San Francisco Dons
2013-2014 Overall Rank: #91
Conference Rank: #4 West Coast
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The top three teams in the West Coast Conference are not going anywhere. A fourth place finish in the conference may not be enough for San Francisco to sniff the NCAA Tournament, but it should be good enough to at least hang around the NIT bubble. The expectations for the Dons were very low last season after another massive roster turnover. But USF played pretty well, especially down the stretch.
2012-13 Record: 15-16, 7-9
2012-13 Postseason: None
Coach: Rex Walters
Coach Record: 77-82 at San Francisco, 108-115 overall
Who’s Out:
Transfers have been a big problem during the Coach Walters era. This time Frank Rogers is the only contributor from the 2012-2013 campaign that has transferred, although De’End Parker was dismissed from the program as well. Rogers, a 6-9 forward, averaged less than nine minutes per contest following his stint at a junior college. Parker, a 6-6 wing who spent a little time at UCLA, averaged 11.7 points per game during his lone season with the Dons.
Who’s In:
The addition of a couple former Big Ten players will at least add some depth to the perimeter. Corey Hilliard rarely played with the Cornhuskers in 2011-2012 and then spent a year in the junior college ranks. He may not put up huge numbers, yet Hilliard is an experienced guard who can handle the ball. Matt Glover should make a bigger impact this year although, again, probably not in the scoring column. Glover averaged 2.8 points and 4.2 rebounds during his lone year in Happy Valley. At 6-5, he is a big guard and his ability to hit the glass will be huge for a San Francisco squad that was the worst rebounding team in the WCC. Kruize Pinkins will help in the rebounding department too. The 6-7, 240 pound transfer from Chipola Junior College could actually turn USF into a surprisingly dangerous rebounding squad.
Who to Watch:
A year ago there were many more questions than answers in the frontcourt. For the most part those questions were answered. Cole Dickerson, a 6-7 senior, was mostly thrown into the starting lineup due to a lack of other options. He responded by averaging 15.2 points and 9.8 rebounds. He is a great shooter from long range and can really stretch out the defense. Mark Tollefsen is another big man who can shoot. He had a very promising freshman campaign and his potential is huge. He still needs to add some muscle to bang effectively in the paint, yet he is ready to explode offensively. Speaking of potential, Tao Xu is full of it. At 6-11 and 260 pounds, the raw sophomore is growing into a relatively productive player. He will not be a tough force in the paint any time soon, yet he is a big body who will be ready to play more minutes when USF needs size on the floor. Sophomore Matt Christiansen has more toughness and just as much potential. He only averaged 2.1 points and 1.8 rebounds in 2012-2013 yet those numbers are on their way up.
Final Projection:
Cody Doolin, Tim Derksen, Avry Holmes and Chris Adams all have starting experience on the backcourt. Doolin has always been a great point guard, but now he is more than that. Doolin has developed into a leader and he must be the man who takes this team to the next level. On top of his 5.6 assists per contest, he also averaged 12.2 points. Not only can Doolin create big opportunities for his teammates; he can take those big shots himself. Holmes and Adams are mostly pure shooters at this point in their careers, while Derksen is a more dynamic scoring threat. As a freshman, the 6-3 guard quickly stepped into a starting role and averaged 7.4 points and 3.8 rebounds. Players like Derksen and all the other sophomores on the San Francisco squad can make big strides and USF will follow. We have been down this road before with the Dons, yet once again this could be the time for a breakthrough year.
Projected Postseason Tournament: NIT
Projected Starting Five:
Cody Doolin, Senior, Guard, 12.2 points per game
Tim Derksen, Sophomore, Guard, 7. 4points per game
Matt Glover, Junior, Guard, DNP last season
Cole Dickerson, Senior, Forward, 15.2 points per game
Mark Tollefsen, Sophomore, Forward, 7.2 points per game
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 69.7 (113th in nation, 5th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 69.1 (239, 8)
Field-Goal Percentage: 45.3 (73, 4)
Field-Goal Defense: 43.7 (219, 7)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 8.0 (23, 1)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 40.1 (5, 1)
Free-Throw Percentage: 66.7 (260, 9)
Rebound Margin: -2.5 (266, 9)
Assists Per Game: 12.3 (198, 5)
Turnovers Per Game: 12.1 (78, 4)
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