tyler, Palm Harbor University’s all-time leading scorer, is transferring from Clemson University.

The 6-foot-9, 225-pound freshman forward, granted a release Wednesday, said he’s considering a handful of schools, including the USF and UCF.

A first team All-State selection in 2006 for Class 5A, Tyler averaged 5.1 minutes and 1.2 points while playing in 30 games for the Tigers (25-11).

“It just didn’t really seem like the right fit for me -- the right place for my college career,” Tyler said. “I went into it expecting to be here for four years, but I realized this wasn’t going to be the situation I thought it’d be.”

Yes, finally, spring football notes

You've been clamoring for weeks for a good spring football update, and though an afternoon monsoon scuttled Tuesday's practice, I was able to catch up with coach Jim Leavitt, who seems pleased with spring drills as he prepares for Saturday night's spring game at Ray-Jay. I'm reining myself in, Letterman style, and by that, I don't mean 90 minutes, but just the old list of 10 and so on ...

10. Sharpiegate! Intrepid correspondent Mike Camunas reported Saturday about receiver Amp Hill doing an awkward Terrell Owens impersonation, pulling out a Sharpie from his sock after catching a touchdown pass in Saturday's scrimmage. The celebration isn't sitting well with Leavitt, who said Tuesday that he'll hold Hill out of the rest of spring drills, including Saturday's game.

"Wasn't the right thing to do," Leavitt said. "He's not going to practice anymore this spring. We're going to let him focus on school. He will not (play). It was inappropriate, and I want to be very clear how inappropriate it was. ... It's uncharacteristic of our program."

It will seem odd that Mike Jenkins and Carlton Williams, just a few weeks from their late-night arrests, are playing Saturday and Hill isn't, but Leavitt said there are other things that led to his decision.

9. A challenge for you diehards out there, and I'll even give you three guesses: who has moved into the starting right guard spot this spring? I'll ramble on here for a line or two, just adding words so the answer isn't right here to spoil things immediately, and now that you've had a chance to really think ... it's freshman Zach Herrmann from East Lake. Lots of competition inside, with Ryan Schmidt and Jake Griffin getting a look at center. Center Kevin McCaskill hurt his ankle Saturday and will likely miss the spring game, but Leavitt said it's not a lock that he and fellow freshman Jeremiah Warren will redshirt this fall.

8. Freshman Nate Allen is the starting free safety right now, with veterans Danny Verpaele, Williams and Louis Gachette battling for the strong safety and nickel defensive back spots. Tyller Roberts is back at free safety, just because USF's top four cornerbacks are pretty set with Jenkins, Trae Williams, Jerome Murphy and Ryan Gilliam.

7. Leavitt said he's pleased with quarterbacks Matt Grothe and Grant Gregory, and said there's promise but no real separation at running back. Leavitt said four backs will definitely play this fall, and gave them in this order (read into that whatever you want): Aston Samuels, Ricky Ponton, Benjamin Williams and Mike Ford. I'd think one of the biggest answers to come from Saturday is which of those is able to make big plays when given the opportunity.

6. Guess who's back at quarterback: Courtney Denson, who started the season opener at Penn State two years ago and has since gone to receiver to corner to receiver and back now to quarterback. Leavitt also said that if Carlton Hill returns to the team this fall, he doesn't expect him to play this season, but rather to use his redshirt season, which would give him two years of eligibility left for 2008-09. We told you linebacker Houston Hess is now at receiver, though he'll be hard-pressed to do much there this fall. He'll be USF's top returning special-teams tackler, regardless of what position he's working at. Shane McElwain is back at tight end after spending last fall and some of this spring at defensive end.

5. Walk-on receiver Colby Erskin, who goes on scholarship this fall, continues to have a strong spring and was one of the first three names mentioned by Leavitt at receiver, after Taurus Johnson and Marcus Edwards. Next came Amarri Jackson and Carlton Mitchell, then Jessie Hester. Erskin went into spring as the team's fastest player, but he's been as impressive with sure-handed catches.

4. D-line update: Woody George is looking more like a defensive end, Leavitt said, while freshman Brandon Peguese is more likely to play inside at defensive tackle. George Selvie, Jarriett Buie and Josh Smiley would be in the top four outside, with Aaron Harris, Richard Clebert and Allen Cray in the rotation inside.

3. Walk-on update: cornerback Micah Morgan, a transfer from Missouri State, has a good shot of making the team, and I wouldn't be surprised if defensive back Lucas Darr, a Countryside grad who was a walk-on at N.C. State last fall, made it as well. Haven't been able to confirm it, but I was told Darr was the scout-team player of the year for the Wolfpack.

2. I really don't have 10 things, but then again, Letterman's mailing it in on at least two of them every night, right? I can report that the official window for applications for USF's men's basketball assistant coach positions ended Tuesday, a formality that will allow Stan Heath to announce his staff in the very near future. Don't be surprised if he carries over his assistants from Arkansas -- Dan Hipsher, Glynn Cyprien and Oronde Taliaferro -- though Frank Burnell, a well-liked assistant under Robert McCullum, was still at work in his old office when I was over there Tuesday afternoon. Burnell would be a smart pick to ease the transition from one staff to the next, should Heath not choose to bring in his staff intact.

1. Shameless plug: I'm doing a chat Thursday night at 8 at thebullspen.com, the watering hole of choice for all message-board discussions on USF athletics. So join me and ask poignant questions that I can answer with oh-so-much more immediacy than this antiquated, pony-express blog deal here. If you have USF-related questions that must be answered before Thursday night, well (a) seek some professional help and (b) drop off a comment here or fire off an e-mail to auman@sptimes.com. G'nite ...

Jose gets another recruit; is Stan next?

Lots to catch up on today after three days in New York -- caught Sunday's snowy Yankees game in the leftfield bleachers and got back late Sunday night.

First, Jose Fernandez has picked up a fifth and final member of what is already a top-25 recruiting class. The newest addition is Ashley Sanders, a 6-foot sophomore wing from Miami-Dade College who visited USF this weekend and committed. She'll sign this week, likely Wednesday, and will likely step in as the Bulls' starting small forward next season in a starting five that could boast four first-year Bulls, all transfers. Sanders also looked at Michigan State, Providence and Hofstra and gets high praise from MDC coach Susan Summons, who said she can play the 1, 2 or 3 and can create her own offense, a huge plus for next year's Bulls.

What does next year's starting five look like? Most likely, it's juco transfer Jazmine Sepulveda, a national D-II juco player of the year, at point guard, allowing junior-to-be Shantia Grace to move to shooting guard and take over as the team's primary scoring threat. Sanders can start at small forward, with USF's two Division I transfers, Jessica Lawson (Cal) and Brittany Denson (Miami) starting in the frontcourt. That leaves Daiane Packer, ChiChi Okpaleke and Stephanie Sarosi as the top returning players on a crazy-deep bench that includes three freshman guards and the rest of last year's recruiting class, which saw spare minutes in their first season with the Bulls.

Could the Bulls be better despite losing four seniors, most notably all-time leading scorer Jessica Dickson? Fernandez is borrowing a page from Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer and has locked his players out of the locker room for the rest of the spring and summer. They're doing their own laundry, etc., as Fernandez sets notice that 21 wins and the NIT is "failure," in his words. It's setting the bar high for next season, and he still has a nonconference schedule that includes North Carolina and Duke in Tampa.

One curious development: if Cal's Joanne Boyle doesn't take the Duke women's job, they may turn to another Blue Devils alum, Miami coach Katie Meier, who hasn't had much success with the Hurricanes but is the next option within the Duke basketball family. Should Meier leave, you'd think Fernandez' name would come up as a possibility at Miami, since he was born there and cut his teeth as a coach in Miami. The disappointment of missing the NCAA Tournament might make him less of a commodity, but it would make things interesting if Meier wound up at Duke.

Am I really just now getting to men's basketball? We told you earlier that Patrick Beverley was staying at Arkansas, but there's more encouraging news on another Stan Heath recruit. Reports that had Mississippi guard/forward Jenirro Bush "reclassifying" -- that's a fun euphemism for taking another year to get academically qualified through a prep school -- seem to be premature.

I talked with Bush (who was committed to Arkansas before Heath was fired) on Monday night, and his focus is on qualifying this spring, raising his GPA and getting the necessary entrance exam scores to play college basketball this upcoming season. He named six schools for me, saying he has no favorite right now, but the first one he mentioned was USF.

His other five are Virginia, Oklahoma, Baylor, Mississippi State and Oregon. He said he spoke with Heath late last week, and Heath was trying to get him to set up a visit to Tampa. He said he plans on making that visit, though he hasn't set a date yet, and said that while the spring signing period starts Wednesday, he doesn't plan on making a decision in the next week and said he'll likely visit USF before he makes any decision. For Heath, it's an encouraging development as he scrambles to make best use of two or three scholarships this spring.

Heath has yet to sign any assistant coaches to contracts, though he's been in daily talks with his Arkansas assistants, who are strongly considering following him to Tampa. That includes Oronde Taliaferro, his recruiting coordinator at Arkansas and a former player under him in his early coaching days, as well as two assistants with Florida ties -- former Stetson coach Dan Hipsher and former Jacksonville associate coach Glynn Cyprien. Expect some news on this front in the next day or two ...

USF has missed out on Tallahassee Community College's Dustin Scott, who strongly considered the Bulls before the fall signing period. He's committed to Bobby Cremins and College of Charleston, but a USF coach called TCC last week to inquire about another frontcourt prospect, 6-9 forward Andy Buechert. Buechert had committed to UMass and is considering several schools, but TCC coach Eddie Barnes said he thought USF was getting in too late to be a factor for him, if they are truly interested.

I promise I'll get to spring football in the next day or so -- I'll be back out at practice Tuesday, and can pass along from a brief peek at practice last week that walk-on linebacker Houston Hess, a special-teams standout l